Erhürman meets Holguin

President Tufan Erhürman on Tuesday received Ms. María Angela Holguín, the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Cyprus at the Presidency.

The tête-à-tête meeting which commenced at 2pm lasted approximately one hour.

Following the meeting, a written statement was issued by Presidential Undersecretary Mehmet Dânâ.

In the statement, Dana said “President Tufan Erhürman, held a very productive meeting today with Ms. María Ángela Holguín, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Cyprus.  During the meeting, views were exchanged with Ms. Holguin on developments since the last trilateral meeting, as well as on the difficulties encountered in relation to the proposed confidence building measures.

The President emphasised to Ms. Holguin that the statements she made following her meeting with the Greek Cypriot Leader concerning the convening of an expanded informal 5+1 meeting, as well as her reference to our proposed methodology, were well-placed; that if there is a genuine will for a solution, it is first necessary to take goodwilled and constructive steps to create an atmosphere conducive to that objective; and that, in line with their will for a settlement, the Turkish Cypriot people are ready.

Noting the dormancy that has persisted since the collapse of the Crans-Montana conference in 2017, as well as developments that have taken place outside the table following the most recent leaders’ meeting and the absence of progress on issues agreed at that meeting, the President emphasised that action on the island has become inevitable in order to foster a climate conducive to a settlement. He underlined that certain measures must be taken to dispel, among Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots alike, the perception that the “two leaders, who cannot even agree on the opening of new crossing points, cannot resolve the Cyprus issue”.  He expressed his hope that steps would be taken on these matters at the meeting tomorrow and underlined that he is ready to do so”.