Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 99-09-16

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

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 168/99 -- 16.9.99

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash said depressed due to fear of losing ``elections''.

[02] Denktash assesses US contacts, repeats known views.

[03] Demirel, Denktash discuss Cyprus issue behind closed doors.

[04] Ecevit meets Grossman in preparation of US visit.

[05] Talat calls Denktash intransigent.

[06] Patriotic Union Movement criticizes Denktash.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash said depressed due to fear of losing ``elections''

Denktash said in New York that he would discuss Dervis Eroglu´s bid for the ``presidency'' and, hence, for the post of interlocutor in the Cyprus talks, during meetings with the Turkish officials in Ankara, adding that he is not ready for the ``elections'' as he has neither a party nor an organization.

Commenting on Denktash´s statement, observers said that Denktash has been totally depressed due to the fear of losing the elections, that his attempt to complain about his election rivals to Ankara is childish and meaningless, that by doing so he is trying to reenact the old scenarios, that the Ankara government will never interfere and take sides in the ``elections'', and that Turkish Prime Minister Ecevit in particular is firmly against such interventions.

These observers also said that Denktash´s statement that ``I have neither a party nor an organization'' amounts to a denial of the existence of the Democratic Party (DP), which he himself set up and put under his son and to which he refers as ``my party'', and is therefore tantamount to admitting that the DP has withered away. And, his words ``I am not ready for the elections'' were seen by the observers as an attempt to arouse Ankara´s pity and thus secure its support.

[02] Denktash assesses US contacts, repeats known views

He further added: ``We are saying that the guarantee system cannot be tampered with. The system of guarantees is an agreement that protects Turkey´s rights and that enables Turkey to protect our rights so long as Cyprus exists. They are intending to replace the Turkish and Greek regiments with a NATO force. We do not want this. The Greek Cypriots do want it. Why? Because they want to dilute Turkey´s guarantees. Their intention is for the NATO forces to withdraw in time and for the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides to face one another. Another precondition is being put forth. It is about the property exchange of refugees. The population exchange has already been completed. Now the issue is property exchange. Clerides has clearly told us that this is a human rights issue and that he would not even discuss it with us. This is a precondition. Nothing can be achieved without discussing this issue. The most important thing the Americans have been saying is that once the talks begin issues can be solved just as the Israeli-Palestinian issue was solved. I hope that, however, Mr. Moses and his colleagues who have been saying this will come to Cyprus and conduct an on-the-spot survey. I have told them to come to Cyprus, examine the issue on site, and come to know our people.

They, however, have a certain power. They claim that our economic situation is not good. I, in turn, tell them to lift the embargo if our economic situation is not good. Moreover they never asked about our economic situation until 1974. Thank God, our economic situation is continually improving. It is true that we have some difficulties, but this is our business.''

To a comment that the international community seems to be pursuing a joint stand on the Cyprus issue and asked whether the situation on the island will change under these conditions, Denktash replied:

``No, the situation will not change. In my opinion, the situation will become even more difficult. On the one hand, this joint stand claims that the Turkish Cypriots are in dire straits and therefore beg to unite with the Greek Cypriots. This is not true. Despite all the difficulties, the Turkish Cypriot side is going through one of its best periods ever and has never been so independent since 1974. I know that we could have done better, but the Turkish Cypriots have no desire to unite with the Greek Cypriots and govern together on the island. We are ready to talk about good- neighbourliness based on equal conditions. We are ready to establish good- neighbourly relations on the condition that our sovereignty will not be attached, that efforts will not be made to turn Cyprus into a Greek island, and that Turkey´s right of guarantor state will not be endangered. We are ready to act jointly on certain issues within the framework of good- neighbourly relations. We claim that this point should be the beginning. This is where the international community committed its first mistake. They thought that it was essential for us to unite with the Greek Cypriots because we are in dire straits. This is not correct. It paints a wrong picture. The second mistake was to assume that Turkey is desperate to become a EU member and that it will give up its national interests to this end. We, in turn, say that the Cyprus issue is Turkey´s most justified cause. Turkey cannot have any cause better than this one. There are efforts to create a Turkey that is incapable of defending this cause. Thank God, all the past and present governments have proved that they will continue to pursue and defend this cause. For this reason, it depends on Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots to correct these erroneous impressions. In other words, the issue of the EU membership has nothing to do with the Cyprus issue.''

[03] Turkey admits Cyprus is put forward as condition for Turkey´s EU admission

Premier Bulent Ecevit; General Huseyin Kivrikoglu, the Chief of General Staff; Devlet Bahceli and Husamettin Ozkan, the State Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers; Cumhur Ersumer, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources; Sukru Sina Gurel and Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik, the State Ministers; Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, the National Defense Minister; Ismail Cem, the Foreign Minister; Tahsin Ertugruloglu, the so-called TRNC Foreign minister; Korkmaz Haktanir, the Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary and other high ranking officials participated in the meeting.

The meeting was closed to press.

In the meantime, KIBRIS (16.9.99) reports that after the two and a half hour meeting, former Turkish Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister responsible for Cyprus and Greece affairs, ambassador Inal Batu, made some important statements.

Inal Batu explained that on their daily agenda there was the Cyprus issue, pointing out that ``Cyprus has been put forward as a condition for the admission of Turkey to the EU. We are at a very critical point, and a composed behaviour is demanded by all of us.''

Replying the question ``does the USA want Turkey to pay her admission to the EU with Cyprus as blood money?'' Inal Batu said: ``The issue is not to pay blood money, but at this moment everyone dwells on the issue of starting negotiations; I believe that they are trying to force us to begin the negotiations before the confirmation of our candidacy at Helsinki. There is now very dense backstage activity for the form of the negotiations.

A possible model for proximity talks could be the following: Greece will give the green light for the admission of Turkey to the EU and then Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash will accept the call of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the negotiations will begin''.

[04] Ecevit meets Grossman in preparation of US visit

Also, Mark Parris, the US Ambassador to Ankara, and Blinken, the US Security Council member for relations with Cyprus, Turkey and Greece, are currently holding a series of contacts in Ankara before Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit´s visit to the US on September 28.

The US diplomats are expected to continue their contacts on Thursday and leave Turkey early on Friday.

In reply to reporters questions, Ecevit explained that he discussed with Marc Grossman those issues which can come to agenda in his contacts in the US.

When reporters asked Premier Ecevit whether or not the Cyprus issue came to the agenda in his meeting with Grossman the same day, Ecevit said that ``we focused on what can come to agenda in my contacts in the US with Grossman, the Cyprus issue is certainly among these issues.''

Marc Grossman, in turn, said that the US is closely interested in providing a progress regarding the Cyprus question, adding ``our attitude is clear, we favour the two sides to come together and talk''.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Premier Bulent Ecevit, Grossman stated that he is happy to come to Turkey again and see the old friends. Noting that he came to Turkey to stress once again the solidarity of the American administration and nation with the Turkish nation following the massive earthquake in Turkey, Grossman said that Bill Clinton, the US President and Madeleine Albright, the US State Secretary, charged him of giving information about the preparations of the coming visit of Premier Bulent Ecevit to the US.

Pointing out that he hopes Ecevit´s coming visit will be successful both for Turkey and also the US Grossman stated that certain issues that closely interest American public opinion and nation also came to the agenda in his meeting with Premier Ecevit. Grossman emphasized that they exchanged views with Ecevit about issues that concern the two countries.

When asked about the issues that will be taken up in the Clinton-Ecevit meeting, Grossman, the former US Ambassador to Turkey said that ``this depends on Clinton and Ecevit,'' adding reconstruction of the regions devastated by the quake, economic and democratic reforms, relations with Iraq, Greece and the Cyprus issue can come to the agenda.

Upon a question asking whether or not the US has a concrete expectation from Turkey about the Cyprus question, Grossman said that both Clinton and Albright are closely interested in finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. Grossman said his aim in coming to Turkey is not to make negotiations, but to give information about certain issues in which the American public opinion is closely interested.

``As being a UN member, we favour the two sides to come together on Cyprus'', said Grossman.

[05] Talat calls Denktash intransigent

They exchanged their views on the latest developments in the Cyprus problem and evaluated the international involvement and the stance of the Turkish Cypriot side.

Talat criticized Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and called him intransigent at a period when the signals for the beginning of international initiatives related to Cyprus are so dense, pointing out that this intransigence harms the Turkish Cypriots.

Talat also underlined the fact that ``Denktash´s trying to make suggestions for early presidential elections creates a crisis''. Talat added: ``The aim of this crisis is for the international initiatives to be sabotaged.'' (DP)

[06] Patriotic Union Movement criticizes Denktash

(DP)

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

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