Prior to the quadripartite talks, scheduled to take place in Switzerland on 24 March, President Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, will met for the last time this morning (22 March).

President Denktas said during the meeting he would personally tell the Greek Cypriot leader that the government would have full authority to represent the TRNC in the forthcoming quadripartite talks in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, on 21 March President Denktas met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, and speaking after the meeting, President Denktas, pointing out that De Soto had requested the draft constitution of the Turkish Cypriot founding state, said he would give the UN the TRNC’s current constitution that is in force.

Speaking during two meetings on Saturday (21 March), President Denktas referring to the latest developments in the Cyprus issue and said that the Annan Plan in its current form did not give the "Turkish Cypriot founding state" the right to international recognition.

Referring to some opinions that the Turkish Cypriot founding state would gain international recognition if an agreement was reached without making any changes to the Annan Plan, President Denktas stressing that this was incorrect and that the component state’s sovereignty wasn’t even envisaged in the plan, said even if an agreement was reached without amending the Annan Plan, the international community would not recognize the Turkish Cypriot peoples’ sovereignty, political equality, flag and national anthem. He said a big plot was being played against the Turkish Cypriot people, who would not fall prey to.

Underlining that during the New York talks the EU had given a promise on the issue of derogations but, later changed its mind after the two sides had returned to Cyprus and started the Cyprus negotiation process, President Denktas said:

"It is only after witnessing these games that we decided not to go to Switzerland and gave the necessary warnings to our people. What I have observed is that they are trying to get us to accept their decision and make us go to a referendum and they will engage in a massive propaganda campaign to ensure that our people say ‘yes’ in the referendum. We want to continue our path in agreement with Turkey and openly explain our sine qua nons to our people and nation. This is the only way to handle the issue".

Referring to the studies that are being carried out by several lawyers to get the UN Security Council to include the Turkish Cypriot side’s sine qua nons and derogations in the UN Constitution, the President responding to a question asked if this situation would be binding on the EU, said although several lawyers had expressed an opinion on this issue, this was a very complicated issue, whose conclusion was very uncertain. President Denktas said this is something that is being done under ‘Chapter 7’ and once the issue starts to be discussed under this Chapter it means the UN Security Council has total control over the issue. Adding that this brings with it other difficulties, the President said before taking action this should be evaluated very carefully.

Stressing that the existence of two peoples and two sovereign states should be the basis of the agreement to be reached, the President said: "There are two realities; they are two peoples and sovereignties and they can only be united by reconciliation".

In a press conference organized on 19 March, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Serdar Denktas, evaluating the Cyprus negotiation process said President Denktas, the government and Turkey should agree on the limits of the Turkish Cypriot side’s red lines before the quadripartite talks in Switzerland. He said if the Turkish Cypriot side went to Switzerland without identifying these limits and without President Denktas they would find themselves in a very difficult position.

Explaining that they would be going to Switzerland for reconciliation and not to gain victory, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Serdar Denktas, said if an agreement could not be reached on these limits as the Democrat Party wing of the government they would have to evaluate the situation and decide whether or not to go to Switzerland.

Pointing out that if the Turkish Cypriot side was to have a strong position during the quadripartite talks in Switzerland it was necessary for President Denktas to be there, Serdar Denktas requested the President to re-evaluate his decision about attending the talks in Switzerland.

Explaining that during the negotiation process, which started on 13 February, the aim, as expected by the UN Secretary-General, was to put forward issues of importance, Serdar Denktas said the Turkish Cypriot side did this but, unfortunately received no response to their submitted written opinions from the Greek Cypriot side. He said although rejection, with the reasons, was also a response, the Turkish Cypriot side didn’t even receive this. He said because a dialogue couldn’t be formed with the Greek Cypriot side, this was why there were no negotiations and just the reciprocal exchange of documents.

Announcing that if the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, made the Turkish Cypriot side’s requested changes to the Annan Plan, and a document emerged that, to a certain degree, would be lasting, not endanger the Turkish Cypriot people and enable them to look towards the future with security, Serdar Denktas said this document would be approved by the Turkish Cypriot side. Explaining that as a result of the Greek Cypriot side’s stance he didn’t think this would be possible, he said if methods aimed at overcoming these difficulties were not developed, then despite everything, the Turkish Cypriot side would have to say no to this plan.

Explaining that at the end of the quadripartite talks in Switzerland, a final text would emerge on 31 March, which would be jointly examined by the government, President Denktas and Turkey, Serdar Denktas said during the 20-day period before the referendum, together with the authorized political party representatives, they would try to inform the Turkish Cypriot people about any decisions made.

Meanwhile, on 20 March speaking during a meeting with a Finish journalist, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs stressed that it would be the EU who would be most disturbed by a divided Cyprus’ entry into the EU.

Explaining that from the emergence of the Annan Plan the Turkish Cypriot side’s red lines included issues such as security and equality, Serdar Denktas stressed that reconciliation could not be achieved if the Greek Cypriot side did not respond to any of the Turkish Cypriot side’s proposals.

Explaining that the Turkish Cypriot side did not have a ‘settlers’ problem, he said the stance being displayed against TRNC citizens of Turkish origin was contrary to human rights.

On 20 March, the Cyprus issue was evaluated in a high level meeting in Ankara, which was attended by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul, the Head of the Turkish Chief of Staff, Full General Hilmi Ozkok, experts and bureaucrats.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul, stated that during the meeting the point the Turkish Cypriot side was at was evaluated. Pointing out that issues of sensitivity and importance for Turkey had once more been reaffirmed, Gul said it was Turkey’s unquestionable priority that an agreement to be reached in Cyprus should be a part of principle EU law and issues such as, strengthening bizonality, the continuation of the guarantee and security system and the tranquil continuation of the lives of Turkish Cypriots of Turkish origin on the island, were other sensitive issues for Turkey.

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative to Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, said there was a process in Cyprus, which everyone had agreed to and a process where high level commitments had been made.

De Soto, yesterday (21 March) went to Ankara to meet with the Undersecretary of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Ugur Ziyal, on the Cyprus negotiation process.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, De Soto, pointing out that according to the Annan Plan all sides had undertaken to make certain commitments during the Cyprus negotiation process, said he hoped these commitments would be made and if the spirit of reconciliation and political will existed there was a reason to be hopeful that a settlement would be reached.