TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
No. 91/13 16/05/13
C O N T E N T S
1. Turkey’s TPAO to carry out oil exploration
activities in the occupied Karpassia as well
2.
Kucuk gave the message to Feltman that 2013 is the right time for a solution
3.
“EU looks to Turkey to help ‘Greek Cyprus’”
4.
An international conference of ETUCE will be held in occupied Famagusta
5.
The breakaway regime opened 6 tourism promotion offices
6.
The Association of Turkish Cypriot Doctors was granted the observer status of
FEMS
7.
Statistic figures about the tourists in the occupied area of Cyprus
8.
The breakaway regime grant more “citizenships” to Turkish citizens
9.
More increases were implemented in the occupied area of Cyprus; reactions by
several trade unions
10.
A change at the “e-passports” at the “nationality” section
11.
History books in Turkey to be revised
12. Turkey hosts international oil & gas congress;
Turkey plans to buy a third oil exploration vessel
1. Turkey’s TPAO to carry out oil exploration
activities in the occupied Karpassia as well
Under
the title: “TPAO: ‘We are searching for oil in Karpassia as well’”, Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (16.05.13) reports that Turkish State-run
oil company (TPAO), has announced yesterday, that it had added the occupied
Karpassia as well, to the areas where it carries out “oil exploration
researches” in the occupied area of Cyprus.
According
to the paper, the company announced that it has carried out yesterday seismic
research in the peninsula of occupied Karpassia. The information was confirmed
by Ahmet Captug, responsible of TPAO for the Eastern Mediterranean region.
In
exclusive statements to the paper, Ahmet Captug referred to the oil exploration
activities of TPAO in the occupied area of Cyprus which are being carried out
for one year now; adding that they, at the moment, also carry out works in the
area between Apostolos Andreas Cape-Golden Beach. Stating that the works they
carried out are seismic research works before to proceed to the drill, Captug
said that he is not able to give any information yet whether they will find out
and explore oil or not. Captug, however added that they are hopeful about the
issue of oil to be found there.
AK
2. Kucuk gave the message to Feltman that 2013 is the
right time for a solution
According
to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (16.05.13), so-called prime minister Irsen
Kucuk after completing his contacts in Washington moved to New York, where he
had an important meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs
Jeffrey Feltman. The meeting, which was held at the Turkish House (Turk Evi) in
New York, was kept secret until the last minute, the paper reports.
During
the meeting, Kucuk said that they support the efforts of the UN to achieve
progress in Cyprus until the end of 2013. He added: “We, as Turkish Cypriot
side, believe that the Cyprus problem can be solved within the year 2013”.
Furthermore, Kucuk argued that 2013 is the right time for a solution.
The
paper also reports that diplomatic circles in New York evaluated the
realization of Kucuk’s meeting as gain acceleration of the process in the
Cyprus problem, adding that that Cyprus problem is now in the agenda of Turkey,
and at the same period, international players as UN, NATO and the EU have put
again in their agenda the Cyprus problem, and Washington with London are also
more active.
Noting
that the Cyprus problem is in a point that influences negatively the
international relations, the diplomatic sources argued that international
institutions as UN, NATO and the EU cannot contribute to the process of
democratization of different countries, which are geographically closed to the
Cyprus, because of the Cyprus problem. The same sources claimed that the
efforts for a Cyprus settlement within 2013 will be increased, adding that the
initiatives of Ankara that this is the right time for a solution have started to
give results.
3. “EU looks to Turkey to help ‘Greek Cyprus’”
In a
commentary entitle: “EU looks to Turkey to help Greek Cyprus”, columnist Semiz
Idiz writes in Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (16.05.13) the following:
“The
EU’s economic affairs commissioner Olli Rehn is calling for the reunification
of Cyprus as a way out for the Greek Cypriot economy, which experts predict
will contract by 13% over the next two years.
‘It
is worth recalling that the reunification of the island would give a major boost
to the economic and social development of Cyprus,’ Rehn told members of the
European Parliament on May 8, according to Euobserver.com.
Daniel
Cohn-Bendit, who heads the Greens in the European Parliament, came out recently
with a similar statement, reprimanding the EU for not insisting on a
reunification clause in the bailout package for Greek Cyprus. ‘Turkish
investors will only invest in Cyprus when there’s a reunification,’ he was
quoted by the media saying.
There
is more than one bitter irony here, the main one being that EU officials are
now looking to Turkey as one of the ways out for a crisis-stricken member. This
must be hard to swallow for Greek Cypriots who are said to be extremely wary of
current calls for a settlement to the Cyprus problem, believing that the
Turkish side will take advantage of their woes. Euobserver.com also quoted
Fiona Mullen, an analyst with the Nicosia-based Sapienta Economics, who said: ‘The
dominant discourse in the mainstream [Greek Cypriot] media is: ‘We don’t want
to be blackmailed into accepting a solution that we find to be unacceptable.’’
That
path, however, appears clear for a growing number of EU officials, even if it
is not for Greek Cypriots, who are today seriously traumatized. What Rehn and
Cohn-Bendit, and others like them, are saying in effect, is that Turkey, whose
economy continues to grow, should be availed of by Greek Cyprus as it seeks a
way out of its current situation.
The
reunification that EU officials are plugging now will of course mean a power
sharing settlement to the Cyprus problem, based on a bi-communal and bi-zonal
arrangement in which the two communities enjoy political equality. But the
Greek Cypriots rejected this formula a decade ago when they went to a
referendum on the Annan Plan.
Defunct
as that plan may be, it nevertheless encapsulates the basic tenets that any
settlement has to include. Judging by what Mullen and others are saying,
however, minds have not changed much in the south of the island in this respect
since the Annan Plan was rejected.
What
has changed fundamentally, however, is not just the economic situation of Greek
Cypriots. Today their deep resentment is focused more on the EU, which they
hoped when they joined a decade ago would not only enrich them further – given
that their per capita income was already high – but, much more crucially, would
also give them serious leverage over Turkey.
The
unfair treatment meted out by the EU to the Turkish Cypriots, despite the fact
that they accepted the Annan Plan in line with EU expectations, appeared to
encourage them in this expectation too. But then the ‘knife touched the bone,’
to quote a Turkish saying, and Greek Cyprus started becoming an expensive
proposition for Europe.
Today,
more and more EU officials are singing a different tune on Greek Cyprus’s EU
membership, with much regret being aired over this. Greek Cypriots would never
have predicted, of course, that 10 years after joining their EU membership
would turn out to be the real bane of their lives.
It
is logical, however, for them to look to Turkey at a time like this, and aim
for a settlement that is not based on brinkmanship or one-upmanship. They will
most likely find an interlocutor in Turkey that is not a ‘blackmailer,’ but
rather is cooperative, since an equitable settlement on Cyprus also serves the
interests of Ankara and the Turkish Cypriots.
The
hope is that once their trauma is over this will become more apparent to Greek
Cypriots, given the way balances are changing, not just in Europe, but also in
the Eastern Mediterranean. Otherwise, it will be a case of, ‘You go your way,
and I’ll go mine,’ which would be of no benefit to anyone”.
4. An international conference of ETUCE will be held
in occupied Famagusta
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (16.05.13)
reports that the international conference of “Peace education in schools”
organized by the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) will
finally be held at the Salamis Bay hotel in occupied Famagusta between 17-18
May, although the conference is taking place in the occupied part of the
Republic of Cyprus. As a result of this, the Greek Cypriot Unions of Education
will not participate in the conference.
5. The breakaway regime
opened 6 tourism promotion offices
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika (16.05.13)
reports that the breakaway regime in the occupied part of the Republic of
Cyprus have opened 6 more new “tourism promotion offices” in Baku of
Azerbaijan, in Amsterdam of Netherlands, in Tehran of Iran, in Stockholm of
Sweden, in Brussels of Belgium and in Rome of Italy.
According to the decision of the so-called
council of ministers, they had to open these offices, so they could play a more
active role in these towns.
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (16.05.13)
reports that the Association of Turkish Cypriot Doctors (KTTB) became member of
the European Federation of Salaried Doctors (FEMS).
The
Chairman of the KTTB Ozdemir Berova, in a written statement, said that the
application of the Association of Turkish Cypriot Doctors dated 26 January 2013
to become members of the FEMS was approved by the board of FEMS for the status of observer, during the
General Assembly of FEMS, which was held in Budapest, between 10-11 May 2013.
The
paper reports that the KTTB attended the General Assembly of FEMS in Budapest.
7. Statistic figures about the tourists in the
occupied area of Cyprus
Under
the title: “180 thousand tourists in four months”, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin
Sesi (16.05.13) reports that the so-called ministry of tourism, environment and
culture has announced that the hotel capacity in the occupied area of Cyprus
for April, 2013 has been increased by 9% and reached to 42%, compared to the
same period of 2012.
According
to statistic figures given by the “ministry”, the number of foreign passengers
in the occupied areas of Cyprus during 2009 was 37,637, while, during the first
four months of 2013 this numbers has reached to 68,528.
The
same increase has been observed also to the total number of passengers since
during 2009 this number was 218.645 while during 2013 was determined to be
339.557.
The
statement by the “ministry” said also that during the first four months of 2013,
charter flights were conducted to the occupied area of Cyprus from Germany, the
Netherlands, Australia, Iran, Belgium, the UK, Slovenia and Denmark.
The
statement adds that by the end of 2013, charter flights will be launched from 3
Scandinavian countries and from 1 country from the Centre Europe.
The
statement said also that during the period January-April 2013, 180.775 tourists
had visited the occupied area of Cyprus.
(...).
AK
8. The breakaway regime grant more “citizenships” to
Turkish citizens
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika (16.05.13)
reports that the “official gazette” published the following names of citizens
from Turkey, who have been granted “citizenship” by the breakaway regime in the
occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus: Mehmet Isbilen, Tayfun Kuyan, Mustafa
Bayrakci, Murat Tenekeci.
9. More increases were implemented in the occupied
area of Cyprus; reactions by several trade unions
Under
the front-page title: “We are suffocated from the increases on the prices”,
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen (16.05.13) reports that the citizens in the
occupied area of Cyprus are being economically ruined because of the new
imposition of increases on the prices of fuel, oil gas and electricity.
Comparing
the prices of fuel oil, the paper writes that the price of 95 octane per litre
in 2008 was 1.90 TL, while in 2013 it has reached to 3.25 TL. Also, the liquefied
petroleum gas price in 2008 was 19TL while in 2013, 36.5 TL. The electricity
price per Kw in 2008 was 0.38TL while in 2013 is 0.52TL.
The
paper writes that the above mentioned increase of prices in the occupied area
of Cyprus caused the reaction of several trade unions.
HUR-Is
trade Union, demanded the withdrawal of the increases on prices especially on
bread and fuels.
Commenting
also on the increase on the prices, Alican Kabakci, chairman of the Turkish
Cypriot Farmer’s Union accused the so-called UBP government in the occupied
area of Cyprus for the problems experienced, calling the so-called government
to resign.
Kabakci
called the opposition group inside the UBP party to submit a “motion of
censure” against the UBP government and asked also from the other opposition
parties to support this.
Stating
that the only remedy to find solution to their problems is the “early
elections”, Kabakci added in his statements that nothing has been left for the
“UBP government” to offer to the community.
Similar
statements were also made by TURK-Sen trade union as well as the “Consumer’s
Association” which called the so-called government to resign.
AK
10. A change at the “e-passports” at the “nationality”section
Turkish
Cypriot daily Afrika (16.05.13) reports that according to a decision of the
so-called council of ministers on 22 of April, from now on, at the section of “nationality”
inside the “e-passport”, it would be written “TRNC” instead of Turkish
Cypriot.
11. History books in Turkey to be revised
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (16.05.13) reports that Turkey’s Education Minister
Nabi Avcı has said that discriminatory statements in history textbooks will be
removed.
The
Board of Education and Discipline is working on a revision of the content of
history textbooks, Avcı said at a symposium in Istanbul on May 15. “The Board
of Education and Discipline is conducting a rooted study regarding all history
education”.
“History
textbooks will be revised,” said Avcı. “The board is working comprehensively on
removing the remarks that discriminate between us instead of uniting us and to
write textbooks that include the success of all peoples,” said Avcı.
“I
cannot tell you item by item, but all history textbooks are being revised one
by one. They will complete each other in a coherent way,” Avcı told reporters
upon questions.
Avcı
also said there were many elements in history textbooks that disturbed him;
however he declined to give an example of this. “You will see them [disturbing
remarks] when we correct them. It will be an open-ended study”, Avci also
added.
(…)
12. Turkey hosts international oil & gas congress;
Turkey plans to buy a third oil exploration vessel
Ankara
Anatolia news agency (15.05.13) reported that the 19th International Petroleum
and Natural Gas Congress and Exhibition of Turkey started on Wednesday.
"We
aim to be one of the world's top ten economies in 2023. To that end, the Energy
Ministry develops its strategies in line with this vision. Our vision is to
play an active role not only within the boundaries of Turkey but in the world
as well. And this requires competition not protectionism," said Murat
Mercan, Turkey's deputy energy minister.
Mercan
also stated that Turkey grew rapidly in the past decade, adding: "Our
country had just one oil exploration ship ten years ago but today we are
preparing to receive a third one."
The
congress is organized jointly by UCTEA (Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers
and Architects), Chamber of Geophysical Engineers (CGE), UCTEA Chamber of
Petroleum Engineers (CPE) and the Turkish Association of Petroleum Geologists (TAPG).
It will last till May 17 in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
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