Weston: A Very Important Opportunity Would Be Lost If Against Votes Are Cast In Referendum

LEFKOSA - Thomas Weston, the special coordinator of the U.S. State Department for Cyprus, said on Monday that a very important opportunity would be missed in case the sides cast against votes in the referendum that would be hold in the end of negotiations in Cyprus.
Weston made a news conference in Lefkosa in the buffer zone following his meetings in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot side.
Describing the stage reached in solution of Cyprus question as a ''chance'', Weston said nobody could imagine the results if they fail to reach a solution when the chance was there.
Weston said referendum would take place at the end of the negotiations according to the agreement reached in New York, and that peoples of Cyprus would take the decision. Weston said peoples of Cyprus would take a historic decision whether or not there would be a solution.
Asked if there was a possibility for a new plan and map in case the sides could not agree on Annan plan, Weston said they wanted the negotiations to be resulted, but he did not want to speak about the result of the talks.
Replying to a question how he evaluated the proposals presented by the sides in negotiations, Weston said he would not comment as the proposals were about contents of the negotiations. He said it was normal that there could be difference in proposals, noting holding negotiations meant that.
Weston said he could not say anything whether or not the proposals were inside or outside the Annan plan, adding that the U.N. has the right to speak on this.
Replying to a question about international donors' conference, Weston said organization studies continued on this and that the conference would be held for solution of Cyprus question.
Weston said international donors' conference would take place in Spring, and it would depend on whether or not there is a solution. He said they first wanted a solution to be reached and later the international donors' conference to be held, stressing that date of the conference depended on the EU Commission.
Stating that the United States would actively join the donors' conference and encourage the other countries to join, Weston said different institutions in the world would take place in this conference. ''However,'' Weston noted Annan Plan should be resulted and presented to referendum. He said the United States did its best on the issue.
When asked why the United States was so generous, Weston denied the news reports saying that his country would have a military base in Cyprus and that it acted generously because of this.
Weston said they expended financial help to various places of the world in the same way in the past, stressing that they would also expend help to Cyprus. Weston said he could not give information about the amount of the aid.
When a journalist asked what the attitude of the United State would be in case a solution could not be found to Cyprus question till May 1 and whether or not it would recognize TRNC, Weston said he did not want to make speculations on the issue and that they supported good will mission of the U.N. Secretary General.
Replying to another question, Weston said studies should be carried out how to finance the state which will newly come on the scene, adding that his country could expend help on the issue but that technical committees should deal with it.
Replying to a question if he could say there would be solution till May 1, Weston said this would be their goal and that they would work on it.
Expressing pleasure over his meetings, Weston said he got positive messages and that all the expectations were positive.

DENKTAS: STATEMENTS OF WESTON ARE UNACCEPTABLE PRESSURE
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Tuesday that the statements of Thomas Weston, the special coordinator of the U.S. State Department for Cyprus, who said ''those who will say 'no' to referendum will pay a big price'' was an unacceptable pressure and threat against Turkish and Greek Cypriot societies, adding that he was disappointed by this statement.
Denktas evaluated the statements of Weston while leaving Presidency to meet with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos for the seventh session of Cyprus talks.
Noting that people would attend referendum by knowing the realities and their mission was to convey the realities to people, Denktas said that Turkish Cypriots would be destroyed if Annan Plan was accepted without any change.
Denktas said that Turkish Cypriots have paid big prices until now. He added, ''they shall go and see our martyrs, they shall visit and talk to our disabled veterans. They shall address our people who migrated three times in 40 years. The price was paid. Both sides paid the price. Greek Cypriot side paid the price to make Cyprus a Greek land. It paid the price in a war it had started. We are saying this with sorrow. They should not have started such a war. The price is Turkish Cypriot people's saving their own independence.''
Stressing that if a partnership would be established between the two sides, it should be ''without pressure, threat and intervention'', Denktas said that such pressures ''could not be acceptable'' and nobody could bear this.
Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Soysal, advisor of Denktas for constitutional issues, has been participating in TRNC delegation for Cyprus talks since yesterday.
(GC-AÖ) 02.03.2004