PRIME MINISTER SOYER: "WE EXPECT EXPLANATION FROM THE UN"

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer speaking to Cyprus Turkish News Agency reiterated the Turkish Cypriot side’s reaction to the South Cyprus’ attitude on the Annan- Papadopoulos meeting. Greek Cypriot side argued that they had decided to take the basic issues of the Cyprus problem to the technical committees. Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot side was expecting an explanation from the UN and its representative Moller on this issue, Prime Minister Soyer said: "when the UN makes an explanation on this issue, we will make our evaluation".

"Because the Turkish Cypriot side requested an explanation from the UN regarding the Paris meeting, the Greek Cypriot side is alleging that the Turkish Cypriot side was against the UN," said Prime Minister Soyer. Continuing he said:

"In fact, before the Paris meeting, President Talat originally proposed that the humanitarian issues between the two communities to be taken up by the technical committees. Before the Paris meeting between Annan and Papadopoulos, the Turkish Cypriot side had informed in written the UN Secretary-General that it agreed on technical issues on the list given by the UN representative Moller to President Talat and was ready to work on them. We openly and clearly express that we are ready to negotiate on technical issues which was agreed by the two sides."

Stating that the Turkish Cypriot side was keeping its distance against Moller, because it was expecting explanation from the UN, Prime Minister said: " when the UN makes an explanation on this issue, we will make our evaluation. We are ready to discuss technical issues at technical committees".

SERDAR DENKTAS: "IT IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THE EU IS PUTTING PRECONDITIONS TO GIVE THE MONEY WHICH WAS NOT REQUESTED AND TO KEEP ITS PROMISE"

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister For Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas stated that it was not acceptable that the EU was putting preconditions to give the money, which was not requested by anyone, and was asking for additional requests to keep its promise… Denktas: "Nobody; neither the Government nor the President was willing to accept the Greek Cypriot guardianship. Serdar Denktas pointed out that today (20 February) together with President Mehmet Ali Talat and Prime Minister Fredi Sabit Soyer and other government officials they will discuss the Financial Aid Regulation and the response to be given to the EU.

Explaining that the EU envisaged the Financial Aid Regulation to be accepted under the Greek Cypriot guardianship, Serdar Denktas said: "the problem was not the money but under which conditions we are going to accept it". Minister Denktas added that he was sure that following discussions with President Mehmet Ali Talat, an appropriate approach for the Turkish Cypriot side would be found.

SUNDAY MAIL: "JUST LET REFUGEES STAY WHERE THEY ARE"

Greek Cypriot journalist Loucas G. Charalambous in his article published in Greek Cypriot daily Sunday Mail on 19 March 2006 entitled: "Just let refugees stay where they are" stated that while on one hand the Greek Cypriot politicians were saying "all refugees should return their homes, on the other hand they were encouraging Greek Cypriot refugees to build houses on Turkish Cypriot land and behaving in a two-faced manner.

Referring to the protest carried out by hundreds of Greek Cypriot who immigrated from Polemidya and built houses on lands given to them by Sypros Kyprianou government, Charalambous stated that this event showed how nonsense polices have been carried out by the Greek Cypriot governments since 1974.

Charalambous said: "the policy was centered on the nefarious slogan, ‘All refugees will return to their homes’ and drew importance to the words of refuges to the effect that "We have been shouting and protesting for 30 years because the Turkish Cypriots have been building on our property. But the legitimate government (of Cyprus) gave us money to build houses on the properties of the Turkish Cypriots. And at the time they lied to us, telling us that they had given us state land. This was what was written on the documents we signed."


Charalambous pointed out that in the same protest, a woman, who was visibly angry, said: "We were fooled. They brought us here, gave us land belonging to the Turkish Cypriots and, through a life of hard toil, we built our houses on it, married, brought up our children and now they are telling us to leave and that they will give us a plot somewhere else. In other words, we have to start from the beginning again. We will never leave. We will stay here and if they dare, they can come and kick us out."