Denktas: Turkish Cypriots Did Not Ask United States To Save Themselves

ANKARA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Tuesday that they did not ask the United States to save themselves and stated, ''it does not have a right to tell us 'give and get rid of'.''
Denktas proceeded from Kars to Ankara. When reminded the statement of U.S. Ambassador in Ankara Eric Edelman who said that ''Denktas should not prevent the development,'' Denktas said that they considered the United States as a friend of them.
Stating that the United States earlier said that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan complied with its interests, Denktas said, ''we don't want to harm interests of the United States. But our interests don't coincide with interests of the United States.''
Noting that it was impossible to accept a plan removing guaranty of Turkey, Denktas said, ''we had waited for support of the United States for such a long time. But it preferred to recognize Makarios who did what Milosevic did, as legal government in order to please Greek lobby.''
Denktas said that the United States seemed to ignore that Greek Cypriots did not give up their policy to make Cyprus a Greek island and stated that it was not friendship to ask Turkish Cypriot side to support illegal application to the European Union.
Stating that Greek Cypriots had kept busy office of Cyprus for 40 years by force of terror, Denktas said that the United States was aware of it and it should start to see the fact.
Denktas said, ''we cannot accept the United States' intervening in our internal affairs. If it wants to help us, it should not take sides.''
Denktas will proceed from Ankara to Istanbul and he will leave Turkey for Lefkosa.
(EÖ-AÖ) 30.09.2003