The Cyprus–Türkiye maritime boundary

This Policy Brief was developed in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean Initiative (EMI), a dialogue platform that brings together non-governmental experts from around the eastern Mediterranean region. The Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and Swisspeace provide substantive and logistical support to the EMI and jointly act as its secretariat.

During the European Political Community Summit in Budapest in November 2024, an unexpected yet significant scene unfolded: Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan sharing the same table. While such interactions might seem routine in a summit setting, this rare encounter holds symbolic significance, possibly signaling the potential revival of something long absent in a divided Cyprus: constructive dialogue aimed at fostering understanding and exploring paths toward cooperation. This development comes amid a broader thaw in Greek–Turkish relations, which has created a positive environment for addressing long-standing disputes, including issues of maritime boundary delimitation. The warming of ties between Athens and Ankara offers a rare opportunity to shift from confrontation to collaboration in the eastern Mediterranean. Earlier, at the 2023 Limassol Economic Forum, Cyprus’s foreign minister, Dr Constantinos Kombos, noted that “Cyprus has already achieved maritime delimitation agreements with neighboring states”, and continued, “Cyprus continues to extend an invitation to Türkiye to achieve maritime delimitation”. Delimiting the Cyprus–Türkiye maritime boundary is not, however, an easy feat.