TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 137/13 23/07/2013
1. Eroglu is going to
Brussels; he will hold meetings with Barosso and Fule
2. Eroglu’s special
representative Ertug held a telephone conversation with Greek Cypriot side
negotiator Mavroyannis
3. Davutoğlu set to visit
Poland for bilateral talks; Cyprus problem is on the agenda
4. Environmental disaster in
the occupied Gastria bigger than though
5. Erk alleges that Greek
Cypriot side should have been more constructive in how they presented Gastria
oil spill
6. Azerbaijani Universities
carry out contacts in occupied Cyprus
7. Erdoğan says Turkey
patient on Syria until now
1. Eroglu is going to Brussels; he will
hold meetings with Barosso and Fule
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.07.13) reports that the Turkish Cypriot
leader Dervis Eroglu is going to Brussels this evening.
According
to the paper, Eroglu will hold meetings tomorrow afternoon with Jose Manuel
Barosso, President of the European Commission and Stephen Fule, Commissioner
responsible for enlargement and European neighbourhood policy.
Eroglu
will be escorted in his trip by his advisor and special reprehensive, Hasan
Gungor and his special representative Osman Ertug. He will return to Cyprus on
July 25.
2. Eroglu’s special representative Ertug
held a telephone conversation with Greek Cypriot side negotiator Mavroyannis
Under
the title “The special representatives communicated via telephone”, Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.07.13) reports that Osman Ertug, the special
representative of the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu held a telephone
conversation with Andreas Mavroyannis, the Greek Cypriot side negotiator for
the Cyprus talks.
Kibrs
which sites information writes that Ertug congratulated Mavrogiannis in a telephone
conversation described by the paper as “sincere and cordial” and notes that the
two men discussed how the negotiations will continue as well as how an early
solution can be reached.
3. Davutoğlu set to visit Poland for bilateral talks;
Cyprus problem is on the agenda
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman
(online, 22.07.13) reported that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is set to
visit Poland on Tuesday to attend a conference for ambassadors and have
bilateral talks with his Polish counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski.
A statement issued by the
Foreign Ministry on Monday noted that Davutoğlu's visit is significant as it
coincides with the 90th anniversary of a treaty of friendship that
the two countries signed on July 23, 1923.
The statement said that
Davutoğlu will deliver a speech on Turkish-Polish relations at the annual
meeting of the ambassadors in Poland.
During a tête-à-tête meeting,
Davutoğlu and Sikorski are expected to discuss Turkey's EU membership bid and
issues related to Cyprus as well as exchange views on developments in Egypt and
Syria.
The statement mentioned that
Turkey and Poland signed a "Declaration of Will" in March for
activities to mark the 600th year of diplomatic relations in 2014
and said that Tuesday's visit was particularly significant as it will
contribute to ties. As part of the "Declaration of Will," Turkey and
Poland will hold various events in 2014, including exhibitions, concerts and
cultural and social activities.
4. Environmental disaster in the occupied
Gastria bigger than though
Under
the title “All the living creatures died within a perimeter of 15 km”, Turkish
Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (23.07.13) reports that the environmental
disaster in the occupied Gastria village due to the recent leak of oil in the area
is even bigger than thought and notes that it affected an area of 15 km.
The
paper writes that three experts from the Turkish Middle East Technical
University, who were invited in occupied Cyprus by the self-styled minister of
tourism, environment and culture, Mehmet Harmanci prepared a report about the
effect of the oil leak in the area and notes that the results of the report are
“scary”. According to the report all creatures living in the sand or in the
rocks in a perimeter of 15 km died.
5. Erk alleges that Greek Cypriot side should have been
more constructive in how they presented Gastria oil spill
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni
Duzen (23.07.13) reports that Kutlay Erk, self-styled minister of foreign
affairs criticized in a written statement the actions of the Cyprus government
and reports in the Greek Cypriot media regarding the oil spill in the occupied
village of Gastria. Erk said that it was sad how the environmental destruction,
which was the result of an accident, was handled by the Cyprus Government and
the Greek Cypriot media. He claimed that the stance, which was followed by the
Cyprus Government, is not the stance that will serve to build cooperation
between the two sides and prepare the ground for the Cyprus talks. He added
that their expectations are that all the sides involved in the Cyprus problem
should exhibit a sensitive and constructive stance in such sensitive issues
like this.
Erk claimed that initially,
they asked the government of Cyprus through the United Nations if there are
available oil absorbent booms. Later, he said, they asked if there was an
intention by the government to sell them. He explained that they wanted to buy
this material through the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO), as it
happened before, when they sold electricity to the Republic.
Erk said that when their proposal to purchase
the booms was first put forward, they waited for clarifications. The KTTO then
purchased the absorbent booms from the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry
on the 18th of July and on the 20th of July. This transaction was completed
through the Chambers. He said that on the 18th of July, they paid 9440 euros,
including VAT, for 400 metres of oil absorbent boom and on the 20th of July,
they paid 4720 euro, including VAT, for another 200 metres.
6. Azerbaijani Universities carry out contacts in
occupied Cyprus
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 23.07.13), a delegation from the private Nahcivan University and the
Bakü State University is having contacts in the occupied area of the Republic
of Cyprus.
The administrators and students
of the private Nahcivan University and the Bakü State University, who are in
the occupied Cyprus within the framework of cooperation with the “Eastern
Mediterranean University” (YDU), had a meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader
Derviş Eroğlu.
Speaking during the visit, the
head of the Azerbaijani delegation İrade Şirinnova informed Eroglu about their
visit.
The Vice Rector of the Private
Nahcivan University İbrahim Kazımbeyli for his part pointed to the importance
of relations between the “TRNC” and Azerbaijan.
Noting that Azerbaijan had
earlier taken some initiatives for the recognition of the “TRNC”, Kazımbeyli
said these initiatives were prevented by some major countries.
Eroğlu expressed his happiness
over the cooperation between universities of Azerbaijan and “TRNC”, adding that
he himself always had good relations with Azerbaijani people and their leaders.
7. Erdoğan says Turkey patient on Syria until now
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online,
22.07.13) with the above title reported that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan has signalled that Turkey could take action as clashes between Kurds
and al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front fighters rage just over Turkey's border with
Syria, saying his government remains patient regarding developments on its
borders but that he couldn't say how long that patience would last.
“The developments in Syria have
crossed our borders and caused deaths in our country. We are patient for now.
But how long [we will stay patient?]” Erdoğan said during a speech at the Haliç
Congress Centre on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Turkish army has
said it is retaliating against attacks from the Syrian side of the border as
clashes between Kurdish militants and al-Qaeda affiliates intensify in northern
Syria.
The army said in a statement on
Monday that it has taken necessary security measures against threats from
across the Syrian border. The army said its units are returning fire across the
Syrian border according to its orders.
Turkey has continued to
reinforce areas of the Syrian border where clashes are taking place. Turkish
forces frequently exchange fire with Syrian gunmen, most likely militants from
the Democratic Union Party (PYD), an offshoot of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK).
On Monday, Cabinet members were
expected to discuss the crisis in Syria.
Frustrated by the tension along
Turkish-Syrian border, Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP), argued on Sunday that the capture of the Syrian border town of Ras
al-Ayn by the military wing of the PYD presents a clear risk of fomenting
separatism in Turkey and urged the government to announce a military
intervention if the PYD declares autonomy.
Republican People's Party (CHP)
Deputy Chairman Faruk Loğoğlu said on Monday that Turkey should protect its
borders and citizens, adding that the Turkish-Syrian border was out of control.
"Turkey's aim should be to end the clashes in Syria and put an end to the
violence. The wider aim should be the protection of the territorial integrity
of regional countries. Turkey's Syria policy should also be based on this aim.
In the event of a military intervention in Syria, what would the next step be?
Is Turkey going to occupy Syria and stay in the country?"
Referring to Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoğlu's call on the United Nations Security Council to act, Loğoğlu
said that a decision to intervene was unlikely to come from the Security
Council.
"Davutoğlu's statements
are the reflection of desperation and the dead end that foreign policy has come
to. Waiting for a step like intervention from the Security Council is being a
daydreamer," Loğoğlu added.
Opposition army chief pledges
to resist ‘planned' Kurdish state in Syria
Brig. Gen. Salim Idris, head of
the Syrian opposition's Supreme Military Council, has said that the opposition
will never recognize a Kurdish state in northern Syria -- which some, he added,
are planning -- and stressed that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) would battle any
group that wants to divide Syria.
Speaking on Turkish TV on
Monday, Idris said, “The main goal of the PYD is to found their own state,
‘Western Kurdistan.'”
“They are receiving support
from the Syrian regime and Kurdish militants based in Iraq and Iran, and the
PKK.”
“But this is so clear that we
won't ever accept or recognize such a state. We will fight anyone who is making
efforts to divide Syria,” he said, adding that the opposition's struggle with
the PYD would continue.
“We've already begun to shift
some of our troops to Rasulayn [which is now under PYD control.] We won't wait
until the PYD gets stronger. We also told them [the PYD] that we won't
recognize a Kurdish state,” Idris said.
Heavy clashes between the PYD
and FSA continue in Rasulayn (Serekaniye in Kurdish). Rasulayn is an area of
Syria's al-Hasakah province a few hundred meters from the Turkish town of
Ceylanpınar, Şanlıurfa province.
Idris is currently in Ankara to
talk with Turkish officials as concerns over the possibility of a
PYD-controlled autonomous Kurdish region in Syria have risen in Turkey. Many
are worried that the emergence of Kurdish autonomy in Syria could embolden PKK
terrorists fighting for autonomy in Turkey.
Meanwhile, Seydi Fırat, a
member of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) affiliated with the pro-Kurdish
Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), has said that the PYD is preparing to declare
autonomy.
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