LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Wednesday that the European Union (EU), which recognized Greek Cypriots, who had been exerting efforts for 40 years to possess the whole of partnership state by use of arms, as a ''legitimate government'' could not cover this shame by punishing Turkey.
Holding a press conference in his office, Denktas touched on EU Progress Report for Turkey.
Denktas said, ''if Cyprus issue is a problem which is an obstacle before any side's accession to EU, the application of Greek Cypriots to EU under the name of 'Cyprus' should be prevented. Those, who did not put this as an obstacle before Greek Cypriots and Greece; that is, the EU, which accepted Greek Cypriot side, that has been exerting efforts for 40 years to possess whole of partnership state by use of arms and has ignored the Constitution in spite of 1960 agreements, as a legitimate government will not be able to cover their shame by punishing Turkey. Their shame will be revealed more.''
Noting that EU acted unjustly and made discrimination against Turkish people in Cyprus and Turkey and it contradicted with its own principles by considering Greek Cypriot side, which violated constitutional rights and human rights of Turkish Cypriots, as legitimate government, Denktas said that Turkish press' examining the issue in a detailed way would be effective for EU.
Denktas said that EU was in a more difficult situation due to wrong decisions it had taken and he added, ''they are putting incredible pressures on us due to this reason. They want us to cover this shame by our signatures, to destroy rights of Turkey on Cyprus and enter EU through Annan Plan which we call indirect Enosis (Union with Greece). Resistant Turkish people showed whole world that they do not yield and will continue to do so. Consensus is reached by respecting realities and legal rights. That is what we expect.''
AGENDA OF GENERAL ELECTION IN TRNC IS DETERMINED BETWEEN PARTIES DEFENDING ANNAN PLAN AND THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST IT
Denktas said, ''it is a document which ends the state. It is my duty to protect our state. It is the duty of our people, parliament and government. That is, we are fulfilling our duty and will continue to illuminate our people.''
TRNC President Denktas went on saying, ''Annan Plan is a plan which is plotted to end Turkey's presence in Cyprus, which doesn't give us our equality and sovereignty, which makes half of our people migrants, which ends bi-zonal structure and which is full of big economic deficiencies.'' Even (U.N. Secretary General's former Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro) De Soto said that 'he thought that Greek Cypriots would not return back to the north of the island or a small part of them would return back to the north.' He also confessed that 'he solved the issue of property thinking that way but he was mistaken'.''
''When we consider all these, we are congratulating ourselves on ignoring the calls to 'either sign the document immediately or resign' as the opposition wanted. We are pleased to save our people from a serious danger,'' Denktas said.
Upon a question, Denktas said that he did not have any information that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had cancelled his visit to TRNC scheduled for November 15 and noted, ''we expect him to visit TRNC.''
Stating that he only told some people who attempted to take the state to somewhere with Annan's plan that they should be careful, he said that Turkish Cypriot people saw political parties who were in favor of the state and against Annan's plan.
When reminded some news stories which said that observers from some countries including the United States were in the island for TRNC elections, Denktas said that he did not have any information on the issue.
When reminded some news stories which said that officials from the U.S. Embassy visited Karpaz region, Denktas said, ''according to the information given to us, they are going there to see Greek Cypriot residents. No one can say anything about their visit. But if they intervene in election propaganda, we will say many things.''
Stating that he read the book on Annan's plan called as ''green book'' which was published with contributions of some academicians from Turkish Cypriot side, Denktas said that those people acted shamefully and they decorated some parts of Annan's plan to deceive people, but they further revealed its ugliness.
(BRC-EÖ-AÖ) 05.11.2003