ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday that Turkey would exert efforts for a solution of Cyprus issue on basis of facts in the island, taking Annan plan as a reference.
Gul told reporters that Turkey hoped the Greek Cypriot side to act the same.
Foreign Minister Gul said, ''I have been saying it from the outset. If there is a problem, this problem is two-sided. Nothing can be achieved only if one side takes steps. Both sides should take steps. Therefore, we now wait for the stance of the Greek Cypriot side.''
Gul noted that everything should not be expected from only Turkish side and underlined that there were also things that the Greek Cypriot side should do.
Hopes for a solution could be raised in case the Greek Cypriot side fulfilled its responsibilities, Gul stated.
Gul said that Turkey attached great importance to mediation of a strong and unbiased personality in order to accelerate the settlement process.
A strong personality who could contribute to the process was Turkey's preference, Gul pointed out.
Asked if Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas laid down different proposals, Gul said that some newspapers created an atmosphere ''as if there had been a different thing'' but it was not true.
Gul said that Rauf Denktas, (TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali) Talat, (TRNC Foreign Minister) Serdar Denktas and everybody supported the recent stance.
There was a big compromise in Turkey and TRNC, Gul stressed.
Replying to a question on the call of the United States for Greece, Gul said, ''it is true. This call was in fact made a day before Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the United States not as Erdogan was en route to or in the United States. We have appreciated this call.''
(BRC-UK) 26.01.2004