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Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman has responded to President Nikos Christodoulides’ call for the two men to “write history together,” warning that turning those words into reality will be far from easy.
In a social media post late Tuesday, Erhurman did not refer directly to Christodoulides or his interview with Turkish Cypriot newspaper Yeni Düzen. His message, however, was a clear response to the president’s remarks.
Christodoulides said in the interview that reunification was the only possible solution to the Cyprus problem and argued that he and Erhurman had an opportunity to make history together.
Erhurman’s reply focused on what he sees as the widening gap between such public appeals and the actions being taken on the ground.
On the regional front, he accused the Greek Cypriot side of pursuing agreements with other countries, particularly Israel and Greece, that ignore the Turkish Cypriot community.
Such initiatives, he claimed, could place lasting peace and stability in Cyprus and the wider region at risk.
Closer to home, Erhurman said that instead of introducing new confidence-building measures, the limited trust that still exists between the two communities is being weakened further.
He pointed to what he described as “unilateral and biased” European Parliament resolutions promoted by Greek Cypriot MEPs. He also referred to disputes involving Barcelona, cultural festivals, property and other issues.
“I think everyone, not only Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, but also the international community, knows that ‘writing history together’ is not easy at all,” Erhurman wrote.
He ended his post by welcoming decisions reportedly taken by 12 countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Canada, concerning Israel, without giving further details.
The exchange lays bare the difficulty facing the two leaders. Both may speak about a settlement, but their very different views of regional security, international representation and day-to-day relations continue to stand in the way.
Christodoulides and Erhurman are due to meet at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the old Nicosia airport, giving them an immediate opportunity to move the conversation beyond statements and slogans.
