The Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman, stating that the Turkish Cypriot “people” want a solution and that he is working with Turkey toward a lasting, permanent, and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem.

In his speech before the start of the military parade in occupied Nicosia marking the dark anniversary of the Turkish invasion, and speaking after Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Mr. Erhürman said that they do not simply want to appear to be seeking a solution; they want the solution.

“We are looking ahead, but without forgetting what happened before. That is why, as UN Secretary-General Mr. Guterres said, ‘if we are to try again, this time it must be different.’ And with the lessons we’ve learned from the history of these negotiations, we say: let’s first take some serious steps to build trust, then let’s establish the rules of the game before it even begins, and let’s not pick up where we left off as if nothing had happened, as if nothing had been experienced, and thus create yet another disappointment.”

Because, he continued, we no longer want negotiations for the sake of negotiations, nor a 5+1 format for the sake of a 5+1 format. As the UN Secretary-General said, he added, “we want to be results-oriented, to produce results in accordance with our people’s will for a solution, and as the President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we want to achieve a fair, lasting, and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem, which has been ongoing since 1963.”

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While negotiations and talks have been ongoing for decades, Mr. Erhurman said, and no solution has been reached for reasons beyond the control of the Turkish Cypriots, no one should expect them to remain silent while the “people,” and the children, are prevented from connecting with the international community, subjected to isolation, and denied their rights for generations until a solution is reached.

“No one should ever try to hide behind the lie that if the isolation is eased or lifted, the Turkish Cypriots will abandon their desire for a solution.” The rights of athletes, businesspeople, scientists, artists, and children cannot be postponed for an uncertain future, he added, referring to violations of children’s rights based on their place of birth or where their parents were married.

He also spoke about the unresolved property issue, a problem—as he argued—that does not stem from the Turkish Cypriots, for which some individuals are paying a personal price, even with imprisonment.

“I repeat once again: Our people’s will for a solution is clear. They want a solution, and we are working sincerely toward it. As we always say, we are conducting this process in consultation and full coordination with the Republic of Turkey, and we strongly support the efforts of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Guterres. But let it be known that we also firmly reject the idea that the price of the lack of a solution—which cannot be achieved for reasons beyond our control—should be paid by our people and our children.”.

At the beginning of his speech, Tufan Erhurman said that while it is commonly explained that the Cyprus problem began in 1974, the history of this island also includes the period from 1963 – 1974, noting that on July 15, 1974, the fascist Greek junta staged a coup, and on July 20, Turkey intervened with its “its heroic military forces, exercising its guarantee rights alongside the Turkish Cypriot heroes.”

Mr. Erhurman also stated that the Turkish Cypriot confederal state was established within the framework of the Denktash-Makarios agreements, the Denktash-Kyprianou agreements of ’77–’79, and “was, in fact, one of the main elements in shaping this framework.”

According to him, the Turkish Cypriot “people” are one of the two equal founding partners, an essential element, and equal owners of the island. “They are not a minority; they never were and never will be,” he said.

Source: CNA