Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 00-02-08

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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. 26/00 -- 8.2.00

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash says Turks expect agreement soon.

[02] Eroglu: Greek Cypriots not interested in solution.

[03] Turkey, "TRNC" economic committee meets.

[04] Mumtaz Soysal on Cyprus constitution.

[05] Turkish Minister visits pseudostate.

[06] "Election" campaign.

[07] Talat: Insisting on confederation is meaningless".

[08] Increase on basic salaries.

[09] "District Officers" for occupied Morphou and Trikomo.

[10] "Fighters Association" wants recognition of sovereignty.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash says Turks expect agreement soon

Denktash yesterday held a news conference for Turkish correspondents and assessed the point reached in the second round of the proximity talks. Mustafa Akinci, "state minister and deputy prime minister", Tahsin Ertugruloglu, "foreign affairs and defense minister" Serdar Denktash, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party; Republican Turkish Party leader Mehmet Ali Talat, "presidential under secretary" Ergun Olgun; Osman Ertul, "under secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs and defense"; "presidential" advisers Mumtaz Soysal and Taner Etkin were also present at the news conference.

At the news conference, Denktash said: "We found the opportunity to sufficiently explain our cause, our position, our stand, our philosophy, our policies, and our vision. We are explaining all these points, replying to the questions, we are being asked". Denktash added that he also got together with the representatives of the United States, Germany, Britain, Sweden, and Portugal which is the EU term president, in Geneva and explained the Turkish Cypriot views.

Denktash said that the written statement issued by President Clerides and the reply given by the pseudostate to this statement were, to a great extent, both beneficial and detrimental to the process from the viewpoint of showing the stage reached in the Cyprus problem. He continued: "Within this framework, it becomes evident that the issue will be postponed to the third round. We are pleased with the course of events. We are explaining our problems and we are being listened to."

Denktash added that the Turkish Cypriot side will not renounce its "state", its sovereignty, its equality, and Turkey/s guarantees and will not concede to diluting these principles.

In reply to a question, Denktash said that at the meeting they held, Alvaro de Soto, the UN Secretary General/s special Cyprus envoy, confirmed that the third round will also be held indirectly. Upon being reminded about Greek Cypriot radio reports that confidence-building measures were placed on the agenda, Denktash stressed that they were not and added: "This shows that Clerides is not giving them information on the contents because the confidence-building measures were not discussed."

In reply to another question on how the confederation thesis was received, Denktash said that the confederation is an issue that is being discussed by the United Nations and the countries that are closely interested in the Cyprus issue. Noting that the third round of talks will also be held indirectly, Denktash said that holding direct talks depends on the course the third round will take.

In reply to a question on whether de Soto raised the issue of demilitarization, Denktash said: "There is news blackout".

[02] Eroglu: Greek Cypriots not interested in solution

Eroglu said that it has been revealed that the views expressed by the Greek Cypriots in Geneva are nothing but the retouched version of the 1960 Cyprus Republic constitution and efforts to transform it into a federal constitution. He added that the ways to direct talks can be deadlocked if the Greek Cypriots insist on their demands.

In reply to a question on his view on Archbishop Chrysostomos/ remarks to the effect that neither confederation nor a federation is acceptable for the Greek Cypriots, Eroglu said: "Numerous Greek Cypriot politicians support Chrysostomos/ stand. For this reason, the stand that rejects a confederation and federation can be interpreted as the views of the Greek Cypriot political parties. Such views, which will uproot persons, seek to return to the pre-1974 period. It is impossible to return to the pre-1974 period".

[03] Turkey, `TRNC/ economic committee meets

Selcuk Polat, Premiership Deputy Undersecretary, who heads the Turkish delegation recalled that Turkey increased its financial support to "TRNC".

Polat said the "TRNC" economy was under the guarantee of Turkey.

He added that an organic tie will be formed between the Istanbul Stock Exchange and the so-called Northern Cyprus Stock Exchange, and noted that agriculture and animal breeding in "TRNC" will be supported.

Polat pointed out that they will work on alternative potable water projects in addition to transportation of water with balloons.

[04] Mumtaz Soysal on Cyprus constitution

"Question: The leader of the Greek Cypriot administration, Glafcos Clerides, in his written statement last week - for which he received a lot of criticism - unexpectedly said that `what we are trying to do is not to create a new state but an amendment of the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus from a unitary state to a federal state/. How do you evaluate this as a constitutional law expert?

Answer: This question should be put to Clerides. In fact, this is like a magician who, while he used to take colourful scarves out of his hat, all of a sudden he pulls out a constitution bird. One has to ask this question to him: `How did you succeed in this magic?/

As far as I know, for the last 20 years nothing like a constitutional amendment was discussed when Denktash-Makarios met, when Denktash-Kyprianou met. The issue was the establishment of a federation.

Transforming a state into a federation needs at least charting a new constitution. Whereas the old man is speaking about a constitutional amendment. This is not a simple thing according to my knowledge of the issue of structuring a constitution. This is a huge structural change, something like turning a small hut into a skyscraper. From this point of view, to raise something which is non-existent at this moment -- that is, at a time when we say confederation and when accession to the EU is in question -- is a very different thesis.

Most probably bad intention lies behind this. That is, he wants to say:

`These negotiations are not the way out because we speak about constitutional amendments/. He says that `these Turks speak about confederation/ where constitution is not a subject matter. ... (passage omitted).

The EU tells candidate countries, `you amend you rules and regulations, even your constitution, in accordance with the EU principles/. This is what the EU says. It will say the same thing to Turkey. The EU openly said this to all candidate countries. The Greek Cypriot side is now doing the same thing but is acting as if it is doing something very important with a view to scoring a point before the EU eyes, and because they want to tell us, `come and accept it if you want to be a member. This is what the EU wants/

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