Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said he hopes United Nations envoy Maria Angela Holguin’s next visit to Cyprus will yield concrete results aimed at creating an atmosphere for a solution. He said technical discussions and diplomatic contacts are continuing.
Call to accelerate technical work
Erhurman wrote on social media that the negotiation process has not been “frozen” and that “technical-level discussions and diplomatic contacts are continuing”. He said Holguin will return to Cyprus later this month and that 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.
Comments on visits to the Green Line
Erhurman also referred to what he called the “peeking through the hole ritual”, describing visits by foreign dignitaries to the Green Line where they are photographed looking north through barrels or holes in walls, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and all 26 commissioners.
“Frankly, under the current circumstances, no matter how I look at it, I cannot say that I take it very seriously or find it very significant. After decades of unresolved issues and years of stagnation, creating the atmosphere for a solution in Cyprus is a very serious undertaking,” he said.
He added that “we are continuing our contacts and efforts seriously and patiently in line with our people’s will for a solution”.
Tourism and direct flights
Erhurman referred to the lack of direct passenger flights to the north from any country other than Turkey, saying the issue is “very important” and that “we will not give up on our demands regarding it”. He said it should not be used as an excuse for the lack of solutions to problems in the tourism sector.
“If people think that there is nothing else we can do for our tourism sector unless there are direct flights, I do not agree with that thought,” he said.
Expected enlarged meeting
A fresh enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem is expected in the weeks following Holguin’s visit, involving the island’s two sides, the guarantor powers Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, and the United Nations.
What outcomes do you expect from Holguin’s next visit to Cyprus?
