Verheugen Has Clearly Intervened In Elections

LEFKOSA - Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has said that European Union (EU) Commissioner Guenter Verheugen had clearly intervened in upcoming elections in TRNC.
Responding questions of journalists, Prime Minister Eroglu said on Thursday, ''Verheugen has behaved shamefully by saying that if the opposition could not win the elections, he would not accept results of the elections. This is a clear intervention of a citizen of another country in the elections in TRNC. He has tried to give a message to our citizens to cast their votes in favor of the opposition parties. I want to remind Verheugen that Turkish Cypriot people will listen to their own politicians instead of him. Our people will consider his statements an intervention in their elections. If he comes to the island, we will remind him this shameful behavior.''
Upon another question about Turkey's paying compensation to Greek Cypriot citizen Titiana Loizidou, Prime Minister Eroglu told reporters, ''Turkey has put forward some conditions as paying the compensation. In the end, Turkey has officially announced that its conditions were accepted. Namely, this case will not constitute a model for others, and the issue can be brought to agenda again after 2005. Turkey has paid this compensation after its conditions were accepted.''
VERHEUGEN HAS BLOCKED TURKISH CYPRIOT PEOPLE'S HOPE FOR A SOLUTION
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), who also acts as leader of the Democrat Party (DP), has reacted to statements of European Union (EU) Commissioner Guenter Verheugen for enlargement, saying, ''Verheugen has blocked Turkish Cypriot people's hope for a solution in the island, and attempted to mortgage the free will of people.''
Releasing a written statement on Thursday, Denktas also criticized the opposition parties, which remained silent against statements of Verheugen.
''Both TRNC and Turkey have harshly reacted to statements of Verheugen, who overstepped the limits by making such a statement. Only the opposition parties have remained silent against these heinous statements,'' he emphasized.
Noting that Verheugen had taken a step back upon the reactions, Denktas said, ''Verheugen, who has been maintaining his disrespectful and aggressive attitude, has taken a step back and claimed that his statement was translated wrongfully. I want to tell Mr. Verheugen that it is too late now. Although he is trying to deny his own words now, Turkish Cypriot people have seen his real face.''
''Verheugen has blocked Turkish Cypriot people's hope for a solution in the island, and attempted to mortgage the free will of people. Turkish Cypriot people are face to face with an heavier attack than the Greek Cypriot side's attacks in the past,'' he said.
Denktas added, ''Verheugen has became so aggressive, therefore, he cannot realize the contradiction in his own statements. On one side, he claims that the elections in TRNC are not legal. On the other side, he says that if the opposition wins the elections, he will recognize them. In a previous statement, Verheugen said, 'we will not send observers to the elections in TRNC since it will mean recognition of TRNC in an undesired way.' This is the clear plan of Verheugen aiming at excluding Turkish Cypriots. Rightfulness of all our statements since the beginning of arguments over the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, have been proved as a result of latest statements of Verheugen.''
(UK) 04.12.2003