Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on Friday stressed the need for the implementation of confidence building measures, both between the island’s two sides, and between the Turkish Cypriot community and the European Union, as he met the European Commission’s Cyprus problem envoy Raffaele Fitto for the first time.

“We explained to him that the recent unilateral and biased attitudes, behaviours, and decisions of EU institutions, particularly the European Parliament, have further undermined trust in the EU,” he said after the meeting.

In this, he was referring to a resolution passed by the European Parliament earlier this month on the sexual violence suffered by Cypriot women during Turkey’s invasion of the island in 1974, and comments made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during Cyprus’ tenure as the holder of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency.

He added that he had told Fitto as such that “we need confidence-building measures, not only with the Greek Cypriot leadership, but also with the EU”.

Additionally, he said, “I expressed to Fitto that, for well-known reasons, it is not possible for the EU to be a party at the negotiating table, but that it could play a positive role in confidence-building measures related to the EU if it wishes to contribute to a fair and lasting solution on the island”.

“In this context, we had the opportunity to discuss issues such as the need for the direct trade regulation to be implemented without further delay, the difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Green Line regulation, and negative developments regarding EU citizenship and property issues for Turkish Cypriots,” he said.

The direct trade regulation is a pending EU regulation which would allow Turkish Cypriot goods, as certified by the Turkish Cypriot chamber of commerce, to be exported directly into Europe via the Green Line and given preferential treatment inside the European single market as European goods.

It was proposed in July 2004, three months after the rejection of the Annan plan by the Greek Cypriot side in a referendum, and shortly after the Republic of Cyprus’ accession to the EU.

Erhurman on Friday said that he had told Fitto that “it is high time to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, who have repeatedly and very clearly demonstrated their will for a solution, and that all obstacles preventing our people, especially our children, from becoming part of the international community must be urgently removed”.

Regarding the EU’s role in negotiations, Erhurman had previously stressed that, given the Republic of Cyprus’ membership of the bloc, it cannot act as a mediator.

“Can the European Union support the process in a positive process through its own decision-making mechanisms? The answer is yes, and it should. Typical examples include issues like the direct trade regulation. However, if they imagine this as being at the table, it is absolutely impossible, both for us and for Turkey,” he said last month.