Erhurman says Turkish Cypriot side ready to advance on Cyprus problem issues

Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said on Wednesday that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready to make progress on seven issues concerning the Cyprus problem identified by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

He also criticised President Nikos Christodoulides over comments concerning measures which could be seen as upgrading the TRNC, and confirmed he will meet Guterres in New York next week.

Seven issues

Erhurman told television channel Kanal Sim that the issues raised by Guterres concern crossing points, mine clearance, the citizenship of children born of “mixed marriages”, sports, joint disaster response and a joint mechanism to combat irregular migration.

“We are ready to make progress on all seven issues. We are already complete on six chapters, though there are some issues on the seventh, the new crossing points, and we are ready to overcome them as well,” he said.

Sports and disaster response

Erhurman criticised Christodoulides for saying he did not want measures which would mean upgrading the TRNC.

“Would allowing 11- or 12-year-old children to play football or establishing a disaster relief mechanism upgrade the TRNC or bring about recognition? We cannot stomach the idea of preventing children’s sports through fabricated concepts like ‘recognition by implication’ or the cancellation of youth festivals in Kyrenia and Nicosia through diplomatic pressure,” he said.

He referred to initiatives taken by the Greek Cypriot side last month to cancel international events held by the Turkish Cypriot community, including a children’s football camp organised by FC Barcelona and a music festival in Kyrenia.

On disaster relief, Erhurman said he hoped no disaster would occur in either the south or the north, but said the Turkish Cypriot side was ready to provide all kinds of assistance if one did occur.

“We will not turn this into a diplomatic issue by making telephone calls every time an incident occurs,” he said.

Meeting in New York

Erhurman confirmed that he will meet Guterres in New York next week. He reiterated his opposition to an enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem which, he said, would yield no results.

“We have no right to subject Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots to what we experienced at the 2004 Annan plan referendum and in Crans-Montana in 2017. The secretary-general also came to our point of view, making it clear that he would not convene a fruitless five-plus-one meeting,” he said.