Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Serdar Denktaş has said that the Turkish Cypriots were not economically prepared for a settlement.
He also said that the government was not being fully informed about the negotiations.
Denktaş said that his party would decide whether or not to attend the Geneva Conference in January after the DP congress. They were currently looking at the information they had requested regarding the convergences reached in the Cyprus talks.
“We have concerns regarding issues such as political equality, sovereignty, property and the issue of guarantees. I have not launched a public campaign because none of these issues have been clarified yet but my position is clear”, he said.
The Deputy PM added that they will not allow Cyprus to be given away.
“They’re saying that while a Greek Cypriot will be allowed to serve as President for four years, a Turkish Cypriot will only be allowed to serve a two year term as President. This is an indication that we are an advantaged minority. More importantly we will never abandon Turkey’s guarantees”, he said.
Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriots were not economically prepared for a settlement, Denktaş said “we are not ready economically. We have been forced to live in isolation and not to abandon the negotiating table. We have not been able to prepare for a settlement under these conditions. We shall find ourselves in the EU the day after a settlement is reached. I’m voicing my concerns on these issues and they’re just telling me not to worry. It is only natural that I worry about the future of my people”, he said.
Denktaş also argued that there was a threat of conflict on the horizon.
“If we reach a settlement under the current circumstances we could very well find ourselves fighting in the trenches and foxholes very soon. We don’t want such a future”, he stated.
BRT