Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman expressed his opposition to the Republic of Cyprus’s military agreements with Israel, the United States, and France, arguing that it is impossible to establish a military balance with Turkey.
Speaking at the 17th Bosphorus Summit, Erhürman accused the Greek Cypriot leadership of proceeding with military agreements without the consent of the Turkish Cypriots, thereby, as he argued, putting the entire island at risk.
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“You are signing these agreements to create a military balance with the Republic of Turkey. You believe you can achieve this with your big brothers backing you. But this is a futile effort. You cannot establish a balance of military power with Turkey,” he said.
He even noted that when the “big brothers” come to a region, they do not remain in the background but step forward, leaving their allies behind. “With these steps, you are once again jeopardizing the island’s security,” he argued.
Erciyaman reiterated that the Turkish Cypriot side remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Cyprus issue.
“The talks are continuing. The Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General is currently on the island. On Monday, we will hold a trilateral meeting,” he announced, referring to the meeting on November 9.
The Turkish Cypriot leader also criticized the European Union for failing to implement the Direct Trade Regulation with the Turkish Cypriots following the 2004 referendum.
He also referred to the breakdown of the talks at Crans-Montana in 2017, arguing that the Greek Cypriot side did not accept political equality.
In conclusion, he made it clear that the Turkish Cypriots “will not give up their right to equality, their right to security, or their equal rights across the entire island.” “No one should have such expectations,” he added.
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Source: CNA
