LEFKOSA - President Rauf Denktas of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said late on Wednesday, ''everyone should raise objections. We do not have any other remedies. When United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan presented the first plan, I was told either to sign the document or to resign. The same situation continued in the second plan. I cannot sign any documents without negotiating it. If there are some improvements in the third plan, it is the result of our negotiations.''
President Denktas received Guzelyurt Mayor Mahmut Ozcinar and 170-member accompanying delegation, who returned to the TRNC after wrapping up their contacts in Ankara.
Speaking at the meeting, President Denktas said, ''some circles have been trying to give the message to the world, 'Denktas does not represent Turkish Cypriot people. Turkish Cypriot people want peace'. In fact, we want to reach a compromise with our neighbor. Peace has been settled in the island as a result of the Peace Operation of the Turkish Army in 1974.''
''I am the representative of Turkish Cypriot people. They have elected me as their president. They told me to reach an agreement, which will take their rights under guarantee. Now, I have been holding negotiations to reach such an agreement on behalf of Turkish Cypriot people,'' he emphasized.
President Denktas said that contacts of Gulzelyurt delegation in Ankara had further strengthened their position.
Denktas said that regarding the guarantor state issue which was the most important issue, it was said that there would be 6,000 soldiers left now, it would decrease by half after 1-1.5 years and there would be no soldiers left when Turkey entered EU.'' Denktas stressed that the guarantee was on the paper.
''EU would give guarantees to us. In yesterday's papers, there were the complaints of Western Thrace mufti who said that 'you see we are in the EU, but these are the things that happened to us.' The issue here is not that of EU. It is the issue of with whom we will live and if the other side has given up its main policy. If they have given up their policy, then the protectionist measures we want should not make them uneasy... But this not the case.''
Denktas stressed that although the Turkish Cypriot side favoured the terms 'Greek Cypriot nation,'' and ''Turkish Cypriot nation'' this was not accepted by the Greek Cypriot side which called Turks as ''community.'' Denktas said that Greek Cypriots introduced Turks to the world as if they were ''minority community,'' and now Turkish Cypriots wanted to show to the world that they were not ''minority community,'' they were one of the equal nations and that they would be one of the founding states.
''Kofi Annan is not guilty, the plan was prepared with Lord David Hannay in cooperation with Greek Cypriots. They put it in front of him, he signed it and the plan became Annan plan,'' he said.
''There is nothing that has changed in the plan generally,'' said Denktas.
Responding to questions of journalists, Denktas said that the plan which Annan presented to him in the meeting they had the same day was a bit different from the plan that was submitted to them last Sunday.
Denktas said that the plan left Karpaz in the Turkish side, but Karpaz would be filled with Greek Cypriots, adding that in return to Karpaz, all the region from Gemikonagý to Yesilýrmak would be given to Greek Cypriots.
Denktas stressed that a region called ''New Yesilyurt'' was marked on the map, Denktas said that satisfying projects about housing and rehabilitation had to be put forward.
Noting that Greek Cypriot leaders Glafcos Clerides and Tasos Papadopoulos thought that there was a nation in Cyprus and Greek Cypriots thought that that nation was composed of Armenians, Turks and Maronites, Denktas said that ''they do their best in order to dilute our status.''
Denktas said that the new plan had the term ''founding state'', underlining the fact that a change had to be done in its presentation. ''If we are really the founding state, this fact has to be made clear,'' he said.
Denktas stressed that there were certain circles which didn't want them to make bargaining, adding that there were persons who were pushing him to sign the plan immediately.
''U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is aware of the fact that he won't get a negative or positive response from the sides on Feb. 28. For that reason he wants to give us an extra period. We'll see that in our meeting tomorrow,'' Denktas said.
In return to a question, Denktas said that Annan didn't create the image of pushing the sides to ''take or leave'' the plan.
Denktas quoted the words of Annan as ''the plan can be negotiated, Papadopoulos also asked for many amendments, but we are not in a position of making such extraordinary amendments, we try to maintain the balance,'' and said Annan didn't foresee many amendments in the plan.
Pointing out that Turkish Cypriots would not go to South due to the painful experiences they had in the past, Denktas remarked that there would be 85,000 Greek Cypriots in the Turkish state, but the Greek Cypriot state would only be composed of Greek Cypriots. He said there was no balance in the plan.
Denktas said that there were many things to discuss and time was needed to fill in many empty pages.
Upon another question, Denktas said that the negotiations could be completed until March 7 if the Greek Cypriot side had the intention and if amendments were done regarding the sine qua nons of the Turkish side.
Denktas said that Greek Cypriots wouldn't give any concessions to the Turkish Cypriots. He said after finishing his contacts, he would also have contacts with Turkey. There was no improvement in the new plan about the sine qua nons of the Turkish side, he said. ''Even if they seem to make an improvement by the term 'founding state,' this has to be made more concrete,'' he said.
When reminded about the statement of AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the new plan saying that the plan gave the impression of overcoming the concerns of both sides, President Denktas said that ''I partly share this view. We must look at the whole plan... The plan is generally to the advantage of Greek Cypriots, and the main point is that an agreement as foreseen by this plan will pull out 60,000 Turks from their places in the beginning. In time 85,000 Greek Cypriots will come to Turkish side.''
Denktas said that the Greek Cypriot didn't accept the plan to date, adding that ''if the plan is not accepted by the Greek Cypriots, will EU membership of Cyprus under the title of 'Cyprus Republic' continue? They say it will continue. Then what is the meaning of these negotiations? It has only one meaning and it is to assemble Turkish Cypriots to the Greek Cypriot state which entered the EU under the title of 'Cyprus Republic' which does not exist in fact.''
Denktas said that the bargaining would continue, adding that it was possible to draw a map by the migration of only 5,000-10,000 persons.
(ÖS-AÖ) 27.02.2003