Erhürman: Trust must be restored not only between communities, but also with the EU

President of Northern Cyprus Tufan Erhürman said after meeting with European Commission Vice-President Raffaele Fitto that Turkish Cypriots need confidence-building measures not only with the Greek Cypriot side, but also with the European Union.

According to Erhürman, during the talks he pointed out that the decisions and actions of EU institutions, including the European Parliament, have been perceived as one-sided in recent years and undermine trust in the European Union.

The President noted that the EU cannot be a party to possible negotiations on a Cyprus settlement, but can play a positive role by helping to implement confidence-building measures.

The sides also discussed the launch of the Direct Trade Regulation, problems with the implementation of the «Green Line» Regulation, the rights of Turkish Cypriots as EU citizens, and issues related to property rights.

Erhürman stressed that the international isolation of Turkish Cypriots must end, and that obstacles to the full participation of the island’s residents, especially children, in the life of the international community must be removed.