LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Wednesday that the revision they wanted in Annan's plan was clarification of some points mentioned in the plan under the realities in Cyprus.
Denktas told reporters that they would continue talks on Thursday.
Regarding the changes they want, Denktas said, ''for example, it says, 'twenty-four people go to the senate from each founder state'. However, we want clarification of the issue if the Greek Cypriots will also have suffrage right in our state. What I mean to say is that we want it to clearly mention that there will be twenty-four Turkish Cypriot and twenty-four Greek Cypriot senators. And we want it to clearly mention that those will be 'Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot' whenever it mentions 'two persons or five persons from each founder state'. Because, there are two peoples in Cyprus. We don't want these two peoples to be turned into a mixed society.''
Noting that they also wanted decrease in several percentages mentioned in Annan's plan, Denktas said that if these percentages remain as they are in the plan, the Turkish Cypriot side's founder state will lose its meaning of being the founder state of Turkish Cypriots in a short time and dangers would appear.
Stressing that they wanted revision also in solution of the mutual properties issue in Annan's plan, Denktas said that those issues were included in Annan's plan and asking for changes on those issues did not mean exceeding the framework of the plan.
''As it is mentioned in the 1960 agreement, we want Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots to cast votes in their own founder states regardless of wherever they live and we want this issue to be clarified. We want it to protect the existence of two peoples in Cyprus. We want some percentages to be decreased to reasonable rates. We want the plan to clearly mention that the new formation will be founded by the Turkish and Greek Cypriot peoples by using their founder rights and authorities. We want clarification of the issue that new formation will be founded by the authorities granted by the old partners, two peoples that exist in Cyprus, not by an order of a high institution,'' he said.
Stressing that this issue was not clear in Annan's plan, Denktas said, ''they are saying, ' this is a virginal birth, you say it in that way if you want and if he wants, he says no, Republic of Cyprus continues. Later, you quarrel inside after making an agreement'. However, we want to enter an institution without quarrel. We want clarification. We want something appropriate to realities. Nobody should take offense at this because Annan's plan envisages foundation of a new partnership between the two peoples in the island. It is founded this or that way, that's the question.''
(MS-AÖ) 25.02.2004