In an interview with the Financial Times, the Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis maps the Nicosia-Brussels agenda ahead of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026, with two cutting-edge points: Europe’s alignment with the Trump strategy in the Middle East and an organized “opening” to Turkey through European tools and gradual confidence-building measures.
President Christodoulidis calls on the EU to make use of its networks Cyprus in the region to practically coordinate with President Trump’s line in the Middle East, aiming for a stronger Europe-US relationship and the Union’s role as a global power. The message is politically clean and translates to less embarrassment, more partnership with Washington in a neighborhood on fire.
At the same time, N. Christodoulidis appears willing to support a closer EU-Turkey relationship, recognizing the “immovable” geography and mutual interests. He proposes, among other things, inviting Turkish officials to informal European meetings, as long as the context is clearly European and serves de-escalation.
The prospect of resuming talks to resolve the Cyprus issue is explicitly placed on the parameters of 2017, when the talks broke down in Crans Montana, with enhanced involvement of the EU as a catalyst. The rationale is that European incentives and monitored steps can give practical oxygen to the process and act as a deterrent to unilateral tensions.
The basket of “small steps” includes the reactivation of the Euro-Turkish visa agenda for Turkish citizens and targeted access arrangements for Cypriot ships to Turkish ports, in order to create a positive climate without discounts for Cypriots. The rationale is to derive practical benefits that reduce friction and increase room for negotiation.
The recent contact between Christodoulides and Trump in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where the Cyprus issue was put on the sidelines of the Gaza summit, shows that Nicosia is systematically investing in channels with the American side, a crucial element for the European course proposed by President Christodoulides.
Manolis Kalatzis