Dialogos

Ustel: The federation chapter is closed – Only two sovereign states

Published December 29, 2025, 17:04
Ustel: The federation chapter is closed – Only two sovereign states

Unal Ustel, President of the KEE and "Prime Minister" of the Turkish Cypriots, stated that the chapter of the federation is closed and that the only viable solution for Cyprus is the recognition of two sovereign states. He rejects any interpretation of the sovereign equality of the "Turkish Cypriot people" that is not acceptable to his side. Ustel accused President Christodoulides of tacitly admitting that only a federation is an acceptable solution, which he considers an attempt to impose a model on the Turkish Cypriot community. Meanwhile, former Turkish Cypriot negotiator Erhan Ercin, in an interview with "Yeni Duzen", emphasized that 2026 will be a critical year for the Cyprus issue and that the Turkish Cypriot side must be prepared and present a proactive policy in Europe. He believes that the election of Tufan Erhurman offers a new opportunity for this. Ercin expressed the view that the Greek Cypriot side's attempt to join the Schengen area while the Cyprus issue remains unresolved is a mistake, even greater than Cyprus's accession to the EU while divided. He argues that joining Schengen will further complicate the situation. Furthermore, he mentioned that there is information that the Greek Cypriot side will not allow people with Schengen visas to enter from the illegal Tymbou airport, which underlines the tension and lack of trust between the two communities.