LEFKOSA - TRNC Foreign and Defense Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu said on Thursday that the statement of EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen's spokesman Jean-Christophe Filori who said ''we don't recognize TRNC, its parliament and elections'' meant to remove TRNC by Annan plan.
Assessing the statement of Filori to Turkish Cypriot Agency (TAK), Ertugruloglu said that ''their all target is to eliminate TRNC.''
''They want to include us into Greek Cypriot state which uses the fake title of Cyprus Republic for years and this is connected with Annan plan,'' he said.
Criticizing opposition parties who supported Annan plan, Ertugruloglu said that Turkish Cypriots should join EU under right conditions, status and at the right time. ''We can't join EU at all costs,'' he said.
Ertugruloglu said that a part of representatives of opposition parties, who supported Annan Plan, were still deputies at TRNC Parliament which was not recognized by EU. He added that at least they were expecting those people to react against the statement of Filori.
Addressing to people who supported Annan Plan, Ertugruloglu said that every political party should adopt that TRNC would not act like East Germany and would claim the state and make the state survive, adding that this should be the principal duty of opposition.
Underlining that TRNC government and opposition should claim national case and say to EU that they would make TRNC survive reacting to the statement of Filori, Ertugruloglu said that he suggested EU to take TRNC into consideration and recognize it.
(Öª-GC-AÖ) 04.12.2003