Erhürman: Turkish Cypriots accepted six of seven confidence-building measures

Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman said after meeting UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York that his side accepted six of seven proposed confidence-building measures, while accusing the Greek Cypriot side of eroding trust.

Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman said his side had accepted six of the seven confidence-building measures on the agenda in Cyprus, after meeting UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.

After the meeting, Erhürman said the Turkish Cypriot side had accepted six of the seven confidence-building measures on the table: crossing points, demining, a joint disaster-response mechanism, joint efforts against irregular migration, a civil society coordination board and sports activities. The item on EU citizenship for children of mixed marriages was not among them. He said a 2+1 meeting had not been vetoed but the delegations had not reached agreement, adding: “We continue to support the Secretary-General’s efforts.”

Erhürman accused the Greek Cypriot side of steps that erode trust, citing the cancellation of festivals and an event involving FC Barcelona, practices on property issues and agreements signed with countries such as Israel. He said Turkish Cypriots were working on confidence-building measures while the other side was undermining existing trust.