LEFKOSA - There is a delay in Cyprus negotiation process, which started to find a solution to Cyprus question on grounds of Annan plan on January 15, due to presidential election in the Greek Cypriot side.
Sources said on Tuesday that negotiations would not be held on Wednesday and Friday after Monday's negotiation was canceled upon demand of Glafcos Clerides who lost presidential election in the Greek Cypriot side on Sunday.
It is not definite whether Turkish Cypriot leader and Greek Cypriot leader who hold negotiations three days of week will come together on February 24.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said that whether negotiations would continue as of Monday or not would be definite after his meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's Special Representative to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto who came from Ankara to Cyprus on Monday evening.
Denktas said that De Soto did not ask for an appointment yet and noted that technical committees working on legal order which would be formed after an agreement continued to work on the issue.
Stressing that Tassos Papadopoulos who was elected as the leader of Greek Cypriot side would take over post on February 28, Denktas said, ''Papadopoulos said that he would resume negotiations but he also said that he wanted changes in some issues including migrants' returning back to their places. Thus, we will understand how we will continue negotiations at the first contact.''
Clerides who answered questions of reporters said that he was not a negotiator anymore and stated that negotiator was Papadopoulos who was elected as the leader of the Greek Cypriot side from now on.
Denktas and Clerides have come together 13 times in the buffer zone within the scope of face to face meetings which started on grounds of Annan plan on February 15 so far. The final meeting was held on February 14.
Denktas and Clerides have also come together 58 times at direct negotiations which was launched as a result of Denktas's initiatives on February 16, 2002.
(EÖ-AÖ) 18.02.2003