Annan's Cyprus Plan Discussed In T.R.N.C.

LEFKOSA - The National Unity Party (UBP) which is the coalition party in TRNC, said on Wednesday that the Cyprus plan submitted by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to the sides was far from meeting the proposals and expectations of the Turkish Cypriot side.
The party decided that the plan does not constitute basis for negotiations.
UBP party assembly said that the direct talk process in Cyprus has to continue and that a frame has to be prepared in this process with the initiative of the leaders.
The party assembly discussed the Cyprus plan of Annan on Tuesday evening. The decision taken by the party was announced by UBP leader and TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu.
The party said that the U.N. Cyprus plan was not in line with the realities in Cyprus and it foresaw a long and complicated framework which is difficult to apply.
''We face a plan which ends bi-zonality in a considerable extent, which asks for concessions in territory, which dilutes guarantees, which does not satisfy TRNC regarding sovereignty, and which does not talk about formation of a partnership state to be set up by two sovereign states,'' it was noted.
Upon questions of journalists, TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu said that the plan does not constitute basis for negotiations and it torpedoes the negotiation basis.
Eroglu said that his contacts with TRNC President Rauf Denktas and Turkish officials continued, adding that ''I don't think that we will contradict with each other in Cyprus issue. We think that this plan will bring difficulties, not advantages to the Turkish Cypriot side. If the map in the plan is accepted, this can also cause Turkey and Greece to confront each other. This document does not also have good timing. We think the sides should come together, continue talking to each other. The sides should prepare a document by their own initiative.''