Two-state solution: Negotiating tactic or inevitability

In an interview on Monday Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that in Crans Montana President Anastasiades told him that the best solution is a two-state solution and that later in New York Anastasiades suggested to move forward with a confederation. 

Mr. Cavusoglu continued by claiming that President Anastasiadies told him that a federation would not work, as the Greek Cypriots do not want to share power with the Turkish Cypriots, stating that the President himself said that "a federation will not work, but let us discuss it after the elections." Cavusoglu claimed that in New York, Anastasiades revealed to him that he had failed to secure support from the international community for a two-state solution, so the confederation solution came in the foreground. 

In a press statement government spokesman Prodromou declared the comments made by the Turkish FM as untrue arguing that President Anastasiades, "in an attempt to overcome the deadlock, proposed a series of alternative proposals in order to find a viable and functional solution, but always in the context of the relevant decisions of the UN, ie within a bicommunal-bizonal federation."

Since the collapse of negotiations at Crans Montana both sides have been accusing each other of seeking a permanent partition of the island in the form of two states with numerous press reports and rumors regarding secret discussions and agendas.

President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci are set to meet on the 9th of August. The UN have warned that the two sides should first agree among themselves on the terms of reference of the negotiating procedure before engaging with the UN Secretary General.