Erdogan: Cyprus Issue Is A National Cause

ANKARA - Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Cyprus issue was a national cause, stating that Cyprus cause can not be decreased to the level of individuals.
Erdogan, speaking at AK Party Group meeting, mentioned his contacts in Davos and Cyprus issue.
Stating that Cyprus issue was a national cause, Erdogan said giving up this cause was out of question.
Erdogan said Annan Plan has sides which can be accepted or can not be accepted.
Claiming that there were those who wanted to bring AK Party into polemics regarded with Cyprus, Erdogan said his party would not enter into polemics.
Erdogan said, ''we will sit at negotiation table, look for ways of compromise, but both sides should take steps''.
YAKIS: TURKEY WILL NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING WHICH TRNC WILL NOT ACCEPT
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said early on Tuesday that Turkey would not accept a thing which Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would not accept.
Yakis made a statement at Esenboga Airport after he had returned from his official visit to TRNC.
Noting that he paid his first bilateral visit to TRNC as the Foreign Minister, Yakis said that foreign ministers of Turkey traditionally paid their first visits to TRNC and he did so.
Recalling that he met with President, Parliament Speaker, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of TRNC, Yakis said that they exchanged views on Cyprus talks during his contacts.
Yakis emphasized that Turkey would not accept anything which TRNC would not accept and said that Turkey was strongly supporting TRNC in its negotiations with the Greek Cypriot administration.
DENKTAS: TURKEY GIVES THE MESSAGE THAT THERE IS NOT ANY SEPARATION
President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Tuesday, ''some circles have been trying to mislead our people by claiming that there were serious differences of opinion between Turkey and the TRNC. In fact, both military and political officials pay visits to Turkey. They give the message that there is not any separation between Turkey and the TRNC, and that Turkey and the TRNC defend the same rights.''
''If we separate from Turkey, we cannot exist for a long time. We cannot separate from Turkey. We are obliged to protect Turkey's rights. In return, Turkey has been protecting us,'' he said.
President Denktas noted, ''some circles have been trying to turn the Cyprus question into a matter of becoming a member of the European Union (EU) after the illegal and unilateral application of the Greek Cypriot side to the EU. However, the Cyprus question should be solved first. We have been living through difficult days. We all should assess whether we will enter the EU at the cost of our equality and rights. People cannot give up their state for a better life.''
Noting that negotiations had been continuing, President Denktas said, ''we have conveyed the changes we wanted to be made in the plan of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to Annan's Special Envoy to Alvaro de Soto and the Greek Cypriot side. If the Greek Cypriot side continues to insist on Republic of Cyprus, we cannot reach anywhere.''
DE SOTO: ERDOGAN AND I DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF MAP IN ANNAN'S PLAN
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto said on Tuesday that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and he had discussed the issue of map, one of the most controversial issues of the plan which was presented to the sides in Cyprus by Annan.
Speaking at a program which will be broadcast by private TV8 Channel on Wednesday, De Soto said that there was only one map in the plan.
Responding a question, De Soto said that it was correct that they had been discussing possibilities and making some changes in the map that could be accepted by the Greek Cypriot side.
De Soto noted that a possible military operation against Iraq would not cause any delay in the date, which was set as February 28, to find a solution to the Cyprus question.