LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Wednesday that the only occupation continuing in Cyprus was Greek Cypriots' occupation of bi-national Republic of Cyprus.
The letter of Denktas as a reply to speech of Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos at the 58th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations is published as a U.N. document.
Noting that every year they witnessed the Greek Cypriot officials appear before the Assembly to repeat their well-known baseless allegations against Turkey and TRNC and portrayed the Cyprus question as a problem of ''invasion'' and ''occupation'', Denktas said that therefore, it was no surprise that Papadopoulos followed the same path.
Emphasizing that Greek Cypriot side had yet to come to terms with the idea of sharing the future of the island with Turkish Cypriots under the terms of a new partnership based on sovereign equality but also demonstrate a clear refusal to accept Turkish Cypriots as their equal counterparts in any form, Denktas said that this kind of approach did not promote reconciliation especially at a time when Turkish Cypriot side, on their part, had taken bold steps towards fostering confidence and good-neighborly relations between the two sides of the island.
Recalling that Papadopoulos described in his speech the justified Turkish intervention of 1974 as ''aggression'' or ''invasion'' or the subsequent presence of Turkish troops in the island as ''occupation'', Denktas stressed that in fact Turkey's intervention, which prevented the illegal annexation of Cyprus by Greece, was undertaken in accordance with its rights and obligations under the Treaty of Guarantee of 1960 and was completely legal and legitimate. Noting that the only occupation continuing in Cyprus was Greek Cypriots' occupation of bi-national Republic of Cyprus, Denktas recalled the speech of Archbishop Makarios at U.N. Security Council in 1974 and said that Makarios openly accused Greece, not Turkey, of invading and occupying Cyprus.
Denktas said that he could only agree with Papadopoulos that no one could match the proficiency of the Greek Cypriots in utilizing international recognition as political leverage to the detriment of the Turkish Cypriot side.
Stressing that application of Greek Cypriot side for EU membership was unilateral and illegal, Denktas said that this process was continuing in spite of just objections of Turkish Cypriots and international agreements prohibiting this application and it had a destructive affect on consensus efforts in Cyprus.
Denktas said that contrary to the claim of Mr. Papadopoulos, they all knew that the talks did not fail as a result of intransigence on their part, but simply because the Greek Cypriot administration was not willing to concede to the concept of partnership between equals and to translate the principles of sovereign equality and bi-zonality into practical terms. He explained Turkish Cypriot side's proposals for creating confidence on April 2, 2003 and recalled Greek Cypriot side rejected those proposals the same day.
Stating that TRNC took a historical decision on April 21, 2003 which provided for the new arrangements for crossing between TRNC and the Greek Cypriot side, Denktas said that both Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot people reacted very positively to it.
Denktas touched on the issue of property in the letter and recalled that TRNC's proposals on the issue were rejected by Greek Cypriot side. Denktas said that in the absence of cooperation from the Greek Cypriot side, TRNC in consultation with relevant international bodies, passed a new law through the Assembly providing remedies to Greek Cypriot who wished to receive either full compensation against their properties to the south. Denktas said that the reaction of Greek Cypriot side to this new opening of TRNC was also negative.
Stating that they made new proposals on July 11, 2003, Denktas said that Greek Cypriot administration also rejected those constructive proposals. He said that over the years, Greek Cypriot leadership preferred to stick to the hijacked title of Government of Cyprus rather than re-establish a new partnership in the light of the realities.
Denktas said that on the other hand, it was a fact that the overwhelming majority of Turkish Cypriot people were willing and ready for a political solution in Cyprus, as well as European Union membership, subject to respect for the rule of law which provided that Cyprus could not enter a union unless both guarantor motherlands were members. He stated that Turkish Cypriot people were determined to make sure that their state was not dismantled by any means and to continue protecting their inherent rights and interests at all costs.
Touching on the humanitarian issue of missing persons, Denktas said that it was noteworthy that Mr. Papadopoulos omitted any reference to Turkish Cypriot missing in his speech in the United Nations.
Stating that in spite of real and direct evidence testifying to the reality that most of Greek Cypriot listed as missing by the Greek Cypriot administration were those killed by the Greeks themselves in the war during the coup of July 15, 1974, he said that it was concealed from Greek Cypriots and international community.
Denktas said that Mr. Ioannis Ksaoulides admitted that the Greek Cypriot administration ''owed many apologies'' to the relatives of missing.
Touching on Papadopoulos's remarks on refugees, Denktas said that the question of displaced persons in Cyprus had been solved with the third Vienna Agreement and both sides reached consensus on this issue.
Denktas said that the military authorities of TRNC were prepared to discuss with U.N. peace force the issue of demining in Lefkosa and its close vicinity.
TRNC FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTRY CALLS ON GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE TO GIVE UP ITS INITIATIVE TO SPREAD BASELESS NEWS AIMING TO CREATE TENSION
LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign and Defense Ministry called on Wednesday the Greek Cypriot side to give up its initiative to spread baseless news aiming to create tension and assume a constructive attitude in order to restore good neighborhood and atmosphere of cooperation.
A statement of TRNC Foreign and Defense Ministry said, ''according to a news published in the Greek Cypriot press yesterday, Maria Kiriaku, a deputy of Democratic Rally (DISI) who spoke in the meeting of the budget committee of the Greek Cypriot administration's house of representatives on November 3, 2003, voiced baseless claims that 'Turkish side replaced anti-personnel mines with mines for heavy vehicles and mine lands were renewed. It is also written that Greek Cypriot Defense Minister Kiriakos Mavronikolas is giving them similar information.''
The statement drew attention that the proposal to clear mines in Lefkosa and its vicinity made by TRNC President Rauf Denktas was ignored.
''These baseless claims once more indicate that the Greek Cypriot side is deprived of good will. It is obvious that the mentioned claims aims to dynamite initiatives launched by TRNC to normalize relations between two people and to reach a permanent compromise between the sides and the atmosphere that is tried to be created,'' the statement said.
The statement added, ''in this regard, we once more call on the Greek Cypriot side to give up its initiative to spread baseless news aiming to create tension and assume a constructive attitude to restore good neighborhood and atmosphere of cooperation on the island.''
(BRC-AÖ) 05.11.2003