NUANCE, REBIRTH, AND WIN-WIN

The first 100 days…
A tradition…
The president appears before the press…

Once again, that imposing building, a large hall, numerous journalists, and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman at the podium.

“We will be back here every 100 days…”

What stuck in my mind after 2.5 hours?

It’s still too early, but… The dominant feeling of the meeting was the emphasis on “Greek Cypriots are not coming around”…

Citizenship for children of mixed marriages…
New check points…
The opportunity for children to play sports…

But more importantly, the acceptance in principle of rotating presidency and effective participation regarding political equality…

Four topics…
Ten topics…

“We propose, we want, we offer, but they are not taking any steps…”

I raised my hand for a long while, but it was not my turn to ask a question.
What I was wondering was: How will the Greek Cypriot leader accept the “four proposals on the solution method”?
That is, how will this process work in practice?
Will a verbal “okay, I accept in principle” suffice?

Or, will it require a written, binding commitment?

Will formal negotiations begin at this point, or will more uncertainties be triggered?

Hope and “Rebirth”

Despite the experience of the first 100 days, Erhürman is not pessimistic.

He is hopeful, resilient, even determined.

“No matter what anyone says, we will shape this five-year period as a moment of rebirth for Turkish Cypriots,” he says.

This is not an ordinary optimism; it is a serious declaration of self-confidence.

“We will work with meaning, gravity, and a focus on results…”
“For a solution…”
“For relations with the world…”
“For the visibility of Turkish Cypriots…”
“So that the institutional structure and identity are a source of pride, not concern…”

Terminology, or a shift in direction?

I wrote a single word in my notebook: Nuance.
Relations with Turkey is the most intriguing topic.

Erhürman describes this area as “nuance in terminology.”
Like a subtle difference…
Perhaps meaning, “there is no open conflict, but we are not saying the same thing either.”

This is a mastery of words.
Because I think the issue is much deeper than just terminology.

Erhürman describes a federal partnership based on political equality. The government in Ankara, however, is shouting about political separation despite the 63% will of the Turkish Cypriots; in other words, it is clinging to the status quo.

This is no longer a nuance; it’s a difference in direction…

Win-win Lose-lose

Two English concepts: Win-win, or lose-lose.

“Either we win together, or we lose together…”

I’m not entirely convinced by this.
Many of my colleagues at the press conference feel the same way…

Because, at the end of the day, we usually do not lose together.
Most of the time, it is the Turkish Cypriots.

Not Turkey…
Not Greece…
Not the UK…
Not even the Republic of Cyprus…

Eighteen separate working groups

Eighteen separate working groups have been created.
Property, culture, economy, and many more…

This may be the most concrete achievement of the “first 100 days.”

I wish everyone in these groups were announced by name and area of expertise.

For instance, 119 applications were received by the “Public Administration Monitoring and Citizen Complaints Unit.”

This is not an ordinary number.
There is serious momentum, remarkable collective effort.

First question: The ones banned from Turkey

Intellectuals, journalists, doctors, trade unionists who are banned from entering Turkey…

Of course, this was also asked.
The first question…

Erhürman said he discussed this issue with Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz both in Ankara and Nicosia.

“It was said there is going to be a response, I’m waiting.”

Let’s see…
I hope they show at least enough respect to respond without spoiling the mood…

The Real Question: Federation, or Deadlock?

Erhürman frequently referred to his past statements, saying, “I am speaking now what I spoke during the election period.”

He even turned to the journalists and said, “If there is a difference, remind me of my previous statements.”

Not because I think there is a difference, but because I consider it vital for the future, I pulled this sentence from the archives:

“As long as the UN Security Council resolutions remain unchanged, proposing a formula other than a federation makes you a party to the lack of solution, not the solution, regardless of the sincerity of the other side.”

So, the right question is not:
“Federation or two states?”
The right question is:
“Federation, or deadlock?”

This reminder is for Ankara, which has made Erhürman’s life as difficult as that of the Greek Cypriot leader…

This article was originally published on 03.02.2026

Source: NUANCE, REBIRTH, AND WIN-WIN