Dialogos

Erhiyurman: “Humanity Should Not Be Determined by Interest and Power”

Published March 13, 2026, 17:00
Erhiyurman: “Humanity Should Not Be Determined by Interest and Power”

The Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhiyurman, in a post, expressed his sorrow for the death of children in an attack on a school in Iran, emphasizing that war should not be the solution. He stressed that humanity should not be determined by interest and power, but by peace, dialogue and diplomacy. Mr. Erhiyurman criticized the tendency to stigmatize those who support peace as “romantic”. This was followed by a new confrontation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the occupied territories, Tahsin Ertugruloglu, who criticized Mr. Erhiyurman for his statements. Mr. Erhiyurman replied that they do not belong to the same worldview and that he will continue to speak the language of logic and peace. Mr. Ertugruloglu stated that the Turkish Cypriot people have no aggressive intentions towards the Greek Cypriot people and called for peace, but warned that they would fight if attacked. He expressed the view that Cyprus should be equipped with the necessary tools to combat organized crime and protect state security. The exchange of statements highlights the different approaches and tensions between the leaders of the occupied territories regarding politics and relations with the Greek Cypriot side.