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Turkey has once again pushed its demand for a two-state solution to the Cyprus issue during discussions with a senior United Nations official, despite repeated rejections of such proposals by the international community and the Republic of Cyprus.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay met with U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo in Ankara on February 13. The meeting took place ahead of the planned informal conference in Switzerland on March 17-18, where stakeholders will discuss the future of efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem.
Earlier this week, DiCarlo held talks with the leaders of both communities in Cyprus, as well as Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis in Athens, as part of preparations for the upcoming meeting. The conference will include the leaders of the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish-occupied areas, along with the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey and a representative from the United Kingdom, one of the island’s guarantor powers.
Despite the meeting in Switzerland being a key diplomatic effort, Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot leadership continue to reject a settlement based on long-standing U.N. parameters for a bizonal, bicommunal federation. Instead, Turkey insists on solidifying the division of the island, promoting a so-called "two-state solution" that is not recognized under international law.
Bozay reiterated Ankara’s full backing for the stance of the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, who continues to push for sovereign equality and international recognition of the breakaway regime in the occupied north, which only Turkey recognizes.
Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership argue that Greek Cypriots have rejected past U.N. peace plans, referring to the 2004 Annan Plan and the 2017 Crans-Montana negotiations. However, the Republic of Cyprus has consistently stated that any settlement must be based on U.N. Security Council resolutions and the agreed framework of a reunified, federal Cyprus, rather than legitimizing Turkey’s illegal occupation and continued interference in Cypriot affairs.
With information from Hurriyet Daily News.
