President Denktas Of Trnc Receives Foreign Minister Cem

ANKARA (A.A) - 11.05.2002 - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Saturday that they had never considered Cyprus case as the case of only Turkish Cypriots.
President Denktas received Foreign Minister Ismail Cem within framework of his contacts in Ankara.
Responding questions of journalists before the meeting, President Denktas said, ''agreements signed in 1960 were under guarantee of Turkey before the Turkish Cypriots, the Greek Cypriots, Greece and Britain. Because, the real problem on the island was the annexation of the island to Greece. Turkey resisted against it. As a result of resistance of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots, the island acquired its independence. Now, we have been expending great efforts to found a new partnership. However, the Greek Cypriot side has been maintaining its target to annex the whole island to Greece through the European Union (EU) membership under the name of Republic of Cyprus.''
''When the Greek Cypriot side gives up its desire to become dominant over the Turkish Cypriots and wants to reach an agreement based on equality and sovereignty between the two sides, eighty percent of the Cyprus question will be solved. We will continue to fulfill our duties till the end with the support of Turkey,'' he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Cem said in his part, ''President Denktas has been attending the negotiations to find a solution that can be accepted by the two sides. As the Turkish government and Turkey, we have been trying to support President Denktas. In fact, President Denktas does not represent only the TRNC, but Turkey at the negotiations.''
Recalling that President Denktas put forward his opinions as a text, Cem said that the text revealed the outlines of a joint solution.
''Representatives of several countries rewieved the text, and stated that it brought forth a reasonable and fair approach. We hope that interlocutors of President Denktas will take this text serious, and put forward their own opinions. As a result, ways will be opened for a joint solution that can be accepted by two sides,'' he said.
Cem refrained from responding a question about statement of State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz who said that President Denktas should be more compromising.
''However, view of our government, and the Foreign Affairs Ministry is very clear. We are aware of the fact that President Denktas should be supported in such a negotiation atmosphere. According to our point of view, President Denktas is very successful. Also, we are aware of the fact that we are supporting future of Turkey by supporting President Denktas.''
President Denktas and Foreign Minister Cem presided interdelegationary meetings held with the participation of Foreign Affairs Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, Foreign Affairs Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Baki Ilkin, Turkish Ambassador to the TRNC Hayati Guven, TRNC Foreign Affairs and Defense Minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu and other high-level bureaucrats.