Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-04-29

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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. 74/98 -- 29.4.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Karadayi, Force Commanders ready for Turkish NSC meeting.

[02] Turkey seeks to alter the Montreux Convention.

[03] Denktash: We are ready for four-party summit if prior understanding is reached.

[04] Denktash meets Russian Ambassador.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Karadayi, Force Commanders ready for Turkish NSC meeting

The NSC will meet under President Suleyman Demirel at the Cankaya Mansion. Minister of National Education Hikmet Ulugbay and Chairman of Supreme Education Council Professor Kemal Guruz will attend the meeting. The developments in Turkey and abroad during the current month will be assessed in detail. The NSC will focus on developments following revelations by Semdin Sakik, who was the second in command of the PKK before he fled the organization, the situation in the universities, and reactionary activities.

The NSC will also discuss Secretary of Defense William Cohen's visit to Ankara and the Cyprus dispute and the Aegean problems that were discussed with him.

Meanwhile, General Karadayi will brief the convocation on the talks he had with General Tzoganis, Chief of the Greek General Staff.

[02] Turkey seeks to alter the Montreux Convention

With this program, whose priority objective is to reduce the shipping accidents to a minimum at the Straits, the equipment, gears, and technical means needed to rapidly deal with accidents will be modernized.

Hucum Tulgar, Director of the General Directorate of Coastal Safety and Ship Salvage Operations, says that the enforcement of this program also requires that Turkey engage in a more effective international lobbying activity to alter the Montreux Convention to suit its needs.

This is how Tulgar explained the effects of Montreux:

"Montreux has tied up our hands and feet. According to that convention, the pilotage services are optional and the ships belonging to the CIS countries in particular do not ask for that service. This both poses a danger to navigation and reduces our yearly income by half."

Also pointing out that they have reduced the risk of accidents to 1 percent by closing the Straits to traffic during the passage of large tankers, Tulgar noted that they will equip Turkey with a coastal and sea safety network by establishing stations 20 or 30 km apart on the coastline stretching from Hopa to Hatay.

Adding that four new boats, two shallow-water tugboats and a helicopter will join their fleet, Tulgar said: "As of May or June, stations will be established in Izmir and Fethiye on the Aegean, and Sarp, Rize, Giresun, Samsun, and Zonguldak on the Black Sea."

[03] Denktash: We are ready for four-party summit if prior understanding is reached

Asked if what he wants is a political recognition (previous word in English) or acknowledgment (previous word in English), Denktash replied:

"Why do you play with words? We are saying that there are recognized and nonrecognized states. We are nonrecognized, a state recognized only by Turkey. The Greek Cypriots should accept this. This is not recognition (previous word in English). This has to be accepted. The fact that we exist as a state and that this is our right should be accepted, because we are their former partner. We had the same rights that they had in that partnership. We did not allow the usurpation of our rights. In reply to their saying that they are the State, representing the whole of Cyprus, we formed our own state. For this reason, these realities will be accepted. They will be `acknowledged' and `recognized' (previous two words in quotation marks in English).

There is no difference between these two words. But did we say:

Let all the states and the UN recognize us, and we will talk? Did we say anything like that? We are saying: Let talks be held by considering the reality as a basis. (People are asking) Still: Is it acknowledgment or recognition? It has no relevance. There is a reality here. Here is our flag, our state, our parliament, and our people. And there is a state underneath. It is not important whether the names are right or wrong, skewed or not. But we will talk on the basis of two states."

To a comment that the integration process with Turkey has begun while an effort is being made to find a federal solution through a US initiative and asked whether there is some contradiction in this, Denktash claimed: "This is as much a contradiction as is the Greek Cypriot EU application and its readiness or not to hold talks with us".

Asked when can the pseudostate integrate completely with Turkey if the process continues in this way, Denktash replied: "I do not know how you view the integration. The integration process is continuing. A delegation from the (Turkish) Foreign Ministry that is studying this matter is with us on the island today. Work has started within the framework of the integration protocols we have signed to train Foreign Ministry-level personnel in education, training, and even personnel issues. This is integration. The process of removing the bureaucratic obstacles in the field of the economy has begun. In order to continue our foreign contacts more easily and to see officials who did not accept us previously, Turkish Cypriot diplomats have been appointed as specialists at distinguished and important embassies of the Turkish Republic. This is integration. There is nothing else. Not that one flag will be lowered and another raised. The flag will remain."

He further claimed that integration is not enosis and that those who talk of and see integration as enosis have done so on purpose and it has stuck in peoples' minds.

Announcing that he will be meeting US presidential envoy Richard Holbrooke on 2 May and asked whether (Holbrooke) he is going to bring any suggestion or proposal, Denktash said: "He said that he will come with ideas. We, for our part, prepared the declaration as material for his ideas."

Asked what will his stand be toward the idea of a four-party conference, despite the fact that he is against it due to a lack of parameters, Denktash alleged:

"No, I have not avoided the four-party talks at any time. But we are saying that at least contacts can be made and a prior understanding reached between the sides regarding the meetings.

We are ready for such an understanding. We indicated this from the beginning."

Asked if he is hopeful regarding recognition, he replied:

"There is no reason whatsoever to be hopeless. It requires patience and hard work. It is not something that can be done in one day. It will be done step by step. It will happen if we stay firm".

[04] Denktash meets Russian Ambassador

(MY)

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

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