FM Ertuğruloğlu slams GC side’s so-called CBMs
Date Added: 15 February 2022

Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu on Monday slammed the latest “confidence-building measures” proposal made by the Greek Cypriot administration.

He said that the ideas being floated around were aimed at drawing attention away from the solution of the Cyprus Problem and to ensure the continuation of the status quo.

In a written statement, Ertuğruloğlu said that Greek Cypriot officials, the Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Yoannis Kasulides in particular, were lately trying to put into action their plans and designs over the territory of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) under the guise of confidence building measures (CBMs) and in the process trying to exert pressure on the Turkish Cypriot side.

He described such attempts as futile; reminding that no CBM in Cyprus had to date achieved its goal.

“The reason for this is that the CBMs proposed or adopted are from the core of the solution of the Cyprus Problem. The reason why the Cyprus Problem remains unresolved is because the Greek Cypriot side acts as the sole government and representative of the whole island while the Turkish Cypriot people is treated as a community,” he said.

Ertuğruloğlu said that the Cyprus Issue, at its core, was an issue of status and that the CBMs proposed by the Greek Cypriot administration were nothing more than a ruse to preserve the current state-of-affairs on the island.

He added that the existence of the TRNC on the island was an undeniable fact and that all proposals put forward by the Turkish Cypriot side were realistic.

“No doubt, only the Turkish Cypriot people have a right of say over matters concerning the territory of the TRNC. Whether it is the fenced-off town of Maraş, Ercan Airport or the Port of Gazimağusa, all these are part of the TRNC’s territory and under the jurisdiction of the TRNC’s authorities. It is out of the question to hand over this authority so as a result the Greek Cypriot leadership needs to accept these facts,” the TRNC foreign minister said.

“Any step that ignores these realities will be doomed to fail” he added.