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Within the framework of the ongoing Cyprus negotiations, which have been set
to a timetable by the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, the core issues of
the Cyprus issue have started to be discussed.
Speaking
after yesterday’s (February 24) meeting, TRNC President Rauf Denktas said
in yesterday’s meeting they moved towards discussing the core issues, but
couldn’t reach a conclusion. The President said: “When the Turkish
Cypriot side reaches the stage of discussing the core issue that
‘there are two peoples in Cyprus, who each have their own separate
rights and these rights should be protected in a manner that would not be
changed in the future ’ we are confronted with difficulties. I hope that
in time these difficulties will be lifted”.
Pointing
out that in yesterday’s meeting between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot
delegations it was decided to form economic committees, President Denktas
said during the meeting he brought to Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos
Papadopoulos’ attention the Greek Cypriot Interior Ministry’s advert in
yesterday’s Greek Cypriot press that Turkish Cypriots could participate in
the European Parliamentary elections in the South. He said this was contrary
to the ongoing negotiations and he had requested an explanation from the
Greek Cypriot side on this issue.
Explaining
that the Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, had responded by saying
that they were not exerting pressure on anyone on this issue, President
Denktas said if Turkish Cypriots were to accept this invitation it would
mean denying TRNC citizenship.
The
President also stated that in yesterday’s meeting the Greek Cypriot side
wanted to expand their submitted list of changes to the Annan Plan and that
Alvaro de Soto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to
Cyprus after evaluating what the meeting’s agenda would be, prepared a
document, which Papadopoulos said was too narrow. The President said the
Turkish Cypriot side didn’t object to this because there were many things
to discuss.
Stating
that on the issue of EU membership, Papdopoulos had explained the amendments
the Greek Cypriot side wanted to make to the Annan Plan, President Denktas
said in order to achieve progress the Turkish Cypriot side requested this in
writing from Papadopoulos so that the Turkish Cypriot side could include its
own views on this issue and if necessary propose counter alterations. The
President said this issue would be taken up in today’s (February 25)
meeting.
The
President also said that when the issue of the Greek Cypriot side’s heavy
rearmament efforts was raised at the meeting, the atmosphere became tense.
Announcing
that in yesterday’s meeting, the Turkish Cypriot side submitted a detailed
document regarding the derogations (privileged deviations) of EU law they
wanted built into the plan, President Denktas said the Greek Cypriot side
objected to these derogations becoming primary law within the EU norms.
Referring
to the Turkish Cypriot side’s discomfort about too much emphasis being
placed on “Cypriot identity” in the Annan Plan, the President said:
“Our observation is that instead of Turkish Cypriot or Greek Cypriot
identities being mentioned, “Cypriot identity” is being emphasized and
thus they are refraining from making any distinctions according to
nationalities, languages and cultures”.
PRIME MINISTER TALAT EVALUATES YESTERDAY’S MEETING: “BARGAINING WILL
BE DIFFICULT”
TRNC Prime Minister, Mehmet Ali Talat, on evaluating yesterday’s meeting
between the two parties, said the Greek Cypriots were in the position of
either not understanding very well or not wanting to understand the Turkish
Cypriot position.
Criticizing
the Greek Cypriot side’s rearmament efforts and Greek Cypriot newspaper
adverts for Turkish Cypriots to register for the EU Parliamentary elections
in the South, Prime Minister Talat reminding that if a solution was achieved
by 1 May 2004, Turkish Cypriots would participate in the European
Parliamentary elections, said this should be respected. He said: “Through
such adverts, approaches aimed at pushing the Turkish Cypriot people into
hopelessness or provoking them should not be displayed; but the Greek
Cypriots did this”.
Pointing
out that the two sides’ views would be exchanged and debated, the Prime
Minister said bargaining would be difficult.
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