MADRID - Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal criticized the government and accused it blackmailing its own people due to the policy it pursued in Cyprus.
Baykal told Turkish journalists in Madrid where he attended Socialist International meetings that the government's having an attitude as if EU would give a negotiation date to Turkey in case of sorting out Cyprus issue, meant violation of basic principles of Turkey.
Noting that Turkey's desire to join EU was a 40-year process, Baykal said that ''even EU countries officially voiced that Turkey's membership process was not related to Cyprus issue.'' Baykal said that Turkey fulfilled the things that were necessary to get a negotiation date from EU, commenting that ''we must continue demanding EU membership in order to get our right. If you give Cyprus today, the problems in Aegean will be put in front of you tomorrow.''
Regarding Cyprus talks that will start in New York, Baykal said that ''we want peace and solution in Cyprus. The reality that the two separate peoples in Cyprus have legal equality should be accepted, the borders should be drawn fairly and the territorial integrity of Turkish people should not be disturbed. But the difficulty today stems from the fact that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called the sides not to negotiate, but to approve his plan...We also share the uneasiness of Denktas who fears of facing fait accompli. Denktas wants to negotiate.''
''Turkey has defended so far that the Annan plan should be changed. How did we reach the point of giving up this cause that we defended? Acceptance of the current plan without any change is not true. We should not give up our right to compromise. Negotiations should be continued till a compromise is reached. Turkey's acceptance of the Annan plan with its current form is not negotiation and compromise,'' he said.
Criticizing the government due to its policy on Cyprus issue, Baykal said, ''we are objecting to the plan of the United Nations, as it did not satisfy us. If the Annan plan is accepted with its current form, there will be a big breaking in foreign policy of Turkey.''
(EÖ-Öª) 08.02.2004