Featuring
Mr. Kudret Özersay
Chief Negotiator of the Turkish-Cypriot Community

Introduced and moderated by
The Hon. Fred Hof
Resident Senior Fellow, Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
Atlantic Council

Please join the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center for an off-the-record discussion on the Cyprus settlement negotiations.

The Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot Community recently reopened settlement negotiations via a February 11th joint communiqué.  While an agreement would provide a much needed economic boost to the struggling economies of the south and north alike, the politics of a settlement are as difficult as ever. In the meantime, hydrocarbon finds could provide incentives for cooperation in Cyprus but may also exacerbate existing tensions.

What are the main obstacles to a settlement? How do domestic political dynamics on both sides of the island and in Greece and Turkey play into the picture? How do hydrocarbon resources issues and possibilities affect the settlement talks? What should be the approach of the European Union and the United States?