The granting of TRNC citizenship to settlers will continue Deputy PM Serdar Denktaş, has said.
Denktas argued that citizenship has not been granted to certain groups because of the policies of previous governments. Noting that his government will continue granting citizenship, he said:
“There are people who live, were born and grew up in my country, share the same culture as us and may have never visited Turkey. These are the people to whom we will give [citizenship]. There is no step backwards on this. […] As long as the Greek Cypriots prolong this process, our population, our investments here will increase, and must increase […]”
Noting that his worries regarding the Cyprus negotiations are increasing, Denktaş asserted that it is a “big mistake” to discuss territory and property issues together “on the same scale, because it seems that the Greek Cypriots will gain whatever happens and there is nothing which we can gain in return.”
Referring to the issue of guarantees, he also expressed great concern, because a system which has been provided his safety, will be abolished and something else will be put in its place, which some circles will try to present as “guarantees”.
“This part is worrying me to an extremely unbelievable extent”, he said, adding that his worries are diminished just because Turkey will be at the table during the discussions of this issue. Turkey will not have the power to resist because to the known stance of Greece, Britain and the Greek Cypriots and because of the statement by the Turkish Cypriot side that it is ready to discuss everything, he said.
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