Turkish Cypriot former negotiator Özdi̇l Nami has voiced strong concern over reports published on Sunday in Politis regarding United Nations thinking on the next steps in the Cyprus issue, warning that new initiatives could lead to another deadlock and undermine convergences built over years of negotiations.
Commenting on the front-page report by Politis director Dionysis Dionysiou, titled What ‘Loose Solution’ Plan Holguín is Discussing Nami said he takes the information seriously, noting the credibility the journalist has built. At the same time, he made clear that he strongly disagrees with the approach reportedly being considered by UN Secretary-General envoy María Ángela Holguín, which involves developing a new framework for governance and power-sharing.
In his view, such an effort “is neither necessary nor productive,” as key aspects of federal governance have already been extensively negotiated between the two sides. He argued that significant convergences have already been reached on issues such as the rotating presidency and the competences of the federal government, while the question of sovereignty was effectively addressed in the joint declaration of February 11, 2014.
Nami stressed that the United Nations should not attempt to renegotiate issues that have already been agreed, but should instead focus on safeguarding and building on the convergences achieved so far. “Efforts should concentrate on bridging the remaining differences, not reopening matters already settled within the negotiation process,” he said.
He also expressed reservations about proposals for a transitional period based on what are described as “irreversible early gains” for both sides. In particular, he referred to proposals that have linked the return of the fenced-off city of Varosha with measures such as direct flights to Tymbou airport and direct trade through ports in the north.
According to Nami, similar ideas have been tried before and failed, for reasons including concerns over indirect recognition, loss of negotiating leverage and domestic political sensitivities on both sides. “These realities have not disappeared,” he said, adding that it is difficult to understand why more time and effort should be invested in approaches that have consistently proven unworkable. He noted that past experience shows reaching agreement on such interim arrangements is often more difficult than resolving the remaining core issues in the Guterres framework.
He further emphasised that the territorial issue is part of the overall balance shaped in negotiations and cannot be separated from political equality and power-sharing. He also questioned whether early territorial concessions would actually strengthen support among Greek Cypriots for a final agreement.
Beyond the substance of the issue, Nami placed particular emphasis on the structure of the negotiation process. He argued that the main obstacle is no longer the content of a possible solution, but the way talks are conducted.
“What prevents the sides from reaching the finish line is not a lack of trust between the two communities,” he said. “It is the absence of a clear timetable, the lack of effective arbitration mechanisms and the absence of meaningful consequences if an agreement is rejected at the final stage.”
He concluded by urging the United Nations to abandon approaches that, in his view, risk perpetuating the current deadlock, and instead to focus on designing a process that promotes accountability, decision-making and genuine political will from all sides. Only in this way, he argued, can a realistic prospect for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue emerge.
