ANKARA - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said on Wednesday that negotiation of Cyprus issue on basis of Annan's plan was appropriate to point of view of both the new Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) government and Turkey.
Replying questions of students in Ankara, Sener said, ''a new government has been formed in the TRNC. Negotiation of Cyprus issue on basis of Annan's plan is appropriate to position of both the new TRNC government and Turkey. Instead of putting forward an opinion like 'Annan's plan is totally good or it is totally bad', there is a need for an understanding like 'there is a problem in Cyprus and it should be solved'.''
Stressing that there were two sides in the problem and both sides should take steps on solution of the problem, Sener said, ''we say that talks and negotiations can start on basis of Annan's plan to reach a solution.''
Replying a question about economic crisis, Sener said economic crises affected everybody, adding, ''however, there is not economic crisis on Turkey's agenda at the moment. Economic crisis ended. It happened in the past. And we will never face any economic crisis in the future.''
Replying a question about relations with Syria, Sener said that a country could not be successful in international trade if it failed in trade with its neighboring countries.
''Our policy in coming period is to have good relations with our neighboring countries and make trade with them as much as possible and open to global economy powerfully. Also the steps taken by the other side are very important. There were negative attitudes in the past but Syria has overcome all of them. I believe that Turkey's relations with not only Syria but also all its neighbors would be improved swiftly and Turkey's 115 billion dollars of trade volume would be increased by two or threefold,'' he said.
When asked whether they had debts to IMF, Sener said that governments signed stand-by deal with IMF when they faced difficulties and obtained loans. He said that Turkey borrowed money from IMF and it would repay it in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
(MS-AY) 14.01.2004