SERDAR DENKTAS: " NO EU PROCESS FOR TRNC "
Speaking at a conference entitled "Cyprus in the EU
Process" organized by the Antalya Branch of the Association for Women
Graduates from Turkish Universities, Serdar Denktas said: "When we say
Cyprus, if we're talking about the TRNC, there's no EU process".
Expressing that it looked as if it would be impossible
for the TRNC to become an EU member, Serdar Denktas said:
"Because the Republic we established in 1960 as a
founding partner is currently under Greek Cypriot occupation. Under Greek
Cypriot occupation, the Republic of Cyprus has become the EU's 24.5th
member. As long as it is in the EU it's impossible for us to enter the EU
as the TRNC. Before the referendum various promises were made to the
Turkish Cypriots. After the referendum the European Parliament made a
commitment to lift the isolations.
At the point reached today, leaving to one side the
lifting of the isolation, as a result of becoming an EU member the Greek
Cypriot side is engaging in initiatives to further strengthen the
isolations…Pressure exerted on Azerbaijan and Kirghizistan are two small
examples of this. The Republic of Cyprus, which is under occupation, has
put a lead on all the other 24 EU members and is dragging them along. I
don't know how long this will go on for".
Reminding that in 2008 the Greek Cypriot side will have
its Presidential elections, Serdar Denktas said if the same mentality won
the elections again there'd be no opportunity to achieve a joint
settlement with the Greek Cypriots. He added that the Greek Cypriot side
would continue in its own path and the TRNC, knowing that it would be
excluded from the EU, would make their own development plans accordingly.
GREEK CYPRIOTS PREVENT OPENING OF LOKMACI
GATE
With the pretext that "the Turks are trying to take
over the buffer zone", the Greek Cypriot administration retracted its
previous approval to open the Lokmacı border gate.
According to the Greek Cypriot press, on 29 November
2005 the Spokesman of the Greek Cypriot administration Kipros
Hrisostomidis said the approval to open the Lokmacı border gate (Ledra
Street) had been retracted.
It was stated that UNFICYP saw many obstacles regarding
the opening of the Lokmacı border gate and that UNFICYP would actively
negotiate with the two sides to settle the issue.
Evaluating allegations that Turkish soldiers had
violated the order in the buffer zone, UNFICYP Spokesman Brian Kelly said:
"In our opinion, the building works that have been unilaterally carried
out by the authorities in the North are outside of the buffer zone".
