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PRIME MINISTER TALAT'S PROPOSAL TO PAPADOPOULOS: "WE CAN JOINTLY USE LARNACA
AND GAZI MAGUSA PORTS"
Prime Minister
Mehmet Ali Talat has proposed the joint use of Larnaca and Gazi Magusa ports
to the Greek Cypriot Leader, Tassos Papadopoulos.
Prime Minister
Talat said there was no official proposal for the Turkish Cypriots to have a
quay at Larnaca port for commercial use and to trade under the control of
the EU. Pointing out that this proposal, which appeared in the Greek Cypriot
press could be Papadopoulos' intention, the Prime Minister said, however,
the Turkish Cypriot side was aware that this was not a good intention.
Speaking on a
radio programme yesterday (9 November), Prime Minister Talat, explaining
that Papdopoulos sees the Turkish Cypriots as being patched up to South
Cyprus, which he refers to as the "Cyprus Republic", reacted to this view
which envisages Turkish Cypriots to use Larnaca port, but doesn't allow them
to operate the Gazi Magusa port. The Prime Minister said if Papadopoulos
liked the Turkish Cypriots that much and was going to give them a quay at
Larnaca port, then the Turkish Cypriot side would also give them a quay at
the Gazi Magusa port, or both ports could be jointly operated.
Pointing out
that Papadopoulos was trying to look sympathetic with these kinds of
intentions and proposals, the Prime Minister said: "The Gazi Magusa port,
the people working there, trucks carrying cargo and goods there, etc are not
important; they'll give a small section in Larnaca port, Turkish Cypriots
will be employed as porters there and we'll export from there. Why! 'Because
they want to keep us under the wings of the 'Cyprus Republic'…This is the
mentality. I don't think anyone would accept this mentality".
Prime Minister
Talat said the Greek Cypriot leader was in a very difficult position and was
trying to get himself out of this but, while he was doing this he was
putting himself in an even worse position.
SERDAR DENKTAS:
"GREEK CYPRIOT REPUBLIC
NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO VETO
TURKEY'S EU
ACCESSION"
The Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Serdar Denktas, said, just
like Turkey, the Turkish Cypriot people were also waiting for the decision
to be taken at the EU Summit on December 17 regarding Turkey's EU accession.
He said he had no doubt that Turkey would be given a date for the start of
accession negotiations.
Serdar Denktas,
who is currently in Ankara, in a speech given at a dinner jointly organized
by the Association for the Graduates of the Business Economic Institute and
the Centre for Politics, reminding that in recent days the Greek Cypriot
side was threatening to veto Turkey's accession by putting forward some
conditions, said the Greek Cypriot Administration did not have the strength
to stop Turkey's relations with the EU.
Continuing, he
said:
"Everyone
should know that, the strength of the occupying Greek Cypriot Republic,
which is referred to as the 'Cyprus Republic', is not strong enough to veto
Turkey's EU accession. No one should think that we are faced with a Greek
Cypriot veto".
Pointing out
that if Turkey was faced with a veto, this wouldn't stop Turkey's progress,
but only cause her to lose her EU perspective, Serdar Denktas said a Turkey
without an EU perspective would become an issue that the Greek Cypriot side
would not be able to deal with. He said the Greek Cypriot side didn't have
the strength and patience to deal with this.
Explaining that
Turkey should continue with its pro-active politics that it has been
following so far, Foreign Minister Denktas said the period between 17
December and the date to be set for commencing EU accession talks would not
be easy and pressure on Turkey and the TRNC could increase during this
period.
He said what
needed to be done was to strengthen economic development and even though
this process would be difficult, it would be better than the current
position.
66th
ANNIVERSARY OF ATATURK'S DEATH COMMEMORATED
10 November,
which marks the 66th anniversary of the death of the founder of
the Turkish Republic, Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, will be
commemorated today with various ceremonies taking place in the TRNC and
Turkey.
At 09:05am,
which marks the time that Ataturk died on 10 November 1938, sirens will be
heard throughout that TRNC, there will be a minute's silence and flags will
be hoisted at half-mast in all official and private establishments.
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