Erhürman: "We Reject 'Divide and Rule' and 'Divide and Conquer'"

Erhürman pointed out that those who do not know the history of the country speak from where they sit. He added, “My concern is not the flies created by the swamp they’ve made, but the swamp itself.”

According to a statement made by CTP, Erhürman was responding to questions from Ahmet Kaptan during a program on Kanal T. He criticized those who had “poisoned people’s holidays” and noted that some individuals had “spilled poison” during the holiday. He underlined that the situation was not something that could be easily fixed, saying:

“How did this begin? It began in a very strange way and has brought us to this point. People who have no knowledge of how to regulate education have turned the country upside down with an overnight regulation change.”

Erhürman continued, claiming that the mentality currently governing the country was still asserting that they were in charge. He remarked that the country was in disarray, stating:

“Since 1975, the people of this country have heard insults they never had before. They were verbally abused. Who is the imam? A public servant. Is he going to say, ‘I won’t lead your prayer’? Today, there’s still no explanation—will that imam continue to lead the prayer?”

"If You're Incompetent, You Must Leave"

Erhürman expressed frustration with people who had no knowledge of the country, yet spoke about it, saying, “People who don’t know the history of this country speak from where they sit.” He called on the government to “leave if you’re incompetent” and mentioned that people were being divided over a non-existent agenda. He emphasized, “I reject ‘divide and rule’ and ‘divide and conquer.’ Whoever tries to do this should not proceed. This would be the greatest injustice.”

He concluded, “My concern is not the flies produced by the swamp they’ve made, but the swamp itself,” adding that even though there were already enough problems, others were being created. Erhürman also criticized those attempting to offer advice to people who had served as freedom fighters for ten years, even suggesting they move south. He said, “Everyone should mind their own business.”

Erhürman noted the unrest across the country and added, “There were already many problems, and they have created even more, causing further hardship. The situation of our Turkish Cypriot citizens from Turkey is also disastrous. The aim of this mentality is to divide. Enough is enough. The harm you have done to this country is enough.”

Erhürman on the Cyprus Issue

Regarding the Cyprus problem, Erhürman referred to the discussions held in Geneva and stressed that no one wanted the dialogue to break down. He stated, “The result after four and a half years is clear.” He remarked that the past four and a half years had been a loss for the Turkish Cypriot people.

He reflected on many developments that had occurred during this period, citing problems in the construction sector and tourism. Erhürman also noted that the economy had shifted south, and the suffering of children born from mixed marriages continued.

Erhürman reminded that the Greek Cypriot leadership had signed military agreements with the United States and made separate energy agreements, all of which had occurred in the past four and a half years. He questioned, “What have we done in these four and a half years?” and mentioned that talks continued about Sarayönü. “With time, we have lost ground,” Erhürman said, emphasizing that dialogue and diplomacy are always better than a lack of dialogue.

"Stalemate is Not a Solution"

Erhürman underscored that the Cyprus issue is one that must be solved as soon as possible, stating that the unresolved status of the problem has harmed both the communities and the region.

“This issue cannot be treated as something to be shelved with the thought, ‘We’re fine like this.’ Stalemate is not a solution,” he said, affirming that the CTP is always in favor of finding a solution to the Cyprus issue and all other problems.

He also clarified, “We’ve never thought that we should be on the side of the problems, that whatever society loses doesn’t matter as long as there’s a political gain. We’ve paid the price for not doing this. We paid the price yesterday, and we will pay it today.”