Turkish Cyprus needs to change its image in Türkiye, which is largely associated with casinos, illegal money and mafia networks, Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman has said.
The leader of the northern part of the ethnically divided island, who took office following his election victory in October, hosted a group of Turkish journalists in Nicosia.
Erhürman stated that they aim to achieve a transformation both internally and in their external relations.
Referring to how Turkish Cyprus has in recent years been predominantly portrayed in Türkiye under headlines like “casinos, mafia, nightclubs and money laundering,” Erhürman noted that this perception is one-sided.
Recognized only by Ankara, Turkish Cyprus has faced international isolation for years, receiving nearly only interactions from Türkiye.
The fact that casinos are illegal in Türkiye but operate in Turkish Cyprus has contributed to this perception.
“We have issues in these areas, but Turkish Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot people are not defined solely by them. There is a need to re-share our country’s true potential with the Turkish public,” Erhürman said.
Unlike his predecessor Ersin Tatar and Ankara, Erhürman supports a vision of a unified country in which the two communities have equal rights, rather than a two-state solution.
Nonetheless, Erhürman emphasized that he will continue to coordinate with Ankara on foreign policy matters.
Türkiye’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)leader Devlet Bahçeli previously criticized Erhürman for being a “federalist” regarding the Cyprus issue, issuing a call to “make Turkish Cyprus the 82nd province of Türkiye.”
When reminded of Bahçeli’s remarks, Erhürman responded, “I have never preferred for Ankara to speak to us from a distance, nor for us to speak to Ankara in isolation.
“I believe we need a form of communication that is maintained through dialogue, not one-sided monologues,” he added.
