Speaking in Berlin on 14 November, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides bluntly told reporters that Ankara’s dream of joining the European Union will stay frozen unless Turkey abandons its insistence on a permanent two-state arrangement for the divided island. The warning came after a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, only six weeks before Cyprus assumes the EU’s rotating presidency. Christodoulides said the two-state formula violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and would, if accepted, entrench a hard border inside the Union.
Cyprus argues that Europe’s entire Schengen area would inherit a security blind spot if Northern Cyprus – recognised only by Turkey – remained outside EU (and future Entry/Exit System) rules while Turkey itself gained greater visa-free movement through closer integration. Ankara’s separate request to tap the EU’s new SAFE defence fund was also criticised; Nicosia says Turkey cannot expect privileged access while refusing to sign an EU security pact or normalise relations with the Republic of Cyprus.
![Cyprus Tells Turkey: Drop Two-State Demand or Forget EU Ambitions]()
For global-mobility managers the stakes are high. Turkish companies with mobile talent pools and multinationals that staff regional hubs in Istanbul had hoped an EU “positive agenda” would eventually ease business-travel formalities. Failure to move the accession file means Turkish nationals will continue to face Schengen visa backlogs and airline passengers will still clear customs twice when transiting via Northern Cyprus. Cross-Green-Line trade and commuter flows – already capped at around 12,000 daily passes – would remain subject to ad-hoc checks.
EU diplomats say Berlin is trying to broker confidence-building steps, such as expanding Green-Line crossing hours, joint customs patrols and an interim recognition of Northern Cyprus travel documents for limited purposes. “If Ankara concedes on the political principle, technical mobility benefits could follow quickly,” one EU official told Reuters. Business groups including Cyprus’ International Investors Association argue that smoother inter-island logistics would cut shipping times by 20 percent for firms using Famagusta port.
Until Ankara changes tack, however, mobility specialists should assume the status quo through at least mid-2026: no expansion of Turkey-EU visa facilitation, continued limitations on posting Turkish staff to EU sites, and persistent uncertainty over cargo movements that traverse the island. Companies are advised to route freight through Limassol or Larnaca, maintain dual-compliance payroll structures for staff on either side of the Green Line, and monitor upcoming EU-presidency proposals that Nicosia is expected to table in January.
Cyprus argues that Europe’s entire Schengen area would inherit a security blind spot if Northern Cyprus – recognised only by Turkey – remained outside EU (and future Entry/Exit System) rules while Turkey itself gained greater visa-free movement through closer integration. Ankara’s separate request to tap the EU’s new SAFE defence fund was also criticised; Nicosia says Turkey cannot expect privileged access while refusing to sign an EU security pact or normalise relations with the Republic of Cyprus.
For global-mobility managers the stakes are high. Turkish companies with mobile talent pools and multinationals that staff regional hubs in Istanbul had hoped an EU “positive agenda” would eventually ease business-travel formalities. Failure to move the accession file means Turkish nationals will continue to face Schengen visa backlogs and airline passengers will still clear customs twice when transiting via Northern Cyprus. Cross-Green-Line trade and commuter flows – already capped at around 12,000 daily passes – would remain subject to ad-hoc checks.
EU diplomats say Berlin is trying to broker confidence-building steps, such as expanding Green-Line crossing hours, joint customs patrols and an interim recognition of Northern Cyprus travel documents for limited purposes. “If Ankara concedes on the political principle, technical mobility benefits could follow quickly,” one EU official told Reuters. Business groups including Cyprus’ International Investors Association argue that smoother inter-island logistics would cut shipping times by 20 percent for firms using Famagusta port.
Until Ankara changes tack, however, mobility specialists should assume the status quo through at least mid-2026: no expansion of Turkey-EU visa facilitation, continued limitations on posting Turkish staff to EU sites, and persistent uncertainty over cargo movements that traverse the island. Companies are advised to route freight through Limassol or Larnaca, maintain dual-compliance payroll structures for staff on either side of the Green Line, and monitor upcoming EU-presidency proposals that Nicosia is expected to table in January.
