TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 180/13 21-23/09/2013
1.
Eroglu is not annoyed by the reference to the “Turkish Armed Forces” as
occupation force in Cyprus
2.
Nami: agreements should be confirmed in order for the sides to continue the
Cyprus talks
3.
Talat: the Cyprus negotiations cannot start under conditions; bringing the
territory onto the agenda would be injustice to the Turkish Cypriots
4. Denktas called on European
Muslim Union to explain to world Turkish Cypriots problems regarding human
rights
5. TOMA purchase cancelled in the breakaway regime
6.
Afrika claims that occupied Gialousa has become a nest of illegal immigrants
7.
Visits to occupied Cyprus increased in the first seven months of 2013
8.
Yorgancioglu reportedly sent a letter to Ankara that he will implement the
economic package
9. Gul: There are other countries
that are stronger than the five permanent members of the UN Security Council
10. Davutoglu meets with Syrian
delegation in New York
11. Bagis: “Turkey will probably
never be EU member”
12. Kilicdaroglu accuses Turkish government of feeding
radicalism in Syria
13. Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarigul may be CHP’s for Istanbul’s municipality election
14. Turkey filed 50,000 times at Euro court between 2002 and 2012
13. Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarigul may be CHP’s for Istanbul’s municipality election
14. Turkey filed 50,000 times at Euro court between 2002 and 2012
15.
Turkey started to extract shale gas from the wells in East Thrace
16. Erdogan: “Choose religious elective courses for
your children”
17. Eleven Turkish-origin lawmakers gain seats in German
Parliament
1.
Eroglu is not annoyed by the reference to the “Turkish Armed Forces” as
occupation force in Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.09.13)
reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu departed yesterday
morning for New York in order to hold contacts within the framework of the UN
General Assembly. The self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in
the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, Ozdil Nami is accompanying Eroglu,
who is expected to return to the occupied area of Cyprus on 30 September.
Meanwhile, in statements during a reception in the
occupied part of Nicosia before his departure, Eroglu said that the
negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus problem should begin the soonest
and in case an agreement is not reached this should be shown to the world. He
alleged that because of the stance of the Greek Cypriot side, the negotiations,
which according to what had been said before, would start in October, might not
start in October. Eroglu reiterated the allegation that the Greek Cypriot side
is trying to delay the process.
“Let us sit, discuss and finish it. If we will agree,
we will agree. If we cannot agree, let us show to the entire world that we will
not be able to agree”, he claimed, adding that if we are not able to reach an
agreement in a period during which the whole world accepts that the time for an
agreement has come, “the world should accept that an agreement has not been
reached until today because of the Greek Cypriots’ lack of will”.
Eroglu argued that the Greek Cypriots put forward a
proposal on the issue of the occupied fenced city of Varosha and want a
partnership on the basis of the Republic of Cyprus.
Eroglu said that they are not annoyed by the Greek
Cypriot reference to the Turkish Armed Forces as occupation forces in Cyprus,
because the Turkish army is allegedly in Cyprus for peace using its rights
deriving from international agreements.
Meanwhile, Kibris (21.09.13) reported that during a
meeting with the Businessmen Association (ISAD), Eroglu said on Friday that the
time for the solution of the Cyprus problem has come and that as time goes by
and generations change, finding a solution becomes more difficult.
Eroglu alleged that we could reach nowhere with the
messages given by President Anastasiades through the press. He argued that the
agreements or the convergences reached during the negotiations held until today
should be protected. He claimed starting negotiations from the scratch would be
tantamount to wasting the work done during the past four years.
Eroglu alleged that it would not be possible for
President Anastasiades to drag the negotiations onto a ground which he desires.
He argued that we came to the stage we are today as a result of many years of
work.
Eroglu alleged that neither former President
Christofias nor President Anastasiades have brought the issue of the occupied
fenced Varosha to the negotiating table and argued that only statements are
made on this issue.
(I/Ts.)
2.
Nami: agreements should be confirmed in order for the sides to continue the
Cyprus talks
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (21.09.13)
reported that Ozdil Nami, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime
in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has argued that the issues
agreed until today and the point at which the discussions had been left, should
be confirmed in order for the sides to be able to continue the negotiations for
reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem. In statements to illegal TAK news
agency, Nami said that the Greek Cypriot side had stated that all issues were
open for discussion and argued that this could be “negatively reflected on the
negotiating process”.
Nami alleged that “with new scenarios” the Greek
Cypriot side “is giving political rights in return of taking land” and claimed
that “the Turkish side has already gained political rights and therefore making
political rights an issue of bargaining, is out of the question”.
Nami argued that President Anastasiades won the elections
by criticizing former President Christofias and added that the statements made
during the election period should be left behind and the existing convergences
should be protected. He expressed the view that the UN has an important duty on
the issue of the resumption and the continuation of the negotiations from the
point they had been left. He said that all Cypriots, both Greek and Turkish
Cypriots, should encourage their leaders so that the negotiations begin the
soonest.
Nami reiterated the Turkish view that the issue of the
occupied fenced Varosha could be discussed within the framework of the
territorial adjustments during the negotiations and therefore it should not be
separated from the comprehensive solution.
Nami said that his “government” wants to play an
active role in the negotiating process and they are continuously consulting
with the Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu.
(I/Ts.)
3.
Talat: the Cyprus negotiations cannot start under conditions; bringing the
territory onto the agenda would be injustice to the Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (22.09.13)
reported that the former Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat has said that
the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem could not start
under conditions.
In statements to a TV station, Talat referred also to
the information that the airplane which carried the team of Trabzonspor to
Cyprus had come with a direct flight to Larnaka and said that such things could
happen in aviation. “This kind of oddities, which derive from the Cyprus
problem, will cease to exist only with the solution of the problem” he added,
arguing that the big reactions to the incident are due to the “disappointment
of the Turkish Cypriots”.
“Turkey which does not recognize south Cyprus
[Translator’s note: this is what he called the Republic of Cyprus] is forced to
cooperate with this country in many fields and mainly in sports and sometimes
to exclude the Turkish Cypriots from these activities. This is what upsets the
Turkish Cypriots”, he argued.
Talat reiterated the allegation that marketing the
Cypriot natural gas over Turkey would be correct from the economical point of
view. He noted, though, that the political situation prevents this from
happening and added that the natural gas has not yet influenced positively the
Cyprus problem.
Evaluating the call for starting the Cyprus
negotiations unconditionally, Talat argued that the negotiations could not
start under conditions and added that issues such as the territory, the
guarantees and the security will be included in the negotiations.
Talat said that both sides will not gain equally from
the solution of the territory issue and recalled that during his period they
had agreed with former President Christofias to leave the map on the territory
issue at the end of the negotiations. He said that the territory will be
discussed of course, but “bringing the map onto the agenda now, would be an
injustice to the Turkish Cypriots”.
(I/Ts.)
4. Denktas called on European
Muslim Union to explain to world Turkish Cypriots problems regarding human
rights
Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper reports that the
European Muslim Union (EMU) organized its annual meeting in the Acapoulco Hotel
in occupied Keryneia. The Academy Cyprus Development Platform was the host of
the meeting in which 120 person from 19 countries participated.
Speaking at the
meeting, the self-styled deputy prime minister and minister of tourism Serdar
Denktas, called the EMU to explain the “problems” the Turkish Cypriots face,
regarding the issue of human rights
5. TOMA purchase cancelled in the breakaway regime
Illegal Bayrak
television (22.09.13) reports that the purchase of the anti-riot water cannon
vehicle (TOMA) has been cancelled.
This was
announced by the self-styled prime minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu.
Speaking at a
press conference Yorgancioglu announced that the purchase
of TOMA was cancelled after reaching an agreement with the self-styled security
officials.
6.
Afrika claims that occupied Gialousa has become a nest of illegal immigrants
Under the banner headline “Has Club
Cyprus Pearl holiday site in Gialousa become a nest of illegal immigrants?”,
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika (23.09.13) reports that Turkish businessman Tugrul
Yasasever, who has established this holiday site consisting of 126 bungalows in
occupied Gialousa leased for 49 years in 1996, made important statements to the paper.
Yasasever said that the Club Cyprus
Pearl started to operate in 2008, but due to difficulties in his work in Germany,
he appointed Zekai Soyadi, as a temporary director, in 2010 for six months.
Yasasever said that Soyadi is still there and he, cannot even visit his
holiday village. He claims that the “police” has forbidden him.
Meanwhile, Zekai Soyadli had been arrested
as the owner of the boat, which was sunk, and as a result, six Syrian illegal
immigrants, who were in the boat, died in 6th of August, 2012.
Ceyhan Pasa, “police inspector
assistant”, in his testimony in the “court” accused Soyadli of assisting people
to get in and get out from the “ports” and “borders” of the occupation regime
in the occupied part of Cyprus. He also accused him that he uses this holiday
site to shelter illegal immigrants and then send them in the
government-controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus.
Moreover, Abdullah Temiz, one of the
arrested after the tragedy with the six Syrian, who died in the boat, told to
the press: “They accuse me without a reason. Policemen do this job. Everyone
knows this very well”.
7.
Visits to occupied Cyprus increased in the first seven months of 2013
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.09.13)
reports that the number of the persons who entered into the occupied area of
Cyprus until the end of July 2013 increased by 4.2%, compared to the same period
of last year. According to the paper, the “TRNC citizens” are excluded from
this number. The number of visitors to the occupied area via air and sea,
increased to 676.655 in the first seven months of this year compared to 649.144
in the same period of 2012.
Most of the visitors (508.606 persons or 75.16%) were
from Turkey. The second place is taken by the British citizens (30.671 persons
and an increase of 31%) and the third by the Germans (22.323 persons and an
increase of 100%). During the same period, 9.816 persons from the Netherlands,
8.392 persons from Russia, 8.234 persons from Ireland, 6.625 persons from
Poland, 5.556 persons from Slovakia and 3.536 persons from the Czech Republic
visited the occupied area of Cyprus.
During the same period, 1.755.280 persons entered into
the occupied area of Cyprus through the barricades and 1.747.542 persons exited
through the same way. The number of those entered through the barricades
decreased by 3.8% compared to the same period last year. However, the number of
the Greek Cypriots and the citizens of Greece, who visited the occupied area
through the barricades, increased by 3.8% and 13.8% respectively, during the
above-mentioned period.
(I/Ts.)
8.
Yorgancioglu reportedly sent a letter to Ankara that he will implement the
economic package
Columnist Ozan Ceyhun, writing in
Turkish Cypriot daily Haberdar (23.09.13), claims that a letter by the
so-called prime minister Yorgancioglu reached Ankara saying that they will
follow / obey the economic programme word for word.
Ceyhun also claims that while they keep
the public in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus occupy with “TOMA”
issue, the newly elected “government” of the Republican Turkish Party / United
Forces and Democrat Party / National Forces (CTP/BG – DP/UG) sent a letter
signed by the “prime minister” to Ankara that they will conform word for word
the “Economic package”. Ceyhun wonders: “This “government” would not
have been more transparent?”
9. Gul: There are other
countries that are stronger than the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman newspaper (22.09.13)
reports that Turkish President
Abdullah Gul said that reforms of the UN is one of the often discussed issues
and that the structure of the world body reflects the era after World War II,
adding that there are other countries
that are stronger than the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
“There are many
groups calling for reform. We are one of them,” said Gul. Turkey is frustrated
by the stalemate in the 15-nation UN Security Council (UNSC), where permanent
members Russia and China have blocked attempts to pass a resolution criticizing
the Syrian regime for bloodshed in the country.
Speaking to
Turkish journalists in New York, where he will attend the UN General Assembly's
68th meeting between Sept. 24 and Oct. 4, Gul noted that the Muslim world is
experiencing now what Europe experienced during the Middle Ages. “A Sunni
leader will become a dictator and you will stay silent. You will fight with a
Shiite that knows what justice is. These are all indications of primitiveness
and a big trap. There is a big responsibility that falls to leaders to avoid
the emergence of an atmosphere of disunity. When such an atmosphere arises,
soon polarization and divisions emerge,” said Gul.
President
Abdullah Gul stated that the Middle East region should be careful not to be
dragged into a sectarian conflict, saying that sectarianism is a trap for
Muslims and an indication of being uncivilized.
In addition,
Ankara Anatolia news agency (22.09.13) also reports that Gul speaking to the
press during his New York visit on the occasion of the 68th United Nations (UN)
General Assembly meeting, said they were in New York to attend the UN General
Assembly meeting, which he described as to be the one held with record-high
attendance of heads of state and government.
Gul noted that
he would be the third world leader to address the UN General Assembly after his
Brazilian and US counterpart. As part of
his bilateral talks on General Assembly efforts, he said he would meet French
and Iranian Presidents especially over Syria issue.
Besides, he
mentioned the conference speeches he would give at the Council of Foreign
Relations (CFR) and Princeton University. Gul said he would also have talks
with the representatives of the Turkish and Meskhetian Turks communities living
in the US.
Turkish
President also received Ayse Cihan Sultanoglu, Assistant Administrator of the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Director of the Regional
Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, in New York.
10. Davutoglu meets with
Syrian delegation in New York
Ankara Anadolia news Agency (22.09.13) reports
that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu met with a Syrian delegation in New York on Saturday [21 September].
During the
meeting, Davutoglu stated that Syrian people sooner or later would win their
struggle for a life with dignity, adding that “Assad's massacres destroyed the
country but Syria had the power of overcoming this crisis”.
“Syrian
delegation thanked Turkey for its sound stance and support for Syrian people
from the very beginning”, AA broadcast.
The delegation
also conveyed their activities in order to inform US government and congress
about the situation in Syria.
11. Bagis: “Turkey will
probably never be EU member”
Turkish daily Hurriyet
Daily News (22.09.13) reports that the Turkish Minister of EU Affairs Egemen
Bagis has said Turkey will probably never become a member of the European Union
because of stiff opposition and "prejudiced" attitudes from the
bloc's current members.
“Turkey's status
is likely to be similar to that of Norway, with access to the single market
through free trade agreements but no membership”, Bagis said.
"In the long run I think Turkey will end
up like Norway. We will be at European standards, very closely aligned but not
as a member," he said. This prediction would only change if European
attitudes change towards this country, which would be the first Muslim nation
to join the bloc, Bagis added.
12. Kilicdaroglu accuses Turkish government of
feeding radicalism in Syria
Turkish daily Today's Zaman newspaper (22.09.13) reports that the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, accused the Turkish government of feeding extremism in Syria by letting radical groups in the neighboring country be trained in the Turkish border province of Hatay, during an address in the province.
Turkish daily Today's Zaman newspaper (22.09.13) reports that the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, accused the Turkish government of feeding extremism in Syria by letting radical groups in the neighboring country be trained in the Turkish border province of Hatay, during an address in the province.
Noting that
Hatay is a land of peace, brotherhood and freedom, Kilicdaroglu said the
province is not a place for “al-Nusra and al-Qaeda” to get military training
and cross over to Syria in order to shed the blood of their brothers.
As the Turkish
Parliament will start a new legislative year on Oct. 1, the first issue up for
debate is expected to be the renewal of a one-year mandate -- which passed last
year on Oct. 4 -- allowing Turkey to carry out military operations in foreign
countries.
Kilicdaroglu
made his party's position clear, saying that they do not want war in Syria and
added: “The two sides in Syria are killing each other while saying ‘Allah,
Allah.' Innocent people are made to clash with each other. We do not want a
single Muslim's blood to be shed in the Islamic world.”
13. Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarigul may be CHP’s for Istanbul’s
municipality election
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (22.09.13) reports that current Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarigul, considered by many as the only politician who can draw enough against the Development and Justice Party (AKP) in the March 2014 Istanbul Municipality elections, is as close as ever to join the main opposition.
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (22.09.13) reports that current Sisli Mayor Mustafa Sarigul, considered by many as the only politician who can draw enough against the Development and Justice Party (AKP) in the March 2014 Istanbul Municipality elections, is as close as ever to join the main opposition.
A former member
of CHP, Sarigul initiated a campaign to topple the then-party leader, Deniz
Baykal, and becoming a leadership candidate during a 2005 convention. Perceived
as the flag-bearer of progressive factions, he founded Turkey’s Change Movement
in 2008, which has yet to register as a party up to now.
A senior
Republican People’s Party (CHP) official said Sarigul "will soon join the
CHP [ranks]." “I believe that Sarigul
will register as a member of CHP in the coming days. If the party assembly and
the central executive board deem it to be suitable, he will run in the upcoming
local elections,” CHP’s deputy head, Adnan Keskin, told reporters on Sept. 22
in İzmir.
Keskin, who is
also responsible for the party’s organizational management, said that there was
a convergence of understanding between Sarigul and the party.
14. Turkey filed 50,000 times at Euro court between
2002 and 2012
Turkish daily
Hurriyet Daily News (22.09.13) reports that Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin has
revealed that more than 50,000 applications were filed at the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR) against Turkey between 2002 and 2012.
Between May 2004
and the first half of 2012, Turkey was fined 180.94 million Turkish Liras for
violations, Ergin said. The figures were provided by Ergin in response to a
written motion submitted by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul
deputy Sezgin Tanrikulu.
According to
Ergin’s response, the Justice Ministry paid 1.7 million euros (3.92 million
liras) in compensation for violations handed down from the European court
between Mar. 1, 2012 and Dec. 31, 2012.
According to the
information provided by the Foreign Ministry the 3, 862 cases filed against
Turkey in 2002 increased to 5, 792 in 2010; to 8, 656 in 2011 and to 9,053 in
2012. Hence, a grand total of 50, 249 applications were lodged over the period
between 2002 and 2012.
15.
Turkey started to extract shale gas from the wells in East Thrace
Under the title “Turkey seeks Canada, US
aid on shale gas reserves”, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online,
23.09.13) reports that Turkey has begun to carry out hydraulic fracturing
operations to extract shale gas from the wells in the Thrace and south-eastern
regions, where 4.6 trillion cubic meters of reserves have been detected.
Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said there
was shale gas potential in East Thrace, south-eastern Anatolian, and inner
Anatolian regions.
“[Turkey’s state-run energy company]
TPAO had been working to extract the oil and the gas deeper there, which cannot
be extracted in traditional ways, for the last four years. The company specifically
focuses on the Thrace region and south-eastern Anatolia. The operations will
start in the old wells there to make them productive again by means of the
hydraulic fracturing methods by the end of this year,” Yildiz said.
“Shale gas is really something both for
us and for the world. The TPAO and Turkish private sector will make more
investment on shale in the near future by collaborating with foreign
companies,” he noted.
TPAO has already started to make initial
preparations to explore and to produce shale gas by itself in the Thracian
region, Yildiz noted. “We created a special team for this. If we become
successful in the region, we’ll continue our drilling activities there. For
instance, the U.S. is very ambitious in shale gas production.
The country produces 1,000 cubic meters
gas for $105 to $110 and sells it at the same price. If we can start to produce
our shale gas, it will be very economical for us,” Yildiz said.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the
Ministry of Energy went to the United States and Canada to examine the existing
wells there and to meet the representatives of the companies in the sector. The
delegation members specifically examined the hydraulic fracturing operations
for shale gas there.
Furthermore, they visited a number of
R-D facilities which specialized in shale gas drilling and production. The
delegation members also made short presentations about the new Petroleum Law of
Turkey.
Shell and TPAO began exploring for shale
gas in the eastern province of Diyarbakir’s Saribugday-1 natural gas field in
September 2012.
Five vertical wells were opened in the
region and two horizontal wells are planned, Yildiz noted. “TPAO made one of
the vertical well drillings by itself,” he added.
The U.S.-based Energy Information Agency
(EIA) estimated that the Dadas Shale in the Southeast Anatolian Basin and the
Hamitabat Shale in the Thrace Basin contain 163 trillion cubic feet (tcf) (4.6
trillion cubic meters) of risked shale gas in-place, with 24 tcf (651 bcm) as
the risked, technically recoverable shale gas resource. In addition, they
estimated that these two shale basins also contain 94 billion barrels of risked
shale oil in-place, with 4.7 billion barrels as the risked, technically
recoverable shale oil resource.
Turkey could meet its gas demand for 14
years by using the technically recoverable shale gas resource, 651 bcm, the
report estimated.
16. Erdogan: “Choose religious elective courses for
your children”
Ankara Anatolia
news agency (22.09.13) reports that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
called on families to choose Quran classes and lessons on the biography of the
Prophet Muhammad as elective courses for their children at school.
“You wanted us
to do it. My brothers, mothers and fathers, the life of the most loved one, the
only leader [the Prophet Muhammad] is a guide for us. We can achieve many
things under his guide. This is why I believe it is important for mothers and
fathers to be more careful in choosing their children’s elective courses. Let’s
take such a step so that those who do not respect the will of the people will learn
how to respect it,” Erdogan said, speaking at a ceremony in the eastern
province of Malatya Sept. 22.
While on the
subject, he also stressed that the government had made the necessary changes in
the education system so that students wearing headscarves could attend the
schools. “Our heads carved daughters were not allowed to attend universities.
They closed down the vocational secondary schools [including the religious imam
hatip schools]. What happened? We told you to be patient and promised to remove
all these,” said Erdogan. “That day has come. With the 4+4+4 system, vocational
high school students and imam hatip school students can now go to primary,
secondary and high school.”
17. Eleven Turkish-origin lawmakers gain seats in
German Parliament
Ankara Anatolia
news agency (23.09.13) reports that eleven lawmakers of Turkish origin have
been elected to the German Bundestag, the country’s lower house of Parliament,
following the nation’s general elections on Sept. 22.
Cemile Yusuf
from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Aydan Ozoguz,
Metin Hakverdi, Mahmut Ozdemir, Gulistan Yuksel and Cansel Kiziltepe from
challenger Peer Steinbruck’s Social Democrats (SPD), Cem Ozdemir, Ekin Deligoz
and Ozcan Mutlu from the Green Party and Sevim Dagdelen and Azize Tank from the
far-left Die Linke all won seats in the legislature.
Yusuf was the
first Turkish and Muslim lawmaker to be elected on a CDU ticket.
Merkel’s
conservative bloc stood at 41.5 percent, its strongest score since 1990 and
just five seats short of the first absolute majority in the Bundestag in over half
a century. The SPD, with whom Merkel ruled in a largely successful “grand
coalition” in her first term from 2005 to 2009, finished second with 25.7
percent, little improved on their worst post-war result in 2009.
TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
