**Title: Erhurman Advocates for EU Support Outside Cyprus Negotiations**
Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman has called for the European Union (EU) to support the resolution of the Cyprus issue from outside the negotiating table, rather than participating directly in future talks. His remarks were made in an interview with the Turkish newspaper Gazete Pencere, following a meeting with María Ángela Holguín, the UN secretary-general’s personal envoy for Cyprus.
Erhurman emphasized that the ongoing negotiation process is being conducted in "full consultation and coordination" with Turkey, asserting that there are no disagreements between the Turkish Cypriot side and the Turkish government. He indicated a willingness to consider a new 5+1 conference format, which would involve the three guarantor powers—Turkey, Greece, and Britain—alongside both Cypriot communities and the United Nations. However, he stressed the importance of adequate groundwork being laid before any such meeting could occur.
"We do not have an approach that says there should be no 5+1 meeting if conditions have not fully matured," Erhurman stated. He added that for a successful meeting, it is crucial to ensure that necessary preliminary preparations have been completed.
In his comments, Erhurman outlined four key conditions that he believes should guide any new negotiation process:
1. Political equality must not be negotiable.
2. Talks should operate within a defined timetable.
3. Previous agreements and convergences should be reaffirmed.
4. There should be no regression to the current status quo if the Greek Cypriot side withdraws from negotiations.
He noted, "We will not participate in a framework without a timetable and without a deadline. The United Nations is well aware of this."
Addressing concerns about his relationship with Ankara, Erhurman dismissed the notion that tensions could arise between the Turkish government and the Turkish Cypriot leadership. He reaffirmed that developments regarding the Cyprus issue are consistently managed in consultation with Turkey. "At the moment we are in full consultation and coordination, and this continues on a daily basis," he said, emphasizing the absence of any problems in their collaboration.
On the role of the EU in the negotiations, Erhurman argued that the bloc's involvement as a participant would compromise the neutrality of the process, given that the Republic of Cyprus is an EU member state. "The common position of Turkey and ourselves is that the European Union cannot be one of the parties sitting at the negotiating table," he asserted.
Instead, he proposed that the EU could play a constructive role outside the negotiations, particularly concerning the lifting of what the Turkish Cypriot side refers to as isolation measures and restrictions on direct trade. "I believe that this time the EU owes us a contribution, not through its presence at the table, but by facilitating the process through actions outside it," he stated.
Erhurman refrained from expressing a definitive outlook on the current diplomatic efforts, indicating that it is premature to draw conclusions. "In an environment where the UN secretary-general is launching a new initiative, it would not be right to say there is no hope," he remarked. He concluded by stating that while he aims to contribute to the process in good faith, it is still too early to determine whether he feels optimistic or pessimistic about the outcome.
The ongoing discussions surrounding the Cyprus issue remain complex, with multiple stakeholders involved, including the respective communities on the island and the guarantor powers. Erhurman's statements reflect the Turkish Cypriot perspective on the negotiations and the role that external parties, such as the EU, should play in the process moving forward.