ADANA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Friday that Cyprus was Turkey's vital issue, adding, ''the Cyprus issue will be solved under the realities mentioned by the Prime Minister.''
Holding a conference on ''Latest Developments On Cyprus'' at the Cukurova University in southern province of Adana, Denktas said that Cyprus was very important for Turkey's security.
Stressing that Turkish Cypriots and Anatolian Turks were sisters and brothers, Denktas said, ''however, Turkish Cypriots say, 'we sacrifice ourselves but we don't want Turkey to give up its rights over Cyprus'. Propagandas about Cyprus aim to separate these brothers and sisters but they failed.''
''We showed that those who said, 'even one Turkish Cypriot would not remain in the north after opening of doors', are liars. I gave response to those who said, 'Turkish Cypriots submitted and they will surrender'. Those who went to the southern Cyprus after opening of the doors are saying, 'we gadded about and walked around but we felt relieved when we came back'. Necessary initiatives are being launched to prevent them putting the Cyprus issue as an obstacle in front of Turkey for lifting of embargoes. I heard that the EU was discussing how it can help Turkish Cypriots. I hope that they would not attempt to help us by tying us to the Greek Cypriot administration again,'' he said.
''It seems that what we have done by opening our doors was beneficial,'' Denktas said.
''We are still standing on our feet because we are a part of you and because Anatolia and Turkish Cypriots are brothers and sisters and because our people who founded and protected their state after those days of calamity will never make bargaining and sell their state. In the world, there is not any people that supports a plan which aims to annihilate their state. Cyprus is Turkey's vital issue. Turkish Cypriots have so far done their best to prevent Turkey from suffering any damage due to this issue, and they will continue to do so,'' Denktas added.
Replying a question, Denktas reminded Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks about Cyprus and said, ''also the Prime Minister defends this national case and all its national principles. When I call Cyprus issue a national case, I mean that this is an issue that bounds to the security council's decisions, parliament's decisions and the protocols that we signed with the presidents. So we don't have any concern. We hope that realities would be thoroughly explained to Greek Cypriots with the decisions that we will take together with the Turkish government during this new period.''
''The Cyprus issue will be solved under the realities that were mentioned by the Prime Minister. And the realities are the existence of two different sovereign peoples that have their own state and continuation of Turkey's guarantor rights and Turkish-Greek balance. So we don't have any concern,'' Denktas said.
(MS) 16.05.2003