Ulaş Barış writes: Why Did the UN Appoint Cuellar?

The mystery surrounding the appointment of the UN Special Representative for Cyprus by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres officially ended last Friday, but expectations for the new phase in Cyprus negotiations and the nature of Cuellar's role still remain unclear.

Maria Cuellar, a graduate of Sorbonne and a former Colombian Foreign Minister with a successful background, has been appointed as the UN Special Representative for Cyprus after Peruvian Perez de Cuellar, and this appointment could be briefly referred to as the 2nd Cuellar era. Now the question is: Can Cuellar, with her impressive background, bring a definitive solution to the Cyprus problem?

It is important to ask what Maria Cuellar is to Antonio Guterres; is she his personal representative or a special messenger? According to the official statement from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cuellar is the "Personal Representative" of Guterres. According to Ersin Tatar's office, she is the "Personal Representative." In the official statement of the UN, the term "Personal Envoy" is used.

While the Turkish side emphasizes that they do not want to discuss a federal solution, stating that the model is exhausted, the Greek Cypriot side expresses its desire to continue from where they left off in Crans Montana, meaning a federal solution. Despite these contrasting positions, what is Guterres looking for in the Cyprus negotiations?

The Turkish side prefers a model where Cuellar's role is more of a messenger and not a direct negotiator, aligning with strategies to avoid discussions on a federal solution.

However, is there a reality that Cuellar's role may be more meaningful than it appears? The main question is why Guterres made this appointment and what Cuellar will discuss.

The Turkish side wants Cuellar to be more of an information-conveying messenger to avoid discussions on a federal solution. But is the situation really like this?

The key question is why Guterres made this appointment. What will Cuellar discuss in her role?

The Turkish side hopes for a model where Cuellar acts more as a messenger conveying information, thus avoiding discussions on a federal solution. However, the reality may be different.

Understanding the role Cuellar will play in the first six months

is crucial, as there is no official time limit mentioned in the UN's statement, and it may indicate an intention to extend the role after the initial six months.

If we look at the statement from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it explicitly mentions a six-month period and suggests that this time will be "more than enough" to determine whether there is any common ground. Hence, it seems that Turkey is not inclined towards an extension after six months.

While writing these lines, I feel a sense of embarrassment because there has never been a period in the Cyprus negotiations since 1968 where we played such a negligible role. But leaving this aside, as we approach the end of this article, let's consider the scenario we might face at the end of this six-month period, assuming that the extension of the role becomes official.

In a recent conversation with a senior UN official at an event, I asked the same question. The response I received was concerning. In summary, the official stated, "The Secretary-General is quite fed up with the Cyprus issue. He believes that a solution is still possible and is willing to work on it. However, if there is no progress after six months, he may declare the Cyprus problem unsolvable."

So, if everyone is expressing their opinions openly, there is a gap between the parties, and Turkey's position is clear; then, let me ask:

Was it to declare the issue unsolvable when the time runs out?