Leaders in Cyprus Fail to Reach Agreement on Opening New Crossing Points
The much-anticipated meeting between the leaders of ethnically divided Cyprus concluded without a breakthrough on Monday. Nicos Christodoulides, the Greek Cypriot president, and Ersin Tatar, the Turkish Cypriot leader, were unable to come to an agreement on a proposed deal aimed at fostering trust by establishing new crossing points across the U.N.-controlled buffer zone.
Following nearly two hours of discussions at the residence of Colin Stewart, the U.N. peacekeeping force’s chief of mission in Cyprus, both leaders expressed their commitment to ongoing dialogue. In a joint statement, Christodoulides and Tatar announced that their representatives would continue talks, with plans to reconvene in the near future for further deliberations.
Central to the impasse is the issue of the specific locations for the new crossing points within the 180-kilometer buffer zone that stretches across the island. While both leaders emphasized the importance of enhancing people-to-people interactions, fostering economic ties, and building trust through the opening of additional crossing points, disagreements persist on the exact sites for these crossings.
Christodoulides revealed that Tatar had reservations regarding a proposed location for a crossing point and was not prepared to endorse a comprehensive package of eight trust-building initiatives, which included the establishment of joint committees on youth affairs and a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Greek Cypriot president underscored the need for readiness on the part of the Turkish side to advance negotiations.
Currently, there are eight designated crossing points along the buffer zone, facilitating daily crossings for individuals from both communities, particularly Turkish Cypriots commuting to work since the first crossings were established in 2003. However, there is a shared desire among residents on both sides for additional crossing points to streamline travel across the dividing line that was solidified in 1974 following Turkey’s military intervention.
The inability to secure an agreement on opening new crossing points represents a setback to efforts aimed at reviving formal talks to address the island’s ethnic division, which have been on hold for seven years. The United Nations is set to host Christodoulides and Tatar, alongside officials from the island’s guarantor countries – Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom – in Switzerland in March to explore pathways for resuming negotiations.
Nevertheless, prospects for a comprehensive peace deal are clouded by diverging stances, with Turkey and Turkish Cypriots advocating for a two-state solution in lieu of a U.N.-backed federation model that unites Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot zones. Greek Cypriots remain steadfast in their rejection of any arrangement that formalizes the island’s partition or grants permanent military presence and intervention rights to Turkey.
The failure to reach consensus on opening new crossing points underscores the complex dynamics and entrenched positions that continue to impede progress towards a lasting resolution to the decades-long division in Cyprus. As dialogue between the two leaders remains ongoing
