Politis

Erhurman on von der Leyen's Speech: 'We Will Not Ignore Being Ignored'

Published January 8, 2026, 15:19
Erhurman on von der Leyen's Speech: 'We Will Not Ignore Being Ignored'

The Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman, criticized the speech of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the ceremony of Cyprus's accession to the EU, as it made no mention of Turkish Cypriots. Erhurman stated that they will not ignore being ignored and will continue to point it out at every forum. He emphasized the need for confidence-building measures between the EU and Turkish Cypriots and stated that he would continue to explain the situation to EU officials. Erhurman accused the EU of a lack of understanding of the situation in Cyprus and of overlooking the presence of Turkish Cypriots on the island.