LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has stated that he would not attend the four-party conference which was expected to be held in Switzerland with the participation of Turkey and Greece under the negotiation process aiming to find a fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue.
Speaking at the state-run TRT-2 TV Channel, President Denktas said on Wednesday that he would not go to Switzerland, adding that the government would go to Switzerland to attend the conference.
''I believe that nothing would change in the four-party conference because of the attitude of the Greek Cypriot side. Our government will exert efforts to change something. If a positive change is made, I will tell Turkish Cypriot people that something good are happening. But, if anything is changed, I will inform my people again. I do not suppose that something will change. Therefore, I will not go to Switzerland,'' President Denktas said.

PRESIDENT DENKTAS OF TRNC: ''I WILL NOT GO TO SWITZERLAND''
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has said, ''I will not go to Switzerland to attend the four-party conference since any progress could not be made in Cyprus talks.''
Holding a press conference, President Denktas said on Wednesday, ''a decision cannot be taken hastily and carelessly about future of a nation. They want us to face a fait accompli.''
''During the negotiation process in Cyprus, the Greek Cypriot side did not make any opening. Since Greece does not believe that the four-party conference would yield a successful result, it does not send Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis to Switzerland. Under the light of these developments, I have decided not to go to Switzerland.''
Noting that TRNC government would attend the four-party conference, President Denktas stressed, ''if our sine qua nons are not accepted, nothing will happen.''
''If our sine qua nons are not accepted, it will not be the end of the world. TRNC will enter the European Union (EU) one day together with Turkey. Because, the EU wants whole Cyprus,'' he added.
DENKTAS: ''IF I GO TO SWITZERLAND, MY PEOPLE WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPRESSION''
President Denktas said, ''some circles in Turkey have been discussing whether or not I will go to Switzerland to attend the four-party conference. Therefore, I want to make a statement to put an end to these discussions.''
''I have decided not to go to Switzerland by taking into consideration the talks in Cyprus. Any progress could not be made basically in Cyprus talks. Also, there is not possibility of progress in the talks. Therefore, if I go to Switzerland, my people will have a negative impression. People who rely on me, think that if President Denktas carries out the negotiation process, something positive will happen,'' he stressed.
''We have kept our promise by carrying the agreements we reached in New York to Lefkosa. We have carried out the negotiation process with good-will and in full cooperation with Turkey so far. We have put forward our requests. They were quite reasonable requests. We have even lessened our sine qua nons. We were ready to discuss all issues. Despite all these, the Greek Cypriot side did not make any opening. In fact, they do not have any intention to do so. Today, we assessed studies of committees. These studies of the committees will become laws in future. However, there have been disagreements over basic issues between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot members of the committees. We were not informed on them. It was understood that these agreements would be conveyed to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. They want us to face a fait accompli,'' President Denktas added.

PRESIDENT DENKTAS OF TRNC RECEIVES PRENDERGAST AND DE SOTO
Denktas received United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Sir Kieran Prendergast and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto on Wednesday.
Any statement was not released prior to the meeting.
TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas and other officials were also in attendance at the meeting.
(UK) 17.03.2004