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Within
the framework of the ongoing Cyprus negotiation process the two leaders in
Cyprus met for the 13th time yesterday (March 10) at the Lefkosa
International Airport in the UN controlled buffer zone. Speaking after
yesterday’s meeting, President Denktas said the issues that had been
discussed were the referendum, adaptation to EU norms, the debts of the
founding states, security, establishing the supreme court and aviation.
Stating that schematic studies were being prepared to outline the two
side’s proposals, President Denktas said when these studies were completed
they would be announced to the press and public opinion.
Pointing
out that there would be no negotiations today (March 11) because the UN
Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto,
would be going to Athens, the President said the give and take process would
start on Friday (March 12) and the Turkish Cypriot side’s strategy was
prepared jointly with Ankara.
Explaining
that the agreement to be agreed upon between the two sides on the basis of
the Annan Plan within the framework of the Cyprus negotiation process would
be put to a public referendum, President Denktas said this required certain
legal amendments and there were some legal and constitutional difficulties
which needed to be overcome. The President said the approach in the
philosophy of the Annan Plan was one that acted as if the TRNC never
existed. Stressing that from a constitutional, legal and political point of
view it was not possible to accept this, President Denktas said to have a
referendum a law had to be passed in the TRNC Parliament.
President
Denktas said the Turkish Cypriot people should be aware of the fact that the
Annan Plan does not just aim to eliminate the TRNC but, is an exercise that
acts as if the TRNC doesn’t exist at all.
Pointing
out that the Attorney-general was dealing with this issue, the President
said the easiest way to resolve the problem was to include all the TRNC’s
rights and assets in the founding states.
Explaining
that because time was needed for the Turkish Cypriot side to adapt itself to
EU norms and that this would require close cooperation with the EU, the
President said, it would be appropriate if a Turkish Cypriot was appointed
as an EU Commissioner. Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot side requested
that the positions of either Minister for Foreign Affairs or Minister for EU
issues should be Turkish or Greek Cypriot and that Turkish and Greek
Cypriots should serve as a commissioner for one term each and this should
start with a Turkish Cypriot, the President Denktas said during the meeting
documents were given to the Greek Cypriot side on this issue.
Referring
to the issue of the debts of the founding states, the President said each of
the founding states should pay their own debts. He also added that in the
meeting the Turkish Cypriot side had explained that it was meaningless for
the debts of a founding state to be shared by the other.
On
the issue of security, the President said the Greek Cypriot approach and
document on this issue couldn’t be accepted because it created many angers
and didn’t meet the security needs of the Turkish Cypriot side.
Pointing
out that it was the Turkish Cypriot side that should be satisfied on
security issues, the President said, as requested by the Greek Cypriot side,
the Turkish Cypriot side wouldn’t give the UN any right of action.
Saying
that the Turkish Cypriot side didn’t accept the proposal of the founding
state in the north to have a 1700 men police force and wanted this figure to
be increased, President Denktas said the Greek Cypriot side’s approach on
security issues was unacceptable and dangerous.
He
said: “They’re proposing that we have a police force of 1700 men, the
Greek Cypriots a police force of approximately 3000, and that they (UN)
bring a UN peace force of around 7000 to Cyprus…No where in the world is
the number of the foreign forces presence greater in number than the
region’s own police and security forces. When we asked them why they did
this their response has always been ‘because, we anticipate strong
conflicts in the beginning’. In the name of peace what’s the point of
dragging this country, which has not experienced any strong conflicts for
30-years, into an environment that will lead to strong conflicts?
They (UN) argue that they must be prepared for all kinds of
situations that might arise. Naturally, the deployment of a UN force, which
is much greater in numbers than the region’s own police forces, as well as
giving them the duty of control is very disturbing and is something that can
not be accepted.
On
the issue of the European Security and Defence Policy the Greek Cypriots
also want Greece to send their military forces to Cyprus. The kind of
cooperation we are considering with this organization is one that doesn’t
involve military participation. We accept its cooperation on non-military
issues and submitted our written proposals on this issue”.
Stating
that during the meeting the Turkish Cypriot side also submitted documents on
the formation and works of the Supreme Court, President Denktas said in
order to prevent Greek Cypriots from applying to the courts in the north,
the Greek Cypriot side proposed that a court of first instance be
established by the Greek Cypriot Administration, and a document was
submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side outlining the correct way and
procedures to be followed, as adopted everywhere else, in settling this
issue.
PRIME
MINISTER TALAT AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN
ANKARA
Prime
Minister Mehmet Ali Talat and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Serdar Denktas, went to Ankara last night (March 10) to
evaluate the point reached in the Cyprus talks and to exchange ideas with
Turkish officials.
Speaking
at Gecitkale Airport before their departure to Ankara, Prime Minister Talat,
pointing out that an important and different stage had been reached in the
Cyprus negotiations, said there was a need to evaluate this stage and this
was the purpose of their visit to Ankara.
Pointing
out that he believed there should be a news blackout during the give and
take process, Prime Minister Talat said this process would start on Friday
(March 12) and the Turkish Cypriot side was preparing for this period and
that the necessary news blackout would be imposed to make this process a
success.
For
his part, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Serdar
Denktas, pointing out that it would be normal to have a news blackout during
the give and take process said: “Both sides have already stated and put
their proposals on the table. The position is clear but in this new process
the forward or backward steps that will be taken will probably be under a
news blackout. It is normal for a news blackout to be imposed during this
process if the two sides are not to be disturbed by the other side’s
proposals.”
TURKISH
FOREIGN MINISTRY: “GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE NOT DISPLAYING POLITICAL WILL AND
DESIRE TO REACH A SETTLEMENT”
The
Spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Namik Tan, speaking during his
weekly press conference said acting, with the comfort of becoming an EU
member on 1 May, the Greek Cypriot side is not displaying the desire to
reach a settlement during the Cyprus negotiation process.
Pointing
out that the two leaders had already been negotiating for three-weeks and
there were three more weeks left, Tan said it has become clear that the
Greek Cypriot side did not have the political will and desire to reach a
Cyprus settlement.
Explaining
that all of the Turkish Cypriot side’s reasonable proposals were rejected
without even being discussed by the Greek Cypriot side, Tan said going
outside of the general framework and principles of the Annan Plan, several
proposals altering the plan as a whole had been put forward by the Greek
Cypriot side.
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