Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a diplomatic meeting in Ankara on Thursday with the United Nations’ senior official tasked with resolving the Cyprus dispute. The talks with Maria Angela HolguĂn Cuellar, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus, underscore TĂĽrkiye’s active role in the ongoing international efforts to address the status of the Eastern Mediterranean island.
A Pivotal Meeting for Island Diplomacy
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the high-level discussion via an official social media post. The engagement with Envoy HolguĂn Cuellar represents a key point of contact between TĂĽrkiye and the UN’s renewed initiative to explore common ground and revive settlement talks for Cyprus, which has been divided since 1974.
TĂĽrkiye’s Consistent Stance on Cyprus
TĂĽrkiye has historically been a guarantor power for the Turkish Cypriot community and advocates for a just and lasting solution based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of both sides on the island. Meetings such as this one in the Turkish capital are crucial for conveying this position directly to the UN’s principal mediator and for coordinating diplomatic steps forward.
The Path Ahead for Negotiations
While the ministry did not release specifics from the closed-door conversation, the meeting itself signals a continuation of dialogue. Envoy HolguĂn Cuellar’s visit to Ankara is part of a broader consultation process with all relevant parties, including the Greek Cypriot administration and the Republic of TĂĽrkiye, as the UN seeks to gauge the potential for resuming formal negotiations.