By Stavros Lygeros

The start of a new round of high-level talks on the reunification of Cyprus is a fact, but yesterday’s meeting confirmed what we knew already: that there are very few political solutions to the impasse. This, at least, was illustrated by the stance of the Turkish Cypriot leader, who went back on the original understanding for a “bizonal, bicommunal federation, with a single international identity, a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and with equality for both communities.” Mehmet Ali Talat, adopting the diplomatic style of Rauf Denktash, expressed his desire for a “new partnership” between the two sides of the divided island. In other words, he wants to see the dissolution of the Republic of Cyprus, recognition for the occupied north and only then the establishment of a federation.

The leaders of the two communities share a common ideological and political background and a good personal relationship. This helps, but it is not enough because Talat does not enjoy the same political authority as Dimitris Christofias and his decision-making powers are limited by Ankara. Today he is simply expressing its approach: among others, two separate states and the right of Turkey to unilaterally intervene on the entire island.

Cyprus’s accession into the European Union necessitated certain changes to the Anan plan, but it did not automatically change the framework for a political solution to the problem. The coexistence of the two communities makes sense only within a true federation, but both Turkey and Talat reject such a solution. Even the United Nations, at the urging of the United States and the UK, has long since abandoned this reasoning.

For the negotiations to head to a viable solution which accounts for the situation as it now stands, the entire framework has to be redrawn anew. This, however, is not in the plans of either Christofias or of other Greek-Cypriot leaders. And this is why, despite assurances to the contrary, the likelihood of an Annan-style proposal is not only real, but also very strong.