Now that the date for the five-party conference has been announced, extra concessions will be demanded from the Turkish Cypriots as the Greek Cypriots will say that they have taken a step back, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Serdar Denktaş has said.
According to a statement released by Denktaş which informed the mukhtars of the villages in the Famagusta region about the developments in the Cyprus negotiations, he pointed out that the stage reached in the Cyprus negotiations so far, had been arrived at in a way that differs from the Annan Plan.
“During the Annan Plan era a joint document had been produced but now there is no such document. The talks are being carried out privately and we are being told to read the minutes. We are reading the minutes but how progress was achieved and which areas of agreement have been reached is not clear,” said Denktaş.
Explaining that in Switzerland, maps had been discussed and the number of Greek Cypriots to return to the north had also been agreed, Denktaş said “during the first session, a map with the percentage of 28.2 to 29.2 percent was discussed and a call was made for 80 thousand Greek Cypriots to return”.
There would be no political equality, he said and that in the lower house of parliament to be formed, there would be 36 Greek Cypriots and 12 Turkish Cypriots and that decisions would be made through a majority vote.
“If 12 Turkish Cypriot parliamentarians vote ‘no’, then the issue will be taken to the Senate where there are two Greek Cypriots and two Turkish Cypriots. If an agreement isn’t reached here then the issue will be sent to the High Court. One of the five judges’ names given by the EU will be appointed here. One European, two Turkish Cypriot and two Greek Cypriot judges will serve here, meaning three against two. So Turkish Cypriots will lose out once again. Tell me where is the equality,” said Denktaş.
He added that if you closely scrutinised all the meetings that have been held up until now on the Cyprus problem, you could see the realities.
“In the end it looks like we will be called to take part in a referendum in March or April,” said Denktaş and added that he would be voting ‘no’ at the referendum as the developments in the country do not benefit the Turkish Cypriot people.
BRT