Turkish Cypriot daily Diyalog leads with the Cyprus issue under the headline The Last Tango, reporting that UN Secretary-General António Guterres is travelling to Cyprus to discuss the resumption of talks with the island's two leaders. The story also features prominently in other Turkish Cypriot newspapers.
According to Diyalog, Guterres will arrive on 27 July, hold separate meetings with the two leaders and later meet them jointly.
The newspaper further claims that before travelling to Cyprus, the UN chief will communicate with the leaders of the guarantor powers as part of efforts to facilitate the resumption of negotiations.
The report notes that Guterres will be accompanied by UN under-secretaries-general Rosemary DiCarlo and Jean-Pierre Lacroix, describing their presence as a “strong image.” Political observers quoted by the newspaper suggest that the UN secretary-general would like to conclude his tenure with a major success, and that success could be achieved in Cyprus.
Meanwhile, Yeni Düzen, citing diplomatic sources in Belgium, reports that meetings between the UN secretary-general’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Special Representative for Cyprus Raffaele Fitto have been finalised for 21-22 July in Brussels.
According to the report, Holguín will travel to Cyprus following those meetings.
The newspaper recalls that during the first half of June, Holguín visited Cyprus and held separate meetings with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman and President Nikos Christodoulides. During that visit, she announced preparations for an expanded conference involving the guarantor powers.
After completing her contacts in Cyprus, the Colombian diplomat travelled to New York to brief Guterres on her discussions before arranging meetings with EU officials in Brussels, who have expressed a desire for active involvement in the process.
The report also refers to the recent appointment of Raffaele Fitto by von der Leyen as the European Union's Special Representative for Cyprus.
According to Yeni Düzen, political circles have interpreted the appointment as a sign that significant progress has been made behind closed doors.
The newspaper also highlights von der Leyen's recent social media statement that the EU is fully engaged in the process and is “ready to do whatever it can” to support efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue within the UN framework and in line with EU principles, values and legislation.
Other Turkish Cypriot newspapers also report on Guterres' upcoming visit, generally describing it as a historic step.
Daily Avrupa, meanwhile, points out that the visit comes four months before the end of the UN secretary-general's term of office.
