Erhürman: "Great Expectations from Geneva Were Not Realistic, But Dialogue is Essential"

Ahead of the Geneva meetings, Erhürman cautioned against expecting a breakthrough or the initiation of formal negotiations. However, he acknowledged the significance of the presence of the UN Secretary-General and the three guarantor states in the process.

In a statement shared on his personal social media account, Erhürman pointed out that “the only official negotiation table the Secretary-General could establish within the framework of Security Council resolutions was a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation based on political equality.” He noted that this was precisely why the Geneva discussions took place in an informal setting where all issues could be addressed.

According to Erhürman, the best possible outcome from Geneva would be the continuation of dialogue and potentially a few confidence-building measures. He also remarked that discussions regarding the opening of additional border crossings had been expected before the Geneva meetings but argued that leaving such matters to be settled at the summit with the intervention of the Secretary-General and guarantor states was unnecessary. "These were issues that could have been resolved here without being brought to the table in Geneva," he said, underlining the importance of maintaining dialogue.

Erhürman further warned against prolonged periods of diplomatic stagnation and lost opportunities, stressing that initiating a dialogue process in the presence of the Secretary-General and guarantor states was valuable. "We have always said: dialogue and diplomacy are always beneficial. They must continue. The status quo is unsustainable and is causing losses for all. The only way to end this status quo is through dialogue and diplomacy," he concluded, advocating for continued negotiations to reach a settlement.