The United Nations has announced the resumption of talks to reunify Cyprus after a breakthrough in the deadlock over security arrangements. Following a four-hour meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı in New York, UN Secretary General António Guterres confirmed that negotiations will recommence later this month. The development was met with relief on the island, where many had feared the collapse of what is widely seen as a once-in-a-generation chance for reconciliation.
Guterres stated that all three parties agreed on the need to reconvene the conference on Cyprus. Special UN adviser Espen Barth Eide, who had suspended mediation efforts last month after two years of shuttle diplomacy, will be tasked with preparing common documents to guide discussions on security. The secretary general emphasised that the chapter on security and guarantees is of vital importance for building trust between the two communities in an envisaged federation. He added that all other outstanding issues—including territory, property, governance, and power-sharing—will be negotiated interdependently, with nothing agreed until everything is agreed.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded the northern third of the island in response to a coup aimed at uniting it with Greece. The self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognised only by Turkey. Former US Vice President Joe Biden, who took a personal interest in a settlement during the Obama administration, said a solution was “within reach” and would bring considerable benefits to all Cypriots.
Security remains the biggest impediment. Greek Cypriots want the removal of an estimated 40,000 Turkish troops from the north and the abolition of the current guarantee system, which allows a guarantor power to intervene if a community’s safety is deemed endangered. Anastasiades has proposed an international police force for post-reunification security. Turkish Cypriots have agreed to modify the system but not abolish it. An exact date for the resumption of talks will depend on consultations with the three guarantor powers: Greece, Turkey, and the UK.
