Politis

Erhurman: Information Exchange Between Sides Essential for Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Published March 17, 2026, 17:19
Erhurman: Information Exchange Between Sides Essential for Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Tufan Erhurman states that information exchange between the two sides is essential regarding foot-and-mouth disease, given that the Greek Cypriot side is facing greater problems than the Turkish Cypriot side. He emphasizes the importance of the uninterrupted operation of the Veterinary Committee operating within the framework of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Health and the need for continuous updates. Mr. Erhurman states that the Committee met immediately after the “presidential elections” when the issue of foot-and-mouth disease arose and has since met 4 times. He points out that the Committee had initially discussed facilitating the passage of pets between the two communities, but the agreement was cancelled by the authorities in the south citing EU law. Mr. Erhurman emphasizes that the Turkish Cypriot side informed the EU, the UN, and the KD authorities as soon as the problem was identified and provided vaccines for foot-and-mouth disease to the Greek Cypriot side. He expresses his hope that the Technical Committees will operate with transparency, efficiency, and with the participation of competent individuals from both sides. Overall, Mr. Erhurman's statement highlights the importance of cooperation and information exchange to address common challenges, such as foot-and-mouth disease, and the need for political will to implement agreements already reached.