President briefs political parties on Cyprus issue, says efforts to strengthen IPC to continue

President Tufan Erhürman has briefed members of the Political Parties Council on recent developments concerning the Cyprus issue and the Immovable Property Commission.

The President reiterated the Turkish Cypriot side’s support for the latest UN initiative and underlined the need for any future expanded meeting on Cyprus to produce concrete results.

Erhürman also said efforts would continue to strengthen the Commission, while stressing that a recent decision by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe was not directly related to the effectiveness of the IPC.

Speaking after the meeting, Erhürman said the Turkish Cypriot side supports the new initiative launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and pursued through the contacts of his Personal Envoy for Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar.

He said the Turkish Cypriot side remains ready to contribute to the process in line with its principles and reiterated that negotiations should be aimed at reaching a settlement rather than being conducted for their own sake.

Erhürman also stressed the importance of the four-point methodology proposed by the Turkish Cypriot side, saying future efforts should focus on substance and content.

Referring to a possible expanded 5+1 meeting under UN auspices, the President said such a gathering should be capable of producing concrete outcomes and should not be limited to discussions on confidence-building measures.

He added that the necessary groundwork should be completed beforehand to ensure that any expanded meeting delivers meaningful results.

Referring to the recent decision adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Erhürman said the decision had no direct connection with the question of whether the Commission remains an effective domestic remedy.

He stressed, however, that the decision should not be underestimated and that the Turkish Cypriot side must carefully evaluate its implications and take the necessary measures.

The President said he had once again conveyed his views to the government regarding actions needed to strengthen the Commission, noting that there was broad consensus among members of the Political Parties Council on the issue.

He said efforts would continue both within the relevant international mechanisms and domestically to further reinforce the Commission and ensure that its effectiveness remains beyond dispute.