Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman says he sees scope for renewed and substantive discussions on the Cyprus issue, while stressing that no settlement can be implemented without the agreement of Turkey and the other guarantor powers.
In an interview with Kıbrıs Postası TV, Erhürman commented on UN Secretary-General António Guterres' recent engagement with the Cyprus issue and his upcoming meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides on 26 August.
Backing a results-oriented process
Erhürman described Guterres' involvement as positive, saying the UN chief had devoted significant attention to Cyprus and called for preparations for a new 5+1 meeting focusing on confidence-building measures, negotiation methodology and the substance of a renewed process.
"I do not want negotiations simply for the sake of negotiations. I want a process oriented towards a result," he said.
According to Erhürman, after eight or nine years without meaningful talks, steps are needed to bring the two communities closer together once again.
Mixed marriages and confidence-building measures
Erhürman revealed that the issue of mixed marriages was raised during his meeting with Guterres and said the matter has also been highlighted by the Secretary-General's personal envoy, María Ángela Holguín.
Regarding his meeting with Christodoulides later this month, he said he had proposed weekly meetings between the two leaders, without a fixed agenda.
He also referred to new crossing points and demining efforts, saying the Turkish Cypriot side wants discussions on crossing points to continue on the basis of proposals previously discussed in New York.
Erhürman accused President Christodoulides of introducing different proposals and claimed that the Greek Cypriot side views full demining as an issue to be addressed only after a settlement.
Criticism over property-related arrests
The Turkish Cypriot leader also criticised arrests linked to the alleged unlawful exploitation of Greek Cypriot properties in the north, arguing that the law is being used as a "political tool".
He said the four points he has put forward should not be regarded as preconditions but as a framework for a process with a clear direction and objective.
Erhürman further argued that the Turkish Cypriot community is often overlooked internationally on issues such as missing persons and the historical dimensions of the conflict.
He maintained that discussion of Cyprus should not focus exclusively on 1974 while ignoring the period 1963-1974 and, as he put it, the experiences and losses suffered by Turkish Cypriots.
No deal without Turkey
Erhürman placed particular emphasis on relations with Ankara.
"There is no alternative to acting in harmony with Turkey," he said.
He argued that a 5+1 meeting cannot take place without Turkey's participation and insisted that no agreement could be implemented without the consent of Turkey and the other guarantor powers.
Focus on the substance of a settlement
Erhürman said attention should shift away from the title of any settlement model and towards its practical content.
According to him, the objective should be a solution that is "permanent, functional and sustainable" and capable of improving people's daily lives.
He added that the Cyprus issue is gradually returning to the international agenda as awareness grows that a settlement could contribute to stability and peace in the Eastern Mediterranean.
