Erhurman lambasts ‘inconsistent, unserious’ Christodoulides statements

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman lambasted as “inconsistent, unfounded, and unserious” statements made by President Nikos Christodoulides on the Cyprus problem in recent days, particularly in light of the latter’s comments on the Cyprus problem during Greece’s independence day celebrations.

“Christodoulides has gone from ‘let’s pick up where we left off at Crans-Montana’ to a ‘five-point roadmap’ and then to a ‘call for Turkish Cypriots to return to the Republic of Cyprus’!” he began in a post on social media.

He added that “fantastical ideas are flying around, beyond the limits of possibility and reason”, with these ideas ranging “from Nato membership to the issue of the British bases, and from there to Turkey recognising him!”

“It seems that there is quite a bit of confusion. Such inconsistent, unfounded, and unserious statements, one after another, can only be the result of a kind of panic which has put reason on hold,” he said.

He also took umbrage at “Christodoulides’ claims that he will ‘reunify the homeland based on the lessons of 1821”.

“It is really not worth spending time on taking it seriously or evaluating it. If Christodoulides wants to learn from history, he should not look so far back. He should look at 2004 or 2017. Going so far back seems to be quite dizzying,” he said.

The Turkish Cypriot side, he said, is “here with the wisdom, will, seriousness, and consistency of our people”, before adding of Christodoulides, “I wish the same to him”.

His mentions of 2004 and 2017 are direct references to the referendum held to reunite Cyprus under the Annan plan, which was accepted by Turkish Cypriots and rejected by Greek Cypriots, and to the most recent round of formal negotiations on the Cyprus problem, held at Crans-Montana.

Christodoulides had said on Wednesday, Greece’s independence day, that “we should come to the present dimension, learn the right lessons, utilise the way in which our Greek brothers fought to gain their freedom”.

“It is precisely relying on the lessons of the fight that we continue our own effort for the liberation and reunification of our homeland,” he said.

He had also spoken about the Turkish Cypriots’ stance on the British bases, saying that “our Turkish Cypriot compatriots can have a say on the negotiation of the bases after they return to the Republic of Cyprus”.

“Turkey can have a say in the future of the British bases after it first recognises the Republic of Cyprus,” he added.