Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-07-06

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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. 118/98 -- 4-5-6-7.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ecevit: ``Everybody concerned will have to accept the virtual existence of two separate states in Cyprus''.

[02] Denktash says `There is nothing new´after Cordovez meet.

[03] Etkin denies Greek Cypriot reports on visit of Turkish ship.

[04] Turkish Assembly hears testimony on Greek F-16s.

[05] Eroglu: ``The federal state is a dream that will never be established.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ecevit: ``Everybody concerned will have to accept the virtual existence of two separate states in Cyprus''

Speaking to members of the press Yilmaz inter alia said: ``Our Government lays emphasis also on the urban infrastructure as an important yardstick of the contemporaneity. In this context, we have allocated 87,5 trillion Liras with which we took up first the urban potable water systems. We will complete in the course of the current year the Sazlidere dam which will meet the potable water needs of Istanbul. We laid the foundations of Sanliurfa potable water project and commissioned the Tahtali dam and treatment plant as the second stage of the project implemented for meeting the need of the City of Izmir. The project initiated this year for marketing the water of Manavgat river to the countries of Middle-East and creating thereby a resource to the economy. We have set into action the project of transporting water in balloons to the TRNC. For a permanent solution of the water problem of this country, 75 million cubic meters of water per annum will be pumped through a pipeline from Anamur/Dragon stream to the island''.

Speaking to press reporters, Ecevit on his part inter alia said: ``Our Government has evaluated also the results of the Cardiff summit organized at the end of the chairmanship of United Kingdom within the framework of our declaration of December, 14 1997. In this connection, we note that a relative improvement has been conceded in the Cardiff summit for the position of Turkey within the expansion process. It is evident that our correct policy has been taken into account in Cardiff to some extent. But we do not deem this development sufficient. We cannot accept the attachment of any political conditions to Turkey`s candidacy. Consequently, our basic approach delineated by the Government`s declaration of December, 14 1997 retains its validity.

Tangible steps have been taken by our Government for the diversification and deepening the friendship and alliance relations with the Untied States. In this context, our high-level officials visited the United States for the improvement of these relations on the basis of `advanced partnership´. This visit was retaliated by the United States administration. It has been decided during these visits and other contacts that the political, military and economic consultancy mechanisms should be reinforced. Similarly, tangible results were obtained with respect to the energy projects, the continuation of the US support for the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project, the elimination of some restrictions on the commercial relations and the promotion of the American investments in Turkey.''

Referring to Cyprus, Ecevit claimed: ``Another area where very important developments have been experienced since our Government came to power is Cyprus. Our Government clearly indicated to the attention of the international public opinion that the European Union decision to the effect that the membership negotiations with the Southern Cyprus Greek Administration should start in 1998 was inappropriate and would create unfavourable effects.

The joint declarations made in 1997 and 1998 by the Presidents of the Republic of Turkey and of the TRNC are the tangible proofs of our determination regarding the Cyprus issue. The declaration that I made together with Rauf Denktash, President of the TRNC, during my visit to this Republic on July 20, 1997 contributed to the deepening of our relations.

Despite all our warnings, the European Union continued its attitude concerning the membership of the Southern Cyprus Greek Administration also in the Luxembourg and Cardiff summits. With this attitude, the European Union indicated that it does not recognize the principle of political equality constituting the basis of the negotiation process in Cyprus, denied the reality that the Southern Cyprus Greek Administration does not represent both communities as underlain by Richard Holbrooke during his last Cyprus visit and that it failed to be able to evaluate the status of the Turkish Cypriots in the island. The European Union has thereby imported a coup de grace to the United Nations negotiation process and to the solution parameters. Now, everybody concerned with the matter will have to accept the virtual existence of two separate states in Cyprus. It is only through this way that an advancement may be achieved regarding the Cyprus question.

Our Government maintains its determination to develop and deepen its relations in all areas with the TRNC. Tangible steps have been taken in this context by our Government since it came to power. We have established an association Council with the TRNC in August 1997, entered into a commercial and economic cooperation agreement and signed in October a protocol to carry water free of charge for a period of ten years to the TRNC. These were followed by a whole series of very important agreements and protocols.

The Turkey-TRNC Association Council held its first meeting on March 31, 1998, the same day when the membership negotiations between the European Union and Southern Cyprus Greek Administration. The declaration published at the end of this meeting underlined that Turkey will retain under all circumstances its rights in Cyprus arising from international agreements in its capacity of a guarantor State and proclaimed to the rest of the world that Turkey has decided to form an economic area with the TRNC.

We will begin to transport potable water from Turkey to the TRNC. Our Government has also taken the first steps of a comprehensive agreement for transportation of water through a pipeline for meeting the irrigation water to the island. Thus we show that we approach Cyprus with an attitude open to peace and international cooperation while others prefer an armament policy. We are carefully monitoring the excessive armament policy adopted by the Southern Cyprus Greek Administration with the support of Greece. This excessive armament drive has found its way into the Greek purchase of Russian S-300 missiles. While striving to prevent the positioning of these missiles in Cyprus, our Government adopts the required military countermeasures against the probability of their actual commitment.

I want to reiterate here that all actions to be launched by the Southern Cyprus Greek Administration and Greece under their so-called joint defense doctrine have been and will be countered with due determination.''

[02] Dentkash says `There is nothing new´ after Cordovez meet

Cordovez did not issue any statement after the approximately hour long meeting.

Denktash, in turn, said that he conveyed the Turkish Cypriot side´s views to Cordovez, adding that ``there is nothing new''.

Denktash explained that Cordovez will come to the island once again in September.

Denktash and Cordovez went to occupied Kyrenia for dinner after the meeting. It was reported that the meeting would continue behind closed doors during dinner as well.

[03] Etkin denies Greek Cypriot reports on visit of Turkish ship

In a statement he issued in reaction to Greek Cypriot press reports of 1 July stating that an armed Turkish frigate arrived at the occupied Famagusta port, Etkin said: ``I am saying clearly that they are full of illusions. There was no such thing. No such visit took place. This is a figment of their imagination. I would like to immediately add, however, that our ports are always open to the ships of our fleet. Everyone should know this. The ships can visit whenever they feel it is necessary, and our people and government will welcome them. These reports, however, are based on illusion.''

[04] Turkish Assembly hears testimony on Greek F-16s

Commission members cited foreign press reports that ``Turkey did not have timely information about the landing of Greek warplanes in the Greek Cypriot sector'' and asked if this was true. The General Staff representative said that the planes may have flown into Cyprus by flying over Crete or Rhodes at altitudes that could enable them to evade the radar or by flying through civilian air corridors while being treated as civilian aircraft. The military representative said that ``Greece would not dare to get into a war with Turkey because Turkey is absolutely superior to Greece in every respect.''

In giving technical information about the S-300 missiles, the General Staff representative said: ``This measure is being taken because we have absolute air superiority over the island. If the missiles are deployed, they will need Russian technical experts for a long time. That would overshadow our superiority in the Aegean and the Mediterranean. They want to besiege Turkey from the south, to control the eastern Mediterranean, and to block Turkey from opening up to the world.''

[05] Eroglu: ``The federal state is a dream that will never be established

Eroglu claimed that ``the Greek Cypriot side changed her statements by saying that she wants to make an agreement in return to giving up deployment of the S-300 missiles on the island. The agreement will refer to the existence of the Cyprus Republic. This is a bluff. There is no state of Cyprus Republic, there are two peoples and two separate republics on the island''. He further alleged:

``The federal state which will be suggested to us is a dream, which will never be established. The federal state, which lasted for three years in the past, can only stand for one year today. If the existence of two states is recognized, a peaceful life can be realized on the island.''

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

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