Presidency's Response to Erhürman: Urges Realism and Objectivity

The statement emphasized that President Ersin Tatar's proposal for a two-state solution, supported by both Turkish and Greek governments, was developed based on historical processes, including the Annan Plan and Crans Montana talks.

The statement highlighted:

“Mr. Erhürman should understand that the absence of official negotiations does not mean that diplomacy has stopped. Diplomacy is ongoing, and our stance is a crucial part of these diplomatic efforts. There are efforts to urge the Greek side to consider our views. If Mr. Erhürman disregards this and criticizes the President, it is simply opposition for the sake of opposition.”

The statement also addressed Erhürman’s call for a timetable under the UN Security Council resolutions and mentioned that the CTP, which had previously opposed similar demands during the Annan Plan period, now acknowledges this need. The Presidency criticized this as insufficient, noting that the Turkish side and Turkey have encountered many timetables and have approached them positively, while the Greek side has consistently rejected proposals and caused failures in the processes, with the Turkish Cypriots bearing the consequences.

Key historical negotiation documents and proposals were listed, including the Waldheim assessment, Cuellar indicators, and the Annan Plan, all of which the Greek side rejected. The statement criticized the UN for persisting in its 60-year-old decisions that ignore the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people and encourage the Greek side’s intransigence.

The statement urged Erhürman to answer the following questions for the Turkish Cypriot people:

• Why does the Greek side not internalize and acknowledge the equal sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriots before sitting at the negotiating table?
• Why does the Greek side not confirm that the state established by the Turkish Cypriots will have equal international status with their state?
• Is Turkey’s effective and active guarantee not one of the Turkish Cypriots' non-negotiable requirements?

The Presidency reaffirmed its goal of reaching an agreement based on cooperation between two sovereign states that will set an example in the region and contribute to improving Turkish-Greek relations. Efforts to secure the rightful place of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the world and to end its isolation will continue.