Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman called on Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides to unconditionally accept a rotating presidency, saying he would immediately join United Nations-mediated talks if the principle were recognized.
Speaking during a televised program, Erhürman said he was ready to attend a trilateral meeting with Christodoulides and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, provided the Greek Cypriot side accepted political equality without linking the rotating presidency to security arrangements or guarantees.
"Let him accept the rotating presidency unconditionally, and I will come immediately," Erhürman said, adding that he had conveyed the proposal through Guterres' personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, but received no response.
Erhürman criticized the lack of progress on seven confidence-building measures raised by Guterres, noting that Christodoulides had instead presented 19 new proposals.
He also explained why a trilateral meeting had not taken place in New York, saying he had informed the U.N. envoy of his willingness to participate if there was a realistic prospect of agreement on two or three concrete issues.
"I don't want meetings just for show. I don't want photo opportunities. I want to get things done," he said.
The Turkish Cypriot leader stressed that negotiations should deliver tangible results rather than merely resume without a clear path toward a settlement.
"I negotiate to achieve a solution, not simply for the sake of negotiating," he said.
Erhürman reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing a results-oriented process, emphasizing the importance of confidence-building measures and his four-point framework for future negotiations.
