Denktas: Result Can Be Obtained If Both Sides Work With Good Will

ISTANBUL - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Sunday that a negotiation process has started in Cyprus, noting that, ''we think that a result can be obtained if both sides work with good will.''
Denktas spoke at a news conference at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport and gave information about the talks which he had with the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and Greek Cypriot side in New York.
Pointing out that a negotiation process started in Cyprus, Denktas said, ''time is short. We think that a result can be obtained if both sides work in good will. Of course, fundamental rights of Turkish Cypriots and Turkey's fundamental rights on Cyprus should be protected. There are two control valves in front of us. The first one is holding a referendum about the agreement that will be reached. If our people do not like the result, they have the right to say this in the referendum. We will prepare an agreement which will meet needs of our people. Greek Cypriot side will do the same thing. The second valve is presentation of the agreement to the Turkish Parliament. It should be a balanced and lasting agreement which the Turkish nation will also accept. We thought we could work with good will. We will work. All of us will be pleased if we can obtain a positive result.''
Denktas said for a long time they had insisted that Annan plan could not be accepted as it was, noting that, ''we have announced that it should be amended. We continuously met a strict approach that its amendment could be made in a frame. After seeing our insistence in our defense, the sides announced that they could be more flexible on amendment.''
Denktas said during the talks they had in Ankara, they focused on ''sine qua non issues and on which principles they would be insistent.'' He said, ''as a result of this agreement, we went to New York. U.N. Secretary General insistently said there could not be an agreement if the sides could not agree on trivial or important issues and that there was need for a referee. He said he could interrupt the talks in case an agreement could not be reached. This was a pressure on the two sides.''
Denktas said, ''upon this, we made a proposal in agreement with Ankara. We said Turkey and Greece to intervene as two guarantor states for solution of issues which the sides could not reach compromise. We said Secretary General could also interfere and say the last word if again an agreement could not be reached.''
Denktas said, ''this is a very big step for us and a positive step. Greece will also put its hand under the stone together with Turkey as a guarantor country. This of course will affect mediation of the Secretary General to a great extend. Turkey promised to support us on issues which we are rightful in case there is disagreement.''
Denktas said they did what was possible, stating that, ''Greek Cypriots wanted to include European Union (EU) here together with Greece. This was a very big trick. They launched initiatives to authorize the EU to carry the talks together with the Secretary General. This could not be accepted. We waited at the U.N. headquarters for 12 hours just for this and in the end a formula was found. We think this formula will not offend us.''
Denktas said during the talks in The Hague, he had wanted changes on Annan Plan and proposed to hold referendum in case there was agreement but that this was not accepted. He said, ''what they wanted from me at that time was to resort the Annan Plan to referendum as it was only with small changes and without reaching an agreement between the two sides. I could not accept that. Now that a door has been opened for changes. We will see. We hope to fulfill this. I hope Greek Cypriot side will give up acting like the owner of Cyprus and considering us as minority. I wish people of the two sides will exert efforts to reach an agreement within principles of good neighborhood. Turkey and Greece have put their hands under the stone. From now on we expect Greece to give up the trick to possess Cyprus through the EU.''
Asked if he had concerns that the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan would act objectively in his mediation, Denktas said, ''in recent talks, we saw that he wanted to act objectively with good will. However, I can say that Turkey and Greece are included in the mediation team. Thus tight cooperation will be made with them. We will expect Annan to be objective, and it is his duty to be objective.''
Noting that efforts to get rid of Annan Plan failed, Denktas said that the world opposed them by insisting on Annan Plan, adding that TRNC would try Annan Plan with the condition of making necessary changes and by softening it in favor of TRNC and then would present to TRNC people. He said that they would present the matured agreement to TRNC people, adding that he wished that the agreement would be a one which both sides would accept. He said that the good result would be two old partners' establishing a new partnership on equal conditions.
When recalled that the result taken in New York was considered as a victory by Turkey and asked whether this was a beginning and a success, Denktas said, ''certainly Turkish diplomacy launched big initiatives. However, as you see, some expressions or principles of National Security Council (NSC) were softened due to impositions. It was said 'Annan Plan cannot be taken as basis but can be taken as reference.' It is accepted as a basis, but we will make changes in this basis. This means that basis can be changed. Turkey and we were applied impositions. They increased imposition by setting the date May 1. The path is opened with diplomatic initiatives. This is a good step and what is needed is reaching a result. I wish we will reach a result.''
When said there was an imposition on timetable and asked whether a result would be reached until May 1, Denktas said that their duty was to comply with the timetable and work with sincerity, adding that if a result would not be reached in spite of sincerity of both sides, then another formula would be found.
When asked whether they had a meeting with American officials during the process in the United States, Denktas said that TRNC and Turkish officials both had meetings and there were telephone conversations between Ankara and Washington. He added that the active role of the United States should not be considered strange because the United States had also impositions for a long time for the acceptation of Annan Plan and probably the United States understood that the plan should be changed and they helped. He said that bilateral meetings with the United States were not made.
Denktas will return to TRNC tonight.

(GC-AY) 15.02.2004