Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman said he does not believe in Cyprus talks “just for the sake of it”, but negotiations that would lead to a solution, adding that conferences in a broader format in Geneva and New York had proved “pointless”.

In his first in depth interview since his election in October, given on Tuesday night, Erhurman said the Turkish Cypriots were one of the two constituent parties on the island and thus anything harming them could not be considered legitimate.

Referring to the Cyprus problem, Erhurman said his ten-point list of proposals benefited both communities.

Commenting on remarks on Cyprus by US ambassador in Ankara and special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, who said “you cannot have an abscess in the middle of an otherwise healthy body”, Erhurman said the Cyprus problem was an international issue and US power in the region was continuously increasing.

“The Cyprus problem constitutes part of the wider picture. If a solution to the Cyprus problem is not found, as Mr Barrack envisions it, this regional image, which we call the wider picture, will not be concluded in a healthy way,” Erhurman pointed out.

Replying to questions, Erhurman said he had “ignored” a statement by President Nikos Christodoulides who said the guarantees in Cyprus should be terminated.

“Our position on the guarantees is clear. We have a unanimous decision in parliament regarding the guarantees. If we are to table them on the first day, this discussion will not work.”

He furthermore said that the Turkish Cypriots should have a say in agreements signed with third countries, such as Lebanon, Israel, France and the US, which the north was monitoring closely.

Erhurman said Christodoulides, realising that he could not create a balance with Turkey, was pursuing international agreements, particularly those involving military cooperation.

“There is intense activity on behalf of the Greek Cypriot side,” he said, pointing out that this directly concerns the Turkish Cypriots.

Erhurman added that the Greek Cypriots are trying to establish contact with Turkey bypassing the north.

“This behaviour constitutes contempt for the Turkish Cypriots,” he argued.

He also said Cyprus’ accession to the EU provided an “unfair advantage” to the south.

Referring to the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI), Erhurman said it was neither feasible financially or politically, nor did it serve peace, as it excluded Turkey and the north.

The Turkish Cypriot leader also spoke about the situation in the Middle East, saying that he did nor foresee conflicts spreading to Cyprus, adding that if the EU truly wanted peace and stability in the region, it should include Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.

Commenting on reports that Christodoulides had accepted part of his proposal on the Cyprus problem, Erhurman said he had not heard the president say so himself.

Erhurman appeared open to a fresh negotiating process in a broader format, but pointed out that some progress had to be made in Nicosia beforehand.

He described previous meetings in Geneva and New York as “pointless”.

Progress, Erhurman said, could include crossing points and solar panels in the buffer zone.