Pol. parties express unified front ahead of leaders’ meeting
Following the Council of Political Parties meeting held at the Presidency, party representatives issued statements detailing their input and assessment of the upcoming leaders’ summit.
The attending parties expressed a unified front broadly supporting President Erhürman’s cautious approach to the upcoming summit with Greek Cypriot leader Christodoulides.
The consensus centered on prioritizing political equality and sovereignty, with leaders generally holding low expectations for an immediate breakthrough on Thursday, instead viewing the meeting as an essential first step toward potential future dialogue.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Prime Minister and UBP Leader Ünal Üstel stated that the UBP once again voiced their position on the Cyprus issue, emphasizing the opportunity to reaffirm their stance on “equal sovereign two states and equal international status.”
He added that briefing meetings for political parties would be held immediately following future high-level talks. Üstel deemed the meeting useful and confirmed that, as Prime Minister, he would meet with the President every 15 days to discuss developments concerning the Cyprus issue.
The main opposition CTP ‘s acting leader Erkut Şahali emphasized the vital importance of the President’s “four-element approach, starting with political equality and demanding its confirmation.”
He stated that this initial assessment is crucial for determining if negotiations can restart, and if so, on what basis and timeline.
DP Leader Fikri Ataoğlu characterized the Council meeting as having taken place in a sincere atmosphere. He confirmed that they exchanged views and presented their suggestions, underscoring the importance of Thursday’s meeting.
YDP Leader Erhan Arıklı commended the President’s inclusion of political parties that surpassed the 3% vote threshold, in addition to those represented in the Assembly.
He suggested Christodoulides’ goal is to draw Turkish Cypriots into an endless negotiation process to play for time.
The leader of the Social Democratic Party (TDP) Zeki Çeler stated that Thursday’s meeting “will be an important step” that will reveal what the Greek Cypriots think about the political equality of the Turkish Cypriots.
HP Leader Kudret Özersay described the meeting as having a new format and being productive. He said they had the opportunity to discuss the President’s Ankara visit, clarifying certain ambiguous points.
