Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said on Wednesday he has not received any proposal from President Nikos Christodoulides regarding unilateral confidence-building measures. His comments followed reports that Christodoulides had drawn up measures and sought Erhurman’s approval to announce and implement them.
Erhurman comments on reports of proposed measures
Erhurman told news website Haber Kibris that nothing has yet been received from Christodoulides’ side. “Perhaps there will be, but for now, I have not received any offers. If there are, I will not hide it from the public. I will share it,” he said.
The Cyprus News Agency reported that two unilateral measures would be announced for the benefit of Turkish Cypriots, with one related to the health sector and the other to the economy. It also reported that Christodoulides requested Erhurman’s approval because he does not wish to create tension and wishes to create a personal relationship with his interlocutor.
UN envoy visit and planned meetings
The Cyprus News Agency also reported that United Nations envoy Maria Angela Holguin is expected to return to the island this month after travelling for contacts to Geneva, Brussels and Washington DC.
During her visit, she is expected to meet both Christodoulides and Erhurman, with Christodoulides having requested another tripartite meeting similar to the one held in December.
Expectations for talks on the Cyprus problem
Erhurman said on Monday he hopes Holguin’s next visit will yield concrete results aimed at creating the atmosphere for a solution and said the Turkish Cypriot side is ready for the meeting.
“In line with our results-oriented approach, our request is that the technical-level work be accelerated before that meeting and that Holguin’s visit yield concrete results aimed at creating the atmosphere for a solution,” he said.
An enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem is expected in the weeks following Holguin’s visit, involving the island’s two sides, the three guarantor powers Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, and the UN.
What do you expect from the next meetings involving Maria Angela Holguin and the island’s two leaders?
