Turkey Has Fulfilled Its Obligations During Cyprus Negotiations

ANKARA - Turkey had taken necessary steps and fulfilled its obligations during Cyprus negotiations which started in Davos, Switzerland and continued in New York, the United States and Buergenstock, Switzerland, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
Speaking in the group meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Erdogan said, ''I think that we have effectively and strongly defended not only Turkey's thesis but also Turkish Cypriot people's existence cause in every step we have taken during negotiations.''
Erdogan recalled that he had said ''insolubility was not a solution'' and ''politics was the art of producing solutions'' when starting to walk on the road for a solution to Cyprus issue.
His government and party adopted that view as the basic principle, Erdogan said.
Erdogan stated that insolubility could never be seen as a solution. He said that political parties existed to find solutions and served solution of problems instead of creating problems.
The government favored settlement of fair and lasting peace in Cyprus, Erdogan said.
Erdogan pointed out that his government had stressed that they would work for a solution in every opportunity.
''Turkey has voiced that two separate peoples and two separate democracies exist in Cyprus in every opportunity and underlined that a fair and lasting peace can only be reached in the island, taking into consideration this fact. Turkey has showed utmost sensitivity about preservation of its rights stemming from being the guarantor power. We laid down some proposals for changes to the Annan plan within the framework of these basic and indispensable principles before the plan was given its final shape. We insisted that issues we attach importance should be included in Annan plan,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan stated that he could not say that they had hundred percent achieved their goal to make a possible agreement on the island a part of European Union (EU) primary law.
''Undoubtedly, there is a risk related with this issue,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan noted that Turkey attached importance to preservation of bi-zonality, taking under guarantee political equality of the Turkish Cypriot state, preservation of national unity of the Turkish Cypriot people, presence of Turkish soldiers in the island after Turkey became a full member of the EU, strengthening security and guarantees, taking under guarantee welfare and economic development of Turkish Cypriots, and preservation of rights of Turkish citizens living in the island.
''Is there any other country recognizing TRNC expect Turkey today? No, there isn't. What will happen now? A new state is about to be founded in Cyprus. A United Cyprus Republic will be formed in the island by two constituent states, including TRNC and Greek Cypriot side. The constituent states have separate anthems and flags,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan added, ''there is a very important issue we dwell upon in this respect. We are going to international meetings. Languages of countries with 450-500 thousand population are spoken in these meetings. Translations are made from and to these languages. Books are published in these languages. But, language of Turkey, which has 72 million population, is not used in these international meetings.''
Delegations from TRNC, Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece held Cyprus negotiations in Buergenstock, Switzerland from March 24 to 31 in order to find a fair and lasting solution to Cyprus issue till May 1 on the basis of Annan plan.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis also joined the negotiations as of March 29.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan presented his final plan to the parties on March 31.
The final plan will be put to separate simultaneous referenda in Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides in the island on April 24.
(BRC-AY) 06.04.2004