Turkish Cypriot foreign minister rules out resuming talks with Greek Cypriot administration

ANKARA/LEFKOSA

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu said Wednesday there is no possibility of continuing the negotiation process with the Greek Cypriot administration from where it left off.

Speaking to the Turkish News Agency-Cyprus (TAK) on the latest developments, Ertugruloglu underscored that the TRNC's new vision eliminates the likelihood of resuming a potential new negotiation process from its previous point.

He emphasized that the new vision, designed to rectify the status inequality between the two sides, signals the necessity of initiating an entirely new process.

Ertugruloglu asserted that the six-month term of Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as his personal envoy on Cyprus, will be sufficient to determine whether there is common ground between the two sides on the island.

“At the end of this period, our expectation from the personal envoy is to publish a report that clearly records her findings regarding the realities on the island and whether a common ground exists, providing unbiased and realistic recommendations for future steps. Our approval of the appointment of a personal envoy by the UN Secretary-General does not imply any change in our new state policy on the Cyprus issue."

Ertugruloglu accused the Greek Cypriot side of deceiving the world to reach an agreement based on the so-called “federation” model for the past 50 years.

Referring to the Conference on Cyprus concluded in 2017 in Crans Montana, Switzerland as the "final effort" recognized by all relevant parties, he said: "In the conference, once again, the Greek Cypriot side rejected the establishment of a partnership based on power and wealth sharing with the Turkish Cypriot side. Thus, the possibility of reaching an agreement on a two-state, two-community federal model came to an end with the failure of the said conference."

Considering the current realities on the island, Ertugruloglu advocated for a cooperation model based on the existence of two independent and sovereign states.

He also highlighted that this new vision provides a basis for official negotiations, establishing a fresh foundation for cooperation within good neighborly relations acceptable to both sides.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan