President Erhürman: Lasting peace and stability cannot be reached by ignoring the Turkish Cypriot people
In a written statement on Sunday, President Tufan Erhürman emphasised that lasting peace and stability cannot be reached by ignoring the Turkish Cypriot people, rejecting their equality, or disregarding their will.
The statement of President Erhürman reads as follows:
"For years, we have stated consistently that the military alliances established and the agreements made in this context by the government in the south, are intended to create a balance against Türkiye, yet everyone knows that such efforts are in no way realistic.
These efforts put at risk the security of the island as well as its inhabitants. Although this risk has arisen without the consent of the Turkish Cypriot people, one of the two equal founding partners of the island, it affects us as well.
In addition to the presence of the British bases and the discussions surrounding them, I will refrain from speculating about the Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos, the agreements related to it, and their potential effects.
The main sources of income in both the south and the north of the island are well known, and tourism is foremost amongst them. Endangering security inevitably risks tourism in particular, and the economy in general.
Over the past few days, I have been observing discussions in the southern press concerning the negative impact of recent developments on tourism. In statements issued on behalf of the government, the portrayal of the island in foreign media as an unsafe destination is cited as the main cause.
However, at present, there are military assets in the south belonging not only to the United Kingdom but also to Greece, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. The statements made by the southern government regarding these assets, as well as the welcoming ceremonies, are not a secret. Under these circumstances, it is unclear to me to what extent the reports in the foreign press on this matter can be genuinely criticised.
Whilst a war is raging next door -- one in which children and civilians are being killed, and which threatens the entire region and even the world -- I am not going to prioritise the economy or tourism. However, given that the issue is being widely discussed in the press in the south, and that the government is even working on a communication strategy to portray Cyprus as a safe destination, I felt it necessary to address the matter.
Dear Niyazi Kızılyürek, in his article published today in Yenidüzen, refers to a speech delivered in the Greek Parliament by Antonis Samaras, a former Prime Minister of Greece, in which he stated: ‘Had the [UN Comprehensive Settlement] Annan Plan, which would have introduced a rotating presidential system been implemented, a Turkish Cypriot would have assumed the presidential seat, and it would have been impossible for Greece to send warships and aircraft to the island.’
How interesting! The conditions we are going through are painful, thought-provoking, and of course instructive.
The essence of the matter is this: the island is small and situated in a risky region. As the Turkish Cypriot people, we do not wish to pay a price for mistakes made without our involvement, under conditions in which we are unjustly ignored, and our will is illegitimately disregarded.
I hope and wish that this war will end as soon as possible. I hope and wish that conditions will emerge in which no more children and people die. In addition to this, I also hope and wish that after the war ends, everyone will understand better the connection between lasting peace and stability in the region and lasting peace and stability on this island.
These may be read as romantic wishes however, on the contrary, this is the ‘reality’. And the reality is that lasting peace and stability cannot be achieved, and the security of this island and the sustainable prosperity of Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots cannot be ensured by ignoring the Turkish Cypriot people, rejecting their equality, and disregarding their will."