The TRNC President Rauf Denktas is recovering well
following his heart operation last week in New York.
The Undersecretary of the Presidency Ergun Olgun
responding to the questions of a reporter from Turkish News Agency, said
that the President’s condition was quite good and added that President
Denktas would be discharged from hospital, when he desires and feels
comfortable.
Ergun Olgun continued by saying that President Denktas
will go to Turkey when he will be in good health to travel, and added that
he will accompany the President until he goes to Turkey. Olgun said he will
return to the TRNC after President Denktas arrives in Turkey.
ALVARO DE SOTO HAD CONTACTS IN TURKEY
The United Nations Secretary General’s Special Adviser
on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, went to Ankara yesterday for having contacts
on the Cyprus issue.
Within the framework of his contacts in Ankara, Alvaro de
Soto got together with the Undersecretary of the Turkish Foreign Ministry
Ugur Ziyal yesterday afternoon.
Speaking after the meeting, de Soto said he had a long
and fruitful meeting with Ziyal and added that he will go to Athens next
week where he will have contacts and later he will come again to Turkey.
Pointing out that there are differences between the two
parties, de Soto said these differences would be overcome by pursuing
political determination.
Stressing that the UN Secretary General had invited
President Denktas and the Greek Cypriot leader Clerides again to come
together in November in New York, de Soto expressed his hope that President
Denktas’ condition will be fine soon and that the talks will resume at the
beginning of November.
Asked whether they focus on the establishment of a
partnership state or not, de Soto said "the structure of the government
after reaching a settlement on the Cyprus issue, is one of the issues that
we discuss. However, I cannot say that we only focus on this. There are some
other issues that are taken up."
GUREL: "EU HAS NEVER BEEN POSITIVE ON
THE CYPRUS ISSUE"
The Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel reminding
that EU will take a decision on the Cyprus
issue,
said "EU has never been positive on the Cyprus issue. It neither lead
to a solution nor provide any facility. The EU did not avoid to lay the
foundation of the ground for a conflict by taking inconvenient steps. If the
EU accepts the membership of the Greek Cypriot side, it will lead to the
permanent division of the island. It will also change the Turkey- Greece
balance."
GULEK: "CYPRUS DIRECT TALKS SHOULD
CONTINUE"
The Turkish State Minister in Charge of Cyprus Affairs,
Tayyibe Gulek, expressing their support for the direct talks between the two
leaders in Cyprus, said whatsoever happens the direct talks process should
continue and the two leaders should discuss their problems.
Pointing out that the EU application of the South Cyprus
was wrong, Gulek said "there is very important and historic decision
and at the same time an important opportunity in front of the EU. We hope
that it will be just and behave with sense of humour."
Stressing that the statements of the EU officials as ‘the
Greek Cypriot side will enter into EU even if the issue remained unsolved’
has negatively effected the direct talks between the two leaders, Gulek
expressed her hope that EU will not take a faulty decision before reaching a
successful result from the negotiations.
