LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) had changed its words about derogations in recent days.
Talat, who attended a program live broadcast on Bayrak television channel, said that the EU's attitude towards derogations disappointed himself.
TRNC Prime Minister Talat noted that EU officials had assumed an opposite attitude towards the issue when compared with their former statements and had started to say that ''they would not accept long-term and permanent derogations.''
Talat stated that he mentioned this issue during his meeting with United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto on Monday.
De Soto told him that ''it was what the technicians were saying not what politicians were saying'' and asked Talat to consider politicians not technicians, Talat said.
Talat pointed out that the EU was probably informed about the issue and EU Commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen called him in the evening and asked him ''what the problem was.''
TRNC Prime Minister Talat said that he recalled the commitment made by high-level EU representatives about derogations.
Talat quoted Verheugen as saying that what they were saying was valid and said that Verheugen asked him to forget about the other statements.
Verheugen told him that they would accept TRNC's derogations but wanted those derogations to be limited and they would also accept TRNC's derogations about preservation of their identity, Talat said.
Talat stated that he was a little bit relieved with Verheugen's words.
TRNC Prime Minister Talat said, ''when I asked how the EU will make the agreement the primary law, he said that he thinks every issue will be considered within its framework. He also said that we should know that they don't have any objections provided that two sides agree.''
Talat noted that speculations on map were being made and the maps published in the press did not reflect the facts.
There was not any agreement on which two sides had agreed, Talat stated.
Talat pointed out that they were exerting efforts on drawing a map which would have a significant effect on the process and announced that people would be less uneasy with the map that would come out of their efforts.
He did not think that TRNC President Rauf Denktas would withdraw from negotiations because Denktas was aware of his responsibility, Talat said.
Talat stated that if Denktas withdrew from negotiations, he would help attitude of Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, who was joining negotiations unwillingly.
If two sides could not reach a solution till May 1, they would not be at the same position after that date, Talat said.
Talat noted that work on Annan's plan would be completed till March 31 and he would not assume his attitude towards the plan before the text was completed.
Noting that they were exerting efforts for an agreement which would be accepted by their people, Talat expressed belief that they could succeed in their efforts.
Two sides had started negotiation process on February 19 to find a fair and lasting solution to Cyprus issue till May 1 on the basis of United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan.
If sides can't reach a settlement till March 22, quartet conference will start among TRNC, Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece.
U.N. Secretary General Annan will fill in the blanks if participants can't reach any compromise in quartet meetings, and the text to be formed at the end of all these initiatives will be voted in referenda to be held synchronously in the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides on April 20.
(BRC) 17.03.2004