Ertuğruloğlu: ‘Solution Is The Current Status Quo’

In an assessment provided to the Turkish News Agency Cyprus (TAK), Ertuğruloğlu described statements by Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides regarding a possible new initiative by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as an “operation of perception”.

He said Christodoulides’ remarks, including claims that a new initiative and a settlement plan could emerge before the end of the year following contacts involving UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, should be treated with caution and questioned.

Ertuğruloğlu argued that the Greek Cypriot leader is attempting to shape public opinion ahead of the upcoming elections in the south on 24 May, as well as influence political circles in the north that still expect a federal settlement. He said the narrative that “a new initiative will be launched and a solution plan will be prepared before the end of the year” is not accurate.

He added that expectations being built around such claims could mislead public opinion, warning against what he described as being “carried away by propaganda” and forming expectations of renewed momentum at the Presidency during the summer period.

Ertuğruloğlu said the word “solution” should not be misleading, stressing that while Turkish Cypriots do want a solution, it is necessary to clarify what problem is actually being referred to. He said that as long as this ambiguity continues, “populist and romantic rhetoric” would allow everyone to claim they support a solution, despite fundamentally different understandings.

He said that for the Greek Cypriot leadership, a “solution” means what they describe as the “liberation of their country from Turkish occupation”, whereas for the Turkish Cypriot side the issue is a matter of status, exclusion from a co-founding partnership, and recognition as an equal constituent people.

“Since the problem each side seeks to solve is different, we have never been able to reach a common point on a solution. And we will not be able to,” he said.

Ertuğruloğlu also referred to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and said he would not want to see another failure similar to Crans-Montana in 2017 as his mandate comes to an end. He argued that for this reason, expectations should not be built around what he described as “perception management efforts”.

He also questioned what would change with the possible return of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy Maria Angela Holguin to the island in the coming months, saying that neither the UN Secretary-General nor his representatives could resolve the underlying inequality on their own.

Ertuğruloğlu said any meaningful change depends on decisions by states, particularly the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. He argued that unless a new resolution is adopted to correct what he described as the “mistake” of Resolution 186, meetings with envoys or even the Secretary-General would not change the situation.