What is paramount is for Turkey to return to the negotiating table and realign itself with the United Nations framework, Cyprus’ Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said on Sunday.
Speaking after a memorial service in Letymbou, Paphos, Letymbiotis was asked to comment on remarks by the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguín, in an interview with Politis newspaper, that the future of the peace effort rests in the leaders’ hands, and on the fact that she did not place Turkey in the equation.
Letymbiotis said it was clear that, for the UN Secretary-General’s efforts to translate into tangible progress and a resumption of negotiations, ‘genuine political will from all sides’ was required.
He pointed to the UN Secretary-General’s recent visit to Cyprus, describing it as ‘not only historic, but also very important’. He said the Secretary-General had underlined the role of the guarantor powers both after meeting President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides and following talks with Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhrman, as well as in his remarks before leaving the island.
‘It is, I think, clear that for the UN Secretary-General’s commitment to translate into tangible progress and a resumption of negotiations, what is needed is genuine political will from all sides,’ Letymbiotis said. ‘Above all, however, and this has been known for many decades, this is needed from occupier Turkey, which unfortunately remains outside the framework set by the resolutions of the UN Security Council, from which the mandate of the UN Secretary-General derives,’ he added.
‘We will continue our efforts, exactly as envisioned by the UN Secretary-General himself, in close coordination, in close cooperation with his Personal Envoy Ms Holguín,’ the Spokesperson said.
Letymbiotis also referred to a new meeting between President Christodoulides and Erhrman scheduled to take place on August 26, saying the two leaders would have an opportunity to discuss issues relating to confidence-building measures.
He said the UN Secretary-General’s proposal concerning the opening of additional crossing points was well known and that President Christodoulides had accepted it during the Secretary-General’s visit.
‘We look forward to genuine political will and to the same constructive approach from the other side, so that progress can also be made on this issue,’ he said. ‘But what is paramount,’ he stressed, ‘what is of utmost importance is for Turkey to return to the negotiating table and realign itself with the UN framework.’
Earlier, in his speech at the memorial, the Spokesperson noted that the UN Secretary-General’s intention to convene a new expanded conference now creates, as he put it, ‘a clear prospect of returning to the substance of the Cyprus problem’.
Letymbiotis stressed that the renewed momentum had a clear political basis, starting with the UN Security Council resolutions, the agreed framework and the body of negotiating acquis achieved up to Crans-Montana.
At the same time, he underlined the importance of greater involvement by the European Union in the UN-led effort.
Letymbiotis also said that the Republic of Cyprus was strengthening its diplomatic, economic and defence capabilities, with the aim of enhancing its negotiating leverage and pursuing a proactive foreign policy.
‘We approach every effort with a genuine commitment to achieving a solution and an unwavering adherence to our principles,’ he said, reiterating that the objective was ‘a free and reunified Cyprus, without occupying troops, outdated guarantees or interventionist rights’.
Holguín’s interview
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In her interview with ‘Politis’ published on Sunday, Holguín argued that the future of the peace effort rests in the leaders’ hands.
The bare minimum needed now is sustained direct engagement between the two leaders and credible signs they are willing to move forward, ‘not just talk’, she said, according to the news outlet.
She also said that, if they take specific actions in the coming months, many things could be unblocked, noting that the biggest obstacles to progress are fear of change and lack of political will from all involved.
Holguín called on the two leaders to meet directly and regularly to make progress on all three issues identified by the UN Secretary-General – confidence-building measures (CBMs), substance and methodology – so that a 5+1 can take place. She also noted that the CBMs were an essential condition for moving forwards, along with substance and methodology.
She stressed that Guterres secured the consent of all sides to convene an expanded conference, but the UN will not risk calling a 5+1 that ends in failure again.
She also said the UN has been working for some months now on properly recording past convergences up to and including Crans-Montana, based on UN records on all issues, according to ‘Politis’.
On EU-Turkey relations, Holguín said if the UNSG’s initiative on Cyprus can help create positive steps in EU-Turkey relations, this would be a good thing for possible negotiations. While it’s up to the European Commission to handle, progress on that file “will be necessary if there is a negotiation,” she added.
Holguin also stressed the importance of enhancing public engagement in the peace process, noting that one lesson from the 2004 referendum is the importance of informing the public with accuracy and respect.
She also said that one of the biggest challenges faced in Cyprus is the impossibility of preparing for negotiations in a private way that can create room for steps forward. The idea of having negotiations without breakthroughs being leaked is ‘unthinkable’ here, she added.
At the same time, speculation without confirmation hurts the process, the envoy said, reiterating that she has not produced or delivered to the parties any document.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.