LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Monday that Turkish Cypriots would not enter the European Union (EU) by sacrificing Turkey's basic rights on Cyprus and added that they took notice of Turkey's right of guarantorship in Cyprus.
Speaking to reporters before receiving a delegation, Denktas said, ''what we notice is the right of guarantorship of Turkey which provided the prohibition of Enosis and indirect Enosis in 1960 agreements. There is a right which says 'Cyprus cannot enter to a place of which Turkey is not member'. Turkey reserves this right continuously. It is saying in every opportunity that Cyprus cannot enter a place without Turkey. We are protecting this right as well.''
DENKTAS: ''WE ARE NOT THE SIDE WHICH PREVENTS CONSENSUS''
Denktas said that they would act with the conscious of being the side which was not preventing the consensus in Cyprus and added, ''we will continue to be insistent on equal sovereignty and to protect the rights gained from 1960 and not to enter under the domination of Greek Cypriots.''
Recalling the statement of Sokratis Hadzikos, the former defense minister of Greek Cypriot side that they would not be able to settle in Girne as long as Annan Plan was not signed, Denktas implored God's blessing for those who did not sign the plan.
When asked his evaluations about the final statement of the European Union (EU) Thessaloniki Summit which referred to Annan Plan, Denktas told reporters, ''these statements will refer to Annan Plan and everywhere. Everybody is saying and will say that peace and consensus shall be provided in Cyprus as soon as possible. We will act with the conscious of being the side which is not preventing consensus. It is not matter how much they show us the guilty side. Because, our crime is not entering under the domination of Greek Cypriots and to insist on our equal sovereignty and to protect the rights gained from 1960 which gives meaning to the rights that were given to us with Turkey's preventing indirect Enosis and maintaining Turkish-Greek balance over Cyprus. We will continue these.''
Emphasizing that they did not accept indirect Enosis either and domination of Greek Cypriots, Denktas said that they were always ready for an agreement which had equal and sovereign conditions and based on state.
''If outer world did not accept and could not understand it yet, it was not our fault,'' Denktas said, ''if they think that they make us yield by blaming us, we are not in it. We are the side which want consensus. Greek Cypriot side is the side which does not need consensus. Why? Because, as long as everybody tells them 'you are the legitimate government of whole Cyprus', Greek Cypriots do not need to reach agreement with us.''
Denktas said that the reason of Greek Cypriots acting as if they needed and wanted consensus was the requirement of their tactics and was to show that Turkish Cypriot side was not in favor of consensus. He added that they only felt sorry for seeing such a nonsense tactic had reached success, but they would not yield just because Greek Cypriots gained success.
DENKTAS TO PARTICIPATE IN CRANS MONTANA FORUM
Denktas will go to Switzerland to participate in Crans Montana Forum.
Denktas will go to Istanbul on Wednesday and from there to Switzerland on Thursday.
Denktas is expected to return to TRNC on June 29 after completion of the meeting.
TRNC is represented in the forum since 1997. The forum will take place in Crans Montana city between June 25-29 this year.
(AY-AÖ) 23.06.2003