Erhurman at Antalya forum: Turkish Cypriots are equal founding partners in Cyprus

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman asserted on Saturday that Turkish Cypriots are “one of two equal founding partners in Cyprus,” using a high-profile appearance at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum to frame the island’s dispute in legal, not political, terms. Interviewed on stage by Turkish public broadcaster TRT’s Yusuf Erim, Erhurman was asked whether he, like his predecessor Ersin Tatar, supports a two-state solution.

He answered by stressing his background as a lawyer and focusing on what he called the Turkish Cypriot community’s legal character and status established during Cyprus’ founding. He said he aims to pursue a negotiating process, under United Nations auspices, in which Turkish Cypriots sit at the table as equal partners.

“This is a legal status that no one can change,” he said, arguing that, as one of two equal founding partners, Turkish Cypriots possess sovereign rights equal to those of Greek Cypriots. He added that what he “can never accept,” in his words “as the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” is the disregard of Turkish Cypriots in decisions affecting the island.

Erhurman said no decisions, international relations or agreements should be made “as if the Turkish Cypriots do not exist,” and singled out energy, security and maritime jurisdiction as areas where he said Turkish Cypriot consent is required.

He described his position as a legal argument, citing the 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus and the vice president’s security veto then held by Dr Fazil Kucuk, even in a cabinet numerically dominated by Greek Cypriots.

Turning to current developments, he said the Republic of Cyprus has signed “a number of agreements with the United States and France” on security, energy, natural gas and maritime jurisdiction, and asserted that the Turkish Cypriot will is not reflected in them.

He said this should be understood by the international community and that action should follow. Erhurman added that the Greek Cypriot side is trying to reduce Turkish Cypriots to a position of absence, while his aim is to secure acceptance that there are areas of shared jurisdiction on the island.

In any eventual settlement, he said, the goal is to ensure a structure in which the Turkish Cypriot community’s rights in the sovereign areas he outlined are not violated.