Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-03-06

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 41/98 -- 6.3.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash says Hannay "threat" not to affect Turkish decision.

[02] Eroglu, Denktash discuss `Labour and Housing Minister' crisis.

[03] FP joined by 6 former RP members, claims 140 Assembly seats.

[04] Gurel: Negotiations on the basis of "two states".

[05] Denktash on EU officials' visit, passports.

[06] Denktash leaves for Adana.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash says Hannay "threat" not to affect Turkish decision

Asked by illegal TAK to comment on Sir David's statement that Cyprus can be admitted into the EU even without the Turkish Cypriot side, Denktash said: "This threat does not affect the decision of the TRNC people not to attend the EU accession talks unless the Cyprus problem is resolved, the Turkish- Greek balance is maintained, and the EU doors are opened to Turkey as well."

Denktash claimed that it is futile to expect the Turkish Cypriots to join a process started by the Greek-Greek Cypriot pair to serve its own interests and, as he put it, "take possession of the island by colonizing the Turkish Cypriots and upsetting the Turkish-Greek balance over Cyprus."

Denktash also stated that he expects the EU members not to regard the application submitted by the Greek Cypriots on behalf of Cyprus as an application by Cyprus and not to surrender to Greek "blackmail".

[02] Eroglu, Denktash discuss `Labour and Housing Minister' crisis

Eroglu met with Rauf Denktash for about 25 minutes.

Replying to reporters' questions after the meeting, Eroglu said that he requested the meeting in order to brief Denktash on his visit to Ankara and his views on the "government".

Eroglu noted that Denktash will look into the matter. He pointed out that a "prime minister" has the so-called constitutional right to write a letter to the "president" about a "minister" and to ask the "public prosecutor" or the "Audit Department" to conduct an inquiry about a "minister". That is what I did, he said.

Eroglu said that at the meeting he posited his views on the issue once again. He noted that Denktash told him that they might discuss the issue once more after he assesses the situation.

Replying to a question, Eroglu said that he had sent letters to the "public prosecutor" and the "Audit Department" asking for an inquiry to be conducted into certain steps taken by the so-called minister of labour and housing, and that they replied that they started to work on an inquiry.

Denktash did not comment on the issue.

[03] FP joined by 6 former RP members, claims 140 Assembly seats

Diyarbakir deputy Hasim Hasimi, Gaziantep deputy Nurettin Aktas, Gumushane deputy Lutfi Dogan, Mardin deputy Fehim Adak, and Istanbul deputies Suleyman Arif Emre and Mukadder Basegmez. This turns the FP into a party with the highest number of assembly seats. There remain only seven deputies who became independent following the closure of the RP and who have not yet joined any other party.

[04] Gurel: Negotiations on the basis of "two states"

Asked what he thinks will come out of the Cyprus-EU negotiations and if the EU attitude prevents peace in Cyprus, Gurel claimed: "It certainly does. Turkey has been warning the EU about its attitude for a long time, but the EU has not heeded the warnings and things have reached the current point. All the principles and parameters reached in the Cyprus question have become invalid. The Greek Cypriot side may never have accepted these parameters, but at least they made it look as if they accepted them. When these were eliminated, a new period began.

From now on, if any negotiations are to be held within the framework of the UN Secretary General's goodwill mission, they will be held on the basis of two states. If the two sides on the island will sit at the negotiating table, they will do so as two politically equal sides, and hopefully, they will reach a solution that will be acceptable to all."

To a comment that what he is saying is that they (the two sides) will decide for themselves, Gurel said: "Of course.

However, the EU may want to take the issue to a different level with the Greek Cypriot side, but that would reinforce the division of the island and make it permanent. The EU should not deceive itself or anybody else about this issue. Look, the EU has lost its credibility regarding this matter. When the Greek Cypriot Administration made its application for membership, the EU told us: Do not worry, we will not take this application seriously.

Later, however, the EU responded positively to it. We warned the EU once again. They told us: Do not worry, this does not mean that accession talks will begin.

Now, the accession talks are beginning. The EU tells us now that this does not mean that Cyprus will become a member (laughs). They are utterly incredible".

To another comment that Turkey will be waging a technical counterattack, on the EU in May in connection with those aspects of the Customs Union (CU) that are not being implemented, Gurel said: "True. Let us not call it an attack, but let me say the following. After the EU's Luxembourg decision, we said: Since a full membership perspective was not give to Turkey, or since this perspective was very unclear, we consider a comprehensive and multilateral political dialogue useless until Turkey's membership becomes definite. If we are going to set up a union, then we can decide on every issue together. However, if there is no chance of such a union, then why should we decide on certain important issues together.

That is what we told the EU. We also said, however:

Besides all this, we have a framework of relations between us.

The association agreement signed in 1963 is still valid. We have the CU. Let us see how these agreements are going to work. And there are very important problems there, of course, because the EU is not fulfilling its most important obligations. We are working seriously on this to determine what our inadequacies are, what CU obligations the EU is not fulfilling. We will complete our work in April and tell our European friends what we think in May."

[05] Denktash on EU officials' visit, passports

Denktash began by saying that he expects "nothing" from the current visit of British Special Envoy Sir David Hannay except that Britain should "remember its obligations as a guarantor power" and "reiterate its equal treatment of the sides by immediately lifting the visa punishment it has imposed on the Turkish Cypriots."

Denktash said, however, that if Britain maintains its current position it would mean it has "renounced" its role of helping Cyprus. Denktash added: "To have influence on us they have to treat us equally and as human beings."

Stating that an end should be put to attempts to keep Turkey out of Cyprus developments, Denktash said that Turkey is the Turkish Cypriots' guarantor and that without Turkey the Turkish Cypriots rights "will only remain on paper". "Therefore", Denktash added "we do not believe and trust those who say they want to do something good for the Turkish Cypriots by detaching Turkey from Cyprus." And claimed: "In Cyprus there are two peoples, two democracies, and two governments, and the day you treat them equally we could start respecting you and you could have some influence on us. Otherwise, we will be suspicious and will not participate in or support any initiative that aims at speedily taking us along the path and toward the goal wanted by the Greek Cypriots by separating us from Turkey."

Asked to comment on the Hannay-van Den Broek-Clerides meeting on measures to involve the Turkish Cypriots in the EU talks process, Denktash said: "We can only laugh at it. The issue of the accession to the EU does not exist on the agenda of the Turkish side. For years our agenda had been to solve the Cyprus problem as equal sides. But suddenly the issue of the EU was raised and attempts are now being made to change the agenda.

But we are struggling and will struggle not to allow the change of agenda. The EU could be placed on the agenda only after the settlement of the Cyprus problem. There cannot be any other way, because the Greek Cypriots reject our status, and the world does not see or recognize it."

Denktash then added: "Today I sent a letter to Clerides. In it, I am informing him of the realities and saying that we are ready for talks under the light of these realities. This letter will probably be made public to the press tomorrow afternoon. I already guess the reply Clerides will give, but our real intention behind it is also to sent a message to Cordovez, who will be coming to Cyprus on around 20 March, to the UN Secretary General, and the Security Council. The Security Council cannot claim that its resolutions are heaven-sent Kuranic or Biblical verses. It is acting on a wrong decision. It may have adopted that resolution (not further identified) with goodwill, but it could not have considered the Greek Cypriots as the government motivated by goodwill, because in doing that it should have been aware that it was usurping the rights of the Turkish Cypriots. It has been maintaining this injustice for the past 34 years. It should change the Secretary-General's mandate and authority. There are two peoples in Cyprus and they are equal. There are two sovereignties, because the joint sovereignty has been destroyed by the Greek Cypriots."

Commenting on the British visa issue, Denktash said: "I am saying to the British that I will not go to Britain and will not meet Sir David Hannay for as long as this visa is not lifted. This is not haughtiness, madness, or intransigence on my part. It is only a step taken to defend a right." Denktash argued that until the visa is lifted only those who really have to go should go to Britain, the rest should not. He adds that the "civil servants" invited to free training courses and the women's delegation invited for talks with Greek Cypriot counterparts in Britain should also take an initiative not to go there.

Denktash went on to say: "I will not meet van den Broek, because the EU does not exist on our agenda. Van den Broek has simply come to tell us that he is working to ensure our participation on the sidelines in the talks attended and maintained by your (Cypriot) government, and to seek our help. We know why he has come. That is why we are saying no, thank you.

He has discussed with the (Cypriot Government) Attorney-General the status under which the Greek Cypriots would invite us to the talks. Can they invite us by recognizing our state status? I can meet both van den Broek and Sir David if they do this, if they say we are inviting you with equal state status, if they tell us we consider your position to be correct, have a look at the application made by the Greek Cypriot state, and if you are going to make another application jointly do it and then come and defend yourselves separately. If they say this, then we can start thinking, and we would say, yes, we will discuss these issues.

These will be talks in which to come to an agreement on Europe.

But you (EU officials) can take the actual decision on (Cyprus') accession only when Turkey enters the EU too, be it in 10 or 15 years. You cannot separate me from the Turkey-Greek balance. You should also know this".

Asked to comment on the Cypriot passport issue, Denktash indirectly criticized some of the opposition so-called deputies, adding: "A person who obtains a Greek Cypriot passport by stating that he is the citizen of Cyprus and no other country, cannot deceive anyone by claiming that it is not a Greek Cypriot but a Cypriot passport. God willing, under the law in preparation, those acting in this manner will not be able to set up parties, run in elections, get elected, or vote. Measures will be taken.

Then, everyone will come to realize what it means to have set up a state. It is not easy to set up a state. And, it is far more difficult and needs an even greater sacrifice to preserve a state than to create it. We are forced to take these measures. Thank God, we have the people's backing."

Denktash denied any involvement in the KIBRIS report about an intelligence document listing Turkish Cypriot so-called deputies holding Cypriot passports. He criticized the paper for not divulging its document for verification by experts so as to put everybody, including the accused, at ease.

Asked what he would like to see included in the "law" on passports, Denktash says the "law" in question will regulate the procedures for obtaining "foreign" passports. Denktash said that those Turkish Cypriots who have obtained Cypriot passports should return them within a few months.

[06] Denktash leaves for Adana

Denktash will return to the occupied area on Sunday.

(NY)

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article