ANKARA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas departed from Ankara on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at Ankara's Esenboga Airport, Talat said that Turkish Cypriots should be supported by international community and their isolation should be ended. Talat stressed that they would work in coordination to reach those goals.
Talat noted that he had a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul today. He said, ''we reached a point in the meeting. We fulfilled our duties. Steps which will be taken from now on should be taken by international community and Greek Cypriot side. Isolation policy should end. International community's obligation is to end isolation policy.''
Recalling that it had been told so far that Greek Cypriots had also represented Turkish Cypriots obligatorily, he said that Turkish Cypriots used their right of self-determination and it was clearly revealed that Greek Cypriots did not represent Turkish Cypriots.
Talat said that a new situation appeared following referenda which were held on April 24 and stressed that Turkish Cypriot people proved their self-sufficiency. He noted that they would work hard to get rid of isolation.
Talat noted that some changes were made in Cyprus regulations which was approved by EU Council on Thursday when compared to the previous one and it was more advanced than the previous one and added, ''but does it satisfy us? I think that it does not satisfy us, at least me.''
Recalling that Cyprus regulations did not include some factors such as free flight and travel and lifting trade embargo, Talat said that those issues would be discussed separately. Talat said that they were watching developments about this issue and they would see whether or not the EU would fulfill its commitments.
Replying to questions on possibility of a second referendum, Talat said that they did not receive such a proposal.
Stressing that such a proposal was out of the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan, he recalled that it was said that if a side did not approve the plan in referenda, process of the plan would end.
''We have fulfilled our duty. About 65 percent of Turkish Cypriot people voted in favor of the plan,'' he noted.
When reminded of some comments which said that Turkish Cypriots could make a gesture by putting unilaterally into practice property regime in the Annan plan, Talat said that Turkish Cypriot side was the side which was about to take support of whole world and stated that it was not correct to create a situation which was desired by Greek Cypriots who prevented the solution. He stated that what Greek Cypriots made was wrong and added that it was impossible for them to tolerate it.
(EÖ-AÖ) 29.04.2004