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Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman said on Sept. 26 that the Greek Cypriot side made a written submission to the United Nations and the Security Council seeking to prevent the Turkish Cypriot delegation from meeting representatives of the international community in New York.
Erhürman made the remarks after meeting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, saying the move had also been attempted previously in Nicosia.
He said the initiative had not prevented the Turkish Cypriot side from holding meetings with international representatives.
According to reports, Greek Cyprus’ U.N. mission sent a letter to permanent missions and observer missions in New York urging them to refrain from meeting Turkish Cypriot representatives.
The letter reportedly described Turkish Cyprus as a “separatist entity.”
Erhürman said the issue was among developments he raised with Guterres, arguing that efforts to prevent the Turkish Cypriot side from presenting its views to the international community undermined political equality.
Erhürman also rejected reports that he had vetoed a proposed trilateral meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Guterres.
He said Guterres previously indicated that the conditions for such a meeting were not met and that no agreement was reached on any confidence-building measure during the latest discussions.
Erhürman said the Turkish Cypriot side would continue supporting Guterres’ efforts and work in the sequence he had outlined: confidence-building measures, methodology and then substantive issues.
