Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said on Thursday that Turkish Cypriots want to connect with the world rather than remain isolated, as his dispute with Turkish Cypriot ‘foreign minister’ Tahsin Ertugruloglu over the Cyprus problem continued. In a social media post, Erhurman said the community seeks equality and equal rights for its children.
Erhurman outlines shared vision
Erhurman wrote that “this people wants to connect with the world, not be isolated from it”. He added that “this people wants equality” and that “this people wants their children to have all the rights that children in developed countries have, equally”.
He also said that the country has “the competent personnel to pave the way for this”. According to Erhurman, these aims, along with more, form “a fundamental vision shared by a very broad segment of society, regardless of their political views, affiliation with different political parties, or voting for different parties”.
Call for focus and determination
Erhurman said “the vision is clear” and that “the path is defined”, adding that Turkish Cypriots are “neither at the end, nor at the beginning” of that path.
He said what matters is to work “day and night” without being distracted by “the hustle and bustle of daily life, petty squabbles, personal ambitions, the conformism of ‘nothing good will come of this country or this people’, or crude populism”.
He added that this work must also continue “without paying attention to those who do not care about the concerns of this people and their children, and those who try to position themselves above the people or by ignoring the shared vision of these people”.
Erhurman said it must be carried out “without deviating even an inch from the goal set and agreed upon by the people”, and “without getting angry at the immature, provocative shouts and cries from all sides”.
“Seeing and knowing the facts, we will continue to walk together with seriousness, patience, composure, and determination,” he said.
Continuing disagreement with Ertugruloglu
Ertugruloglu had issued statements on Tuesday and Wednesday criticising Erhurman’s stance on the Cyprus problem. In the second statement, he also criticised Erhurman for not responding to the first.
“Erhurman is silent not because he disregards our questions, but because he has no sincere answer to give,” Ertugruloglu said, adding, “let him answer if he can”.