Soysal, Ozden And Tantan Issue Joint Statement About Words Of Verheugen And Trnc Elections

ANKARA - Independent Turkey Party leader Mumtaz Soysal, Republican Democracy Party leader Yekta Gungor Ozden and Homeland Party leader Saadettin Tantan issued a joint statement on Friday about the words of Verheugen about TRNC.
Soysal, Ozden and Tantan said that the statement of EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen who said that ''elections in TRNC will be valid only if opposition wins it,'' was an example of irresponsibility and it could not be accepted.
Soysal, Ozden and Tantan stated that no additional condition other than Copenhagen criteria regarding Turkey's EU membership would be accepted.
The political party leaders stated that the admission of so-called 'Cyprus Republic' to EU which didn't include Turkey in it as a member was against international law.
The leaders noted that the imposition brought only on the Turkish side regarding Cyprus issue could not be tolerated as Cyprus issue didn't not only concern Turkey and TRNC, but also Greece and Greek Cypriot administration.
The three leaders also said that as the Loizidou decision taken by European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding property problems in Cyprus was a political decision taken against the basic principles of law, it was not possible to accept the assurances that were given and could be given by executive organs of the Council of Europe (COE) saying that the decision could not constitute an example for other cases.
New Turkey Party leader Ismail Cem also issued a written statement and defended that results of wrong policies of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the past one year were brought in front of Turkey before the elections in TRNC.
Cem said general elections in TRNC turned into a disorder which almost every foreign country and institution intervened and provoked the voters.
Cem also criticized statements of Verheugen, saying that, ''scenario of this game reminds us the incidents practiced recently in Yugoslavia and Georgia. In case a result is obtained which foreign countries do not want, the allegation that 'something deceitful was made in elections' will be announced. All the 'foreign observers' of the elections will say 'there is trick, elections are invalid'. This is just like what had happened in Georgia. This is the probable scenario. This is the scenario which will cause great trouble for Turkey and shake TRNC.''
(Öª-AY-AÖ) 05.12.2003