Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas stated that the Turkish Cypriot side had requested an explanation regarding the joint statement issued following the meeting between the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopoulos.

Serdar Denktas said the Turkish Cypriot side would re-evaluate the situation according to the explanation given.

Speaking before yesterday's (1 March) Council of Ministers Meeting, Serdar Denktas indicating that he had read with amazement the joint statement issued after the Annan-Papadopoulos meeting, said: "As of yesterday we requested an explanation from the UN Secretary-General regarding this statement. I wonder just how much this statement conforms to the good offices mission and whether it really is a joint statement. We requested an explanation to this".

Highlighting that after the EU had not kept its promise, the UN also infringed the sympathy that emerged as a result of the Turkish Cypriots' 'yes' vote, Serdar Denktas said he hoped the explanation to come from the UN Secretary-General would be reassuring. He added:

"I hope that we will be satisfied from the explanation to be given. Because these initiatives, the EU and the meeting between the UN Secretary-General and Papadopoulos is not a new settlement process but developments aimed at preventing and closing all the doors to a possible settlement process. This should be considered in this context. We'll re-evaluate our position according to the explanation that will be given".

On being asked that following the Annan-Papadopoulos meeting it was being mentioned that the technical committees were going to meet and if these were the same committees that met during the Annan Plan period, Serdar Denktas said: "No. Although these committees will not replace a comprehensive settlement. We agreed to set up technical committees to work towards developing cooperation between the North and South whether there is a settlement or not."