Nicosia, Cyprus (AP) — Many hope that a peace agreement will probably be reached this time, usually before trying to sit both ethnically divided Cyprus and participate in yet another round of negotiations. I have a hope and a message of hope. Out.
This week is different — totally different. The mood is disastrous, even before both parties agree to sit for the actual talks, as it seems that they no longer share the same vision of how the final peace agreement should be shaped.
UN Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is the unofficial British leader of rival Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in Geneva, and the Foreign Minister of Cyprus’ guarantor, Greece, Turkey and former colonial rulers. Host a rally. The goal is to bring both sides back to the same page and embark on a new round of formal discussions.
Guterres spokesman Stephen Dujaric urged both sides to “bring creativity” to informal meetings. Here’s a brief description of where things are.
Why does it change?
After more than 47 years of consultation, the ultimate goal, approved by the UN Security Council, is to reunify the separated Turkish Cypriots north and the internationally recognized Greek Cypriots as a federation. was. National governance such as foreign policy and defense.
But now, the new Turkic Cyprus leadership, which supports a closer relationship between Turkey and Ankara, has changed the rules, and nearly 50 years of discussions about the model have gone nowhere, furthering on a federal-based agreement. I dismissed the discussion as a “waste of time”. Instead, they propose a model of essentially two states that Greek Cypriots never accept because they justify the division of the country forever.
Why don’t you trade for so long?
It has already been agreed on how federation works, but details were sunk in the last round of negotiations in 2017.
The minority Turkic Cypriots are upset because they say they refuse to accept Greek Cypriots as 50-50 partners in the federal partnership. This is called “political equality” or equal decision-making power at all levels of government. Greek Cypriots can veto minorities contrary to democratic principles, unprecedented internationally, disrupting government operations and allowing Turkey to interfere with the island’s internal affairs Claims to have sex.
Instead, they propose a formula that Turkic Cypriots have a say in the event that laws or government decisions violate their interests. Despite the resistance of Turkish Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, Greek Cypriots have also entered into formal consultations with the European Union to ensure that peace agreements comply with EU laws and norms. I hope to participate.
Is it a soldier?
Turkey insists on maintaining its military presence on the island for an uncertain period as part of a peace agreement to ensure the protection of Turkic Cypriots. More than 35,000 Turkish troops have been stationed in northern Cyprus since the Turkish invasion divided the country in 1974 following the Athens military junta support coup aimed at coalition with Greece. However, Greek Cypriots reject such military presence because they consider it an existential threat and a serious breach of sovereignty in all nations. Greek Cypriots also say that the country’s right to unilateral military intervention in the 1960s constitution must be revoked.
Why a peace treaty is important beyond Cyprus
The Cyprus agreement will not only help ease tensions between Turkey and NATO’s ally Greece, but will also help get the bid for Ankara’s troubled EU accession back on track. It also has the potential to unleash a new wave of cooperation between regional neighbors to take advantage of important gas deposits believed to be beneath the seafloor of the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey does not recognize Cyprus as a state, disagrees with its rights to already discovered offshore deposits, and is looking for hydrocarbons off the island. However, Turkey has so far remained an outsider of the new energy-based cooperation agreements signed by Israel, Egypt, Greece and Jordan with Cyprus.
The peace agreement will also facilitate the development of potential projects such as pumping Eastern Mediterranean gas to Europe through pipelines through both Cyprus and Turkey.