Denktas: Changes Should Be Made To A Great Extend To Accept Annan's Cyprus Plan

ANKARA - President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Thursday that changes should be made to a great extend to accept Annan plan. Denktas said they wanted to share this view with Ankara, stating that in the meeting they had in Cankaya it seemed uncertain that the plan would be accepted in its current state. He said this was something which pleased them.
Delivering a speech at the Parliament, Denktas said he was proud of the Parliamentarians at a time when they shed light to the will of Turkish Cypriot people.
Denktas said the plan presented by the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan following long-lasting negotiation process, was the reason of his visit the Turkey.
Denktas said when the plan was examined in all dimensions, changes should be made in it to a great extend to accept, stating that he wanted to share this view with Ankara.
Denktas said in the meeting they had in Cankaya it seemed uncertain that the plan would be accepted in its current state. He said this was something which pleased them.
Denktas said, ''we agreed that it should be changed. This is something pleasing for us. Because if the plan remains in its current state, Turkish Cypriots, which hardly rescued itself with the peace operation, will be pushed into more difficult conditions once again. With this, the tranquility we have obtained, I mean the bi-zonality, our geography will be disrupted after 60,000 Greek Cypriots infiltrate among us as if they punish the peace operation. Bi-zonality is a fundamental principle that is at the agenda since 1970's. We can not know with which thoughts the U.N. Secretary General dared to disrupt this.''
DENKTAS: I GO TO THE HAGUE STRONGLY AND WITH GOOD WILL
Denktas said that with the plan, the Greek Cypriot side was envisaged a small state comprised of only Greek Cypriots, and that in the north, a joint state was envisaged which is called as ''founder state'' but not a state in fact. Denktas said, ''this is imbalance, injustice, and it means removal of bi-zonality which is the source of tranquility. We are very afraid as we know the Greek Cypriots very well. A situation similar to 1963 and 1974 incidents appears to occur, and there will be.''
Denktas said according to the plan, the title deeds that which the Greek Cypriot side would give would be valid, but those of the TRNC would be invalid. Denktas reiterated the statements of Clerides before the election defending the plan and stated that ways were opened for the Greek Cypriot side to take right of title deed through personal application.
Denktas said the plan not only gave back the territories which the Greek Cypriots lost in the Peace Operation, but also recognized them with personal title deed right and thus caused the Greek Cypriots infiltrate inside them. Denktas said the plan did not solve Cyprus question, but prepares a basis which may drag the question to new adventures.
Defending that the U.N. Secretary General entered in an imposition saying that ''the plan has been founded on sensitive balances, you can not change it any more'', Denktas said they were given rights in the plan for three judges. Denktas said ''the Secretary General made an imposition saying that 'inform me about the names till this date and this hour, or else I will appoint them'. In our point of view, this approach contradicts with good will mission. We see that they would again take Cyprus under Greek Cypriot hegemony, and put us into the position of a minority with limited rights.''
Stating that Cyprus Republic had not been founded on its own in 1960, Denktas said 1960 international agreements recognized extremely concrete rights to Turkey.
Denktas said, ''now that those rights are lifted. If we accept this, those rights will be removed. We don't have the right to do this. We don't have the right to remove with a referendum the rights, which we obtained with the votes of more than half of 134,000 votes for the security of Turkey and for our own security, and which were confirmed with international agreements. Turkey will evaluate the situation on the issue and will give an answer.''
Denktas said he did not want to go to the Hague to say ''no''; however, that the secretary-general, presumably so he didn't want to go home empty handed, said come to the Hague even if you are going to say no. Denktas said he would go to the Hague to this end, stating that he would go there strengthened and with good will as a result of the talks in Ankara.
Denktas said he would ask Papadopoulos how the plan, which was not half completed, could be completed in case they say ''yes'' to it. He said, ''nowhere in the world, such a plan had been imposed. May be you will show Palestine as example. Palestine and Israel got Nobel Prize as they had made an agreement, but this artificial agreement did not work, and there is bloodshed in Palestine now. This is what makes us afraid. Turkish people should not all the time come and rescue us; there should not be a need for this. We call for a sound and acceptable agreement. We don't want an agreement like the 1960 agreement which will only remain on paper. The agreement should base on sovereignty. We don't want to discuss whether or not we have sovereignty because we have rescued our sovereignty from the Greek Cypriots and we founded our state. The Turkish Republic and the Parliament made this. You have supported us for the installation of peace by making sacrifices at each state of us and rescuing us by sacrificing your sons.''
''As bloody-handed Makarios, who we call as Milosevic of Cyprus, buried us in mass graves, and Security Council recognized him as legal Cyprus government,'' said Denktas, stating that international agreement was leveled to the ground with this.
Denktas said Makarious had made a last request before he die, and said, ''I brought the Cyprus question to the most closest point to Enonis with the things I made. There is no step back from this.''
Denktas said, ''whatever concessions we had made, all of them were in vain. His successors had defended the same things. Greek Cypriot Communist Party Leader, who we met a few days ago, said they were the sovereign country, and that they gave us constitutional rights, and asked what we wanted more.
Denktas said the state that would be founded would not have physical borders, and that Greek Cypriots would infiltrate among them as they wanted, adding that, ''Greek Cypriots will come and say 'leave my house' and the Turkish Cypriot will not do it. Here is the quarrel. Greek Cypriots openly state this.''
Denktas said they did not want danger but a real peace and partnership between two sovereign states, and told the parliamentarians that, ''your interest, statements and discussions are always a support for us. We see that we are not forgotten, and that we are not left without anybody. We see that we are an inseparable part of a 70-million sublime nation, and we are proud of it. We need your support.''
(AY-AÖ) 06.03.2003