Brussels, 30/08/2002 (Agence Europe) - Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has told Reuters that if talks under way with the Greek Cypriots cannot be concluded successfully before the end of the year and if the EU "makes the mistake of accepting Cyprus in its present form, we will have to look for new possibilities for our future". He continued: "An alternative might be to review our administration and to place in the hands of Turkey our Foreign and Defence Ministries and monetary affairs (…) until Turkey joins the EU." Mr Denktash, who supports the creation of a confederation, and his Greek counterpart Mr Glafkos Clerides, who advocates a federal system, have not really made any progress since the start of their talks in January last. They are to meet UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on 6 September in Paris.
Meanwhile, the Turkish army has warned the EU against the risk of a major crisis in the eastern Mediterranean if the interests of the Turkish Cypriots are ignored. "It is impossible to solve the Cypriot problem based on an approach that does not take the present situation into consideration and that reinforces the Greek Cypriots' determination to control the entire island," declared on Wednesday Army Chief Huseyin Kivrikoglu, at his retirement ceremony.