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Cyprus reunification talks collapse amid angry scenes Cyprus reunification talks collapse amid angry scenes
(about 4 hours later)
Marathon talks to reunify the divided island of Cyprus collapsed in the early hours of Friday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said after a stormy final session. Marathon talks to reunify the divided island of Cyprus collapsed in the early hours of Friday, the UN secretary general has said after a stormy final session.
“I’m very sorry to tell you that despite the very strong commitment and engagement of all the delegations and different parties ... the conference on Cyprus was closed without an agreement being reached,” he told a news conference. “I’m very sorry to tell you that despite the very strong commitment and engagement of all the delegations and different parties ... the conference on Cyprus was closed without an agreement being reached,” António Guterres told a news conference.
Guterres had flown in on Thursday to press Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci to seal a deal reuniting the east Mediterranean island, while US Vice President Mike Pence had phoned to urge them to “seize this historic opportunity”. Guterres had flown in on Thursday to press the Greek Cypriot president, Nicos Anastasiades, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akıncı, to seal a deal reuniting the Mediterranean island.
The talks in the Swiss Alps, hailed by the UN as “the best chance” for a deal, ground to a halt as the two sides failed to overcome final obstacles.
Pro-unification supporters, who had also converged on Switzerland in anticipation of a settlement finally being announced, expressed huge disappointment.
“Cowardice is the greatest sin,” Esra Aygin, a Turkish Cypriot, tweeted. Earlier, she had told the Guardian she was “very optimistic” of a breakthrough. “If they wanted to, they could solve it in an afternoon.”
Akıncı had staked his political future on a solution. Analysts said with his breakaway republic becoming increasingly isolated and impoverished it was unclear how Turkish Cypriots would receive the news.
Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said future developments would be determined after consultations with Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
On the other side of the ethnic divide, Greek Cypriot diplomats insisted there would still be another chance. The Greek Cypriot high commissioner to London, Euripides Evriviades, tweeted:
Bleak day 4 #Cyprus & all its people. In diplomacy there's no full stop; just a comma. Must continue 4 solution. Cyprus 4 Cypriots ONLY 🇨🇾🇪🇺 https://t.co/JC1X8mjIRV
Diplomatic efforts to reunite Cyprus have failed since the island was riven in a 1974 Turkish army invasion triggered by a coup by Greek Cypriots seeking union with Greece.Diplomatic efforts to reunite Cyprus have failed since the island was riven in a 1974 Turkish army invasion triggered by a coup by Greek Cypriots seeking union with Greece.
The week of talks in the Swiss Alps, hailed by the United Nations as “the best chance” for a deal, ground to a halt as the two sides failed to overcome final obstacles.
Diplomats said Turkey had appeared to be offering little to Greek Cypriots wanting a full withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island, although the Greek Cypriots had indicated readiness to make concessions on Turkish Cypriot demands for a rotating presidency, the other key issue.Diplomats said Turkey had appeared to be offering little to Greek Cypriots wanting a full withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island, although the Greek Cypriots had indicated readiness to make concessions on Turkish Cypriot demands for a rotating presidency, the other key issue.
Guterres finally called a halt at 2am after a session marred by yelling and drama, a source close to the negotiations said.Guterres finally called a halt at 2am after a session marred by yelling and drama, a source close to the negotiations said.
“Unfortunately... an agreement was not possible, and the conference was closed without the possibility to bring a solution to this dramatic and long-lasting problem,” Guterres said. “Unfortunately … an agreement was not possible, and the conference was closed without the possibility to bring a solution to this dramatic and long-lasting problem,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean that other initiatives cannot be developed in order to address the Cyprus problem,” he added. The UN chief, who began the role in January by announcing a “surge of diplomacy for peace”, appeared tired and downcast as he announced the collapse of the talks to a handful of journalists at an impromptu news conference that lasted only three and a half minutes.
He declined to elaborate on what exactly had caused the talks to collapse, but said there was still a wide gap between the two delegations on a number of questions. Success in the Cyprus talks would have given Guterres a high profile at the G20 talks in Hamburg, where he is due on Friday, and where he will meet President Donald Trump, who has promised to cut the US share of UN funding.
The UN chief, who began the role in January by announcing a “surge of diplomacy for peace”, is known for his energy and drive.
But he appeared tired and downcast as he announced the collapse of the talks to a handful of journalists at an impromptu news conference that lasted only three and a half minutes.
Diplomats say that Cyprus should be much simpler to resolve than many other situations where the United Nations hopes for peace, such as the bloody and complex wars in Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, South Sudan, Libya, or the Korean peninsula.
Success in the Cyprus talks would have given Guterres a high profile at the G20 talks in Hamburg, where he is due on Friday, and where he will meet US President Donald Trump, who has promised to cut the US share of UN funding.