LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Tuesday, ''Turkish Cypriots have founded their own state since they were left stateless. Now, there are some circles who want to destroy our state and Turkey's rights over Cyprus.''
President Denktas received delegation of Turkish war veterans, who participated in the Peace Operation of July 20, 1974.
Speaking at the meeting, President Denktas said, ''we owe you much. You have bestowed us our lives and freedom.''
Recalling that July 20 was being celebrated in the TRNC as ''Gratitude Week'', President Denktas said, ''if Turkey had not launched the peace operation in 1974, we would have been buried in mass graves or forced to migrate from the island. We say that we were born on July 20. Turkish Cypriots have founded their own state since we were left stateless and Greek Cypriots did not have the intention to form a new partnership with us. Today, our state celebrates its 20th birthday.''
''Foundation of a state is as difficult and gory as birth of a child. We have endured these difficulties for years. Now, they want to destroy our state and Turkey's rights over Cyprus with the plan, which was put forward by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. They also plan to take Turkish soldiers out of the island. The plan was sent to the Turkish Cypriot side while I was in hospital in New York and while the new Turkish government was not formed yet. The first 3-5 pages of the plan were full of nice expressions. One can easily sign this plan without reading the supplements. I think some of our friends have read only these five pages. They called on me to sign the document or to resign while I was in hospital. They have created a serious chaos and divided our people into two,'' he said.
Denktas said that opposition parties also wanted change in the Annan plan, but they didn't tell this to people. Denktas stressed that the opposition's telling that they would sign the plan as it was, closed the doors of bargaining and the bargaining was not made with him, but it was made behind him. Denktas explained what would happen if they accepted Annan plan: ''Dark days started on the island in 1963, peace was installed in 1974. We founded the state in 1983, while walking on this path, there is now a second way in front of us: Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and communist representative of Greek Cypriot government-Greek Cypriot parliament speaker Dimitris Christofias show this way to us.''
The main reason of attacking Turkish Cypriots was to end the 1960 Treaty and the parts of that treaty which gave guarantor rights to Turkey, said Denktas. ''If active and effective guarantor rights of Turkey end, Greek Cypriots can do whatever they want to do. This was clearly mentioned in Akritas Plan,'' he said.
Noting that Greece-Greek Cypriot side knew that they could not end the rights of Turkey over Cyprus by use of force, Denktas said that ''the policy of Greece is to get Cyprus without fighting with Turkey. They thought about it and they decided to apply to the EU.''
Denktas said that Turkey protected its rights over Cyprus, pointing out to the statements of Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok to the Turkish press. Denktas stressed that Chief of General Staff stressed again that Turkey would not give up its rights on Cyprus.
Explaining the negative parts of Annan Plan, Denktas said that if Cyprus was going to be taken to EU as a whole, rich people of Greece could buy properties from Cyprus, all poor and vagrants people of Europe would come to Cyprus while people from Turkey could only come to Cyprus by getting visa.
Stressing the national and economic value of universities in TRNC, Denktas said that students studying there and families who would come to see them would be obliged to get visa.
Referring to the statement he did yesterday, Denktas said that he didn't attack the press in Istanbul, but the Istanbul press acted as if Turkey didn't have rights on Cyprus.
(UK-ÖŞ-AÖ) 11.11.2003