BURGENSTOCK - Delegations from Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece failed on Wednesday to hold a four-party meeting on the first day of the quartet Cyprus conference taking place in Burgenstock, Switzerland.
Delegations did not hold a bilateral meeting either on the first day of the quartet conference.
Meetings to be held as a part of the quartet Cyprus conference was limited only with the meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and his Greek counterpart Petros Moliviatis, and separate meetings between United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto with Gul and Moliviatis.
In the meantime, officials of Turkish and Greek foreign ministers also met to discuss security and guarantees.
Turkish side expressed uneasiness about failure in holding four-party meetings on the first day of the conference while bilateral meetings expected to take place between Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides in the evening were cancelled as the Greek Cypriot side claimed that the Turkish delegation was not authorized to take decisions in the quartet conference.
Gul and Moliviatis will go to Brussels to attend European Union (EU) summit on Thursday.
Sources announced that the four-party meetings were expected to continue in Burgenstock with the participation of foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece on March 27.
Meanwhile, De Soto defined the course of the process as hope raising at this stage.
De Soto, who appeared on television, said that he could not predict the possibility of reaching an agreement in negotiations in the following week.
But, De Soto noted, chances of an agreement were better than even.
De Soto said that a text would come out of negotiations.
If talks reached that stage, gaps in the text might be filled by the Secretary General, De Soto stated.
But, De Soto, said Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot peoples would make the final decision on the plan in synchronous referenda to take place in the two sides.
Replying to a question on failure in holding the quartet meeting on the first day of the conference, De Soto said that a four-party meeting was never specifically planned and was not strictly necessary.
There may be one, or maybe not, De Soto said, adding there had been numerous bilateral meetings.
De Soto stressed that besides Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos, TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas were in Switzerland ''with full authority to negotiate and take final decisions on Cyprus issue.''
Joint technical committees continued their work on many issues in Cyprus, De Soto said.
De Soto noted that Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriots had never, in the past three years, been so close to actually coming to a settlement and expressed hope that they would also take advantages of that opportunity.
TRNC and Greek Cypriot side started Cyprus negotiations in the island on February 19 to find a fair and lasting solution to Cyprus issues till May 1 on the basis of Annan plan.
According to Cyprus negotiations schedule, two sides were expected to attend a quartet conference together with guarantor powers Turkey and Greece after March 22 to discuss issues on which they could not reach any compromise.
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.

DENKTAS: GREEK CYPRIOTS PLAYING WITH TIME
TRNC President Rauf Denktas said on Wednesday that the Greek Cypriots were playing with time in order to come to the end of the Cyprus negotiation timetable.
Denktas told A.A correspondent that the quartet conference foreseen to take place among TRNC, Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece in Switzerland as a part of ongoing Cyprus negotiations could not begin due to the stance of the Greek Cypriot-Greek couple and defined the failure in starting the four-party meetings as ''a saddening development.''
''If the Greek Cypriots had gone to Switzerland with good will, the quartet conference would have already started,'' Denktas said.
Denktas noted that the Greek Cypriot side knew people who would represent TRNC in the four-party meetings in Switzerland beforehand because that issue was discussed in the Turkish Cypriot-Greek Cypriot negotiations that took place in the island.
''Papadopoulos had asked me whom I would authorize in the quartet conference. He asked me whether I would give the authorization to the TRNC prime minister or deputy prime minister. I did not use any titles when I told him people who would represent TRNC in the four-party conference. I told him that His Excellency Mehmet Ali Talat and His Excellency Serdar Denktas would represent TRNC and he was satisfied. (United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro) De Soto also accepted my decision. I wrote a letter to the Secretary General about this issue. The Greek Cypriot side and everybody knew about all these issues before going to Switzerland to attend the four-party meeting. They brought the issue onto agenda in Switzerland and this is not good will,'' Denktas said.
Denktas stated that de Soto told the Greek Cypriots that ''they wanted to escape from negotiations and they were trying to find a pretext.''
''I am also thinking and saying the same,'' Denktas said.
Denktas defined the stance of Greek Cypriots as a tactic and went on saying, ''when the Greek Foreign Minister (Petros Moliviatis) came to Switzerland, he immediately said that two sides in Cyprus should discuss the issue between themselves and Turkey and Greece would take up the issue between themselves and he also said that they did not came to Switzerland for the quartet conference. And, thus Greece took a backward step. I can say that Greece also did what was necessary to end this conference.''
''I think that this phase of negotiations has also ended. I think that they will say that the Secretary General should do what is necessary and two sides should go for a synchronous referenda. In fact, we think that referenda can't be held without undergoing these phases of negotiations. I hope this issue will be settled,'' Denktas said.
When he was recalled about the Greek Cypriot news that De Soto presented his (Denktas') proposals to Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos in Switzerland and proposed to start give-and-take process over those proposals and that Papadopoulos rejected them, Denktas said that he did not want to talk about those news since he did not know it in detail.
Underscoring that the Greek Cypriots did not go to Switzerland for the quartet conference with good will, Denktas said, ''if they had been good-willed, the conference would have already started. Parties were expected to discuss deficiencies. Turkish and Greek delegations were expected to help them. This means that the Greek Cypriot side ended the process without starting it today. Tomorrow, foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece will go to Brussels. They will stay in Brussels for two days and return to Switzerland on March 27. Thus, we will come to the end of the timetable of the four-party conference.''
Denktas said that he spoke to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul.
''Erdogan asked me whether or not I would go to Switzerland. I told him that I would not go there and explained the reasons of my decision not to join the quartet conference. He told me why I should go to Switzerland. Yesterday, I wanted to tell him that I would not go to Switzerland but I couldn't contact him. I hope I will talk to him tomorrow,'' Denktas added.
TRNC and Greek Cypriot side started Cyprus negotiations in the island on February 19 to find a fair and lasting solution to Cyprus issues till May 1 on the basis of Annan plan.
According to Cyprus negotiations schedule, two sides were expected to attend a quartet conference together with guarantor powers Turkey and Greece after March 22 to discuss issues on which they could not reach any compromise.
Parties failed to hold quartet meetings in Burgenstock, Switzerland on the first day of the four-party conference.
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.
ERDOGAN: I REQUESTED DENKTAS TO THINK AGAIN OF JOINING FOUR-SIDED TALKS IN SWITZERLAND
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he requested TRNC President Rauf Denktas to participate in four-sided talks on Cyprus issue in Switzerland.
Erdogan replied to questions of A.A correspondent aboard the plane en route to northeastern province of Ordu.
Stating that he requested Denktas to think again of joining four-sided talks in Switzerland, Erdogan said that Denktas would think of it.
''I still have hope about this issue. But continuation is the basic principle in the state. It is not possible to finalize this issue without fulfillment of our sine qua non conditions, red lines and without taking into consideration mutual interests of Turkey, Turkish Cypriot side, Greek Cypriot side and Greece. If interests are taken into consideration mutually and a fair and lasting solution is settled, then we cannot resist it, and TRNC cannot resist it, either. I believe this. We have such a positive approach,'' he noted.
''TRNC has showed good its will so far. Greek Cypriot side could not response to this good will yet. Greek Cypriot side should response to it. People should not remain fixed on some specific issues. We have said that we will try to do our utmost from the very beginning. I want to be hopeful in Switzerland,'' he said.
Erdogan said that Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis was his ''diplomatic friend'' and stated that Caramanlis attended the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) congress. Erdogan added that he would also pay a visit to Caramanlis.
Stressing that those sorts of relations had great importance in solution of problems, he said, ''Turkey and Greece have started to solve many issues between the two countries.''
Erdogan said that both Caramanlis and George Papandreou were in favor of solution on Cyprus issue and noted that he hoped that this process would continue.
Underlining that the most important issue on solution of Cyprus issue was ''primary law'', Erdogan said that if the European Union (EU) takes a decision to include derogations in its primary law which cannot be changed and if EU makes this issue sound, then there would be a relief in Turkey's functioning the process. Erdogan added, ''it should be written, not verbal.''
In regard to his relations with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Erdogan said that there was no problem between them so far.
Stating that Sezer and he could not hold regular meetings from time to time due to health problems and their visits to foreign countries, Erdogan said that when necessary, Sezer and he were speaking by phone. He added that there was not any problem between Sezer and him.
Erdogan said that it was not possible to have any problem with Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) either. He added, ''there might be some different statements and views regarding the method. Everyone cannot think of similar views. A result is reached generally. Everyone acts under the constitutional frame and according to his/her mission.''
U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL DUE TO BURGENSTOCK, SWITZERLAND THIS WEEKEND
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan would go to Burgenstock, Switzerland at the weekend to participate in the last phase of ongoing Cyprus negotiations, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard announced on Wednesday.
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.
Annan will firstly meet with Alvaro de Soto in Burgenstock and receive information about developments recorded in the quartet conference that is taking place among TRNC, Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece in Switzerland as a part of ongoing Cyprus negotiations.
U.N. Secretary General Annan will later meet with representatives of TRNC, Turkey, Greek Cypriot side and Greece who are attending the four-party meetings in Switzerland.
Annan will give his last messages to the parties and ask the parties to evaluate his messages.
After going to Tunisia on March 30 and delivering a speech in the Arab League summit, Annan will return to Burgenstock and learn final views of parties.
U.N. sources told A.A correspondent that the quartet conference in Burgenstock was expected to end on March 31.
Eckhard said that Burgenstock meetings were ''the last phase of Cyprus negotiation marathon which had continued for 40 years.''
U.N. spokesman Eckhard stressed that ''the U.N. expected TRNC and Greek Cypriot side to agree on the solution plan prepared by Annan with the support of Turkey and Greece.''
''The parties agreed during consultations in New York that the Secretary General would fill in the blanks left in the plan if they failed to reach any compromise,'' Eckhard added.
Two sides continued negotiations in the island from February 19 to March 22 and tried to reach compromise on as many issues as they could.
According to Cyprus negotiations schedule, two sides were expected to attend a quartet conference together with guarantor powers Turkey and Greece after March 22 to discuss issues on which they could not reach any compromise.
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.
(AA) 24.03.2004