Turkish Deputy FM Bozay Meets with Rosemary DiCarlo

According to a statement shared by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the social media platform X, the two officials reviewed plans for the upcoming Cyprus-related meeting and addressed key diplomatic matters.

Diplomatic sources recalled that during the informal 5+UN meeting held in Geneva on April 27-29, 2021, President Ersin Tatar announced his withdrawal of support for the long-standing bicommunal and bizonal federation model, which he deemed exhausted, and instead proposed a "two-state solution vision" for Cyprus.

Sources emphasized that Turkey fully supports Tatar’s new vision and informed DiCarlo about Ankara’s commitment to this approach. They also reiterated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s repeated calls at the 77th, 78th, and 79th UN General Assemblies for the international community to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Regarding the UN's involvement in Cyprus, sources pointed out that the appointment of former Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar as the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy in January 2024 was approved by the Turkish Cypriot side only under the conditions that her mandate would be strictly limited to assessing whether there is common ground for new formal negotiations and that her term would not exceed six months.

Holguin held consultations in Cyprus and with guarantor states before submitting a report to the UN Secretary-General in July 2024. However, the content of the report was not disclosed to the public or the parties involved. Subsequently, during an informal dinner hosted by the UN Secretary-General in New York on October 15, 2024, with the participation of President Tatar and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, the UN spokesperson officially acknowledged for the first time that no common ground currently exists between the two sides.

During this meeting, it was also decided that an "expanded informal meeting" would be held under the UN Secretary-General’s auspices, bringing together the two Cypriot leaders, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, and a lower-level representative from the third guarantor country, the United Kingdom.

Diplomatic sources stated that the March meeting in Geneva aims to facilitate consultations on potential future steps concerning Cyprus, given the absence of common ground between the parties. They emphasized that this meeting does not constitute "the beginning of a new negotiation process" nor "a continuation of past negotiation efforts."

As part of the preparatory work, DiCarlo visited Cyprus on February 10, meeting separately with President Tatar and the Greek Cypriot leader. On February 12, she traveled to Greece for talks with Foreign Minister Gerapetritis. Today, as part of her regional tour, she made a brief visit to Turkey.