FIRST TRNC PRESIDENT RAUF DENKTAS'S FAREWELL SPEECH AT HANDING OVER CEREMONY, 24 APRIL 2005

In his farewell speech the TRNC's first President Rauf Denktas, after handing over the presidency to Mehmet Ali Talat, said: "When one stays at a certain duty for a long period of time this creates an expectation amongst the people. People expect and deserve much better, especially like the Turkish people who have been forced to live under embargoes and pressures seek change." He added that by believing in this the Turkish Cypriot people trusted Mehmet Ali Talat and elected him to be the TRNC's second President.

Conveying his best wishes to President Talat, the First President Rauf Denktas stated that President Talat was lucky because he has taken over a 21 year old state. Underlining that President Talat’s duty was to protect and preserve the TRNC state and embrace the sovereignty, the former President said, today, President Talat has taken the oath in this direction.

Wholeheartedly thanking his people Denktas addressed the people and said: "My self-sacrificing, beautiful people who are heartily bound to their motherland Turkey. You trusted and supported me for years. Today you are giving a 21 year old state to the new President. We will help him in this hard and honourable duty, our people will also support and help him."

Stressing that the Turkish Cypriot people were a sovereign people who embraced and would continue to embrace their sovereignty, Denktas said: "the flag has not fallen from the sky for 21 years. The president’s duty is to keep the flag in the sky and under the glorious shadow of the sky to achieve better days for our people. Once more I sincerely thank and congratulate him." Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot people had elected Mehmet Ali Talat as President at a time when the Greek Cypriot side had announced 2005 as being the "EOKA Year" and when some high ranking Greek Cypriot politicians were educating and arming the Greek Cypriot youth to massacre the Turkish Cypriots and at a time when they had confessed to enforcing the Akritas Plan, Denktas turning to President Talat said:

"You are luck because our people is are the stage of making a new evaluation. We always desired peace and conciliation but one that would not be destroyed and a lead to a repetition of the events of 1963. It is for this reason that we worked towards becoming one of the owners in the partnership, where previously we were the equal partner and which the Greek Cypriots destroyed for Enosis..

The decisions of the Turkish Grand National Assembly were also being confirmed by the Turkish Chief of General Staff Full-General Hilmi Ozkok several days ago. There are two people who each have the right to self-determination. A settlement will be made by protecting the rights of these two people.

Greek Cypriots headed by the architect and enforcer of the Akritas Plan, Papadoupulos, have taken a big step and with the courage of being an EU member are now reopening some old accounts. This is power in your hands, use it.

We want peace but not one that will remain on paper with the same people. You have the power to say this, the people support you and will continue to support you.

We will help you because we love this state and the people who established it through hardship and with their lives …"

The First President Rauf Denktash referring to his meeting with the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who was in the TRNC to attend the handing over ceremony, said the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Gul had said to him that Ankara would continue to support the Turkish Cypriot people’s just cause and while working for peace would not ignore these people.

On addressing Papadopuolos, Denktas stressed that he should understand and accept that Cyprus has two owners. Hoping that Papadoupolos would not misuse President Talat and the government’s good intentions and would not put obstacles in front of the Turkish Cypriot people’s path towards reconciliation, Denktas said "Papadopoulos, open the path".

Denktas stating that they wanted compensation for what the Greek Cypriots had done to them between 1963-74, said this was their fundamental right and they were determined on this issue.

Pointing out that he did not believe wanted Papadopuolos peace, Denktas addressed Papadopuolos and said:

"We find your remarks to the effect that from 1963 to 1974 no Turkish Cypriot was killed, very strange and we want you to apologize on behalf of all the hundreds of Turkish Cypriots who are in mass graves… you lied, denied and ignored your own work. If you want peace, which I don’t believe you want, and if you think you can be the owner of the whole of Cyprus under the title which you claim is the "Government ýf the Cyprus Republic" that you usurped, you should know that Turkishness will not permit this. Cyprus has two owners. We were one of the partners, and now based on our title deeds we want to be good neighbours and partners again.

Mr. Papadopoulos we want to be compensated for what you did between 1963-74. This is our basic right and we are determined on this issue. Unless you compensate us, accept what you did and apologize, you cannot proceed along the path to peace.

I hope you will not abuse the good intentions of Mr. Talat and his government. This should be an opportunity for you. By hiding behind the false title of the "Legitimate Cyprus Government, which you also know is illegal, and Security Council resolutions you cannot obstruct the path for peace for all those people who want peace and reconciliation. Open the path Mr. Papadopoulos, so that neither your mothers nor mine cry. It's possible to live in peace as long as you acknowledge that you are not the legitimate government of the whole of Cyprus. You already know this, you just have to confess to it.

By protecting Turkey's rights it is possible to enter the European Union as two neighbours.

Mr. Papadopoulos, you wasted years, brought suffering on your people and the time has come to give up this mentality. We would be pleased if we could see you walking down the path to peace hand in hand with Mr. Talat, and on the condition of being compensated we would try to forget what you did."

The TRNC's first President Rauf Dentkas concluded his speech as follows: