Denktas Responds Hannay: There Is The State Whether He Recognizes Us Or Not

LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Wednesday harshly reacted against former British Cyprus Special Envoy Lord David Hannay who earlier said there would never be a solution on Cyprus based on two states. Denktas said, ''who are you? There is the state regardless of whether he recognizes us or not.''
Speaking at his meeting with a delegation from Ankara Chamber of Trade (ATO), Denktas evaluated statement of Hannay.
Denktas said ''Hannay, during his six-year term in office, always considered Cyprus issue from point of view of Greek Cypriots. He kept saying that they would never recognize a separate state and always acted like a snob colony governor, and never wanted to understand what we wanted to say. Now that he left the office and said there would never be two states. Who are you to say this? It is most serious injustice to say 'I do not and will not recognize your state' to a people who founded its state. This is a shame for those who don't recognize it.''
Denktas said those who founded the state would defend recognition as their right till the end, stating that it would be recognized if they were patient and resolved. Denktas said, ''there could not be an agreement so far because they recognized only Greek Cypriots but did not recognize us.''
TRNC President Denktas said, ''the response that would be given to Lord David Hannay's statement that, ''we don't recognize the state and we will not,' will be ''there is the state. It exists whether you recognize it or not. It would continue to exist. In the period that you do not recognize their state, Turkish Cypriots will not be patched to Greek Cypriots as you like.''
Denktas said his people would be scattered and vanished completely among 700 thousand Greek Cypriots if they failed to protect their state and sovereignty. Denktas said they would protect their state and make bargaining to have better days.
When asked about contacts of Greek Cypriot administration foreign minister in the United States, Denktas criticized the U.N. Secretary General Cyprus Special Envoy Alvaro de Soto and said De Soto did not have the capability to understand Cyprus issue.
Denktas said De Soto accused him as he rejected the plan set up by Hannay and former Greek Cypriot Chief Prosecutor Alekos Markides. TRNC President stated that, ''if we had accepted that plan, now that Greek Cypriots who passed to this side with title deeds in their hands, would have started to take action to throw 60-70 thousand people to the streets. De Soto did not understand Cyprus question and did not have the capability to understand it. What he had said doesn't interest me. He again told Greek Cypriots what Greek Cypriots wanted to hear.''
Denktas stated that not only Greek Cypriots, but also Turkish Cypriots lived in Cyprus, adding that De Soto did not take this into consideration and regarded Turks as a minority and he claimed that ''he did a very big favour to Turks'' with the plan. Denktas stressed that the history would show that the plan was very wrong, adding that international jurists assessed that Annan plan was a plan to annihilate Turkish Cypriots.
''Let's open our eyes and let's not deceive ourselves,'' said Denktas and noted that ''rather than listening to De Soto, let's read Annan plan once again and assess it well.''
Denktas stressed that Turkish Cypriot nation was determined to claim ownership of their state, adding that ''just like Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, we are ready to reach agreement, to be partners upon the basis of two states.''
Noting that the possibility of reaching agreement with Greek Cypriots on equal conditions could come out if Greek Cypriots saw the determination of Turkish Cypriots in claiming and protecting their state, Denktas said that ''Greek Cypriots saw us so strong that Greek Cypriot investors asked our people to set up partnerships with them. Turkish investors should act fast in that respect.''
Ankara Trade Chamber (ATO) Executive Board Deputy President Ali Goksin said that they planned to hold a fair in TRNC in the beginning of September, adding that they came to TRNC to hold contacts in this issue.
WESTON DUE IN CYPRUS
Thomas Weston, the U.S. Department of State's Special Coordinator to Cyprus will come to the island on June 13 to hold contacts both in TRNC and also in the Greek Cypriot side.
According to the information given by the U.S. representation in TRNC, Weston will start his contacts on June 16, Monday.
TRNC President Rauf Denktas will receive Weston at 09.00 a.m. on June 16, Monday. Weston will also meet with representatives of political parties and trade unions the same day.
Thomas Weston, who will have contacts in Greek Cypriot side on Tuesday, will leave the island on Wednesday.
ERTUGRULOGLU: ''APPROACHES OF HANNAY AND WESTON HAVE THE CHARACTER OF HINDERING POSSIBLE AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO STATES''
TRNC Foreign and Defense Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu said on Wednesday that the plan submitted by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan didn't have any part to be re-evaluated.
''Insisting on this plan which does not have any validity is nothing but hindering the possibility of reaching an agreement on the island,'' said Ertugruloglu.
Speaking to Turkish Cypriot News Agency (TAK), Ertugruloglu assessed the statements of former special representative of Britain to Cyprus Lord David Hannay who said that ''a two-state solution in Cyprus will never come true'' and the statement of U.S. Department of State's Special Coordinator to Cyprus Thomas Weston who called the Turkish Cypriot side to re-assess Annan plan.
Ertugruloglu stated that the approaches of Hannay and Weston had the character of hindering a possible agreement between the two states in Cyprus.
Ertugruloglu stressed that the anti-Turkish attitude of Hannay continued, calling Hannay to give up his approach of darkening the future of Turkish Cypriots and getting rid of them.
Ertugruloglu pointed out that Hannay was known for his anti-Turkish, unfriendly and repulsive attitude during his term in office.
Ertugruloglu said that although Hannay's term in office ended, he was still continuing in his opponent attitude towards Turkish people and hostile behavior and added that his personal benefits and connections with Greek Cypriot and Greek business circles were effective in his attitude. He said that the statement ''a solution depending on two states in Cyprus will never be fulfilled'' meant that ''two states in Cyprus will never reach an agreement.'' He added that as they did not give up their state, perhaps they could achieve good neighborhood relations as two neighbor states and they could build the future on this. ''Otherwise, every one will go on his own way.''
Criticizing the statement of Weston, who said that Turkish Cypriot side should evaluate Annan Plan again, Ertugruloglu underlined that the agreement in Cyprus could be possible by taking the realities of the island into consideration, not by Annan Plan. He added that the approach of Weston was preventing an agreement between two states in Cyprus like the approach of Hannay.
Underlining that Annan Plan did not have a side to be evaluated again, Ertugruloglu said that ''as long as the basis of Annan Plan did not change, it would have the characteristic preventing an agreement between two peoples and two states on the island, not easing it. Let me reiterate, we will not give up our state, our sovereignty, and our equality and our motherland. If positive developments between two states are expected and desired, it could be possible by taking the realities of island into consideration, not by traps like the Annan Plan.''
DENKTAS RECEIVES DUTCH AMBASSADOR
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Wednesday that everybody was sad that a result could not be reached at the end of the meetings held in The Hague in March and added, ''but, nobody has tried to see that there is not any plan which has been completed and for which a referendum can be held.''
Denktas, who received Dutch Ambassador Jhr. Mr. M. E. C. Gevers in the Greek Cypriot side, said, ''if a referendum was held regarding the United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan, Turkish Cypriots would say 'no' to the plan'' and criticized those who showed him as the reason of the rejection of the plan.
Both sides wanted changes in the plan, Denktas noted.
Stating that there were six thousand pages of deficiencies in the plan, Denktas said that it was the duty of the government to call for a referendum but they were not satisfied with the plan and a referendum could not be held for the plan.
Noting that the government was not ready to accept the plan, Denktas said that ''he was accused of not holding a referendum regarding the plan by ignoring the government.''
Denktas drew the attention that ''it was the first time in the world that the negotiator of one of the sides of the disagreement was asked to directly hold a referendum regarding a plan by leaving aside his government and parliament.''
''I don't accept the claims that I was the reason of the rejection of the plan,'' he said.
Denktas said that Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos asked for two months of time to consider the plan during the negotiations and also asked for unacceptable conditions and guarantees from Turkey in case people said ''no'' to the plan in the referendum.
Turkey knew well what to guarantee and not to guarantee, Denktas emphasized.
Responding to criticisms of former British Special Envoy to Cyprus Lord David Hannay regarding him, Denktas said that Hannay ''was side with the Greek Cypriots.''
Denktas noted that Hannay ''claimed that Denktas was responsible for not reaching a result and announced that a solution based on principle of existence of two states was a solution which could never be accepted.'' He emphasized that they did not accept Hannay's views.
''He is again taking sides and thus, he obstructs a fair solution to Cyprus issue,'' Denktas said.
Gevers said that an important meeting regarding Cyprus issue was held in The Hague but a solution could not be reached.
Stating that they sincerely wished to find a new opportunity to resume the negotiation process, Gevers said that ''they hoped for a future when a united Cyprus was a member of the European Union (EU).''
Expressing pleasure with the developments regarding passage between the two sides in Cyprus, Gevers noted that that development would help a solution.

(AY-Öª-GC-AÖ-BRC) 11.06.2003