PRESIDENT  TALAT : PAPADOPOULOS REJECTING SOLUTION

President  Mehmet Ali Talat  stating that the Greek Cypriot leadership,  which did not  want a federal settlement based on equality, in many occasions  announced that they want to unite the island  through Osmosis said, the world should immediately  lift the isolations on Turkish Cypriots  and contribute  to the  start of negotiations.

President Talat speaking  to press   yesterday  said, the Greek Cypriot  Leader Papadopoulos   had thrown away  all the parameters of the UN, which has been  shaped  since 1974  and rejected   a bi-communal, bi-zonal  solution.

Drawing importance to  various  statements of  Papadopoulos  to the effect that Cyprus  would be united through osmosis said: “it is obvious that Papadopoulos  does not envisage a   federal  solution based on equality. How long will the world  wait for him… Papadopoulos’ stance must not be  tolerated. Isolations  should be  lifted immediately and contribution should be made  for the start of the negotiations.”

Pointing out  that a settlement in Cyprus was  a necessity,  Talat said the Turkish Cypriots  had  determined their position  in the referendum.

President  stating that the Turkish Cypriots had accepted the Annan Plan by making sacrifices said: “The Turkish Cypriots accepted the Plan,  because it would  ensure their  integration with the world, help them to  develop their  economy and  secure   their future by  eliminating the  existing uncertainty. Otherwise, the Turkish Cypriot knew very well that the Annan plan had  costs  to pay”.

 

FOREIGN MINISTER SERDAR DENKTAS IN SLOVAKIA...

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas, who is currently in Slovakia upon the invitation by the Slovakia Foreign Policy Association (SFPA) in order to give a conference entitled “The Future of a Settlement in Cyprus”, attended to a reception given in his honour by Turkish Ambassador to Bratislava (capital city) Suna Ilýcak.

Speaking at the reception given in the residence of Turkish Embassy in Bratislava, Ambassador Ilýcak stressing that the existing stalemate in the Cyprus issue was not in any of the side’s interests, stated that Turkey and the TRNC had fulfilled their responsibilities to reach a just and permanent settlement and the efforts of Ankara and Lefkosa on this issue would continue.

Reminding that the Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of the Annan plan in 24 April 2004 referendum, but as a result of Greek Cypriots’ “strong no” to the plan a Cyprus settlement could not be achieved, Ilýcak said the current stalemate should be overcome.

Indicating that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Serdar Denktas’ visit to Bratislava was a great opportunity in terms of informing Slovakia, which is an EU member, on recent developments on the Cyprus issue, Ilýcak said the information given by Minister Denktas would be very useful for Slovak officials, who were very interested in the Cyprus issue.

Carrying out series of contacts yesterday (9 May) with Slovak high-level politicians and bureaucrats, Serdar Denktas last night gave a conference at Carlton Hotel, where some MEP’s, Slovakian politicians and bureaucrats and foreign country mission chiefs and scientists were present.