Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman called for “peace and friendship with the Greek Cypriot people” in his message marking the 42nd anniversary of the Turkish Cypriots’ unilateral declaration of independence.
“Paragraph 22 of the declaration begins with the following words: ‘On this historic day, we once again extend our hand of peace and friendship to the Greek Cypriot people’,” he pointed out.
He added that “the same paragraph continues with the words, ‘we believe that it is possible and necessary for the two peoples who are forced to live side by side on the same island to reach a peaceful, just, and lasting solution to their problems through negotiations as equals’”.
He then said that the Turkish Cypriot people have “never rejected a solution to be reached through negotiations”, and highlighted the fact that “they even demonstrated their will to a solution to the entire world by voting ‘yes’ in the 2004 referendum” on the Annan plan to reunify the island.
Additionally, he said, the Turkish Cypriots “demonstrated a highly constructive approach towards a solution together with the Republic of Turkey in Crans Montana in 2017”.
“However, the Greek Cypriot leadership of the periods in question did not demonstrate the same will, and therefore, a solution could not be reached. The Turkish Cypriot people have never been and will never be the side which walks away from the negotiating table,” he said.
On this matter, he stressed that the Turkish Cypriots will not be “confined to” the negotiating table, as they “want a lasting solution which will serve stability and pace on the island and in the region, not endless negotiations or negotiations which are certain to end in failure from the outset”.
He then added that it is “common knowledge that there have not been negotiations to find a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem for a long time”, and that “during this period, very serious and alarming developments have occurred in the region”.
“Irresponsible steps have been taken regarding armaments and military agreements in the south, and the Turkish Cypriot people have been ignored and disregarded regarding many developments on this island and in the region,” he said.
To this, he said that “the entire world must know that the Turkish Cypriot people are one of two equal co-founders of this island”, and that “the Turkish Cypriot people have as much sovereignty over this island as the Greek Cypriot people”.
“The Turkish Cypriot people will not allow their sovereign rights to be violated, ignored, or disregarded,” he said, before adding that “the solution to this problem is, of course, dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiations”.
Of those negotiations and the future, he said that “the Turkish Cypriot people are calm, patient, but also resolute”.
“These people existed under the most difficult circumstances, exist today, and will exist tomorrow. No one will be able to prevent us from engaging with the world,” he said,
He then turned his attention to issues the north faces internally, and said that “it is essential to take swift action” on issues including healthcare, infrastructure, and education, where he lamented the continued use of portacabins as school classrooms due to the fact that dozens of school buildings were declared unsafe.
He then said that “we will not tolerate discrimination based on race, religion, language, gender, place of birth”, before heaping praise on ordinary Turkish Cypriots.
“This nation is comprised of individuals deeply attached to this beautiful island. No one born or living on this island wants to leave. It is our duty, as leaders of this country, to transform the island into a safe, peaceful, happy, civilised, and dignified place for our people,” he said.
He added that “this is an obligation to both our elders, who have fought a tremendous fight for existence on this island under extremely difficult conditions, and to the youth and our children, to whom we will leave this island to inherit”.
“There are two loves which unite us, which make us who we are, and which will never be separated. One is our love for our children, the other is our love for this land. Our claim is clear: we have always existed in these lands, we exist today, and we will continue to exist in the future.”
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