Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman told visiting Turkish journalists on Tuesday that “the biggest problem we have is the informal economy in all its forms”, but firmly rejected the perception that occupied northern Cyprus consists only of casinos, mafia, nightclubs and money laundering.
“Yes, there are problems in these areas. But the TRNC and the Turkish Cypriot people are not limited to that,” he stressed referring to the pseudo-state.
On the 33 casinos currently operating in the occupied north, Erhürman repeated his long-standing position: “Casino tourism exists and brings revenue to the state. But like in every sector – including construction – there is a limit, a saturation point.” He also called for restrictions on property sales to foreigners to prevent entire areas turning into “foreign ghettos”.
Cyprus problem outlook
Erhürman said he wants a new window to open on the Cyprus problem but appeared cautiously optimistic. The last substantive talks took place in Crans-Montana in 2017. Despite regional developments since then, no real progress has been made.
Thursday’s meeting with President Christodoulides, coordinated by UN envoy María Ángela Holguin, is not a negotiation but a discussion on confidence-building measures. Erhürman plans to present his 10-point proposal.
He opposes calling a new 5+1 conference (UN + two communities + Turkey + Greece + UK) without prior groundwork that shows real prospects for progress.
Timing concerns
Erhürman warned that Cyprus’s EU Council Presidency starting in January and the May “parliamentary elections” in the occupied north will make substantive negotiations difficult in the first half of 2026.
On speculation that Donald Trump might tackle the Cyprus issue after Ukraine, Erhürman dismissed it as “rumours and unprocessed scenarios”.
He stressed the Cyprus problem has never been purely bicommunal but always international, involving guarantor powers and other countries due to regional dynamics.
Also read: Fidan: Boosting pseudo-state’s international status is a “priority”
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