Former Foreign Minister Özdil Nami made significant statements regarding the Cyprus negotiations. In an article published in Philenews, he pointed out that one of the reasons for the prolonged lack of a resolution is the inadequacies in negotiation methods. Nami stated, “The main issue is not just to renegotiate, but to negotiate with a different approach.”
Key Elements and the Crans-Montana Process
Referring to the decisive elements for the future of the Cyprus negotiations, Nami recalled the expectations surrounding the 5+1 meeting that followed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’s visit to Cyprus. In this context, he emphasized the importance of the negotiation method, the development of confidence-building measures, and the review of past rapprochements. Nami underscored that these elements are tightly connected.
Nami indicated that there are lessons to be learned from the Crans-Montana conference, stating that despite the support of the guarantor countries and the European Union, the process has failed. He expressed that repeating the same conditions will not contribute to a solution.
Process Design and Recommendations
Nami conveyed that the design of the process is equally important and not only influenced by the political views of the parties involved. He stated that he does not agree with the idea that abandoning Turkey’s two-state policy would lead to progress in negotiations. He highlighted that even during times when the parties had closer objectives, an agreement could not be reached.
Describing the “Four-Point Proposal” suggested by Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman as a valuable step for redesigning the negotiations, Nami noted that there should be three critical questions to be answered for a successful negotiation process:
- What should the timeline of the negotiations be?
- How should mechanisms be created to overcome deadlocks in cases where parties cannot reach a consensus?
- In the final stage, how should alternative options be presented instead of offering the public just a single plan?
Nami concluded his article with a warning: “If the next round of negotiations is conducted based on one of the previous failed processes, we should not be surprised to see the same results.” This situation once again highlights how important and complex the search for a political solution in Cyprus is.
Source: www.yeniduzen.com
