Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on Thursday said he would not “engage in blame games” following remarks directed at him by President Nikos Christodoulides. Erhurman said he expects to meet Christodoulides on February 24 and plans to exchange questions.
Erhurman responds to request for public answers
Erhurman said Christodoulides asked him questions and requested that he answer them publicly. He said the public already knows what he has put on the table and added that, unless something changes, he will meet Christodoulides on February 24.
He said that during the meeting, Christodoulides will have questions for him and he will have questions for Christodoulides. Erhurman said he will answer Christodoulides’ questions as always and expressed hope that Christodoulides will answer his.
Statements on patience and tone
Erhurman said many have tried to test his patience and composure and that they have failed. He said he will continue with patience, composure, seriousness and determination, relying on the will of his people for a solution, and reiterated that he has not engaged in blame games and will not.
Christodoulides comments on two-state position
Christodoulides said on Wednesday night that Turkey’s position is clearly for a two-state solution in Cyprus. He added that if this is Erhurman’s position, he should say so publicly.
Menelaou criticism and reaction to Holguin op-ed
Greek Cypriot chief negotiator Menelaos Menelaou said on Monday that Erhurman’s positions mirror those previously advanced by Ersin Tatar, Erhurman’s predecessor, who had advocated for a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem.
Menelaou also expressed displeasure at an op-ed by United Nations envoy Maria Angela Holguin on Sunday, accusing her of adopting an “equalising logic” which places both sides on the same footing, despite what he described as sustained obstruction by the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sides.
Holguin wrote that Cyprus’ holding of the Council of the European Union’s rotating presidency will keep the government very busy coordinating issues and meetings, and that this, combined with May’s parliamentary elections, may create a political moment that ends up limiting the possibility of significant changes.
Erhurman meeting with Guterres
The developments follow Erhurman’s meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York last week. Erhurman said he stressed that meetings should not be for the sake of meetings but should be for reaching a solution.
He said he shared a four-point proposal developed based on Guterres’ frequently used phrase, “this time it must be different”.
What questions do you want answered at the February 24 meeting between Erhurman and Christodoulides?