AMSTERDAM - Talks in The Hague on the United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's proposal to hold referendum on the Cyprus plan on March 30 between the leaders of the two sides on the island have ended in failure.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Greek Cypriot side rejected the plan which was prepared for solution of Cyprus issue.
Annan decided to withdraw from the talks upon rejection of the plan. The United Nations will close its office in Cyprus.
TRNC President Rauf Denktas who held a press conference following the meeting said that he explained what parts should be changed in the plan in a written and verbal way to Annan.
Denktas said that compulsion of Greek Cypriot side affected talks' ending in that way.
Stating that Greek Cypriot side both wanted general changes in the plan and also stipulated that these changes be taken under guaranty by guarantor states, Denktas stressed that they told Greek Cypriot side that it could not be possible.
Denktas said that Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos rejected proposal to hold referendum since he could not take this guaranty. He stated that Turkish Cypriot side exerted utmost efforts for talks to yield positive results.
Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal said that the two leaders told Annan that they would continue talks on the island by themselves.
Stating that Annan withdrew from talks, Ziyal quoted Annan as saying that he was ready to exert efforts on the issue if necessary.
Ziyal said that Annan would submit a report on course of talks to U.N. Security Council.
Ziyal added, ''solution is not over yet. The two sides can continue holding talks on the plan. The United States tried to contribute positively to talks. Britain backed the plan till the very end.''
ERDOGAN: WE ARE IN FAVOR OF SEARCHING FOR A SOLUTION TO CYPRUS ISSUE
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that they were in favor of searching for a solution to the Cyprus issue.
Addressing the meeting of his party, Erdogan said, ''we think that those who say insolubility is a solution, and those, who say give and get rid of, assume approaches away from the reality and that they can't prepare a plan suitable for the new period.''
Erdogan noted that they wanted and believed that Cyprus to be turned into an island of peace.
''We see that more negotiations should be held on the issue. Annan's plan is not a plan which can totally be accepted or totally be rejected. We are in favor of searching for a solution to Cyprus issue. We say that the issue should be solved and the settlement should be maintained. Therefore, we foresee recognition of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as a founder state having sovereign and equal political status and a settlement which can continue economic competition,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan noted that bi-zonal structure in Cyprus should be maintained and political equality, sovereignty and status of guarantor states should be taken into consideration.
''Negotiation process should be continued on sincerity and good will and mutual concession grounds,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan went on saying, ''but, the process should not be turned into an impossible process by an accelerated timetable. Relations among the EU, Cyprus, Greece and Turkey should be established in a way that they should not be in favor of only one of the parties. I would like to stress that we believe in this and we have stated this from the outset.''
''We only think that our Turkish brothers in Northern Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot administration in the south should meet at a common point by making mutual concessions. If one thing is expected from one side, this will cause insolubility. But, a settlement will be reached if the two sides take steps for a solution,'' Erdogan added.
(EÖ-AÖ & BRC-UK) 11.03.2003