Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan flew to Northern Cyprus this week for a round of high-level meetings with Turkish Cypriot leaders, just days before a fresh push to revive the island's long-stalled peace process.

Fidan sat down with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman to discuss bilateral ties and the latest developments in the Cyprus dispute, according to diplomatic sources. Further meetings were lined up with Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu.

The timing matters. On November 9, Erhürman is due to meet Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides alongside María Ángela Holguín, the personal envoy of UN Secretary-General António Guterres. That conversation is expected to centre on confidence-building measures — most notably proposals to open four new crossing points across the dividing line and to expand mine-clearance operations on the island.

The diplomatic groundwork has been building for a while. The UN brought the two Cypriot leaders back together for a new round of talks in 2024, though without a breakthrough. In 2025, the process widened: guarantor states including Greece and the United Kingdom joined both sides in Geneva, where six chapters of potential cooperation between Turkish and Greek Cypriots were agreed. A follow-up meeting in July 2025 reviewed progress, and Guterres himself made a first-ever visit to Cyprus last July to launch a new initiative.

Türkiye remains one of the island's guarantor states and backs the Turkish Cypriot position, arguing for equal rights and prosperity for the Turkish Cypriot community. Fidan's visit signals Ankara's continued involvement as the next round of talks approaches.

Why should travellers care? If the crossing-point proposals go ahead, getting between the Greek Cypriot south and the Turkish Cypriot north becomes significantly easier — a practical change for anyone wanting to see both sides of a divided island in one trip. For now, movement between the two sides remains possible through existing checkpoints, and visitors crossing for the day should carry their passports and check current rules before travelling. The political backdrop can shift quickly, so anyone planning a trip spanning both parts of the island should follow the news as the Geneva-track process unfolds.

Daily Sabah Travel