Yakis: We Want To Examine U.N.'s Cyprus Plan With A Positive Approach

ANKARA - Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy leader Yasar Yakýs said on Tuesday that they want to have a positive approach while examing the U.N.'s Cyprus plan rather than having a biased attitude.
Speaking to A.A correspondent, the retired ambassador Yakýs assessed the Cyprus plan which was submitted to the sides by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Yakýs said that he had the opportunity to examine only the report's nine-page summary, adding that they will discuss the report by having a positive approach.
''There is nothing which we will object in basic issues, but if there are dangerous parts, these will be in details, we will act in a cautious way. We want to approach the plan from a positive way, we don't want to discuss it with a negative bias,'' Yakýs said.
Yakýs said that ''we will take as the basis the views of TRNC President Rauf Denktas and TRNC officials,'' adding that the report should first of all satisfy Denktas and other TRNC officials.
Noting that TRNC will ask for the contributions of Turkey, Yakýs said that ''if there is nothing against the strategic interests of Turkey, we will help TRNC officials if they want to change parts of the plan.''
Yakýs said that the plan has certain parts which satifsfy and which don't satisfy the sides in Cyprus, adding that the issue of sovereignty is important.
Yakis said, ''sovereignty is the most important issue. Now, let's say that this state is a full member of the EU. If the EU disintegrates, will Turkish Cypriots become a nation living on the island under the status of minority? Or can they maintain their status of independent state? According to our view, Turkish Cypriots should not be deprived of their sovereignty.''
Stressing that they could not make concessions from the issues known as ''red line'', Yakis said that other issues could be discussed.
''The report should not be perceived as an 'impositon'. The issue of 'disarmament' in the report does not mention decreasing the military presence to the zero, but to four-digit numbers. 9,999 or 10 thousand people have the power to protect Turkish Cypriot people against a sudden attack. If Turkey will maintain its status of guarantorship, 10 thousand people can constitute a bridgehead there,'' he said.
Yakis noted that the Foreign Ministry would brief Erdogan on the United Nations' report on Cyprus after his visit to Italy.
Referring to the Iraqi parliament's decision to reject the resolution of the United Nations Security Council no: 1441, Yakis said, ''rejection of the resolution cannot be considered a reason of war. All remedies have not been exhausted yet to solve peacefully the problem of purification of Iraq from the weapons of mass destruction. It is not correct to talk about war scenarios.''