LEFKOSA - TRNC President Rauf Denktas said on Monday that they could not get a satisfying reply from the EU to date about the issue of derogations which was one of the basic conditions (sine qua non) of the Turkish side.
Speaking in the news conference he held after the 11th session of Cyprus talks, TRNC President Denktas said that Greek Cypriots rejected all of the amendment proposals of the Turkish side about Annan plan to make the latter be a lasting one. ''But they have amended almost all provisions of Annan plan,'' said Denktas.
Greek Cypriots opposed derogations to become primary law of the EU, said Denktas, noting that ''unfortunately, the information we got from EU is not satisfying. They've told us so far that they would try to provide an harmony. But now when we ask for a definite answer to our question as to whether the EU would make the derogations a primary law or not, they tell us that these can't be permanent, they could be valid for a temporary period of time and they've started to talk about its difficulties.''
Denktas said that EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen was in Ankara, adding that ''the Turkish government will discuss this important issue for us with him face to face.''
Denktas stated that the main issue of today's meeting was security, adding that Greek Cypriot side submitted a 40-page document to them last night and that the Turkish Cypriot side presented a document covering their views about security at the beginning of the process.
Denktas remarked that Greek Cypriot side demanded to hold the referendum on April 20 rather than April 21, which was official holiday in the Greek Cypriot side.
Noting that Greek Cypriots tried to impose administration of the majority rather than two partners, Denktas said that Greek Cypriots also rejected the agreements concluded by TRNC with Turkey and they wanted to transfer coasts and airports and similar issues to common state.
Denktas said that they were asked to complete submitting documents on Tuesday, adding that the Turkish Cypriot side completed this process earlier.
Upon a question, Denktas said that the election results in Greece would not change things much for Cyprus negotiations.
DENKTAS: A BIG GAME IS PLAYED ABOUT CYPRUS ISSUE IN TURKEY
When a reporter reminded him about the news stories claiming that the Turkish government criticized him during his visit to Ankara last week, Denktas said that ''this is a lie. We had a very sincere and open meeting and we discussed everything... Some media organs claim such things on purpose in order to humiliate me and to make the Turkish government be angry with me. A big game is being played about Cyprus issue in Turkey. There are circles which are in this game and circles which are not.''
When reminded about other news stories claiming that an assurance was given to U.N. Secretary General's special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro De Soto during his visit to Ankara and asked what kind of an assurance was that, Denktas said that ''don't take into consideration those news.'' Denktas said that necessary things were told to De Soto about the sine qua nons of the Turkish side. One should not make comment by reading those news stories, he added.
DENKTAS: DRAFT CONSTITUTION MEANS IN A WAY CHANGING SHAPE OF TRNC
''As how difficult it is to found a state, it is also that much difficult to abolish a state. And, a new partnership can be formed by preserving its security and by changing the shape of a state a little bit,'' Denktas said.
Denktas noted that security was the main item of agenda in today's meeting with the Greek Cypriot side.
Turkish Cypriot side had given a paper on its views about security at the beginning of Cyprus talks process, Denktas said.
Denktas stated that the Greek Cypriot side sent them a document comprised of 40 pages late on Sunday.
Although they could not work on the document of the Greek Cypriot side in detail, they had expressed their preliminary views on the issue in their meeting, Denktas noted.
Denktas said that they had laid down all their proposals comprised of a few pages to the Greek Cypriot side from the first day of the talks while the document given by the Greek Cypriot side consisted of 110 pages.
They had proposed Swiss model for status and equality of two sides, Denktas stressed. Denktas said that they had taken Belgium, which was established over two separate languages, as a model regarding relations of the new partnership with the European Union (EU) and stated that the Greek Cypriots rejected those.
The Greek Cypriots brought onto agenda return of all the Greek Cypriots to their former places under EU norms, Denktas said.
Denktas noted, ''they have an approach trying to shorten the deadline with the pretext that 'it has not worked out in time', an approach which will require us to accept everything they say without even discussing whatever rights we have.''
The Greek Cypriots did their best to impose majority administration instead of partnership and instead of full equality between two partners, Denktas pointed out.
Denktas said, ''they want Turkey to say that it will guarantee any agreement without seeing that agreement.''
The Greek Cypriots opposed to every change they wanted in the Annan plan, Denktas stated.
Denktas said that in the document they gave to TRNC, the Greek Cypriots considered Turkey responsible for settlement of TRNC citizens with Turkish origin in the island and went too far by saying that Turkey ''had committed an international crime'' by doing so.
''It seems that they are afraid of people whom they called 'settlers'. Because, they claim most of these people have had received military education and therefore, they could have been called to the military at any moment. If weapons were thrown from planes for them, that could have caused a serious threat. I am saying these because I want you to see their approach. Because, as you know, 80 thousand Greek Cypriots can be called back to military at any moment after their military service have ended. This is what their press say. And, these people are used as militia and they are keeping their weapons at home. We sometimes hear that weapons of some of them are stolen,'' Denktas said.
Denktas stated that they would response to the document of the Greek Cypriots comprised of 40 pages which fairly changed essential parts of the plan.
Denktas said that U.N. special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro De Soto, who attended the negotiations as an observer, asked the constitution of the founding states to be submitted to him until March 12. TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat stated that the study about that issue continued in the parliament, Denktas noted.
Upon a question, Denktas remarked that properties of the foundations had a special status which had to be protected in the constitution and that they would give importance to that issue in the draft constitution.
The main issue about draft constitution was as to whether they could give the draft to the Greek Cypriots before being adopted by the parliament, and should it be adopted by the parliament or not?'' said Denktas. ''We discuss these issues among ourselves because this constitution draft means transformation of TRNC in a way and changing of the Constitution in a considerable extent. There are the questions of 'how should it be done'. It is difficult to remove a state at once just like it is difficult to found a new state. In order not to remove the state, we can change the form of that state by preserving the guarantee and security it brought; so that we can form a new partnership. Our friends work on these issues,'' he said.

(BRC-Öª-AÖ) 08.03.2004