The reluctance to implement new confidence-building measures (CBMs) and efforts to obstruct the international presence of Turkish Cypriots do not facilitate a solution to the Cyprus problem, but rather undermine relations between the two communities, argued Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
In a social media post, Mr. Erhürman noted that the MOEs are an established concept in the history of the Cyprus negotiations, noting that they remain particularly important due to the trust issues that have arisen between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots as a result of historical events and other factors.
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According to him, while efforts are made to develop new measures of confidence-building, actions that limit or erode existing trust should be avoided. He further argued that Greek Cypriot diplomacy promotes the argument that lifting or easing the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and adopting new measures of confidence-building would diminish their interest in a solution and would make the status quo more “comfortable.”
Mr. Erhurman referred, among other things, to the obstruction of meetings between the Turkish Cypriot negotiator and ambassadors, the cancellation of an artistic event in Kyrenia, and the creation of obstacles to the participation of Turkish Cypriot athletes and traditional dance groups in international events.
“The reluctance to implement confidence-building measures, the obstruction of even the easing of isolation, and the attempt to render Turkish Cypriots invisible do not benefit efforts toward a solution; they harm them,” he said.
He added that recent United Nations references to the importance of confidence-building measures reinforce this view. In conclusion, he argued that the pursuit of a solution requires the acceptance of equality and equal rights for both communities, as well as the creation of channels that will improve relations and mutual trust.
