LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), responding to the Greek Cypriot and Greek leaders, who described Green Line as ''dividing wall'', pointed out that legal border would continue as long as occupation of Greek Cypriot side continued.
Denktas, who sent a written statement to Turkish Agency-Cyprus (TAK), criticized the statements of Greek Cypriot leader Tasos Papadopoulos and Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou about Cyprus.
Denktas said Papadopoulos's statement that the talks would start as of Turkish occupation, showed that he continued to ignore what had been done to Turkish Cypriots between 1963-1974. Denktas said, ''Greek Cypriot people started to visit the North, and see what had been done to Turkish Cypriots between 1963 and 1974. Cyprus question can not be solved by disregarding what had been done to Turkish Cypriots between 1963-1974. Papadopoulos can not lead anywhere by forgetting those years in which he had played role. He should give up deceiving the world.''
Stating that Greek Cypriot leaders always talked about ''Turkish expansionism'', Denktas said, ''if there had been Turkish expansionism, Greek Cypriot side would be Turkish long before.''
Denktas said Turkey had come to the island to prevent Greek Cypriot occupation on the island and to save Turkish Cypriots from genocide.
Denktas said Green Line had been drawn in 1963 between the two peoples, stating that this line had saved Turkish Cypriot people from genocide.
(AY) 02.06.2003