LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Wednesday that there were people who gave very inaccurate information to foreigners on behalf of them, adding, ''among us, there are mercenary spies who serve external world.''
Denktas left the TRNC late on the same day for Istanbul to attend the Crans Montana meetings in Switzerland.
Denktas will proceed from Istanbul to Switzerland early on Thursday together with TRNC Foreign and Defense Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu and ministry bureaucrats who earlier left the TRNC for Turkey.
Prior to his departure from the Gecitkale Airport, Denktas told reporters that the Crans Montana Forum was a comprehensive meeting, and he would have opportunity of meeting with world leader during the meeting.
Denktas said that he would deliver a speech on Cyprus issue during the meeting.
Reiterating his reaction to the decision of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA) on Cyprus issue, Denktas said that he had received the same day a statement which had earlier been distributed by the Patriotic Union Movement (YBH) which had gained only percent vote in general elections in the TRNC, adding that sentences written in the COEPA report were also written in the YBH statement.
Noting that the statement had claimed 'free passages proved that Turkish and Greek Cypriots could live together', Denktas said that passages between the TRNC and Greek Cypriot side were made on basis of principle of two states, and the state had control over the domestic situation.
Stressing that free passages could and would not be the proof of living together, Denktas said that co-existence and living together were two different things. Denktas emphasized that sentences in the YBH's statement had made Turkish Cypriots a minority.
Denktas said that EU officials had set up contact with those people instead of him, and the world was deceived by very inaccurate information.
Recalling that the YBH had wanted TRNC citizens of Turkey origin not to cast vote in elections, Denktas stressed that TRNC citizens of Turkey origin had voted for a political party with their free will.
Stating that very inaccurate information had been given on behalf of him to foreigners, Denktas said, ''they don't have the right to provoke Turkish Cypriots and insult the Turkish nation in this way. They should feel ashamed of themselves. It is a very unfortunate document and statement. I don't give response to such statements, of course. Otherwise, it means that I attribute importance to them. However, this caused our people to open their eyes. Among us, there are mercenary spied who serve the external world. Their statement proves it.''
(MS) 25.06.2003