One Week On from Geneva: Where Does Cyprus Go Next?
One week on from the informal UN-led talks in Geneva, the outcome is being viewed as yet another missed opportunity for meaningful progress on the Cyprus issue. While both sides agreed to minor confidence-building measures, the core proposal put forward by the Turkish Cypriot side — aimed at fostering structured cooperation — was rejected by the Greek Cypriot administration.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) had proposed the creation of a Cyprus Cooperation Council (CCC). This mechanism would bring together the two leaders, their negotiators, and relevant officials to cooperate on key island-wide issues, with the participation of guarantor powers and observers from the UN and the EU.
The CCC would have offered a practical framework for cooperation in areas such as:
- Hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean
- Electricity interconnectivity to the EU grid
- Tourism, trade, and banking
- Judicial matters and irregular migration
- Freshwater management and climate change
- Demining, green energy transition, and disaster preparedness
These proposals were clear, constructive, and left the door open for additional areas of collaboration. However, they were outright rejected by the Greek Cypriot side.
In contrast, the talks concluded with limited agreements on:
- Advancing efforts to open new crossing points
- Clearing landmines
- Generating solar power in the buffer zone
- Restoring cemeteries
- Addressing climate and environmental issues
- Establishing a technical committee on youth affairs
President Ersin Tatar welcomed these as ‘positive’ developments. However, far greater progress could have been achieved had the Greek Cypriot side engaged with the broader cooperative vision presented by the Turkish Cypriots.
This continued refusal to acknowledge the sovereign equality of the Turkish Cypriot people — as enshrined in the original 1960 Republic of Cyprus constitution — demonstrates an unwillingness to move beyond the outdated and failed federal framework.
As former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw wrote last week in The Independent:
“To me, the answer to this issue is simple. The only realistic way forward for the island is a two-state solution – a view shared by the TRNC and Turkey. The Greek Cypriots remain doggedly committed to the long failed federal proposal.”
We echo those words.
It is time for the international community to recognise the reality on the ground. Turkish Cypriots are ready to work in good faith, but the future of Cyprus must be built on sovereign equality and peaceful coexistence between two states — not on continued obstruction, isolation, or denial.
