Turkey finds deficiencies in document presented by De Soto

ANKARA (AA) – Ankara considered as insufficient the new document presented by U.N. Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto to the sides during proximity talks aiming to initiate give-and-take process.

Diplomatic sources said the U.N. document included secondary issues instead of core issues about the process, and stressed there were some deficiencies in the document.

Sources said the document did not include demands of the Turkish side for changes on European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The sources noted that the document foresaw that the two sides should be equally represented in the new Senate, but it did not include any information about use of political rights to be granted to Greek Cypriots who would cross to the Turkish Cypriot side.

The sources said those views were conveyed to de Soto.

The sources pointed out that Greek Cypriots also found some deficiencies in the document, and conveyed them to de Soto.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and called for support to provide full adjustment of an agreement that could be reached on Cyprus, to EU regulations. No reply has yet come to the letter.

The sources said no announcement was made to Ankara that TRNC President Rauf Denktas would withdraw from the talks, yet noted that a negative message would be given to the world in case Denktas withdraws.