LEFKOSA, Jan 30 (A.A) - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides will come together on Wednesday for the sixth time in the process of direct talks which started on January 16 and aimed to find a lasting solution to the Cyprus issue.
The meeting in which U.N. Secretary General's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto will attend as an observer will start at 17:00 at the ''Lefkosa Conference Center'' which is in the U.N.-controlled buffer zone.
Delegations are accompanying each of the leaders during the meetings.
During their meeting on January 28, the two leaders decided to meet also on Thursday in order to ''work more and accelerate talks'', increasing the number of meetings to four this week.
The meetings focus on functions of the central government. Sources said that there were deep differences of opinion between the two sides about authorities of the central government.
Meanwhile, Greek Cypriot administration foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides stressed after the news published in the Greek Cypriot press which said that ''opinion about presidency in rotation had been brought onto the agenda of the talks'', that the Greek Cypriot side was not in favor of such an opinion.
GEN. OZKOK ''TURKISH ARMED FORCES SUPPORT DIRECT TALKS''
Rauf Denktas, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) received on Wednesday Land Forces Commander Gen. Hilmi Ozkok who came to the island to inspect the Turkish Cypriot peace forces command units and to attend the Peace-2002 Planning Seminar.
Speaking in the meeting, Denktas said that he hoped the Greek Cypriot side have understood the fact that the situation on the island which continues for 38 years can't unite Cyprus and it has further strengthened the division on the island.
The talks on the island started as he saw a crisis in the East Mediterranean, said Denktas and expressed his hope that both sides on the island would reach a result in their search for a formula with good neighbourhood and reciprocal respect in order to show one Cyprus to the world.
Noting that he wants to make Cyprus be an island of peace between Turkey and Greece, Denktas said that the 1960 Treaties also foresaw that.
Denktas said he believed that the two nations living on the island can find the formula of living in peace, adding that he will give information to Gen. Ozkok about Cyprus talks.
Gen. Hilmi Ozkok said that Turkish Armed Forces supported the direct talks on the island, adding that ''we hope that the relevant sides will not obstruct this opportunity you have created. Otherwise, the eastern Mediterranean will be dragged into an atmosphere of perpetual crisis.'' Such a crisis won't bring any use to any side including the EU, he said.
Gen. Ozkok said that Turkey won't approve any solution that is not based on the equal sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot nation and the unilateral membership of Cyprus to the EU.