DENKTAS: TURKEY'S DECISION CREATED AN ATMOSPHERE OF SOLVING THESE ISSUES MUTUALLY AND IN A BALANCED WAY
LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said late on Friday that the Turkish side had always wanted solution of property issue through compensation and barter, adding that Turkey which had bargained for four years about ''Loizidou case'' accepted to pay compensation, creating an atmosphere of solving those issues mutually and in a balanced way.
Speaking on the TRNC's Bayrak Television (BRT), President Denktas said that payment of the money by Turkey, which was mentioned in the decision on ''Loizidou case'', was left to October, adding, ''there are legal works that we will carry out here until October, and there is the issue of compensation of Turkish Cypriots' properties in the Greek Cypriot side.''
Replying a question which said, ''Turkey said it would be in October. Does this aim to have us gain time?'' Denktas said, ''no, it does not aim to have us gain time. It aims to create an atmosphere of solving these issues mutually and in a balanced way. If the European Union (EU) is satisfied, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) starts to talk about 'what will Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots take?' and this means that this issue has begun to go well.''
Stressing that the state was the protector of Turkish properties in the Greek Cypriot side, Denktas said, ''so the owner of the property will request compensation from the Greek Cypriot side and take it upon the state's permission. Because, he or she has been given something in return of that compensation. It is an issue of calculation whether or not the compensation covers it. So we are at the point of balancing calculations.''
Noting that a commission would determine Greek Cypriots' properties in the TRNC and another commission would determine Turkish Cypriots' properties in the Greek Cypriot side, Denktas said, ''both the EU and the ECHR will see the facts. I hope that they will help us then.''
Underlining that Greek Cypriots could apply to the TRNC courts, President Denktas said that lawyers in the EU had been reviewing the law.
''Under the law, a commission will be formed. Greek Cypriots will be able to apply to this commission for compensation and barter. Meanwhile, some steps will be taken to seek rights of Turkish Cypriot people in the Greek Cypriot side. However, these steps cannot be considered return of people to their properties. Our target is to create an atmosphere in which problems between the two sides will be resolved in a balanced and equal way. The EU should assist the works to resolve the issue of properties between the two states on the island,'' he said.
''We should have bargained before sitting at the negotiation table after 1974. If we had bargained, ways would have been opened for recognition of the TRNC,'' he said.
Recalling that Turkey had launched a great initiative at the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) about the TRNC, President Denktas said, ''OIC countries should recognize a nation who protect their state in Cyprus.''
''A game has been played on people, who came to the TRNC from Turkey. They asked me to give thirty-five thousand names if Annan's plan is signed. The remaining would be sent back to Turkey. We should be aware of these,'' he added.
(MS-UK) 21.06.2003