Denktas: There Are Few Obstacles Between Two Parties

LEFKOSA - Democrat Party (DP) leader, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Serdar Denktas said on Saturday night that there were few obstacles in studies of forming the government with Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and they were trying to overcome them.
Noting that those obstacles were about both Cyprus issue and sharing out the ministries, Denktas said that two parties would carry on activities within themselves to overcome those problems.
Denktas told reporters that both sides targeted finding a solution to Cyprus question until May 1. When asked on what point there was a difficulty, Denktas said he did not want to give more details at the moment.
Noting that CTP and DP accepted to find a solution to Cyprus question until May 1 as a target and it was the main item of protocol, Denktas said that however reaching a solution was not possible only with common sense and by good will of Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey. He added that same approach and good will should exist in the Greek Cypriot side and Greece as well.
Upon a question, Denktas said that they did not relate the activities of forming the government to the contacts of TRNC President Rauf Denktas in Turkey, but the meetings of Denktas could make the activities continue in a more productive milieu.
Serdar Denktas stressed that the studies on formation of the government were not related to TRNC President.
Noting that there were certain obstacles in the meetings carried out with Republican Turkish Party (CTP) for formation of the coalition government, Denktas said that they could not overcome those problems the same night.
Serdar Denktas said that there were certain difficulties about the process and the steps to be taken in coalition meetings. Denktas said as they could not sort them out, they left the discussions to Sunday morning, adding that the concerned committees of the two parties would convene at 11.00 a.m. on Sunday.
Denktas said that there was an intensive pressure on the two parties to prevent the foundation of a coalition government between CTP and DP.
CTP and DP reached a consensus on general principles regarding the formation of a coalition government on Saturday and later they started to discuss the division of ministries between them. In a possible coalition government, CTP leader Mehmet Ali Talat is expected to be the prime minister and DP leader Serdar Denktas is expected to be the deputy prime minister.
(GC-Öª) 11.01.2004