In a statement issued yesterday (September 17), President Denktas outlined the new openings, which the Turkish Cypriot side recently brought on to the agenda. President Denktas said preparations for these openings were under way and they would be announced at the appropriate time.

Responding to a question asked, the President pointing out that the closed area of Varosha was also included in this context, said: "Our proposal is to open Varosha to settlement, with the condition that the rights of the (Turkish Cypriot) Vakiflar still stands. Varosha is a part of our territory. We are considering equal say in the matter to the UN in order to help alleviate Greek Cypriot security concerns. However, these are all issues which we are still working on."

Stating that the UN Security Council was not informed about the property rights of the Vakiflar in Varosha when it took its resolution on Varosha, President Denktash said, the Vakiflar Administration had informed the UN Secretary General about the issue and added that the Secretary General would be monitoring the issue.

Commenting on the problems faced by Greek Cypriots living in Dipkarpaz, the President said they shouldn’t have any complaints, because after the opening of the borders they were able to come and go as they please.

Referring to the demand of Greek Cypriots living in Dipkarpaz for a secondary school the President said: "A middle school cannot be opened for 7 children, nowhere in the world has this been seen. This will waste the children’s time, not educate them".

Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot side was researching the school opportunities of Turkish Cypriot children in the Greek Cypriot side, President Denktas said they were unable to get a satisfactory answer. He added that Turkish Cypriot children who had reached primary or secondary school age and who were not going to school or were forced to go to Greek Cypriot schools could get an education in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The Executive Board of the Islamic Conference Parliamentary Union, unanimously approved to recommend that the General Committee give the Turkish Cypriots, as they have in the Islamic Conference, an observer status in the Parliamentary Union.

Speaking at the Indonesian capital of Jakarta yesterday (September 17) on the past and present of the Cyprus issue, the Speaker of the TRNC Parliament, Vehbi Zeki Serter, stressed the importance of giving the Turkish Cypriots an opportunity to explain their just cause.

As was the case in the Islamic Conference, Serter also expressed the wish for the Turkish Cypriot side to be in cooperation and solidarity with Islamic countries within the Parliamentary Union.

During a discussion on the Cyprus issue, representatives of several countries stressed that, as was the case in the Islamic conference, the Turkish Cypriots had a just demand and it was natural for them to be given an observer status in the Parliamentary Union.

The TRNC Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Tahsin Ertugruloglu stated that as the date for the December elections approach, which is part of the democratic structure of the TRNC, outside interference is increasing.

In a written statement released yesterday, Minister Ertugruloglu said together with Greek Cypriot political party leaders, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Foreign Minister George Papandreou, were openly taking sides in the forthcoming TRNC elections.

Referring to the open support given by Greek Foreign Minister, George Papandreou, to certain circles within the TRNC during his visit to South Cyprus last week, the Minister said in a newspaper interview Papandreou gave before visiting the island, he alleged that, "recently, Turkish Cypriots have started to consider themselves a Cyprus citizen".

Minister Ertugruloglu stating that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo are trying to remove the principles of bi-zonality and two sovereignties by patching up the Turkish Cypriot people to the Greek Cypriot Republic in Soouth Cyprus, said: "Papandreou, with his baseless allegation, has openly announced that he wants to see the Turkish Cypriots as a minority in the so-called Cyprus Republic. In other words, the result that they want to reach is to patch up the Turkish Cypriot people into the Greek Cypriot republic in South Cyprus. In this way, they hope that bi-zonality and two sovereignties would no longer be issues for discussion."

Calling upon Papandreou, Minister Ertugruloglu advised him not to interfere in the forthcoming December elections, and said: "The TRNC is a sovereign state which was established as a result of the struggle for existence by the Turkish Cypriot people and by using their right to determine their own future. Under no conditions will the Turkish Cypriot people give up their sovereignty, which is the symbol of their state".

He added that by taking these realities into consideration Papandreou should not forget that the December elections are the elections of the TRNC and that all political parties would participate in the elections of this state.

The US Ambassador to Nicosia, Michael Klosson, and his accompanying delegation yesterday (September 17) visited Guzelyurt.

Speaking during the meeting, the Mayor of Guzelyurt, Mahmut Ozcinar,

pointing out that they were working to further improve Guzelyurt and make it more modern, said no discrimination should be made between the municipalities and Guzelyurt should also benefit from foreign aid, which is being given on the basis of projects.

Ozcinar, also gave Ambassador Klosson a letter which stated that the people of Guzelyurt were against handing over Guzelyurt to the Greek Cypriots.

For his part, Ambassador Klosson, expressing that he was pleased to learn about Guzelyurt, said he would be happy to discuss both the opportunities and difficulties that were encountered during this important period.

Repeating the US’s determination to reach a settlement in Cyprus, Ambassador Klosson said any settlement to the Cyprus issue should not take it back to pre-1974 conditions.

Underlining that he would convey the concerns of Mahmut Ozcinar’s to the relevant authorities, the Ambassador said, the international community should respond to these concerns and it would be good if these were also discussed during the negotiations.

EU CYPRUS AMBASSADOR:  TRNC ELECTIONS WILL NOT BE MONITORED

            Speaking during a bi-communal seminar at the Ledra Palace Hotel on September 17, the EU’s Cyprus Ambassador, Adriaan Van Der Meer, stated that the EU would not be sending an observer to monitor the forthcoming TRNC December general elections.