Participating in a programme yesterday morning at Turkish Samanyolu TV, the TRNC President Rauf Denktas responded to the questions on the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s plan and the latest developments on the Cyprus issue.

President Denktas said that he urges for an agreement which will be on the basis of sovereignty and which will not be symbolic on a paper.

Stressing that he has no hope on reaching an agreement, President Denktas said that the acceptance of the rights of the Turkish Cypriots should not expected from the Greek Cypriots who took the step of entering into the EU.

Underlining that Annan plan includes the abandoning of Turkish troops from the island and the resettlement of the Greek Cypriot refugees back to the north, President Denktas said that it is impossible for the Turkish Cypriots to sign such a plan and take a step backward from their equal and co-founding partnership status gained with 1960 agreements.

Criticising that the title deeds issued by the Greek Cypriots were recognised while title deeds issued by the TRNC state were not, President Denktas said that the issue of properties should be solved through exchange and compensations.

Stressing that Turkey’s guarantee would be weakened in the event of the implementation of the plan and entry into the EU, President Denktas expressed that Clerides is very comfortable at the negotiations and added that the Turkish Cypriots who have a state recognised by Turkey should be so.

Pointing out that the reconciliation could be achieved with the desire of two parties, President Denktas said that it should be taken up with Turkey whether the negotiations will continue after February 28 or not.

President Denktas said that he has no hope if the negotiations continue like this and expressed the importance of the softening of the Greek Cypriots by USA, UK and the EU through exerting pressure to Greece.

Underlining that the participation of Turkey and Greece to the negotiations on Cyprus as two guarantor states is very natural, President Denktas said that in the event of not reaching a solution until April 16, South Cyprus would take part in the EU and added that EU has the obligation to make the north a member. Accordingly, President Denktas called upon the EU to have a direct contact with the TRNC.

Speaking in Gecitkale yesterday during a meeting held within the framework of enlightening the public on Annan plan, TRNC Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu said that the aim of the direct talks is to eliminate the aspects endangering the rights of the Turkish Cypriots.

Pointing out that Annan plan is prepared according to the requests of the Greek Cypriots with the aim of the annihilation of the existence of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots on the island, Eroglu said that the plan gives priority to those decisions urged by the Greek Cypriots for years which were also agreed by the Greek Cypriot National Council in 1989 and approved by Greece.

Stressing that one of the decisions of the Greek Cypriot National Council taken in 1989 was that Turkish force should leave the island, Eroglu said that Turkey’s effective guarantee would be eliminated in the event of the implementation of the present form of the plan.

Referring to Greek Cypriots’ another argument which was the resettlement of the Greek Cypriots to the north, Eroglu said that "they will completely be successful on this subject in the future, because by this agreement, 28 percent of our population which makes 55-60 thousand Greek Cypriots will return to their properties in the north."

Eroglu said in the event of the implementation of this plan, no Turkish Cypriot would be left in Cyprus in 5 or 10 years, and added that the plan includes all the aims of the Greek Cypriots.

Stressing that there is no-one in Cyprus who does not want to enter into the EU after reaching a permanent settlement, Eroglu said an agreement, which will secure the future of the Turkish Cypriots, and the effective guarantee of motherland Turkey and which will not pave the way for the past experiences of 1974, has a meaning for the Turkish Cypriots.

Eroglu also said that in the event of not reaching an agreement until February 28, the TRNC would continue with its existence in cooperation with Turkey by integrating with the world.

The direct talks between President Denktas and the Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides started for finding a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus issue will continue today with another meeting.

Speaking after the last meeting, President Denktas had said that all the proposals of the TRNC for changes on the Annan plan were rejected by the Greek Cypriot side.

President Denktas said "They do not accept anything. We have also the Greek Cypriot side’s proposals for changes in front of us…These were what they submitted before and what they are insisting on. They insist on the letter which they have sent to the Secretary General."

In a statement issued following the meeting of the Turkish National Security Council on January 31, the importance of the ongoing talks on UN Secretary General’s plan submitted to both sides for finding a solution to the Cyprus issue, was stressed, and support was given for the efforts aimed at reaching a solution.