DENKTAS: ''SUCH A REFERENDUM HAS NOT BEEN HELD IN ANY PLACE OF THE WORLD, IT IS A DISGRACE TO U.N.''

ANKARA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said regarding the referendum which will be held in Cyprus on April 24 that such a referendum has not been held in any place of the world, adding that this was a disgrace to the United Nations.
Denktas held a press conference at Ankara's Esenboga Airport after completing his meetings in Ankara.
Denktas said, ''it is a trick which is concocted to forcedly drag people to a place where they do not want to be by others as those others wished.''
Denktas said that the decision, which would be taken for Cyprus on the basis of this plan, would seriously affect Turkish Cypriot people in middle and long terms. He added that those, who put Cyprus issue as an obstacle before Turkey on its path to the European Union (EU), were the ones who did not want Turkey's accession to the EU.
Recalling that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul stated that some risks were taken, Denktas said that taking those risks by confiding in verbal assurance of EU officials would be an attitude which would not be appropriate to 40 years of struggle of Turkish Cypriots, Turkey's big sacrifices and martyrs.
DENKTAS: ''NEITHER THOSE WHO SUPPORT ANNAN PLAN NOR THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO IT READ THE PLAN''
''The Turkish Cypriots are expected to determine their own future within only two weeks. On the other hand, they put an English text of 9 thousand pages in front of us to assess it. Neither those who support the plan nor those who are opposed to it, read the plan. They will make their decision by listening to statements. Those, who imposed the Cyprus issue on Turkey's EU membership process, in fact, reject Turkey's membership. It was the Greek Cypriot side which escalated tension in Cyprus. Turkey put an end to the process of tension and provided peace in the island,'' he told reporters.
Emphasizing that the Annan Plan should be examined with seriousness and sensitivity in regard to the Turkish Cypriots' future and security, President Denktas said, ''there are some serious drawbacks about the issue of derogation. All sensitive sections have already said that there were extremely serious drawbacks about our sine qua nons, and that the plan is unacceptable with its current form. The statement of the National Security Council (NSC) underlined these concerns. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister declared that some risks were taken. The Turkish Cypriots are expected to cast their votes in favor of a document which they did not read at all.''
''Stating clearly that derogation to be granted to the Turkish Cypriot side would not be made primary law of the EU is a risk. No one should expect us to approve a future full of risks. The Turkish Cypriots should be informed on these risks. Our duty in the next 5-10 tens will be to inform our people. Derogations' dependence on the act of adaptation does not have any legal value. The current form of the Annan Plan will cause serious problems in derogation. The Greek Cypriots will be able to settle in the Turkish Cypriot side in a number and method they desired after 19 years,'' he said.
Underlining that the derogation granted to the Turkish Cypriot side should be approved by parliaments of the EU-member countries. They say that it would take a long time. It should not be an excuse.''
Noting that the Annan Plan included some negative elements. For instance, any plan was not made and any source was not allocated for migration and rehabilitation of immigrants. Turkey's geo-political rights are not temporary. They are permanent. There will be only 650 Turkish soldiers in the island after 2018. This arrangement will be reviewed once in each three years. These expressions are given place under the title of disarmament of Cyprus. It means to say that Turkish soldiers' withdrawal is a matter of timing.''

(UK-AÖ) 07.04.2004