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We have observed that the positive atmosphere
necessary for the success of the face-to-face talks,
started at the initiative of President Rauf Denktaþ, has
again been deliberately spoiled by the anti-Turkish
declarations made after the signing of a military and
technical cooperation agreement during the recent visit
of the Armenian Defence Minister, Mr. Serzh Sargsyan to
Southern Cyprus. There is no doubt that this action is
part of an attempt at the encirclement of Turkey and the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus by the hostile
forces within the framework of the "Joint Military
Doctrine" formed between the Greek Cypriot side and
Greece.
The fact that the Defence Minister of the
Armenian Government, which has subjected the brotherly
people of Azerbaijan to a similar inhuman treatment as
that employed against the Turkish Cypriot people by the
Greek - Greek Cypriot front between 1963-74, has
declared Turkey as "the common enemy" after his meeting
with Greek Cypriot Archbishop Chrisostomos, is a clear
indication that both administrations entertain the same
archaic and chauvinistic mentality.
Instead of shaking the hand of friendship
extended to them by the Turkish Cypriot side, which has
come to the negotiating table in order to achieve a just
and lasting reconciliation based on the sovereign
equality of the two sides in Cyprus, the Greek Cypriot
leadership has chosen to import attack helicopters to
the island and form "unholy alliances" around the
Turkish Cypriots and Turkey. As we strongly condemn this
hostile attitude of the Greek Cypriot leadership, we
call on all those closely interested in the current
negotiation process in Cyprus to give due consideration
to these unfortunate developments.
DENKTAÞ-CLERIDES TO MEET TODAY FOR ROUND TWO OF
TALKS
TRNC President
Rauf Denktaþ and the leader of the Greek Cypriot
administration, Mr. Glafcos Clerides, will today resume
their direct negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent
settlement to the Cyprus issue.
Following last
week’s joint evaluation meeting between President
Denktaþ and TRNC political party leaders, political
parties in the TRNC have started to convey in writing
their views on the negotiation process. Following the
views of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) being
conveyed to the President, yesterday the views of the
National Revival Party (UDP) were conveyed to the
President.
Within this
framework, speaking during a meeting yesterday with
Enver Emin, the leader of the National Revival Party
(UDP), President Denktaþ said that he would read
carefully the views of the National Revival Party and
make use of the party’s proposals.
President
Denktaþ stressing the importance of sovereignty in any
permanent solution to be found to the Cyprus issue said
a solution is being sought to the Cyprus issue that will
safeguard a sound and effective administration as
regards the new partnership’s international affairs,
together with more autonomous administrations, in
specific areas. He said that these objectives make it
necessary for the two prospective constituent states to
have their own sovereignties, together with that of the
whole islands. Any failure to safeguard sovereignty will
mean that no promised-guarantees will ever be able to
function properly, added the President.
Presenting the
1960 Agreements as an example to this, the President
said that according to this agreement, the then Cyprus
Republic was supposed to be a Partnership State and
definitely not a "UNITARY" one. He reminded that the agreements which
had created the now-defunct Cyprus Republic, had
envisaged a functional federation and the reason why the
Turkish Cypriot people felt unprotected then was
because, despite the existence of a functional federal
arrangement and the fact that political equality existed
between the two sides, the arrangement lacked
sovereignty.
President
Denktaþ also accused the Greek Cypriot side of
continuously presenting the 1960 Cyprus Republic as a
"unitary republic, where a minority had been enjoying
too many rights". This is why sounder and stronger
arrangements are needed in a would-be new partnership
between the two sides, he said.
He stressed
that a sounder and stronger framework for a new
partnership between the two sides in Cyprus, should be
based on a "geographical basis", which will also take
into account the 1977 and 1979 Summit Agreements, where
it was stated that the two peoples on the island would
each live separately in their own
administrations.
DENKTAÞ TO GO TO ISTANBUL
TODAY
President
Denktaþ will tonight depart for Istanbul as the guest of
Turkey’s Young Businessmen’s Association. During his
stay in Istanbul the President will attend a meeting
organized by the Association and give a presentation on
the latest development in the Cyprus issue.
Following the
completion of his contacts in Istanbul, President
Denktaþ will return to the TRNC on March 2.
CLERIDES WARNS POLITICIANS WHO ARE LEAKING
NEWS TO THE PRESS
According to
news received from Greek Cypriot radio, as reported in
the Turkish Cypriot daily ‘Kýbrýs’, the leader of the
Greek Cypriot administration, Glafcos Clerides, is very
angry with Greek Cypriot politicians for leaking news
regarding the Cyprus negotiations to the
press.
Accordingly,
during a recent meeting of the National Council, Mr.
Clerides, expressed to Greek Cypriot politicians his
discomfort on this issue and stated that if they
continue to leak information to the press regarding the
Cyprus talks he would stop briefing them on the
negotiations.
Meanwhile,
Greek Cypriot radio announced that Greek Cypriot
politicians were not optimistic about a settlement being
reached on the Cyprus
issue. | 