Denktas: If Realities Are Accepted In Cyprus, The Path Will Be Shortened

LEFKOSA, Feb 12 (A.A) - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Tuesday that if realities were accepted in Cyprus, the path would be shortened.
Denktas received Andrika Mora, the Spanish Ambassador accredited to Greek Cypriot administration.
Responding to questions of reporters, Denktas said that if realities were accepted in Cyprus, the path to an agreement would be shortened. Otherwise, Denktas noted, there would be many new problems.
Denktas said that the important stage in direct Cyprus talks would begin after the Feast of Sacrifice and noted that they were putting forward the views at the current stage.
''We will debate whether some bridges could be found after the feast. We will see what can be done. Our people should not imagine that everything will be solved tomorrow or the other day. This is a 38-year old issue. There are realities. The path will be shortened if the realities are accepted. Otherwise, there will be some hills on our path. We should be patient and good willed and hope that the Greek Cypriot administration will also be good willed,'' Denktas said.
Upon a question, Denktas said that they were not uneasy about the leakage of information to the press.
Denktas noted, ''especially, we can understand what the Greek Cypriot administration want to do with leaking fabricated information. We will continue our talks without taking them into consideration.''
When he was reminded about the words of Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz who said that ''everybody knew that Cyprus was one of the biggest obstacles before European Union (EU) membership,'' Denktas said, ''Cyprus is not an obtacle. The Greeks and the EU members who were influenced by the Greeks on the path to the EU enlargement, have made Cyprus an obstacle.''
Denktas said that ''if the EU openly denied the law that took place in Cyprus under international agreements and if it accepted an administration that was not the 'government of Cyprus' as if it was the 'government of Cyprus', the EU itself would be responsible for the results.''
''If the 1960 agreements are valid, Cyprus cannot join the EU, of which Turkey is not a member, even though it is a whole. But, Turkey has behaved flexible for peace and compromise in Cyprus. Turkey has stated that it was ready to help the process if its rights are protected, if the balance in 1960 agreements and Turkish-Greek balance are honored by the EU, that is, if a formula in which Turkey's rights on Cyprus are not less than that of Greece until it acceeds to EU is found,'' Denktas said.
Denktas added, ''we have taken a significant step by accepting this. The EU has to evaluate all these. Saying that 'nobody can prevent accession of Cyprus to EU'' means denial of existence of international agreements. And, this will not suit the EU because the EU is obliged to respect to international peace.''