TRNC premier says federal solution ended at Crans-Montana

TRNC Prime Minister Unal Ustel told the UN secretary-general's personal envoy on Wednesday that efforts to reach a federal settlement in Cyprus ended definitively at the 2017 Crans-Montana Conference, insisting that any viable solution must recognize the sovereign equality of the island's two peoples.

Crans-Montana 'exhausted'

Speaking to reporters following his meeting with Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar at the National Unity Party (UBP) headquarters, Ustel said he had clearly conveyed the Turkish Cypriot people's messages to the UN envoy. He noted that the Cyprus problem stems from the international community's recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration as the island's sole representative — a status he described as unjustly granted and one that perpetuates the status quo. Despite the Turkish Cypriot side's longstanding goodwill and constructive approach, he said the Greek Cypriot administration had shown no willingness to accept a partnership based on political equality and power-sharing during the 2017 talks.

"The search for an agreement on the basis of a federation came to an end at Crans-Montana," Ustel said. He added that reintroducing a failed model under different names would prove futile: "Reintroducing a model whose failure has been repeatedly demonstrated under different names or methods will not contribute to a solution to the Cyprus issue."

Two-state reality

Ustel underlined that a realistic and lasting settlement could only be achieved through recognition of the sovereign equality of the island's two peoples and two states. He called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, to acknowledge these political realities, citing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' visit to Cyprus on July 27-29, 2026, as further evidence that no common ground exists for launching formal negotiations. His remarks reaffirm the Turkish Cypriot leadership's position that future talks should be based on sovereign equality rather than the traditional federal framework.