NEW YORK - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday that he hopes both TRNC President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides to continue negotiations.
Responding to questions of journalists at the U.N. headquarters, Annan recalled that he invited Denktas and Clerides to continue negotiations, adding that he hoped that the negotiations would continue.
When asked what would be the next step he would take, Annan said that ''I have not made up my mind about this issue yet.''
Meanwhile the briefing which the U.N. Security Council would take from Annan's special envoy for Cyprus Alvaro De Soto has been postponed to Wednesday afternoon. The Security Council sources said that the decision was taken as the agenda was so busy.
De Soto was expected to meet with Annan today and give him information about Copenhagen summit.
ECEVIT: IF ANNAN'S PLAN IS IMPLEMENTED, IT CAUSES RESTART OF OPPRESSION AND BLOODSHED IN CYPRUS
AFYON - Democratic Left Party (DSP) leader Bulent Ecevit has said that if U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's Cyprus plan was implemented, it would cause restart of oppression and bloody acts on the island.
Ecevit held a conference on ''Cyprus'' at the Kocatepe University in Afyon on Tuesday.
Noting that some decision on future of Cyprus were tried to be taken by ignoring its history, Ecevit said that Cyprus had been made a problem of the European Union (EU).
''Cyprus does not concern any European or world state except Turkey, Greece and Britain,'' Ecevit stressed and added, ''unfortunately, Cyprus has been made one of basic problems of the EU and solution has been made difficult.''
Ecevit said, ''solution is found if the EU takes the Cyprus issue out of its agenda.''
Ecevit said that Turkish-Greek Cypriot state had been founded in Cyprus but this state had been destroyed in December of 1963 due to genocide committed by Greek Cypriots against Turkish Cypriots.
''The Greek Cypriot administration is illegal and does not represent whole island. However, the Greek Cypriot administration is now tried to be included in the EU illegally,'' he said. Stressing that the Cyprus Peace Operation had brought peace, democracy and development to the island, Ecevit said, ''today, there are five universities in Cyprus and the world accepts the diplomas given by these universities. This is Cyprus reality.''
Defending that Greek Cypriots who had not accepted to abide by the obligation to migrate to the south after the peace operation would expend efforts again to occupy the north, Ecevit said that sixty thousand Turkish Cypriots would be forced to abandon their lands due to Annan's plan, which was unacceptable.
''If Annan's plan is accepted, Greece and Greek Cypriot administration would be seen as two different states and they would be more powerful as a single state in the EU. It is impossible to unite Turkish and Greek Cypriots by force. We will resist this. Existence of a different state will continue. Cyprus is an assurance of peace for not only Turkey but also whole region,'' he said.
''I hope that the government would correct the Foreign Minister's words as soon as possible. Turkey should protect our territories also in Cyprus.,'' he added.