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The
second phase of direct negotiations between President
Denktaş and the Greek Cypriot Leader Glafcos Clerides
came to an end yesterday afternoon with another
meeting between the two leaders.
Speaking
to the reporters at the end of the meeting, President
Denktaş referred to some serious and basic problems
faced, but warned that it is too early to say whether
or not a breakthrough is possible.
He
said the two sides would be using the break to assess what
has been discussed and achieved until now, before
getting on with what will be the third phase of the
discussions on April 9th.
In
response to a question, President Denktaş said the
United Nations has no right to table any proposals
without the two directly-involved parties at the
talks; and that the UN Secretary General’s special
adviser Alvaro De Soto has no intention to do that on
his return from his visits to Ankara, Athens and New
York.
As
to a question about what the significance is of the
month of June at the talks; the President reminded
that his doctors have advised that he undergoes an
operation on his heart between this June and January.
As
to the essence of the Cyprus problem, the President
repeated that the problem could be solved within six
months if a correct diagnosis is reached. In response
to another question, he said he expects the talks
to extend beyond June.
The
next meeting between President Denktaş and the Greek
Cypriot leader Mr Clerides that will mark the
beginning of the third round will be on Tuesday, the
9th of April.
Earlier
yesterday morning, the UN Secretary General’s
Special Adviser on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto met President
Denktaş and the Greek Cypriot Leader Glafcos Clerides
exchanging views with them.
Responding
to reporters’ persistent questions before receiving
the UN Envoy, President Denktaş categorically denied
that the talks are entering a deadlock and stressed
that there wouldn’t be any.
PRIME
MINISTER EROĞLU “THERE ARE SINE QUA NON PRINCIPLES
FOR THE TURKISH CYPRIOT SIDE FOR A SETTLEMENT IN
CYPRUS”
Prime
Minister Derviş Eroğlu has reiterated his
government’s position in support of an agreement
with the Greek Cypriot Side, which will preserve the
political equality of the two sides, sovereignty of
the Turkish Cypriot Side and Turkey’s status as a
guarantor power.
Speaking
in Balıkesir, Turkey, where he received the Best of
the Year Award organised by the provincial radio, Mr
Eroğlu said there are sine qua non principles for the
Turkish Cypriot Side when it comes for a settlement of
the Cyprus problem.
Mr
Eroğlu stated that it was through Motherland
Turkey’s protection and assistance that the Turkish
Cypriot people attained its independence and freedom
at the end of a long struggle against Greek Cypriot
oppression.
As
to Turkey’s relations with the European Union, he
said the union has been biased in demanding from
Turkey the solution of the Aegean and Cyprus problems
as a precondition for membership- things it did not
put forward for Greece in the past.
He
also accused Brussels of being by the side of the
Greek Cypriots who carried out ethnic cleansing
against the Turkish Cypriots.
He
said a permanent solution to the Cyprus problem could
be reached only if it is accepted that there are two
people and two States on the island.
Singing
a new agreement with a “not so strong
constitution” he warned, might end up in its
suspension like what had happened with the 1960
Constitution.
Mr
Eroğlu stressed that any settlement should be such
that the geography on which the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus is established, will remain Turkish.
THE
SPEAKER OF THE TURKISH GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLEY Mr.İZGİ
“TURKEY’S POLICY ON CYPRUS IS UNCHANGABLE”
The
Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Ömer
İzgi has stressed that Turkey’s policy on Cyprus is
unchangeable.
During
a meeting with reporters, Speaker Ömer İzgi answered
questions regarding the latest developments on Cyprus
and the European Union.
Upon
being asked his views on the statements about Cyprus
made by European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Günter
Verheugen, Mr İzgi said ‘Verheugen can speak as
much as he likes’ and added that Turkey’s policy
on Cyprus was unchangeable.
He
stressed the belief that EU membership wouldn’t
bring a change to Turkey’s stance on the Cyprus
issue and said that the government was very determined
on this matter.
Expressing
the view that if the European Union continued with
this mentality it would mean it had the intention of
dividing the island, the Speaker of the Turkish Grand
National Assembly added ‘We are not dividing the
island and neither are the Turkish Cypriots’.
THE
FINAL COMMUNIQUE OF TURKISH DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM
ISSUED
The
final communiqué issued yesterday at the end of a
four-day Cyprus Turkish Development Platform aimed at
boosting the TRNC’s economy has spelled out the
categories on which the development effort will focus.
The
President of the Cyprus Turkish Development Platform
Kamil Raif, reading the final communiqué at a press
conference in Lefkoşa this morning, said the main
areas which are considered to need reform in the
development effort for the TRNC are infrastructure,
education, technology and industry, tourism, health,
agriculture and trade.
Mr
Raif said that during the four-day conference, the
general situation of the TRNC economy was studied in
detail and a decision was reached at the end that much
responsibility rested on the press and the media,
universities and non-governmental organisations in
order to push the effort through.
However,
he warned that structural difficulties must first be
removed at source, and conditions of a competitive
economy created based on the principles of investment
and productivity.
THE
TURKISH CYPRIOT EVKAF ADMINISTRATION CONDEMNED THE
GREEK CYPRIOTS FOR RUINING TURKISH-ISLAM CULTURAL
HERITAGE
The
Administration of The Turkish Cypriot Evkaf has
condemned the Greek Cypriots for damaging and ruining
the invaluable cultural heritage of Turkish-Islam
works of art.
The
Turkish Cypriot Evkaf Administration has invited
UNESCO, European Foundation Organization and other
related international organizations to take necessary
measures against the Greek Cypriots to prevent them
ruining the cultural heritages.
The Evkaf ’s Director Mr.Taner Derviş stated
that the Greek Cypriots have damaged the wonderful
pieces of Turkish-Islam works of art during the 1963
to 1974 era. In addition to this now they have
completely demolished the Turkish Cypriot cemetery in
Lakadamia in an inhuman manner without respecting the
souls of the dead. This inhuman attitude towards the
dead is a significant indicator of the Greek Cypriots
hostility towards the Turkish Cypriots.
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