Erhürman: "CTP’s Four-Point Negotiation Framework is Also a UN Commitment"

Speaking on Kıbrıs Postası TV’s “Gündem” program, hosted by Ulaş Barış, Erhürman addressed key political issues, including the federation model, upcoming talks, and political equality. 

"CTP’s Four-Point Negotiation Framework is Also a UN Commitment"

Referring to CTP’s negotiation stance, Erhürman outlined the party’s four key principles: political equality, a time-framed process, a results-oriented approach, and a guarantee that the status quo will not be reinstated. He emphasized that this is not only CTP’s position but also a commitment made by the United Nations. Erhürman concluded by suggesting that a federation with reduced central powers and stronger constituent entities could lead to a model resembling a confederation. However, he stressed that the name of the solution is less important than securing political equality and a bi-zonal structure.

"Federation Has Always Been a Turkish Thesis"

Erhürman criticized arguments portraying federation as a "minority thesis," stating that such claims suggest Turkey has been advocating a minority status for Turkish Cypriots. He recalled that Turkey had supported a bi-zonal, geographical federation from the era of Bülent Ecevit through the Annan Plan.

He also pointed to the 1977-79 High-Level Agreements, which guarantee political equality, ensuring that Turkish Cypriots would not be treated as a minority within a federal structure.

"Political Equality is Non-Negotiable"

Erhürman stressed that no settlement model can be accepted without political equality, as guaranteed by UN parameters. He firmly stated that this principle is not open to debate.

When asked about his trust in Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, Erhürman highlighted that following the collapse of the Crans-Montana talks, political equality was reaffirmed in a summit in Berlin. However, he expressed doubts about Christodoulides' intentions, noting that the Greek Cypriot leader prefers returning to the Crans-Montana framework rather than building on the Berlin summit’s outcome. Despite these concerns, Erhürman said CTP remains committed to negotiations within its proposed framework.

"AKEL and DISY Accept Political Equality, But Christodoulides Has Remained Silent"

Erhürman stated that he has met with officials from AKEL and DISY, who recognize political equality and accept key principles such as rotational presidency and the "one favorable vote" rule. However, he noted that Christodoulides has yet to make a clear statement on these matters.

Commenting on the informal talks scheduled for March, Erhürman criticized Christodoulides for signing international agreements without Turkish Cypriot involvement ahead of the negotiations, calling it an act of bad faith.

He also noted that he has no expectations from Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar regarding the talks and remains skeptical about the outcome due to Christodoulides' "all or nothing" approach.

"A Two-State Solution Under the EU Framework Would End Turkey’s Guarantees Over the Entire Island"

Erhürman rejected the feasibility of a two-state solution within the EU framework, arguing that such a scenario would create legal challenges, particularly in property disputes before European courts.

He warned that in such a model, Turkey’s role as a guarantor would be limited to northern Cyprus rather than covering the entire island. He added that in a two-state setup, the guarantee system would become irrelevant, as each state would independently determine its agreements.