Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has accused Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of “selective sensitivity and hypocrisy to the highest degree,” urging him to end Turkey’s 51-year occupation of Cyprus and return to negotiations for reunification.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Christodoulides said Erdoğan had used the same forum to present himself as a voice for peace while “accusing others of crimes that Turkey itself commits daily.”
He stressed that Cyprus was ready for a comprehensive settlement based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
Erdoğan, however, dismissed the federal model as unworkable, declaring there were “two separate states and two separate peoples on the island” and demanding recognition of the self-declared “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
He also urged the international community to lift what he called the “inhumane isolation” of Turkish Cypriots, while renewing calls for an Eastern Mediterranean Conference to discuss regional issues.
In his response, Christodoulides drew a direct comparison between Turkey’s 1974 invasion of Cyprus and Russia’s war in Ukraine, warning that turning a blind eye to violations of sovereignty only emboldens aggressors.
He pointed to the plight of displaced families, missing persons, and the occupied city of Famagusta, saying Turkey continues to pursue illegal settlement policies aimed at altering the island’s demographic balance.
“The images of mothers and children crying for their loved ones are etched in my memory,” he said, adding that Cyprus remains determined to reunite its people.
He warned that “appeasement of the perpetrator has never produced results” and called for stronger international action to uphold territorial integrity worldwide.
On global challenges, Christodoulides said the international order faces unprecedented strain from war, climate change, economic instability and violations of international law.
He urged world leaders to strengthen multilateralism and embrace dialogue and diplomacy “instead of violence — always and in every circumstance.”
On the sidelines of the Assembly, Christodoulides met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the two reaffirming their close ties and commitment to the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection project.
They also discussed upcoming intergovernmental talks in Athens and preparations for a joint meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader under UN auspices.
