LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) started to launch initiatives after solution in Cyprus was prevented with against votes of Greek Cypriot side in referendum which was held on Saturday.
TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat officially demanded the European Union (EU) Term Presidency not to apply EU acquisition in Greek Cypriot side besides TRNC and to freeze de facto membership of Greek Cypriot side until solution.
Talat also wanted Green Line regulations to be changed according to new conditions, the donation worth of 259 million Euros to be released and direct contact with TRNC to be established apart from Greek Cypriot administration.
Speaking to Turkish Agency-Cyprus (TAK), Talat said that he sent an official document to Prime Minister Bertie Ahern of EU Term President Ireland to distribute it to EU Council.
Talat said, ''under the tenth protocol of EU accession agreement, acquisition is envisaged to be suspended in the northern part. Now it is seen that although Turkish Cypriots in northern side, where the acquisition will not be applied, fulfilled their responsibility for solution, southern side did not fulfill the necessary thing about the issue. Under these conditions, not to award Greek Cypriot side which does not fulfill its mission, we wanted EU acquisition to be suspended in the southern side as well until the island enters EU as a whole.''
Upon a question, Talat said, 'this is possible, if EU wants, it can be fulfilled.'' He added that if their demand was accepted, in spite of official membership of Cyprus to EU, its membership would actually be delayed. ''In other words, this means not applying standards and criteria, not forming a single market and to freeze membership,'' noted Talat.
Talat said that he demanded the donation worth of 259 million Euros to be released in the document he sent to EU General Affairs Council.
''We have also stressed that Greek Cypriot administration cannot act on behalf of us and our relations with EU cannot be blocked with ''no'' vote of Greek Cypriots,'' Talat said stressing that they demanded direct relations. He said, ''from now on Greek Cypriot government's approval should not be asked in programs regarding us.''
Stressing that he would hold meetings in Brussels as the guest of European parliament External relations, Human Rights, Security and Defense Committee tomorrow, Talat said that he would meet with some officials including EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen and he would discuss the results of referendum.
Talat noted that he would tell that Turkish Cypriots kept their promises for international community and exerted serious efforts for unification of the island and voted ''yes'' to solution, but Greek Cypriots, on the contrary, wanted the status quo to continue on the island.
Talat said that he would depart from Brussels after his one-day visit and added that his schedule in Ankara and Washington has not been cleared yet.
(GC-AY) 26.04.2004