By This post is also available in: ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ (GREEK) TÜRKÇE (TURKISH)
«Over the last 50 years a new reality has been created in Cyprus. There are twoseparate communities, two separate sides that live separately while governing themselves. This reality must now acquire legal status and Cyprus must continue on its course with a two-state solution» (Hakan Fidan 9/1/2025)
On 8 and 9 January Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan paid a two-day visit to the occupied areas. The meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister took place just ten days prior to the bilateral meeting between Christodoulides and Tatar (20/1/25) and some weeks before the multilateral conference on the Cyprus problem (by March, they say, if it does in fact take place).
Hakan Fidan appeared once again to stand ‘firm’ on the Turkish rhetoric and policy towards the Cyprus problem. ‘Firm’ as to the unmoving positions of Ankara – as expressed for the last five years – officially in favour of a ‘two-state solution’. Indeed, the Turkish politician called on us too – the Greek-Cypriot citizens and politicians – to be courageous in our decisions and accept a two-state solution, since, as he stated, this is the only way that there will be further development of the island.
Over the last 50 years a new reality has been created in Cyprus. There are two separate communities, two separate sides that live separately while governing themselves. This reality must now acquire legal status and Cyprus must continue on its course with a two-state solution» were Hakan Fidan’s exact words at a joint press conference given with Ersin Tatar. He added «With various models of cooperation, the two states, with respect for their sovereignty and the security of their borders, will be able to achieve economic development, peace, stability, and an enormous contribution to the region, perhaps more than if they were under the same roof». Pointing in effect to the Confederation model, the basic difference of which with a federation, as wewrote earlier, is that it is a union of states, since the three main differences with the federation model are: 1) that it grants the right to the states/cantons/communities that make it up to secede at any time; 2) to enter into separate diplomatic relations with other states; and 3) to maintain an independent defence policy. The systemsto which one or more of the above three characteristics apply, are then called Confederations.
Today (12/1) OffsiteNews reveals the arguments employed by Turkish Diplomacy in order to ‘convince about a two-state solution’. An extensive report, which describes the various points highlighted by Ankara with those involved (or not) in talks about the Cyprus issue.
It is clear that Ankara does not intend to move away from a two-state solution. And evidently, if the Multilateral Conference does take place, this again will be the Turkish side’s position. That is to say, that if negotiations on the Cyprus problem were to proceed, they must relate to a two-state solution and by extension, to a ‘Confederation’. To this end, Ankara has long since seen to it that it spreads the message of ‘sovereign equality’, through which, in effect, the two parts will have their own sovereignty, each in its own community, by extension cancelling out the idea of ‘a single sovereignty’ which is the solution maintained by the Greek-Cypriot side through the model of a Federation.
What will happen will be made clear very soon. The first appointment is that of the 20th of January where the two leaders will discuss the check points. Even here there is conflict, since the Turkish side insists that the two points (either Pyroi or Kokkina) set on the table by the G/C side are a ‘no go area’ since they come within a ‘military zone’. The next and most important milestone will be the multilateral conference that is expected to take place by March.
This article was originally published on 12.01.2025
