ISTANBUL (AA) - Rauf Denktas, the President of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), said on Wednesday that Turkey was in a bargaining to join the European Union (EU).
Making a keynote speech at the panel discussion on ''TRNC, Turkey and EU after December 17th'' held at Istanbul's Yildiz Technical University, Denktas stressed that a dependent country did not have the authority to make peace.
Noting that the Mediterranean would be closed to Turkey if it lost Cyprus, Denktas said, ''where is the 'partnership republic' we founded together and which was guaranteed by the Motherland (Turkey), Greece and Britain? There is not such a republic today. It was removed by Makarios for enosis (union with Greece). Turkey is in a bargaining to join the EU. What it is asked from Turkey to do in advance in this bargaining is to recognize a terrorist administration which they name as 'the government of Cyprus republic'. And thus, they asked Turkey to give up TRNC, which it has recognized and protected for 31-32 years.''
-IT WAS NOT TURKEY WHO STARTED CYPRUS PROBLEM-
TRNC President Denktas went on saying, ''aren't those who have told Turkey to 'come (to the EU) after settling the (Cyprus) problem' aware of that it was not Turkey who started the Cyprus problem, but the Greek Cypriots and Greece? Aren't they aware of that they are violating international agreements by calling the Greek Cypriot administration as the 'legitimate Cyprus government'. They naturally know. So, why have they put Cyprus before Turkey? Because, they did not want to admit Turkey (as a member).''
''In the end, they seem to accept Turkey thanks to Turkey's initiatives and continuous efforts, and they seem to say that 'Cyprus is not among Copenhagen criteria'. But, I again see that they have given right to veto to the administration they call 'the Cyprus government'. And, the person named Papadopoulos, the head of the terror, is playing with Turkey, the world and the EU till the last moment with the veto threat, and he is permitted to act so,'' Denktas said.
Denktas said, ''bringing the Annan plan onto the table again will mean amending the plan in favor of the Greek Cypriots, and we will never accept it.''
Noting that Turkish government promised not to ''recognize the Greek Cypriots as the legitimate government unless a common government was formed in Cyprus'', Denktas asked Turkey to keep its promise.
''If you want to reach compromise with the Greek Cypriots, you have to actually record on the paper the equality of the two parties in Cyprus before sitting at the table. What does this mean? TRNC exists, and there is a de facto Greek Cypriot republic in the south. There are two nations in Cyprus. And, either they will unite and establish a partnership or join the EU as two separate states. They will join together with Turkey. We need to insist on this matter,'' Denktas said.
Claiming that there were at least 15 years before Turkey to become an EU member, Denktas said, ''the end of the road is not certain. So if you give up your just cause in advance, you will automatically lose your other causes.''
(BRC-A֩
2004-12-22