TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
No. 76/13 20-22/4/13
C O N T E N T S
1.
Russia not to ‘risk’ Turkey for Cyprus
2.
US asked Erdogan to delay Gaza trip: Kerry
3.
US Secretary Kerry urges Turkey to re-open Halki Seminary of Istanbul
4.
Turkey denies media report Israel seeking access to Turkish airbase
5. Eroglu reiterates Turkish side’s stance on the
guarantees and the settlers; He says economic growth is necessary for lasting
solution
6.
An interview by Ozgurgun to “BRT”
7. Yorgancioglu describes as “important step forward”
the developments for Turkish Cypriots’ participation in the EP as
observers
8. Ozgurgun: Turkey’s EU Progress Report unjust and
biased
9. TDP says the wry situation will definitely change
and solution to the Cyprus problem is near
10.
Two “deputies” will attend PACE spring session meetings
11.
“Turkish Cypriots after a state of their own”
12.
Russia says oil pipeline via Turkey not financially viable
13. Fifty off-shores banks ended their activities in
the breakaway regime
14. The breakaway regime distributed plots at Ardana
village
15. Historic and religious buildings in occupied
Famagusta are falling off
16.
KRG Turkey’s natural extension, says Turkish deputy PM
17.
Turkey to sign 6 agreements with Kuwait and MoU with China
18.
Countdown to start for two new Turkish satellites
19.
Israeli, Turkish delegations start talks on compensation for killing of 9 Turks
1.
Russia not to ‘risk’ Turkey for Cyprus
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News
(online, 20.04.13) with the above title reports, inter alia, the following:
“Russia avoids putting its relations
with Turkey at risk for energy projects off the cost of Cyprus, says Energy
Minister Alexander Novak, noting that Russia never harms business principles.
Russia will not put its relations with
Turkey at risk by getting involved in big energy companies’ activities in oil
and gas drilling off the coast of Greek Cyprus [Trans. Note: Republic of
Cyprus], Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has said.
‘There are still unsolved issues about
Cyprus’ offshore and Russia takes notice of them,’ said Novak during a press
meeting after the 12th meeting of the Turkish-Russian Joint Economic
Commission in Antalya on April 20.
Russia has close cooperation with
Turkey, Novak said. ‘We would never think to harm business principles
considering our friendly relations.’ However, Novak said the Samsun-Ceyhan
crude pipeline project was in an unclear state, noting that if the projects
became fruitful, they could seek a new partner instead of former partner
Italian Eni.
Turkey decided to suspend energy
projects with Italian giant Eni in retaliation for the company’s involvement in
oil and gas drilling off the coast of Greek Cyprus [Trans. Note: Republic of
Cyprus], Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said at the end of March.
Eni has a share in the Samsun-Ceyhan
crude pipeline, which is slated to span Turkey from the Black Sea province of
Samsun to the oil hub of Ceyhan in the south. Eni, Russia’s Rosneft and
Transneft and Turkey’s Calik are all partners in the project.
Yildiz said that Turkey could consider
cancelling the Samsun-Ceyhan deal, adding that they could find alternatives to
the Samsun-Ceyhan deal if it was cancelled. Yildiz said Russia’s Gazprom and
Rosneft would not join in projects in Greek Cyprus [Trans. Note: Republic of
Cyprus] due to the strategic cooperation agreement between Turkey and Russia.
Trade volume target not ambitious
The aim to reach a trade volume between
Russia and Turkey worth of $100 billion is ‘not that ambitious’, Russian Energy
Minister Alexander Novak also said. (…)
The current trade volume between both
countries is approximately $34 billion. ‘It [$100 billion] means that we would
have to triple our trade volume. If we look to the aspects of our trade the
primary import materials are energy resources and metals, at around 87%’, he
said.
Novak emphasized that priority should be
given to diversifying the traded goods. ‘It is especially important to realize
new project in sectors where mostly new technologies are used, such as
automotives, the nautical industry, and the machinery sector. Logistical and
transportation centres are of great importance in this matter,’ Novak said.
For his part, Turkish Energy Minister
Taner Yildiz stressed that the trade potential between the two countries was
huge. ‘There are nearly 500 Russian companies operating in Turkey, while
Turkish construction companies have $50 billion worth of transactions in
Russia,’ Yildiz said. (…)”
2.
US asked Erdogan to delay Gaza trip
Under the above title, Turkish daily
Hurriyet Daily News (online, 21.04.13) reports that the U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry said today he told Turkey’s Prime Minister during a meeting in
Istanbul to delay his planned visit to Gaza because of the “critical timing,”
but added that it was Erdogan’s decision to make or postpone the visit.
“We have expressed to [Recep Tayyip
Erdogan] that we really think that [the visit] would be better delayed and
shouldn’t take place at this point for many different reasons. Of course the
Prime Minister will make his own decision on that,” Kerry told reporters in
Istanbul, adding that the issue would be further discussed during Erdogan’s
upcoming trip to Washington.
Erdogan had been expected to visit Gaza
this month but postponed it until he travels to Washington to meet U.S.
President Barack Obama on May 16.
Kerry also said Israel and Palestinians
should not be distracted during this critical peace process, citing the reasons
why Erdogan should delay his planned visit top Gaza.
“But it is our feeling that … the timing
of that would be critical in respect to peace process that we are trying to get
off the ground. We would like to see the parties begin with as little outside
distraction as possible,” Kerry said, adding that it would be more helpful for
Erdogan to wait for the right circumstances for such a visit.
The Hamas rulers of Gaza slammed Kerry
for urging the Turkish Prime Minister to delay his visit to the Palestinian
territory, Agence France-Presse reported.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri accused
Kerry and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas - who met in Istanbul earlier in
the day - of “collusion in a bid to maintain the [Israeli] blockade on Gaza.”
“Hamas denounces the U.S. position
calling for the cancellation of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to
Gaza. This proves U.S. involvement in consecrating the Gaza blockade,” Abu
Zuhri said in a statement.
In addition,
reporting on the same issue, Turkish daily Hurriyet (22.04.13) citing
diplomatic sources, reports that Erdogan is not planning to change its schedule
regarding Gaza. The paper, writes that the diplomatic source that spoke to
Hurriyet said that Kerry issued the suggestion for postponing the trip to Gaza
to Erdogan at a previous meeting held in April 7 and said that it would be
wrong to be interpreted a reaction to the Turkish Prime Minister’s visit to
Gaza. Erdogan will contact the trip as it was planned, after a visit he will
make on May 16 to USA.
3.
US Secretary Kerry urges Turkey to re-open Halki Seminary of Istanbul
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News
(online, 21.04.13) reports that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Turkey
today to re-open Orthodox clergy schools on Prince Islands near Istanbul that
has been kept closed for more than 40 years.
“It is our hope that the Halki seminary
will open,” Kerry said during a press conference in Istanbul after two days of
talks on the Syrian crisis and the Mideast peace process.
Kerry said he discussed religious
freedom in overwhelmingly Muslim Turkey and the possible re-opening of the
theological schools in talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Kerry also met yesterday Fener Greek
Patriarch Bartholomeos. As the pressure on Ankara to re-open the seminary is
rising, the Government also says it is also in favour of such a move.
4.
Turkey denies media report Israel seeking access to Turkish airbase
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(22.04.013), a spokesperson with the Turkish Foreign Ministry denied Sunday a
media report that Israel was set to offer Turkey weapons and military
technology in return for access to an airbase near the Turkish capital for
training.
“These reports have nothing to do with
the reality. They are speculative and malicious,” Levent Gumrukcu, the
spokesperson, told the Anadolu Agency.
British daily ‘the Times’ has alleged
that the Israeli delegation - expected to arrive in Turkey on Monday - headed
by Yaakov Amidror, the cheif of Israel's National Security Council, would
propose trading advanced missile defence systems including Arrow anti-ballistic
missiles, and state-of-the-art surveillance technology in return to use for
training Akinci Airbase, some 35km northwest of the Turkish capital, Ankara, for
a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.
An 1996 agreement between Turkey and
Israel allowed Israeli Air Forces to use the Akinci Airbase and Turkish Air
Forces to use an Israeli airbase in the Negev Desert. The agreement, along with
other military deals, was cancelled by Turkey after the Mavi Marmara
incident.
5. Eroglu reiterates Turkish side’s stance on the
guarantees and the settlers; He says economic growth is necessary for lasting
solution
Turkish Cypriot
daily Gunes newspaper (22.04.13) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader,
Dervis Eroglu has visited the Turkish city of Adiyaman and addressed a meeting
at the above-mentioned city’s university. He claimed that reaching an agreement
in the Cyprus problem would be an opportunity for the Greek Cypriots to be
rescued from the economic crisis they are facing today. He alleged that if the
Greek Cypriots were directed towards the solution in Cyprus, they would have
had the support of “the sun of Anatolia”, like the Turkish Cypriots.
Eroglu claimed
also that the project of transferring water from Turkey to the occupied area of
Cyprus is a “peace process” and their aim is for this water to be used for
“preparing the cement of peace” on the island.
Eroglu referred
to contacts he had held in Jeddah and Cairo and to the visit of investors from
the Islamic world to the occupied area of Cyprus and expressed the hope that
their efforts will give concrete results and their GDP will reach 25.000 US
dollars in 2023. He alleged that the economic growth of the breakaway regime
was necessary for reaching a lasting solution on the island.
Meanwhile,
according to Gunes, in other statements Eroglu has alleged that no Greek
Cypriot leader until today was thinking of signing an agreement on the Cyprus
problem.
Moreover, Eroglu
claimed that the reason for the statements by the European Union (EU) and the
United Nations (UN) that the Cyprus problem should be solved derive from the
“fact that they feel guilty”. He accused the UN for the UN Security Council’s resolution
of 4 March 1964 on Cyprus and the EU for accepting the accession of Cyprus to
the Union without a solution to the Cyprus problem.
Referring to the
so-called embargoes allegedly implemented on the Turkish Cypriots, Eroglu
claimed that no Greek Cypriot leader intended to sign an agreement on the
Cyprus problem and thought that they might destroy the Turkish Cypriots in
time.
Eroglu
reiterated the Turkish view that as long as open-ended negotiations and the
presence of the UN Peace keeping Force in Cyprus continue, nothing could be
achieved on the island. He argued that a road map should be determined in the
negotiations. Eroglu claimed that launching negotiations without a road map
would not be correct and added that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots’ patience
has come to the point of being exhausted.
Eroglu alleged
that the Greek Cypriots have always wanted only to take at the negotiating
table and that two “states” exist in Cyprus. He said that Turkey’s active and
effective guarantees constitute sine qua non for the Turkish side.
Referring to the
illegal Turkish settlers who have been brought to Cyprus from Turkey after the
1974 invasion, Eroglu alleged: “No one has the right to comment on our
citizens. There are persons who have come from Turkey’s various areas and
became TRNC citizens today. I have the right to grant citizenship”.
(I/Ts.)
6.
An interview by Ozgurgun to “BRT”
According to illegal Bayrak television
(20.04.13), the so-called minister of foreign affairs Huseyin Ozgurgun, in an
exclusive interview to illegal Bayrak television, said that the European Union
continued to disappoint the Turkish Cypriots. He added that the Turkish
Cypriots were wasting time as the EU had no intention of understanding them.
Noting that everyone should support
Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu at the negotiating table, Ozgurgun claimed
that Eroglu had to this day adopted a positive and constructive approach at the
talks.
Ozgurgun alleged that they did not see
the Greek Cypriot side willing towards reaching a comprehensive solution to the
Cyprus problem.
“Our proposals regarding natural gas,
property…they’re all on the table. We’ve even told them (Greek Cypriots) that
we could accept cross voting under certain conditions. What more can we do”, he
said.
Asked to comment on Turkish Foreign
Minister’s earlier statements that either a solution will be reached or the
island will be divided permanently, Ozgurgun said that the Turkish Foreign
Minister’s statements had been distorted. He said: “He didn’t say such a thing.
Naturally if a settlement can’t be reached there are two states on the island”.
Reminding that he will be meeting with
the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor Alexander Downer on the 26th
of April, Ozgurgun said that they will continue to focus on the Cyprus problem
even in the absence of a settlement.
Ozgurgun also complained that his
“ministry” was experiencing budget problems despite the fact that there were
currently 22 “foreign representation offices” in operation. He added that the
breakaway regime was currently looking into ways of raising the budget of the
so-called foreign ministry.
7. Yorgancioglu describes as “important step
forward” the developments for Turkish Cypriots’ participation in the EP as
observers
Turkish Cypriot
daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (22.04.13) reports that Ozkan Yorgancioglu, chairman
of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), has said that an “important, without
return, step forward” had been taken on the issue of the Turkish Cypriots being
invited to participate in the works of the European Parliament (EP) as
observers.
In a written
statement issued yesterday, Yorgancioglu assessed as important and positive
step the initiative by four groups at the EP in the direction of inviting “the
elected representatives of the Turkish Cypriots to the EP”. He called on the
self-styled government to be more serious from now on so that their benefits
not to be lost.
Yorgancioglu
alleged that in spite of the fact that some “unacceptable” elements exist in
Turkey’s progress report, some partial improvements proved that successes could
be achieved by working with patient and by not losing the EU vision.
Yorgancioglu
argued that the representation of the Turkish Cypriots at the EP has come to a
point of no return, thanks to the decision of the Socialist Group to take the
issue to the Presidential Council and the support offered to this decision by
the groups of the Greens and the Liberals.
Yorgancioglu
said that as a result of the self-sacrificing efforts exerted by the
“parliamentary delegation” and the employees at the “units” responsible for the
EU affairs, expressions that were putting preconditions such as the return of
occupied fenced city of Varosha for the opening of occupied Famagusta port were
abolished from Turkey’s progress report. He described as positive and new
development the call to the Cyprus government to give the opportunity for the
opening of this port and for the Turkish Cypriots conducting direct trade with
the EU.
Yorgancioglu
said that the CTP will continue working in the Social-Democrat Group, to which
it belongs, and in other groups with which it has good relations in order to
achieve positive developments for their “people” and for the entire Cyprus
being able to benefit from its position in the EU.
(I/Ts.)
8. Ozgurgun: Turkey’s EU Progress Report unjust and
biased
Turkish Cypriot
daily Haberdar newspaper (21.04.13) reports that the self-styled minister of
foreign affairs of the breakaway regime Huseyin Ozgurgun, commented on the EU
Progress Report for 2012 for Turkey and alleged that the parts related to
Cyprus “are unjust and biased”.
Ozgurgun who
described the EU term Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus as “unsuccessful”,
alleged that every year Turkey receives unjust criticism and claimed that
evaluations regarding the Cyprus problem are in favor of the Greek Cypriots
stance.
He also claimed
that the problem is approached biased and added that the Cyprus problem is
between the two sides of the island and not between the Greek Cypriot side and
Turkey.
9. TDP says the wry situation will definitely
change and solution to the Cyprus problem is near
Turkish Cypriot
daily Ortam newspaper (22.04.13) reports that Mehmet Cakici, chairman of the
Social Democracy Party (TDP), has said that while very important developments
such as the so-called peace process in Turkey, the improvement of the relations
between Turkey and Israel and the developments in the Middle East happen, the
“wry system” which exists for many years in Cyprus will definitely change. In
an article and a statement published in the paper, Cakici argued that “while
big changes are happening in the world and in Turkey, efforts are being exerted
for the Turkish Cypriots to be administrated with haphazard policies and to be
prevented from preparing for the new future”.
Cakici argued
that because of its strategic importance, and its wealthy oil and natural gas
reserves, Cyprus “is on the top of the places for which the calculations of the
globalization strategies are conducted”.
“After the Arab Spring and the spring in Turkey, the turn of the spring
in Cyprus will come”, he claimed.
Cakici expressed
the view that while such important developments are happening in Turkey and the
Middle East, Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu and the National Unity Party (UBP)
self-styled government, are still trying to pursue policies by continuing the
conflicts they had during the congress of their party.
He argued that
important developments in Cyprus will happen soon and that the Turkish side
should be prepared for them. He said that those who want the current system to
continue will be disappointed.
Meanwhile, in
statements to daily Star Kibris newspaper (22.04.13), Huseyin Angolemli, “MP”
with the TDP, said that because of the peace process between Turkey and Israel,
“Cyprus could come onto the agenda with different issues”. Under the title
“Solution is close”, the paper writes that Angolemli argued that the process
between Turkey and Israel and the economic problems in the Republic of Cyprus
should be assessed as a whole and predicted that “a solution in Cyprus is
close”. He expressed the view that the best solution would be a bi-zonal,
bi-communal federation.
Angolemli said
that the big companies, which conduct explorations as regards hydrocarbon
resources in the Mediterranean, come from the USA and other powerful countries
and therefore these states should have confidence in the area. “An area with
problems is not appropriate for these companies. Therefore, peace should be
secured in the area and climate of confidence should be established”, he noted.
(I/Ts.)
10.
Two “deputies” will attend PACE spring session meetings
According to illegal Bayrak television
(20.04.13), the occupation regime is to be represented at the Council of Europe’s
Parliamentary Assembly spring session that it to be held in Strasbourg, France
between the 22-26th of April. The so-called MP Ahmet Eti from the ruling
National Unity Party (UBP) and so-called MP Mehmet Caglar from the main
opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) will be representing the so-called
TRNC assembly at the meetings.
11.
“Turkish Cypriots after a state of their own”
Under the above title, Turkish daily
Today’s Zaman (online, 21.04.13) publishes, inter alia, the following feature
that the Turkish Cypriots want a state of their own:
“At a time when the TRNC [Trans. Note:
the breakaway regime in the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus] and the
Turkish government have increased efforts for the ‘TRNC’ to gain international
recognition, the man on the street in Turkish Cyprus [Trans. Note: the occupied
area of the Republic of Cyprus] seems overwhelmingly likely to opt for a state
of his own.
‘I don’t think the Turkish and Greek
Cypriot sides will be able to reach an agreement. We don’t want to live
together with Greek Cypriots, either,’ Refet Tahir Ulusoglu said. Ulusoglu, an
87-year-old Turkish Cypriot who was born and bred in Cyprus, runs a tea garden
in Girne [Trans. Note: occupied town of Kyrenia] . ‘Greek Cypriots haven’t done
anything good for me so far,’ he told Sunday’s Zaman.
When talking to people on the street in
‘Turkish Cyprus’, you can immediately see they don’t trust Greek Cypriots. Even
if the two sides should be able to reach an agreement for the reunification of
the island, they feel an agreement wouldn’t be lasting. (…)
‘Even if peace is achieved [at first],
problems may well arise after that,’ A.K., a university student living in
Lefkosa [Trans. Note: occupied part of Lefkosia], commented to Sunday’s Zaman,
revealing that neither she nor people around her trust Greek Cypriots. Born and
raised in ‘Turkish Cyprus’, A.K. thinks that ‘the TRNC should make more efforts
to be internationally recognized’. A Girne tour guide in her late 40s speaking
to Sunday’s Zaman on condition of anonymity also drew attention to the lack of
trust toward Greek Cypriots, ‘Even if a consensus should be reached now between
the two sides, some 10 years later problems would crop up again’.
Walking through the streets or sitting
at a café in ‘Turkish Cyprus’ last week, I randomly asked seven people about
their expectations of how Turkey and the ‘TRNC’ should proceed from now on. All
those surveyed told me, as if they had formerly agreed to tell the same story,
that the ‘TRNC’ should boost efforts for statehood. Those surveyed were clearly
exasperated by the unending negotiations process which has led to nowhere up
until now. Most also accused the Greek Cypriots of asking for everything, while
denying Turkish Cypriots their rights.
Turkish Cypriots are frustrated by the
decades of unfruitful negotiations between the Turkish and Greek sides to
reunify the divided island. ‘Greek Cypriots don’t want peace; they don’t want
the embargo’, said K.A., a 40-year-old Turkish Cypriot who runs a supermarket
in ‘Lefkosia’, He noted that the steps formerly taken by the ‘TRNC’ to achieve
peace didn’t get any positive response from the Greek Cypriots. ‘Turkish
Cypriots are also ready to conclude a peace agreement, but on an equal basis,’
he stated.
(…)
At the end of March, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (…) said: ‘If they say, “The south belongs to us and
the north belongs to [Turkish Cyprus],” then they should talk about a two-state
solution for the problem,” said Davutoglu.
The 1st Economic Cooperation Organization
(ECO) University Sports Games, (…) is a clear message to the Greek Cypriots
that a two-state solution is also on the table for the Turkish side.
(…)
‘We are pleased with observer status at
the ECO, but our aim is to achieve full membership,’ Dervis Eroglu said at the
ceremony. (…)
Last year, the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) welcomed a request by the ‘TRNC’, which has observer status
at the organization, to open a permanent OIC representative office at its
headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of the month, Eroglu
paid a visit to Saudi Arabia and got together with Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu,
Turkish OIC secretary-general, to speed up the process of opening the ‘TRNC’s
representative office’ at the OIC. (…)”
12.
Russia says oil pipeline via Turkey not financially viable
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online,
21.04.13), with the above title, reports the following:
“The planned Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, to
pump Russian oil from Turkey's Black Sea coast to the Mediterranean, is ‘economically
not viable’, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told Today's Zaman over
the weekend in the strongest acknowledgement yet from Moscow that the project
will be delayed indefinitely.
Introduced in September 2005 as a joint
project between Turkey’s Calik Holding and Italy’s Eni, the 1 billion euro oil
pipeline project attracted the attention of Russian energy investors Rosneft
and Transneft. The two sought to gain stakes of as much as 25% each in the
Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline. Ankara and Moscow both welcomed the proposed route,
with the former hoping the pipeline would reduce tanker traffic through the
environmentally sensitive Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits and the latter
seeking new routes to world markets. Turkey sees over 100 million tons of
petroleum products pass through its two straits -- the only maritime outlet for
Russian crude -- each year.
Following the early euphoria, however,
were growing concerns on the Russian side that the proposed shipment tariffs
for Samsun-Ceyhan oil were less attractive than the fees imposed for oil
transported via the Bosporus Strait, where accidents are a concern due to
congested oil tanker traffic.
The project is now on shaky ground.
‘It depends on whether this project will
be competitive enough to survive. … However, it does not seem so at the time
being,’ Novak said. Further revealing Moscow's waning interest in the pipeline,
Novak said that pumping Russian oil to world markets via Turkey's Black Sea
coast to the Mediterranean would be as much as 40% more expensive than sending
the oil via the Bosporus. ‘We need a technical feasibility report to prove this
is favourable enough for us to go further,’ Novak explained as his Government's
stance. He added that the ‘companies who have brought the project to the table
will need to make sure the project is financially attractive.’
Back in December, Novak said Russian
parties offered to pay $55 per ton of crude to flow through the Samsun-Ceyhan
pipeline; however, Ankara insisted the price be set at $77. ‘This $22
difference is what blocks the talks,’ he told a meeting in Moscow in December.
The Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline is designed to have an annual crude transfer
capacity of 50 million tons. If Russia were to provide the entire capacity of
crude, this would mean Russian firms would have to pay Turkey $1 billion more
than they expect given the price difference. Moscow, in this case, would need
to guarantee additional supplies from eastern neighbours to feed the pipeline.
‘If it is profitable enough for the
investors, we would love to see it built; otherwise, there is no meaning in
insisting. … This is not the end of the world,’ the Russian Minister said on
Saturday in Antalya.
Yildiz:
New firm could replace Eni on Samsun-Ceyhan project
Novak is not the first to voice the idea
of possibly scrapping the project; Transneft earlier raised concerns over the
viability of the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, saying the proposed Trans-Balkan
Pipeline from the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Burgas to the Greek port of
Alexandroupolis is a more attractive project. This project was, however,
scrapped by the Bulgarian government due to environmental and supply concerns
in December 2011.
Another problem crippling the project is
Ankara's recent ban of Italian firm Eni from projects in Turkey due to the
company's involvement in energy exploration in Greek Cyprus [Trans. Note:
Republic of Cyprus], a Government Turkey refuses to recognize.
Also evaluating the developments,
Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told Today's Zaman in Antalya on Saturday,
that Ankara is open to a new company to replace Eni on the project. ‘We asked
them to make a decision and they preferred to go ahead with their Cyprus
plans,’ he said.”
13. Fifty off-shores banks ended their activities
in the breakaway regime
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (22.04.13) reports that 50 off-shores banks ended their
activities in the breakaway regime during the last eleven years.
The paper writes
that according to data by the “central bank” and the self-styled financial
ministry, between 2001 and 2012, fisty banks which were activated in the
breakaway regime stop operating either because they faced Trade registry
problems or their licenses were cancelled.
14. The breakaway regime distributed plots at
Ardana village
Turkish Cypriot
daily Gunes newspaper (20.04.13) reports that the self-styled prime minister
Irsen Kucuk distributed building plots at occupied Ardana village to 74 young
persons.
The
distribution, which took place in a ceremony where “officials” of the breakaway
regime attended, is part of a project aiming to offer building plots to two
thousand youngers, according to Kucuk.
15. Historic and religious buildings in occupied
Famagusta are falling off
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (22.04.13) reports that cultural, religious and historic
buildings which are of a great world value in occupied Famagusta are falling
off because of the lack of interest by the breakaway regime, according to the
spokesman of the “Famagusta Initiate” Dr Okan Dagli.
In statements to
Kibris, Dr Dagli said that because of the way they are built and the climate in
occupied Famagusta, many buildings need special care but they do not receive it
by the “officials”.
16.
KRG Turkey’s natural extension, says Turkish deputy PM
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News
(online, 22.04.13) reports that Northern Iraq has become an “economically
natural extension of Turkey,” Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan has
said.
Turkey’s investments in the Kurdistan
Regional Government (KRG) region, the trade figures between the two sides, and
energy projects between Ankara and Arbil, all contribute to the growing links,
Anatolia news agency quoted Babacan as saying, after an International Monetary
and Financial Committee (IMFC) meeting held in Washington between April 18 and
20.
He also claimed that Turkey had avoided
distancing itself too much from the Iraqi central government in Baghdad, noting
that Turkey had a clear policy that respected Iraq’s territorial integrity and
political unity. Turkey does not want to see Arbil and Baghdad drift apart,
Babacan said, stressing that Baghdad should follow a “uniting policy” of close
ties with the KRG.
Turkish firms’ investments in the region
currently reach more than $700 million, the Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan
said at the beginning of this year. Exports to Iraq were worth around $11
billion last year. In addition, the government is continuing to encourage
Turkish energy companies to sign more agreements with the KRG for the region’s
rich oil and gas reserves. A leading Turkish energy company, Genel Energy, is
particularly active in the region.
17.
Turkey to sign 6 agreements with Kuwait and MoU with China
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(19.04.13), Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, speaking at the signature
ceremony of the Turkey-Kuwait 9th Term Joint Memorandum of Understanding on
Friday, said that Turkey and Kuwait agreed to raise their bilateral trade
volume to $1 billion by 2016. “As two Ministers, we will provide the necessary
support needed for this purpose,”Simsek added.
“We decided to sign six agreements with
Kuwait on maritime, cooperation between small and medium scale businesses,
cooperation in youths and sports fields, cooperation in education and science,
cooperation between free zones and in preservation of environment and natural
sources,” Simsek also said.
Kuwaiti Minister of Commerce and
Industry Anas al-Khalid al-Salih, in his part, said that the meeting they held
would promote cooperation between Turkey and Kuwait. Turkey has become the most
favourite holiday destination of Arab tourists, al-Salih also said.
A.A. also reports that Turkish Minister
of Food, Agriculture and Animal Breeding Mehdi Eker, during a gathering with
journalists at the Turkish Embassy in Beijing on Friday, said that he has
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in regards to food safety with Zhi
Shuping, Minister of China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision.
Eker stated that signing this memorandum of
understanding was very important for Turkey’s export of agricultural raw
materials and food industrial commodities to China. Mentioning that food
products from Turkey couldn't directly enter the Chinese market, Eker stated that
the memorandum of understanding paved the way.
“We aim to accelerate the work in this
field. We have the potential to multiply Turkey's agricultural product exports
to China worth $70 million currently,” Eker said, adding that they have signed
an agreement in regards to plant health and invited Zhi Shuping and the related
personnel to Turkey.
18.
Countdown to start for two new Turkish satellites
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News
(online, 22.04.13) with the above title, reports that the Turksat 4A and
Turksat 4B satellites, which have been built jointly by Turkish and Japanese
engineers, are about to be completed, Transport Minister Binali Yildirim has
said.
“98.8% of Turksat 4A and 89% of Turksat
4B is finished. After their tests are completed, we will send Turksat 4A to
space at the end of this year and Turksat 4B in the first quarter of 2014,”
Yildirim said.
“With Turksat 4A, also the African
continent will be covered by our satellites. With this satellite, we will be
able to cover the entire continent”, Yildirim said.
Turksat 4B is also being assembled
alongside 4A, and will host 43 channels when finally operational. Turksat 4B
will be orbiting at 50 degrees east and, like Turksat 4A, will cover North
Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
It will also offer internet services,
and will be able to provide cheap broadband Internet to those regions in Turkey
where the internet is not available through the current terrestrial
infrastructure, as well as to some neighbouring countries. With the launching
of the two satellites, Turkey’s satellite capacity will increase to three times
the present one.
19.
Israeli, Turkish delegations start talks on compensation for killing of 9
Turks
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet
Daily News (online, 22.04.13), an Israeli delegation arrived in Turkey today
for talks with Turkish officials concerning the compensation to be paid to the
families of victims of an Israeli raid on an aid flotilla in 2010.
A plane carrying the delegation landed
at Ankara Esenboga Airport in the morning then the team moved to Foreign
Ministry building to meet Turkish officials, led by Foreign Ministry
Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu. The Israeli team is expected to be headed
by Yaakov Amidror, the Prime Minister’s National Security Advisor, and the
Premier’s Special Envoy Joseph Ciechanover. The meeting is closed to the press.
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