Denktas Calls On Islam Countries To Make Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus A Full Member Of O.I.C.

LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday called on Islamic countries to make TRNC a full member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
TRNC currently has an observer status in the OIC.
Denktas said, ''our name in the OIC has been identified as 'Cyprus Islam Community'. This was not a definition emphasizing presence, name and sovereignty of our people.''
''We want name of TRNC to be accepted and Turkish Cypriots to be a full member of the OIC,'' Denktas said, stressing that, ''in the meeting in Jeddah they have announced that they could adopt the name 'Cyprus Turk State'. We expect our Moslem brothers to accept name of Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic and make it a full member of OIC. They do not recognize us and even do not use our name, this is injustice.''
Denktas said the twin referendum held in Cyprus underlined that there were two separate peoples, two separate self determination rights and that one of the peoples could not represent the other.
(AY-AÖ) 11.06.2004