First Week Of Cyprus Talks Ends

LEFKOSA, Jan 26 (A.A) - First week of the Cyprus talks which started upon initiative of President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), aimed to find solution to the Cyprus question and targeted to continue until a solution is found, ended.
Talks which focus on constitutional issues and authorities of the new partnership that will be founded, are being held wawy from the press. Both sides do not give information to the press about the talks. Sides target to continue the talks where all matters will be brought to the agenda without any pre-condition until June.
Denktas and Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides decided to hold talks at 17:00 local time on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during their meeting in Lefkosa on January 16 in which also U.N. Secretary General's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto participated.
Following the meeting on January 16, Denktas said that Clerides and he had discussed the general framework, and one day after, he said that they would take up functions of the two equal sides in the new republic that would be founded.
Prior to their meeting on January 21, Denktas said that they would discuss authorities of the central government and at the end of the meeting, he said that they had discussed general issues.
Denktas and Clerides met for the third time on January 23. Prior the this meeting, Denktas said that he had been always intransigent towards every proposal which would cause Turkish Cypriots to be minority, and would continue to do so. After the meeting, Denktas said that Clerides and he had discussed principles of the agreement. The two leaders met for the fourth time on January 25.
Denktas announced that talks would recess during the Feast of Sacrifice and Alvaro De Soto who was attanding the talks as observer would go to New York to give a report.
Several solution scenarios started to be published in newspapers, mostly in Greek Cypriot press, at the very beginning of the talks.
According to one of those scenarios, civil groups from the TRNC and Greek Cypriot side had agreed on foundation of a ''United States of Cyprus'' and Denktas and Clerides were talking on such a solution formula.
The Greek press reported that people who had come from Turkey to Cyprus after 1974 and settled on the island and were called ''settled'' by the Greek Cypriots would leave the island in return for 5,000 British pounds.
President Denktas harshly reacted to such news stories. Noting that news stories about ''United States of Cyprus'' were totally nonsense, President Denktas said, ''no one has the right to mislead public opinion with such news stories that do not reflect the realities.''
Meanwhile, Greek Cypriot radio said that the sides put forward their proposals during the meetings. It said that the Greek Cypriot side defended a bizonal and bicommunal federal solution based on the ''Republic of Cyprus'' while the Turkish Cypriot side supported a confederational solution based on two separate states.
Leaders attended the meetings with their delegations. Legal Adviser to Denktas Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Soysal, TRNC Presidential Undersecretary Ergun Olgun, TRNC Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministry Undersecretary Resat Caglar and secretary Seniha Birand accompanied President Denktas. Greek Cypriot Presidential Undersecretary Pandelis Kuros, Greek Cypriot Chief Prosecutor Alekos Markides, Greek Cypriot administration Spokesman Mihalis Papapetru and a secretary accompanied Clerides.
President Denktas launched an initiative, and sent a letter to Clerides on November 8, 2001 in which he invited Clerides to hold a face-to-face meeting to find a solution to the Cyprus question.
Denktas and Clerides came together for the first time in four years in the buffer zone on December 4, 2001.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto was also in attendance at the meeting in which the two leaders decided to start direct talks.
President Denktas hosted a dinner in honor of Clerides on December 5. In return, Clerides hosted a dinner in honor of President Denktas on December 29. During these dinners, the issue of missing people was taken up. The two leaders decided to expend efforts to find a solution to the issue of missing people.
Denktas and Clerides came together twice on January 11, 2002 to discuss the issue of missing people.
During the meetings, the sides decided to submit written proposals to each other. The Greek Cypriot side proposed to transfer the issue to the Missing People Committee. The Turkish Cypriot side will assess the proposal, and explain its view in coming days.
The issue of missing people is kept separate from the face-to-face talks aming at finding a solution to the Cyprus question.

DENKTAS SAYS WORLD SHOULD UNDERSTAND THERE ARE TWO EQUAL SOVEREIGN STATES ON CYPRUS
President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Saturday that the world should understand that there were two equal and sovereign states on Cyprus and a solution should be sought to the Cyprus issue in accordance with this principle.
Speaking at a military ceremony at Gulseren Barracks, Denktas said that people should know well about how and where they had reached the current point, recalling that direct talks had started upon his initiative as the path of the Greek Cypriots was wrong and direction of this path was dangerous.
Stressing that Turkish Cypriots and Turkey would never give up their rights stemming from the 1960 agreements, Denktas said that wrong messages were being given that ''Turkey was bluffing and Turkish Cypriots were thinking about neither freedom nor country nor flag due to the economic crisis.''
Emphasizing that Turkish Cypriots would not say ''yes'' to any agreement due to the economic problems, Denktas said that games which aimed to separate Turkish Cypriots from Turkey had recently increased.
Noting that division had occurred due to ethnic clashes on the island, Denktas said that some circles adopted biased approach toward Cyprus, sided with Greek Cypriots and were doing everything possible to prevent themselves from making peace.
Stressing that Turkish Cypriots were peace-loving people, Denktas said that they did not aim to make peace rapidly by giving up equality and sovereignty and to beg for alms in front of the European Union (EU) doors.
Noting that EU was a target and EU could be a good result for Cyprus, Denktas said that they were exerting themselves on a concrete and lasting agreement which would not be destroyed again, adding that they wanted an agreement which guaranteed that all Greek Cypriots could not come to north under the EU norms and which formed conditions of accession to EU together and was consisted of a unification of the two sides whose sovereignties were recognized.
Stressing that there were two equal and sovereign ethnic existences on Cyprus, Denktas said that they wanted an agreement which was based on equality and bizonal principle and could not be torn and thrown away like the 1960 agreement and foresaw continuation of Turkey's guarantorship.
Meanwhile, TRNC Security Forces Commander General Galip Mendi said in his part that Turkish Cypriot people had gained their independence as a result of many pains, and added that it should be national ideal of everyone to protect this honor forever.
Pointing out the main principle of Turkish Cypriot people was freedom and security, General Mendi stressed Turkish Cypriot people were not minority on the island, and would not be in the future.
General Mendi said, ''our mission is to prevent the Greek Cypriots from deceiving whole Europe by becoming a full member of the EU. This struggle is of geopolitical and national importance for Turkey.
Recalling that direct talks had begun as a result of President Denktas' initiatives, General Mendi said, ''the Turkish Cypriots are in favor of an agreement which will provide an honorable, sustainable and safe atmosphere for the next generations. As you know, the Greek Cypriots destroyed the republic in 1963. They should not be allowed to do this once again. During the direct talks process, the TRNC should not make any concession from equal sovereignty, its state, its rights to equal partnership, Turkey's influential and de facto guarantee, its rights and benefits on the island, and principle of protection of Turkish-Greek balance.''
Stressing that they had always been loyal to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's principle of ''peace at home, peace in the world'', General Mendi added, ''we do not intend to claim territory of anyone. Together with Turkish Peace Forces that brought peace to the island in 1974, we are determined to protect peace and security on the island.''