LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Thursday that it was not possible to solve Cyprus issue by wrong remedies like Annan plan.
Denktas received a group of German journalists and informed them about Cyprus issue. He suggested the journalists to visit mass graves in order to understand Cyprus facts better.
TRNC President Denktas said that Cyprus issue had been wrongly diagnosed by international community so far and said, ''it is not possible to solve the issue without making a right diagnosis and by wrong remedies like Annan plan.''
Denktas stated that firstly, an agreement based on realities should be reached in Cyprus and then, the island should join the European Union (EU) as a two politically equal and sovereign states.
Turkish Cypriots established TRNC in the end of their rightful struggle launched after they were excluded from the partnership state by their Greek Cypriot partner by gun force and were left stateless, Denktas said.
Denktas noted that Turkish Cypriots had always protected their country and stressed that the only solution on the island should be based on principle of existence of two sovereign states under umbrella of a new partnership.
''We are sovereign in our own territory, we are politically equal with the Greek Cypriots. And, we want our sovereignty and political equality to be recognized by the international community. Turkish Cypriots will never accept minority and Greek Cypriot domination as foreseen in Annan plan,'' Denktas said.
Denktas drew attention that it had always been the Turkish Cypriots who showed good will and launched initiatives for solution of the issue while he was accused of assuming an uncompromising attitude instead of Greek Cypriot leaders.
''I am accused of assuming an uncompromising attitude but, on behalf of my nation, I defend our rights given by international agreements and laws,'' Denktas said.
Touching on general elections due to be held on December 14, Denktas said that the opposition was getting prepared for the elections by a serious financial support of the EU and noted, ''the opposition parties can't win the elections despite this serious monetary support.''
Denktas said that the fact that Turkish Cypriots were getting Greek Cypriot passports did not mean that they gave up their own state and continued, ''on the contrary, they get these passports depending on their rights in the 1960 Partnership Republic and don't refuse their own state when acquiring these passports.''
Underlining that the Greek Cypriot administration did not become the government of Turkish Cypriots by giving those passports, Denktas said, ''it doesn't represent Turkish Cypriot people.''
Touching on property issue, Denktas said that solution of this problem which had a key role in settlement of Cyprus issue could only be possible by reciprocal compensations.
Therefore, they formed property commission, Denktas noted.
Denktas said that the Greek Cypriot administration announced that the Greek Cypriots who would apply to that commission would be accused of treason and thus, once more showed how uncompromised it was.
The Greek Cypriot side warned its own citizens not to spend any money in TRNC and took severe measures, Denktas recalled.
Denktas said that TRNC told its citizens that they could spend 50 Euro in Greek Cypriot side but they thought of reducing that amount to 20-25 Euro since the Greek Cypriots continued its negative stance.
The EU closed its eyes to realities in Cyprus and accepted the Greek Cypriot side as a member by violating international law and agreements, Denktas pointed out.
Denktas emphasized that the EU did not have the right to change international agreements on Cyprus.
The EU and the United States openly supported the opposition in TRNC which was in favor of Annan plan in cooperation with the Greek Cypriots for their own interests, Denktas said.
When asked a question saying, ''if opposition wins the elections and consents to EU membership. Will you accept it,'' Denktas said that he did not think that opposition could win the elections.
Denktas noted, ''in case the opposition wins the elections, I will not permit efforts to make Turkish Cypriots a minority in the island and use my right to veto if I don't agree with the Cyprus policy of the new government. And, I will try to prevent them from harming our people. But, if my efforts fail, I will say good bye and give the responsibility to them. But, they don't have any chance to win the elections because, our people have started to see the realities.''
Pointing out that there was not any difference of opinion between Turkey and TRNC, Denktas said, ''both Turkey and TRNC have same determination to solve the Cyprus issue.''
(BRC) 02.10.2003