Gul: We Have Preparations To Reach Compromise About Cyprus Issue

TOKYO - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side were in a preparation to reach compromise on the island and those preparations would be made public next week.
Responding to questions of A.A during his official visit to Japan, Gul said that the key word in Cyprus issue was compromise, steps needed to be taken within mutual compromise and only Turkey and Turkish side could not be expected to give concessions unilaterally.
''Are the preparations carried out as an alternative to Annan plan, or are they built on it?'' asked the A.A correspondent to Gul who said that ''a study has been carried out in Ankara for a long time. It is also done in TRNC. These will be combined and we will show that the Turkish side launches sincere efforts for solution of the problem.''
When asked if Turkey hoped to get anything beyond the things given in Annan plan, Gul said that ''we will talk about the concrete things next week. Now, we are in a preparation to reach compromise, but compromise can't be one-sided. We expect also the other side to assume a compromising attitude. Only in that case, a result can be taken. If not, it means only one-sided concessions are given and nobody can expect that.''
Gul remarked that the target of Turkey was to reach solution before May 1, but added that ''but this does not only depend on Turkey and the Turkish side.'' When asked what would happen if no solution was found until May 1, Gul said that ''if there is no solution, there is no solution. When Turkey fulfills its mission, but if no solution is reached in the end, nobody can tell anything to Turkey.'' Upon a questing asking if the conditions for Turkey would become more difficult in case of no solution until May 1 and in case of unilateral admission of Greek Cypriots into EU, Gul said that ''then, will Turkey accept all the things imposed on it? Will it say 'give and get rid of Cyprus issue?' Turkey will never say so. Here, the key word is compromise. And compromise can only be bilateral and through the steps to be taken by the two sides. We have the intention to take those steps and we are getting ready for that. If the Greek Cypriot side has the same preparations, we hope the problem will be sorted out.''
Gul said that the negotiations with Greece about solution of Aegean problems continued in closed meetings and an announcement would be when it would be the right time.

(Öª-AÖ) 16.12.2003