ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said early on Sunday that participants of Cyprus summit held in Turkish capital Ankara once more confirmed Turkey's sensitivities about Cyprus issue.
A summit on recent developments in Cyprus issue was held in Ankara late on Saturday. The meeting chaired by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was attend by Gul and Chief of General Staff Hilmi Ozkok.
Following the meeting, Gul told reporters that the participants of the summit reviewed the recent stage of ongoing Cyprus negotiations.
Noting that an agreement to be reached in Cyprus should be a part of the European Union (EU) acquis, Gul said that this was an undiscussable priority for Turkey and expressed Turkey's determination about this issue.
Gul went on saying, ''this issue is very definite for us. We tell this in our meetings with EU representatives. This issue is an undiscussable issue for us because if we have any hesitations in this issue, any result we will get at the end of long discussions will be meaningless. Because, this means that this agreement may be changed in the future. And, therefore, we are very determined to make a possible agreement on Cyprus a part of the EU acquis.''
Turkish Foreign Minister Gul listed strengthening bi-zonality, continuation of guarantee and security system, and continuation of peaceful and tranquil life of people currently living in the island as Turkey's other sensitivities.
Gul said that they held the summit before the quartet conference which would open among Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece in Switzerland on March 24.
Noting that Turkey was getting prepared for the four-way conference with good will, Gul said, ''we hope that Greece and Greek Cypriot side will come to Switzerland with a political will and determination to search for a solution. And, we can reach a compromise in Switzerland without any need for (United Nations Secretary General Kofi) Annan's intervention in the process.''
Gul stated that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would speak to TRNC President Rauf Denktas by phone the other day but Denktas would not be invited to Ankara.
Asked if Turkey would call on Denktas to come to Switzerland, Gul signaled that Erdogan would stress in his phone talk with Denktas that ''Turkey and TRNC had started the Cyprus process together'' and call him to ''continue their path together since it was the best.''
Gul said, ''but, nothing can be achieved by force. We will respect his decision in the end.''
TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas would not come to Ankara either, Gul noted.
Gul defined news that a second synchronous referenda would be held in Cyprus as ''unserious.''
Asked if Greek Cypriot side would accept Talat's leading the Turkish Cypriot delegation, Gul said, ''they will accept because Rauf Denktas fully authorize them.''
Replying to a question on what would happen if Serdar Denktas decided not to go to Switzerland, Gul said that they could not force anybody to go to Switzerland but stressed that TRNC and Turkey started the process together and had taken action together so far.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said that U.N. Secretary General Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto would come to Ankara on Sunday to hold several contacts.
TRNC and Greek Cypriot side started Cyprus negotiations on February 19 to find a fair and lasting solution to Cyprus issue till May 1 on the basis of Annan plan.
If sides fail to reach a solution till March 22, a quartet conference will take place among TRNC, Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece.
U.N. Secretary General Annan will fill in the blanks left in the plan 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.
TRNC President Denktas announced on Wednesday that he would not go to Switzerland to join the four-party conference which would be held as a part of ongoing Cyprus negotiations.
(BRC) 21.03.2004