LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Friday that it was the right of people to celebrate the 20th birthday of TRNC in happiness and pride together with the most effective and authorized people and guests of Turkey.
The official celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the foundation of TRNC started with the speech of Denktas.
Denktas said in case Greek Cypriot side enters the European Union (EU) on May 1, 2004 and Turkish Cypriots remain out of it, then TRNC would celebrate its 21st and later its 22nd birthday. Denktas said that they would not be deceived.
President Denktas said, ''it was the Turkish Cypriot side which has made numerous proposals since 1974 to reach a compromise. Also, it was the Turkish Cypriot side which has eliminated difficulties and perils stemming from living together by making exchange of population. The Turkish Cypriot side has laid foundation of the view that Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot people could live side by side as two good neighbors and two new partners. However, we could not receive any response to our proposals.''
''TRNC is celebrating its 20th birthday today. But, the world has still been insisting on ignoring its existence. They think that if they continue to ignore us, we will get bored and Turkey will get tired from this situation. Their ignoring our state is nothing but unfairness. We have been exposed to this unfairness for the last two decades. What is their reason to act unfairly towards us? Because, they do have their own plans to solve the Cyprus question. They have been putting pressure on us to force to accept their plans. We should resist against all these pressures. Any submission will mean giving up our state,'' he emphasized.
President Denktas called on people to think about the calamity of Crete.
''Some Turkish people in Crete had been exposed to mass killings while some of them were threatened. As a result, Crete had been purified from Turks,'' he noted.
''You know that we are also under threat. The plan which is imposed on us is that Turks in Crete sell their properties very cheaply and leave Crete... I have no doubt on the issue. They will get rid of Turks from Cyprus. Within the scope of Annan's plan, the first step is to remove Turkey's right to protect us. They seem that they did not remove this right. But when you read well the plan, you will see it. Turkey and Greece have not reached a consensus on a new guaranty agreement yet. How Turkish-Greek balance will be preserved? There is not such an agreement. They want us to give up sovereignty and the state,'' he stated.
Stating that they told Turkish Cypriot people that they should forget existence of 20-year old state, Denktas said, ''they said that sovereignty is single. State is single and people is single. They said that there are not two peoples and there is only one people in Cyprus. Thus, they have the right to say. We are not deceived by this game. Because we have duties for next generations. We want next generations to live free and not to suffer. We have this right. Many people died to win this right. We won't forget those.''
Denktas said that problems in economy and administration could only be removed through the state and noted that the state must be protected. Stating that there were many alternatives on the issue what could be done, Denktas said, ''making Cyprus a free zone will bring great opportunities. Should we make it or not? Let's discuss all those things after elections by holding a great national congress.''
Denktas said talks had resumed in 1968 and that there were people who said, ''solve this question immediately, we don't have any more strength'', recalling that they continued on their path by protecting their rights, and that new days came, new opportunities came, and Peace Operation had taken place.
Denktas said they did everything for peace and compromise, stressing that, ''every country may have conflict with its neighbors. No country no state will make itself fail completely just for the sake of its neighbors.''
Denktas said, ''ours is a neighbor who can humiliate us by saying, 'there can not be confidence in snakes and in Turks'. A neighbor that still accuses Turkey and Turkish Cypriots and damaged everything in the south belonging to Turkish Cypriots. A neighbor that continued to deceive the whole world by saying it was the legal government of Cyprus and by esteeming us as their minority and citizens.''
Denktas said, ''let us think of Akritas Plan. Let us know that Crete model continued. Whole world had been against Turkey at those times. Weakness of the Ottoman Empire had been used to take Crete.''
Denktas said, ''now that we have TRNC. It is our country and exists together with our state. Any peace based on two states is possible if we show the whole world that we protect our state.''

(GC-UK-EÖ-AY) 14.11.2003