in-cyprus 25 May 2025 - by Constantinos Tsindas
Stressful geopolitics and a complicated puzzle of moves made up of confidence building measures that will lay good groundwork for the July informal conference on Cyprus, is the minefield that Maria Anhela Holguin will have to navigate through, as she launches contact with all parties involved, starting from the island.
According to a report by Fileleftheros senior political editor Costas Venizelos, Holguin’s approach thus far, given her previous mission, is not to rule out any proposal that comes from either side and more to the point, that Nicosia should not have an issue with hearing out the Turkish position on sovereign equality. It is possible, as she had explained in previous diplomatic tours of Cyprus, that the Turkish-Cypriot side means something different than the position put forward by the Greek-Cypriots and not necessarily anything that they cannot even consider.
According to Fileleftheros source, this can mean either of two things. Holguin is superficial in her analysis or is playing tactics to get the two sides to talks and alternatively that she is towing the Turkish agenda and aims to drag Nicosia into such a discussion, ahead of the July meeting. The Greek-Cypriot side has made clear to Holguin that sovereign equality doesn’t deliver many interpretations but has only one single reference and result-a two state solution. There are however, positions on the home front that sovereign equality could form the pathway to a more loose type federal settlement.
The same sources say that Ankara’s intransigence is forcing the UN to seek out formulas that can satisfy Ankara’s stated goals, with Ersin Tatar raising a louder voice on demands such as direct flights, direct trade and the occupation regime having a single international personality. These are flatly denied by the Greek side as non-starters.
Holguin’s minefields have to do with finding ways of bridging huge gaps between the two sides, even on the smallest of confidence building measures and in her efforts to do so, she might ask the Greek-Cypriot side to back off from certain issues again, such as opposition to opening the Mia Milia checkpoint. What’s new here is the fact that she now joined by the European Commission Envoy on Cyprus Johannes Hahn, former enlargement commissioner.
Greek-Cypriot Arrests possible to counter usurper cases
It is likely, Fileleftheros sources say that the occupation regime might attempt to counter the increasing wave of prosecuting foreign Greek-Cypriot land usurpers by arresting Greek-Cypriots who visit the occupied territories. This is being publicly discussed as a possible reaction, with Tatar also considering a series of other measures, including the opening of the fenced off city of Famagusta to investments and construction.
It is being made clear that arresting Greek-Cypriot might raise a number of complicated issues, but it won’t be enough to stop Nicosia from prosecuting usurpers, an official source told Fileleftheros. Nonetheless, it does remain a possibility, with the Turkish-Cypriot side, aiming towards a policy of ‘blackmail’, as they put it.
