President Christodoulides and Tufan Erhurman hold meeting in Nicosia buffer zone

On May 8, 2026, President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman met at the Nicosia airport buffer zone. President Christodoulides identified an informal target of convening an expanded conference on the Cyprus issue by this summer, noting positive momentum following UN Secretary-General Guterres's recent discussions with the Turkish President. Conversely, Erhurman stated that no such formal proposal for a 5+1 summit exists on the table and advocated for a step-by-step approach to resolve local issues first. The two leaders agreed to establish a consultative body for civil society, a proposal originally introduced in 2007. They also committed to continued coordination to combat foot-and-mouth disease and addressed the scheduling of religious services to avoid future obstacles. While both described the meeting as constructive, they acknowledged that significant gaps remain, particularly regarding the opening of new crossing points.