Gul: Denktas Has A Decision

ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday that President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) had a decision, noting that, ''we are not in a position to persuade people by force.''
Gul replied to questions of reporters about Cyprus.
Gul said he and President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) evaluated developments regarding Cyprus during a telephone conversation today.
When asked whether or not he could persuade Denktas to go to Switzerland, Gul said, ''he has a decision at the moment. Of course, we are not in a position to persuade people by force. We are evaluating the issues together. Negotiations continue.''
''We started together and of course we would like to end together. We exert efforts for this,'' Gul said, noting that, ''if Denktas says he could not come and transfers his authorities to the prime minister and foreign minister, we will respect to it. This is the matter of all of us.''
Gul said Turkey will show its determination till to the end during the four-way meetings, yet noted that they did not know whether or not Greece would show the same determination.
Gul said Greeks were reluctant to go to Switzerland till Mr. Denktas made the statement that he would not go to Switzerland, noting that, ''they later changed their ideas. We are very pleased that they are coming to Switzerland.''
Gul also noted that there should not be a view that Turkey and TRNC have separate priorities.
Pointing out that they were in continuos consultation with the TRNC officials in negotiation process and that both sides jointly determined the amendments desired to be made to Annan plan, Gul said separate ideas were out of question. Gul said, ''thus, there should not be a view that TRNC and Turkey have separate priorities.''
Gul said decision regarding the amendments to the plan seemed to be left to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Gul said, ''there are changes which all of us wanted to make on the plan. Those are issues which Turkey and TRNC jointly decided. Those will be negotiated. It seems that all those will be left to U.N. Secretary General. It is our target to negotiate the issues and get what we want in the plan which Annan will reveal. Negotiations take place for this. We can not get anything before negotiating.''
Gul said they would see whether or not the paper met their priorities after it comes out, stating that, ''we will be in an effort to get what we want. We will tell it to people if what we want are not provided.''
Gul said Turkey and TRNC were not following separate ways stating that they together put the paper on the table in New York and that it was negotiated altogether.
Gul said, ''firstly, all of us are exerting efforts for a lasting and realistic solution. Secondly, the result that would be reached should include the priorities we desire. This can only be made through talks, negotiations and bargaining.''
Stating that referendum was inevitable, Gul said the important thing was that Annan plan should be put to referendum in a way including the priorities of the Turkish side and that people should say ''yes'' to the referendum.
Gul said they would show good will to obtain those priorities, noting that it would not be right to reject referendum without having negotiations.
Gul said he hoped an agreement to be reached in four-way talks in Switzerland and Cyprus process to be completed there.
Gul said they would altogether look at the final shape which Annan would give, and that they wanted the final plan to be issued considering their wishes and facts on the island, accepting existence of both sides and satisfying both sides.
Gul said, ''absolutely, the two sides, the people will make a decision consequently.''
DENKTAS SAYS HE WOULD HAVE TO RESIGN IF PEOPLE SAY ''YES'' TO REFERENDUM AND IN CASE THE AGREEMENT IS STILL IN AN UNACCEPTABLE POSITION
President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Friday that he would resign when the agreement that would be reached comes to the stage of signing after referendum, and if the agreement was still in a position that he could not accept.
Denktas, who replied to the questions of reporters, said it was two times officially stated to Ankara that he would not continue Cyprus talks after March 22.
When a reporter asked about the contents of his phone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Denktas said, ''my decision not to go to Switzerland should not be a surprise to Mr. Gul. It was two times stated to Turkey through official canals that I would not continue the talks after March 22. It was not a surprise.''
Stating that he was signing the letters which he wrote to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the moment Gul phoned him, Denktas said a detailed evaluation was made in his letter.
Denktas said he could not make a change in his decision as he evaluated well the attitude of General Secretariat and the Greek Cypriots during the talks. ''There is an effort to bring us to a result in line with their ideas. There is not any side taking into consideration our statements.''
Pointing out that they and Turkey insisted on derogations, Denktas said, ''because those are rights that are sentenced to remain on paper if the EU does not guarantee them, and does not include them in its primary law. In the end, they told us that those would not be given in the last few days. Thus, if I enter this second stage, I will give misleading news to my people. I will give misleading hopes.''
Denktas said the government would go to Switzerland with full authority, stating that, ''I will be very pleased if they manage to get what I could not get. If they can not, at least I am informing my people about the difficulties beforehand.''
Denktas said nobody can blame them from now on saying ''you did this and that'' as everything was left to people.
''We rely on our people. They will make their own decision after being told the realities. They will altogether have to bear the results. To this end, it is natural that I am staying behind. This is not something I did to sabotage the talks. But a decision taken after seeing well the way things were going. The foreigners have an approach as if they are telling us 'reach an artificial agreement and artificial result and then suffer the consequences'. It would be meaningless for me to continue the talks, which would not lead anywhere, after seeing those. I told all those to Mr. Gul.''
Underlining that everybody has to think as the derogations they wanted could not be taken, Denktas said the agreement would not have any value if it would remain on paper.
Referring to the statements of a Greek Cypriot friend of him whom he met a week ago, Denktas quoted his Greek Cypriot friend as saying, ''Denktas, 1960 agreement had been imposed on us by force. It could only continue for three years and resulted in bloodshed. Now that a graver and more complicated agreement is imposed on us with a graver pressure. There will be quarrels between us for territory and property. I am afraid of the future.''
Denktas said they wanted property issues to be solved in a way eliminating quarrels on property, yet that nobody paid attention.
Stating that he wanted continuation of the talks and that his absence in talks in Switzerland would not have any influence on the talks.
Wishing the government to achieve in Switzerland what could not be achieved in the island, Denktas said, ''if they could not achieve what we could not achieve here, nobody should come here and have screams of victory. They should tell the truths to our people. I hope we will altogether tell the truths to our people together with the Motherland.''
Stating that the U.N. was also informed that he would not attend the talks in Switzerland, Denktas said a summit meeting in Ankara was not scheduled.
Denktas said there should not be a problem in status of the government that would attend four-way talks, ''if they do not have ill intentions,'' he noted.
Pointing out that the government participated in the talks together with him, Denktas said, ''if they are looking for a pretext, they can have it. But they should not. I attended the talks on behalf of Turkish Cypriot people. Government will also join the talks on behalf of Turkish Cypriot people.''
When asked what his position would be when the agreement comes to the stage of signing, Denktas said, ''if we come to the stage of signing before the referendum, and if the agreement does not include what we want, of course nobody will sign it. If the signing stage comes after the referendum and if people say 'yes' in the referendum, and in case the agreement is still in an unacceptable position, then I will have to resign. If the people are forced to say 'yes' to the agreement which will devastate them within two or three years, then we will respect the decision of the people. But it will not be possible for me to continue this responsibility. This is my personal right. Everything depends on the agreement. All of us will make evaluations again after the agreement comes.''
DIPLOMATIC SOURCES: IT IS CLEAR THAT GREEK CYPRIOTS WILL NOT ACCEPT ANNAN PLAN
ANKARA - Diplomatic sources said on Friday that it was clear that Greek Cypriot side would not accept Annan plan in Cyprus talks.
Sources said it was obvious that Greek Cypriots would not accept the demands of the Turkish side, stressing that the important thing was to affect the U.N. at this stage.
Under the timetable set in New York, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan will fill in the blanks in case a result can not be reached in four-way talks in Switzerland.

EVALUATION MEETING ON CYPRUS ISSUE TO TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY
ANKARA - An evaluation meeting on Cyprus issue will take place on Saturday, diplomatic sources said on Friday.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, and related technicians and bureaucrats will participate in the meeting.
Diplomatic sources said President Ahmet Necdet Sezer would not join the meeting, noting that the meeting should not be considered as ''summit''.
The meeting is expected to take place in the evening hours.
(AA) 19.03.2004