Cypriot outlet criticizes country’s president’s UN speech — Cyprus Mail

Cypriot outlet Cyprus Mail criticized Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides’ speech at the UN General Assembly in an editorial column. The authors believe that sharp statements directed at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are unlikely to help resume negotiations on the Cyprus issue.

Assessment of the speech

The editorial board compared Christodoulides’ rhetoric to the speeches of former Cypriot President Spyros Kyprianou, who led the country in 1978–1988. According to the authors, such speeches at the UN General Assembly are primarily intended for an audience within Cyprus, while the positions of other states on the Cyprus issue have already been formed.

Cyprus Mail also noted that Christodoulides accused Erdogan of hypocrisy at the highest level. This came after the Turkish president’s speech, in which, according to the outlet’s assessment, he spoke about international law, illegal occupation, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

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Negotiations on Cyprus

At the same time, Christodoulides called on Erdogan to agree to substantive negotiations within the UN-agreed format. The Cyprus Mail editorial board called the combination of this appeal with public criticism of the Turkish leader contradictory.

The column’s authors consider the resumption of negotiations to be the Cypriot president’s main priority and expressed doubt that the speech’s confrontational tone could contribute to this goal. The outlet also noted that it did not see in the speech a diplomatic approach that could open the way to dialogue, despite Christodoulides’ 20-year diplomatic career.