Erhürman: Christodoulides Will Find the Turkish Cypriot People's Will for a Solution at the Table

"The Immovable Property Commission is one of the most important manifestations of the Turkish Cypriot people’s commitment to a resolution within the framework of international law," Erhürman wrote.

He emphasized that the Commission rests on two foundational pillars: rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the principle of bi-zonality. According to Erhürman, a final resolution of the property issue is only possible within the framework of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem—a process that would still require time even if such a settlement were achieved.

He argued that the experience with the Immovable Property Commission illustrates the importance of creating a predictable property regime that can support the economy during the period prior to a solution.

“The recent arrests in the south, the entry restrictions faced by businesspeople in various countries due to property disputes, and growing international doubts over the effectiveness of the Immovable Property Commission as a domestic legal remedy,” Erhürman said, “stem from a mindset that disregards the Turkish Cypriot people’s will for a solution, ignores international law and the principle of bi-zonality, and can be summed up by the slogan: ‘March on, don’t be afraid.’”

Erhürman warned that distancing from dialogue, diplomacy, international law, and the will for a solution not only weakens efforts toward peace but also undermines the argument that "the Turkish Cypriot people seek a solution, while the other side uses law as a political tool to target individual Turkish Cypriots."

“This mindset is destroying the legal ground gained through the Immovable Property Commission and the subsequent ECHR rulings,” he added, “and it is the Turkish Cypriot people who are paying the price.”

Erhürman concluded with a strong message: “We will not be the side that walks away from the table. Mr. Christodoulides will find the Turkish Cypriot people’s will for a solution across from him. The rights of the Turkish Cypriot people, as one of the two equal founding partners of this island, are not to be trampled by Sarayönü-style policies or to be continuously pushed aside and isolated from the world.”