T
C O N T E N T S
No. 126/13 08-06/07/2013
1. AKP sent election campaign experts to help UBP
campaign
2. Serdar Denktas said
that they want a Cyprus
settlement based on the “realities” in the island
3. Nami said there is
no signing campaign for the representation of the Turkish Cypriots in the
European Parliament
4. Eroglu and Ertug
reiterated their view that the opening of the fenced off town of Varosha is part of a comprehensive
solution
5. Around 445 thousand persons entered illegally the breakaway regime in
the first five months of 2013
6. Ankara in diplomacy to undo Egypt coup
7. President Gul denies claims that he is establishing a new party
1. AKP sent election campaign experts to help UBP campaign
Turkish Cypriot
daily Afrika newspaper (08.07.13) reports that 25 election campaign experts
were sent to the breakaway regime by the ruling in Turkey Justice and
Development Party (AKP) in order to help the National Unity Party (UBP) in its election campaign for the forthcoming
28 “parliamentary elections”.
According to the
paper, which sites statements by the chairman of the Democratic Party (DP)
Serdar Denktas, AKP sent an experts’ team which not only will work for UBP, but also will create speculations and
political maneuvers in its favour. “As you can see we are entering a very dirty
campaign period” Serdar Denktas stated.
Afrika comments
on the issue noting that for one more time, Ankara is actively interfering in
the “elections” of the breakaway regime and writes that these “elections” are
not legitimate and these interventions are preventing the “electorate” from
deciding to cast its “vote”.
2.
Serdar Denktas said that they want a Cyprus settlement based on the
“realities” in the island
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (08.07.13)
reports that the leader of the Democrat Party – National Forces (DP-UG) Serdar
Denktas, in a press conference yesterday, announced the road map of the DP-UG
for the upcoming “early elections” in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus.
Denktas said that they want an agreement
on the Cyprus
problem based on the “realities” in the island, adding that they want to
believe that the new negotiation process planning to start soon will bring a
solution. However, he said, the new process does not give them a lot of hope.
He argues that the Cyprus problem has been drugged on for too long.
Furthermore, Serdar said that nobody has
the right to behave unjustly to the Turkish Cypriots by saying that the
solution process continues. He noted that the Turkish Cypriots are tired of the
uncertainty and the lack of results from the negotiations.
Serdar also said that the most important
issue that they should be careful in case of the resumption of the Cyprus talks,
is the approach on the issues of cross-vote and sovereignty.
Commenting on the latest debates on who
has the right to obtain a “citizenship” of the breakaway regime, Serdar said
that the right of getting someone a “citizenship”
will be agreed again accordingly to the “realities” in the occupied area of the
Republic of Cyprus.
3.
Nami said there is no signing campaign for the representation of the Turkish
Cypriots in the European Parliament
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 06.07.13), the so-called deputy with the Republican Turkish Party
United Forces (CTP-BG) Özdil Nami, who returned to the occupied area of the
Republic of Cyprus after completing his contacts in Strasburg regarding Turkish
Cypriot representation within the European Parliament, said that no such
singing campaign had taken place. There have been some reports in the Greek
Cypriot press reportedly saying that a signing campaign has begun for Turkish
Cypriot representation with the European Parliament.
Speaking to the “BRT”,
Mr. Nami said: “The Turkish Cypriot representation issue will be taken up in
October and not before”.
He said that while he was in Strasburg,
he gave a letter regarding Turkish Cypriot representation that was prepared by
the 4 political parties represented within the “TRNC parliament” to the
officials in Strasburg and nothing more.
4.
Eroglu and Ertug reiterated their view that the opening of the fenced off
town of Varosha
is part of a comprehensive solution
Turkish Cypriot daily Volkan (06.07.13)
reports that during the opening ceremony at the 3rd potato festival
in the occupied village of Pergamos, Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu,
reiterated the view that the opening of the fenced off town of Varosha is part
of a comprehensive solution, adding that there is no need to make continuous
statements on the issue. His response to the Varosha issue came after criticisms that he did not made so far any
statements on the issue.
On the same issue, illegal Bayrak
television (05.07.13) broadcast that Eroglu’s special representative Osman
Ertug, argued that the latest reports in the Greek Cypriot press concerning a
package of proposals for the fenced off town of Varosha were an attempt to
create an artificial agenda on the Cyprus problem.
Ertug, in a written statement issued on
Saturday, said that the Greek Cypriot Administration, as he refers to the Cyprus
government, must abandon its delaying tactics at a time when efforts were
underway to restart the Cyprus
negotiations process.
Claiming that the fenced off town of
Varosha was widely accepted by the international community to be part of a
comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem, Ertuğ said that the European
Union was not a side at the Cyprus negotiations process and therefore such
attempts by the Greek Cypriot side to drag it into such initiatives were
meaningless.
Responding to the Greek Cypriot reports
that the ‘package’ of proposals was to be passed onto Ankara through the channels of the EU
Commission; Ertuğ said: “The negotiating table is the only place for such
serious proposals to be made and the Turkish Cypriot side is the only correct
address.”
5. Around 445 thousand persons
entered illegally the breakaway regime in the first five months of 2013
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (08.07.13) publishes information regarding the number of persons who entered the breakaway regime, via the illegal ports and airports in the first five months of 2013 and writes that there was a 4.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (08.07.13) publishes information regarding the number of persons who entered the breakaway regime, via the illegal ports and airports in the first five months of 2013 and writes that there was a 4.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
According to the paper, 424.166 persons entered the breakaway regime in
the first five months of 2012 while 444.160 entered the breakaway regime in the
first five months of 2013.
The paper writes that 65.56% of those entered where citizens of the Republic of Turkey, 17.65% citizens of third
countries and 16.78% “TRNC citizens”.
Kibris also reports that in the same period 1.195.403 persons entered
the breakaway regime from the crossing points while 1.194.403 departed from
occupied Cyprus
using the crossing points as well.
Referring to the same period, the paper writes that the majority of
persons entering the breakaway regime came from Turkey, the UK (Turkish
Cypriots who immigrated to the UK and visiting), Germany, Russia, Iran and
Azerbaijan.
6. Ankara in
diplomacy to undo Egypt
coup
Under the above
title, Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (08.07.13) reports that disappointed with
the hesitant approach of its allies in the Western and Arab world in condemning
the coup in Egypt,
Turkey
is continuing its efforts to push the international community to re-instate
Mohammed Morsi as president of Egypt.
Led by Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Ankara’s diplomatic
campaign includes the United Nations, the United States, the European Union
and prominent Arab countries, such as Qatar.
“Our message is
clear: Call this a coup,” a senior Foreign Ministry official told the Hürriyet
Daily News yesterday. “Military coups are unacceptable, in Egypt or
elsewhere. Undoing the coup and re-instating the toppled government should be
the priorities of countries with a democratic understanding.”
For Turkey,
establishing an interim government is meaningless and what should be done is to
announce immediate elections with no restrictions on any political group,
including the Muslim Brotherhood.
“Not underlining
these points would be a very bad message to not only Egyptians but to those who
are in search of democracy in other parts of the world,” a senior Foreign
Ministry official told the Daily News yesterday.
Erdoğan called
Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of the U.N. late on July 6, following
Davutoğlu’s intense phone diplomacy with his American and Qatari counterparts,
John Kerry and Khalid al-Atiyya, respectively, as well as some other regional
and European politicians over the weekend.
Turkey found itself alone in strongly condemning the
Egyptian army’s ouster of Morsi as a coup d’état and calling on the Egyptian
military to restore the democratically elected government with full power; its
allies in the Arab world and in the West, however, either congratulated the
army or preferred to use a milder language against the plotters.
Turkey’s deepest disappointment came from its prominent Arab
allies, namely Saudi Arabia,
Qatar
and the United Arab Emirates,
which were the frontrunners in congratulating the new transitional leadership
and the army that conducted the coup.
“There is a
serious disappointment with regard to their approach. We have made clear to
them that this process in Egypt
will be an important test for the Arab Spring. We hope they will revise their
position and will adopt a similar line with ours,” the official said. Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia
have been in close cooperation in efforts to topple the Bashar al-Assad
government in Syria
since mid-2011, in the latest chain of the Arab Spring movement. It remains
unclear how developments in Egypt
will affect ongoing international efforts to push a defiant al-Assad to agree
to a political transition.
Diplomatic
sources told the Daily News that Ban represented the world’s most important
institution and that his tone in condemning the coup was consequently very
important.
According to the
statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Erdoğan expressed his concerns
over the suspension of the democratic process as a result of coup in Egypt and
underlined the importance of immediately establishing civilian rule through
elections.
Davutoğlu and
Kerry have exchanged at least three phone conversations since July 3, the first
one before and the last two after the coup. Although the language Washington would use in
condemning the coup in Egypt
is very important, for Ankara,
its influence over the Egyptian army is very vital in both preventing the
street demonstrations from producing bloodshed and in starting a normalization
process in the country. The arbitrary detentions of opponents or opening fire
on civilians could cause unwanted scenes in the country, Ankara said.
Although Turkey, the U.S. and other
prominent countries agree on the need to hand power back to civilian rule
immediately, questions on how it will take place is also crucial for the
Turkish government.
7. President Gul denies claims that he is
establishing a new party
Turkish daily
Zaman newspaper (07.07.13) reports that Turkish President Abdullah Gül has
issued a written statement denying a news report in a daily on Saturday that he
is about to establish and lead a new political party after his term is over in
2014. The Office of the President said that the report, titled “Gül's party is
ready,” is completely baseless.
In a similar
reaction, Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman
Rıfat Hisarcıklıoğlu also denied rumors that he will be the interim president
of the new party until President Gul allegedly takes over. Hisarcıklıoğlu said
on Saturday, via a written statement in which he condemned the “scenario,” that
he has already denied the baseless news that he is establishing a political
party with President Gul.
He said that
TOBB's only aim is to do its part as a member of the private sector in helping
Turkey reaches its 2023 goals. “We are not focusing on anything else,” Hisarcıklıoğlu
added, stating that such rumors are intentionally trying to create factions
among people in Turkey.
“Turkey
is being blocked [from further progress] by means of such false reporting and
anti-democratic methods,” Hisarcıklıoğlu reacted to the report.
Ruling out the
possibility of TOBB establishing a party, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that TOBB's
biggest focus is to make Turkey
one of the top 10 economies in the world. “As the chairman of TOBB I have said
several times since 2001 that I will not get involved in any political
activity” he reiterated.
Rumors that President Gul is
planning to establish a party as an alternative to the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) appear in the Turkish media from time to time.
8. Opinion poll shows AKP being the first party
despite Gezi Park incidents
Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (07.07.13) reports that GENAR polling company has released the results of a comprehensive survey on the social impact of the Gezi Park incidents.
Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (07.07.13) reports that GENAR polling company has released the results of a comprehensive survey on the social impact of the Gezi Park incidents.
According to the
results of the survey, which was conducted through personal interviews with
2,294 respondents, 63.4 percent of Turkey's population did not support the Gezi
Park protests.
According to the
poll, which was conducted between 20 June and 3 July 2013 across Turkey, only 19.2
percent of the general population participated [as published, presumably
supported] the demonstrations. While answers to the question "For which
party would you vote if elections were held today?" varied for local and
general elections, the poll results show that the AKP would win more than 50
percent of the vote in both elections.
In response to
the question on "the type of action" the Gezi Park
incidents represented, 53.4 percent of the respondents agreed that "the
actions were organized by illegal organizations." In addition, 31.8
percent agreed that the protests were a "quest for democratic
rights," and 14.8 percent agreed that these were "protests by
civilian environmentalist." Some of the most dramatic results of the poll
can be found in the answers given to questions on behind-the-scenes factors in
the Gezi Park incidents. For example, 61.7
percent of the responded agreed that the incidents were not as they seemed and
that "there was something else behind the scenes." Similarly, 64.2
percent of the responded agreed that the Gezi Park
incidents had an international aspect that targeted the government and Turkey.
The poll also
sought answers to the question of which party supported the Gezi Park
incidents and to what extent. Specifically, 90 percent of CHP voters supported the Gezi Park
protests. Similarly, 48.1 percent of BDP [Peace and Democracy Party] voters,
46.2 percent of MHP [Nationalist
Action Party] voters, and 5.7 percent of AKP voters said that they support the
protests.
Another issue examined
by the poll was the narrative that the Gezi Park
incidents were an expression of "anger against the AKP and Erdogan."
When asked whether they are "angry at Erdogan," 68.7 percent of the
respondents answered "no, I am not." At the same time, 55.3 percent
of the respondents said "I trust Erdogan" and 57.3 percent said
"I would like Erdogan to remain prime minister until the end of his
term." In contrast, only 26 percent of the respondents expressed support
for the election of [CHP General
Chairman Kemal] Kilicdaroglu as prime minister.
The respondents
were also asked: "For which party would you vote if elections were held
today?" The respondents' answers echo differences for municipal [local]
and general elections. Nonetheless, the share of the AKP's vote did not drop
below 50 percent for either election. In addition, 56 percent of the
respondents expressed satisfaction with the actions of the AKP government. If
local elections were held today, the AKP would win 50.8 percent of the vote;
the CHP would win 27.1 percent,
the MHP 12.8 percent, and the BDP
6.5 percent. Conversely, if general elections were held today, the AKP would
win 50.2 percent of the vote; the CHP
would win 27 percent, the MHP 13.2
percent, and the BDP 6.5 percent.
The poll
participants were also asked about the solution process, which has fallen to
the lower ranks of the public agenda in recent days. According to the poll
results, 72.1 percent of the respondents expressed support for the process.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
