Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on Sunday stressed that the Turkish Cypriots “have not given up on their will for a solution”, as he marked 43 years since the Turkish Cypriot authorities’ 1983 declaration of independence.

He described that declaration as “a historic turning point in which the Turkish Cypriot people declared to the world their will to have a say in their own future and their determination to achieve freedom and self-governance”.

“This date symbolises the fight for existence waged at great cost and the determination to move towards the future in unity and solidarity. The Turkish Cypriot people have managed to survive despite deprivations, difficulties, and suffering,” he said.

He then added that “throughout history, the will demonstrated by the Turkish Cypriot people is not only about determining their own future, but also about yearning for peace, tranquillity, security, democracy, and a life worthy of human dignity”.

At this point, he pointed out that the text of the 1983 declaration states that “it is both possible and essential for these two peoples, who are compelled to live side-by-side on the same island, to resolve all issues between them through negotiations conducted on an equal footing, leading to a peaceful, fair, and lasting settlement”.

This text, he said, “continues to form the basis of our political understanding today”, and in light of this, he stressed that “the Turkish Cypriot people have never rejected the idea of finding a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem through negotiations”.

Annan plan, Crans Montana ‘clearest indications’ of Turkish Cypriots’ will for solution

On this front, he highlighted that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had last week said that “we do not see the lack of a solution in Cyprus as a solution” – a turn of phrase he himself has often used.

“The will we demonstrated in the 2004 Annan plan referendum and the constructive stance we displayed together with the Republic of Turkey in Crans-Montana in 2017 are the clearest indications of our understanding that we do not accept the lack of a solution as a solution,” he said.

To this end, he said that since 2017, “there has been no change in the Turkish Cypriot people’s will for a solution”, but that “what needs to change are the methods which have repeatedly proven ineffective”.

Erhurman with schoolchildren at an event held ahead of November 15

“What needs to change is the mentality which assumes that the equality of the Turkish Cypriot people can be a matter of bargaining or give-and-take, that the question of whether the Turkish Cypriot people are equals or a minority can be a subject of negotiation,” he said.

He then added that “I want to shout to the whole world once again from here that the Turkish Cypriot people are not a minority and never will be”, and that “the Turkish Cypriot people will not relinquish their right to political equality”.

On the prospect of potential future negotiations to solve the Cyprus problem, he said that “we do not accept the repetition of open-ended negotiation processes which are not results-oriented and where political equality can be the subject of debate”.

‘The table must be set with the goal of a solution’

“Our goal is not merely to sit at the negotiating table. Our desire is to initiate a process which has the potential for a solution, guarantees political equality, aims to achieve results, and genuinely takes the will of the sides into account,” he said.

He went on to stress that “the Turkish Cypriot people have never been the side which walked away from the negotiating table, and we will not be in the future either”, but a the same time, said that “no wone will be able to confine the Turkish Cypriot people to the negotiating table”.

“If there are tables, the Turkish Cypriot people will be at them, but the table must be set with the goal of a solution. There is a world for us away from the negotiating table as well,” he said.

To this end, he stressed that the Turkish Cypriots are “one of the two equal founding partners of the island”, and that “our political equality and security are no dependent on the favour of any party, but are based on historical facts and rights”.

‘The Turkish Cypriot people are just as sovereign’

He added that as such, “it is impossible for us to accept decisions being made on issues such as energy resources, hydrocarbons, maritime jurisdiction areas, security, trade routes, and regional cooperation without taking into account the will and rights of the Turkish Cypriot people”.

“The Turkish Cypriot people are just as sovereign in these areas as the Greek Cypriot side,” he said.

He then made a brief reference to the Turkish Cypriot authorities’ internal affairs, saying that “a life based on justice, equality, democracy, meritocracy, and human dignity must be made possible”, and that “no young person should have to seek a future outside of this country”.

“Everyone living in the country should feel equal, safe, and valued. Freedom of thought, the rule of law, human rights, and social solidarity are indispensable conditions for moving forward with confidence in the future,” he said.