LEFKOSA - TRNC continues to assess the invitation letter of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan who called the sides in Cyprus to come together in New York on Feb. 10 to resume Cyprus talks.
TRNC Presidential Office had a busy day on Saturday. Firstly TRNC President Rauf Denktas received TRNC cabinet members headed by TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat. Denktas also received Turkish Ambassador to Lefkosa Hayati Guven. Meanwhile consultants of TRNC President Denktas, his undersecretary Ergun Olgun and Foreign Ministry Cyprus department chief Ertugrul Apakan, who came to island yesterday, continued their studies in the Presidential Office.
TRNC President Rauf Denktas also received leader of main opposition party (National Unity Party) Dervis Eroglu. Eroglu told reporters after the meeting that his party was against TRNC President Denktas's going to New York as this would mean acceptation of Annan plan.
Denktas is expected to continue studies with his consultants, negotiator delegation, and Foreign Ministry official Apakan all day. Meanwhile the TRNC cabinet convened under the leadership of Talat.
If a positive decision is taken about the invitation to New York following the assessment studies in TRNC and Turkey, TRNC delegation will leave the island on Sunday morning. TRNC President Rauf Denktas, Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas and Presidential Undersecretary Ergun Olgun are expected to attend the meetings in New York.

TALAT: WE PAID COURTESY VISIT TO TRNC PRESIDENT DENKTAS
TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said on Saturday that they paid a courtesy visit to TRNC President Rauf Denktas, adding that they took up many issues during the meeting.
Speaking to reporters after Denktas's meeting with the cabinet members ended, Talat said that assessments continued both in Turkey and TRNC. Talat said that he would also be present in the team that would go to New York.
TRNC Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas said in his part that they also had the opportunity to assess the Cyprus issue and the negotiation process during the meeting.
''Has there been any contact with U.N. Secretary General?'' asked a journalist to Serdar Denktas who said that ''there is nothing for the moment, we continue our own assessments. We will continue to assess the issue at the cabinet and Turkey continues its studies. After that we will come to a decision.''
Upon a question, Denktas said it was not certain yet if they were going to New York on Sunday.

EROGLU: ''GOING TO NEW YORK UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES MEANS ACCEPTION OF ANNAN'S CONDITIONS''
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus's (TRNC) main opposition party National Unity Party (UBP) leader Dervis Eroglu said on Saturday that going to New York under these circumstances meant acception of conditions of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Eroglu had a meeting with TRNC President Rauf Denktas and said that Denktas informed him about his visit to Ankara and developments on Cyprus issue in the meeting.
Asked whether or not President Denktas should go to New York under the light of current developments, Eroglu said that Denktas would take the decision on this issue and noted, ''going to New York under these circumstances means accepting the conditions of Annan and Turkish Cypriot people will not take any benefit from it. We think that he should not go there. But, final decision belongs to President Denktas.''
(AA) 07.02.2004