Mehmet Dana, undersecretary to Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, has called on Raffaele Fitto, the newly appointed European Commission envoy for the Cyprus problem, to expedite the implementation of the EU’s direct trade regulation with the Turkish Cypriot community.
During his remarks on Monday, Dana highlighted that the European Council had expressed its commitment in 2004 to ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people. Despite this commitment, he pointed out that there has been little progress towards achieving this goal.
“The European Council, in its decision taken in 2004, emphasised its commitment to ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people and called on the commission to prepare comprehensive proposals for this purpose. However, to date, no significant progress has been made in this regard,” Dana stated.
He stressed that the lack of movement includes the implementation of the direct trade regulation, making Fitto’s role crucial. “Fitto’s ensuring that the necessary steps are taken in this direction without further delay would be the greatest support given by the European Union to the efforts for a solution,” he added.
Furthermore, Dana reiterated the Turkish Cypriot community’s desire for a resolution, stating, “The Turkish Cypriot people’s strong will for a solution continues, and in this context, we, as the Turkish Cypriot side, fully support United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ efforts.”
However, Dana expressed concerns regarding the European Union’s neutrality in negotiations, citing the influence of the Greek Cypriot side, which is a member of the EU and holds veto power. “It is impossible to expect the European Union, of which the Greek Cypriot side is a member and therefore has a veto power, to be neutral in any possible negotiation process,” he remarked.
He noted that past unilateral decisions and biased statements from various EU institutions serve as evidence of this lack of neutrality. Since Erhurman took office in October last year, Dana has underscored the need for trust-building with both the Greek Cypriot side and the European Union.
Fitto, who previously praised Erhurman’s leadership, remarked at the European Parliament last November that the change in leadership within the Turkish Cypriot community could provide a new opportunity for progress. “The window of opportunity must not close without progress. We hope that the coming months will lead to more concrete discussions towards the resumption of the formal settlement process,” he stated.
Fitto further expressed the EU’s commitment to supporting all parties in this dialogue, stating, “The EU counts on all parties to play a constructive and positive role in the discussion, and we are ready to use all the means at our disposal to support.” He also mentioned that beyond diplomatic engagement, the Commission is working on fostering conditions conducive to future reunification.
As the European cohesion commissioner, Fitto oversees the commission’s directorate-general for regional and urban policy, which includes the Cyprus settlement support unit. His dual role as envoy is expected to enhance the EU’s involvement in the ongoing situation in Cyprus.
