LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Friday that Ankara still continued certain talks.
TRNC President Rauf Denktas, Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas returned from Turkey to TRNC.
Denktas told reporters that TRNC officials would make their own evaluation upon news coming from Turkey.
He had learned that the meeting to take place in New York on February 10 would be a one-day meeting, Denktas said.
Denktas noted that it would be a meeting which would open the door for talks, not a meeting which would resume talks.
It was known that Cyprus plan of United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan did not cover every issue demanded by the Turkish side, Denktas stated.
Denktas said, ''we will give a written response to Annan today or tomorrow. If news coming from Turkey is positive, I will probably go to New York on Sunday.''
Asked if Turkish government welcomed his views, Denktas said, ''we made evaluations altogether. We are satisfied and pleased with these evaluations. Turkish government has taken really big steps with good will. But, we see that it can't receive any response. And, Turkey has also seen it and is sad about it.''
When a reporter called that he would be considered that he had accepted all conditions by going to New York, Denktas said, ''it is not a must just because Annan says so. For example, we will both give a written response to him and we will go. He will not probably ask us why we have sent a written response and why we have come to New York. There is not such a negotiation in any part of the world. Therefore, let us make our evaluation, write our response and go to New York.''
(BRC-AÖ) 06.02.2004