Cyprus Talk: Two EU mini-states possible if another rounds of talks fail again

Turkish Cypriot Professor Emeritus at the Centre in Modern Turkish Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, Ozay Mehmet has asked what the future of Cyprus is following the failure of the Cyprus talk in Crans-Montana in July, and ponders on what will happen if any further talks prove to be inconclusive.

In an opinion piece for the Cyprus Mail, he writes that the talks cannot go on for ever. According to him, at some stage, the UN will close the chapter on Cyprus. 

After the elections in 2018, the UN Secretary-General might agree to one last ditch effort to conclude the negotiations, providing that there is an end date and a mutually agreed agenda, he writes.

However, if those talks should again fail, then it is up to the UN to initiate the end of isolation for the Turkish Cypriots and hand over responsibility to the EU.

Professor Mehmet suggests that the only sensible step is to create two mini-states under the EU umbrella. Borders will need adjusting and all freedoms and claims to land to be settled via EU principles.

The future, he says is a bi-national island state within the EU.

Cyprus Mail
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