Eroglu: Citizens Have Experienced And Seen The Reasons Of Our Objection To Annan Plan As The Doors Are Opened

LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister and National Unity Party (UBP) leader Dervis Eroglu said on Sunday that the citizens had experienced and seen the reasons of their objection to Annan plan as the doors were opened.
The 14th regular congress of the UBP was held and Dervis Eroglu was chosen as the leader of the party for two years.
Speaking in the congress, Eroglu made harsh criticisms of the organizations which staged actions for ''solution in Cyprus and European Union (EU) membership'' and opposition parties in the parliament.
Eroglu said that the UBP was tried to be shown as ''an enemy of peace'' since they talked about what could happen in the country if the Annan plan was adopted in its current shape.
''Citizens have experienced and seen the reasons of our objection to Annan plan as the doors are opened now. It would have been over if we said yes to this plan and there would be neither TRNC nor Turkish Cypriot existence. Therefore, we objected,'' said Eroglu.
Eroglu noted that the world and Greek Cypriot side insisted on not seeing that there was a democratic regime in TRNC and on using the expression ''Denktas regime.''
However, Eroglu stressed, TRNC was a state with all its institutions.
Eroglu said that Annan plan indexed on Copenhagen summit and the EU membership of the Greek Cypriots divided the Turkish Cypriots.
Even children were brought to the fields where demonstrations were staged, Eroglu noted.
Eroglu said that he was even called ''traitor Eroglu'' and asked, ''how can a move to tell about the bad sides of the Annan plan be called treason?''
''Even they knew that the Greek Cypriots wanted whole of Cyprus, departure of Turkish soldiers from the island and enosis (union with Greece), some parties still suggested living together with the Greek Cypriots,'' Eroglu said.
Eroglu noted that the opposition parties were shocked by the statements of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who paid a visit to TRNC on Friday and went on saying, ''our policy is the policy of the motherland. We need unity and solidarity and if we act like this, the Greek Cypriots will see the realities. But, if messages like 'we are under occupation and we are fed up with this state' are given, the world will press on us, documents like Annan plan will be put forth and they will want to take our territories.''
Majority of Turkish Cypriot people knew how to say 'stop' to those who wanted to take their territories, Eroglu emphasized.
Eroglu said that ''if the EU countries which imposed the cruelest embargoes wanted a lasting and sustainable agreement in Cyprus, they had to lift those embargoes which were a shame of humanity.''
There were people who proposed to adopt the Annan plan, Eroglu stated. But, he said, acting contrary to their case would be out of question.
Eroglu said that they were after their case and their mission was to co-exist with the motherland, and not to yield to the Greek Cypriots.
(BRC-AÖ) 12.05.2003