Geneva talks mark turning point in Cyprus issue as federal model dropped

ANKARA / ISTANBUL

A meeting in Geneva in March marked a watershed moment in the decades-long Cyprus issue, as the concept of a federal solution was not even mentioned for the first time, according to Türkiye's diplomatic sources.

This shift signals that a new phase has begun in efforts to resolve the island’s 60-year division, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

The sources said the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), led by President Ersin Tatar, declared during the April 2021 informal 5+UN talks in Geneva that it no longer supports the long-standing idea of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.

Instead, the Turkish Cypriot side proposed a new path: a two-state solution, the sources added.

This proposal, fully supported by Türkiye, contends that decades of talks based on a federal model have failed and that the reality on the island is now clear—there are two distinct communities and administrations.

For any new negotiations to begin, Türkiye and the TRNC insist that the Turkish Cypriots’ fundamental rights -- sovereign equality and equal international status -- must be recognized.

In January 2024, the UN appointed Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, a former Colombian foreign minister, as the secretary-general’s envoy to Cyprus.

Her six-month mandate was to explore whether any common ground still exists for restarting formal talks between the two sides.

At the end of her term in July, she submitted a report to the UN, but its contents were not made public.

Later, an expanded informal meeting, agreed upon during a dinner in New York, was held in Geneva on March 17–18 this year.

It brought together both Cypriot leaders, their foreign ministers, and the UK minister of state.

Notably, the federal solution was left out of the discussions altogether.

With no common ground for a comprehensive solution, the meeting instead focused on practical cooperation between the two sides.

Talks explored ways to improve daily life on the island, including opening more crossing points, clearing landmines, addressing climate and environmental issues, producing solar energy in the Buffer Zone, restoring cemeteries, and launching a youth-focused technical committee.

-Türkiye’s unwavering Cyprus stance

The parties also agreed on a timeline for the coming months, including a second informal meeting at the end of July.

Until then, they will assess progress in the agreed-upon areas and consider appointing a new UN envoy.

According to diplomatic sources, this new direction stems from Türkiye’s consistent policy toward Cyprus.

Ankara blames the ongoing stalemate on the Greek Cypriot side’s refusal to share political and economic power with the Turkish Cypriots.

Türkiye maintains that recognizing the reality of two peoples and two states on the island is key to moving forward.

It has welcomed the UN's more realistic approach and called on third parties—particularly the EU—to stop backing the Greek Cypriots "under the banner of union solidarity" and instead support the secretary-general’s efforts to foster cooperation on the ground.