Denktas: Presenting Cyprus Issue As An Obstacle For Turkey's E.U. Membership Is Hypocrisy

ZONGULDAK - TRNC President Rauf Denktas said on Thursday that presenting Cyprus issue as an obstacle for Turkey's EU membership was hypocrisy.
Denktas visited Zonguldak mayor Ismail Esref the same day and said during the visit that Turkey didn't have any fault in emergence of Cyprus as a problem.
Denktas stated that they continuously made sacrifices about Cyprus issue, adding that they could not see the same sacrifice from the Greek Cypriot side.
''We wanted to see Greek Prime Minister as a serious diplomat and statesman and a person who would strengthen Turkish-Greek friendship. Unfortunately they try to do the thing they could not do with weapons by using EU. We don't trust him. If we follow the way told by the Greek leader, Cyprus will be a Greek Cypriot republic within ten years. Putting Cyprus as an obstacle in front of Turkey's EU membership is hypocrisy. If Turkey and Greece agree, Cyprus issue can be solved,'' Denktas said.
(ÖŞ-AY) 23.10.2003