Cyprus After 2018 Elections

Over the past months, Cyprus issue has not been dwell on. Of course, the main reason is taking up Turkish Military Forces' battle on Syria and several Middle-East problems in the Turkish political agenda. Another reason is that negotiations over Cyprus has been cut off since the last july and any progress has been made after that period. 

The election was expected to be hold in two parts of the island for a possible new actions. Now that process is completed.

Nikos Anastasiadis, leader of the conservative DISI Party, won the election again. Therefore Greek administration has not changed.

As for the Turkish part, after the general elections which hold last month, in this weekend, a long coalition government which consist of 4 parties has been established by the pioneership of the left-tendanced CTP (Republican Turkish Party). Indeed, National Union Party (UBP) which became the right-tendanced ruling party won the election as the first party. However, when the new coalition government could not be established, Tufan Ergürman, leader of CTP, agreed with another party leaders and established the new government by gaining the majority in parliament. Thus, administration of the Turkish part has been altered.

Again in the Agenda

What will be happen if elections at the two part of the island are ended up? We might be expected that attempts related to get start to the negotiations -and pressures on that issue- will be maintained again. the UN and the EU diplomats are already preparing to engage in this issue. 

In his first speech, when he won the election, Nikos Anastasiadis pointed out that his priority is to find out a solution to consummate the divided situation of Cyprus and will consider to the "reasonable sensitivities" of the Turkish part.

Turkish part is more prudent about this matter. New coalition government is prioritising intern policies such as fighting against corruption and economic reforms rather than Cyprus dispute itself. But that attitude is not reflecting that North Cyprus Turkish Government is not interested in negotiations to find a diplomatic solution for Cyprus' divided situation.

Condition of the Continuation

The issue is not whether the negotiation process, which ended last summer with a dispute, but how it supposse to begin with which conditions and methodology. While Greek party insist that "Let's continue from where we have been", Turkish party think that they should agree on the parameters first, then main negotiations must go on.

It appears that a number of actions will occur within a few weeks but after that time, it is going to be studied for make it "well-prepared process"

Negotiation processes which have not been ended with a reconciliation since almost 40 years might create tiredness and hoplessness. For this reason, someone think that "We should end it up and espouse "two states in the island" and try to get recognize North Cyprus Turkish Republic to international community. However, Turkish party is not intend to take an action through that thought, at least under those circumstances. If they thought it seriously, would they try to do it when negotiations was cut off at the last july?

That article has been written by Sami Kohen and published in Milliyet newspaper in 05/02/2018. Article was translated into English by Tayyar Can Arıkan.