AMSTERDAM - TRNC President Rauf Denktas said on Tuesday that Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, not him was the one who was responsible for stopping the talks on Cyprus plan.
Speaking to A.A corespondent after the meetings held in The Hague upon the invitation of U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Denktas said that Annan plan lost its validity after no agreement was reached in the meeting.
Denktas said that ''finally, I had come to the point of accepting with some amendments the final declaration which U.N. Secretary General wanted to announce at the end of the long meetings. However, Papadopoulos insisted on the third paragraph, which was related about the guarantees. When Papadopoulos insisted that Turkey should declare that it would support the plan, which has not been totally formed, which Papadopoulos himself wanted to amend, of which he said it was not ready for referendum, the issue came to a halt.''
Denktas stressed that no result was reached as a result of Cyprus talks since 1968 mainly because the Greek Cypriot side didn't give up its title of ''legitimate Cyprus government,'' and that it continuously tried to regard Turkish Cypriots as a minority taken under protection under that title.
''No result is taken and will be taken as long as all international institutions particularly the U.N. Security Council regards that government as the so-called 'legitimate Cyprus government','' Denktas said.
Denktas said that Papadopoulos's main tactics was based on the EU, and that he was encouraged by the approach of the EU which told them that ''even if you don't reach agreement, you will be admitted to the EU.''
Rauf Denktas said ''this Annan plan would not sort out the Cyprus problem, this plan would put the Cyprus issue on fire again, thus the plan's losing its validity has been useful.''
Denktas said that he would write to Papadopoulos about the things that should be amended for a new plan to come out or to make Annan plan a real plan, adding that if Papadopoulos accepted that, bilateral talks could start soon.
Denktas said that he would prepare a letter on the amendments until next Monday to Papadoupolos and if he also wanted, they could hold the first meeting next week.
Denktas said that the withdrawal of Annan from the talks would positively reflect to the talks between the two leaders, adding that the end of negotiation traffic gave the opportunity to the government to undertake more useful studies.
Denktas said that ''if the Greek Cypriot side becomes a full member of the EU, there would be no reason left for the talks to continue. In that case, TRNC would set up direct contact with the EU, Denktas said, adding that they would tell EU that ''we also exist. If you are going to admit us, you should admit us on equal terms.''
DENKTAS: ''TURKEY CAN NOT BE OCCUPIER. TURKEY SACRIFICED ITS SONS TO GIVE THE BIGGEST SERVICE TO HUMANITY, AND SAVED US''
Speaking at Ankara's Esenboga Airport, he did not have the right to bring the plan to referendum by disregarding the government and the parliament.
Pointing out that he and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos wanted changes on the plan, Denktas said, ''they asked whether or not we could go to referendum by disregarding the governments and parliament. Nowhere in the world such a thing had happened. I don't have the right to hold referendum on my own. I don't have the right to make such a commitment. Those are the assignments of the government. However they insisted. We were invited there to give the response yes or no''.
Denktas said, ''there was a document which was put in front of us. Papadopoulos and me want changes. Papadopoulos wanted two months time for propaganda for referendum. This is not possible. We tried to show the utmost flexibility under those conditions.''
Speaking about the statements of Jean-Christophe Filori, the spokesman of the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen, that the Turkish side would be in the position of occupier in case the Greek Cypriot side becomes a full member of the EU, Denktas said, ''such a thing can not happen. Turkey can not be an occupier. Turkey sacrificed its sons to give the biggest service to humanity, and saved us. If there is any occupier, that is the Greek Cypriot side which occupied partnership authority on Cyprus with terrorism.''
Denktas said TRNC has a disagreement with its neighbor like every country, stating that, ''we will not push our country aside as this is not solved. We will again keep the doors open to overcome this disagreement.''
Denktas said in next process, he would send Papadopoulos the documents which were wanted to be changed, and that, ''he may send their documents if they want. However if Papadopoulos says he would not accept this change, than this will end. But TRNC will not be removed as there is this disagreement between the two states.''
Defending that this would remove the Turkish Cypriots in case Annan does not make a change in the plan, Denktas said, ''the U.N. Secretary General knew that we wanted important changes in the plan as we go there. Because that was a plan which would sentence the Turkish Cypriots forever if changes are not made. It was a plan making half of our population refugee. It was a plan giving the best places of our territory to Greek Cypriots. We wanted changes in all those aspects. Greek Cypriots also wanted changes.''
Denktas said, ''first of all, we had separate meetings with the Secretary General. The Secretary General, after listening to the two sides, said he did not want to continue this process may be because he understood that the difference is big. This was a result wanted by the Greek Cypriots because they thought that we were obliged to follow the same path if they enter the EU unilaterally. They thought thus they would be able to sentence us into the position of minority within the EU without giving more rights to us.''
When a journalist said TRNC has not yet implemented the economic package which Turkey prepared for the TRNC, Denktas said it was a draft package and that efforts were underway to implement the package.
Responding another question, Denktas said he believed the requirement of applying to the EU as the TRNC, but that no date has been set yet for the time of the application.
GUL: EU COMMISSION'S DEMAND FOR SOLUTION IN CYPRUS QUESTION IS AN ''EXTREME EXPRESSION''
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said that the European Union (EU) Commission's demand concerning finding a solution for Cyprus question was an ''extreme expression''.
Gul responded questions of Ankara Representative of Turkish NTV channel Murat Akgun.
When recalled the demand of EU Commission concerning finding a solution for Cyprus question, Gul said ''this is an extreme expression... Actually, EU had mistakes in solution of Cyprus question. They acted unilaterally with Greek Cypriot side.''
Noting that negotiations continued in The Hague, Gul said that some steps still could be taken until the end of month. He added that it was injustice to accuse Turkish Cypriot side, underlining that the Greek Cypriot side also gave a list of their sine qua nons. ''There is still an opportunity. We surely want a solution, but if we encounter some problems with a solution which is accepted just because it is a solution, we would be deceiving ourselves. A solution should be a real solution.''
Upon a question what Turkey could make from now on, Gul said that mutual meetings could be held and the United Nations Secretary General could enter the scene again.
Earlier in the day, the EU Commission released a statement saying that it would consider Turkey as occupying EU territory when the Greek Cypriot side joined the EU as a full member.
YAKIS: ''DESCRIBING TURKEY AS AN OCCUPIER IS A CONTRADICTION AND DOUBLE-STANDARD''
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said, ''describing Turkey as a country, which occupied the European Union (EU) territories, is a contradiction and double-standard.''
Addressing journalists, Yakis said, ''the EU did not stipulate the Greek Cypriot side to resolve its problems with Turkey while it accepted application of the Greek Cypriot side for full membership. However, solution of problems with the Greek Cypriot side was put forward as a pre-condition in Turkey's application. It is a contradiction.''
''We informed the EU on numerous occasions on this contradiction. Describing Turkey as a country, which occupied the EU territories, is a contradiction and double-standard. We will launch the necessary initiatives in the EU,'' he added.