Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman responded to the numerous reports and comments on the future of the peace talks in a social media post last night, saying none of the various ideas being floated have reached the level of maturity to warrant public discussion, let alone acceptance.
In the post, written in Turkish, Erhürman reiterated the Turkish Cypriot community’s will for a solution and support for the efforts of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Cyprus.
The Turkish Cypriot leader repeated his position against engaging in talks for the sake of talks or entering an open-ended process that has no prospect of delivering results and that “would ultimately take us back to where we started”.
Noting the large number of articles and reports that have surfaced in the Greek Cypriot press on the latest peace effort, Erhürman said discussions are “becoming increasingly intense, which was not usually the case in the past”.
“Moreover, a significant portion of these discussions is entirely unfounded and without basis,” he added.
Erhürman said he would not play games through the media but continue to present his framework and approach towards the peace effort consistently and coherently, with determination.
Turkish Cypriots experienced major disappointments in 2004 and in 2017, he said, adding, “We will never allow a new disappointment in 2026.”
Food for thought
Politis has previously reported, citing well-informed sources, that the UN, working in coordination with the EU, is trying to find ways to bring the sides together for an enlarged meeting where they can prepare a road map for the way forward on the Cyprus issue. The objective would be to get the two leaders and three guarantor powers to reach a strategic understanding on the key elements of a solution, paving the way to finalising the details of a comprehensive settlement.
Guterres is in contact with the EU, encouraging Brussels to play its part in enticing Ankara back to the table, while the UN has also been open to ideas on sequencing developments in a way that convinces Turkish Cypriots that this time is different, while also highlighting to Greek Cypriots the potential benefits of change.
On Sunday, Politis reported that even more groundbreaking ideas were being considered on the contents of a solution, including on governance and power sharing, that would create a ‘loose federation’ with limited shared competences. This prompted former Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ozdil Nami to warn against playing with past convergences.
Nothing to report yet
In response to the latest, Erhürman wrote: “At present, there are some ideas being put forward, but none has reached a level of maturity or substance that would warrant public discussion, let alone acceptance.”
He argued that many international actors were assessing initiatives concerning the Cyprus issue, but the Turkish Cypriots remain one of the principal actors who have the final say, along with the Greek Cypriots and three guarantor powers.
When any meaningful discussion arises, the Turkish Cypriots will be informed of it properly, in a timely manner and without distortion, said Erhürman.
“We will neither trade in despair nor engage in selling false hope. Our people can rest assured,” he concluded.
