Speaking to journalists in Lefkoşa (Nicosia) on Wednesday, Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman said Türkiye would not allow “any steps ignoring the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.”
He was referring to attempts at violations of the maritime jurisdiction of the TRNC, namely by Greek Cypriots.
Erhürman took office in October 2025 and, since then, has sought to continue past talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots to resolve the decades-long Cyprus question.
The president told journalists that there were “two tables now” for the resolution of the issue, for negotiations and methodology.
“We are now at the negotiation table. We presented a package of proposals (to resolve the question), and discussions are underway for their implementation,” he said, referring to steps to facilitate commerce, expansion of crossing points between Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides, among other issues.
He underlined that before the resumption of inconclusive 5+1 talks, which also involved guarantor states Türkiye, Greece, the United Kingdom, as well as the United Nations, the problem should be “solved in Lefkoşa.”
“You cannot continue talks before leaders of both sides agree, and we don’t need 5+1 talks for issues like opening more crossing points,” he said.
Erhürman said general elections on the Greek Cypriot side, scheduled for Ma,y may slow down the process.
The president said that despite Türkiye’s proposal to help resolve the island’s electricity problem, the Greek Cypriot side put forward the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) project in an effort to bypass the TRNC. He noted that the project could not be implemented because the route planned through Greece was not feasible.
“If the Greek Cypriot side tries to connect with Israel and Greece via an undersea electricity project while excluding the TRNC and Türkiye, Türkiye will not allow this and will use various means to prevent it,” Erhürman said.
He added that the same principle applies to hydrocarbons, stressing that, “It is not possible to pursue a unilateral process in areas where Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots assert rights.”
Erhürman said the message they are trying to convey to both Europeans and Greek Cypriots is that “unless you take a rational approach on these issues, you end up losing as well.”
