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Can one visit change the course of a conflict that has remained frozen for more than half a century?
That is the question hanging over Cyprus as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived on the island Tuesday morning for what many diplomats see as the most significant UN visit in years and perhaps one of the last chances during his tenure to revive negotiations on the Cyprus issue.
"The United Nations cannot impose peace," Guterres said. "Only Cypriots, through their leaders, can build it."
Standing alongside President Nikos Christodoulides after arriving in Nicosia, Guterres made it clear why he came.
"I have arrived in Cyprus to express my commitment to support the communities in Cyprus and to find a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem," he said.
But he also struck a realistic note.
"The United Nations cannot impose peace," Guterres said. "Only Cypriots, through their leaders, can build it."
His visit is historic. Not because Guterres himself hasn't been here before in other capacities, but because he is the first sitting UN secretary-general to visit Cyprus in 16 years, a powerful signal that the United Nations still believes there is value in trying to break the decades-long stalemate.
For many Cypriots, the timing is significant. Guterres' term as UN chief ends later this year, making this one of his final personal efforts to see whether there is enough political will on both sides to get talks moving again.
On Tuesday morning, he met President Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace, where the two were joined by senior members of the Cypriot government and the UN delegation. Later, Guterres is scheduled to hold separate talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman before bringing both leaders together for a private dinner under UN auspices. A trilateral meeting is set for Wednesday morning, followed by a press conference before the secretary-general leaves the island.
Beyond the political meetings, Guterres will also lay a wreath at the UN Peacekeepers' Memorial outside Ledra Palace, visit the Committee on Missing Persons' anthropological laboratory, and meet with negotiators, bicommunal technical committees, and representatives from civil society.
Hope meets reality
If there is optimism, it is cautious.
On the Turkish side, newspapers described the visit as "historic" and "critical" but were quick to temper expectations.
Both Hurriyet and Sabah reported that Ankara has no intention of changing its position, continuing to insist that a two-state solution is the only realistic path forward. The Greek Cypriot side, meanwhile, remains committed to a bizonal, bicommunal federation based on UN resolutions.
That gap remains as wide as ever.
According to Turkish media, Guterres is not arriving with a new peace plan in his briefcase. Instead, his mission is to gauge whether enough trust can be rebuilt to restart meaningful dialogue and possibly pave the way for another informal international conference involving Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
More than another diplomatic visit
Cyprus has seen countless rounds of negotiations come and go, each bringing hope before ending in disappointment. That history explains why expectations remain modest this time around.
Still, the presence of the world's top diplomat on the island carries weight.
Whether this visit becomes another chapter in the long history of failed peace efforts or the moment that finally nudges the Cyprus issue forward will depend not on the United Nations but on the willingness of both leaders to find common ground.
For an island divided for more than 50 years, many will be watching closely, hoping that this historic visit delivers more than symbolic handshakes and carefully worded statements. It may not be the last chance for peace, but it is certainly one of the most important in recent years.
