Ertuğruloğlu Calls for Clarity and Sincerity from Erhürman

In a written statement, Ertuğruloğlu said that questions directly concerning the future of the Turkish Cypriot people require clear and unambiguous answers, referring to Erhürman’s social media remarks on 31 May highlighting the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for a solution.

He said the public has the right to receive clear answers beyond “ornate but empty expressions,” and posed a series of questions to the President.

Ertuğruloğlu asked what is meant by “solution,” questioning whether it refers to a framework in which the Greek Cypriot side is treated as a state while the Turkish Cypriot side is regarded merely as a “community,” or whether it implies acceptance of the Greek Cypriot narrative regarding the 1974 events.

He also questioned how dialogue and diplomacy can take place on an unequal footing, arguing that such processes can only occur between equals on the basis of reciprocity, and asking whether real equality exists between the two sides.

Referring to Erhürman’s call for “patience, composure and determination,” Ertuğruloğlu said Turkish Cypriots have already shown decades of patience, adding that there is no time left to wait for the Greek Cypriot side’s “convenience.”

He further asked what process was being referred to, questioning the legitimacy of negotiations in which one side is represented as a “state president” while the other is reduced to the status of a “community leader.”

Ertuğruloğlu also criticised what he described as contradictory positions on “sovereign equality” and “equal sovereignty,” arguing that the Turkish Cypriot side should clearly state its position.

He said Turkey’s stance is based on “sovereign equality and equal international status,” while accusing the opposing approach of conflicting with Ankara’s position.

Ertuğruloğlu concluded by asking whether the current policy represents principled politics or submission, stating that the public must be told the truth clearly and without ambiguity.