Denktas Says Annan Plan Is Prepared By United States, Britain And U.N.

LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Tuesday that United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan was prepared by the United States, Britain and the U.N.
Denktas told reporters that the United States, Britain and the U.N. had a wrong philosophy that ''there was a Cyprus republic, the legal government was the Greek Cypriots and they should include Turkish Cypriots again in the government by protecting them.''
''Exchange of population was made by an agreement. Property exchange and compensations became acceptable in U.N. documents with Security Council resolution. But, now there are new things as if none of those occurred,'' said Denktas.
Denktas noted that Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides asked his nation during the election process ''if they wanted Turkish soldiers to leave and if they wanted migrants to return back.'' Denktas said that Clerides told his nation that ''all those issues were included in the agreement'' and asked ''what they could want more.''
Tassos Papadopoulos was elected as the new leader of the Greek Cypriot administration with his propaganda that ''concession was made'' despite this, Denktas stated.
Denktas said that Papadopoulos said that ''all migrants should return and they should live together with the Turks.''
Stressing that bi-zonal structure was essential for them, Denktas said, ''the Greek Cypriots would return to their villages. Do Turks return to their villages? So, why should the Greek Cypriots return to their villages? These are now the villages of people who settled there 30 years ago. They left everything to you in the south, go and take them. Why aren't you taking them? Now, these places have become valuable.''
Denktas said, ''why aren't you going there and why do you want to come here? Because you know that we cannot go there and we cannot re-settle there. What will the Turks do? They will sell their properties and migrate. They want to send Turks away from this island.''
TRNC President Denktas said he hoped that the renewed Annan plan would include positive changes for Turkish side and ''pave the way.''
''Things would be difficult again'' if the new plan to be presented ''would cause migration of 50-60 thousand Turks, and bring 60 thousand Greek Cypriots among them, and dilute the Treaty of Guarantee,'' said Denktas.
Denktas pointed out that Papadopoulos had said in the past that 'Cyprus republic has been founded, but our struggle did not end. We are obliged to fight either with communists or Turks. If we fight with communists, Greek Cypriot society will be divided into two. Therefore, we will fight with the Turks.'' Then, Papadopoulos did what he said and attacked on the Turks, Denktas stated.
Denktas said that they were rescued by the Peace Operation in 1974 after all those attacks and there was an exchange of population.
They reached some agreements with the Greek Cypriot leaders, Denktas pointed out.
Denktas said that those were supported by the U.N. Security Council and criticized some circles for acting as if the former incidents had never occurred.
(BRC-AÖ) 18.02.2003