LEFKOSA (A.A) - 23.07.2002 - President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Tuesday, ''we have begun to live humanly and without fears when the island was divided into two region. We founded our own state when we were left without state. Now, we cannot ignore our state.''
Addressing journalists prior to his meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides in the buffer zone within the framework of the direct talks process, President Denktas said, ''we will discuss the main issues first. Later, we will return to the issue of missing people. We gave a document about missing people to the Greek Cypriot side. We have still been waiting for a response.''
Referring to statement of Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Yannakis Kasulides who said, ''a solution envisaging two separate states on Cyprus will mean disintegration. We cannot accept such a solution,'' President Denktas said, ''we are talking about two founder states. We chose impartial words: two founder states, a joint state to be formed with authorities of these states, and an institution that will represent the two states and two nations on the island in the international platform.''
''The Greek Cypriot side cannot reach anywhere by tricking the world. They claim that the TRNC wanted the island to remain as divided. They divided the island by burrying our people in mass graves. We have begun to live humanly and without fears when the island was divided into two region. We founded our own state when we were left without state. Now, we cannot ignore our state,'' President Denktas added.