ERTUGRULOGLU REACTS TO USA
AMBASSADOR’S REMARKS ON ANNAN PLAN AND DOGANCI INCIDENT
The TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Defence, Tahsin Ertugruloglu, strongly reacted to the remarks made by
Michael Klosson, the USA Ambassador in South Cyprus, on the Annan plan and
the recent incident in Doganci.
The incident, which took place last
Tuesday (March 25) night in Doganci and which was organized by some
political parties and non-governmental organisations with the aim of
carrying out an illegal plebiscite, was intervened by the police and the
organizers in question were arrested and legal proceedings have been started
against them.
Referring to the US Ambassador’s
statement, which he made during the opening ceremony of the conference hall
of the Cyprus Turkish Doctors Union, to the effect that he was disturbed by
the recent incident, and that efforts would continue to make the Annan Plan
remain on the agenda, Tahsin Ertugruloglu called upon the US Ambassador not
to engage in useless duties.
The Foreign Minister said: "I learnt
with surprise from the press the remark made during an opening ceremony by
the USA’s Ambassador to the Greek Cypriot administration, Michael Klosson.
We were extremely disappointed with the Ambassador’s behaviour, which does
not conform to his duty and diplomacy".
Continuing, Ertugruloglu said:
"Before everything else it is an issue of intervening in the internal
affairs of the TRNC and could not be justified. This cannot be accepted and
is not something that can be explained. Ignoring the existence of the TRNC
and adopting a stance of encouraging those people who portray the illegal
plebiscite, which could only be possible under a colonial administration, as
the so-called freedom of thought, and trying to direct the country’s
democracy to anarchy, and playing unsuitable small games, is not the kind of
behaviour that one would expect from an Ambassador of a super power.
Moreover, I would like to stress that we strongly object to his efforts to
ensure that the Annan Plan is not forgotten. These remarks, which have
overstepped the mark, are also disrespectful to the Turkish Cypriot people
and the TRNC state which they established with their own free will. Mr.
Klosson knows very well that the Annan Plan, which is known as a recipe for
disaster, is no longer on the agenda and will not come on to the agenda
again. Despite this, he undertakes the duty to give our people false and
unrealistic expectations. I wonder who is giving him this courage or is the
Ambassador someone’s advisor? The Turkish Cypriot people, by using their
right to self determination, displayed their own free will on 15 November
1983 and approved its constitution with an overwhelming majority, and put it
into effect. This year the Turkish Cypriots are preparing to celebrate the
20th anniversary of their state with great pride and enthusiasm.
I recommend that the Ambassador should take these realities into
consideration and refrain from engaging in useless duties. Meanwhile, I
would like to ask the Ambassador what his views are on the arrest of the
Nobel Peace Prize winners and clerics during the recent anti-war
demonstrations against Iraq near the White House".
