The U.N. Secretary-General urged Cyprus powers guarantors, which consist of Türkiye, Greece and the U.K., to support constructive dialogue efforts, amid the lack of harmony between the two leaders of the island.
Guterres called on the countries to support dialogue and cooperation for the decades-long dispute on the divided island of Cyprus.
"In the continued absence of substantive dialogue on the Cyprus issue between the two sides and given the prevailing socio-economic and political climate, prospects for reaching common ground on the Cyprus peace process remain uncertain for the time being. The positions of the two sides remain far apart and both sides maintain their opposing views about the way forward," he said in his latest report accessed by Anadolu Agency.
No agreement has yet been reached regarding modalities for the appointment of a U.N. envoy, who could explore ways to reach common ground for resuming negotiations for a lasting settlement in Cyprus, said Guterres.
He said the political landscape has been further complicated by disputes and statements regarding areas in and adjacent to the buffer zone and in the fenced-off coastal area of Maraş, or Varosha in Greek, which had virtually turned into a ghost town, as it remained cut off from the world for 47 years.
A portion of the region, about 3.5% of its total area, was reopened in October 2020. Maraş was abandoned after a 1984 U.N Security Council resolution that stated only original inhabitants could resettle in the town.
Guterres urged all parties to avoid unilateral actions that could heighten tensions and reiterated that natural resources in and around the island should benefit both communities.
"The situation on the island is compounded by ongoing tensions in the eastern Mediterranean region, including competing maritime zone claims and worsening relations between guarantor powers Greece and Türkiye. Beginning in October, however, hardening demands related to the status of the north and political rhetoric in the south in the context of electoral campaigning increased perceived psychological barriers to cooperation," he said.
Guterres encouraged Cypriots to engage actively in shaping the future of the island with pragmatism, despite the current atmosphere. "Continued and serious efforts are needed to find a mutually acceptable way forward to ultimately bring the Cyprus issue to a settlement and bring peace and prosperity to all," he said, urging guarantor powers to support dialogue and cooperation between the two communities.
"I believe that only genuine progress towards reaching a consensus for meaningful, results-oriented negotiations leading to an amicable settlement will reassure Cypriots as well as the international community that a peaceful and shared future on the island truly remains possible," he added.
Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
Ethnic attacks in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety. In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece's annexation led to Türkiye's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was founded in 1983.
The divided island has witnessed on-and-off peace processes in recent years, including the failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the U.K.
The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year Greek Cypriots thwarted the U.N.'s Annan plan to end the long-standing dispute.