The leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Tufan Erhürman, has emphasized that the Cyprus issue should be viewed as an international problem rather than a purely intercommunal matter.

He argued that the current two-state policy pursued by the Turkish Cypriot leadership had seriously harmed the Turkish Cypriot people’s interests.

Speaking on a private television program, Erhürman criticized the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s current policy on the Cyprus issue, arguing that this policy pursued over the past four and half years had caused significant losses for the Turkish Cypriot people.”

According to a statement from the CTP Press Office, Erhürman confirmed that the party is fully prepared for the upcoming presidential election.

Recalling that the Turkish side has consistently advocated for a federation from the era of Rauf Raif Denktaş to Mustafa Akıncı, Erhürman noted that these proposals have often resembled a confederation.

He stressed the necessity of achieving political equality as a precondition for negotiations and pointed out that both DISY and AKEL have expressed similar views.

Erhürman further highlighted the critical need for a joint decision-making mechanism between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots on issues such as maritime jurisdiction, energy, hydrocarbons, and trade routes.

He reiterated the importance of political equality in resolving these matters.

In his remarks, Erhürman underscored the international nature of the Cyprus issue, emphasizing that Turkish Cypriots must not remain isolated in their approach to such a complex and multifaceted problem.