Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman has sent separate letters to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Barcelona president Joan Laporta over what he described as recent efforts by the Greek Cypriot side to obstruct Turkish Cypriots in the diplomatic, cultural and sporting fields.
According to a statement issued by the Turkish Cypriot “presidency” late on Friday, Erhürman placed particular emphasis in his letters on the timing of the recent developments.
He argued that, despite the UN secretary-general’s appeal during his visit to Cyprus that the current period was “a moment when every effort must be made to restore trust”, the Greek Cypriot leadership had taken steps in the opposite direction.
Erhürman calls for measures to end isolation
Erhürman also referred to the UN secretary-general’s report on ending the “isolation” of Turkish Cypriots, as well as decisions by the EU Council and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
He called for measures to be taken in this direction without further delay.
In his letters, Erhürman alleged that the Greek Cypriot leadership was seeking to prevent children and young people from establishing links with the international community.
Such actions, he argued, further deepen the lack of trust between the two communities and consequently undermine the UN secretary-general’s efforts to reach a settlement.
The claims were made amid renewed efforts to advance the Cyprus peace process.
Two-state solution
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot “foreign minister” Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu responded to an earlier post by Erhürman, saying in a written statement that the Turkish Cypriot side’s policy was based on a two-state solution.
According to Ertuğruloğlu, that vision calls for the confirmation of sovereign equality and equal international status.
“There is no turning back” from this policy, he said.
Ertuğruloğlu also rejected a return to negotiations based on a federal model, arguing that such talks would have an uncertain outcome while the Greek Cypriot side had, in his view, used time to consolidate the status quo for years.
Returning to such negotiations, he said, did not constitute an “on-the-ground struggle”.
Source: CNA
