TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No.166/13 3/9/2013
1. Eroglu alleges that countries such as Russia and China are ready
to veto any proposal against the Greek Cypriots at the UNSC
2. Nami says they will continue using their
“representation offices” abroad to make their voice heard in the world
3. Kalyoncu says the unity and solidarity ceased to
exist within the CTP
4. European Muslim Union meeting to be held in occupied
Cyprus
5. Association of Turkish Confederations asked from Israeli
ambassador to Ankara
the lifting of the “embargoes
6. Erdogan meets commanders to discuss possible Syria
intervention
7. Gul stated that Ankara’s sensitivities on Syria are
different that Washington’s
8. Top judge issues key democracy message
9. Erdogan's main advisor Yalcin Akdogan on Syria Intervention
and Kurdish problem
10. Erdogan calls for rotating membership at UN Security Council
10. Erdogan calls for rotating membership at UN Security Council
11. February 28 trial continues
1. Eroglu alleges that countries such as Russia and China are ready
to veto any proposal against the Greek Cypriots at the UNSC
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (03.09.13) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader,
Dervis Eroglu has alleged that countries such as Russia and China are ready
to veto any proposal against the Greek Cypriots at the UN Security Council
(UNSC).
In statements
yesterday during a meeting with a delegation from the so-called Bright Future
Movement, Eroglu claimed that the Turkish Cypriots are saddened because the
so-called isolations on them are not lifted, in spite of the fact that the
world knows that the Cyprus problem has allegedly been created by the Greek
Cypriots, the EU promised to lift the “isolations” and after the rejection of the
Annan Plan by the Greek Cypriots the UN Secretary-General suggested in his
report that the “isolations” should be lifted.
Arguing that
“countries such as Russia and China, which are permanent members of the UN
Security Council, are ready to veto any proposal against the Greek Cypriots”,
Eroglu alleged that these countries “should learn better what happened in
Cyprus” and “understand how wrong keeping the Turkish Cypriots under isolation is”.
Eroglu claimed
that the world would better understand the Turkish Cypriots when their
sensitivities on the issue of the “isolations” are further shown abroad. He
said that they should continue making their voice heard in the world through
their “democratic organizations”.
Eroglu alleged
that the Turkish Cypriot side has taken steps towards reaching an agreement in Cyprus and will
continue to do so. “However, for how long we could take such steps, in case
there is no response? I think that this should be constrained with a time
limit”, he argued.
In his
statements, the chairman of the so-called Bright Future Movement, Anil Kaya
alleged that the biggest difficulty caused by the Cyprus problem is the “isolations”
implemented on the Turkish Cypriots. Claiming that the Greek Cypriots want to
prolong the Cyprus
problem, Kaya said that they met with Eroglu to discuss what kind of messages
they could best give to the world.
(I/Ts.)
2. Nami says they will continue using their
“representation offices” abroad to make their voice heard in the world
Turkish Cypriot
daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (03.09.13) reports that Ozdil Nami, the newly
appointed self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied
area of Cyprus,
has argued that the “ministry of foreign affairs” is the “face of the Cyprus people
to the world” adding that the regime has “representation offices” in many
places in the world. In statements yesterday during the ceremony for overtaking
his duties from the outgoing “foreign minister”, Kutlay Erk, Nami said that
they should use these “representation offices” in the most active way and “make
the just voice of the people heard abroad”.
Thanking Erk for
the support he promised that he would offer to him, Nami noted that they “are
entering into a difficult and important period” and that they should cooperate
during struggle.
“Our biggest
duty will be to continue showing to the world will for peace and solution in
the clearest manner”, he said, noting that their “unswerving target” would be
to actively interfere in the Cyprus
negotiations. Nami argued that they will mobilize all their possibilities to
achieve a federal solution and that the “ministry of foreign affairs” will
focus on this target.
Nami said that
their relations with the EU are extremely important and added that they will
“carry to the highest level” the negotiations and the efforts as regards their
harmonization with the Union.
(I/Ts.)
3. Kalyoncu says the unity and solidarity ceased to
exist within the CTP
Turkish Cypriot
daily Star Kibris newspaper (03.09.13) reports that Omer Kalyoncu, so-called MP
with the Republican Turkish Party – United Forces (CTP-BG) in occupied
Keryneia, has said that the old unity and solidarity ceased to exist within the
CTP and noted that “the spell has been broken”.
The paper writes
that after the new “government” overtook its duties, everybody now started
wondering whether the CTP-BG’s “coalition” with the Democratic Party – National
Forces (DP-UG) will be long lasting.
In statements to
Ada TV, Kalyoncu said that they will exert every effort for this “coalition” to
be long lasting. He noted that they had a bad “coalition period” with the DP in
the past and expressed some worries for the period to come, because the Turkish
Cypriot leader Eroglu interferes in the DP” and he “is participating at some point
in this coalition”.
Kalyoncu said
that the “coalition” could be harmed in case “partisan approaches” are shown
and added that in this case the “coalition’s” path will be blocked. He argued
that the CTP still has other alternatives than the DP-UG. Asked whether this
alternative was the National Unity Party (UBP),
he said “of course”.
Kalyoncu
referred also to the expression “the mustached guys” used for him, Ferdi Sabit
Soyer and Sonay Adem and expressed his annoyance for this. He noted that this is
an insulting stance and an effort to despise him, Soyer and Adem. He said that
after some incidents that happened recently, the unity and solidarity in the
party was spoiled. “The spell has been broken but these circles will not
succeed”, he added.
Asked on the
forthcoming congress of the CTP, Kalyoncu said that at the time being he is not
considering of running for president of the party. “As long things are going
well, I will not be a candidate for the presidency. We are not running after
creating an Irsen Kucuk-Ahmet Kasif model”, he noted referring to the long
lasting period of conflict within the UBP.
Pointing out that there is a three-month period until the CTP’s congress,
Kalyoncu said that the possibility for him to become a candidate in this congress
is “close to zero”.
(I/Ts.)
4. European Muslim Union meeting to be held in
occupied Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot
daily Havadis newspaper (03.09.13) reports that the European Muslim Union (EMU)
will hold its 2013 ordinary meeting in occupied Cyprus between 20-22 of September.
The paper writes
that the “Academic Cyprus Progress Platform” will be the host of the meeting as
it was decided in EMU’s 2012 meeting, which was held in Holland last year.
According to a
statement issued by the Platform, EMU represents 40 million European Muslims. In
the statements is also noted that the fact that the EMU meeting will be held in
occupied Cyprus
will help towards building bridges between the “countries” and will also give a
chance to explain the “Turkish Cypriots cause”.
More than 120
persons from 16 countries will participate in the meeting. The countries will
be the following: Turkey,
Germany,
UK,
Holland, Belgium, France, Russia, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia, Poland, Bulgaria, Check Republic,
Albania,
Bosnia Herzegovina and FYROM.
5. Association of Turkish Confederations asked from
Israeli ambassador to Ankara
the lifting of the “embargoes”
Turkish Cypriot
daily Havadis newspaper (03.09.13) reports that Nezaket Emine Atasoy, chairwoman
of the Association of Turkish Confederations (TKT) and of the Turkish Industry
Businesswomen and Businessmen Confederation, sent a letter to Yosef Levi Sfari
the Israeli ambassador to Ankara.
In the letter
Atasoy asks for the lifting of the “embargoes” in occupied Cyprus. She also
asks from Sfari Israel, which struggled for years for its independence, to
support “the struggle of the Turkish Cypriots for independence”.
6. Erdogan meets commanders to discuss possible Syria
intervention
Turkish daily
Today’s Zaman newspaper (03.09.13) reports that Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan met with Chief of General Staff Necdet Ozel and several other
force commanders in his office in Ankara on Monday to discuss the situation in
Syria and the possible military intervention in the country.
The meeting
lasted for 45 minutes and was attended by Land Forces Commander Gen. Hulusi
Akar, Naval Forces Commander Vice Adm. Bulent Bostanoglu, Air Forces Commander
Gen. Akin OzTurk and Gendarmerie Commander Gen. Servet Yoruk.
Turkey's military preparedness for a possible intervention
in Syria
was presumed to have been discussed during the meeting.
7. Gul stated that Ankara’s sensitivities on Syria are
different that Washington’s
Ankara Anatolia
news agency (02.09.13) reports that President of the Republic of Turkey Abdullah
Gul said the following about US President Barack
Obama leaving the decision to intervene militarily in Syria to
Congress: "Being a neighboring country it is quite natural that our
sensitivities are different. They are a long way away; theirs are different.
Therefore, policies might not always dovetail perfectly."
Gul replied to
journalists' questions before the Russian Federation's Ambassador
Andrei G Karlov presented his credentials.
When reminded that US President Barack Obama
had left it up to Congress to decide whether or not to intervene militarily in Syria,
President of the Republic Gul said this:
"Obama's decision needs to be treated within the context of the United States
political dynamics. It is clear that his own style of management, his own
political dynamics and domestic policy forced such a need. That is how to view
this."
When asked to what degree Obama's decision was
compatible with Turkey,
Gul replied: "Whenever any country makes decisions it is independent and
has its own considerations. Being a neighboring country it is quite natural
that our sensitivities are different. They are a long way away; theirs are
different. Therefore, policies might not always dovetail perfectly."
8. Top judge issues key democracy message
Turkish daily
Hurriyet Daily News (03.09.13) reports that the president of Turkish Supreme
Court of Appeals “delivered a stern democracy lesson” to senior ruling party
members and other leading figures at a ceremony for the opening of the new
judicial year in Ankara, warning of the dangers of growing authoritarianism in
Turkey.
“Democracy is
maybe the [best-equipped] to accommodate different opinions, but it carries
risks at the same time. However, this risk potential does not legitimize authoritarian
measures … with the motive of protecting [rulers], and cannot be a legitimate
ground for [rulers] to tie themselves to authoritarian guarantee mechanisms,”
Ali Alkan said on Sept. 2.
“Democracy is
based on political choice, political consent and political tolerance. In
democracies, the administration does not exclude those that are distant, as
much as it does not submit to those close to itself. In democratic regimes,
individuals or sections [of society] are not evaluated in terms of a friend-enemy
description, but on the axis of humanitarian values,” Alkan said.
He added that
the values of democratic societies were not formed "through
imposition," but rather through "social acceptance."
Alkan’s remarks
came at a time when the government has been increasingly scrutinized for its
authoritarian tendencies, especially amid the Gezi unrest. President Abdullah Gul, Parliamentary Speaker
Cemil Cicek, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the
Constitutional Court Haşim Kilic, Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel, main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP)
leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, President of the Council of State Zerrin Gungor,
Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, members of the Cabinet, Deputy Chair of the
Supreme Board of Judges and Public Prosecutors (HSYK) Ahmet Hamsici and senior
judicial officials also attended the event.
Alkan also
touched on the importance of freedom of speech. “In societies where people cannot
express their opinions freely, it is observed, through historical experience,
that the costs of this are dear and that unexpressed demands emerge as areas
for social risk and manipulation,” he said.
9. Erdogan's main advisor Yalcin Akdogan on Syria Intervention
and Kurdish problem
Turkish daily Aksam newspaper (02.09.13) publishes an interview with Erdogan's main advisor and Justice and Development Party MP for Ankara Yalcin Akdogan, who stated that it will be suicidal for Syria’s Al-Asad to attack Turkey and also claimed that PKK does not keep promises to withdraw.
Turkish daily Aksam newspaper (02.09.13) publishes an interview with Erdogan's main advisor and Justice and Development Party MP for Ankara Yalcin Akdogan, who stated that it will be suicidal for Syria’s Al-Asad to attack Turkey and also claimed that PKK does not keep promises to withdraw.
According to the
paper, Akdogan is one of the most correct people, to find out about the
government's political perspective.
The interview is
as follows:
“Question: US President Obama announced the decision for a military intervention
but said he was going to ask Congress for approval. What did you make of this?
Answer: His announcement that he had decided military action, was necessary, is
an important development. As for his announcement that he is going to ask
Congress for authority even though he does not have to, must be out of
political, not legal concerns.
His bringing
Congress to the fore and calling on its members to send a message to the world shows
that he has no concerns they will grant him this authority. His sharing the
decision for such an important operation with Congress in a climate where the
international institutions are not taking action, is probably aimed at staving
off possible criticism.
Question: The United States
is gearing up for a limited operation that is not aimed at replacing the regime
in Syria.
Given that the Prime Minister said, "The intervention must not be a
couple-of-days thing. It has to bring the regime to the point of quitting"
are we to understand that they have differing views here?
Answer: You should see this not as a difference of opinion but of assessments
and expectations. Our Prime Minister pointed out how important it was for steps
to be taken towards a permanent solution to the problem. The goal of the
intervention and its scope can of course be debated but this is important in
that the West is for the first time adopting a robust position in the Syria issue and
getting involved. That this decision was made after chemical weapons were used
shows that it was the type of weapon used that mattered, and this is another
topic of debate. Does it matter what kind of weapon was used when people died,
were killed? Right from the start we have been taking a moral stance and
reacting to people being killed regardless of how they were killed. We see both
as a problem. The use of chemical weapons is a war crime and has become a red
line for mankind. Our Prime Minister's comment of "No need for an
authorization bill" expresses the fact that there is no such requirement
right now. So far no new demand has been made. The scope and framework of the
current authorization bill are specific; it offers specific means.
Question: Is Ankara
worried that Damascus
might attack in response to the intervention?
Answer: It would be madness, even suicidal for Syria to react militarily to Turkey after
any intervention. I do not think Al-Asad would do this because then he would be
attacking a NATO country, and that changes everything. Turkey has the
strength and the capacity to defend itself, and the current authorization bill
allows for this. Furthermore, it is not the correct approach to make other
countries take sides by making them appear under threat. Mr Obama says that Iraq,
which he regards as an ally, is under threat but Iraq's prime minister, who is
in Iran's shadow, is saying he is opposed to intervention.
[…]
Question: How might developments in Syria affect Turkey's [Kurd]
solution process?
Answer: I do not think it right to portray the situation in the north of Syria
and the PYD [Democratic Union Party] as being part of Turkey's solution
process. External factors usually have a limited and indirect impact. It can be
said that the PYD's efforts to gain status in the north of Syria have
disrupted the chemistry of some circles in Turkey and created some
dissatisfaction.
Question: One of the reasons why intervention in Syria is not happening right away
is uncertainty about the post-Asad era. Is there a political plan being
discussed on the eve of the operation? Are you able to predict what will happen
once Al-Asad has been ousted?
Answer: We want the operation to help fix the existing problem and for it to
reach a political outcome. But this does not express any expectations such as
"The Westerners will come and mount a military operation, then shape the
administration and then form a government. This is an expectation about
replacing a government that is tyrannizing its people. The process to follow
afterwards should be shaped by the will of all the social groups in Syria. The
Syrians should decide what kind of Syria they want. You need to trust
in the will of the Syrian people. It is a very great mistake to say,
"These people do not know who to elect; we should continue with Al-Asad;
better the devil you know." It only serves Al-Asad to play on phobias of
radical organizations. The people of Syria possess the heritage of a
deeply-rooted civilization. The opposition groups and structures are growing in
strength with each passing day. It is a great injustice to portray them as
fanatical or radical organizations. The moment there is a switch to political
normalization the people's common desire will chose a sensible administration.
The international community, with Turkey included, could prepare the
grounds for this.
[…]
Question: While the solution process is still ongoing, various names within the
PKK [Kurdistan People's Congress, KGK] are saying, "We shall halt the
withdrawal unless you take action by a certain date." The latest such
comment was made by Cemil Bayik. The BDP [Peace and Democracy Party] leader
Selahattin Demirtas said: "100-percent withdrawal was not discussed for
the first stage. What was asked for was an end to the fighting and the
killings." Do you agree with Demirtas on this?
Answer: When have they ever complied with any date given by Ocalan to leave Turkey that
they are able to dictate dates to the government now? None of that is true. I
see these statements as extremely negative. True, a ceasefire decision was
made. The decision to leave Turkey
was also made. According to Ocalan, this was supposed to be over by the start
of summer, like June or July at the latest. What happened? We are in September
now and there is talk of only 20-25 percent having withdrawn! This was not done
on the date given by Ocalan. Ocalan was thrown under the bus. They both praise
Ocalan and fail to act on his word.
Question: In his
statements Demirtas said remarkably, "Hopes have fallen 90 percent on
Qandil." What do you make of these statements?
Answer: What
matters to us is the degree of hope in society and what the people are saying.
Demirtas should look at what the people of the region who voted for him are
saying, and not listen to Qandil. He should see the great hope there. There is
a very high level of support for the process in the east and southeast. What
matters is to not dash society's hopes. The citizens want this problem fixed.
The government for its part is pressing ahead with commitment.
10. Erdogan calls for rotating membership at UN
Security Council
Turkish daily
Today’s Zaman newspaper (03.09.13) reports that Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan has accused the United Nations of having an unfair system of
representation and decision making and suggested rotating membership for
producing effective outcomes rather than stillborn results.
Speaking at the
closing ceremony of Siirt Days at the Halic Congress
Center in Istanbul on Sunday, Erdogan
raised the topic of Syria
and the UN Security Council's (UNSC) reaction to events there.
Criticizing the
world body's structure, the Prime Minister said the UN's dependence on the five
permanent security council members for decisions amounts to
"oppression."
Saying he
believes in the “World is bigger than five” campaign [referring to the five
permanent members of the UNSC] launched by independent pro-democracy civil
society organization the Young Civilians (Genc Siviller), Erdogan suggested
that the 15 members of the UNSC rotate evenly and that the decisions of such a
body shouldn't be cancelled because of the veto of one country.
“We have always said that if there is a UN
Security Council that consists of 15 members, these members should change
regularly. [The resolutions] shouldn't be cancelled by one member's veto. It [a
resolution] should be canceled by majority vote. Now, the UNSC couldn't give a
decision [on Syria],
and the main reason for this is two of its members [Russia and China]. Why are
we obliged to have this [veto], why is humanity required to have this?” Erdogan
continued.
Erdogan says
UN's silence encourages Syria
regime.
11. February 28 trial continues
Turkish daily
Today’s Zaman newspaper (03.09.13) reports that the first hearing in a historic
trial involving 103 suspects accused of attempting to overthrow a
democratically elected government in February 28, 1997's “postmodern coup”, was
held at an Ankara court on Monday.
Records,
however, of a controversial National Security Council (MGK) meeting on the date
of the coup were absent from the courtroom. The trial commenced at the Ankara 13th High Criminal
Court, which accepted a 1,300-page indictment in early June filed by the Ankara
Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Despite a
request from the court for the records of the meeting on Feb. 28, 1997, the documents have not
been sent to the court by the MGK's legal consulting department.
Monday's hearing
was attended by most of the suspects, including former Higher Education Board
(YOK) President Kemal Guruz; former Gendarmerie Commander Gen. Teoman Koman;
and retired Gen. Cetin Dogan, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year
for his role in the Sledgehammer coup plot. Karadayi did not attend the
hearing, citing health reasons.
Lawyers of the
defendants challenged the presiding judge's impartiality and demanded a change.
The request was denied by the court.
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