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The much-anticipated meeting between Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar ended with more disappointment than progress on Monday, as the leaders clashed over long-standing issues, and once again walked away without any meaningful breakthrough.
Emerging from the talks, President Christodoulides didn’t mince words. "Talking nonsense does not help the Cyprus problem," he said bluntly, expressing frustration with what he described as a go-nowhere approach from the Turkish Cypriot side.
"Talking nonsense does not help the Cyprus problem," -Nikos Christodoulides
In a rare statement in English, Christodoulides admitted that the meeting “was not the result I expected,” dismissing what he called a “Yavas - Yavas” approach, essentially a go-slow tactic, as ineffective.
Three strikes, no progress
Christodoulides said he received three firm rejections from Tatar during the meeting. First, Tatar said no to a new proposal for opening a roadblock in Nicosia, a move that could have improved mobility and trust between the two communities. He also refused cooperation on water management from the Mia Milia area and said no to progress on the contentious Pyla issue.
The President noted there was at least some agreement on restoring and cleaning 30 cemeteries, split evenly between the government-controlled and occupied areas. There was also a hint of progress on some environmental topics, but the overall tone of the meeting remained bleak.
Tatar fumes over property cases
A major point of contention was the ongoing prosecution of Turkish Cypriots accused of usurping Greek Cypriot properties in the north. Tatar, clearly irritated, said the issue should not be politicized and insisted that this message be passed to international audiences, including the United Nations in New York.
Christodoulides pushed back firmly, saying the executive branch in any democratic country cannot and should not interfere with the judiciary. “We’ve said this many times,” he stressed, standing by the prosecutions and insisting they are strictly legal and not political matters.
Roadblocks and rhetoric
Despite Tatar’s claim of wanting a "new atmosphere" for the talks, his positions remained largely unchanged, especially on the issue of border crossings. His continued refusal to open new roadblocks has been a sticking point for years, and Christodoulides’ fresh proposal was met with another brick wall.
While both leaders maintain they want progress, the meeting seemed to highlight just how far apart they remain, not just in policy, but in tone, intent, and trust.
As another round of diplomacy ends with finger-pointing and frustration, the Cyprus issue appears once again stuck in neutral, with little to offer for those hoping for real steps forward.
