Denktas And Clerides Come Together

LEFKOSA (A.A) - 02.07.2002 - President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Tuesday that sovereignty, equality and existence of Turkish Cypriots should be recognized for Cyprus to become a full member of the European Union (EU) as a whole.
President Denktas came together with Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides in the buffer zone within the framework of the direct talks.
Addressing journalists prior to the meeting, President Denktas said about statement of EU Commissioner Guenter Verheugen for enlargement that the Greek Cypriot side would be accepted as a full member with or without Turkish Cypriots, ''I want to thank him because he has begun to tell the truths. He saw that he could not force us to do anything. Sovereignty, equality and existence of Turkish Cypriots should be recognized for Cyprus to become a full member of the European Union (EU) as a whole. If sovereignty, equality and existence of Turkish Cypriots are recognized, a joint administration can be set to join the EU together. If they accept Greek Cypriot side's unilateral membership, it means that they recognized us at last. Then, we will begin to make plans to enter the EU together with Turkey. We will join the EU when Turkey becomes a full member of the EU. We do not take these threat seriously.''
Denktas said that for the solution of the Cyprus issue, the Greek Cypriots should be told, ''you are not government of the Turkish Cypriots, you can't be and you won't be. You have to step down from the place you are in now in order to found a joint administration because you reached there by digging mass graves.'' Denktas added, ''we don't express these pains and grief, but don't think that we forgot them.''
When asked what kind of a position that the Turkish Cypriot side would adopt if Turkey could not take the date it expected for opening of accession negotiations at the EU's Copenhagen Summit, Denktas said that there was still plenty of time for the Copenhagen summit and many developments might occur till that summit meeting.
''Don't worry. We have our state and we have protected it and we will continue to do so. Everybody should know this. However, we can agree on a joint administration which is founded by two states and has single flag at the United Nations and single voice at the EU on the condition of existence of two states' flags. But the basis is the state called the TRNC,'' Denktas said.