Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said the next round of negotiations on the Cyprus problem must not repeat previous patterns, describing his first meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as productive. He said the talks should be aimed at reaching a solution rather than holding meetings for their own sake.
Call for a new negotiating approach
Erhurman said he told Guterres face to face that, given past experiences and disappointments suffered by Turkish Cypriots, the focus should be on achieving results. He said he shared a four-point proposal based on the secretary-general’s frequently used phrase, “this time it must be different.”
The four points, sometimes referred to as “preconditions,” a term Erhurman said he resents, foresee that the Greek Cypriot side accept political equality, that negotiations be time-limited, and that all past agreements be preserved. They also call for the UN to guarantee that embargoes placed on Turkish Cypriots be lifted if the Greek Cypriot side leaves the negotiating table again.
UN engagement and future contacts
Erhurman said it was extremely important to see that the secretary-general and his team remain interested in the Cyprus problem and that this interest would be reflected in more frequent contact between them. He said Guterres is aware of and takes into account the disappointments experienced by Turkish Cypriots to date and is well-versed in the issues.
Confidence-building measures and venue for solutions
Erhurman said he shared progress made in discussions with President Nikos Christodoulides regarding confidence-building measures and reiterated that solutions should be found in Nicosia rather than through enlarged meetings. He said finding solutions in Nicosia would demonstrate both leaders’ commitment to improving daily life for Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots and increasing contact between them.
He added that addressing these issues in an enlarged meeting, as happened in Geneva and in New York, was unnecessary and did not send a positive message about the leaders’ capacity to find solutions to problems.
What do you expect the next round of Cyprus negotiations to prioritize?