Denktas: Punishing A Nation With Embargo For 40 Years Is A Shame For Humanity And E.U.

ADANA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Friday that they were exposed to injustice for years and added, ''they have been punishing a nation with embargo for 40 years. This is a shame.''
Denktas visited Governor Kemal Onal of southern province of Adana.
Replying questions of reporters about the news saying that ''the EU would decide to lift embargo imposed on the TRNC and extend 15 million euro of aid'' during its meeting on May 27, Denktas said that he did not have any information about the issue and noted, ''I wish it would become true.''
Hoping that the Turkish government had exerted great efforts and that they would reach success, Denktas said, ''it is a shame for both the EU and humanity that they have not lifted the embargo. There are not anybody asking why our people are punished.''
Denktas emphasized that the Greek Cypriot side was not the government of whole Cyprus and went on saying, ''we will hail them if they say 'we are the government of the Greek Cypriots in the south of the island.' But, they are saying that 'they are the government of whole Cyprus.' And, they are having intrigues to own whole Cyprus continuing this claim. Through the EU, they want to achieve what they could not do with guns.''
''They want to remove the main rights of Turkey under 1960 treaties with their application to the EU. They tried to take our signature to do all these with Annan report. We became the bad man since we didn't sign it. But, this issue of embargo should be a matter of shame for the EU. We hope they would lift it,'' Denktas said.
Denktas noted that the Turkish Cypriots were not minority and continued, ''we are the people of TRNC. In accordance with the 1960 treaties, we can't join an organization where Turkey doesn't take place. Therefore, we will join the EU when Turkey joins. But, they should end the damage of the embargo by directly extending assistance to us when Turkey is getting prepared till that day. They should act with the consciousness that we are not bound to the Greek Cypriots. If they achieve this, then there will be a move towards the right destination.''
Replying a question about the opening of the doors of the TRNC to the Greek Cypriots, Denktas said, ''it continues. As long as new situations are accepted, naturally people will make new openings.''
Denktas will give a conference on recent developments in Cyprus in the Cukurova University.
(BRC-MS) 16.05.2003