LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said on Monday that they have entered a period of hard working and they had to complete this period with success because if they did not, they would have problems for the future of Turkish Cypriots. ''We must not experience it,'' he said.
Talat said that a change could be made in Annan Plan and this would be made to reach an agreement which would protect rights better.
Following his meeting with the officials of European Union (EU) Commission, Talat told A.A correspondent that they would work hard and the process would last 2 or 3 months, adding that they would complete this period in the most beneficial way for their people.
Noting that EU's interest in Cyprus increased in recent times, Talat said that Cyprus would enter EU officially in May and added, ''northern Cyprus will also be a member of EU with this solution. Thus, EU is interested in the issue more.''
When recalled that EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen would come to Cyprus on Wednesday, Talat said that Verheugen asked for an appointment from him for Thursday. He added that the talks would start on Thursday and he hoped he could have time for meeting with Verheugen that day.
When asked if amendment could be made on the basis of Annan plan during the negotiations, Talat said that no change on the basis of the plan was expected and proposed.
''Let's only say 'amendment in Annan plan' because everything will be discussed. But a small detail for you can be important as much as the essence of the plan. Therefore, amendments will certainly be made in Annan plan. These amendments will be made to reach an agreement that will protect our rights in a better way. I am hopeful, certainly it can be amended. Even if time limits were put, we can make significant amendments by getting international support.''
TRNC Prime Minister Talat said that the sign of the fact that Turkish Cypriots could get the international support in issues which they were right was the result which they got during the talks in New York, adding that ''Greek Cypriots wanted to include EU into the efforts to overcome the deadlocks and disagreements regarding Cyprus issue. We explained them this was wrong. Everybody was persuaded and we won that fight in the end.''
Noting that they were working to form the teams that would participate in the negotiations and to prepare the working place of the technical committees, Talat said that they were at the stage of determining the names who would participate in the technical committee meetings and they would inform the U.N. Secretary General about the names on Feb. 18.
When asked if the Turkish side would benefit from his postgraduate dissertation on solution of Cyprus issue within the scope of Annan plan during the negotiations, Talat said that ''that was an academic study. An academic study can only help a political stance. We must make a distinction between the two. I had to assume an objective point of view while examining Annan plan academically and I tried to do that. But I, as a Turkish Cypriot and a member of the negotiator delegation of Turkish Cypriots, I am obliged and responsible to get the maximum advantages for my people. Therefore, such a study can certainly be helpful; but there is no rule that the things which I wrote in the dissertation and the demands I made during political negotiations will be the same.''
(GC-Öª-AÖ) 16.02.2004