LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) strongly criticized Tuesday the position of the EU regarding the aid to be given by Brussels to Cypriot Turks. Denktas described the situation as a ''crying shame''.
Replying to a question about free trade and financial regulations that EU is actually preparing, Denktas said the aid would be given with Greek Cypriot visa and stressed that it is impossible for Turks to give in to this crying shame.
''The EU says that Cyprus is one of its members'', Denktas recalled, and went on: ''Which Cyprus is your member? Shame on you! You accepted the Greek Cypriots who sequestered the power (in Cyprus), as your member. You say, 'legitimate Cypriot government, that is the Greek Cypriot side, also represents Turkish Cypriots'... So why did you have two separate referenda held in the island?''
Stressing that people who voted 'yes' to Annan's plan were deceived by promises which can't be kept, Denktas said that several conditions were put forward to fulfil those promises after 'yes' vote.
''If those conditions are accepted, our framework will be destroyed and we go inside the Greek Cypriot framework. The Cyprus problem can't be resolved because the Greek Cypriot leader does not go outside their framework and Turkish Cypriots refuse to go inside Greek Cypriot framework. The Greek Cypriot leadership lied when it says that 'even one Turkish Cypriot did not die between 1963-1974'. It told this lie as an effort to support another lie that 'the Cyprus crisis erupted in 1974'. So it is impossible (for us) to make an agreement with a party which does not accept what it did between 1963-1974,'' he said.
Denktas stressed that Greek Cypriots should acknowledge what they did, pay compensation and apologize to Turkish Cypriots.
(MS-ULG) 28.09.2004