President Tufan Erhürman said that his meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides in the buffer zone was open, sincere, and constructive. He noted that the two leaders agreed to meet again in the near future.

President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides met today at the official residence of UNFICYP Chief of Mission Khassim Diagne in the buffer zone. The meeting lasted about one and a half hours. Following the talks, Erhürman held a press conference at the Presidency.

“Representatives will continue their regular meetings”

Erhürman said the meeting was held entirely between the two leaders themselves, emphasizing that the main focus was on Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs).
“We discussed the progress achieved so far and decided to instruct our representatives to continue their regular meetings. We also agreed to meet again in the near future,” he said.

He added that the sides would improve technical-level coordination to address delays in the CBMs.

“We gave a positive response on the foot-and-mouth outbreak”

Responding to a question about the recent foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the South, President Erhürman said, “We received a request for 20,000 doses of vaccine and responded positively. The first 10,000 doses will be ready by tomorrow and the remaining 10,000 within a few days.”

He stressed that such public health issues concern both sides of the island and should be dealt with in coordination through technical committees.

“We are aligned with Türkiye on this process”

Erhürman stated that the Turkish Cypriot side and Türkiye share the same stance on the Cyprus issue:
“Türkiye has consistently underlined that the main reason for the lack of progress is the Greek Cypriot leadership’s unwillingness to share power and resources. I share the same view. That is why the first principle of our methodology includes political equality, effective participation, and rotational presidency.”

“Children in Karpasia are our children too”

Commenting on his planned visit to a school in Karpasia, Erhürman said, “The Greek Cypriot children studying in Karpasia are our children as well. This visit is not being made upon any request but as our own initiative. Tomorrow, I will also visit the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Secondary School in Dipkarpaz.”

Regarding the education of Turkish Cypriot children in Limassol, Erhürman noted, “These children have no school of their own and very limited Turkish-language instruction. I will visit and evaluate the situation firsthand.”

“The Cyprus issue has become an international matter”

Erhürman stressed that the Cyprus problem has gone beyond being merely an intercommunal issue:
“It now has an international dimension. The bilateral agreements the Greek Cypriot Administration has made with several countries have affected regional dynamics. However, if a new negotiation table is formed, there should only be the two leaders and the three guarantor countries present,” he said.

“Crans-Montana convergences must be preserved”

Referring to the convergences reached before the Crans-Montana talks, Erhürman said these understandings should form the basis of any future process:
“Starting a new process from scratch would waste years of effort. The convergences recorded by the UN should be accepted as the foundation of new negotiations.”

“A second vehicular crossing point is needed”

Responding to the Greek Cypriot proposal to open a new pedestrian crossing in Nicosia, Erhürman said, “At this stage, what we need is a second vehicular crossing point. Significant progress has already been made regarding the Haspolat area. We want to complete this work without distracting from the main objective.”

“Mixed marriages and vehicle registration remain on the agenda”

On the issue of mixed marriages, Erhürman stated, “This topic remains on our agenda for every meeting. We shared our data, and it will be discussed again at the next one.”
He also commented on the Derinya–Bostancı crossing, saying, “We are waiting for our Greek Cypriot interlocutors to officially confirm the completion of the process.”

Would you like me to make this article fit the style of an international news agency (like Reuters or AP), or would you rather keep it in a digital news website format (e.g., BBC or Politico style)?