‘Full of traps,’ says Tatar on Christodoulides’s rumoured CBMs

The 14-point package of confidence building measures (CBMs) reportedly being prepared by President Nikos Christodoulides is “full of traps”, according to Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.

The authenticity of the reported package is yet to be confirmed or denied by the government, having been reported in Sunday’s Politis newspaper.

The reported package includes the bestowment of Republic of Cyprus citizenship upon Turkish Cypriots born to mixed marriages involving citizens of the Republic of Turkey, an expansion of products covered by the Green Line regulation, and Gesy coverage for Turkish Cypriots living and working in the north, among other things.

“If what is being reported is correct, it appears that this package is full of traps. [Christodoulides] is ill-intentioned and not sincere,” Tatar said.

“A one-sided package has nothing to do with confidence building or cooperation proposals that need to be mutually agreed upon on the basis of equality between the two sides. It seems that there are further efforts by the Greek Cypriot people to patch the Turkish Cypriot people into the Greek Cypriot administration,” he added.

He said the Greek Cypriot side “continues to do everything it can to isolate our people, from obstructing direct trade and direct flights, to stopping our clubs from even being able to play in international friendly football games”.

He added that the package “is aimed solely at individuals and has nothing to do with the TRNC”.

However, reaction among other sections of the Turkish Cypriot side was less scathing.

Former ‘prime minister’ and current parliamentary opposition leader Tufan Erhurman spoke about the rumoured expansion of products covered by the Green Line regulation, while also asking for more.

“The improvement of conditions at the crossing points and the opening of new crossing points are important both in economic terms and in terms of developing relations between the two communities,” he said.

“The existing crossing points should be improved, and the opening of new crossing points should be insistently put on the agenda, giving priority to Nicosia, where the crossing points are the busiest.”