Negotiations to reunify Cyprus are back on track after leaders from the two sides agreed on a timeline to tackle in January the most contentious issues on the table.
Intense talks between Greek Cypriot leader and the country’s President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı broke off in mid-November over discussions about where to draw the boundary between the two constituent states that would make up a unified Cyprus.
But, following a dinner Thursday night hosted by the United Nations’ special advisor on Cyprus, the two leaders agreed to resume talks on the issue on January 9 in Geneva, the U.N. announced.
They will then present maps showing how they envision the Greek and Turkish Cypriot entities on January 11. Crucially, they will move on to the even tougher issue of long-standing security guarantees from Turkey, Greece and the U.K., and the presence of more than 30,000 Turkish troops in the Turkish Cypriot side, on January 12.
In the meantime, negotiators from the two sides will “immediately” resume their talks to make progress on other outstanding issues, and Anastasiades and Akıncı will meet “as required,” the U.N. said.
The territorial line between the two Cypriot states is especially difficult for the Turkish Cypriot side, which will likely have to give up some of its land to reflect the Greek Cypriot side’s bigger economy and population and return significant sites.
Cyprus has been divided by a U.N.-enforced buffer zone since 1974, with Turkish Cypriots in the north and Greek Cypriots in the south.
Ultimately however, the meeting with Turkey, Greece and the U.K. will determine whether the two sides can agree on a plan to reunify. The three countries now have constitutional power to protect Cyprus and intervene if it’s invaded.
Greece and the U.K. have said they’re willing to give that up if the Cypriot leaders agree. British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson visited the island this week to reiterate his country’s support for the talks.
But the real question is what Turkey will say. Greek Cypriots say they won’t accept any plan that keeps Turkish troops or security guarantees on their island after reunification, but Turkish Cypriots worry about losing a protective force against the bigger Greek Cypriot side. The agreement would likely call for a gradual phase-down over a few years, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan will have to sign off as well.
ErdoÄan is expected to meet Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in early December to begin talking about Cyprus’ reunification, among other issues.
Anastasiades’ government is recognized around the world except by Turkey, while Akıncı’s Turkish Cypriot state is not recognized by anyone other than Turkey.
The two leaders have been in negotiations for over a year and a half and had hoped to reach an agreement this year. The aim now is to hold simultaneous referendums on both sides of the island in early 2017.