Denktas: It Is Not The Whole Cyprus But Only Greek Cypriots That Joined E.U.

LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas has said that it was not the whole Cyprus but only Greek Cypriot side that joined the European Union (EU), stressing that Greek Cypriots did not have the right to speak on behalf of Turkish Cypriots and represent the Turkish Cypriot side.
Denktas left Lefkosa on Tuesday for Istanbul.
TRNC President Denktas will proceed from Istanbul to southeastern province of Gaziantep early on Wednesday.
Gaziantep University will present the TRNC President with ''honorary doctorate''. Later, Denktas will hold a conference on the Cyprus issue.
Denktas will return to the TRNC on Thursday via Istanbul.
Prior to his departure for Istanbul, Denktas told reporters that Greek Cypriots joined the EU by hiding themselves behind a fake title and it had now started to threaten Turkey.
Recalling that decision on Greek Cypriot side's accession to the EU had been made before May 1, Denktas said that because of it, Greek Cypriots had attended negotiations comfortably and played with Turkish Cypriots, stressing that Greek Cypriots joined the EU by hiding themselves behind the title of ''Cyprus Republic''.
Noting that Greek Cypriots had started to play the game of possessing whole Cyprus through the EU, Denktas said that Greek Cypriots had also started to threaten Turkey by saying Turkey could not do anything, join the EU if it did not recognize themselves.
Stating that the latest situation regarding Cyprus was ''destruction'' of Annan's plan together with its maps, Denktas said the whole world had told them that the plan included articles saying that the plan would be destroyed and the UN Secretary General's good will mission would end if one of the sides said ''no''.
Denktas stressed that reliability of foreign circles who had made promises and threats before the referendums would be seen in coming days.
Recalling that TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat was currently in the United States, Denktas added that they would make an assessment when Talat returned from the United States.
(MS) 04.05.2004