Speaking during the King’s Speech debate in the House of Lords, Lord John Sharkey highlighted the continued isolation faced by the Turkish Cypriot people and expressed cautious optimism that a new opportunity for progress on the Cyprus issue may be emerging.

Lord Sharkey reflected on the failure of past settlement efforts, including the collapse of the Crans-Montana negotiations in 2017, which he said ended after the Greek Cypriot side walked away from the process. He noted that Turkish Cypriots have spent decades living under isolation and embargoes despite not being responsible for the island’s continued division.

Welcoming the election of President Tufan Erhürman, Lord Sharkey quoted the President’s recent remarks that no solution can be achieved while ignoring the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people. He also pointed to changing geopolitical circumstances and renewed international engagement as reasons to believe that fresh opportunities may exist to move the Cyprus issue forward.