Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar declined to endorse the appointment of a United Nations envoy for the Cyprus issue. This decision comes amid growing discussions and negotiations surrounding the Cyprus problem and Turkey’s position within the European Union.
Tatar’s reluctance to support the UN envoy appointment raises questions about the prospects for resuming negotiations to resolve the conflict. While Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, displayed a more conciliatory stance, agreeing to the appointment of a UN envoy and advocating for a trilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Republic of Cyprus President Nicos Christodoulides, Tatar firmly rejected both proposals.
Sources revealed that Guterres exerted pressure on the matter of the UN envoy’s appointment. Hakan Fidan unequivocally endorsed the appointment, while Ersin Tatar remained steadfast in his insistence on “sovereign equality” and promised to discuss it further with Turkey before responding to the UN Secretary-General’s proposal.
Government sources, however, expressed the view that the Turkish Foreign Minister and the Turkish Cypriot leader’s stance aimed to portray Ankara as having a positive approach to the UN envoy appointment while placing the blame squarely on Ersin Tatar for any potential roadblocks. This tactic is perceived as an attempt to maintain a delicate balance in the evolving relations between the European Union and Turkey, with Cyprus remaining a crucial point of contention.
In light of the situation, Nicosia is focusing on linking the Cyprus issue with EU-Turkey relations, conveying the message that nothing can progress there if there are no developments regarding Cyprus. In this context, Greece has affirmed its commitment to keeping the Greek-Turkish talks regarding the Cyprus issue linked, in line with Ankara’s desires, as the situation continues to unfold.
The recent developments were somewhat anticipated following the cancellation of a meeting between Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Nicosia had low expectations for a positive outcome, and President Christodoulides, following his meeting with the UN Secretary-General, chose to be cautious in his statements, stressing his distinct perspective compared to the UN Secretary-General.
As the two-state solution gains momentum in Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s rhetoric, questions about the opening of a new crossing point at Mia Milia remain unanswered, while recent events in Pyla were notably absent from discussions, as neither side raised the issue.
If there is an agreement in Cyprus, this can only happen through a two-state solution, Tatar stressed in a meeting with Guterres. “If this happens, we can sit down and discuss various aspects of the Cyprus problem in formal negotiations,” he is reported to have said.
Source: In Cyprus
