President Christodoulides and Tufan Erhurman to meet on May 8

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman are scheduled to meet on Friday, May 8, at 4:00 PM. The meeting will take place at the residence of the United Nations special representative, Khassim Diagne, located in the Nicosia buffer zone. Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis stated that these regular meetings aim to maintain open communication channels to facilitate the resumption of substantive negotiations. The discussions occur as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres seeks progress on the Cyprus issue before his term concludes at the end of 2026. While the Greek Cypriot side expresses readiness for immediate engagement, sources suggest there is disagreement regarding the timing of future steps. Tufan Erhurman has reportedly suggested waiting until after upcoming elections and the end of the Cypriot EU presidency in July, whereas President Christodoulides advocates for immediate progress. Tensions have also been noted following the recent defense agreement between Cyprus and France.