No single person can work miracles to resolve the Cyprus issue, but he remains determined to continue his mission of representing the just will of the Turkish Cypriot “people” for a solution, said Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman in an interview last night on the “Bayrak” program. “We are ready for any kind of negotiations, but the preparations must be done properly. We are pushing for a result,” he said.
Mr. Erhurman stated that he wants to hold substantive meetings that will yield results, rather than “photo ops,” noting that in the 11 months he has been in office, he has met with the UN Secretary-General three times, noting that such frequent contact had not taken place for a long time and that this was an indication of the UN’s attention to the Cyprus issue. “The past year was a period during which the cornerstones were laid for the path we will follow into the future.”
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The UN Secretary-General, he added, presented him with a 7-point proposal during their meeting, but instead of finalizing the 7 points, President Christodoulides presented 19 new proposals, which were conveyed verbally. “It’s as if those 7 points never existed. Those 7 points are not included in the 19. So, those seven still exist.” The expected progress on these seven measures had not been achieved, he said, adding that he does not want “superficial meetings.”
Regarding his contacts in New York, Tufan Erhurman said that he received a message through the Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Cyprus that the Greek Cypriot side was ready to accept the rotating presidency and was ready to sit at the negotiating table.side was ready to accept the rotating presidency and was prepared to sit at the negotiating table if Nikos Christodoulides explicitly stated that he accepted the rotatingrotating presidency in principle and unconditionally, but he received no response to this request.
In his view, the principle of political equality cannot be subject to negotiation, and he did not consider it appropriate to link the rotating presidency to security and guarantees.
Responding to criticism that he was “shying away from the negotiating table,” he said that he is not opposed to resuming negotiations, but that the talks must be results-oriented. “Our stance is consistent and steadfast. We are ready for any kind of negotiations, but the groundwork must be laid properly. We are pushing for a result,” he added.
Tufan Erhurman emphasized the importance of achieving concrete progress in the MOE in the coming period and of clarifying the approach of his four-point proposal regarding the negotiation method.
As he argued, the Turkish Cypriot “people” must not once again pay the price for fruitless negotiations, adding that efforts toward a solution will continue with a patient, determined, and results-oriented approach.
The Turkish Cypriot leader added that no substantive negotiation process on the Cyprus issue has taken place over the past 9 years, and during this period the Greek Cypriot side has signed numerous agreements, both in the areas of maritime jurisdiction and energy issues, as if the Turkish Cypriots did not exist.
He also criticized the Greek Cypriot side’s actions, such as canceling festivals, the obstruction of soccer academies, European Parliament resolutions, and attempts to hinder diplomatic contacts, as “actions that erode trust”.
He referred once again to the letters sent to the UN and the EU regarding these actions and the responses he received.
Source: KYPE
