President Nikos Christodoulides said he is ready to resume negotiations for a “bi-zonal, bi-communal federation” as a solution to the Cyprus issue, following the election of Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
In an interview with Euronews, Christodoulides called Erhürman’s victory a “positive development” and expressed willingness to begin talks as early as next week. The remarks come nearly eight years after United Nations-backed reunification talks collapsed in Switzerland in 2017.
Erhürman, a pro-European Social Democrat, campaigned on a federal reunification model, renewing hopes for progress on the long-standing division of the island.
“If Erhürman joins the table and shares his views on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation,” Christodoulides said, “we could pave the way for a solution based on UN Security Council resolutions.”
He also rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s proposal for a two-state solution.
Cyprus is set to assume the rotating presidency of the European Union in two months.