Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman criticized the Greek side on Tuesday over the energy decisions that exclude the Turkish community, asserting that energy and maritime jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean cannot be made without the consent of the Turkish Cypriot side.
In a statement released on social media, Erhürman addressed the “Great Sea Interconnector” project and other regional energy initiatives, voicing concern over efforts that ignore the sovereign rights of the Turkish Cypriot people. “What we said is clear: Turkish Cypriots are one of the two equal founding partners of this island and it is not possible to make decisions on issues such as energy and maritime jurisdiction areas by ignoring the sovereign rights of the Turkish Cypriots and without our consent,” he stressed.
The “Great Sea Interconnector” project, which aims to connect the electricity grids of Greece, the island of Cyprus and Israel through an undersea cable, has faced criticism from the Turkish Cypriot side, which argues that the initiative disregards their political and territorial rights.
Erhürman emphasized that he stands by his previous remarks that he would not respond to comments from the south regarding a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue. “As is known, after the elections, I stated that I would not respond to comments coming from the south on the comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue and that I would not engage in blame games before even starting the talks. I remain determined to stand by my word,” he said.
Moreover, Erhürman criticized Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides for what he described as contradictory behavior, calling for renewed negotiations while participating in regional energy partnerships that exclude Turkish Cypriots. “Mr. Christodoulides’ decision to join initiatives on the transfer of Israeli natural gas to Cyprus via an undersea route, once again excluding Turkish Cypriots, is not a positive sign in terms of sincerity,” Erhürman noted.
The Turkish Cypriot president warned that a genuine atmosphere for reconciliation cannot be achieved if one side continues to be sidelined from key political and economic discussions. “A solution in Cyprus can only be built on mutual respect and equality. It is clear that a solution atmosphere cannot be achieved through initiatives that ignore the Turkish Cypriot people, particularly those that may negatively affect efforts for lasting stability and peace in the region,” he added.
Erhürman reaffirmed his commitment to supporting any initiative that promotes cooperation and dialogue, but underscored that the Turkish Cypriot side will not remain silent in the face of unilateral actions. “We will continue to make every effort to create an atmosphere conducive to a solution on the island, but we will never ignore moves that undermine this atmosphere,” he continued.
The statement came amid renewed international efforts to revive long-stalled peace talks between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities.
Tufan Erhürman from the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), who recently won elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), officially took over the presidency office on Oct. 23 from former President Ersin Tatar in a ceremony.
The island has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, but negotiations have been stalled since 2017. Erhürman advocates resumption of the formal negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side.
