Parliamentarians debated on Thursday evening about the latest developments in the Cyprus issue, during a lengthy debate at the House plenary, which lasted over 3 hours, discussing an anticipated meeting in expanded format, that is expected to take place in Geneva, in March, under UN aegis.
MPs appeared divided in their opinions about the way, the President of Cyprus should proceed, with some expressing support towards his initiatives and the prospects from the expanded meeting on Cyprus. At the same time, others warned of dangers emanating from the insistence of the Turkish side for a “two-state” solution if settlement talks were to resume.
The discussion, held under the title “Efforts by the President of the Republic to resume talks for a Cyprus settlement and the dangers that arise from Turkey’s stance in favour of a solution outside the UN framework” was launched at the initiation of MP Pavlos Mylonas from DIKO.
The leadership of the Republic of Cyprus, President Nikos Christodoulides and his aides don’t realise the dangers from repeating talks with the side that holds Cyprus’ northern part under occupation and insists on a “two-state” solution, Mylonas said addressing the plenary.
Independent MP Andreas Themistocleous said that international conferences are held when a problem is close to its solution. Otherwise, prospects for a Cyprus settlement are getting worse with every multiparty or international conference that fails, he added.
Individual socialist MP Costis Efstathiou said this country’s future lies with freedom and human rights, while independent MP Alexandra Attalides appeared ready to support the President of Cyprus in his quest for the resumption of settlement talks as well as in the event of concluding a settlement agreement.
Cyprus Greens MP Stavros Papadouris noted that the role of the UN Secertary-General needs to be “catalytic” this time and said that the President of Cyprus should resist pressure by “certain circles” to find ways to bridge the gap between the positions of the two parties.
The Leader of the Democratic Alignment (DIPA), Marios Garoyian, expressed his apprehension regarding the latest UN Security-Council resolution on Cyprus, while EDEK President Marinos Sizopoulos said that a new formal or informal five-party conference on Cyprus heralds nothing positive “as the experience from the past shows.”
ELAM MPs Sotiris Ioannou and Linos Papayiannis expressed the position that a bizonal bicommunal federal solution and a “two-state” solution are both on par with Turkish standards, while pointing to Turkey concerning the creation of the Cyprus problem following the 1974 Turkish invasion.
DIKO MP Christiana Erotokritou said that so far, there was never a real chance for a viable Cyprus solution and that the Cypriot people, acting on their instinct for survival, managed to avoid being deceived, as she said. Also from DIKO, MP Zacharias Koulias said that Turkey was always targeting occupying Cyprus in its entirety.
AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou noted that the Greek Cypriot side should move substantially in relation to the multi-party meeting on Cyprus and clear the air regarding its position about negotiating the outstanding issues of the Guterres framework – presented by the UN Secretary-General during the last negotiation effort in 2017, in Crans Montana.
Democratic Rally (DISY) President Annita Demetriou expressed the view that that the UNSG initiative opened a “window of opportunity” to resume substantial negotiations, adding that we must decisively make use of initiatives focusing on the substance. All stakeholders should rise to the occasion and work in unity, preventing the worst for the cause of Cyprus, Demetriou concluded.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
On October 15, 2024, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosted an informal dinner in New York with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, encouraging “the leaders to consider how to bridge the gap in their positions and rebuild trust to allow movement leading to a settlement.”
At the meeting, President Christodoulides and Tatar agreed to have an informal meeting in a broader format in the near future, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, to discuss the way forward. They also agreed to have a meeting in Cyprus to explore the possibility of opening new crossings. Α new meeting between President Christodoulides and Tatar, regarding, among others, a discussion on the opening of new crossing points across a UN-controlled buffer zone, took place on January 20, 2025 but ended without an agreement.