Ertuğruloğlu: "If CBM's Are on the Agenda, There’s No Need to Go to Geneva"

Speaking on Kıbrıs Postası Web TV’s "Objektif" program, hosted by Erçin Şahmaran, Ertuğruloğlu addressed the ongoing Cyprus negotiations and reaffirmed the TRNC's stance on a two-state solution.

"UN’s Stance Aims to Deter Turkish Cypriots from a Two-State Solution"

Ertuğruloğlu recalled that the 2017 Crans-Montana talks had confirmed the absence of common ground for negotiations, as even UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres acknowledged. However, he criticized the UN Security Council for not formally documenting this outcome, arguing that the UN's insistence on maintaining outdated resolutions is part of a broader strategy to pressure Turkish Cypriots into abandoning their demand for a two-state solution.

The minister also stated that Greek Cypriots themselves oppose a federation and that the real obstacle to a solution is the UN Security Council’s recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration as the legitimate government of Cyprus. He asserted that as long as these resolutions remain, the Greek Cypriots will neither act against them nor engage in genuine power-sharing.

"A Unitary State Disguised as a ‘Partnership’ is Not an Option"

Ertuğruloğlu warned that the alternative to a two-state solution is a so-called "partnership" that would, in reality, reduce Turkish Cypriots to a minority under a unitary state controlled by Greek Cypriots. He reiterated that the TRNC would not accept such an outcome and emphasized that international institutions, as long as they uphold the existing UN resolutions, will always work against Turkish Cypriot interests.

"Geneva Talks Are Meaningless Without a Fundamental Shift in UN Policy"

Concluding his remarks, Ertuğruloğlu expressed skepticism about the Geneva meeting in July, particularly if CBMs are the primary agenda item. He argued that such discussions do not require a high-level meeting in Geneva or the presence of Antonio Guterres, emphasizing that as long as the UN continues to uphold its current stance, attending these talks would be futile.