Türkiye on Wednesday welcomed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' efforts to advance dialogue on Cyprus, saying recent initiatives could help build confidence despite the absence of common ground between the island's divided sides.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Ankara appreciated Guterres' engagement on the Cyprus issue since taking office, following the U.N. chief's trilateral meeting with the island's leaders.
Keçeli said Türkiye believes the process launched by Guterres in 2025, which focuses on advancing cooperation in practical areas, can contribute to confidence-building while broader political differences remain unresolved.
He reiterated Ankara's position that decades of previous settlement models have been exhausted and argued that a lasting solution would remain out of reach unless the Greek Cypriot side changes what Türkiye described as its uncompromising stance.
Keçeli also reaffirmed Türkiye's longstanding support for a settlement based on the "sovereign equality" and "equal international status" of Turkish Cypriots, adding that Ankara's backing for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Turkish Cypriot community remains unchanged.
