Erhürman Warns Talks Without Clear Rules Are Eroding Trust
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman has warned that Cyprus talks risk further damaging trust if they proceed without a clearly defined method, saying he will not take part in negotiations that repeat past cycles without agreed rules.
Speaking to ANKA News Agency, Erhürman said he represents a community that wants a settlement, but rejected what he described as ritualistic meetings that raise expectations and then collapse.
“I am the leader of a people who want a solution,” he said, adding that he would not expose them again to processes that weaken confidence rather than build it.
Erhürman stressed that his position should not be read as a rejection of dialogue. “We are not running away from a solution,” he said. “On the contrary, we are trying to establish the ground on which a solution can actually be achieved.”
This framing is consistent with his earlier remarks to Bosphorus News on shared authority, political equality and the need for a clear roadmap.
To illustrate his point, Erhürman used a sporting analogy. “Before a match begins, you know what counts as a foul and what leads to a penalty,” he said. “If the rules are unclear, the match turns into chaos. This is what we have experienced in Cyprus for years.”
He also referred to discussions on confidence-building measures, noting that proposals exchanged between the sides have so far failed to produce tangible results on the ground. “The issue is not the number of items,” he said. “The real problem is whether these headings translate into concrete realities.”
Erhürman cautioned against moving to broader diplomatic formats without first rebuilding trust at the local level. He said that expanding the process without progress risks reinforcing deadlock rather than overcoming it.
Despite his criticism, Erhürman underlined that communication channels remain open. “Dialogue will always exist. Meetings will always exist. We will never avoid talking,” he said.
His remarks also echo Bosphorus News reporting in which the TRNC and Türkiye rejected what they described as distorted and exclusionary EU narratives on Cyprus.
He drew a clear line, however, on participation. “I will not be part of a process that once again lifts us from a large table with nothing to show.”