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Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said Thursday that the two sides managed to move forward on a handful of practical issues, most notably halloumi and the management of crossing points, after a long trilateral meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides and the UN envoy.
Erhurman called the steps “small but real,” noting that they were areas where the two sides could finally meet in the middle.
He also highlighted the joint visit he and Christodoulides made earlier in the day to the Committee on Missing Persons, calling it both symbolic and meaningful for the ongoing humanitarian work on missing persons.
Halloumi gets a deadline
One of the most concrete outcomes was halloumi. Erhurman said both sides agreed that the EU’s final procedures linked to the cheese’s registration should wrap up by the end of January, a timeline that has slipped repeatedly in recent years.
Crossing points see upgrades
There was also movement on roadblocks, a sore point for daily commuters.
Erhurman said:
- Staffing will be increased across all crossing points.
- The seven control booths at the busy Agios Dometios crossing will remain in operation.
- Vehicle licensing and insurance, which currently create long lines at Agios Dometios, will also be offered at Astromeritis and Deryneia to ease congestion.
He added that both sides agreed to intensify work on issues linked to all crossings, as well as wastewater treatment in Mia Milia.
Big political issues still open
Despite the progress on day-to-day matters, Erhurman acknowledged that the two sides remain divided on the larger political framework.
He said the Turkish Cypriot side’s four-point methodology for restarting talks was “only partly accepted” and stressed again that rotating presidency remains a core demand.
He also noted that the guarantee system didn’t come up and said the proposals presented by Christodoulides focused mostly on confidence-building steps rather than security matters.
Preparing for a five-party meeting
With a broader five-party conference expected early next year, Erhurman said the aim now is to walk into that meeting with “tangible progress” already in hand, whether on crossings, energy projects in the buffer zone, or other practical issues.
“People need to see movement,” he said, adding that visible improvements can help build trust even as the major political differences remain.
