What is the government’s position on Cyprus?

The government keeps on contradicting itself on nearly every delicate international issue.

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The Turkish government says it is very much annoyed with the latest Annan letter inviting the involved parties to New York to run a final round of discussions on the Cyprus problem before May 1st, when the Greek side of Cyprus enters the European Union as the Republic of Cyprus.

Annan only sent this letter after U.S. President George Bush guaranteed him that the Greek and the Turkish sides will be more helpful this time.

Bush was also convinced by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey sincerely wants peace now in Cyprus.

Erdogan told Bush and Annan that:

1) Annan may make the final decision on issues both sides cannot agree upon after the discussions.

2) The Turkish side will always be one step in front of the Greek side in its attempt to solve the Cyprus problem.

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Let us now take a last look at the Annan letter that has dismayed Turkey.

1) Contrary to the Turkish claim there is nothing new and thus nothing shocking or unacceptable in the Annan Letter.

i) The secretary-general only repeats exactly what he has said in the 47th and 48th paragraphs of the Cyprus Report he gave to the UN Security Council on April 7, 2003.

That report was unanimously accepted by the Security Council.

ii) To repeat what I have said above, Erdogan had also pointed out to Annan in Davos only two weeks ago that he could resolve any disagreements and that a referendum is a natural outcome.

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2) It is either ignorance or bad intention to say that the Turkish objections to the Annan plan do not appear in the letter.

Naturally, the Greek objections do not also appear in the letter as Annan does not represent both sides but only the UN.

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3) It is also unfair to say that Annan imposes dates! It is the EU’s decision, taken long ago, to accept the new members including the Republic of Cyprus to EU as of May 1st 2004.

That very fact imposes a tight calendar on Annan if the Turkish side wants to be a part of the Republic of Cyprus before May 1st.

After all the Annan plan has been on the agenda for the last 14 months.

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4) How can the Turkish side complain about "Annan imposing a referendum?"

If the Turkish side is fighting for the Turkish people and if Annan may impose conditions to us against the will of the Turkish people; is it not the best way to give to Annan the answer he "deserves" through a referendum that negates the Annan plan?

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5) Why does the Turkish government misread the letter? Annan says that on the issues that both sides can not agree upon, he will listen to both sides and write the final version of these articles himself.

He will not impose these articles in the way they are written at the moment.

Moreover, now the United States is also at the table to listen to the demands of both sides.

Finally to repeat; the referendum is still there to protect the people. Both sides may tell their own people the drawbacks in the "to be voted agreement" and people may refute all that may be imposed to the Turkish side.

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6) The Turkish side had already told to Annan that they do not want to see Alvero De Soto, as the settler of the disputes during the discussions.

It is also known that the advisor of Rauf Denktas, i.e. Mumtaz Soysal is not wanted in the United Nations.

The Turkish government has also declared Soysal "unwanted" in the Cyprus negotiations not once but twice.

Contrary to these announcements, Soysal is together with Denktas in New York at the moment!

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When all these issues are put together, the Turkish government openly gives a confusing and untrustworthy picture to the world.

The government may want peace in Cyprus, but can it bring peace to Cyprus against the will of Turkish hawks? We have yet to see!