ANKARA - The current situation was more advantageous and optimistic for Turkey and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) when compared with the situation before separate simultaneous referenda were held on April 24, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.
Speaking in the meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) at the Turkish parliament, Erdogan noted that Turkey would put diplomatic pressure on other countries in every platform with a good team work from now on as it had done so far.
Erdogan said that Cyprus issue had been high on the agenda for a few weeks due to the simultaneous referenda in which United Nations (UN) Secretary General Kofi Annan`s plan for comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem was voted.
``New conditions have emerged in the island after the referenda and a new balance of values have been established changing all the calculations made so far. I believe that this new tableau is a tableau which has made our country the advantageous side for the first time during the history of 30-year Cyprus question,`` Erdogan noted.
Erdogan said, ``the result of the referenda has proved that Turkey is the side taking the right step with determination in every place in the world. Comprehensive, efficient and multi-dimensional diplomatic efforts we have continued with TRNC administration within the framework of Annan plan have been the main factor for this important stage. As a result of these efforts, Turkey and TRNC have clearly shown the entire world that Turkish side was the side which wants fair and lasting peace.``
``A new Cyprus strategy aiming to end all isolation policies on Cyprus as soon as possible has been developed. We hope that a new era which will relieve economic life of TRNC and which will bring optimistic results following diplomatic steps will start,`` Erdogan noted.
Erdogan stated that the real diplomatic struggle in Cyprus had started from now on.
Turkish side would no more be the side which was defending itself, Erdogan stressed.
Erdogan noted that it was no more the Turkish side which would defend itself in Cyprus, but it was the Greek Cypriot side which would do so.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said that the referee should conduct the match fairly.
It was not the Turkish side which was faulty, Erdogan stated and called on international arena, Turkey`s friends and allies to fulfil the requirement of the principle ``who played the best should win.``
TRNC and Greek Cypriot side voted United Nations (UN) 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.
The Greek Cypriot side joined on Saturday the European Union (EU) together with nine other countries including Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.
(BRC-AÖ) 04.05.2004