TURKISH Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash said yesterday he was sure a solution could be found to the division of the island.
Speaking during a televised news conference in Turkey, Denktash said: "I am certain that a way will be found, without compromising what we call our national line and without injustice to the Greek Cypriots, that preserves their rights and ours".
He said there was a growing agreement for a confederal solution, even among Greek Cypriots, claiming a recent poll in the free areas had found that 72 per cent of Greek Cypriots no longer wanted a federal settlement.
The Turkish Cypriot side is seeking a confederation of two "states" on the island as opposed to the internationally acceptable bizonal, bicommunal federation.
Denktash and President Glafcos Clerides are to attend a third round of proximity talks in May in New York in the latest international attempt to resolve the dispute.
United Nations officials and other international envoys involved the talks process have warned not to expect any rapid progress and have ruled out face-to-face talks for the moment.
The Turkish Cypriot leader is also running for re-election on April 15 as ‘president’ of the breakaway `state’ in the north and has won backing from Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.
At the joint news conference yesterday, Ecevit said: "For the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to have Mr Denktash as a leader is a great good fortune for Turkish Cypriots and for Turkey."
Denktash said the European Union’s acceptance late last year of Turkey as a candidate for membership had helped the search for a solution in Cyprus. "The roads to a solution have become more clear because the EU has opened the door to Turkey," he said.
While not specifically mentioning his proposal of a confederation, Denktash did call on EU member countries to recognise the existence of two sovereign entities on the island.
"Our wish… is that particularly countries in the EU give a clearer, better and effective message that the two sides are equal, that they are both sovereign and that they say to the Greek Cypriots: ‘You are not the government of the Turks’."
According to the Turkish Daily News (TDN), Ecevit told reporters there had been some very serious and positive developments regarding Cyprus recently, and that the international acknowledgement that the Greek Cypriot side had no jurisdiction over northern Cyprus was one of those.
"More and more countries have started to acknowledge the fact that an independent and sovereign state exists in northern Cyprus," he said, adding that Denktash’s leadership had made great contributions towards achieving this result.
Avoiding direct reference to the upcoming `presidential’ polls in northern Cyprus, Ecevit said: "I wish him and all our Turkish Cypriot brethren success."
It was not only Ecevit who extended Denktash full support, TDN said.
Speaking at a ceremony at the Cankaya Presidential Palace later in the day for the presentation of the Ankara Journalists’ Association’s (TGC) "Man of the Year" award to Denktash, President Suleyman Demirel said he could not possibly capture in words the contributions Denktash has made to the Cypriot national cause.
Denktash has established his re-election bid on a pledge to work to end the Cyprus problem in a loose confederation of two independent `states’.
Observers say the start of the proximity talks and the positive atmosphere pumping up expectations of a Cyprus settlement have boosted Denktash’s chances of re-election.
TDN said added that many Greek Cypriots and international mediators had also pinned their hopes for a Cyprus settlement on the success of Denktash in his re-election bid, as they fear a victory by "prime Minister’ Dervis Eroglu could steer Cyprus settlement efforts into yet another deadlock.
