Turkish Cypriot Presidency Undersecretary Holds New York Talks Ahead of UN Cyprus Report

The timing of diplomatic outreach highlights concerns over how the Cyprus issue is being framed ahead of the UN Secretary-General’s next report.

Mehmet Dana, undersecretary to Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman, held a series of diplomatic meetings in New York this week as preparations continue for the next report by the United Nations Secretary-General on Cyprus.

According to information shared by the Presidency, Dana met with senior UN officials and diplomatic representatives to convey the Turkish Cypriot side’s positions and concerns regarding the content, tone, and balance of the forthcoming report. The meetings focused on recent developments on the island, the stalled negotiation framework, and the political parameters shaping UN assessments.

In a recent statement published by the TRNC Presidency, Tufan Erhürman said attempts to act as if Turkish Cypriots do not exist only deepen the divide on the island:

“They try to act as if the Turkish Cypriots do not exist. We will not ignore those who try to ignore us. On this island, the Turkish Cypriot people existed, exist today, and will continue to exist.”

Erhürman said the Cyprus issue cannot be advanced through platforms that present a single authority as speaking for the entire island, arguing that exclusion hardens the very deadlock it claims to resolve.

“You cannot reach a solution by pretending one of the two peoples of this island does not exist. Every step built on exclusion reinforces the status quo it claims to oppose.”

Therefore, the outreach comes at a sensitive moment. Drafting processes for UN reports are widely seen as shaping not only diplomatic narratives but also the scope of future engagement. Turkish Cypriot officials have repeatedly argued that recent UN documents risk reinforcing an outdated framework that no longer reflects political realities on the island.

Dana’s contacts in New York were aimed at underlining these concerns and ensuring that Turkish Cypriot perspectives are fully reflected before the report is finalized and circulated among member states.

The Presidency described the meetings as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to engage international actors directly, rather than reacting after reports are published. Officials view this phase as critical, particularly given the absence of a formal negotiation process and the growing divergence between the sides’ positions.