Erhürman: “We Will Not Sit at the Table Just to Negotiate”

Bosphorus News Staff

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman said on February 18 that he would not enter negotiations “just for the sake of talks,” reiterating that political equality must be formally accepted before any comprehensive process begins.

Speaking on February 18 at the Bab-ı Âli Meetings in Istanbul and later in an interview broadcast the same day on NTV, Erhürman stated that the Turkish Cypriot side and Türkiye move “from the same starting point” on the Cyprus issue.

“What matters is not using the same words, but moving from the same position. We are moving from the same point,” he said on February 18, referring to coordination with Ankara.

Political Equality as a Precondition

Erhürman said on February 18 that political equality remains the central issue in any future settlement framework.

“Political equality must be accepted. Otherwise negotiations cannot begin,” he said, adding that the Turkish Cypriot side would not accept minority status under any model.

He distinguished between dialogue and formal negotiations, arguing that previous comprehensive rounds, including the 2017 Crans-Montana talks, failed to produce results.

“The current model did not lead to a result,” he said on February 18, confirming that he had presented a four-point methodology to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres during their meeting in New York on February 12.

Four-Point Proposal to the UN

Following his February 12 meeting with Guterres, Erhürman said he had proposed:

• Formal confirmation of political equality before negotiations begin
• Avoiding a restart from scratch by preserving past convergences
• Setting a time limit for talks
• Preventing a return to the current status quo if negotiations collapse

Erhürman also stated that he coordinated the process closely with Türkiye. He confirmed that he spoke with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan both before and after the February 12 meeting. According to officials, Guterres also held a phone conversation with Fidan prior to meeting Erhürman.

Message to the Greek Cypriot Leadership

Responding on February 18 to remarks from Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, Erhürman said he would address all issues directly at their scheduled meeting on February 24.

“I did not enter into blame games. I will not,” he said.

He added that energy, maritime jurisdiction, trade routes and security arrangements cannot be decided unilaterally.

“We are one of the two equal founding partners on the island,” he said on February 18, arguing that decisions affecting joint areas of competence cannot exclude Turkish Cypriots.

The February 24 meeting between Erhürman and Christodoulides is expected to focus on the framework and method of any future talks.