The ball is in Ankara and Athens' court on Cyprus

Some are tired of hearing it, while some don't even want to hear it. Yet, in terms of the leadership on the divided island of Cyprus, there is the right alignment of stars. Both Turkish leader Mustafa Akıncı and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades genuinely want to find a lasting solution and have succeeded in narrowing the gap on the most sensitive issues. But they are obviously sensitive to their respective publics and, therefore, need the encouragement of Ankara, Athens and the international community.

Yet that is where we lack the right alignment of stars.

The Geneva talks that started on Jan. 9 are expected to be followed by the five-party conference with the added participation of the guarantor powers of Turkey, Greece and Britain. It is the first time the guarantor powers have been meeting since 1960. That in itself should tell us that all sides should be sitting at the table with the aim of finalizing a deal to end the decades-old conflict. 

Yet look at what Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said ahead of the Geneva talks: "We have received assurances from the United Nations that this negotiation will be what we call in international debates 'open-ended' which means it will be a negotiation which, even if it stops, it will not be viewed as having collapsed, but that it can continue in the future with more preparation."  

This hardly reflects a willingness to see the Geneva talks end with a successful outcome. 

That is rather reminiscent of the rhetoric of the Turkish side in the 1990s - a rhetoric that downplayed the efforts to find a solution but reflected a sense of dragging feet. Unfortunately, Athens does not seem to be on board. While the Greek Cypriot administration is in need of support from Athens,...