TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 135/13 19/07/2013
1. Eroglu claimed that the
forthcoming negotiations is the last chance for Cyprus settlement
2.
Ertug comments on Andreas Mavroyiannis’ appointment as negotiator of the Greek
Cypriot side in the Cyprus talks
3.
Eroglu briefs Turkish and foreign journalists on the Cyprus problem
4.
Yildiz: Barbaros seismic research vessel will conduct seismic research around
the south part of occupied Cyprus
5.
Self-styled deputy speaker briefed foreign journalists on the "effect of
the search for natural gas, on Cyprus talks"
6.
Atalay and Cicek to illegally visit the occupied Cyprus for Turkish invasion’s
celebrations
7.
Pollution reaches the coasts of occupied Vokolida; Self-styled minister says
the leak was over 100 tons
8.
TMT’s letter to UNSG demanding recognition of the breakaway regime “TRNC”
9.
Ankara says won't tolerate PYD's fait accompli in northern Syria
10. Erdogan defends
Egypt and Syria stance, criticizes EU at Ambassadors’ iftar dinner
1. Eroglu claimed that the forthcoming
negotiations is the last chance for Cyprus settlement
Turkish
Cypriot on-line Kibris Postasi newspaper (19.07.13) broadcast that the Turkish
Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, delivering a speech regarding the 39th
anniversary of the Turkish invasion to Cyprus, alleged that the forthcoming
Cyprus negotiations will be the last chance for the solution of the Cyprus
problem.
“I am
saying this very clearly. The last chance is in front of us. Either we evaluate
this opportunity and reach a solution, or the possibility for reaching a
permanent agreement will be lost completely”, he alleged.
Eroglu,
who praised Turkey for conducting the invasion to Cyprus, stated that the
realities in Cyprus must not be denied. Referring further to the negotiations,
Eroglu said they expect the talks to be launched in October and alleged that
the Turkish side is honest as regards its intension for a solution based on the
realities in Cyprus.
He went
on alleging that the Cyprus problem will continue to be a “national problem”
for the whole of Turkey.
2.
Ertug comments on Andreas Mavroyiannis’ appointment as negotiator of the
Greek Cypriot side in the Cyprus talks
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(19.07.13) reports that Osman Ertug, Turkish Cypriot leader’s spokesman and
special representative, has alleged that the appointment of Andreas
Mavroyiannis by the National Council as negotiator of the Greek Cypriot side in
the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, was a decision
taken with delay. In statements to Kirbis, Ertug said that the important thing
is the functions of the persons not the titles. Ertug claimed that if the
intention behind the appointment of Andreas Mavroyiannis as negotiator is to
degrade the level of the negotiations, this will cause difficulties.
Ertug alleged that it would be a “false
pretext”, if President Anastasiades showed the economy as a reason for
refraining from the negotiations” and claimed that the Turkish Cypriots are
also dealing with their economic problems, but they negotiate. “We are dealing
with environmental disasters but we negotiate”, he argued alleging that “it is
in Anastasiades hand to show political will”.
He argued: “The leaders can take the
political decisions in the name of their peoples. The two leaders will continue
negotiating. Neither we nor the UN have different view on this issue. Degrading
the level is not correct and acceptable… If the issue is to degrade [the
negotiations by] one level, this situation will complicate the negotiations and
show that the other side continues its delaying tactics”.
Referring to the powers, which, he said,
the National Council has been given recently, Ertug wondered whether the Turkish
Cypriot side will be negotiating with President Anastasiades or with the
National Council. He added; “Mr Anastasiades says he will be asking the
approval of the political parties which represent 75% of the people in the
National Council when he submits proposals at the negotiations. He says that
even our proposals could be discussed only in case this 75% approves them”.
Alleging that the majority of the
parties in the National Council have “hard line views”, he claimed that the
mechanism which is created is very complicated and that the negotiator’s manoeuvre
area and the way he could be acting within this mechanism is debatable. He said that news has been published on the
issue of the extent to which the decisions of the National Council will be binding
for President Anastasiades and alleged that this shows that the Greek Cypriot
leader has completely transferred his powers to the National Council.
Ertug said that they will share their
concerns with UN Secretary-General’s special adviser Alexander Downer who is
expected to visit the island shortly.
(I/Ts.)
3.
Eroglu briefs Turkish and foreign journalists on the Cyprus problem
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(19.07.13) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu briefed
yesterday Turkish and foreign journalists on the Cyprus problem. The paper
writes that the journalists are visiting the occupied area of Cyprus in order
to participate in the celebrations for 20 July on the occasion of the Turkish
invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
Asked to comment on the appointment of
Andreas Mavroyiannis by the National Council as negotiator of the Greek Cypriot
side in the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, Eroglu
said that the UN recognizes the two community leaders as negotiators, that the
negotiations are held between the community leaders and that the community
leaders are the ones who will take a possible agreement text to referendum.
Eroglu said that the two community
leaders will be the decision taking centre in the negotiations and alleged that
President Anastasiades “binds himself too much on the National Council’ and
tries to change the position of the National Council which is not a decision
taking centre.
Eroglu reiterated the Turkish allegation
that the Turkish side was not the side that runs away from the negotiations and
that it has accepted three solution plans submitted by UN Secretary-Generals
Peres de Quellar, Boutros Ghali and Kofi Annan. He claimed that from the
establishment of their so-called Federated State in 1975 until the declaration
of the “TRNC” in 1983, the Turkish Cypriots waited for the Greek Cypriots to
accept a federal solution in Cyprus and alleged that even in the declaration
prepared for the establishment of the “TRNC”, they included an article which
does not reject “a federal partnership”.
Eroglu said that he had informed
President Anastasiades that he wants the negotiations, which most probably will
recommence in October, to continue with a time limit.
Eroglu alleged that if the foreign
journalists saw the “realities” and write them down when they return to their
countries, they would be influential on the issue of the Greek Cypriots’ “being
brought to the negotiating table”.
(I/Ts.)
4.
Yildiz: Barbaros seismic research vessel will conduct seismic research
around the south part of occupied Cyprus
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 18.07.13), Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner
Yıldız, replying to reporters’ questions after his meeting with the Executive
Director of the International Energy Agency Maria Van Der Hoeven, said that the
Barbaros Hayrettin seismic research vessel will conduct seismic research around
Cyprus’s occupied waters in the period ahead.
This will be the first research zone of
the vessel.
Yıldız informed that the plan is to
conduct seismic research around Cyprus’s waters in the occupied part of the
Republic of Cyprus, across an area of 10 thousand 500 km.
5.
Self-styled deputy speaker briefed foreign journalists on the "effect
of the search for natural gas, on Cyprus talks"
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen
newspaper (19.07.13) reports that the self-styled deputy speaker of the
"TRNC assembly" Mustafa Yektaoglu briefed the foreign journalists and
politicians, who have been invited for the celebrations on the occasion of the
39th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of the island, on the "effect of
the search for natural gas, on Cyprus talks" yesterday at the occupied
municipality of Geunyeli.
According to the paper, Yektaoglu
accused the Greek Cypriot side of unilaterally conducting all the international
agreement’s since 1963 and alleged that this has damaged the Cyprus
negotiations. He also claimed that the agreement regarding natural gas is an
example of this.
Yektaoglu also stated that an agreement
will strengthen the cooperation and the peace between the two “people” in
Cyprus and added that their vision is cooperation and peace in Middle East. He
also added that in the coming 5-6 years the income of the natural gas will
stimulate the solution of the Cyprus problem, adding that energy must not be
used for fighting in politics, but as a contribution to peace. He also said
that both “people” in Cyprus should benefit from natural gas.
6.
Atalay and Cicek to illegally visit the occupied Cyprus for Turkish invasion’s
celebrations
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen
newspaper (19.07.13) reports that the deputy prime minister of Turkey Besir
Atalay and the spokesman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Cemil Cicek
will illegally visit the breakaway regime for the celebration for the
anniversary of the Turkish invasion to Cyprus.
According to the paper, Atalay will
arrive in occupied Cyprus today in the afternoon, while Cicek will arrive
tomorrow morning.
7.
Pollution reaches the coasts of occupied Vokolida; Self-styled minister says
the leak was over 100 tons
Under the title “Fear and concern in
Karpasia”, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (19.07.13) reports that
the pollution, which has been caused by many tons of oil leaked in the sea of
occupied Gastria village during the unloading of a ship at AKSA Energy
company’s electric power station in the area, reached the coasts of occupied
Vokolida village. Noting that fears came true, Halkin Sesi writes that in an
effort to clean up the beaches, some hotels in the area tried to take with a
digger and bury the sand that contained oil, but “officials caught them”.
Meanwhile, the supply of water from the
desalination plant in Vokolida stopped due to the fear of possible pollution of
the underground sources from the oil. According to the paper, water is supplied
with tankers to the inhabitants of the area.
Pointing out that fear and concern
prevails in the area, Halkin Sesi publishes statements by the self-styled mayor
of occupied Galatia who said that 95% of the tourism of the area was influenced
by the disaster and added that absolutely no tourist remained.
Moreover, the teams of the Turkish
SEAGULL firm, which will clean the oil and four containers (TIR) of equipment, have come from Turkey. The
100-member-teams started working yesterday morning.
Self-styled minister of tourism,
environment and culture, Mehmet Harmanci noted that the rough dirt of the oil,
which has been spread to an area of seven kilometres, will be cleaned within
7-10 days.
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper
(19.07.13) reports that Harmanci said also that the leak was over 100 tons.
According to the paper, the disaster is greater than expected and the sea of
occupied Famagusta has been closed to the people for this year.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (19.07.13) reports that
Dr. Nurcin Arikbuka, responsible for the Unit on the Environment of the Turkish
Cypriot Physicians Union, said that people and especially children and pregnant
women should refraining from entering into the sea until the water of the area
is analysed and it is reported as clean.
Noting that 72 hours passed from the
disaster, the paper writes that the equipment which should have come from
Turkey delayed.
(I/Ts.)
8.
TMT’s letter to UNSG demanding recognition of the breakaway regime “TRNC”
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 18.07.13), “TMT Turkish Cypriot resistance fighters’ association” has
sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in which “it called on
the UN to encourage the two peoples of Cyprus to live under the roof of two
neighbouring states, just like Turkey and Greece”.
The TMT association, headed by Yılmaz
Bora, handed the letter to the UNFICYP official at the Ledra Palace checkpoint
on Thursday to be delivered to the UN Chief Ban Ki Moon.
Speaking there, Bora claimed that
“Turkish Cypriots, who have been living in peace under the roof of their own
state, no longer see the necessity to live together with Greek Cypriots in a
united Cyprus”, adding that “the Cyprus problem can be solved with the
recognition of the TRNC as a separate state”.
In the letter, Bora criticized “the
international community for treating the Greek Cypriot administration as the
so-called Cyprus Republic at the expense of the vested rights of the Turkish
Cypriots”. He concluded: “No one should expect the Turkish Cypriot side to wait
another half a century for the Greek Cypriot side to develop the necessary will
for a solution.”
9.
Ankara says won't tolerate PYD's fait accompli in northern Syria
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online,
18.07.13) reported that the Turkish General Staff has confirmed that the
Democratic Union Party (PYD) -- a political offshoot of the terrorist Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK) in Syria -- has captured Ras al-Ain on Syria's northern
border with Turkey, while the Turkish government assures that it will never
tolerate an autonomous Kurdish administration in northern Syria.
The PYD has been fighting against
opposition fighters in northern Syria for months in an effort to gain an
advantage and declare autonomy in a nation rocked by a war between President
Bashar al-Assad's regime forces and opposition groups. The PYD seized control
of the Syrian town of Ras al-Ain -- very close to Turkey's Ceylanpınar district
of Şanlıurfa -- which heightened Ankara's fears that the emergence of an
autonomous Kurdish region in Syria could embolden home-grown militants of the
PKK, which is fighting for autonomy in Turkey. Just days before, the PYD
declared that it would establish autonomy in northern Syrian on July 19.
Turkish
experts: PYD's declaration part of bigger plan
Experts say an autonomous Kurdish region
in northern Syrian is the second piece in a four-part puzzle of a “Kurdistan
country,” just as it was drawn in a map published by the English Financial
Times in 1983 -- the years when PKK was newly emerging. That map, which depicts
potential borders of the Middle East in 2010, show a big Kurdish country
separated into four pieces -- one in northern Iraq, one in northern Syria, one
in Iran and the last in Turkey's southeast. There is already an autonomous
administration in northern Iraq and now another autonomous region is emerging
in northern Syria.
Adnan Tanrıverdi, a retired senior
general, told Today's Zaman that Turkey might be the next destination for this
plan, adding that it should support the opposition groups in Syria against the
PYD forces. Tanrıverdi said Turkey has to strengthen the opposition forces by
providing weapons, money and logistic support, adding that “Although it will be
a long-term process, what the PYD has done is a clear step towards a new
country.”
Professor Mesut Hakkı Caşın from
Yeditepe University told Today's Zaman that al-Assad left Ras al-Ain to the
PYD. He said, “According to UN decisions, Turkey has the right to conduct
cross-border ‘hot pursuit' operations in Syria if terrorist activity near its
borders is detected.” He has heard claims that PKK terrorists, who are withdrawing
from Turkish lands as part of an ongoing settlement process launched by the
Turkish government in 2012 to end its Kurdish problem, are joining PYD forces
in northern Syria and believes this is a clear threat to Turkey's national
security.
Retired Maj. Yakup Evirgen, who is also
an expert on defence issues, said in an interview with Today's Zaman that the
aim of the PYD in its recent move, is to make Turkey's foreign policies in
Syria ineffective and to strengthen the PKK's hand in the settlement process.
Evirgen said that the PYD, by declaring autonomy in Syria, is trying to put the
Turkish government under pressure to move forward in the settlement process.
10. Erdogan
defends Egypt and Syria stance, criticizes EU at Ambassadors’ iftar dinner
Turkey daily Hurriyet Daily News
(online, 19.07.13) reports that Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
defended Turkey’s stance vis-à-vis the military takeover in Egypt and Syria,
while criticizing the European Union for the slowness of accession negotiations
in his address to foreign ambassadors in Ankara.
Touching on several foreign and domestic
issues, Erdoğan also said the recent criticism of the government was “saddening,”
adding that any analysis not taking Turkey’s past into account would be “misleading.”
“Turkey’s foreign policy is not based on
interests but values. We have always acted in Syria, in Iraq, in Libya and in
Tunisia [in light of] these values,” Erdoğan said in his address during the AKP’s
6th iftar dinner for ambassadors in Ankara July 18.
“As a country that paid heavy prices in
its struggle for democracy, we don’t want the Egyptians, whom we see as our
brothers, to [pass through] the same suffering. We would have shown the same
position if the coup targeted the opposition and not [deposed President
Mohamed] Morsi,” Erdoğan said, denying that Turkey was intruding in Egypt’s
internal politics.
Regarding Syria, Erdoğan dismissed
criticisms that the government’s policy was based on favouring one religious
confession over another. “Favouring a confession has never been part of Turkey’s
state traditions, and it won’t become part of it now. The close relationship
with Syria before the crisis is the evidence [of it]. We are not against the
current regime in Syria because they belong to one confession or another.” He
added that 100,000 people had died since the beginning of the uprising in
Syria.
“We oppose them because they have put
the future of all Syrians in danger. One hundred thousand people have died in
Syria. This regime continues to kill. So, won’t I call this regime a
dictatorship? Won’t I call it a murderer?”
Erdoğan also called on Iran, Russia and
China to give support to a negotiation process. “They have a big responsibility
to solve this problem. Otherwise, history will not forgive the deaths of
100,000 people and all those millions who live far from their country,” he
said.
Erdoğan also criticized the European
Union’s postponement of the opening of a new chapter in Turkey’s accession
negotiations to September, following Germany’s objection after the government’s
heavy-handed response against the Gezi protests.
“Instead of opening and closing
[chapters] they have now invented making a step forward and to say ‘We’ll talk
in three months.’ There is no such perspective in the legal acquis,” Erdoğan
said, adding that the European Union fell in conflict with its own values.
“I invite EU countries to keep their
agreements. Half-opening one chapter is considered as positive; but the process
moves forward very slowly and the problem comes from the EU,” he said.
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