Talat Says Statement Of Denktas That He Would Not Go To Switzerland Was Not A Surprise For Him

LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said on Thursday that announcement of TRNC President Rauf Denktas that he would not go to Switzerland for the quartet conference was not a surprise statement for him but a surprise decision.
Talat said he hoped Denktas would review his decision.
Speaking at a news conference, Talat said they were going through a difficult process, and noted that this difficulty would further increase toward the end of the talks.
Talat said statement of Denktas was not a surprise for him, but that he did not consider it likely even if he expected something like this. Talat said failure in presenting draft constitution of Turkish Cypriot constituent state also created difficulty in the process.
Talat said the process seemed to be interrupted, and that everything was left to Switzerland, noting that technical committees continued to work and that the process would be completed in Switzerland on March 31. He said technical committees would continue to work after March 31.
Pointing out that they expected the referendum to take place on April 20, Talat said written oppositions were conveyed to the U.N. regarding the date, and that the date April 20 may be changed.
Talat said he considered Caramanlis' participation in the four-way meeting in Switzerland on March 28 as a very appropriate decision, adding that the Turkish side from the beginning of the process wanted to hold the talks at high level and asked participation of fully authorized persons to the summit.
Talat said he was optimistic about the solution and that people expended 100 percent support to the solution, noting that none of the sides presented a map during the negotiations. Talat said there was not a concrete map on which the sides agreed.
Talat said they have not yet got an official invitation for the Cyprus summit expected to take place in Ankara on Monday. Pointing out that talks continued with Ankara, Talat said he learned from the television that TRNC President would not go to Switzerland. He said decision of Denktas was an expression of uneasiness.
When Talat was reminded the statement of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan about Denktas' decision that, ''these are not issues that can be attributed too much importance. We discuss and resolve it'', he said Erdogan would have meant that they would solve the problem in another way.
Pointing out that in the negotiation process, they for the first time expressed the mistakes in the Annan plan, Talat said they were in a position to act together till March 31.
(AY-AÖ) 18.03.2004