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Ertugruloglu Says Erhurman Harms Turkish Cypriots

Published February 20, 2026, 17:09
Ertugruloglu Says Erhurman Harms Turkish Cypriots

The "foreign minister" of the occupied territories, Tahsin Ertugruloglu, criticized the policy of Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman on the Cyprus issue, arguing that it harms Turkish Cypriots. Ertugruloglu stated that Erhurman is trying to present his policy as coordinated with Ankara, which he considers impossible. However, he clarified that he does not consider Erhurman a traitor, but that his policy causes a loss of time and prestige for Turkish Cypriots. Ertugruloglu emphasized that political equality for Turkish Cypriots must be based on sovereign equality, and that Erhurman's effort for "equal sovereignty" implies a single state, rather than two independent ones. Furthermore, Ertugruloglu argued that Greek Cypriots still consider Cyprus a Greek island and that resolving the Cyprus problem requires recognition of the Republic of Cyprus by the Greek Cypriot side. Ertugruloglu stated that previous negotiations for a federation failed and that Turkey's current policy is to achieve a solution between two equal and sovereign states.