ONLY IN TLF: "The Gap Between Sides in the Cyprus Issue Remains Unbridgeable," Says Former Foreign Minister Markoullis

Former Cypriot diplomat criticizes current foreign policy direction and warns of global uncertainties affecting Cyprus

Erato Kozakou-Markoullis, Cyprus' former Foreign Minister with extensive diplomatic experience, including two terms at the Ministry and service as Cyprus' Ambassador to the USA, has expressed deep concern about what she describes as an "immense and unbridgeable gap" between the two sides following the informal Geneva conference on the Cyprus issue. In an exclusive interview with The Levant Files published on March 26, 2025, Markoullis offered a critical assessment of the Christodoulides government's foreign policy, particularly regarding relations with Israel and the United States, while warning about the unpredictable consequences for Cyprus stemming from global uncertainties under the new Trump administration.

Assessment of the Geneva Informal Conference

Markoullis expressed frustration that after eight years of deadlock in negotiations and an unprecedented deterioration in the situation due to the Turkish Cypriot leadership's insistence on a two-state solution, even minimal progress is now characterized as a positive development.

"Instead of declaring a complete and permanent impasse, we managed to keep some kind of process of contacts and cooperation open, which is considered positive," Markoullis stated. "While at Crans-Montana, as the Secretary-General himself said, we were a mile away from a solution, we contributed to and consented to terminate the conference, and we gradually found ourselves at the edge of a cliff, one step away from permanent partition."

She emphasized that regarding the substance of the Cyprus issue, "no positive development whatsoever occurred at the informal meeting in Geneva, the gap between the positions of the two sides remains immense and unbridgeable, and any decisions taken did not concern the essence of the Cyprus problem."

The former Foreign Minister did acknowledge some procedural positives, including scheduling a new meeting in late July and the Secretary-General's intention to appoint a personal envoy to prepare the next steps.

Bridging the Gap Between the Sides

When asked about the significant divide between the positions, Markoullis was pessimistic about the prospects for bridging it soon.

"Unfortunately, the gap created in the positions of the two sides since October 2020, with the election of Ersin Tatar to the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community and his and Turkey's insistence on a two-state solution and securing sovereign equality, cannot be bridged because these are opposed positions," she explained.

She elaborated on the fundamental difference between a federal solution involving one sovereign composite state where power is shared between the central government and federated units and the Turkish position demanding recognition of two sovereign states with separate international personalities.

"There is nothing intermediate that could be considered a bridge for this gap," Markoullis stated emphatically. "Even a confederation, which someone might propose as an intermediate arrangement, essentially presupposes the existence of two sovereign and independent member states of the international community."

Critical View of the Christodoulides Government's Foreign Policy

Markoullis expressed two significant disagreements with President Christodoulides' foreign policy regarding relations with Israel and the United States.

"I believe we have proceeded with upgrading our relations to a degree that jeopardizes the balances we should maintain with affected countries," she noted. Regarding Israel, she criticized "our almost complete alignment with the Netanyahu government's policies on the Palestinian issue, particularly regarding developments after October 7, 2023, and what followed in Gaza."

She pointed out that Israel's behaviors toward Palestinians, which the international community has characterized as genocidal, "greatly resemble Turkey's policies toward Cyprus, and for this reason, we should be twice as careful about what we support."

Concerning relations with the United States, Markoullis warned about the development of military ties, the provision of air and naval bases and facilities to the US, and discussions about aligning Cyprus' military upgrades with those of NATO and primarily the Americans.

"This one-way street we have followed with these two countries, I believe, will not serve us well in our foreign policy," she cautioned, adding that Cyprus has made these concessions "without receiving tangible returns, especially regarding the Cyprus issue, putting us in a rather vulnerable position."

The New Trump Administration and Global Implications

Markoullis expressed profound concern about the ongoing deconstruction of the international political system established by the founding of the United Nations.

"What concerns me most of all is the continuous dismantling of the international political system that has been implemented since the establishment of the United Nations and other international organizations and the conclusion of international treaties—in other words, the disintegration of multilateral diplomacy and its replacement with policies imposed by the powerful, especially the militarily powerful," she stated.

She warned that this development "will be catastrophic for Cyprus because, as a small country, we have always had the United Nations and international law as a shield and safety net, which today are being attacked from all sides by the new US President."

Markoullis described the current global situation as "a perilous and constantly changing period of uncertainty and questioning in all areas and on all issues," expressing particular alarm about the influence of the "four richest people on the planet" who supported Trump and are now "to a large extent regulators of US policies."

She warned starkly: "Our attachment to the US bandwagon with Christodoulides' policies puts us in a truly vulnerable situation with unpredictable consequences."

Looking Forward

As Cyprus navigates these complex diplomatic waters, Markoullis' decades of diplomatic experience offer a sobering perspective on the challenges ahead. Her call for more balanced foreign policy approaches and her warnings about the fragility of the international order underscore the precarious position of small states like Cyprus in an increasingly uncertain global landscape.

The path to resolving the Cyprus issue appears more complicated than ever. The former diplomat's assessment suggests that without a return to the agreed-upon basis for a solution and the convergences achieved at Crans-Montana, the prospects for bridging the seemingly unbridgeable gap between the two sides remain bleak.