What can you do by saying ‘I don’t recognize it?’

ANKARA (AA) – Turkey was obliged to take its place in world facts whatever the world facts showed, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday when expressing his views about "recognition of Greek Cypriot administration."

Prior to his departure for Ireland to join the ceremony to be held upon the accession of ten countries to the European Union (EU), Erdogan told reporters, "the Greek Cypriot administration has already been recognized. There is nothing more to be done about this issue. The world has recognized it. What can you do by saying ‘I don’t recognize it’?"

Erdogan said, "we do never think of contradicting world facts. We are obliged to take our place in these fact whatever the world facts show."

When he was recalled that "Greece had always been an obstacle before Turkey’s EU membership" and asked if "he considered the Greek Cypriot administration an obstacle before Turkey’s membership process," Erdogan said, "now, you are talking about membership process. Everybody confuses it. This is negotiation process not membership process. I don’t think that we will face any problems with the mood of the Greek Cypriot administration towards opening of negotiation process with Turkey. Because, Greece’s attitude towards this issue is very open and clear."

Erdogan went on saying, "Greece shows its open and clear attitude in not only our bilateral meetings but also in other platforms. Ten countries which attended Copenhagen Summit said that ‘they would never expect Turkey to behave negatively regarding negotiation process.’ They used this expression when (Foreign Minister) Abdullah Gul was the prime minister. Prime ministers of EU countries whom we meet think the same today. So, we don’t think there will be any problems."

When he was recalled that he spoke to U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone and asked if he had seen necessary support from Bush and Putin, Erdogan said that Bush and Putin had positive approaches.

Erdogan continued, "we told them that ‘they really had very positive contributions to (Cyprus) process.’ Mr.Putin said that ‘his country did not want to see such a result in Cyprus but it was the result of the Cyprus process.’ Mr.Bush said that ‘the United States was supporting positive struggle of not only Turkey but also Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).’ Mr. Bush also said that ‘Turkey would see positive initiatives of the United States from now on’ and added that ‘his country would ensure U.S. permanent representative to the U.N. to be in contact with the TRNC representatives."

Asked about the attitude of Azerbaijani deputies in the voting held on Cyprus in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA), Erdogan said that he did not have any detailed information about the issue.

Erdogan noted that there was a technical problem there but it was not certain if the problem stemmed from Turkish or Azerbajani diplomats.

Turkish Foreign Ministry was dealing with that technical problem, Erdogan stated.

Asked if he was upset since the Cyprus issue was not solved, Erdogan said that the Greek Cypriot administration had already joined the EU.

Erdogan noted that after a ceremony was held upon accession of ten new members to the EU today, the Greek Cypriot administration would actually and formally join the EU.

"We wished that the south and north of Cyprus had reunited and joined the EU as the United Cyprus Republic. We are not the only party who wanted it. All EU member countries also wished it. This was what we expected but it could not come true. We all have to respect to the result. The Greek Cypriot people wished so and our kinsmen in TRNC wished so. We have to respect it. We believe that a new process will start as of today and we can do nothing except wishing that this process will be beneficial to both parties. We will continue to extend necessary support to our kinsmen in TRNC from now on," Erdogan said.

Asked about his views about "recognition of Greek Cypriot side," Erdogan said, "the Greek Cypriot administration has already been recognized. There is nothing more to be done about this issue. The world has recognized it. What can you do by saying ‘I don’t recognize it’? We do never think of contradicting world facts. We are obliged to take our place in these fact whatever the world facts show."

When Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said, "these words will be misunderstood. Everybody will think Turkey as if it recognized the Greek Cypriot side. There is not such thing," Erdogan said, "the Greek Cypriot administration is in a position which is recognized by the EU and recognized by all international platforms including the U.N. We can’t gain anything saying that ‘I don’t recognize it.’ Such an attitude won’t bring you any benefits. On the contrary, a negative attitude will harm future positive developments."

TRNC and Greek Cypriot side voted United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan’s plan for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem in simultaneous referenda held on April 24.

Sixty-five percent of Turkish Cypriots voted "yes" to the Annan plan while 35.09 percent voted against the plan in the simultaneous referenda. A total of 75.83 percent of the Greek Cypriots said "no" to the plan while 24.17 of them voted "yes."

The rate of participation in the referendum was 84.35 in TRNC and 96.53 percent in the Greek Cypriot side.

Today, the Greek Cypriot side is expected to join the EU together with nine other countries including Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.

In COEPA general assembly meeting on Thursday, a resolution on Cyprus was adopted. In its resolution, COEPA asked the United Nations (U.N.) to review whether or not sanctions imposed on TRNC were rightful.

During the voting, the part of the resolution asking TRNC parliamentarians to join COEPA meetings and to have the right to speak in these meetings caused discussions.

This demand of TRNC parliamentarians was rejected as the motion for a change submitted by the Greek and British parliamentarians was adopted.

This expression was replaced with an expression calling on COEPA "to have closer relations with Turkish Cypriot representatives in the general assembly and commission meetings" and saying that "Turkish Cypriot representatives should take place in the Greek Cypriot delegation."

Turkish parliamentarians were disappointed with exclusion of the expression saying that TRNC parliamentarians should join and have the right to speak in COEPA meetings.