Turkish Cypriots will not meet EU envoy Hahn

The north’s ‘foreign minister’ Tahsin Ertugruloglu will not meet the European Union’s envoy for the Cyprus problem Johannes Hahn while he is in Cyprus, the ‘ministry’s’ undersecretary Mustafa Lakadamyali confirmed on Tuesday.

He told the Cyprus Mail that no such meeting will be held.

Asked whether Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar will meet Hahn, he said, “I do not know for certain, but I do not think so.”

Earlier, the Cyprus Mail had asked Tatar’s office whether he had plans to meet Hahn but did not receive a response.

The Turkish Cypriot side has since Hahn’s appointment by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last month been less than enthused by the creation of his role.

Ertugruloglu had said in May that it is “out of the question for us to recognise the appointment of such a representative, see it as legitimate, or accept his involvement in the current dialogue process”, and described Hahn’s appointment as a “provocative step”.

He added, “if it refuses to recognise our sovereign equality and continues to disregard the will of our people, all steps taken by the EU will be deemed null and void by us”.

Tatar, meanwhile, described Hahn’s appointment as “a unilateral attempt” on the European Commission’s part, which “ignores the political realities and delicate balances on the island”.

“I find it useful to reiterate once again that the EU cannot be involved in any process without our consent,” he added, saying that he will “continue close contacts” with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and “work constructively and in a result-oriented manner” with UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin.