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No change' in Turkish policy

BY ANDREAS HADJIPAPAS

TURKEY’S policy on Cyprus has not changed and remains uncompromising, the Cyprus government said yesterday.

Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides also declared that President Papadopoulos got "full backing from all political forces in Greece" during his visit to Athens this week.

And he repeated there was no question of the Annan Plan being brought back as it is since the majority of the people had rejected it in the April 24 referendum.

The spokesman, in charging Ankara with intransigence, referred to remarks by two Turkish Generals and a Foreign Ministry spokesman that Turkey had no intention of pulling out any of its troops from the island before a settlement.

"They show there is no change in Turkish policy. The Turkish side remains intransigent and this is confirmed from many quarters."

In addition to land forces commander General Yasar Buyukanti, another army chief, General Ilker Basbug, deputy chief of the General Staff, has also spoken in an uncompromising manner about Ankara’s intentions.

'Unfair'

He said it was "extremely unfair" to ask Turkey to make a goodwill gesture on Cyprus. "We view any call for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus, in any amount--numbers are not important--as a great injustice done to Turkey.

"As I stated previously, the withdrawal of troops from Cyprus is not on Turkey’s agenda."

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan gave his tacit approval to General Buyukanti’s statement earlier in the week (see page 3).

Chrysostomides was also asked about State Department spokesman Richard Boucher’s statement that the US thought the Annan Plan was a "good one" and that people "should find ways to accept it".

Chrysostomides said "÷ur position is that the Annan Plan cannot be accepted and certainly cannot be brought back as it is and put to a new referendum".

He said the Greek Cypriot side wanted a revival of the peace process, with genuine talks leading to a settlement plan that would be acceptable to both sides.

Agreement

"We seek an agreed solution, to be reached without tight time frames and with the necessary amendments to the Annan Plan", he added.

The spokesman said that in his talks with President Papadopoulos, Greek socialist leader George Papandreou had reaffirmed his support for Nicosia’s demand that Ankara should recognise the Cyprus Republic as soon as possible.