Tufan Erhurman comments on Cyprus settlement negotiations

In a recent interview, Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman addressed the state of the Cyprus settlement negotiations, disputing several claims regarding his interactions with the Greek Cypriot side. Erhurman explicitly denied receiving the 19 proposals previously attributed to President Nikos Christodoulides and rejected reports that he refused a Varosha handover proposal due to pressure from Ankara. He emphasized that the Greek Cypriot side has yet to accept his proposed four-point methodology.

Erhurman identified the acceptance of a rotating presidency as a prerequisite for resuming substantive negotiations, dismissing any linkage between this demand and the issue of security guarantees. He notably refrained from defining the specific model of a solution, arguing that the content is more significant than the label of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. Furthermore, he blamed the stagnation in opening new border crossings on the changing demands of the Greek Cypriot leadership. Despite these tensions, Erhurman stated his readiness to continue cooperation with President Christodoulides, focusing primarily on confidence-building measures proposed by Antonio Guterres.