TRNC Parties Review Cyprus Talks as Özersay Rejects Process Claim
By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman convened the Political Parties Council on June 16 to review recent Cyprus diplomacy and the Immovable Property Commission, as party leaders weighed how the Turkish Cypriot side should approach a possible enlarged meeting on the Cyprus issue.
The meeting began at the Presidency at noon and brought together leaders and representatives of parties represented in the Political Parties Council, which is composed of parties that received more than 3 percent of the vote in the last general election.
The participants were National Unity Party (UBP) leader and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Secretary General Asım Akansoy, Democratic Party (DP) leader and Deputy Prime Minister Fikri Ataoğlu, People's Party (HP) leader Kudret Özersay, Rebirth Party (YDP) leader Erhan Arıklı and Social Democratic Party (TDP) leader Zeki Çeler.
Erhürman said the council discussed recent developments on the Cyprus issue and steps needed to strengthen the Immovable Property Commission, the Turkish Cypriot legal mechanism handling Greek Cypriot property claims.
He said the Turkish Cypriot side was not opposed in principle to a 5+1 meeting, but argued that such a meeting should not be held simply for the sake of holding one. "We do not want negotiations for the sake of negotiations. We want negotiations for a solution," Erhürman said, adding that preparation was needed so that any enlarged meeting could produce a result.
The debate follows renewed United Nations activity around Cyprus, with Bosphorus News previously reporting that envoy María Ángela Holguín's contacts had revived discussion of the 5+1 format and its link to Türkiye-EU diplomacy. The 5+1 format refers to the Turkish Cypriot side, the Greek Cypriot side, Türkiye, Greece, the United Kingdom and the United Nations.
Sıla Usar İncirli of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) said the party viewed the renewed United Nations activity on Cyprus positively, while following developments carefully and supporting steps that could contribute to regional stability.
Ataoğlu said the meeting was useful before any new diplomatic step and pointed to the need to strengthen the Turkish Cypriot side's common position on the Cyprus file.
Arıklı said Holguín was trying to prepare the ground for a new 5+1 meeting, but argued that no such ground existed. "Drawing the Turkish Cypriot people into another meaningless process would be one of the greatest wrongs," Arıklı said.
Özersay, who leads the People's Party, also said no process was yet in place on the Cyprus issue, describing the current contacts as an attempt to "test the waters."
He argued that Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides wanted to create the appearance of new federal negotiations before elections in the Republic of Cyprus. Özersay also said Europe was trying to draw Türkiye into engagement through the European Union file, while the Cyprus issue remained tied to wider regional and diplomatic calculations.
The council meeting put possible enlarged Cyprus diplomacy and the property file on the same Turkish Cypriot political agenda, while party statements showed support for preparation but different expectations over whether new UN-backed contacts can become a negotiation process.
Sources: TRNC Presidency, BRTK, Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Bugün Kıbrıs, Bosphorus News review and reporting.