Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman has said that no individual can single-handedly solve the Cyprus issue, stressing that efforts to reach a settlement must be realistic, carefully prepared and focused on outcomes.
Speaking on Bayrak television on Wednesday evening, Erhürman said he remains committed to representing what he described as the Turkish Cypriot community's will for a solution and is prepared to engage in negotiations under the right conditions.
"We are ready for all kinds of negotiations, but the preparation must be done properly. We are pushing for a result," he said.
"Not meetings for photographs"
Erhürman said he is interested in meaningful talks that produce concrete progress rather than what he called "meetings for photographs".
He noted that during his 11 months in office he has met UN Secretary-General António Guterres three times, arguing that such frequent contact had not occurred for a long period and reflected renewed UN attention to the Cyprus issue.
"The past year was a period during which the foundations of the path we will follow in the future were laid," he said.
Dispute over confidence-building measures
According to Erhürman, the UN Secretary-General presented a proposal containing seven confidence-building measures (CBMs).
However, he claimed that President Nikos Christodoulides responded not by finalising those proposals but by introducing 19 additional proposals, which were conveyed orally.
"It is as if those seven points did not exist. Those seven points are not included in the 19. Therefore, the original seven still remain," he said.
Erhürman argued that the expected progress on the confidence-building measures has not materialised and insisted he is not interested in what he described as superficial meetings.
Call for clarity on rotating presidency
Referring to contacts in New York, Erhürman said he received a message through the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Cyprus indicating that the Greek Cypriot side was prepared to accept a rotating presidency.
He said he was ready to enter negotiations if President Christodoulides publicly and unequivocally accepted the principle of a rotating presidency but claimed he received no response.
According to Erhürman, political equality cannot be subject to negotiation and the issue of a rotating presidency should not be linked to security arrangements or guarantees.
"Negotiations must produce results"
Rejecting criticism that he is avoiding negotiations, Erhürman said he supports the resumption of talks, provided they are designed to achieve meaningful outcomes.
"Our position is consistent and clear. We are ready for all kinds of negotiations, but the preparation must be done properly. We are pushing for a result."
He said the coming period should focus on achieving concrete progress on confidence-building measures and clarifying his proposed four-point framework for the negotiation process.
Concerns over trust and recent developments
Erhürman argued that Turkish Cypriots should not once again bear the cost of fruitless negotiations.
He said efforts toward a settlement would continue with patience, determination and a results-oriented approach.
The Turkish Cypriot leader also claimed that no substantive negotiation process has taken place over the past nine years, during which, he said, the Greek Cypriot side signed multiple agreements in areas such as maritime jurisdiction and energy without taking Turkish Cypriots into account.
He further described the cancellation of festivals, obstacles facing football academies, European Parliament resolutions and attempts to hinder diplomatic contacts as actions that undermine trust between the two communities.
Erhürman added that he had raised these issues in letters sent to the United Nations and the European Union, and referred to the responses he subsequently received.
Source: CNA
