Turkey opposition MP: Federal Cyprus cannot be thrown in the bin

Turkish opposition party CHP MP and former ambassador to the United States Namik Tan on Friday said a federal solution to the Cyprus problem cannot be “thrown in the bin”.

Speaking at the Turkish parliament’s budget committee, he stressed that Turkey’s path towards closer ties with the European Union “passes through Cyprus, even if we do not accept it”.

To this end, he pointed to the current impasse in efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, and suggested that Turkey return to negotiations for a federal solution rather than insist on a two-state solution.

“The United Nations’ parameters for a solution, in short, foresee a new federation with two communities and two zones. Our unilaterally throwing this in the bin and setting out with a proposal for a two-state solution cannot be convincing in the eyes of our interlocutors and allies,” he said.

He added that the current Turkish stance in favour of “equal sovereignty” for both sides of the island is “incomprehensible”.

“Trying to move forward by twisting hands, presenting the deadlock as a solution, and playing for time also undermines the integrity of our foreign policy,” he added.

Tan was a career diplomat, having entered Turkey’s foreign ministry in 1982 and been poste to Moscow and Abu Dhabi, before being made ambassador in Washington DC in 2010. He entered politics in 2023, being elected as an MP for the CHP in the Istanbul province in May that year.

His comments come just three days after Turkish Cypriot ruling coalition party UBP secretary-general Oguzhan Hasipoglu had decried what he described as “intervention” in local politics on the part of the CHP after party leader Ozgur Ozel had said Turkish Cypriot opposition party CTP leader Tufan Erhurman was “ahead in the polls” for next year’s elections.

“The message that the CTP’s candidate is ahead in the presidential elections is an unfortunate and untimely statement. They are making a statement that there should be no intervention in Cyprus’ politics, but at the same time, while there are still 11 months left until the presidential elections, they are saying the CTP’s candidate is ahead,” he began.

He went on to insist that the CHP has no choice but to support a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem, pointing out that the Turkish parliament had in July passed a resolution in support of such a solution.

He also called on the CHP to “understand the CTP’s vision and mission”, adding that “in the motherland Turkey, the Cyprus problem is a national cause and you can only voice support for a two-state solution”.

Many in opposition have been keen to point out the irony of Hasipoglu’s statements given their belief that previous elections in the north have been subject to interference on the part of Turkey’s ruling AK Party and affiliates.

CTP ‘MP’ Dogus Derya on Wednesday asked Hasipoglu, “where were you when AK Party and [affiliate party] MHP MPS, who came with teams to interfere in the 2020 presidential elections and whose activities were reported, were going door to door in the TRNC?

(Source: Reuters)