President Tufan Erhürman and President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hold a joint press conference
As part of his first official overseas visit, President Tufan Erhürman, currently in Ankara, and President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, held a joint press conference at the Presidential Complex following their tête-à-tête meeting.
Photos
President Tufan Erhürman, undertaking his first official overseas visit since his election as President of the TRNC, was welcomed in Ankara by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—who expressed great pleasure in hosting him -- as the two leaders held a joint press conference.
Emphasising that the TRNC presidential elections were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, President Erdoğan extended his well-wishes to President Erhürman and wished him every success in office.
President Erdoğan stated: “First of all, I would like to extend my congratulations on the 42nd anniversary, which we shall mark two days from now, of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and convey my warmest greetings to my Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters.” He added that, together with President Erhürman, they would steadfastly pursue a “just and lasting settlement in Cyprus – our national cause -- based on the island’s realities”.
Stating that he had held a comprehensive and productive meeting with President Erhürman and his delegation, President Erdoğan said: “We reviewed the possible joint steps to be taken in the coming period within the framework of the current trajectory of the Cyprus issue. Our stance on the Cyprus cause has always been clear.”
President Erdoğan emphasised that the main reason the Cyprus issue remains unresolved lies in the refusal of the Greek Cypriot side to share political power or economic prosperity with the Turkish Cypriots, and indeed, they have never been inclined to do so. He added that the Greek Cypriot side seized control of Cyprus by force of arms in 1963 and now seek to reduce Turkish Cypriots to minority status in a so-called partnership state that has long since lost any legal validity.
President Erdoğan also pointed out that mistakes were made by the United Nations Security Council in its approach to the Cyprus issue, and by the European Union, which accepted the Greek Cypriot administration as a member despite their rejection of the UN Comprehensive Settlement (Annan) Plan, in the separately held simultaneous referenda in April 2004.
President Erdoğan continued: “The comfort zone that has been extended to the Greek Cypriot side through misguided decisions of the past has caused the Turkish Cypriots to suffer an unending series of injustices in their own homeland. Unfortunately, the promises given to rectify these wrongs have not been fulfilled to date.”
Recalling President Erhürman’s experience as both Prime Minister and a member of the 2008–2010 negotiation team, President Erdoğan noted his deep familiarity with the process and praised his recent statements to the Greek Cypriot side, in which he emphasised that the Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality must be respected, as “entirely appropriate.”
“We had made clear that negotiations -- undertaken since 1968 but remaining inconclusive -- would no longer continue merely for appearances, following the collapse of the process after the Greek Cypriot side abandoned the negotiating table in 2017,” President Erdoğan stated, adding: “We maintain this position in full alignment with the Turkish Cypriot side. The most realistic solution to the Cyprus issue lies in the coexistence of two states on the Island.”
President Erdoğan reaffirmed their commitment to the position that a solution allowing the two peoples on the island to coexist in peace, prosperity, and security is possible, and emphasised that their sincere efforts toward this goal will continue.
Stating that the “world is now confronted with a very different international conjuncture,” President Erdoğan continued: “As I have said before, ‘You cannot dry today’s laundry with yesterday’s sun.’ Clinging to outdated habits of a bygone era, or trying to dig a well with a needle, will take us nowhere. I hope that, in the period ahead, we will see from the other side the same courage and determination for a solution that the Turkish Cypriots have consistently demonstrated. To make this possible, together with the Turkish Cypriot people, we will continue our constructive, results-oriented, just, and humane approach. We also discussed measures to accelerate our cooperation with President Erhürman and reviewed projects aimed at enhancing the welfare of the Turkish Cypriots, easing their daily lives, and mitigating the effects of decades-long isolation. These efforts will proceed with the same determination and understanding, under the coordination of my Vice President, Mr. Cevdet Yılmaz.”
President Erdoğan affirmed that efforts would continue, in close coordination, to ensure that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is duly represented within the international community, and that its voice and the injustices it suffers are heard across the world.
President Erdoğan emphasised that, as in the past and present, Türkiye will never abandon the Turkish Cypriot people in their just cause. “With these thoughts, I once again thank President Erhürman for his kind visit. I hope our meetings produce fruitful outcomes, and I wholeheartedly congratulate the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on the occasion of its 42nd anniversary,” he said.
President Erdoğan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the homeland, to the veterans, and to the leaders of the Cyprus cause — the late Dr. Fazıl Küçük and Founding President Rauf Denktaş.
President Erdoğan also expressed his gratitude to President Erhürman for the condolence message he issued on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot people regarding the heroic soldiers martyred in the military aircraft crash in Georgia the day before yesterday, and concluded by extending his heartfelt greetings to the Turkish Cypriot people.
President Tufan Erhürman
In his statement, President Erhürman expressed his gratitude to President Erdoğan for the kind invitation and warm hospitality.
Commemorating with respect the anniversary of the passing of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, President Erhürman extended, on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot people, his condolences for the martyrs who lost their lives in the air crash of 11 November, and extended his heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families.
President Erhürman underscored the uniquely special nature of the relations between the two states, noting that all Presidents of the TRNC have historically consulted with the Republic of Türkiye on the Cyprus issue and foreign policy matters. He added: “Indeed, this will continue to be the case during my term as the 6th President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.” Stating that he will prioritise further strengthening the unshakeable bonds of brotherhood between the TRNC and the Republic of Türkiye throughout his tenure, he added that he will work to advance bilateral relations to an even higher level and to foster greater awareness of the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot people among the Turkish public.
Stressing that the “Republic of Türkiye is one of the three guarantor powers vested with rights and obligations over the entire island of Cyprus”, President Erhürman stated that in a “context of growing militarisation in the south of the island and the region, Türkiye remains — as it has in the past — one of the most important actors in all efforts to achieve a settlement of the Cyprus issue”.
Underscoring that the status of the Turkish Cypriot people -- one of the two equal founding partners of Cyprus -- is not subject to debate, negotiation, or bargaining, President Erhürman continued: “The Turkish Cypriot people, by virtue of this status, hold sovereign rights over the entirety of the Island of Cyprus. On issues that concern the whole Island and all who live on it — such as security, energy, hydrocarbons, maritime jurisdiction areas, and trade routes — it is unacceptable for the will of the Turkish Cypriot people to be ignored or disregarded by the Greek Cypriot leadership or the international community.”
President Erhürman stated that Cyprus remains an unresolved issue, despite the indisputable commitment to a solution demonstrated to the world by both the Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye, particularly in 2004 and 2017, and emphasised that this persistent situation continues to challenge efforts to achieve lasting stability and peace in the region.
“Our endeavour is directed towards the resolution of problems on the Island and in the region through dialogue and negotiation, and towards reaching a just and lasting outcome in which all parties win and none lose,” President Erhürman said, adding: “I call upon all sides to focus their efforts accordingly, inspired by Atatürk’s principle of “Peace at home, peace in the world”.
“I wish to once again make the following declaration to the world,” President Erhürman said, adding: “As President Erdoğan has stated, the path to a solution in the Eastern Mediterranean lies through dialogue and negotiation. I emphasise that no formula excluding, overlooking, or sidelining Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriots can be implemented in the region or contribute to a genuine and lasting resolution.”
President Erhürman emphasised that the Turkish Cypriot people covet no one’s rights, and as people who have waged a most difficult struggle for existence with dignity, they will also never allow anyone to encroach upon their rights.
“At this point,” the President said, “I wish once again to declare to the whole world that we have no tolerance for the violation of the sovereign rights of the Turkish Cypriot people -- who share equal rights on the Island — nor for being ignored or disregarded.”
President Erhürman underlined that the Turkish Cypriot people, who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to a settlement and never abandoned the negotiating table, do not seek negotiations merely for the sake of negotiations, but aim for a genuine solution, while stressing the importance of learning from the past approaches and experiences that have repeatedly failed to yield results.
President Erhürman continued:
“The will of the Turkish Cypriot people for a solution should not be misinterpreted as a readiness to return to a process in which political equality is treated as a matter of bargaining or compromise, where there is no clear timeframe, where previously agreed-upon issues are repeatedly reopened, and where a results-oriented approach is absent—only for the Greek Cypriot leadership to once again walk away at the last moment, leaving the status quo intact. No one should expect us to tread again a path that has been tried many times and consistently proven to lead nowhere, in the naive hope that it might succeed this time.”
President Erhürman also stressed that these are not “preconditions set to prevent the establishment of a negotiating table,” but rather “elements of a negotiation methodology put forward by a people who genuinely desire a settlement after many years of experience”. He stated that the Turkish Cypriot people would be at the negotiating table whenever there is a comprehensive, results-oriented negotiation process, however, in the absence of such a table, they would participate in discussions aimed at facilitating the daily lives of the two peoples on the Island, building mutual trust, and developing cooperative initiatives and solutions based on the win-win principle that would contribute to an eventual settlement.
Pointing out that “there is a world beyond the negotiating table,” President Erhürman stated that his people, like all others, have the right to engage with the world. He declared that with the diplomatic opportunities that the Republic of Türkiye would help open, they would defend the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people wherever possible , in every forum and every meeting.
President Erhürman underlined that nobody should wish for the Turkish Cypriots, who have repeatedly demonstrated their will for a settlement, to be condemned to pay the price of non-solution, and continued: “Because a settlement could not be reached against our will, nobody should expect us to accept as fate the fact that our youth are barred from participating in international sporting events, that our scientists, artists, and business people face restrictions in engaging with the world, that our economy is continuously impeded, and that discrimination is practiced among our children based on their or their parents’ place of birth.”
“The Turkish Cypriot people are calm and patient, yet unwaveringly resolute,” President Erhürman said. “They have endured the most difficult circumstances, continue to do so today, and will persist into the future. No one can ignore or deny our existence, nor prevent us from engaging with the world. In this challenging struggle, our greatest source of confidence comes from knowing that the Republic of Türkiye, as in the past, stands by us unconditionally in all circumstances, bound to us by unshakable ties of brotherhood.”
President Erhürman reiterated his gratitude, on behalf of himself and the First Lady, to President Erdoğan for his congratulatory messages following the democratic elections conducted with full maturity by the Turkish Cypriot people, for his kind invitation, and for today’s warm hospitality, and conveyed the greetings of the Turkish Cypriot people.
Emphasising that the TRNC presidential elections were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, President Erdoğan extended his well-wishes to President Erhürman and wished him every success in office.
President Erdoğan stated: “First of all, I would like to extend my congratulations on the 42nd anniversary, which we shall mark two days from now, of the proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and convey my warmest greetings to my Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters.” He added that, together with President Erhürman, they would steadfastly pursue a “just and lasting settlement in Cyprus – our national cause -- based on the island’s realities”.
Stating that he had held a comprehensive and productive meeting with President Erhürman and his delegation, President Erdoğan said: “We reviewed the possible joint steps to be taken in the coming period within the framework of the current trajectory of the Cyprus issue. Our stance on the Cyprus cause has always been clear.”
President Erdoğan emphasised that the main reason the Cyprus issue remains unresolved lies in the refusal of the Greek Cypriot side to share political power or economic prosperity with the Turkish Cypriots, and indeed, they have never been inclined to do so. He added that the Greek Cypriot side seized control of Cyprus by force of arms in 1963 and now seek to reduce Turkish Cypriots to minority status in a so-called partnership state that has long since lost any legal validity.
President Erdoğan also pointed out that mistakes were made by the United Nations Security Council in its approach to the Cyprus issue, and by the European Union, which accepted the Greek Cypriot administration as a member despite their rejection of the UN Comprehensive Settlement (Annan) Plan, in the separately held simultaneous referenda in April 2004.
President Erdoğan continued: “The comfort zone that has been extended to the Greek Cypriot side through misguided decisions of the past has caused the Turkish Cypriots to suffer an unending series of injustices in their own homeland. Unfortunately, the promises given to rectify these wrongs have not been fulfilled to date.”
Recalling President Erhürman’s experience as both Prime Minister and a member of the 2008–2010 negotiation team, President Erdoğan noted his deep familiarity with the process and praised his recent statements to the Greek Cypriot side, in which he emphasised that the Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality must be respected, as “entirely appropriate.”
“We had made clear that negotiations -- undertaken since 1968 but remaining inconclusive -- would no longer continue merely for appearances, following the collapse of the process after the Greek Cypriot side abandoned the negotiating table in 2017,” President Erdoğan stated, adding: “We maintain this position in full alignment with the Turkish Cypriot side. The most realistic solution to the Cyprus issue lies in the coexistence of two states on the Island.”
President Erdoğan reaffirmed their commitment to the position that a solution allowing the two peoples on the island to coexist in peace, prosperity, and security is possible, and emphasised that their sincere efforts toward this goal will continue.
Stating that the “world is now confronted with a very different international conjuncture,” President Erdoğan continued: “As I have said before, ‘You cannot dry today’s laundry with yesterday’s sun.’ Clinging to outdated habits of a bygone era, or trying to dig a well with a needle, will take us nowhere. I hope that, in the period ahead, we will see from the other side the same courage and determination for a solution that the Turkish Cypriots have consistently demonstrated. To make this possible, together with the Turkish Cypriot people, we will continue our constructive, results-oriented, just, and humane approach. We also discussed measures to accelerate our cooperation with President Erhürman and reviewed projects aimed at enhancing the welfare of the Turkish Cypriots, easing their daily lives, and mitigating the effects of decades-long isolation. These efforts will proceed with the same determination and understanding, under the coordination of my Vice President, Mr. Cevdet Yılmaz.”
President Erdoğan affirmed that efforts would continue, in close coordination, to ensure that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is duly represented within the international community, and that its voice and the injustices it suffers are heard across the world.
President Erdoğan emphasised that, as in the past and present, Türkiye will never abandon the Turkish Cypriot people in their just cause. “With these thoughts, I once again thank President Erhürman for his kind visit. I hope our meetings produce fruitful outcomes, and I wholeheartedly congratulate the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on the occasion of its 42nd anniversary,” he said.
President Erdoğan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the homeland, to the veterans, and to the leaders of the Cyprus cause — the late Dr. Fazıl Küçük and Founding President Rauf Denktaş.
President Erdoğan also expressed his gratitude to President Erhürman for the condolence message he issued on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot people regarding the heroic soldiers martyred in the military aircraft crash in Georgia the day before yesterday, and concluded by extending his heartfelt greetings to the Turkish Cypriot people.
President Tufan Erhürman
In his statement, President Erhürman expressed his gratitude to President Erdoğan for the kind invitation and warm hospitality.
Commemorating with respect the anniversary of the passing of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, President Erhürman extended, on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot people, his condolences for the martyrs who lost their lives in the air crash of 11 November, and extended his heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families.
President Erhürman underscored the uniquely special nature of the relations between the two states, noting that all Presidents of the TRNC have historically consulted with the Republic of Türkiye on the Cyprus issue and foreign policy matters. He added: “Indeed, this will continue to be the case during my term as the 6th President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.” Stating that he will prioritise further strengthening the unshakeable bonds of brotherhood between the TRNC and the Republic of Türkiye throughout his tenure, he added that he will work to advance bilateral relations to an even higher level and to foster greater awareness of the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot people among the Turkish public.
Stressing that the “Republic of Türkiye is one of the three guarantor powers vested with rights and obligations over the entire island of Cyprus”, President Erhürman stated that in a “context of growing militarisation in the south of the island and the region, Türkiye remains — as it has in the past — one of the most important actors in all efforts to achieve a settlement of the Cyprus issue”.
Underscoring that the status of the Turkish Cypriot people -- one of the two equal founding partners of Cyprus -- is not subject to debate, negotiation, or bargaining, President Erhürman continued: “The Turkish Cypriot people, by virtue of this status, hold sovereign rights over the entirety of the Island of Cyprus. On issues that concern the whole Island and all who live on it — such as security, energy, hydrocarbons, maritime jurisdiction areas, and trade routes — it is unacceptable for the will of the Turkish Cypriot people to be ignored or disregarded by the Greek Cypriot leadership or the international community.”
President Erhürman stated that Cyprus remains an unresolved issue, despite the indisputable commitment to a solution demonstrated to the world by both the Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye, particularly in 2004 and 2017, and emphasised that this persistent situation continues to challenge efforts to achieve lasting stability and peace in the region.
“Our endeavour is directed towards the resolution of problems on the Island and in the region through dialogue and negotiation, and towards reaching a just and lasting outcome in which all parties win and none lose,” President Erhürman said, adding: “I call upon all sides to focus their efforts accordingly, inspired by Atatürk’s principle of “Peace at home, peace in the world”.
“I wish to once again make the following declaration to the world,” President Erhürman said, adding: “As President Erdoğan has stated, the path to a solution in the Eastern Mediterranean lies through dialogue and negotiation. I emphasise that no formula excluding, overlooking, or sidelining Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriots can be implemented in the region or contribute to a genuine and lasting resolution.”
President Erhürman emphasised that the Turkish Cypriot people covet no one’s rights, and as people who have waged a most difficult struggle for existence with dignity, they will also never allow anyone to encroach upon their rights.
“At this point,” the President said, “I wish once again to declare to the whole world that we have no tolerance for the violation of the sovereign rights of the Turkish Cypriot people -- who share equal rights on the Island — nor for being ignored or disregarded.”
President Erhürman underlined that the Turkish Cypriot people, who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to a settlement and never abandoned the negotiating table, do not seek negotiations merely for the sake of negotiations, but aim for a genuine solution, while stressing the importance of learning from the past approaches and experiences that have repeatedly failed to yield results.
President Erhürman continued:
“The will of the Turkish Cypriot people for a solution should not be misinterpreted as a readiness to return to a process in which political equality is treated as a matter of bargaining or compromise, where there is no clear timeframe, where previously agreed-upon issues are repeatedly reopened, and where a results-oriented approach is absent—only for the Greek Cypriot leadership to once again walk away at the last moment, leaving the status quo intact. No one should expect us to tread again a path that has been tried many times and consistently proven to lead nowhere, in the naive hope that it might succeed this time.”
President Erhürman also stressed that these are not “preconditions set to prevent the establishment of a negotiating table,” but rather “elements of a negotiation methodology put forward by a people who genuinely desire a settlement after many years of experience”. He stated that the Turkish Cypriot people would be at the negotiating table whenever there is a comprehensive, results-oriented negotiation process, however, in the absence of such a table, they would participate in discussions aimed at facilitating the daily lives of the two peoples on the Island, building mutual trust, and developing cooperative initiatives and solutions based on the win-win principle that would contribute to an eventual settlement.
Pointing out that “there is a world beyond the negotiating table,” President Erhürman stated that his people, like all others, have the right to engage with the world. He declared that with the diplomatic opportunities that the Republic of Türkiye would help open, they would defend the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people wherever possible , in every forum and every meeting.
President Erhürman underlined that nobody should wish for the Turkish Cypriots, who have repeatedly demonstrated their will for a settlement, to be condemned to pay the price of non-solution, and continued: “Because a settlement could not be reached against our will, nobody should expect us to accept as fate the fact that our youth are barred from participating in international sporting events, that our scientists, artists, and business people face restrictions in engaging with the world, that our economy is continuously impeded, and that discrimination is practiced among our children based on their or their parents’ place of birth.”
“The Turkish Cypriot people are calm and patient, yet unwaveringly resolute,” President Erhürman said. “They have endured the most difficult circumstances, continue to do so today, and will persist into the future. No one can ignore or deny our existence, nor prevent us from engaging with the world. In this challenging struggle, our greatest source of confidence comes from knowing that the Republic of Türkiye, as in the past, stands by us unconditionally in all circumstances, bound to us by unshakable ties of brotherhood.”
President Erhürman reiterated his gratitude, on behalf of himself and the First Lady, to President Erdoğan for his congratulatory messages following the democratic elections conducted with full maturity by the Turkish Cypriot people, for his kind invitation, and for today’s warm hospitality, and conveyed the greetings of the Turkish Cypriot people.