Denktas: There Is A Work On Betterment Of Living Conditions Of Maronites

LEFKOSA - State Minister for Tourism and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Wednesday that they were carrying out a work on betterment of living conditions of Maronites in the TRNC.
Denktas said that the work would be finalized as soon as possible through consultations with TRNC President Rauf Denktas and government.
Speaking to the Turkish Agency-Cyprus (TAK), Serdar Denktas said that they had been informed on problems that Maronites living in the TRNC were facing during their travel to southern Cyprus and return to northern Cyprus and relationship with their relatives living in southern part of the island, and later they had initiated a work on removal of those problems.
''We have an obligation to make an arrangement about this issue. And there should be an arrangement under the third Vienna convention. Expectations and things that can be done, can be different,'' he said.
When recalled of Greek-Cypriot daily Politis's news report the same day about a ''work on settlement of two or three thousand Maronites in Maronite villages in the TRNC, Serdar Denktas said there was not such a demand.
''Actually, there is not such a demand at the moment. Everybody has settled, taken job and had influence in southern Cyprus. There is not an expectation about resettlement of them in the TRNC. However, there is a work which aims to have them come here easily and stay at their home more comfortably and use them as summer houses. Passages of Orthodox Greek Cypriots to the TRNC has become much easier when compared to period before April 23 while passages have become difficult for the Catholic Maronites due to these implementations. We have to focus on these anomalies,'' he said.
He added, ''it is a work that aims at what we can do in our side.''
When asked whether or not the TRNC would make new proposals about the Cyprus issue, Serdar Denktas said, ''the TRNC is ready to make a surprise at any moment. We have the capability of making surprises at any moment.''
(MS-AÖ) 02.07.2003