LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) called on the European Union (EU) to ''set up relations with the TRNC directly and tell Greek Cypriots that they do not represent the north of the island and they are not the government of Turkish Cypriots''.
Denktas said that everybody should respect the results after the twin referendums held in both Turkish and Greek Cypriots sides.
The TRNC President's Office told the A.A on Friday that Denktas delivered a speech at a panel discussion on ''EU's enlargement process'' held under the 15th Crans Montana Forum in Switzerland.
In his speech on relations between Cyprus and the EU and the EU's structure in this regard, Denktas stressed that the 25-member bloc was a structure that was built on concepts like co-existence in peace, justice, democracy, human rights and prosperity, asking the EU to stand by those concepts.
Denktas said the Cyprus Republic had been built on two equal columns in 1960, but Greek Cypriots had destroyed it.
Stressing that Greek Cypriots had usurped the rights of Turkish Cypriots for forty years by hiding themselves behind status of ''Cyprus Republic'', Denktas said, ''Greek Cypriots have been following the policy of claiming whole Cyprus for forty years, and the world has been supporting them by recognizing them as the legitimate government of Cyprus. Now the world should give up extending support to them and tell them that they are not the government of Turkish Cypriots.''
Developments during the referendums process had proven that there was not a legal government in Cyprus, Denktas said and noted, ''my people voted 'yes' to accession to the EU and reunification of Cyprus on equal conditions. Everybody should respect this. Referendums once again proved that there are two different peoples and two different structures in Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots voted 'yes' but they are now outside the EU while Greek Cypriots joined the EU although they voted 'no'. With which principles of justice and democracy can these implementations on Turkish Cypriots comply despite these realities? The EU says that whole Cyprus joined the bloc. However, half of the island is currently outside of it. Today, the EU has 24 and a half members. Greek Cypriots cannot represent Turkish Cypriots.''
Stressing that promises to Turkish Cypriots before the referendums should be kept and embargo and isolation should be lifted, Denktas called on the EU to treat the Turkish Cypriots equally as Greek Cypriots by taking into consideration the realities in Cyprus and the situation emerged after referendums.
Noting that Turkey had fulfilled its responsibilities for resolution of the Cyprus issue, Denktas added that Cyprus could no more be put as an obstacle in front of Turkey's EU process.
(MS-AÖ) 25.06.2004