Front Page Headlines
Six points: Demand to be recognized
Tatar submitted a six-point proposal on behalf of the “Turkish side.” According to political observers, the Turkish side is demanding recognition in exchange for territorial concessions. The Turkish side is asking the UN Security Council (UNSC) to adopt a resolution in which the equal international status and sovereign equality of the two sides is secured. Following this decision cooperation is envisaged between the two sides in the areas of property, territory, security and EU matters.
- Anastasiades: I experienced disappointment over the six-point proposal. We shall respond in writing.
Demand for equally sovereign two states
The sides came together yesterday as part of the ongoing five-plus-UN Cyprus conference in Geneva. President Ersin Tatar, addressing the participants for 40 minutes, explained the reasons as to why a federal solution is not possible in Cyprus and explained the Turkish Cypriot side’s new vision.
- A six-point proposal from Tatar to the UN – President Ersin Tatar submitted a six-point proposal to the UN for a lasting solution in Cyprus.
- Çavuşoğlu reminded the Greek Cypriot leader of their conversation on a two-state state solution – President Ersin Tatar, speaking to Kıbrıs TV following his meetings, said the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu reminded the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades of their meetings in New York.
Recognize the TRNC, the rest is easy
It was a long day yesterday during the informal Cyprus conference being under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva. Two rounds of talks were held with the two sides in Cyprus and the guarantor nations in addition to bilateral meetings. In the first round of the 5+1 meeting, following UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres’ opening remarks, Cypriot leaders Nicos Anastasiades and Ersin Tatar shared their positions. Their presentations were followed by statements delivered by the foreign ministers of the guarantor countries. Following the 5+1 meeting, Tatar during a bilateral meeting with the UNSG submitted a six-point proposal that sets recognition of the TRNC as a precondition for the launch of the negotiations process that will be concluded with a referendum.
- 15 months of imprisonment for Kilisli and 10 months for Kalaitsidis – Nicosia Heavy Crimes Court announced the verdicts for Ahmet Kilisli who brought 52 grams of cannabis type drug from south Cyprus on December 15, 2020.
The borders should open
Open call to leaders from Nicosia’s historic Arasta shopping street. Most of the shops have closed and the number is on the rise. Those who are trying to keep going are calling on the leaders who are in Geneva to at least open the crossing points so that they may earn a little.
- He demanded ‘recognition’ – President Ersin Tatar submitted a six-point proposal to the UNSG.
Turkey told the UN to recognize the TRNC
We have witnessed yet another fiasco on the Cyprus Issue. As predicted, the situation in Geneva is disappointing. The Turkish side submitted a six-point proposal to UNSG Antonio Guterres demanding that the UN Security Council (UNSC) recognize and secure TRNC’s equal international status and its equal sovereignty. According to Greek Cypriot news sources, Guterres rejected Tatar’s two-state proposal. Guterres, who emphasized the EU also rejects the idea, told Tatar that “We will not discuss a two-state solution under the roof of the UN.” (Greek Cypriot leader Nicos) Anastasiades in view of Tatar’s six-point proposal said: “We are disappointed.”
- 845 positive cases of coronavirus and three deaths in the south,54 cases in the north.
Main News
Tatar stands firm on his two-state model on second day of Geneva meeting
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar stood firm on his position for a two-state solution on Wednesday, submitting a proposal on the second day of the informal UN talks in Geneva.
Speaking to reporters following the morning’s plenary session, Tatar said he said he “expressed our views clearly.” He added, “Of course, there is no change in our position for the two-state solution and there won’t be.”
Tatar said he explained the Turkish Cypriot side’s position on a two-state solution in a given time-frame in detail and with justification to the other participants of the 5+1 conference, namely Turkey, Greece and the UK.
“I said many things have changed, the context and conditions have changed,” said Tatar, recounting the island’s history from the 1960s to the 2004 Annan plan –which resulted in South Cyprus being admitted to the EU after rejecting the UN plan – and the failure of the Crans-Montana talks in 2017.
He said he told of the “injustices inflicted on Turkish Cypriots by the UN, the EU and the international community. When I checked the room, I saw that everyone knew how right we were. I think everyone knows that no results can come from this old understanding.”
Tatar, dismissive of the Greek media reports claiming that UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres had rejected the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposal for a two-state solution, said: “They will say whatever they want. The Secretary-General knew what we were going to say when he invited us.”
He also said that they had not submitted any documents. Nonetheless, as it emerged later, Tatar indeed submitted a document with his positions, suggesting that Guterres takes an initiative so that the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopts a resolution in which the equal international status and sovereign equality of the two sides is secured.
Such a resolution, he said, will form the new basis for the establishment of a cooperative relationship between the two states. Once the two states’ equal international status and sovereign equality are secured, the two sides will launch a results-oriented negotiations process that is not open-ended and limited with a timeframe.
“The negotiations process, which will be supported by the three guarantor powers, will focus on property, security and border regulation and EU issues,” according to Tatar’s proposal. Tatar’s proposal also envisions the continuation of the system of guarantees arguing that the two states will mutually recognise each other if they reach an agreement and followed by a simultaneous referendum on both sides of the island.
Commenting on the proposal, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersan Saner that the demands outlined the basic parameters on which a new negotiations process should be formed.
Speaking to Bayrak, he ruled out the possibility of conceding territory to the Greek Cypriot side. “The proposal does not include concessions on territory or provide an explanation as to how other issues will be solved,” he said, adding that it was out of the question for the Turkish Cypriot side to sign an agreement that did not recognise its sovereign rights.
Saner said that sovereign equality and a solution based on two separate states was a sine-qua-non for the Turkish Cypriot side. Additionally, Tatar’s spokeswoman Berna Çelik Doğruyol on Wednesday, said it was a historic day in Geneva with the Turkish Cypriot side’s six-point proposal.
“Today the Turkish Cypriot side to break the mould of the status quo, submitted a realistic and constructive proposal for the first time,” Doğruyol stressed, adding that “This was the first time the Turkish Cypriots demanded the confirmation of their sovereign equality and equal international status”
Doğruyol said if the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposal is accepted, it will create the opportunity to launch new negotiations processes for a realistic and lasting solution. “We have reached this point after decades of long, inconclusive and exhausting processes for federal talks. We expect the Secretary-General to take steps in this regard,” Doğruyol concluded.
Also commenting on the proposals, the leader of the Peoples’ Party (HP) Kudret Özersay said it was too early to comment as the talks were continuing. He said it was necessary to see how the Greek Cypriot side and the international actors respond before making an assessment.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu expressed his support for the north during the Geneva conference.
“Turkey staunchly backs the vision the Turkish Cypriots have laid out in an informal meeting held in Geneva on the future of the island,” Çavuşoğlu said on Twitter, adding that “In Geneva and we have stated strong support for the Turkish Cypriot side’s vision of sovereign equality and equal international status and its proposal to this end.”
He noted that the Turkish Cypriot side explained clearly why a federal solution, involving a single state with the current Greek Cypriot administration, would not be possible, adding that a fair, permanent and sustainable solution could only be achieved if based on the realities on the island.
Çavuşoğlu gave the same message after he met with the Secretary-General. Tweeting about his meeting, Çavuşoğlu reiterated that the solution in Cyprus should be based on international equal status and sovereign equality of the two sides. Peace and stability for the whole region can only be possible with the cooperation of the two states on the island”.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> There will no change in the TC side’s position regarding a two-state solution.
>> UNSC should recognize the equal international status and sovereign equality of the two sides.
>> Such a resolution will form the new basis for the establishment of a cooperative relationship between the two states.
>> Two sides can launch results-oriented negotiations which are not open-ended & limited with a timeframe once the two-state equal international status & sovereign equality is secured.
>> The negotiations process, which will be supported by the three guarantor powers, will focus on property, security and border regulation & EU issues.
>> The system of guarantees will continue & the two states will mutually recognize each other if an agreement is reached.
>> A simultaneous referendum will be held on both sides of the island.
Saner (UBP)
>> Proposal outlines basic parameters on which a new negotiations process should be formed.
>> Conceding territory to the GC side is out of the question.
>> Out of the question for the TC side to sign an agreement that will not recognize its sovereign rights.
Çavuşoğlu (Turkey)
>> Turkey staunchly backs the TC side’s vision of sovereign equality & equal international status & its proposal to this end.
UNSG convenes an extraordinary plenary session of the 5+1
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
An extraordinary session of the 5+1 informal meeting on Cyprus took place at 19:30 local time at the Palace of the Nations in Geneva on Wednesday, it was reported.
The UNSG, Antonio Guterres, decided to convene the extraordinary session in light of developments at the bilateral meetings he had earlier on Wednesday with the parties involved.
Guterres met separately with the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, and the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab.
Meanwhile, UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq on Wednesday said that the UNSG has reaffirmed his positions on the Cyprus issue during the meetings throughout the day. Asked to clarify what the Secretary-General’s positions were on the Cyprus issue, Haq said the SG’s position on Cyprus is clear and is well-known.
Referring to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric’s press briefing on Tuesday, Haq said the Secretary-General is going into his meetings “with a very realistic attitude,” and is encouraging the parties to be creative in their approaches. “We expect discussions to continue on Thursday” Haq concluded.
Opposition draws a bleak picture of talks in Geneva
Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Members of the Turkish Cypriot opposition parties who are in Geneva to follow the meetings closely expressed their pessimism over how the informal summit was progressing, stating that neither side was showing any signs of flexibility.
Speaking to HaberKıbrıs reporters in Geneva, The leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman said the “summit is like beating the thin air,” adding that the Geneva conference should be seen as initial steps ahead of the official negotiations process
“We want a solution, not negotiations,” Erhürman stressed, noting that his party was opposed to the idea of holding negotiations for the sake of holding them. He also dismissed the Turkish Cypriot side’s two-state model, arguing that it was unrealistic to expect talks to start on a two-state solution.
Echoing a similar message, CTP MP Fikri Toros argued that the UN Secretary-General will not want to end the Geneva conference with a failure.
Speaking to Yenidüzen Toros said the Secretary-General will ask the sides to show flexibility for reconciliation during his bilateral meetings with the sides on Thursday. “In my opinion, the UNSG will want to continue the efforts to identify a common ground for the launch of the official talks,” Toros said, warning that it will not be possible to forecast what would happen should the UN Chief declare failure at the conference.
Also following the Geneva conference, Social Democratic Party (TDP) leader Cemal Özyiğit on Wednesday said the outcome of the conference could determine how the future of Cyprus will be shaped. “The sides will either be heading towards known solution models or will deepen the partition by chasing unattainable positions,” Özyiğit said to Turkish Cypriot reporters.
He reiterated TDP’s position in favour of a bicommunal, bizonal federal (BBF) model, which Özyiğit said is the only way for the Turkish Cypriots to be integrated with the world. Recalling the outcome of the Crans Montana process, the TDP leader said Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades had abandoned the talks in 2017.
“It was the Greek Cypriot leader, who was accused of not wanting a solution in Crans Montana. I hope it will not be the Turkish Cypriot side that will be labelled as intransigent this time round,” Özyiğit concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Erhürman (CTP)
>> Progress at 5+1 unlikely as sides show no sign of budging from their positions.
>> CTP was a solution not talks for the sake of holding negotiations.
>> TC side’s two-state model is unrealistic. Unlikely talks will be held for a two-state solution.
Toros (CTP)
>> UNSG will ask sides to show flexibility & continue his efforts to identify a common ground for the launch of the official talks.
Özyiğit (TDP)
>> Outcome of the conference could determine how the future of Cyprus will be shaped.
>> Either the two sides will head towards finding a solution or the partition will deepen.
>> TDP favours a BBF which is the only TCs could be integrated with the world.
Bonfire for peace lit
Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
This Country is Ours Platform held another event in Cyprus as the Cypriot leaders continue to meet in Geneva to achieve common ground for the start of a new negotiations process.
Members of the platform lit a bonfire in Nicosia on Wednesday to express their peace and a united federal Cyprus.
The event was held in a festive mood with participants singing songs whilst the police took extraordinary measures.