ERDOGAN CALLS ON AKP DEPUTIES TO ACCEPT UN CYPRUS PLAN
During a gathering in the southern province of Antalya over the weekend, Prime Minister and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on his party’s deputies to accept the UN Cyprus plan when it faces Parliament. “I realize some deputies are dissatisfied with the plan,” said the premier. “But still I want everybody to vote for it.” Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who was also present at the meeting, briefed deputies on the Cyprus issue. State Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan and State Minister Kursat Tuzmen also briefed the deputies on recent economic developments. /Cumhuriyet/

TURKEY CONDEMNS ASSASSINATION OF RANTISI
The Turkish Foreign Ministry yesterday condemned Israel’s assassination of Palestinian Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi, just one month after the group’s previous leader, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, shared the same fate. “It is very clear that Israel’s pursuing assassinations will not help maintain its security,” said a Foreign Ministry statement. “Such actions instead exacerbate the region’s volatile atmosphere and damage efforts for peace.” Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul also personally condemned the assassination as an unlawful killing. “This is an assassination, and states can’t be involved in assassinations,” added Gul. “This only leads the region into dead ends and makes the peace process even more difficult.” /Star/

GUL: “EU LEADERS HAVE PLEDGED NOT TO PENALIZE THE TURKISH SIDE IF THE GREEKS REJECT THE CYPRUS PLAN”
After attending meetings of his counterparts from European Union member and candidate countries in Tullamore, Ireland, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul yesterday returned to Turkey. Speaking to reporters, Gul said that in addition to Iraq, the Middle East and Kosovo, the Cyprus issue had also been discussed during the meetings. “We talked about all possible contingencies of the results of the April 24 referendums,” said Gul. “If the Greek side rejects the United Nations Cyprus plan, the EU leaders seemed to favor not penalizing the Turkish side.” He added that in such a scenario, the Turkish side would urge Europe to lift the economic embargo and restrictions from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). /Turkiye/

DENKTAS CAMPAIGNS AGAINST UN PLAN IN KARPAZ
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas yesterday campaigned against the UN Cyprus plan in villages in Karpaz, the TRNC’s northeast “panhandle” peninsula. Pleading for Ankara not to “forsake” Cyprus, Denktas warned, “This plan would doom Turkish Cypriots.” /Hurriyet/

THOUSANDS OF TURKS RALLY AGAINST UN PLAN IN ANKARA
Thousands of Turks yesterday gathered in Sihhiye Square in Ankara to demonstrate against the UN Cyprus plan. The demonstration was organized by several minority opposition parties including the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), the True Path Party (DYP) and the Democratic Left Party (DSP), along with Istanbul University, Mustafa Kemal University, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others. /Milliyet/

GREEK FM: “EVEN IF GREEK CYPRUS REJECTS THE UN CYPRUS PLAN, THERE’S NO WAY THE EU CAN RECOGNIZE THE TRNC”
Greek Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis said yesterday that even if Greek Cypriots reject the UN Cyprus plan in a referendum scheduled for this Saturday, April 24, there was still no way that European Union member states could recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Moliviatis rejected the frequent assertion that the UN plan is the last opportunity to reach a resolution on the island, saying that if the plan is not accepted, there would be other opportunities later for a resolution, the scheduled May 1 European Union accession of Greek Cyprus notwithstanding. In related news, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday that he had no guilt over urging his fellow countrymen to reject the UN plan. /Aksam/

TALAT: “IF GREEK CYPRIOTS REJECT THE UN PLAN, THEY SHOULD PAY THE PRICE”
Greek Cypriots should pay the price if they reject the United Nations Cyprus plan in April 24 referendums, said Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat yesterday. Speaking to a post-seminar banquet organized jointly by the Association of TRNC Businessmen and the Turkish Businessmen’s and Industrialists’ Association (TUSIAD) in Lefkosa, Talat said that he would prefer that a settlement for the island be reached through approval of the plan by both sides in referendums set for this Saturday, April 24. “However, if the Greek side rejects it, then they should pay the price for this,” said the premier. “They can’t hold us prisoner. Certain sanctions should be imposed on them.” In related news, Talat yesterday arrived in Istanbul. He is expected to address a meeting of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) in Ankara today. In addition, TRNC Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas is set to deliver a speech to the same gathering. /Turkiye/