Christodoulides: Erhürman’s interview “particularly revealing” – “The Turkish side sets conditions for resuming talks”

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, called the interview of Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman “particularly revealing”, saying it shows one of the main reasons talks on the Cyprus problem have not resumed. He spoke in Limassol on Sunday, October 18, on the sidelines of the annual memorial service for the heroes of Trikomo, in remarks published in an announcement from the Presidency.

“It is clear that from the Turkish side, and I have informed the National Council about this dimension, conditions and preconditions are being set for the resumption of talks, the prior acceptance on our side of specific positions that interest the Turkish Cypriot community, without any willingness whatsoever to discuss or accept our positions on other important aspects of the Cyprus problem,” Christodoulides said. He added that this tactic “does not help developments” and that all issues must be discussed at the negotiating table. In his interview, Erhürman had called on the President to clarify his position on rotating presidency.

The 19 proposals and the “key to a solution”

The President also answered Erhürman’s claim that he never received a written text of the 19 proposals of the Greek Cypriot side. “I never said that the proposals were submitted in writing,” he said, explaining that they were submitted orally. He argued that the Turkish Cypriot leader knows the proposals, has taken a position on some of them, and confirmed this to him on Saturday evening, when they were together at the Pyla Peace Festival. He said that meeting was social and that nothing negative was said.

On his references to Ankara, Christodoulides said: “They are not barbs, it is a clear position that the key to the solution of the Cyprus problem lies in Turkey.” On the fenced-off city of Famagusta he said the issue is included in the letter he recently sent to the UN Secretary-General and that he does not want “to get involved in a blame game”. Only the resumption of negotiations, he said, will show who really has the will for a solution, “and I mean everyone”, the two communities, the guarantor powers and “the role of Turkey”.

On Ankara’s position that it does not accept negotiations without a timetable, the President said everything depends on the starting point. “If they start from where they left off in Crans-Montana, we know very well what the points of disagreement are,” he noted, while if the aim is to start from the beginning, “nobody can set the time”. Christodoulides spoke a few days ago of a “window of opportunity” on the Cyprus problem, and the two leaders are expected to meet again within the week.