Ankara: Trkiye on Wednesday welcomed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' efforts to advance dialogue on Cyprus but said prospects for a settlement remain blocked by what it described as the Greek Cypriot side's "intransigent stance."

According to Anadolu Agency, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli issued a statement in response to Guterres' remarks following a trilateral meeting with the leaders on the island. The statement praised the UN chief's engagement since taking office and expressed support for the cooperation process launched in 2025.

"We commend the efforts exerted by H.E. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, on the Cyprus issue since the beginning of his tenure," the statement said. The ministry emphasized that prioritizing progress in key areas of cooperation under the UN-led process would help build confidence, given the absence of common ground between the two sides.

Simultaneously, Ankara argued that a settlement would remain elusive unless the Greek Cypriot Administration alters its position and halts actions that undermine regional security. "We take this opportunity to reiterate that settlement models that have been tried and exhausted over the decades belong to the past," the statement continued.

Reaffirming Trkiye's long-standing position, the ministry stated that as a motherland and guarantor state, it believes "a just, comprehensive and sustainable settlement to the Cyprus issue can be achieved on the basis of the realities on the Island and by building upon the Turkish Cypriot people's sovereign equality and equal international status."

The statement also reiterated Trkiye's "full support to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot people." These remarks followed comments by Guterres after a trilateral meeting with the island's leaders as UN-facilitated efforts to promote cooperation and revive dialogue on the decades-old Cyprus dispute continue.