ACTIVITIES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL IN TURKEY, 23-25 FEBRUARY

Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Ankara on Sunday, 23 February.

In a press statement upon arrival, he underscored that it was a critical moment in the region and that Cyprus was the question uppermost in his mind.  The Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots have to decide, in separate simultaneous referenda by 30 March, to approve a comprehensive settlement, and that they must come to terms in time for those votes to go forward.  “That time is now”, he said, “That is why I am here”.

Asked if he still believed that there would be an agreement by the end of the month, the Secretary-General replied:  “I would not be here otherwise.  I think we can do it if the will is there”.

He was also asked about United Nations Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix’ letter that ordered Iraq to destroy al-Samoud 2 missiles by 1 March.  The Secretary-General replied, “They have to destroy these weapons…and I am confident [that] they will”, he said.  “If they refuse to destroy it, the [Security] Council will have to take a decision on that”, he added. 

On Monday morning, the Secretary-General conferred with his senior advisors on Cyprus.

That afternoon he met first with Turkish President Ahmed Nejdet Sezer, with whom he discussed Cyprus, and also Iraq.

After that, he met with Tayyip Recep Erdogan, the leader of the Justice and Development Party, the Turkish ruling party.  He told reporters later that he and Erdogan had held very constructive talks on Cyprus and on Iraq.  On Cyprus, he said, “we’ve been discussing and searching for a settlement for a long time”, and, following discussions with the parties, “we know their concerns and their worries”.  The Secretary-General added, “I will be giving them a fresh document in the next day or so”.

The Secretary-General then met with Prime Minister Abdullah Gul for an hour in the evening and, in a constructive dialogue, the Prime Minister reiterated Turkey's determination to see a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus reached quickly so that it could be put to a referendum by 30 March.  After that meeting, the Secretary-General met privately with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis.

Mr. Annan then attended a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister in his honour, after which both Gul and the Secretary-General addressed the press

briefly on Cyprus.  The Secretary-General said that he was happy to have had fruitful and really constructive talks with the Prime Minister and he was looking forward to their continuous collaboration.

Before departing Ankara for Athens the following morning, the Secretary-General told the waiting press that he had had very good discussions with the Turkish leaders.  “I am encouraged and heartened that we can move ahead on our terms to settle the Cyprus issue and that real progress can be made”, he said.