Tufan Erhürman comments on COP31 and the 43rd anniversary of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman recently reflected on the COP31 summit held in Antalya, describing the absence of Turkish Cypriots from the official group photo as a clear reflection of the existing status quo. Erhürman noted that he attended via an invitation from the Turkish President, while President Christodoulides received an invitation from the UN secretariat. He stated that despite the lack of a tripartite meeting with the UN Secretary-General and President Christodoulides, his sideline contacts at the event were productive and exceeded his expectations.

Separately, during the 43rd anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in occupied Nicosia, Erhürman addressed the public, emphasizing that Turkish Cypriots will never accept being treated as a minority. He reiterated that the community views political equality as an non-negotiable right. Erhürman rejected the idea of open-ended negotiations that lack clear goals or results. He expressed a desire to initiate a new diplomatic process that focuses on achieving a solution while fully respecting the political equality and the will of both sides, noting that he has been engaged in active diplomacy since taking office to establish the necessary conditions for future dialogue.