In his first official trip abroad since a decisive election victory, Tufan Erhürman, the new leader of the internationally unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday. The leaders presented a united front, declaring that past negotiation models for the Cyprus issue are obsolete and firmly endorsing a two-state solution based on sovereign equality as the only realistic path forward.
During a joint press conference at the Presidential Complex following a 90-minute meeting, the two leaders stressed a clear departure from decades of stalled diplomatic efforts. According to the Turkish news outlet T24, Erdoğan explicitly rejected fruitless negotiations. This sentiment was strongly supported by Erhürman, who stated unequivocally, "My people's status is not open to discussion, negotiation, or bargaining."
President Erdoğan laid the blame for the enduring deadlock on the Greek Cypriot side for refusing to acknowledge the "international equal status" of Turkish Cypriots. "The Greek Cypriot side sees the solution in reducing Turkish Cypriots to a minority status in the partnership state they seized by force of arms in 1963," Erdoğan said. He also pointed to historical "mistakes" by the UN Security Council and the European Union, particularly the latter's decision to admit the Greek Cypriot administration as a member despite its rejection of the Annan Plan. "You cannot dry today's laundry with yesterday's sun," Erdoğan added, emphasizing the need for a new paradigm.
Erhürman reaffirmed the "unshakeable bonds of brotherhood" between Turkey and the TRNC, highlighting Turkey's role as a guarantor nation as crucial for regional security. While affirming the Turkish Cypriot commitment to a just, win-win outcome, he cautioned that this should not be misinterpreted as a willingness to compromise on fundamental rights. "The Turkish Cypriot people will be at the table if it is solution-oriented," he said, "but there is also a world outside the table, and my people have the right to meet with that world."
The visit carries significant political undertones, as Erhürman won the presidency in October with a record 62.8% of the vote, defeating the candidate openly supported by Ankara. The election initially prompted a jarring reaction from Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the MHP and Erdoğan’s key coalition partner, who called for the TRNC's annexation as Turkey’s 82nd province. However, today's meeting projected a message of solidarity, with Erdoğan pledging that Turkey, as the "motherland and guarantor," will "never leave the Turkish Cypriot people alone in their just cause."
Photo: T24