Denktas: My Fault Was To Complain To Annan About De Soto

LEFKOSA - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Wednesday that his fault was to complain to United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan about his Special Envoy to Cyprus Alvaro De Soto.
Replying to questions of reporters, Denktas said that Annan's report on Cyprus which was expected to be taken up by U.N. Security Council the following day was written with anger.
Denktas said, ''they were very angry because we were not deceived by the intrigue. My fault was to complain to Annan about De Soto's acts.''
Stating that they did not mislead Annan about holding a referendum on the plan, Denktas said, ''those who misled him should be ashamed.''
Denktas pointed out that he had received the full text of the report and said, ''my fault was to complain to Annan about De Soto. It is a report written with anger because we did not do what they wanted. It was an intrigue to shape up our status as they wanted. They were very angry since we were not deceived by this intrigue.''
Although the report noted that the two sides defended their own cases, it accused himself, Denktas pointed out.
Regarding The Hague summit and referendum issues in the report, Denktas said, ''I could not understand why they hoped us to accept holding a referendum on their plans in The Hague. We have always been very frank. Although we continuously said that the plan was not a plan which could be accepted as long as some important issues were not changed, a referendum on the plan could not be held, and there were empty pages in the plan, they were angry as if we had gone there by saying that we were ready for referendum and had changed our mind there. This is injustice.''
When a reporter said that ''there were expressions in the report that he encouraged the Secretary General in that respect,'' Denktas said, ''I did not see anything like that. On the contrary, I requested De Soto that the Secretary General should not come because he would return empty-handed. Because I don't accept it I said. I also said the same thing when Annan came. I said that the plan was incomplete and we were not in the position of holding a referendum.''
Denktas noted that a party leader told Secretary General Annan during their meeting in Lefkosa that ''Turkey should be taken into consideration instead of Denktas. If Turkey said yes to referendum, Denktas would be obliged to.''
Another person who attended that meeting quoted the words of the party leader, Denktas said.
Denktas said, ''some others told those wrong views to Annan. We did not deceive anybody. Those who deceive them should be ashamed.''
Recalling that Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos asked for Turkey's assurance in The Hague, Denktas said that this demand was the indicator that he would not hold a referendum. But the Greek Cypriot side was not accused in the report despite that, he added.
Denktas added that they would give a comprehensive response to Cyprus report and preparations continued.
(BRC-AÖ) 09.04.2003