LEFKOSA - The meeting between Turkish and Greek Cypriot delegations led by President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos ended on Tuesday.
The sides met on Tuesday for the seventh time under the United Nations-sponsored negotiation process aiming to find a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue.
DENKTAS: GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE SHOULD NOT TURN THEIR BACK TO OUR PROPOSALS
Denktas who held a press conference after the seventh session of Cyprus negotiations said that Greek Cypriot side should also assume a constructive attitude. ''We approach in a constructive way Greek Cypriot side's proposals that make us say 'impossible' at first glance during negotiations. We bring proposals in response to their proposals. We expect a similar attitude from Greek Cypriot side. We also asked Greek Cypriot side not to turn their back to proposals of Turkish side by saying that those are out of the plan,'' he noted.
Replying to a question, Denktas said that they have not seen yet that Greek Cypriot side has approached positively any proposal of Turkish Cypriots.
Denktas said that they examined Greek Cypriot side's proposals which they presented as a ''comprehensive document'' at the meeting on Monday. He added that those proposals were not a comprehensive document, but rhetoric.
Denktas stressed that Greek Cypriots were saying things out of the Annan plan especially on property and territory issues.
Replying to a question on visit of TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas to Ankara, Denktas said, ''I think that there was a need for exchange of views on some issues and they went there. I will also go there on Thursday. Those talks are natural.''
DENKTAS: WE ARE INSISTENT ON BIZONALITY
Denktas said, ''they talked about 'founding state', but the people should know that it is not state. ''A founding state that do not found anything. We want this issue to be concrete, at least.''
Stating that they wanted lower number of Greek Cypriot people to come among Turkish Cypriot people and it should be depended on a quota, Denktas said that they were also insistent on defining clearly those who will be members of the senate as Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot.
Denktas said that if an agreement was to be reached, they wanted that decisions should be taken on some issues by separate majority and they wanted this in order to protect themselves and added that this was also mentioned in 1960 Agreement. Denktas said that Turkish Cypriot side should have an effective participation in decision-making at the top. ''We want this effective participation not to be removed by bringing Greek Cypriots among us.''
Denktas said that they wanted to include in the agreement that higher state was comprised of two founding states and two peoples with consent of both sides. ''Because, this is the basis. We want this issue to be written down because it is a result which will be reached by an agreement between the two peoples.''
''The agreement in 1960 was a partnership agreement. We had a government which was called as Community Assembly. We had participation in joint government and it was effective. We had veto rights. But they (Greek Cypriot people) said that 'those did not work' and threw them away. And now you see what we have experienced for 40 years since then,'' he noted.
Denktas said, ''we stress that partnership state which will be founded should include the power stemming from two peoples and there should be Turkish Cypriot-Greek Cypriot separation in senate and other issues. Because the rights that we thought that we gained in 1960 were removed in 1963. We have been in limbo for 40 years. We are afraid of same thing to occur again.''
Stressing that it will not harm Greek Cypriot side, Denktas said, ''Since Annan plan says that founding states will be Turkish Cypriot-Greek Cypriot sides, we say it helps settlement of peace and does not harm you either if those issues are settled on an unbreakable strong ground and give confidence to our people. But they reject those things by saying that they are out of the Annan plan.''
Stating that Greek Cypriot side's approach on property issues was based on maps in the Annan plan, Denktas said that Greek Cypriots wanted places, which would be emptied by Turkish Cypriots and handed over to the Greek Cypriots under the Annan plan within three years, should be transferred immediately to control of the United Nations. Denktas said that there was not any rehabilitation program and they could not disturb people without a rehabilitation program.
Replying to a question on attitude of U.N., Denktas said, ''today, U.N. (U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto) said that everything cannot be out of the plan and they can say that things which are discussed basing on the plan and which are wanted to be changed can be considered within the content of the plan. He said that he did not want to be ruler and arbitrator of this issue. But he also said that some proposals of Turkish Cypriot side are changes at a great extent.''
Stating that negotiations continued, he said that they should be patient.
Denktas added that he would also meet with U.N. Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast on Tuesday.
(AA) 02.03.2004