British Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar during his December visit to Cyprus because Tatar insisted on referring to himself as president, former UK special representative for Cyprus Lord David Hannay said on Tuesday.
“In previous contacts in my time with [former Turkish Cypriot leader] Rauf Denktash, those contacts were based on his being the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community. Various Turkish governments have participated in Cyprus talks without making that a precondition until recently. That means that prospects of a settlement are stuck,” Hannay told Greek newspaper To Vima.
Hannay also noted that resolving the Cyprus issue is not a top priority for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as his focus is on other pressing geopolitical matters, including Iraq and Ukraine.
Hannay served as the UK’s special representative for Cyprus between 1996 and 2003 during the tortuous negotiations for the Annan reunification plan, which went through five revisions before being put to the vote in 2004.
He added that he is “fairly sceptical” about will on the island itself for a solution to come about, and about willingness “to engage on the basis which all plans have to start from”.
“On the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot side, they have now imposed a precondition, which is that the TRNC be recognised as a state participating in the discussions. The Greek Cypriots, the government of Cyprus, don’t accept that, nor does the UN, nor the guarantor powers, at least Greece and the UK don’t accept that,” he said.
Looking to the future, he said negotiations should resume on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federal solution, as has been set out in the UN security council’s resolutions on the matter.
He was asked whether a “very loose confederation” as a solution to the Cyprus problem may gain Turkey’s support, but said it would be unlikely to bring about a solution.
“I don’t think calling it another name is going to get anybody anywhere. It’s been tried several times. Rauf Denktash tried it. It’s not acceptable to the Greek Cypriots, and without them, you do not have a deal,” he began.
However, he said, “if you are asking me are there different variants of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, which give more or less power to the central or federal government, or to the two federated governments, then there is a huge scope there for flexibility.
“One can move in one direction or in the other. You would have to have all parties agreeing to it, which would be the basis of a settlement.”
(Source : Cyprus Mail)