EU appoints Raffaele Fitto as Cyprus special representative

The European Commission announced that Vice‑President Raffaele Fitto has been appointed the EU’s special representative for Cyprus, a role meant to support the United Nations‑led settlement process and liaise with both the Greek‑Cypriot and Turkish‑Cypriot communities. The Commission said Fitto will cooperate with UN envoy Maria Ángela Holguín Cuéllar and meet all stakeholders on the island.

Turkish officials reacted strongly. The Turkish Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Öncü Keçeli described the appointment as a “provocative step” that ignores the Turkish‑Cypriot side and confirmed that the EU’s neutrality was lost after the 2004 admission of the Greek‑Cypriot administration. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) declared the decision “null and void” and said it will not be recognised without the consent of the Turkish‑Cypriot people. The TRNC President’s office and the Turkish President’s secretariat issued similar statements, urging the EU to lift political, economic and cultural restrictions on Turkish Cypriots before any constructive role can be played.

Greece’s foreign ministry, in contrast, welcomed the appointment, calling it a sign of the EU’s commitment to a comprehensive settlement. The EU’s own press release reiterated that the special representative will engage with “all parties and stakeholders”, emphasizing the need for a solution based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the island’s two communities.