LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Tuesday that the church in Cyprus had been following a policy of depriving Turkish Cypriots of their soil for the last century, stressing that protection was their right and they insisted on it.
Replying to a question about derogations, Denktas said that this issue was vital for them, adding, ''because we want to preserve our identity and the bi-zonal structure. In one respect, bi-zonal structure contradicts with the EU norms. If the EU norms work, Greek Cypriots will have the right to return to their old places. And Papadopoulos says that it should be in this way. We want measures to prevent it. And these measures de facto exist. Now when there is the EU in question, we encounter an attempt to blow these up.''
Noting that small countries in Europe had put forward such permanent derogations to protect their territories and economic and personal assets, Denktas said for instance, there was a derogation which envisaged that Germans can purchase a summer house in a neighboring country but they can't purchase a permanent house. Recalling that there was a derogation also for Malta which did not allow everybody to purchase soil, Denktas said that they needed such derogations.
''Because as far as I remember, the church in Cyprus has been following a policy of depriving Turkish Cypriots of their soil for the last century. We experienced and suffered pains of the policy of not selling soil to Turkish Cypriots and not purchasing soil from Turkish Cypriots. So protection is our right and we do insist on it,'' he said.
Stating that they had presented their document on derogations to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto, Denktas said that De Soto would review it.
Noting that Greek Cypriots' joining the EU on behalf of Cyprus would not change the situation, Denktas said that agreements with Greek Cypriots would be reviewed one by one if a solution was reached and an agreement was made in Cyprus. Denktas said that they encountered difficulties regarding the issue of existence of two peoples in Cyprus, adding, ''we hope that those difficulties would be overcome in course of time.''
The third-day session of Cyprus talks had ended, Denktas reminded and added, ''we hope for a change of spirit. We pray for it.''
''They consider themselves as a side that has succeeded in everything, joined the EU and do not need us,'' he said.
Recalled of Article 6 of annex 9 of Annan's plan which said that an agreement would be passed by parliaments of member countries, Denktas said that the plan mentioned it in a realistic way.
Noting that they had talked about the issue during today's talks and said that it should be in this way to satisfy Turkish Cypriots, Denktas said that the Greek Cypriot side responded them by saying, ''we joined the EU so it should not be asked to the governments again''. Denktas said such an approach of Greek Cypriots was not right.
''The authority that joined the EU is the Cyprus title. A new Cyprus will appear if an agreement is made with us now. What kind of political approaches it will lead to, how it will be, how we can harmonize the agreement of that Cyprus with birth of new Cyprus... These are the issues we are going to discuss. These will be discussed by the EU and the United Nations and Turkey,'' he said.
When he was asked if he could define today's talks as negative, Denktas said, ''I don't describe any talk as negative. I told you what happened during today's meeting.''
Replying to a question on agenda of Wednesday's session, Denktas said that Greek Cypriots would present a draft document on the revision they wanted in the issue of representation and they would work on it.
(MS-AÖ) 24.02.2004