TURKISH CYPRIOT AND
TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 218/13 16
- 18.11.13
1. Turkish Foreign
Ministry issue a statement for the passing of Glafcos Clerides
2. Eroglu sends his
condolences for the death of former President Clerides
3. How the Turkish
Cypriot press covers the death of former President Clerides
4. Gul’s message for
the anniversary of the breakaway regime’s establishment
5. Bagis: Turkey will in no way, condition and manner abandon even a single hand span of Cyprus
5. Bagis: Turkey will in no way, condition and manner abandon even a single hand span of Cyprus
6. Yorgancioglu hosted
a dinner for foreigners who visited the celebrations for the regimes
establishment
7. Celebrations of the breakaway regime in Washington
and London
8. Tension between
Turkey and CTP-DP “government” has reportedly decreased
9. Turkish F-16’s
reportedly send away an Italian airplane that passed over occupied Karpasia
10. Ozyigit the new leader of TDP
11. The “Immovable Property Commission” paid 140
million sterling pound in 7 years
12. Erdogan, Barzani
see eye to eye on four issues in Diyarbakir visit
13. Davutoglu: Establishing stable regional order is Mid-East's real challenge
13. Davutoglu: Establishing stable regional order is Mid-East's real challenge
14. Turkish
Commentary: HDP Expected to become alternative to CHP
15. A headscarf news presenter at TRT
1. Turkish Foreign
Ministry issue a statement for the passing of Glafcos Clerides
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (17.11.13)
issue the following statement regarding the passing of the former President of
the Republic of Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides.
“We are saddened by the news of the passing of Glafcos
Clerides, a lawyer and politician who assumed a number of important positions
at critical times, starting with the phase of establishment of the partnership
State in Cyprus 1960, who served the Greek Cypriot community that he has led
for several years.
It is the more regrettable that Glafcos
Clerides, who, together with the TRNC's Founding President, the late Rauf
Denktas, assumed an important role in the negotiation processes since 1968
aiming at solving the Cyprus issue, did not live to see the achievement of a
lasting comprehensive settlement on the island after the coming to naught of
the UN Comprehensive Settlement Plan, also known as the Annan Plan – to the
negotiations of a significant portion of which he had himself contributed – due
to the Greek Cypriot side's rejection in referendum of the Plan.”
2. Eroglu sends his
condolences for the death of former President Clerides
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.11.13)
reported that the Turkish Cypriot leader has sent a message of condolences to
President Anastasiades and the Greek Cypriot “people” for the death of the
former President of the Republic of Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides. The paper writes
that Eroglu called also Keti Clerides, the daughter of late President Clerides,
and conveyed his condolences for the death of her father.
According to a statement issued by Eroglu’s
office, Eroglu said in his message that Glafcos Clerides
is “one of the personalities who left his name
in Cyprus’ history” and that he took his place
in the history of the island even since he was alive.
(I/Ts.)
3. How the Turkish
Cypriot press covers the death of former President Clerides
Almost all Turkish Cypriot daily newspapers on
Saturday (16.11.13) covered on their front pages the death of the former
President of the Republic of Cyprus, Glafkos Clerides.
Kibris newspaper covers the issue under the
title “Glafkos Clerides lost his life”, noting that the 94-year old “former
leader of the Greek Cypriot administration, who has been receiving treatment
for a long time, lost the battle of life”.
Kibris Postasi covers the issue under the title
“Farewell on 15 November by Clerides”. Star Kibris notes that “He died on the
anniversary of the establishment of the TRNC”, while Gunes writes that “He died
the day on which the TRNC had been declared”.
Under the title “Another historic figure died”,
Ortam reports that ‘former Greek Cypriot leader Glafkos Clerides, who is one of
the most important names of Cyprus’ political history, lost his life on the 30th
anniversary from the declaration of the TRNC”.
Vatan covers the issue under the title “Former
Greek Cypriot leader Clerides lost his life”. Volkan, Kibrisli and Halkin Sesi
used similar titles saying “Clerides lost his life”.
Havadis covers the issue under the title
“Clerides said goodbye to life”.
Afrika reports that “Another historic figure
passed away” and “Clerides died at the age of 94”.
Yeni Duzen covers the issue under the title
“Farewell on 15 November”, noting that the fact the President Clerides died on
the anniversary of the breakaway regime was interpreted as “irony”.
Bakis is the only Turkish Cypriot newspaper
which does not refer to the issue.
(I/Ts.)
4. Gul’s message
for the anniversary of the breakaway regime’s establishment
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman newspaper (17.11.13) reports that the Turkish President Abdullah Gul sent congratulatory message to the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, for the anniversary of the breakaway regime’s establishment.
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman newspaper (17.11.13) reports that the Turkish President Abdullah Gul sent congratulatory message to the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, for the anniversary of the breakaway regime’s establishment.
“The motherland of Turkey will continue to take
the KKTC's side on their rightful case in the future, as it has up to the
present, and will continue to support Turkish Cypriots for the settlement of a
stable reconciliation that will be enabled by the establishment of a two-party
state with two founders of equal status, producing a new partnership on the
island,” Gul said, according to a statement released on the presidency's
website.
5. Bagis: Turkey will in no way, condition
and manner abandon even a single hand span of Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.11.13) reported that the Turkish EU Minister
and Chief negotiator, Egemen Bagis has alleged that Turkey’s determination on
the issue of finding a solution to the Cyprus problem continues and added that
“Turkey will in no way, condition and manner abandon even a single hand span of
Cyprus”. Addressing a reception in Istanbul on the occasion of the 30th
anniversary of the unilateral declaration of independence (UDI), Bagis said:
“Let no one expect that we will abandon northern Cyprus for the EU and the EU
for northern Cyprus, because we are determined to pursue until the end our just
cause on both issues”.
Referring to the efforts for finding
a solution to the Cyprus problem, Bagis alleged: “When the two sides agree and
approach a solution, Turkey will only support this. However, I want to stress
that the non-solution will in no way mean that the TRNC or our brothers on the
island will be left alone. Turkey has never left the TRNC alone and it will
never leave the TRNC alone. Turkey will always be by the TRNC’s side”.
Arguing that Turkey will not feel
safe in an environment where the “TRNC” is not safe, Bagis claimed that
“TRNC’s” fate is as important as the one of the [Turkish cities of] Konya,
Kayseri and Kutahya.
Bagis went on and said: “Turkey will in no way,
condition and manner abandon even a single hand span of Cyprus. It should be
known that she will reply in the most severe manner to these proposals. TRNC
was entrusted to us by [the generations of] Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, Fatin
Zorlu, Menderes and Erbakan”.
(I/Ts.)
6. Yorgancioglu
hosted a dinner for foreigners who visited the celebrations for the regimes
establishment
Illegal Bayrak television (16.11.13) broadcast
that the self-styled prime minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu speaking at the event at
the Dome Hotel in occupied Keryneia, said that there are relationship between
Turkey and the breakaway regime.
Stating that the regime had accomplished much
during its “hard 30 year journey”, Yorgancioglu said that there was still much to
be achieved.
Expressing gratitude to “motherland Turkey” for
its assistance he said that the strong relationship that existed between the
two “countries” will continue in the period ahead.
Also touching upon the Cyprus negotiations
process, Yorgancioglu alleged that the Turkish
Cypriot side was adopting a positive
stance at the talks so as to be able to reach a successful outcome. He said
that this positive stance will continue in the future.
Stating that it was not clear as to how the
negotiations will be concluded, Yorgancioglu said that the Turkish Cypriot
people will nevertheless do its part to make sure the process will yield
positive results.
7. Celebrations of the breakaway regime in
Washington and London
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris (18.11.13) reported that the representation delegations of the
breakaway regime in Washington and in London hosted receptions within the
framework of the celebrations on the occasion of the anniversary of breakaway
regime’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI).
At the reception
in Washington, Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington Namik Tan, the US congressman
of the Republican Party of North Carolina and member of the Committees of
Foreign Affairs Mark Meadows were among the invited people.
Turkey’s
Ambassador in London Unal Cevikoz, Bahreyn Ambassador in London Alice Thomas,
Chairman of the group “friends of TRNC” at the British Parliamentary Lord John
Sharkey, member of the Southwark Municipality of London Abdul Mohammed, member
of the Hammersmith and Fulham municipality
Fraces Stainton, Baroness Meral Ece, MP of the Conservative Party of
Westminster area Mark Fields and others representatives and businessmen of the
Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Communities in London participated in the reception
in London.
8. Tension between
Turkey and CTP-DP “government” has reportedly decreased
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (17.11.13)
reports that the tension in the relations between Turkey and the Republican
Turkish Party (CTP) – Democratic Party (DP) self-styled government, started to
decrease after the celebrations for the 30th anniversary from the
unilateral declaration of independence (UDI). The paper recalls that the
tension had started with a telephone call by the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister,
Besir Atalay to the CTP chairman, Ozkan Yorgancioglu asking him not to
cooperate with the DP.
According to the paper, during Atalay’s recent
illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus, agreement was reached to leave
for 2014 some “critical” issues included in the “economic protocol”, such as
privatizations. In the meetings held between the delegations of Turkey and the
breakaway regime the day before yesterday, it was reaffirmed that there was no
problem in the implementation of Turkey’s obligations in the “financial
protocol”. Therefore, no problem is expected in the payment of the 13th
salary, notes the paper adding that Turkey will continue transferring the money
it had promised in the “protocol” by the end of the year.
The delegations have reportedly agreed to
discuss at technical level issues which especially the Turkish Cypriot side
wants to change in the “protocol”. Political discussions and decisions on the
“protocol” are expected in the end of the year, writes Havadis noting that
during the discussions held on 15 November it was seen that ground for making
changes to the “protocol” exists.
(I/Ts.)
9. Turkish F-16’s
reportedly send awayan Italian airplane that passed over occupied Karpasia
Under the title “What is the Italian airplane
doing in Karpasia”, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (18.11.13) reports
that an Italian airplane has “violated” three times in two days the so-called
airspace of the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus.
According to a statement issued by the Turkish General Staff, the Italian T/E1
airplane “violated” three times the area east of the Karpasia peninsula. Two
F-16’s of the Turkish air force took off from Incirlik base in Turkey and sent
the Italian airplane away.
(I/Ts.)
10. Ozyigit the new leader of TDP
Turkish Cypriot
daily Yeni Duzen (18.11.13) reports that Cemal Ozyigit, former secretary
general of the Social Democracy Party’s(TDP), spoke for the first time at the
paper with his new title as leader of TDP.
Ozyigit wasthe
only candidate for the partyleadership.
He expressed his
dissatisfaction on how Mehmet Cakici used to administrate the party and called
all the people, who are in favour of peace and democracy, to join the party.
11. The “Immovable Property Commission” paid 140
million sterling pound in 7 years
Under the above
title, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen (18.11.13) reports that the sum of 140 million
122 thousand and 316sterling pound has been paid as compensation until today to
Greek Cypriots, who had been forced to abandon their property in the occupied
northern part of Cyprus due to the Turkish invasion in 1974 and afterwards
applied to the so-called Immovable Property Commission established by Turkey in
2006.
Gungor Gunkan,
chairman of the above-mentioned Commission, speaking to the paper, said that the
number of the applications has serious increased during the years 2012 and 2013
due to the financial crisis in the government controlled area of the Republic
of Cyprus.
The paper writes
that while the Greek Cypriots applied to the “Commission” for 15 million 994
thousand 497 square meters of occupied land until today, the so-called Immovable Property Commission
has turned into Turkish 10 million 13 thousand 944 square meters of occupied
Greek Cypriot land.
Moreover, 460
thousand 968 square meters of land have been returned to their Greek Cypriot
owners and one million 196 thousand 739 square meters were exchanged with
Turkish Cypriot property in the government-controlled area of the Republic of
Cyprus.
12. Erdogan,
Barzani see eye to eye on four issues in Diyarbakir visit
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (17.11.13) reports that the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) leader Massoud Barzani met on Saturday in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. They agreed to take a stance against the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) interim administration in northeastern Syria, finalize the transportation of the KRG's oil within a month-and-a-half, open two new border gates as well as on the continuation of Barzani's support for Turkey's settlement process.
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (17.11.13) reports that the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) leader Massoud Barzani met on Saturday in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. They agreed to take a stance against the Democratic Union Party's (PYD) interim administration in northeastern Syria, finalize the transportation of the KRG's oil within a month-and-a-half, open two new border gates as well as on the continuation of Barzani's support for Turkey's settlement process.
Erdogan had a one-and-a-half-hour meeting with
Barzani in Diyarbakir where he and the Kurdish leader addressed locals to
enhance the settlement process. After the day's program, the two held a
separate meeting and, according to the decisions that came out of the meeting,
Erdogan and Barzani agreed that the KRG would not allow a de facto PYD
government in the northeast of Syria, Prime Ministry sources said.
Another issue among the topics of discussion
between Barzani and Erdogan was Kurdish oil, which has strained relations
between Ankara and Baghdad. Barzani and Erdogan agreed that the KRG's oil would
be carried to markets around the world via Turkey in one-and-a-half months.
In a show of support for Erdogan, Barzani paid
a visit to Diyarbakir, a predominantly Kurdish city. During his meeting with
Erdogan, Barzani renewed his support for the settlement process, which was
started by Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) last year
to resolve the country's decades-old terrorism problem.
Ahead of Barzani's visit, the ruling party had
stated its hope for the Kurdish leader's visit to Diyarbakir to contribute to
the settlement process. Erdogan earlier referred to the Diyarbakir visit as
“historic,” saying he hopes it will “crown” the ongoing settlement process that
aims to end the Kurdish conflict.
According to a source from the KRG, those four
points had been expected to be agreed on as Turkey and the KRG have shared
mutual concerns and interests in recent years. “During his speech in Diyarbakir,
Barzani had already made it clear that he would give his utmost support to the
peace process. Even before Barzani's visit, Turkey and the KRG had made it
clear that the issues of the PYD, the oil pipeline and border gate were on the
agenda. However, his priority is currently the peace process.”
During his meeting with Barzani, Erdogan was
accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay, Foreign Minister Davutoglu
and Deputy Undersecretary of the Prime Ministry İbrahim Kalin. No ministers
from the KRG accompanied Barzani during his visit to Diyarbakir, though his
advisors were with him, according to the same source.
Sources from the Prime Ministry also made a
statement on Erdogan's usage of the term “Kurdistan” for the northern part of Iraq
while addressing the people of Diyarbakir, saying Erdogan used the word
“Kurdistan” as the region is defined by Kurdistan in the Iraqi constitution. The
source also added that Erdogan's use of “Kurdistan” was an important indication
of Turkey's will to solve the Kurdish issue.
13. Davutoglu:
Establishing stable regional order is Mid-East's real challenge
Ankara Anatolia news agency (17.11.13) reports
that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu noted in a recent article for
Foreign Policy magazine ahead of his visit to US capital Washington on Monday, that
the US and Turkey have long been, and will continue to be, close allies.
“In today's ever more complex and fluid
international environment -- with Syria in crisis and much of the Middle East
in flux -- the U.S.-Turkish relationship remains vital for a sustainable regional
and global order,” he wrote.
He disputed analyses of increased distance
between the regions by asserting, “As I prepare to visit Washington, I disagree
with the perception that United States and its Middle Eastern allies are
growing apart.”
He continued to explain: “The partnership
between the United States and Turkey is value-based, founded upon universal
principles of fundamental rights and democratic norms. Turkey promotes these
values in its neighborhood and encourages its Western partners to uphold them
as well. Alignment with the West during times of crisis, such as the Arab
Spring, is testament to how deeply such shared values are embedded in the
genesis of our foreign policy. On that ground, the United States and Turkey do
not have the luxury of remaining aloof or apart from each other; our joint work
has proven indispensable to regional security and stability. As a result, we
have diversified our cooperation with the United States in areas ranging from
counter-terrorism and non-proliferation to defense cooperation, energy security,
know-how transfer, and more.”
Stressing that Turkey's leading role in
transatlantic institutions is a primary pillar of its foreign policy, he
expressed his belief that the country would play a more constructive role in
shaping the future of Europe at a time when the region is recovering and
becoming stronger.
In addition to the opening of a new chapter in
Turkey's EU accession negotiations, there are also signs of progress towards
the liberalization of EU visa regimes for Turkish citizens traveling to EU
countries, Davutoglu added.
“NATO, meanwhile, stands as the cornerstone of
Turkish security policy and our security cooperation -- from the Balkans to
Central Asia -- continues to form a bulwark against instability in the broader
region,” he wrote.
Addressing the negotiations between the US and
EU on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP)
process, he stressed the initiative would gain great richness through the
inclusion of Turkey.
Noting that Turkey and the US are coming
face-to-face with an increasingly chaotic geopolitical environment in the
Middle East and North Africa, Davutoglu said:
He underlined that the region's future would
not be determined by “strongmen with dictatorial illusions,” but by legitimate
and visionary leaders. Davutoglu conveyed that Ankara and Washington share the
same goals regarding the Middle East.
Regarding the civil war in Syria, Davutoglu
wrote, “In Syria, progress toward the elimination of Bashar al-Assad's chemical
weapons is a step in the right direction, but there is still more to be done.
Turkey will continue to extend its full support to the Syrian people until a
political transition is achieved and the rule of cruel despotism comes to an
end. We will not become casualties of the ongoing psychological war that in
vain tries to identify the Syrian people's legitimate resistance with the dark
forces of terrorism.”
Indicating that political transformations were
taking place in neighboring countries, he concluded the real challenge in
coming years would be the establishment of a stable regional order.
14. Turkish
Commentary: HDP Expected to become alternative to CHP
Turkish daily Sunday's Zaman (17.11.13)
publishes the following article by Dogu Ergil under the title: "A New
Kurdish Party?":
“The Gezi Park protests changed the whole
Turkish political scene. It drove the point home that although there is no
organized opposition powerful enough to challenge the incumbent Justice and
Development Party (AKP) government, there is enough popular dissatisfaction
that can be aired spontaneously throughout the nation to show the limits of
unilateral governance.
The missing opposition may become a
countervailing center of gravity to balance out the hegemonic power of the
government -- if this discontent can be channeled and organized.
In his recent visit to Istanbul, Socialist International
(SI) Secretary-General Luis Ayala expressed the situation eloquently: “We
believe strongly that there's a big deficit of democracy when a government is
moving in an agenda that goes in the opposite direction of what citizens
believe are the fundamentals. … The struggles of the people in Gezi Park … are
common today in many parts of the world. Because people feel powerless when
governments do not listen to them, when political institutions do not respond
to their concerns, when the agendas are being shaped somewhere else, not on the
basis of the peoples' expectations. And people take to the streets and mobilize
themselves…”
The government could have easily seized on the
opportunity, gotten the message of the Gezi protests and reshaped its political
practices. But its belief in itself and the correctness of its deeds,
reinforced by the absence of internal criticism, led the government to think
that the protests were the making of disruptive external forces. It missed a
historic opportunity to reconcile with those who do not vote for the AKP. As a
result, the government further distanced itself from them.
It was at this time that a new political party,
inspired by the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK),
Abdullah Ocalan, emerged. He aimed to fill the void of opposition in the urban
centers of Western Turkey, especially in Istanbul, that makes up one-sixth of
the national electorate. The new People's Democracy Party (HDP) is expected to
capture the Gezi spirit to unite diverse groups against the AKP. The newly born
party has become the fifth political party in the Turkish Parliament, staffed
by several Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies and an independent
legislator.
[…]
With this strategy in mind, the HDP appeals to
liberals, social democrats, socialists and other excluded groups, like the
Alevis, and sexually oppressed groups under a non-Kurdish name and agenda. In a
sense, the HDP is expected to be an alternative to the Republican People's
Party (CHP), the main opposition party, which derives about 60 percent of its
votes from the Alevis.
The HDP presents itself as a pluralist party
representing oppressed and discriminated groups and creeds. It can boast of
having set aside a 10 percent quota for LGBT individuals and a 50 percent quota
for women. It is being reported that the BDP will enter the local elections in
March 2014 in 21 provinces in east and southeast Turkey. Concurrently, the HDP
will solicit Kurdish and anti-AKP Turkish votes in western urban centers of the
country. The parties are expected to merge before the 2015 parliamentary
elections.
Some have claimed that intense competition
between the CHP and the HDP will take place during the 2014 local elections in
western Turkey. Other observers, however, think that they will not be foolish
enough to divide the votes that are vital if they are to snatch Istanbul away
from the AKP.
There is a third group that believes that the
HDP is redundant and won't rally as many votes as expected because, as a
Kurdish party and the brainchild of Ocalan, its attractiveness as an all-Turkey
party will be limited among Turks.
[…]
Furthermore, there are Kurds living in the West
who believe that the HDP is too much of a Turkish party to ever endorse an
autonomous “Kurdistan.” Furthermore, as the rumor goes, it may find it
expedient to form an electoral coalition with the Kemalist, (Turkish) nationalist
CHP, which is the creator of the Kurdish problem in the first place. These
feelings and arguments have accompanied the founding of a new party in
Parliament inspired by a Kurd who wishes to unite the feeble Turkish
opposition!
15. A headscarf news presenter at TRT
According to
Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi (17.11.13), for the first time of the official
state broadcaster TRT (Turkish Radio and Television) history, a headscarf news
presenter read the news bulletin of 17.00.
The news
presenter was Feyza Cigdem Tahmaz, who used to be the news reader at Hilal TV
until lately.
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