Unofficial Cyprus talks continue on second day in Geneva under UN’s Guterres

The second day of the informal Cyprus talks, held under the auspices of United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is continuing in Geneva, Switzerland.

The meeting aims to explore potential steps forward in resolving the ongoing Cyprus issue.

UN Secretary-General holds bilateral meetings

The discussions, taking place in Geneva, bring together representatives from both sides of Cyprus as well as the guarantor countries: Türkiye, Greece, and the United Kingdom.

The gathering aims to identify a path forward for the Cyprus conflict, with all parties participating in the talks.

Secretary-General Guterres began the second day of discussions by holding separate meetings with delegations. These included the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Ersin Tatar, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Christodoulides, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, and U.K. Foreign Office Minister for Europe and North America Stephen Doughty.

Each delegation is accompanied by five officials in their bilateral meetings with Guterres.

Expanded format meeting scheduled for later in the day

Following the bilateral meetings, the expanded-format meeting, which includes all parties, is scheduled to take place at the U.N. Geneva Office at 1:30 p.m. local time.

The meeting is expected to conclude at 4:30 p.m., with a “family photo” session planned beforehand. Guterres will open the session with a speech, followed by statements from the heads of delegations.

At the conclusion of the talks, President Tatar will hold a press briefing at the U.N. Geneva Office. It is not expected that Guterres will hold a press conference following the discussions.

Stalemate on common ground for Cyprus solution

The lack of common ground between the parties involved in the Cyprus issue continues to be a significant barrier to formal negotiations.

The Turkish side, particularly after Tatar’s election as President of the TRNC in October 2020, has advocated for a solution based on “sovereign equality and cooperation between two states in Cyprus.”

This approach emphasizes the need for official negotiations to begin, but only after the international community formally recognizes the sovereignty and equal international status of Turkish Cypriots.

This position has been repeatedly communicated to international counterparts, including the United Nations.

On the other hand, the Greek Cypriot side continues to insist on the model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with two founding states, a framework previously negotiated over many years.

The Turkish side has criticized the Greek Cypriot leadership for rejecting this model on several occasions, despite the Turkish side’s goodwill and positive approach.

Calls for increased efforts by UN Secretary-General

In a statement following an evening meal hosted by Guterres for the delegations, President Tatar highlighted the need for more concerted efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue.

He emphasized the importance of cooperation between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities and reiterated the need to focus on future collaboration.

“Right now, we are focused on cooperation between the two close sides. I always say we must forget the past and look ahead. We must focus on how we can move forward in a constructive and dignified way, shaping the future of our homeland with all our values and efforts,” Tatar stated.

Tatar also reiterated the significance of Türkiye’s support for the Turkish Cypriot cause and expressed his expectation that Secretary-General Guterres would work harder to address the challenges in Cyprus. “It is essential that Mr. Guterres makes more effort to address the issues and challenges in Cyprus,” he added.