The Informal Meeting in Geneva leaves us Cypriots very disappointed, and we should seriously consider the next steps. While it is important that the process is kept alive, the Turkish side’s insistence on “sovereign equality” and a two-state solution significantly diminishes any hopes of resuming talks on the basis of UN resolutions.
It should be noted, of course, the positive stance of the Secretary General of the United Nations, who made it clear that the terms of his mandate from the Security Council do not allow him to discuss anything other than a Bicommunal Bizonal Federation. I believe that convening a second informal meeting will not resolve any issues if the same positions will be repeated. AKEL will formulate a proposal which will be given to the President of the Republic of Cyprus on how we should manage the situation as it is formed.
We should always note that the main obstacle for the solution is Turkey. But at the same time, we should acknowledge that the Turkish position was not something that fell from the sky. It is the result of the Greek-Cypriot stance towards the Cyprus problem for the past 4 years. After the end of the talks in Crans Montana in 2017, where we managed to get very close to the solution according to the Greek Cypriot side, what followed was three years of complete inaction with the responsibility of our side. This has resulted in the escalation of Turkey’s aggressive policy, which focused on questioning both the Republic of Cyprus’ sovereignty over energy and the EEZ, and the opening of the closed city of Varoshia. The election of Tatar in the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community and the expressed position for a two-state solution, was the result of the above. At the same time, the reduction of the credibility of the Greek Cypriot side internationally made the situation more difficult. In other words, the fact that Nikos Anastasiadis was discussing, according not only with Tsavousoglou but also with the Archbishop, a two-state solution, gave Turkey the opportunity to promote, and today to insist, in this position.
The President of the Republic must take initiatives for a resumption of negotiations and proceed to moves that won’t go deviate from the principles of the solution of the Cyprus problem and will give an incentive to the Turkish Cypriot community and Turkey to return to the agreed framework of the solution. President Anastasiades must state in a convincing and very clear way that he accepts political equality as the Greek Cypriot side had agreed on it in the convergences recorded. To be questioning the convergences that have been recorded regarding the issues of political equality is inconceivable. Regarding natural gas, we should clarify that it will be a federal competence as provided for in the Christofias-Talat convergence and therefore the Turkish Cypriots will participate in its management, instead of stating that natural gas is an issue which doesn’t concern the Turkish Cypriots. From there onwards, a Special Fund will be set up, in which the revenues will be deposited and allocated proportionally to the two communities provided, of course, revenues will emerge. We need to keep hope alive.
Alexis Alecou
PhD Political Science and History
MP Candidate AKEL Larnaka