ANKARA - It was the uncompromising Greek Cypriots side which wanted to maintain the status quo in Cyprus, Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday.
Speaking in the meeting of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) at the parliament, Gul said, ''the results of (Saturday's) simultaneous referenda (in Cyprus) shocked the entire world, (United Nations) U.N. Security Council and the (European Union) EU.''
Gul stated that Cyprus issue was a national cause and everybody had dealt with that issue for years.
A new phase had emerged in Cyprus, Gul noted.
Gul said, ''after the referenda held in Cyprus on Saturday, Cyprus issue has been laid on a new ground. I am sure that this new ground will be very advantageous for Turkish Cypriots and Turkey.''
Majority of the Greek Cypriots voted ''no'' while the Turkish Cypriots voted ''yes'' to the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem in Saturday's simultaneous referenda, Gul recalled.
Gul said, ''we earlier said that we would respect to the decisions which would be taken by democratic will. But, we expected the two sides to vote ''yes'' to the plan and join the EU together.''
''This development was one of the most important developments for not only Turkey but also for Cyprus, Greece and the world. Because, referenda was held in the island for the first time since 1960. Two peoples living in the island for centuries whose religion, language and race are different determined the future of Cyprus. Therefore, this was an important development,'' Gul said.
Gul summarized the policy of AK Party towards Cyprus as ''insolubility in the island was not a solution.''
The policy to consider insolubility a solution would make Turkey and TRNC lose from now on, Gul stated.
Gul recalled that Annan came to Ankara after he had prepared his plan but they had not consented to referendum those days.
''Because, there were changes to be made to the Annan plan those days,'' Gul said.
Gul said that the EU, U.N. and all international organizations had called for reunification of Cyprus before May 1.
''And, we had launched serious efforts and we came to the decision that the Greek Cypriot side should not join the EU, representing the entire island on its own. We thought that such a development would be very harmful for both Turkish Cypriots and Turkey. Therefore, we launched initiatives to stop this train,'' Gul said.
Gul noted that Turkish Cypriots assumed a compromising attitude and wanted to sit at a negotiation table and stressed that it was in fact the Greek Cypriot side which wanted to maintain the status quo in Cyprus.
''We should end unjust behaviors against Turkish side which has been showed as the uncompromising side so far. The current developments have showed that Turkey and Turkish Cypriot side are rightful. The Greek Cypriot side which is the uncompromising side, which has wanted to leave the negotiation table, and which has pressed on Turkey in international platforms just for 'reunification of the island' for years, opposed to the reunification of the island. And, the current situation has deciphered that it is the Greek Cypriot side who doesn't want compromise. And, this development shocked the entire world, U.N. Security Council and the EU. The entire world saw the facts within the last four or five days,'' Gul added.
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) 27.04.2004