IZMIR - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sukru Sina Gurel has said that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan would meet with President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot administration leader Glafcos Clerides on solution to the Cyprus issue.
Speaking to reporters, Gurel said that the Greek Cypriot side had not welcomed the ''comprehensive and constructive'' proposals that Denktas had presented on September 11.
''However, I am certain that everybody will sooner or later see how the TRNC's position and attitude are rightful. Because, Mr. Denktas's proposals aim to found a new partnership based on principle of equal sovereignty. However, the Greek Cypriot side insists on its attitude and wants the Turkish Cypriots to be minority. This thought is unacceptable for both Turkish Cypriots and Turkey. Positions of the two sides are very different,'' he said.
Noting that the European Union (EU) was the responsible for the ''intransigent'' attitude of the Greek Cypriot side, Gurel said, ''the EU has started to say that it can accept Greek Cypriot side's membership even if it would be unilateral and whether or not there would be solution. But they are not realistic. If the EU continues this attitude, it would make the division definite and eternal. This is the only thing that the EU can achieve with acceptance of Greek Cypriot side's membership.''