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PRIME MINISTER TALAT AND FOREIGN MINISTER SERDAR DENKTAS MEET WITH MAURER
The head of the
EU Commission's delegation in charge of leading talks with South Cyprus
after its EU accession and the Director General in charge of EU Enlargement,
Leopold Maurer, arrived in Cyprus on 2 February for contacts with Greek and
Turkish Cypriot officials regarding the technical studies being carried out
by the Commission on the Green Line Regulation.
Speaking before
his meeting with Maurer, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Serdar Denktas, stated that the Turkish Cypriot side expected some
progress to be achieved on the Green Line, Direct Financial Aid and Direct
Trade Regulations. Stressing that the technical difficulties regarding these
regulations had to be overcome if they were to be implemented, Serdar
Denktas said he hoped the problems regarding these regulations would be
overcome during Maurer's contacts with Greek Cypriot officials.
Serdar Denktas
said these difficulties were problems for everyone. He said the Turkish
Cypriot side wanted to be an EU member and hoped that the Greek Cypriot side
would acknowledge and accept the reality that the Turkish Cypriots were
their equal partners and the owner of the other half of the island.
Underlining
that if the Greek Cypriot leadership really wanted to resolve all its
existing problems with Turkey, the only way to achieve this would be to sit
at the negotiating table with the Turkish Cypriots and settle the island's
political problem, Minister Denktas said, after this point the Greek
Cypriots would see that Turkey was not a threat but a great opportunity for
them.
Explaining that
in order to resume dialogue between the two sides he would engage in great
efforts to have contacts with the Greek Cypriot leadership, Serdar Denktas
said, this dialogue could first be unofficial and open the path for
achieving progress in the Cyprus issue. He added that a new round of talks
could start in May.
Meanwhile,
after his meeting with Maurer, Prime Minister Talat said Maurer had visited
him as part of the studies regarding the changes to be made to the Green
Line Regulation and that they had exchanged views on this issue. Prime
Minister Talat said the Turkish Cypriot side's position regarding the
changes to the Green Line Regulation was very clear and that it should be
changed.
Pointing out
that the Green Line Regulation was insufficient for the Turkish Cypriot side
and could not replace the Direct Trade Regulation, the Prime Minister
referring to the remarks made by the Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister, Yakovou
that the Greek Cypriot side had made enough concessions on the Green Line
Regulation and that there was no need for direct trade, said, this was
totally unacceptable and direct trade was one of the basic requirements of
the Turkish Cypriot side. He said this was the most important step towards
ending the Turkish Cypriots' isolation and their right. The Prime Minister
added that the Turkish Cypriot side desired a Cyprus settlement and the
island's reunification and that the isolation couldn't continue because of
the Greek Cypriot Administration's decision.
SERDAR DENKTAS: "EU HAS 24.5 MEMBERS, BECAUSE THE LAST MEMBER IS ONLY HALF A
MEMBER"
The Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Serdar Denktas, speaking as
a guest speaker at this month's meeting of the Turkish Young Businessmen's
Association, said the 24 April 2004 referendum highlighted that Cyprus has
two owners and the island's future could only be determined by decisions
taken separately and simultaneously by the two owners and that neither the
Turkish Cypriots nor the Greek Cypriots had the authority to take unilateral
decisions on behalf of Cyprus.
Referring to
the Greek Cypriot side's EU membership, Serdar Denktas said it was being
said that the EU has 25 members, but in fact it has 24.5 members because the
last member is only half a member. He said the reason for this is because
the EU, by violating an international agreement and despite the objections
of the Turkish Cypriot side, accepted the Greek Cypriot side as a member and
the "Cyprus Republic" was the only country who became a full member without
first settling its internal problem.
Reminding that
the Direct Financial Aid Regulation envisaged an aid package of 259 million
Euro, Serdar Denktas said: "EU officials who visit us say we have to be
rewarded to which we say, first of all, 65 % of the Turkish Cypriots didn't
vote 'yes' to receive the 259 million Euro. We accept this as an insult.
Secondly, because the Turkish Cypriot side said 'yes', they do not expect to
be rewarded, they want what they deserve. If the EU Commission implements
this Regulation separately from the Direct Trade Regulation there is only
one thing we can do which is to put on hold the Direct Financial Aid
Regulation until the Direct Trade Regulation is implemented".
Continuing,
Minister Denktas said, the international community was not motivating the
Greek Cypriot side towards a settlement and if they heeded to the Greek
Cypriot side's recent request to withdraw some Turkish troops from the
island, this would eliminate all the factors for a settlement, since this
was the only factor that would motivate the Greek Cypriot side for a
settlement.
CHARALAMBOUS: "TASSOS PAPADOPOULOS ONE OF THE LEADERS IN CYPRUS'
DESTRUCTION"
In the Greek
Cypriot daily, "The Sunday Mail's" 30 January 2005 issue Loucas G.
Charalambous wrote that "the Cyprus problem cannot be solved and will not be
solved as long as the majority of Greek Cypriots are not in a position to
comprehend the level of their responsibility for the situation in Cyprus up
to the fait accompli of 1974".
Pointing out
that, under the guidance of Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos and
Christofias, the Greek Cypriots' resounding 'no' vote in the 24 April 2004
referendum meant they chose partition, Charalambous said "this will lead to
the creation of two states along today's dividing line. Such a solution is
the one that our behaviour deserves. And it will prove our just punishment".
In his article,
Charalambous said, "when the Greek Cypriot leadership discuss the Cyprus
issue, they always start from the premise that the Turks are to blame for
everything".
Stating that in
his columns he has on countless occasions pointed out the horrific
responsibilities of the Greek Cypriot leadership, Charalambous said, "these
responsibilities can be seen in the violent dissolution of the state
established by the Zurich agreement three years earlier, with the aim of
terminating the participation of the Turkish Cypriots. He said: "That Tassos
Papadopoulos - one of the protagonists of this depressing story, which led
to all the misfortunes that have followed since then - is today the
president of the Republic, thanks to the vote of the Greek Cypriots, is the
most conclusive proof of their inability to recognise their
responsibilities".
Pointing out
that "the absurd term, 'pseudo-state', which the politicians and media
insist on using, perfectly illustrates our political immaturity", Stating
that he disagreed with using terms such as 'pseudo', 'illegal regime' or
'unrecognised regime', Charalambous said, "these idiotic word-games betray
the politicians inability to approach the problem with any seriousness.
Paranoia has taken grip - placing the 'pseudo' prefix in front of every word
relating to the Turkish Cypriots and their regime has come to be considered
national policy. And we are under the illusion that this pitiful practice is
an adequate way of tackling the national problem".
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