President Denktas stressing that from a political point of view, as one of the equal and sovereign sides on the island the Turkish Cypriot people would never accept being a community, said by embracing their sovereignty the Turkish Cypriot people would make the state that they formed live forever and that this was not an issue where concessions could be made.

Evaluating the UN Secretary-General’s Cyprus Report last Friday (2 June), President Denktas pointing out that in the report the Turkish Cypriot people were still being referred to as a “community” said it was a report that should be read with caution.

Referring to the Annan Plan, the President said the Greek Cypriot side, who voted ‘no’ to the plan, had maintained their bargaining strength, whereas the Turkish Cypriot side, who voted ‘yes’, did not have this opportunity. The President said by taking this situation into consideration Annan in his report stated that “the Greek Cypriot side has concerns regarding security issues”, and recommended that the UN Security Council take this into consideration. He said the Secretary-General was trying to open the path to take the decision, which they were unable to take as a result of the Russian veto.

President Denktas said if there was to be an equal and lasting settlement that would not repeat the events of 1963, the Greek Cypriots had to understand that this settlement could not be destroyed. He added this would only be possible if it was based on the principle of two states because everything else were rights only on paper.

Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat during his visit to Istanbul yesterday (6 June) visited Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.

Speaking after his meeting with Prime Minister Talat, Prime Minister Erdogan said during the meeting they discussed various issues and identified the steps to be taken. He said for the developments to be constructive, whatever Turkey has done so far with sensitivity and by protecting this, guarantor country Motherland Turkey would continue to do the same. Prime Minister Erdogan added that Turkey would do whatever was necessary to end the isolation imposed upon the TRNC.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there was a large possibility that the TRNC could be announced as the Turkish Cypriot State, as envisaged in the Annan Plan, at the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) Foreign Ministers Meeting.