Turkish Cypriots reacted largely positively on Friday to the first meeting of Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, following the former’s election to the role last month.
Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor Mehmet Harmanci praised Erhurman’s “seriousness and diplomatic tone”, and added that “while I disagree with some of it, it is noteworthy that Erhurman has consistently maintained the position he laid out before the election”.
He also stated that “Erdogan’s evolution of his rhetoric in line with Erhurman’s is noteworthy”.
“It is still too early to comment, negatively or positively,” he said, before adding his misgivings that “one of my medium-term concerns is the potential erosion caused by avoiding the use of the word ‘federation’ while discussing its content”.
“While our current expectations for negotiations are low, it is essential that urgent issues requiring resolution be addressed constructively with [President Nikos] Christodoulides. We will do our best to contribute to the process,” he said.
Hulusi Kilim, the secretary-general of bicommunal party Volt, said that Erhurman “maintained his stance, clearly stating that the will of the Turkish Cypriot community is back at the table, and this was accepted”.
“In my opinion, this is how it should have been. Those who have been saying for five years that federation is ‘dead’ have now expressed their respect for the will of the Turkish Cypriots,” he said.
He added that “Turkish Cypriots are demonstrating their readiness for negotiations and Ankara is not obstructing this path”.
“In fact, Turkey seems willing to use terminology which suits its domestic public opinion as long as the process progresses,” he said, before highlighting Erhurman’s use of terms such as “political equality” and “equal co-founders” during Thursday’s meeting.
“This is the language of the United Nations framework. It is a clear break from the ‘sovereign equality’ rhetoric of the Tatar era of recent years and a return to the truth. This meeting has sent a clear message to Christodoulides. He can no longer claim that the Turkish Cypriots are outside the UN parameters. Erhurman speaks the UN’s language,” he said.
He added that Erhurman has “no intention of engaging in token negotiations”, but that instead, “he wants to see a genuine commitment to the parameters of a solution from [Christodoulides], and this is clearly justified”.
“If the two Cypriot leaders succeed in establishing a restructured dialogue, Turkey has sent a cautious but clear signal that it will not obstruct the process. Therefore, the ball is in Christodoulides’ court. He must demonstrate leadership and political courage by overcoming the anti-solution forces around him,” he said.
He added that Turkish Cypriots “want to see” whether Christodoulides “is sincere about political equality and power-sharing”, and whether he will “come to the negotiating table with the same seriousness and results-oriented approach”.
“It is true that there is a long way to go, and nothing has been resolved. It is clear that we must act with dignity. However, the signals today were more positive, contrary to what many claim,” he said.
Erhurman himself, meanwhile, said upon his return to Cyprus late on Thursday night that he and Turkey are “largely on the same path” and that “intensive consultations” with Ankara will continue.
He added that he plans to meet President Nikos Christodoulides next week, saying that “we attach importance to the next enlarged meeting, but we would lie to see some results achieved in Nicosia first”.
While there was some softening in Erdogan’s position, he did maintain on Thursday that “we believe that the most realistic solution lies in the coexistence of two states on the island”.
He said Turkey has “made it clear after the process collapsed in 2017” in the Swiss ski resort of Crans Montana, “when the Greek Cypriot side abandoned the negotiations, which have been ongoing since 1968 but have failed to reach a conclusion, that we will no longer continue simply for the sake of friendly exchanges”.
Meanwhile, Erhurman said at the pair’s joint press conference that “both the TRNC’s demonstrated will and Turkey’s unequivocal determination to seek a solution are clear”.
“Despite this, we face a problem which has remained unsolved for years. A solution to this problem can only be achieved through the shared will of this island’s two constituent peoples. The Turkish Cypriot people exist and will continue to exist,” he said.
He added that “the whole world must know that the Turkish Cypriot people, who have always demonstrated their will for a solution and have never walked away from the table, intend to negotiate for a solution, not for the sake of negotiations”.
“No one should perceive the will of the Turkish Cypriot people for a solution as a will to sit at the table with a method which is not time-bound, is not result-orientated, and does not guarantee from the outset that there will be no return to the status quo if the Greek Cypriot leadership once again flips the table at the last minute.”
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