Erhürman: In October, We Will Close the Dark Chapter of the Last Four and a Half Years

Speaking on Kıbrıs Genç TV with Esengül Evcil, Erhürman commented on the country’s current challenges and criticised the state of governance.

"Nothing Is Going Well in This Country"

Erhürman stressed that nothing in the country was functioning properly and that citizens were facing serious problems across all sectors. He highlighted both domestic and external difficulties, adding, “External developments also have consequences internally.” He noted that issues in education and healthcare had become particularly severe, with the sharpest increases in the cost of living also seen in these areas.

“Public education and healthcare services are not delivering what people need,” Erhürman said. “Regardless of where they are born, Turkish Cypriots share one trait: everything stops when it comes to children. Yet, in education, healthcare, and traffic, it’s our children who suffer most. The current status quo makes children unhappy,” he said. Erhürman lamented that many children are now saying, “I won’t live here anyway,” while parents have started telling them, “Go—and don’t come back.” He added that this had become a major driver of growing societal unhappiness.

"The Turkish Cypriot People Know What’s Going On"

“Whichever area you examine, it’s falling apart,” Erhürman said, noting that for the first time in the island’s history, public anxiety over security had reached unprecedented levels. “Everyone is worried about their own and their children’s safety. A structure has emerged in which no one is satisfied with anything. But the people are fully aware of what’s going on.”

Commenting on the rhetoric around a two-state solution, Erhürman said, “Organising panels on a two-state solution gives the illusion that it’s achievable, but the Turkish Cypriot people know better.” He argued that this mindset has rendered the country unlivable and pointed to the October election as a critical juncture. “This election is, above all, a vote for our children,” he stressed.

“There Is No Real Will for a Solution”

Reflecting on the establishment of the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) in 2005, Erhürman said it was built on three pillars: a commitment to a comprehensive solution, a bi-zonal structure, and alignment with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). “Now, there is no will for a solution, no bi-zonality due to the push for ‘two states’, and serious problems in terms of ECHR compliance,” he said.

He warned against believing that the IPC could resolve the property issue alone, stating that it could only be resolved through a broader political solution to the Cyprus problem. On lawsuits being filed in the south, he said, “These are not legal cases in the usual sense. This is President Christodoulides using the law as a political tool.” He added, “I understand why he’s doing it—but I focus more on those who allowed this to happen. They opened the door, and Christodoulides is now doing as he pleases, while some still peddle fairy tales.”

Erhürman emphasised that real change depends on putting forward a sincere will for a solution: “No one understands the thesis currently being put forward, which in reality means ‘no solution is the solution’.” Concluding his remarks, he said, “In October, we will close the bad parenthesis of the last four and a half years. Those who represent the Turkish Cypriot people must be in command of their brief. While shouting about ‘sovereign equality’, sovereignty has been handed over to Christodoulides.”