LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Friday that as the president, he had the right to sue the opposition parties if they won the general election, came to power and wanted to sign Annan Plan.
Denktas told A.A correspondent that he did not believe that opposition parties would gain serious amount of votes in Sunday's elections in TRNC.
''We know they won't gain serious amount of votes but if they win a majority at parliament, my duty is to designate them to form the government. After they are given this duty, they may try to sign Annan plan... This plan considers rights given to Turkey and us under 1960 treaties non-existent. Therefore, I can sue them so that they can't sign the plan,'' Denktas said.
Denktas noted that those parties could not end rights granted to Turkey under international agreements by signing Annan plan and without the consent of Turkey.
''It seems to me that I can have the right to sue them in such a case,'' Denktas added.
DENKTAS: ANNAN PLAN IS LIKE STRAITJACKET
Denktas compared on Friday that United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for Cyprus with ''straitjacket'' and said that there was no use in discussing that plan as long as some circles said that everybody should keep to the framework of the plan.
Denktas, who replied to question of A.A correspondent if Cyprus talks would resume in case opposition parties won Sunday's general election in TRNC, said that a negotiation process would begin.
To resume that negotiation process, U.N. should firstly shuttle between the sides and determine the ground and conditions of the talks, Denktas noted.
Denktas said, ''Annan plan is like a straitjacket. You can't move in it. They say that we should keep to its framework and can't change its philosophy. As long as they say so, there is no use in discussing this plan because the philosophy is the Greek Cypriot philosophy and is prepared together with the Greek Cypriots.''
Responding to accusations of the opposition parties, TRNC President Denktas stated that he intervene in developments as a person who knew that the state would be over and Turkey's guarantee would end in time in case Annan plan was accepted.
Denktas said, ''I didn't totally intervene. I only responded to accusations of me as I heard about them.''
When he was reminded about words of Democrat Party (DP) leader Serdar Denktas that there were oil and natural gas beds in the East Mediterranean, Denktas said that there were international oil companies who contacted them and wanted to get a license but they did not announce the names.
Denktas noted that those companies signed an agreement with the Greek Cypriot side and included Egypt and Syria in those agreements, adding, ''they also wanted to include us in this agreement but we are carrying out activities with Turkey.''
(BRC) 12.12.2003