The call comes as Israel continues to escalate its military operations in Lebanon, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties and even injuries to UN peacekeepers stationed in the region. Meanwhile, the ongoing war in Ukraine, which began more than two and a half years ago, remains a focal point of international concern.

Fidan and Guterres also touched on the long-standing issue of Cyprus, which remains divided between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot Administration.

Ersin Tatar, president of the TRNC, announced on Tuesday that his upcoming meeting with Guterres will include representatives from both Türkiye and Greece. The announcement followed an informal dinner at UN headquarters attended by Tatar and Nikos Christodoulides, leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration.

The island of Cyprus has been embroiled in a dispute between Greek and Turkish Cypriots for decades. Ethnic tensions, which began in the 1960s, led to the withdrawal of Turkish Cypriots into enclaves for protection. In 1974, a coup by Greek Cypriots, aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece, prompted Türkiye's military intervention to protect Turkish Cypriots.

In 1983, the TRNC was established, but the conflict remains unresolved. Efforts to broker peace have repeatedly stalled, including the rejection of a UN reunification plan by Greek Cypriots in 2004.

While the Greek Cypriot Administration was admitted to the European Union that same year, Türkiye continues to support a two-state solution for Cyprus, advocating for sovereign equality and equal international status for both Turkish and Greek Cypriots. (ILKHA)