The Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman, has announced that his first meeting with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, is tentatively scheduled for the second half of next week.
The announcement followed Erhürman’s return from Ankara, where he held his first meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after his election. Following their meeting, Erdoğan hardened his stance on the Cyprus issue, stating that the “most pragmatic and sustainable solution on the island is the coexistence of two states.”
Erdoğan: No return to open-ended talks
Erdoğan confirmed that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side decided after the Crans Montana talks in 2017 that they would not re-enter negotiations without a clear prospect of success.
“Since 2004, negotiations have taken place without result – we will not do it again just to show that something is progressing,” Erdoğan said.
He attributed the failure to resolve the Cyprus problem to the “refusal of the Greek Cypriot side to accept the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriots.” He accused the Greek Cypriot side of not wishing to share “political power or economic wealth” and treating Turkish Cypriots as a minority in a state that has “lost all power since 1963.”
President Erdoğan also blamed the European Union for creating “new injustices” toward the Turkish Cypriots by admitting the Republic of Cyprus following the rejection of the Annan Plan, noting that promises to lift these injustices were not kept. He endorsed Erhürman’s statements on “sovereign equality” as being “well-aimed” and reflecting the current international circumstances.
Political equality is non-negotiable
In a joint press conference, Erhürman placed the Cyprus Issue at the centre of his own statements, asserting that the Turkish Cypriot community “constitutes one of the two equal founding partners” on the island.
He stated unequivocally that “political equality is not an object of bargaining.” He maintained that the Turkish Cypriot people possess “sovereign rights over the whole of Cyprus,” and that their will “cannot be bypassed” on matters of security, energy, hydrocarbons, and maritime zones.
Erhürman noted his side’s methodology for future talks: they will not participate in processes where political equality is subject to negotiation, there is no timetable, old issues are reopened, or there is no guarantee against a new withdrawal by the Republic of Cyprus. He insisted that these points “are not preconditions for not starting talks,” but rather a “method shaped by years of experience.”
Erhürman reiterated that if a comprehensive framework is created, Turkish Cypriots “will participate in the solution process.” Otherwise, he said, they will continue contacts regarding confidence-building measures and cooperation to facilitate daily life.
The Turkish Cypriot leader confirmed his first meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguín, is scheduled for 5 December. He intends to hold his initial meeting with President Christodoulides in the second half of next week, but does not expect to discuss his detailed methodology at that time.
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