A confederal solution was first proposed by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktaş during the intercommunal talks held to restore the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, which had been disrupted by the fascist Greek coup of the summer of 1974 and the subsequent Turkish occupation. Elected as the first president of the separatist statelet "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)" declared in 1985 in the Turkish-occupied territories, Denktaş criticized the new, yet unannounced UN solution proposals in his speech after the inauguration ceremony, saying:
"Even if a federation or confederation is established with the Greek Cypriots in the south, we must reach a position where we can compete economically with our southern neighbours as soon as possible." Denktaş, apart from the federation that formed the focal point of the peace efforts, did not provide further information about the confederation, which would loosely bind the two sides.(1)
An editorial in The Times, published in London at that time, urged Denktaş to accept the new, comprehensive draft, prepared by the UN Secretary General, noting that the Turkish side's negative stance was consistent with recent statements, favoring a confederation rather than a federation. Milliyet columnist Sami Kohen had previously written that Denktaş would not give a definitive answer to UN Secretary General Perez de Cuellar, but would send him a document containing his "counter-proposals." According to Kohen, Denktaş would demand the recognition of full equality for the Turkish Cypriot side and the establishment of a confederation with the Republic of Cyprus, thus effectively delegating the ball to the Greek Cypriot side through the UN.(2)
Alithia newspaper columnist Kassandros addressed the opening of the first meeting between Cypriot President Vasiliou and Turkish Cypriot leader Denktaş, to be held under the auspices of UN Special Representative Oscar Camilion, and wrote that Denktaş's comments on federation envisioned two separate entities forming a confederation, rather than uniting the wings of the federation, which would lead to its separation. (3)
Before beginning a new round of meetings with Turkish Cypriot leader Denktaş, Vasiliou, in an interview with the BBC World Service, stated that the Turkish Cypriot proposals could not form the basis for negotiations, saying:
“We are discussing federation, and there is only one country involved. The Turkish Cypriot proposals speak of two countries, two independent states. You cannot hold talks on that basis.” (4)
“We must do what is reasonable. We've made considerable progress on this issue. We've gone from five cantons to two separate states today, even saying it should be less than a federation. I've almost mentioned the term confederation. There's talk of how many Greek Cypriots there will be. This percentage won't exceed that. There's a moratorium. They've accepted that in principle, and I know that too. The most important aspect is that we need Turkey's presence there. In other words, it needs a presence for security reasons.” (5)
A statement made by Baroness Lynda Chalker, the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs and Overseas Development at the British Foreign Office, to the Cyprus News Agency during her visit to Cyprus in 1993 reinforced claims that a "confederation"-based solution to the Cyprus problem was being considered. In her statement, Chalker said:
“I don't believe there is only one solution (to the Cyprus problem). There are other possible solutions. As long as the important issue of territory is resolved... If those who find federation unacceptable win the elections in the north, the UN will need to work on other solutions. Federation is not the only solution; it is the one currently on the table... I oppose the idea of two independent states. I believe it would not be in the interest of Cyprus. Separation of Turkish Cypriots from Greek Cypriots, in particular, would not benefit them... Moving towards confederation will depend on the conditions that will be put forward for this, and the Cypriot people must prepare this together. But there are various solutions that should be positively examined.” (6)
Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, who met with US Secretary of State Kissinger in Nicosia in May 1974 to discuss the Middle East issue, also shared the following information in his memoirs:
“Although Kissinger avoided speaking openly, he implied that Washington favoured Cyprus becoming two separate states, one for the Greek Cypriots and the other for the Turkish Cypriots. In other words, they wanted two separate states in Cyprus.” (7)
***
The Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Chairman Tufan Erhürman, who first described the "4-Stage Solution Plan" or "Negotiation and Solution in 5 Steps" during the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2024 as "filling the void of a community leader for Turkish Cypriots," and then raised it in his speech at the Socialist International meeting, declaring that the CTP favoured a confederal or loosely structured federal unification. (8)
In a news article titled "Erhürman: The Turkish side owns the geographically based federation model" in the “Özgur Gazete Kıbrıs” on January 16, 2025, the CTP Chairman referred to the "geographical federation" thesis, demanded by the Turkish side as a solution to the Cyprus dispute in UN Mediator Dr. Galo Plaza's report dated March 26, 1965, and stated:
"Every Turkish Cypriot leader who has ever sat at the table has advocated a loose federation structure and considered federation possible, while trying to bring the structure as close to a confederation as possible. The Greek Cypriots tried to integrate this structure into a unitary state.”
Here, it is worth remembering the words of then-Turkish Prime Minister İsmet İnönü in the Turkish Grand National Assembly on September 8, 1964:
“In order to be within the scope of the treaty, we began our discussion officially not with the word partition, but with the form of a federation.”
Paragraph 97 of the
aforementioned Galo Plaza Report stated: “The
Turkish Cypriot side insists on the separation of the communities based on
geography and a federal system.”
After stating that the
Republic of Turkey shared the same view, Dr. Plaza noted in paragraph 150 that
the establishment of a federal regime in Cyprus required the establishment of
separate regions, but that this foundation was lacking in Cyprus. He emphasized
that this situation had not changed since December 1963, and that despite the
Turkish enclaves scattered across the island's surface, thousands of Turkish
Cypriots still lived in mixed villages. According to paragraph 154 of the same
report, the federal government proposed by the Turkish side actually envisioned
the partition of the island (or, officially, a geographical federation). The
division lines had even been determined.
***
CTP Chairman Tufan Erhürman listed the demands of his party, which came very close to the official Turkish thesis, which perpetuated the partition of the island with the fascist Greek coup of the summer of 1974 and the subsequent Turkish occupation of the Republic of Cyprus, as follows:
“This time, when we sit down at the table, 1. Political equality will not be a matter of negotiation. 2. The timetable will be determined. We will not discuss the same issues at the table for ten years. 3. Negotiations will be result-oriented. Issues that have been discussed and agreed upon 50 times before, will not be brought up again. 4. If the negotiations end, a guarantee will be given that there will be no return to the status quo.” (9)
After announcing his candidacy for the TRNC Presidency, which will be held on October 19, 2025, Erhürman further elaborated on the above demands, stating:
“After leaving the table, for equality, the TRNC must become an EU member, and the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus must be abandoned. We will be the owners of one of two equal constituent states. No decisions will be made without our will. I advocate for a loose federation. I have discussed and explained this model with Turkey” (10)
Erhürman, who stands up for both the fait accompli brought about by the 51-year Turkish military occupation of the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish settlers who moved to the occupied region in violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention and became "citizens" of the illegal state, made the following demands for them in an election speech in Karpaz:
“Our people of Turkish origin voted in the Annan Plan. The international community recognized this vote. If the Greek Cypriot side had also said 'Yes,' 45,000 of our people of Turkish origin, plus their spouses and children, would have become citizens the next day. The rest would have had the right to permanent residence in the EU. Our people whose votes were accepted can travel from Ercan to Athens, from Athens to Larnaca; they cannot pass through the two-and-a-half-mile border crossing in Famagusta and have a coffee.” “So where did the children of Turkish origin born here come from? Did they enter through an illegal port? All of these must be discussed at that table from a human rights perspective.” (11)
It will be recalled that the inter-communal talks held in Crans Montana, Switzerland, regarding the new federal constitution for the Republic of Cyprus, which would ensure the unification of the island, came very close to signing in the first week of July 2017. However, a disagreement arose over the "security" issue when Turkey refused to provide a date for the withdrawal of the last Turkish soldier from the island, and the talks were terminated.
The eight-point
"British Plan", also known as the "bridge proposal," in
line with a report prepared by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after the
Crans Montana meeting, envisioned cooperation between "constituent states
of equal sovereign communities." (12)
According to a previous report in the British magazine "The Economist," it was stated that "even if the island were reunited, it would remain a loose federation divided along ethnic lines." (13)
As can be seen from Tufan Erhürman’s statements during his “TRNC Presidential Candidacy Campaign,” the policy of partitioning the island, which has been pursued since 1956 by the United Kingdom and Turkey, two of the three guarantors of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, has now been adopted by the CTP, the largest opposition party of the Turkish Cypriots, considering the demands mentioned above.
CTP Chairman Tufan Erhürman won the presidential election held in the Turkish-occupied part of our island on October 19, 2025, with 62.76% of the vote in the first round, compared to 35.81% for his closest rival, Ersin Tatar. Voter turnout was announced as 218,313, with a 64.87% voter turnout. It is estimated that one-third of the total electorate were local Turkish Cypriots, while the remaining two-thirds were Turkish settlers.
The following excerpts from Tufan Erhürman, the new president of the separatist "TRNC" statelet, regarding his model for resolving the Cyprus dispute, demonstrate that we are facing the latest derivative of Rauf Denktaş, a long-time advocate of partition:
"Erhürman stated that the Turkish side, from Rauf Raif Denktaş to Mustafa Akıncı, always discussed a federation. But it resembled a confederation as much as possible. You could also call it a loose federation." (14)
Responding to journalists' questions at the Gamblers’ Inn on the night of September 1, 2025, Tufan Erhürman said, "There are many federations in the world, but it could also be called SÜLEYMAN, not FEDERATION." (…) Pointing out that years of experience have shown that a centralized federation is unrealistic, Erhürman said, "The loose federation definition is the closest federation model to the confederation that is always discussed at the table. (…) Erhürman: "I DEFEND A LOOSE FEDERATION. I HAVE TALKED AND EXPLAINED THIS MODEL WITH TURKEY." (15)
Erhürman stated that his solution model is a mechanism, in which TWO EQUAL CONSTITUENT STATES EXERCISE THEIR OWN POWERS SOVEREIGNLY, is bi-regional and bi-communal, and where central powers are shared on the basis of political equality. He emphasized that it doesn't matter whether it's called a federation, a confederation, or something else; what truly matters is its content. (…) Erhürman noted Tatar's obsession with names, saying, "PERHAPS IF THE CONTENT WAS DISCUSSED, WE WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING." Erhürman, who stated that they also advocate for TWO EQUAL CONSTITUENT STATES, emphasized that the most fundamental difference is that Tatar's model relinquishes all rights Turkish Cypriots may have throughout the island.” (16)
“I'll explain it in two and a half minutes: Whether you call it a federation or a confederation, it's not about words. Our model is a structure based on political equality between two communities, two regions. We need to stop playing around with words and talk about the interests of the people.” (17)
Erhürman criticized President Ersin Tatar's rhetoric about a "two-state solution," asking, “When you say two states, we mean the areas of shared jurisdiction—hydrocarbons, energy, citizenship, and security. What does Mr. Ersin intend to do here?” (…) When asked about Turkey's influence, Erhürman responded: “Why would it? Does the Republic of Turkey want to give up its guarantorship? Could it be that they demanded that the Turkish Cypriot people give up their say on energy and hydrocarbons? Turkey naturally advocates for two states.” "MY MODEL INCLUDES THE TURKISH CYPRIOT STATE AND THE GREEK CYPRIOT STATE. If there are two states beyond this, Mr. Ersin should explain it." (18)
References:
1. Cyprus Mail, July 10, 1985
2. Cyprus Mail, July 17, 1985
3. Cyprus Mail, September 13, 1988
4. Cyprus Mail, March 5, 1989
5. Cumhuriyet, March 15, 1991
6. Cyprus Mail, September 10, 1993
7. Kirikas, June 10, 1990 - For opinions on the
"confederation" solution method that appeared in the press between
July 10, 1985, and February 13, 1994, the following sources can be consulted:
"Denktaş's resignation as negotiator and the confederation
prescription" (Ahmet An), Yeni Çağ newspaper, August 16 and 23, 1993,
Issues: 140 and 141, and "Confederation File" (Ertan Yüksel), Sosyalist
Gözlem magazine, November 1994, Issue: 9
8. September 21, 2024, Yenidüzen
9. January 16, 2025 www.ozgurgazetekibris.com and Signing
the Future,www.tufanerhurman.org
10. September 2, 2025 – www.yeniduzen.com/tek-turda-biter-186439h.htm
11. August 16, 2025
12. Politis, February 7, 2021 and https://can-kibrisim.blogspot.com/2021/04/cenevreye-giderken-ingilterenin-planina.html
13. Fileftheros, April 23, 2016
14. January 22, 2025, interview with Hasan Erçakıca on
Kıbrıs Genç TV
15. Yenidüzen, September 2, 2025
16. From an interview with Gökhan Altıner, September 11,
2025, kibrispostasi.com
17. October 8, 2025 – news and beyond, Muazzez Gazihan –
haberkibris.com
18. From an interview with Hüseyin Ekmekçi, October 17,
2025 – haberkibris.com
(Full text of the paper presented at the 7th Annual Conference of the "Left and the Cyprus Problem" group, organized on 6 December 2025 at the Home for Cooperation in the buffer zone in Nicosia, with the theme “The Cyprus Problem in the Context of Escalating Barbarism in the World”)
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