Tweet
NTVMSNBC, Turkey
Jan 13 2005
Russia to back Turkish, UN efforts on Cyprus: Erdogan
The Prime Minister described his Russian visit as highly successful.
Turkey will push for a restart of efforts to resolve the dispute on
the island of Cyprus under the auspicis of the United Nations,
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday.
Speaking on his return from a three day visit to Russia, Erdogan said
that preliminary discussions to reopen UN sponsored efforts to
reunite the two states on Cyprus had been delayed due to the tsunami
disaster in Asia.
`After the December 17th process (when Turkey was given a date to
start European Union membership negotiations), UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan congratulated us and then we phoned him and said we could
talk about the Cyprus process,' the Prime Minister said. `While we
were planning to hold this talk, Asian disaster happened. He is now
in the region. We want to talk with him as soon as possible.
Commenting on a statement by President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) that he was uneasy over Russian
support for the plan put forward by Annan to reunify the island,
Erdogan said that it was the process and not the name of the plan
that was important.
`There will not be an Annan Plan to be presented,' he said. `Also,
the name of the plan is not important. The important thing is its
content and this content should include a solution. I do not believe
that anybody will oppose a plan that will include a solution. If the
plan protects the interests of the Turkish Cypriots and brings a just
and permanent solution to the TRNC, I am sure that everybody will
exert efforts for such a plan.'
Erdogan said that what they wanted was a just plan that will bring
permanent peace and by which both sides will win.
`We have always said that we support such a plan and we will continue
to support it. We do not have any uneasiness about this issue.'
The Prime Minister described his trip to Russia as having been very
successful, with his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putting
being friendly, positive and sincere.
`It was a very beneficial meeting,' he said. `We mainly discussed
Iraq, Middle East, Cyprus and the Armenia issue and we took up what
can be done jointly in the Middle East and the region,' said Erdogan.
`We took up our bilateral relations in regional and international
aspects and we had some demands in the aspect of the UN Security
Council. He said the isolation of the TRNC was not just and they will
support any Annan Plan which will be prepared about the issue. He
clearly said they are ready to exert every type of effort on this
issue.'
From: Baghdasarian
Jan 13 2005
Russia to back Turkish, UN efforts on Cyprus: Erdogan
The Prime Minister described his Russian visit as highly successful.
Turkey will push for a restart of efforts to resolve the dispute on
the island of Cyprus under the auspicis of the United Nations,
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday.
Speaking on his return from a three day visit to Russia, Erdogan said
that preliminary discussions to reopen UN sponsored efforts to
reunite the two states on Cyprus had been delayed due to the tsunami
disaster in Asia.
`After the December 17th process (when Turkey was given a date to
start European Union membership negotiations), UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan congratulated us and then we phoned him and said we could
talk about the Cyprus process,' the Prime Minister said. `While we
were planning to hold this talk, Asian disaster happened. He is now
in the region. We want to talk with him as soon as possible.
Commenting on a statement by President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) that he was uneasy over Russian
support for the plan put forward by Annan to reunify the island,
Erdogan said that it was the process and not the name of the plan
that was important.
`There will not be an Annan Plan to be presented,' he said. `Also,
the name of the plan is not important. The important thing is its
content and this content should include a solution. I do not believe
that anybody will oppose a plan that will include a solution. If the
plan protects the interests of the Turkish Cypriots and brings a just
and permanent solution to the TRNC, I am sure that everybody will
exert efforts for such a plan.'
Erdogan said that what they wanted was a just plan that will bring
permanent peace and by which both sides will win.
`We have always said that we support such a plan and we will continue
to support it. We do not have any uneasiness about this issue.'
The Prime Minister described his trip to Russia as having been very
successful, with his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putting
being friendly, positive and sincere.
`It was a very beneficial meeting,' he said. `We mainly discussed
Iraq, Middle East, Cyprus and the Armenia issue and we took up what
can be done jointly in the Middle East and the region,' said Erdogan.
`We took up our bilateral relations in regional and international
aspects and we had some demands in the aspect of the UN Security
Council. He said the isolation of the TRNC was not just and they will
support any Annan Plan which will be prepared about the issue. He
clearly said they are ready to exert every type of effort on this
issue.'
From: Baghdasarian