Statements of Weston are unacceptable pressure

LEFKOSA (AA) – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Rauf Denktas said on Tuesday that the statements of Thomas Weston, the special coordinator of the U.S. State Department for Cyprus, who said "those who will say ‘no’ to referendum will pay a big price" was an unacceptable pressure and threat against Turkish and Greek Cypriot societies, adding that he was disappointed by this statement.

Denktas evaluated the statements of Weston while leaving Presidency to meet with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos for the seventh session of Cyprus talks.

Noting that people would attend referendum by knowing the realities and their mission was to convey the realities to people, Denktas said that Turkish Cypriots would be destroyed if Annan Plan was accepted without any change.

Denktas said that Turkish Cypriots have paid big prices until now. He added, "they shall go and see our martyrs, they shall visit and talk to our disabled veterans. They shall address our people who migrated three times in 40 years. The price was paid. Both sides paid the price. Greek Cypriot side paid the price to make Cyprus a Greek land. It paid the price in a war it had started. We are saying this with sorrow. They should not have started such a war. The price is Turkish Cypriot people’s saving their own independence."

Stressing that if a partnership would be established between the two sides, it should be "without pressure, threat and intervention", Denktas said that such pressures "could not be acceptable" and nobody could bear this.

Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Soysal, advisor of Denktas for constitutional issues, has been participating in TRNC delegation for Cyprus talks since yesterday.