Erhürman: Christodoulidis Cannot Exercise Sovereignty Over the Whole Island

In an interview with BRT, Erhürman stressed that the Turkish Cypriot people's will for a solution must be at the negotiating table and that the path of dialogue and diplomacy would be pursued to the fullest.

"Christodoulidis is exercising sovereignty on behalf of the entire island," said Erhürman. "He assumes he has authority over everyone living here. It is at this point that we need to intervene. We must be the ones to say, 'Christodoulidis cannot exercise sovereignty on behalf of the whole island.' As long as we wait under the two-state policy, we are inevitably affected by regional developments, and this weakens our ability to be an active player in the region."

He emphasized that the Turkish Cypriot people's solution-oriented stance must be reflected at the UN-led negotiations table and reminded that the UN process treats the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders as equal community leaders.

Criticizing President Ersin Tatar for refusing to meet with EU Special Representative for Cyprus Louis Bono, Erhürman said: "When Hahn visited, Mr. Tatar refused to meet him, claiming the EU cannot be neutral under these conditions. But you must say this directly to Hahn's face."

Erhürman highlighted the urgency of asserting the Turkish Cypriot presence amid rapid developments in the region: "While we sit idle, we become irrelevant during major developments, and the same remains true once those developments conclude. Cyprus is not just about Christodoulidis. This is the time for us to speak out."

Pointing to unresolved issues such as the citizenship problems faced by children from mixed marriages and property disputes, he noted: "We have much to explain to the international community. During our meetings with the EU Special Representative, we made clear that the current situation is unacceptable."

Erhürman expressed concern about the isolationist stance of Tatar’s leadership: "Diplomacy takes time. But is our only choice to disengage completely? Historically, Turkish Cypriot leaders like Denktaş, Talat, Eroğlu, and Akıncı have always opted for dialogue. Now, we are not only refusing to join negotiations, we’re not even meeting visiting international officials. This course only makes us invisible."

"My aim is to connect the Turkish Cypriot people with the world," he continued. He criticized the EU's treatment of Cyprus, arguing that it does not regard the Turkish Cypriots fairly. "Unlike other EU countries, Cyprus is a unique case. But the EU treats it as if it's no different from Spain or Italy. They continue to ignore the Turkish Cypriots and haven’t even passed the Direct Trade Regulation."

He also noted the current Schengen discussions and said, "If Schengen will impact the Turkish Cypriots, the EU must involve us in those discussions."

"We’ll keep telling our story as we have since 2004," said Erhürman, and invited Tatar to publicly clarify his position. "We’ve repeatedly called on him to talk. We believe in a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation based on political equality, which aligns with UN parameters. Is Tatar talking about this, or something entirely different?"

He questioned whether Tatar had abandoned Turkish Cypriot claims to hydrocarbons in the south of the island. "If there are resources in Baf, Limassol, or Larnaca, I will not renounce my rights. If Tatar is willing to give them up, let him say so."

Erhürman concluded by reaffirming his party’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy: "For four and a half years, the Turkish Cypriot people have been portrayed as the party that walks away. If Christodoulidis is sincere about a solution, then we’re ready to resolve this. If he only pretends to want peace, we will expose that. The Turkish Cypriots’ will for a solution will be at the table."