IN CASE EU OFFICIALS AND VERHEUGEN CONTINUE THIS ATTITUDE, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND AN AUTHORITY AFTER DECEMBER 14 ELECTIONS THAT WILL ACCEPT THEM AS INTERLOCUTOR
LEFKOSA - Dervis Eroglu, Prime Minister of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Wednesday addressed European Union (EU) officials and said, ''in case Verheugen continues his attitude, they will not be able to find an authority in TRNC after December 14 elections that will accept them as interlocutor.''
Eroglu made a written statement and said EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen's speech, which had been made in Belgian Senate Foreign Affairs Commission on Tuesday, contradicted every kind of diplomatic established practices, courtesy and meant going too far.
Stating that they condemned the utterly nonsensical statements of Verheugen about TRNC election, relations between Turkey and TRNC, Turkish Armed Forces and Annan plan, Eroglu said, ''we warn this bureaucrat to have attitudes appropriate to the institution he represented.''
Eroglu said Verheugen clearly stated that they would recognize the results of elections which would take place in TRNC on December 14 only in case opposition wins, and noted that this was not a slip of tongue, but an insolence.
Eroglu said, ''authorized organs of the EU should clearly state whether or not statements of this bureaucrat bound them. If the EU claims that it is a whole of democracy, human rights and legal values, statement of Verheugen seriously contradicts this mission.''
Eroglu said elections that would take place in TRNC on December 14 would take place in a legal state which uses its right to self-determination whether or not it was recognized. He said the elections would take place under the inspection of independent jurisdiction and that it would be an extremely transparent one.
Eroglu said statement that the elections would be recognized only if opposition wins needs to be explained.
Eroglu said statement of Verheugen contradicted the formation spirit of the EU and fundamental principles of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, stressing that there was a sovereign people in TRNC, and that this people would use its right to vote and elect through democratic ways.
Eroglu said, ''it is our right to expect European Union and all kinds of international organizations and states to recognize results of elections which would take place in a transparent way.''
Eroglu said, ''I am stressing once again that all the international respectable organizations who want, may apply to us and be an official observer. All our authorized officials are ready to help them.''
Stressing that it was impossible to accept the attacks of Verheugen to Turkish Armed Forces in his statements, Eroglu said presence of Turkish soldiers in Cyprus was the only means of preventing bloodshed in Cyprus today.
(AY-AÖ) 03.12.2003