Erhürman: Ready to Resume Talks if Rotating Presidency Is Accepted

Speaking on the BRT programme Reel Politik, Erhürman reviewed his first year in office and the latest developments in the Cyprus problem.

Erhürman said that throughout the election campaign, they had defined the presidency around three main functions: conducting negotiations, connecting the Turkish Cypriot people with the international community, and carrying out constitutional duties. He also outlined the roadmap they had been following.

Emphasising that no single person could perform a miracle in resolving the Cyprus problem, Erhürman said they remained determined to represent the Turkish Cypriot people’s legitimate desire for a solution.

Noting that no meaningful negotiation process had taken place over the past nine years, Erhürman said the Greek Cypriot side had signed numerous agreements on maritime jurisdiction and energy during that period as though Turkish Cypriots did not exist.

Erhürman described actions by the Greek Cypriot side, including the cancellation of festivals, restrictions on football schools, European Parliament decisions and attempts to obstruct diplomatic contacts, as “trust-eroding actions.”

He also drew attention to letters sent to the United Nations and the European Parliament concerning these actions, as well as the responses received.

Erhürman said he had met with the UN Secretary-General three times over the past year, noting that such frequent contact had not occurred for a long time and reflected the UN’s attention to the Cyprus problem.

“The past year has been a period in which the foundations have been laid for the path we will follow into the future,” he said.

President Erhürman also assessed developments surrounding the confidence-building measures package presented by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and his contacts in New York.

He said he had submitted a seven-point proposal during his meeting with Guterres, but Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides had introduced 19 new proposals verbally instead of finalising the seven points.

Erhürman said he had accepted two of the proposals among the 19: travelling together to Pyla and visiting three separate committees.

Commenting on his contacts in New York, Erhürman said he had received a message through the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, indicating that the Greek Cypriot side was prepared to accept a rotating presidency.

He said he had made clear that he was ready to sit at the negotiating table if Christodoulides explicitly stated that he accepted the principle of a rotating presidency unconditionally. However, Erhürman said he had received no response to this request.

Responding to criticism that he was “avoiding the negotiating table,” Erhürman said he was not opposed to the resumption of negotiations but stressed that talks had to be conducted with a focus on achieving results.

“Our position is consistent and stable. We are ready for any kind of negotiations, but the groundwork must be properly prepared. We are pushing for results,” Erhürman said.