Speaking to the press after yesterday’s meeting, President Denktas said all of the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposals regarding changes to the Annan Plan, including property arrangements, derogations and arrangements based on the existence of two peoples, were rejected by the Greek Cypriot side. He said the Turkish Cypriot side’s request regarding EU relations was positively evaluated by the UN.

Pointing out that in yesterday’s meeting the Greek Cypriot side submitted their proposals as well as a 20-page document regarding their territorial requests, President Denktas said during the meeting it was agreed that a new committee would be formed to deal with the constitution and the first instance courts.

Summarizing the Greek Cypriot proposals, President Denktas said:

"Together with territorial adjustments, the Greek Cypriot side has requested that the territory envisaged in the Annan Plan to be given to the Greek Cypriot side and which will be under Turkish Cypriot control during the three year transition period should be under UN control; they insist that guarantees be given by the guarantor powers prior to the founding agreement being enforced; they oppose the Turkish Cypriot side’s request for a transition period for EU membership; they demand that Cypriots registered as citizens in 1963, and their offspring, be the only people allowed to vote in the referendum on the Annan plan, due to be held in April 2004, they say that ‘settlers’ do not have the right to be in Cyprus and can not vote, they say that people who married Cypriots can remain in Cyprus…"

Explaining that all of the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposals were rejected by the Greek Cypriot side on the claim that "the proposals were outside of the framework of the Annan Plan" and because the Greek Cypriots adopt the approach that "Cyprus has one people, nothing can be established by distinguishing between Turkish and Greek Cypriots, this would mean ethnic separation", President Denktas summarized the Turkish Cypriot proposals as follows:

"For 400 years we have lived in Cyprus as Turkish and Greek Cypriots. The 1960 Agreements were established on this basis. Our political equality and the fact that we are not a minority in Cyprus have been stressed on numerous occasions at the UN General Assembly and Security Council. This is the main problem. Our struggle to protect our equality and sovereign rights is being rejected by the Greek Cypriot side…"

Stating that the Greek Cypriot side evaluated the Turkish Cypriot side’s approach to form a new partnership on the basis of "the existence of the two peoples in Cyprus" as "racism, ethnic cleansing and seizing territory", President Denktas said EU officials also had a responsibility to deal with this issue.

Referring to the Greek Cypriot side’s rejection of the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposal to adjust anomalies that would be encountered during the EU process, President Denktas said: "If we are going to make a new agreement, our status and this new agreement should be added to the agreement the EU has already made with the party it refers to as the ‘Cyprus Government’ and should change this agreement accordingly. This is what we constantly insist from the EU".

Explaining that the Turkish Cypriot side’s requests to reduce the number of Greek Cypriots returning to the north after a settlement, to have separate majority votes in the Parliament in order to protect Turkish Cypriot rights, and to settle the property issue through global exchange and compensation, was also turned down by the Greek Cypriot side, the President said the proposal regarding derogations was rejected on the claim that it was "contrary to human rights and would obstruct cooperation with the EU".

Pointing out that the requested derogations, only until Turkey became an EU member, were rejected by the Greek Cypriots because it was stated that ‘it wasn’t clear when Turkey would become an EU member’, President Denktas said the Greek Cypriot side had the approach that Cyprus was a unitary Greek Cypriot state and as if past events had not happened.

Stating that the Greek Cypriot approach to the Turkish Cypriot side’s request for sovereignty was to the effect that, "there is no TRNC, we don’t recognize it", the President said, as a result the Turkish Cypriot side’s request that the foundation agreement be signed by two leaders, was rejected on the basis of this claim.

Explaining that because the Turkish Cypriot side did not accept the UN being given a super power status regarding issue of security, agreement could not be reached on this issue, President Denktas on being asked about the stance of UN officials during the Cyprus negotiation process replied: "They listen and from time to time they interfere".

Adding that in yesterday’s meeting it was agreed that a new committee would be formed to deal with the constitution and upon a request from the Greek Cypriot side it was also agreed that another team would be formed to deal with the lower courts, the President said: "I hope that with their request for first instance courts they’ve found a formula where Greek Cypriots will not have to apply to the courts of our state."

While intense negotiations are under way between the two leaders in Cyprus, adaptation studies aimed at preparing the TRNC to be in line with EU norms officially started yesterday (March 1).

In yesterday’s meeting at the UN Conference Centre in the UN-controlled buffer zone, intensive studies were started on adapting the TRNC to EU norms.