Talks are underway again, but neither side expects a solution. This is how the current state of the Cyprus conflict could be described.
Representatives of both sides have quite different views on a possible solution. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has tried to find common ground for the resumption of formal peace talks in informal talks at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
What is it essentially about?
As is often the case with conflicts, the causes in Cyprus go back a long way. For decades, there has been a demand among the largest ethnic group, the Greek Cypriots, for the island to be united with Greece. Many Turkish Cypriots, who settled in Cyprus during the centuries-long period of the island's membership in the Ottoman Empire, were skeptical of this.
In the mid-20th century, the security situation on the island deteriorated. After negotiations between the Cypriots, the then colonial power Great Britain, as well as Turkey and Greece, Cyprus became independent in 1960, and the three aforementioned countries were granted the status of guarantor powers.
The UK still maintains two military bases in what are formally British overseas territories. The 1963 massacres between ethnic groups went down in history as “Bloody Christmas.” The United Nations then sent peacekeepers to the island. They remain there to this day.
Radical Greek Cypriots staged a coup against the government in 1974 to forcibly annex the island to the then military dictatorship in Greece. Turkey, seeking to protect the Turkish Cypriots, sent in troops and occupied the northern part of the island. Although the coup was quickly quashed in the Republic of Cyprus, Turkey retained control of the north of the island. Essentially, the area includes the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which unilaterally declared independence in 1983 but is not recognized as a state by the international community, except for Turkey.
The primary goal of the Republic of Cyprus is the reunification of the island, while Turkish Cypriot political representatives advocate a two-state solution.
The Republic of Cyprus has been a member of the European Union since May 2004. Under international law, membership covers the entire island – however, even after more than 20 years, the authorities in the north are not implementing European laws.
Which peace solutions have failed so far and why?
The United Nations stationed peacekeeping forces in Cyprus more than 60 years ago. Not only because of the high costs, but also for political reasons, the UN has been actively involved as a mediator in the conflict for decades in order to bring it to an end.
Shortly before the accession of southern Cyprus to the European Union in 2004, a solution seemed within reach. The then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed a federation in which both parts of the island would retain broad autonomy, while being represented in international relations by a joint government. In a referendum, the north voted in favour of the plan, but the southern part of Cyprus voted against it.
Since then, negotiations have been held in different formats and under different circumstances. In 2017, the new UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, had to announce the failure of the negotiations in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. The key issue at stake was the demand for the withdrawal of some 35.000 Turkish troops, who are still stationed in the north. Turkey and Greece, as well as both Cypriot delegations, have accused each other of the failure of the official negotiations.
What was the starting point for the current talks?
Antonio Guterres organized a meeting in Geneva back in 2021 to informally explore whether there was common ground for formal negotiations. That was not the case then.
This is the second attempt. In addition to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot representative Ersin Tatar, the guarantor powers – Greece, Turkey and Great Britain – are also sitting at the negotiating table.
"The informal meeting will provide an opportunity for a meaningful discussion on the way forward," the AFP news agency quoted a UN spokeswoman as saying ahead of the meeting.
Christodoulidis stated the goal of resuming official negotiations, while Tatar advocated for deepening intra-Cypriot cooperation - while emphasizing the independence of the Turkish Cypriots.
After a “constructive” joint session, Guterres, as expected, was unable to announce a major breakthrough. However, it was at least agreed that the next round of talks would take place at the end of July.
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