Devendra Kumar
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has conveyed to UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar that he sees no common ground with Greek Cypriots for a return to negotiations, citing the need for separate Turkish Cypriot sovereignty in the island’s northern third to gain international recognition similar to that of the Cyprus republic in the Greek Cypriot south. Tatar emphasized that a permanent Turkish military presence and military intervention rights are essential prerequisites to any peace deal, despite efforts by Greek Cypriots to exclude Turkey from the settlement equation.
Tatar expressed irritation with Holguin’s contacts with civil society groups that support a reunified Cyprus, a federation made up of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot zones, in line with a UN-endorsed framework. The majority of Greek Cypriots reject such a deal, given the demands for a two-state solution, permanent Turkish troops, and military intervention rights, as well as a Turkish Cypriot veto on federal-level government decisions.
Tatar’s stand has not wavered since he took power in 2022, and his remaining unyielding despite Holguin’s shuttle diplomacy does not bode well for a talks restart. Holguin was appointed this year to determine the chances of resuming formal talks, which have been stalled since 2017. The island has been divided along ethnic lines since 1974, following a Turkish invasion and a coup aimed at uniting the island with Greece.
Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence, and while Cyprus is a European Union member, only the south enjoys full membership benefits. Holguin has refrained from speaking publicly on her contacts, but she noted that it is up to the leaders to “listen to the people.” She will soon prepare a report for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on her findings.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides struck a more upbeat note, saying that efforts for a resumption of talks continue and that time should be given for diplomacy to work. The stalled negotiations have resulted in four decades of division, with the island’s capital Nicosia remaining a physical and symbolic representation of the ethnic divide.