1. AKP showing his frustration for Kucuk government fall by not sending on time the salaries of the civil servants
2. UBP “government” distributed 2.377 “citizenships” in the last four years
3. Famous Turkish persons among the electorates of the breakaway regime
4. Erk: “The Cyprus problem is a problem of the Cypriots”
5. U.S. Ambassador said that both sides should persuade their people for the benefits of a Cyprus settlement
6. Communist Labor Movement organized a protest in front of the “Turkish embassy” to Lefkosia
7. “New airline is a top priority”
8. More British in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
9. Bagis: Croatia’s EU membership means one more ally for Turkey in EU
10. Columnist observes that Israel tries to change energy balance
11. Turkey-Ukraine to cooperate in aviation, space technologies
1. AKP showing his frustration for Kucuk government fall by not sending on time the salaries of the civil servants
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (01.07.13) reports that Ankara which was not pleased with the fall of Irsen Kucuk “government”, did not send to the breakaway regime the money for the civil servants June salaries, sending to the employees the message that if the National Unity Party (UBP) is not elected again, their job is in trouble.
The salaries were expected to be paid last Friday and many persons faced various difficulties because their salaries were not paid on time, according to the paper.
Afrika also writes that the former “minister of finance” Ersin Tatar, who was among the persons who did not receive his money on time, stated that he was not able to pay for his loan a statement which caused a lot of reaction in the breakaway regime.
Commenting on the issue, UBP stated that while they were on “power”, there was no delay in salaries and pensions and added that the parties which formed the current “government” blame Turkey for the developments while they should blame their own incompetence.
On her part, the “prime minister” Sibel Siber, stated that the salaries are expected to be paid today, blaming the delay to technical issues.
The chairman of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) Izzet Izcan said that the financial protocol signed between Turkey and the breakaway regime must be cancelled and a news plan must be written by various institutions in occupied Cyprus. He also said that the period that “Ankara was taking the decisions and Lefkosia was putting them into action” belongs to the past.
Under the title “Salaries crisis”, Haberdar (01.07.13) reports on the same issue and writes that a political message was sent by Ankara which showed its reaction to the political developments and to the fall of the Kucuk “government”.
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In addition, illegal Bayrak (01.07.13) broadcast that the self-styled prime minister Siber making statements following a meeting of the “council of ministers” stated that they will not be able to pay the salaries of the civil servants today because the technical problems faced by the |government” continues. She said that they will try to pay at least 60% of the employees today and the rest will be paid soon.
2. UBP “government” distributed 2.377 “citizenships” in the last four years
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (01.07.13) reports that the self-styled minister of interior and local administrator Gulsun Yucel criticized the policy followed by the National Unity (UBP) “government” regarding the distribution of “TRNC citizenships”, gun license and rural area plots, noting that it acted arbitrary.
Yucel who said that the actions of the previous “government” created uneasiness and a feeling of inequality in occupied Cyprus, said that in the last four years 2.377 “TRN citizenships” were distributed and added that gun license was given to 63 persons in a period of five months.
3. Famous Turkish persons among the electorates of the breakaway regime Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli 901.07.13) reports that among the persons who have the “right to vote” in the forthcoming 28 July “elections” of the breakaway regime, are famous Turkish persons from the fields of politics, media and sports.
The paper writes that Turkish politicians like Sukru Sina Gurel, Zeki Celiker former MP with the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Yalim Erez former Minister of Industry and the son of the late Turgut Ozal, Murat Mehmet Ozal are among the persons who can “vote”.
From the media field, Refik Erduran, Togay Bayatli Mehmet Ugur Guneri and Reha Can Urus and from the sports field Alp Yalman, Guvenc Kurtlar and Rasim Kara are among the persons who can “vote”.
4. Erk: “The Cyprus problem is a problem of the Cypriots”
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeniduzen newspaper (01.07.13) reports that Kutlay Erk, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, speaking to the paper, said that all the initiatives of the Greek Cypriots to start a direct dialogue with Turkey by precluding the Turkish Cypriots will not give any results. He added that the Cyprus problem is a problem of the Cypriot sides.
Noting that Turkey makes a great contribution to the result of the negotiations by saying that its supports the process for a solution, Erk said that the Greek Cypriot politicians should not exploit or misjudge this stance of Turkey.
Commenting on the natural gas issue, Erk said that there are two important points. The first and most important is the solution of the Cyprus problem. Then the whole island should be integrated to the world and be transformed into a welfare country, which has obtained its integrity within the EU. Second, the Turkish and Greek Cypriots should be benefit together from the natural wealth of the island every second and every time without looking what the political conditions are and what the status is.
5. U.S. Ambassador said that both sides should persuade their people for the benefits of a Cyprus settlement
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (30.06.13) published in its front page, under the title “A joint movement for solution”, an interview by John M. Koenig, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus.
U.S. Ambassador said to the paper that the expectations for a solution in both communities have been decreased, adding that the sides in order to invigorate this, they should try to act jointly instead of being rivals to each other.
He also added that they should try together to persuade their people on the benefits that a solution may bring, adding that this stance is an important point to conduct the process. He stressed that the process for a comprehensive solution is mostly related to the public opinion.
Commenting on the energy sources, Ambassador said that the energy sources may be used to solve many problems.
6. Communist Labor Movement organized a protest in front of the “Turkish embassy” to Lefkosia
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (01.07.13) reports that the Communist Labor Movement organized a protest yesterday in front of the “Turkish embassy” to Lefkosia.
The Movement carried a banner in which it was written “We will fight for a united and independent Cyprus and we will win”.
7. “New airline is a top priority”
According to an article in ……signed by Keren Hasan, Chief reporter,a new “national carrier” for North Cyprus (as occupied Cyprus in called) could be on the agenda as part of plans to boost tourism in the country and push down ticket prices.
A leading politician campaigning for this development has already registered the name Cyprus Turkish Airlines International abroad.
Speaking to Cyprus Today Democrat Party-National Forces (DP-UG) chairman Serdar Dentash, currently a high – ranking member of the coalition, revealed: “We have already registered the name Cyprus Turkish Airlines International abroad.
“We are very sensitive on this issue and we have put this as a priority into our manifesto. We are talking with investors and have spoken with aviation officials who have advised that we can start the airline with just three aircraft.
“There is a need to take out the necessary permissions and slots. We want to involve all sectors to ensure the government does not use the airline as its own plaything- which was the reason for the collapse of CTA”.
Buran Atakan chairman of the union representing aviation workers (Hava-sen), welcomed the move saying: “Mr Denktash has always shown great passion for North Cyprus to have its own national carrier.
“We welcome this initiative and will be meeting with him and the head of the
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) who has also told us of their interest in taking this initiative if they come to government.
“At present, we miss having CTA. Its absence has resulted in a monopoly being given to the private sector with ticket prices to London costing up to 1,599TL return. You cannot attract tourists with such ticket prices.
“The type of partnership between the state and private sectors has to be worked on when deciding how to structure the new airline. But the first steps by Mr Denktash are very welcome indeed”.
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CTP chairman Ozkan Yorganciolu said: “We pledge that if we come to government after the election, we will start investigations as to how we can form a new national airline.
“This is something we all want in our hearts.
“But we cannot state for sure what will happen until feasibility research is carried out. But we are certainly willing to take the initiative”.
Work to form a part-private, par-public North Cyprus Airlines, with the backing of Turkish Airlines, in 2011, fell apart after a dispute between the previous government and private sector shareholders.
8. More British in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
According to Turkish Cypriot Cyprus Today newspaper (29.06.13), the so-called minister of tourism, environment and culture Mehmet Harmanci, speaking to a delegation from “Cyprus Turkish Travel Agencies Union” (“KITSAB”), said that more British are holidaying in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus than last year.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (01.07.13) reports that the room capacity of the hotels in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus reached the 65% for June.
9. Bagis: Croatia’s EU membership means one more ally for Turkey in EU
According to Ankara Anadolia news agency (online, 30.06.13), Turkish Minister of EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis on Sunday said Croatia's joining the European Union (EU) meant that Turkey would have another ally in EU.
Bagis, who is in Zagreb to attend the celebrations for Croatia's joining the EU, told AA that he congratulated Croatia for its EU's membership and said: “l am honoured to attend the celebration on behalf of Turkey”. He added: “Croatia as a member of the EU means that Turkey will have another ally in EU.”
Regarding Turkey's EU membership process, Bagis said on Saturday that Turkey's EU membership process was more important than its result. This process is important for us being a more democratic, transparent and prosper country, Bagis told reporters before he had arrived in Croatia.
Bagis said that Turkey's EU membership had been delayed with political reasons.
10. Columnist observes that Israel tries to change energy balance
Columnist Meliha Okur, writing in Turkish daily Sabah (29.06.13), under the title “Reading the Israeli Gas Correctly”, views that the game is never over in natural gas.
He argues that although Nabucco has been dumped in the wastebasket of projects, Israel has been racing forward in the eastern Mediterranean. It is trying to change regional balances with the gas reserves it has discovered.
Okur writes, inter alia, the following: “For the past three years, [Israel] has been doing its homework on the engineering and the political economy of pumping the gas from the eastern Mediterranean to the EU. It is currently preoccupied with the transportation of 6 billion cubic meters of gas [to the EU] in the first phase.
However, it may not be able to meet this objective. It is now working hard to utilize the coasts of Cyprus and Egypt. The first step in this direction was taken last week. Noble Energy of the United States and Delek Drilling [of Israel] signed a $10-billion preliminary agreement to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in south Cyprus. Turkey will definitely be a part of the project if this terminal will be supported with a pipeline. Experts say that the pipeline will cost at most $2.5 billion to build. A $10-billion terminal and a $2.5-billion pipeline... Why did Israel go for such a costly terminal at this initial stage?
Strategist Dursun Yildiz says: ‘Turkey has proposed a 'population-based' sharing model for the oil and natural gas to be extracted off the shores of Cyprus. It wants the two parts of Cyprus to share the revenue generated in proportion to their population.’
Israel's natural gas has geopolitical implications. In the meantime, Turkey is neither ‘at the table’ or ‘absent from the table’. Israel keeps swinging between ‘giving’ and ‘not giving’. The two countries appear to be passing the ball to each other in a narrow field.
The objective is to formulate a joint policy. The venture will be shaped based on the rules of the club and the extent to which the sides keep their mutual pledges at the table. Let us keep an eye on the pivot country of the region that has thrown a line to south Cyprus and Greece.”
11. Turkey-Ukraine to cooperate in aviation, space technologies
According to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online, 30.06.13), Turkey and Ukraine are set to boost their cooperation in defence, energy, space technologies and transportation.
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Ukraine's state-owned aircraft company Antonov are planning, in a joint venture, to develop medium-range aircraft for civilian and military purposes. “We have a developing cooperation between Antonov and TAI,” Leonid Kozhara, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, told Today's Zaman in an exclusive interview. As part of the cooperation in the aerospace industry, the two countries are also considering the joint production of space launch vehicles.
The paper also reports that energy may also become an area of close cooperation. Ukraine offers support to the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP) project, which is designed to carry Azerbaijani natural gas to European markets via Turkey. “We are also going to cooperate with the Turkish government in TANAP,” said Kozhara, underlining the country's willingness to be part of TANAP. Ukraine, which has Europe's biggest natural gas storage facilities, has made considerable progress in reducing consumption of imported energy.
Transportation around and over the Black Sea is still another area on which the two countries are set to cooperate. “There is a strong mutual interest to develop transportation corridors running from the north to the south, connecting the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Foreign Minister Kozhara remarked, noting that Ukraine has launched some very successful transportation projects with Baltic countries.
The transportation project is not only about water routes but also about container transportation, railway routes, ferry lines and air routes. “We have full support from the Turkish side,” Kozhara said. The transportation corridor may also extend down to Egypt and North Africa and countries in the South Caucasus. The Minister, who was recently in Georgia, affirmed that Georgia is also willing to take part in the project.
A ring-road around the Black Sea is another project to which both countries give support. It is projected to be a project in which not only highways but also railroads and other means of transportation will be used, thanks to which Black Sea littoral states and other nearby countries will be strongly connected to one another.
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