ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that an understanding, which was based on two sovereign founder states that were harmonious with the realities on the island, was accepted regarding the Cyprus issue.
Addressing a parliamentary session on draft law on 2003 year budget, Erdogan said that U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan had been previously found negotiable but later it had not been taken up as it remained behind the perspective of meeting Turkey's sensitivities completely.
Noting that Turkey continued seeking new ways under solution of the issue, Erdogan said, ''any change in our determination is out of question. However, we should also never forget that the Cyprus issue has entered a difficult process. Governing means administration of today and the future. Those who try to govern today can never be successful and ready for resistances in the future.''
Stressing that the government took steps to solve problems of people, and worked for the future of children, Erdogan added, ''I hope that the 2003 fiscal year budget would be beneficial to our people.''
(MS-UK) 29.03.2003