LEFKOSA - Whether or not promises made to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would be kept would be seen soon, TRNC President Rauf Denktas said on Monday.
Denktas told A.A correspondent that it was not right to call him to resign interpreting Saturday's simultaneous referenda held in Cyprus as ''Denktas' referendum.''
''European Union (EU) has seen me an obstacle before a solution on the island so far. I have known how the Greek Cypriots will behave but they haven't. The EU says that the Greek Cypriot side has disappointed it but I am not disappointed with the decision of the Greek Cypriots,'' Denktas said.
Denktas noted, ''I should go if an agreement which will end TRNC will be made. I have a duty to make an agreement which will protect TRNC as long as TRNC exists and as long as I am in the office.''
TRNC President Denktas said that whether or not promises made to TRNC by the international community would be kept would be seen within a day, two days or three days.
Denktas asked, ''will they continue to punish a nation which has been sentenced to punishment for 40 years?''
All the world had seen that the Greek Cypriot side had withdrawn from the process when it was the time to sign an agreement, Denktas noted.
Denktas said, ''because, they prefer possessing entire Cyprus under the title of Republic of Cyprus given to them by the whole world instead of establishing a partnership with us.''
The Greek Cypriot side wanted to daunt Turkey with vetoes in the EU and planned to get what they could not take from Turkey through that way, Denktas noted.
Denktas said, ''Turkey has done its best for a compromise. I hope the world and EU will think the same. We will soon see whether or not promises given to us will be kept. If promises are not kept, then we shouldn't do anything relying on them. AK Party (Justice and Development Party) government has played its role well and shown its sincerity. It did what it considered right at the cost of contradicting us in some matters. It has been seen that it was a good maneuver.''
Turkey and TRNC should try to enable international community to keep its promises, Denktas stated.
Denktas drew attention to the initiative of the Greek Cypriot side to continue its policy ''to negotiate but not agree'' and said, ''we shouldn't be affected by this intrigue.''
Noting that he had got the impression that ''sine qua non conditions of TRNC would not be met'' in negotiations held in Lefkosa, Denktas said that TRNC might have been shown as the uncompromising side in case negotiations had been cut in Lefkosa.
Denktas said, ''this result is a positive result in the end. But, we gambled. If the Greek Cypriots had said ''yes'' to the (United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan) plan, we would have lost in this gamble. We had taken a big risk.''
Asked if Annan plan was dead, Denktas said that Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had stated that Annan plan would not be in question from now on.
Denktas stated that a second referendum was out of question.
TRNC and Greek Cypriot side voted U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem in simultaneous referenda held on April 24.
Sixty-five percent of Turkish Cypriots voted ''yes'' to the Annan plan while 35.09 percent voted against the plan in the simultaneous referenda. A total of 75.83 percent of the Greek Cypriots said ''no'' to the plan while 24.17 of them voted ''yes.''
The rate of participation in the referendum was 84.35 in TRNC and 96.53 percent in the Greek Cypriot side.
(BRC-AY) 26.04.2004