Erhürman's Tactics and the Challenges for Negotiations in Cyprus
August 5, 2026
Tufan Erhürman, leader of the Turkish Cypriots, is using tactics that serve Turkey's interests by blocking the efforts of UN Secretary-General António Guterres. During meetings with Guterres, he continually changed his demands regarding crossing points. Turkey aims to appear cooperative while encouraging the Turkish Cypriot leadership to adopt a negative stance in the negotiations. This strategy is typical of the Turkish side to prevent the resumption of substantive negotiations regarding Cyprus. Erhürman's demands, including the opening of new crossing points, reflect this tactic.