LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas called people to protect their rights and said that their right was freedom, state, sovereignty and guarantee of Turkey, adding that its test would be on December 14 and they would certainly come out of it proudly.
Denktas received a delegation which started a signature campaign in Turkey to support Denktas.
Thanking for supportive messages, Denktas said that he rebelled the attitude of the world about Cyprus issue and added that this anger and concern was the result of injustice and it was the rebel of Turkish people against injustice. He said that ''Turkish people do not yield against injustice and did not give up its principles, country and state just to eat the carrot given by the European Union (EU).''
Denktas said that the peace would be restored in Cyprus when it was accepted that Greek Cypriot administration was not the government of Turkish Cypriots and two peoples were existing in the island. He wanted the injustice which had been continuing for 40 years to end.
Touching on his statements regarding that Turkey had the right to intervene in Cyprus, Denktas said, ''Turkey has rights on Cyprus as the guarantor state and if there is an initiative which disregards its geopolitical rights and agreements, Turkey has the right to intervene. Turkey had intervened in Cyprus and sent its soldiers in the past. Similarly, if it sees a danger in a political initiative, if it sees that it will not have a right to speak in spite of international agreements and Cyprus will be turned into a Greek island, it naturally has the right to intervene.''
Denktas said that Turkey didn't interfere in the elections in TRNC, adding that ''Turkey is sure that the Turkish Cypriot nation will not take any step that will hurt Turkey.''
Noting that the geopolitic interest of Turkey and the interest of Turkish Cypriots to live freely coincided with each other, Denktas said that ''for that reason, I said yesterday that Turkey had the right to interfere, but it does not do so. But nobody should be surprised, Turkey won't leave Cyprus to Greek Cypriots and Greece because it is very important for its security. There are 70,000 Turkish martyrs lying under these territories.''
Denktas remarked that certain sections of the society misled people and the people would respond to that on December 14, pointing out to the advertisement published by Democrat Party in media regarding territory.
Calling on the press and citizens, Denktas said that the name of the party didn't matter, but ''in the advertisement, it says that the territories of Turkish Cypriots will be taken away by Annan plan as it will lead Cyprus to Enosis by means of EU membership. We won't permit that, and Turkish Cypriots won't permit that.''
Officials of Federation of Kemalist Thought Clubs, who gave the support message signed by 10,000 people to Denktas, said that they were behind the national cause, and they said TRNC President Denktas was a symbol.
(GC-Öª-AÖ) 10.12.2003