Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman said that dialogue and diplomacy would continue in good faith, patiently, calmly and decisively, in line with the will of their people for a solution. He made the statement in a social media post Wednesday afternoon, following the trilateral meeting between the two leaders and the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General, María Ángela Holguín. This was their third trilateral meeting, as Erhürman noted in the same post on his personal social media account.
He added that it was agreed he would also meet with President Nikos Christodoulides when Holguín is not present.
The Turkish Cypriot press today gives front page coverage to yesterday’s trilateral meeting, highlighting Erhürman’s statements after the meeting, President Christodoulides’ remarks on what his new five point proposal includes, and the statement by Holguín. Avrupa and the online Havadis carry the same headline, “Zero in hand”. Dialog uses the headline “Insufficient”, Halkın Sesi “There is no five party conference on the agenda”, Kıbrıs “It was not productive, but it was useful”, and the online Özgür “No 5+1 on the horizon. Either we both win or we both lose”.
A similar headline appears in Yeni Düzen, “Either we both win or we both lose”, with the newspaper noting that Erhürman proposed that the two leaders meet more frequently not only under UN auspices but also privately. Star Kıbrıs leads with the headline “Erhürman asked about four points, Christodoulides submitted five points”, while Yeni Bakış carries a secondary story on the Cyprus issue titled “The 5+1 will not take place now”. The issue is also a secondary topic in the online Kıbrıs Postası under the headline “Christodoulides assessed the meeting with Erhürman: New five point proposal”.
Only the newspaper Güneş, which is close to the UBP, makes no reference on its front page to the trilateral meeting or the statements that followed.
The online outlet Bugün Kıbrıs, under the headline “Deadlock on confidence building measures, UN patience wearing thin”, writes in its main story that no concrete decisions were taken on confidence building measures at the trilateral meeting. Tufan Erhürman proposed more dialogue, which Nikos Christodoulides accepted. It adds that UN Secretary General António Guterres will not convene an expanded meeting unless progress is achieved.
According to sources within the United Nations, António Guterres demanded urgent and concrete steps regarding confidence building measures that would facilitate daily life between the two communities and asked his Personal Envoy to convey this message clearly to the leaders.
The issue of procedure, which the TC leader has consistently emphasised, is in reality a summary of the frustrations experienced by Turkish Cypriots, writes Levent Özadam in today’s Kıbrıs Postası, adding that what happened in Crans Montana remains fresh in people’s memory. He notes that any process that begins without clear rules and without guaranteeing political equality ultimately hits the same wall.
For this reason, Erhürman speaks of “rules of the game” rather than “preconditions”, Özadam writes, noting that the five point document presented by President Christodoulides is simply a repetition of measures that have been discussed many times in the past.
“The only new element is that expectations once again need to be kept under control. The truly fragile point is the issue of political equality. The rejection in principle of a rotating presidency is not merely a technical detail for Turkish Cypriots. It is a clear indication that equal partnership will not be possible in the future,” he writes.
According to the Turkish Cypriot columnist, the absence of a meaningful negotiation process for eight years has deepened these frustrations. Nevertheless, the fact that dialogue has not been abandoned and that the leaders have agreed to meet more frequently is significant.
“The message that at least measures can be taken to facilitate daily life should not be underestimated by the communities. Turkish Cypriots want a solution, but not another disappointment. The expectation is not grand statements. It is clarity, sincerity and fair terms of engagement. Perhaps what is different this time is precisely this cautious approach. Because sometimes progress depends on not repeating the same mistakes,” he concludes.
CNA