What kind of a Cyprus solution?

As we move toward an informal five-party conference on the Cyprus issue in New York, several questions arise. The first is whether the necessary preparation has been made and the right conditions have been created for the United Nations initiative to succeed. The answer is probably "no." 

The backdrop does not lend itself to any optimism. Athens has consistently shown its willingness for a constructive response to every effort undertaken by the international community, while it is steady in its support for the Republic of Cyprus.

However, Ankara is hardening its stance and moving away from the decades-old goal of reunifying the divided island.

Combined with the recent electoral defeat and retirement of the moderate Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, and his replacement by the nationalist Ersin Tatar, who operates as an extension of the Turkish government in...