Turkish and Turkish Cypriot officials demand sovereign equality in Cyprus negotiations

Sources from the Turkish presidency told KYPE that any new meeting on the Cyprus issue must be based on the principle of sovereign equality between the two sides. They questioned the Greek Cypriot side's willingness to accept such a formula, citing historical rejections of settlement plans like the Annan Plan. The sources also criticized the Republic of Cyprus's EU accession before a resolution, claiming it is used to block Turkey's European path and calling for the lifting of international embargoes on the north. Simultaneously, Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, the foreign minister of the breakaway north, stated that the federation model collapsed after the 2017 Crans-Montana talks. Ertuğruloğlu argued that any future negotiations should occur between two states rather than two communities. He also challenged Tufan Erhürman's automatic role as a negotiator, asserting that such an appointment now requires a decision from the parliament of the occupied areas. The Turkish side maintains that intercommunal talks have effectively ended in favor of a state-to-state approach.