TURKISH CYPRIOT AND
TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 235/13 12.12.13
1. Eroglu alleges that the “ball is in the Greek
Cypriot side’s field” for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations
2. Eroglu: “No negotiations can start with preconditions”
3. Turkish diplomat: Reunification talks can be
launched at any time; Davutoglu called Kerry and Hague regarding the Cyprus
talks
4. Nami addresses OIC’s Foreign Minsters’ meeting in
Guinea; He says the Cypriot leaders are at “the stage of finalizing the joint
declaration”
5. Cakici: Eroglu discusses an agreement that is
contrary to his own vision for the Cyprus problem
6. Elcil: Eroglu pretends to be an “angel of peace”
forgetting that he has been opposing to the solution for 40 years
7. Ozgurgun: Downer has no reliability
8. KutlayErk may be the next general secretary of
CTP-BG
9. Turkey to transmit Georgian power to EU
10. OSCE: Excessive penalties threaten journalism in
Turkey
1. Eroglu alleges that the “ball is in the Greek
Cypriot side’s field” for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (12.12.13) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader,
DervisEroglu has argued that the “ball for the resumption of the Cyprus talks
is in the Greek Cypriot side’s field now”. In a written statement after meeting
yesterday with the UN Secretary-General’s special adviser on Cyprus, Alexander
Downer, Eroglu said that they had all day long discussed with the UN officials
how they could pave the way for holding the meeting between the community
leaders that would launch the Cyprus negotiations from the point they had been
left.
Eroglu noted
that they conveyed to Downer and his team the “opening” of the Turkish Cypriot
side on the issue of the joint declaration and alleged that “the ball is now in
Greek Cypriot side’s field”. “In these constructive and productive
consultations we worked for overcoming the continuing objections of the Greek
Cypriot side”, he claimed.
The paper writes
that Eroglu met also yesterday with the leaders of the parties participating in
the “coalition government”, OzkanYorgancioglu of the Republican Turkish party
(CTP) and SerdarDenktas of the Democratic Party (DP), as well as with Huseyin
Ozgurgun, chairman of the “main opposition” National Unity Party (UBP). The
paper notes that this meeting was not in Eroglu’s program.
In his
statement, the Turkish Cypriot leader said that he has taken the support of
Yorgancioglu, Denktas and Ozgurgun as regards the issue of the joint
declaration. “After that we invited UN Secretary – General’s special adviser Mr
Downer and his team to my office and shared the opening of the Turkish Cypriot
side on the issue of the joint declaration”, he added.
He noted that
the efforts aiming at the resumption of the negotiations are really at a very
critical stage and alleged that he has “once more exhibited the political will
of the Turkish Cypriot side for reconciliation”.
The paper writes
that Downer made no statement after their 20-minute meeting.
Meanwhile, the
chairman of the Social Democracy Party (TDP), CemalOzyigit described as
“unacceptable” the fact that the TDP had not been invited to the briefing,
adding that this was a “political disrespect”. He said that after founding out
about the issue, he contacted Eroglu’s office from where he received the answer
that “things happened very quickly and we could not inform you”. Ozyigit said that all the parties represented
in the “parliament’ should be invited to these briefings.
(I/Ts.)
2. Eroglu: “No negotiations can start with
preconditions”
According to
illegal Bayrak television (online, 11.12.13), Turkish Cypriot leader
DervisEroglu, during a meeting with a group of war veterans from Izmir, who had
taken part in the 1974 Turkish invasion to Cyprus, said that a negotiations
process that starts with preconditions cannot be successful.
Briefing the
visitors on the latest stage reached on the Cyprus negotiations process, Eroglu
noted that the “TRNC” [editor’s note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area
of the Republic of Cyprus] has its own problems like any other country in the
world. He, however, added that what is important is the continuation of the
existence of the “state”.
Referring to the
Cyprus problem, Eroglu claimed that the Greek Cypriot side is insisting on the
joint statement in order to sit at the negotiating table. “No negotiations can
start with preconditions,” argued Eroglu, stating that no negotiations process
which is subject to preconditions can be successful. “The talks would never
start if I too decided to put forward preconditions,” he claimed.
3. Turkish diplomat: Reunification talks can be
launched at any time; Davutoglu called Kerry and Hague regarding the Cyprus
talks
Under the title
“Cypriots inch toward blueprint for peace”, SerkanDemirtas, writing in Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 12.12.13), reports that a joint statement
that could start long-awaited reunification talks in Cyprus is nearing
completion, with hopes that Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders will officially
launch the process within days.
“Reunification
talks can be launched at any time. There is a minor problem with regard to the
joint statement, but we hope it will soon be overcome,” a senior Turkish
diplomat told the Hurriyet Daily News yesterday. The progress was also
confirmed by a Western diplomat closely following the preparation process for
the joint statement, saying: “The drafted statement is a good one. We hope it’s
going to create a very good basis for talks.”
The official
statement is expected from Alexander Downer, the United Nations’ special envoy
for Cyprus, if both parties give the green light for the joint statement.
Turkish and
Greek Cypriots have been negotiating over the statement for the last three
months as the latter’s pre-condition to start negotiations. Greek Cyprus’
insistence at putting some very significant and key aspects of a potential
settlement into the blueprint has delayed the agreement but two sides were able
to recently narrow their differences.
Single
sovereignty, citizenship and single international representation were the Greek
Cypriot priorities, while the Turkish side pressed to include a timeframe for
talks in order not to have them open-ended. The Greek Cypriot leadership,
however, has no intention of limiting the duration of talks.
Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu exchanged phone calls with his American and British
counterparts, John Kerry and William Hague, respectively, on Dec. 10 to discuss
the developments regarding the Cypriot negotiations.
“Both countries’
interest and attention regarding the prospected talks are rising. The United
States is closely following and the United Kingdom is the guarantor country.
They are getting more involved and it would lend impetus,” the Turkish diplomat
said. Western powers and the European Union are also hoping that the two
parties will return to the negotiation table to resolve the nearly
four-decade-old problem.
Turkish Cypriots
plan to complete negotiations in the first quarter of 2014 and to put the peace
plan to a referendum in the spring, 50 years after the U.N. issued its first
resolution on Cyprus.
Davutoglu’s
itinerary this week includes trips to Athens tomorrow and to occupied part of
Nicosia on Dec. 14, when he will evaluate the upcoming Cypriot talks with his
Greek counterpart, Evangelos Venizelos.
Turkey and
Greece have already agreed for cross talks to be carried out by simultaneous
visits of Turkish Cypriot representatives to Athens and Greek Cypriot
representatives to Ankara. Although it was originally a Greek idea, it has not
yet been realized due to internal problems in Greece.
“We expect that
these cross talks will take place after the official launch of talks. If talks
can begin this week, then these visits can be staged in two weeks’ time,”
another Western diplomat said.
4. Nami addresses OIC’s Foreign Minsters’ meeting
in Guinea; He says the Cypriot leaders are at “the stage of finalizing the
joint declaration”
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (12.12.13) reports that OzdilNami, self-styled foreign
minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of
Cyprus, addressed yesterday the 40th Meeting of Foreign Ministers of
the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in Guinea.
In his address,
Nami referred to the Cyprus problem and said that the target is to find a
bi-zonal, bi-communal federation based on political equality. He argued that it
has been accepted that united Cyprus would be a federation consisted of two
founding states of equal status, one Turkish Cypriot and one Greek Cypriot.
Nami said that
at the moment the two leaders are at the stage of finalizing the joint
declaration process which will open the way for negotiations.
Underlining the
importance of OIC for the “TRNC” [Translator’s note: the breakaway regime in
the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus], Nami said that during the past
three years the trade of the “TRNC” with the OIC member states increased by
12.5%. He argued that this is a result of the cooperation and solidarity established
under OIC’s roof and added that their target is to increase their trade with
the OIC countries.
Noting that
61.000 students are studying in the illegal universities in the occupied areas
of Cyprus, Namiunderlined that 6.105 of those students come from Guinea and
other African countries.
(I/Ts.)
5. Cakici: Eroglu discusses an agreement that is
contrary to his own vision for the Cyprus problem
Turkish Cypriot
daily Ortam newspaper (12.12.13) reports that Mehmet Cakici, self-styled MP
with the Social Democracy Party (TDP) in the occupied part of Nicosia, has said
that the Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu discusses an agreement that is
contrary to his own vision for the Cyprus problem.
Addressing
yesterday the “assembly” of the regime during the discussion of the “budget” of
the so-called presidency, Cakici noted that they should discuss the hesitations
which exist on the issue of sitting at the table and signing a text for an
agreement on the Cyprus problem.
Cakici said that
a “midway” is searched in the Cyprus problem and not the “perfect agreement”
and added that the National Unity Party (UBP) [Translator’s note: the party
which elected Eroglu at the “presidency”] has always wanted the Turkish
Cypriots to live under a separate administration.
Cakici went on
and said that Eroglu discusses an agreement that is contrary to his own vision
and wondered how an agreement will be achieved at the table with this
contradiction.
(I/Ts.)
6. Elcil: Eroglu pretends to be an “angel of peace”
forgetting that he has been opposing to the solution for 40 years
Turkish Cypriot
daily Ortam newspaper (12.12.13) reports that SenerElcil, general secretary of
the Turkish Cypriot Primary School Teachers’ Trade Union (KTOS), has said that
recently the Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu pretends to be an “angel of
peace” and in every statement he makes he says he is in favour of the
unification of Cyprus and the continuation of the negotiating process.
In a statement
issued yesterday, Elcil noted the following referring to Eroglu: “He seems to
have forgotten that he is the one who for years has been saying that ‘not even
a single small stone will be given back’ and that ‘the non-solution is the
solution’, that he has been going around the villages making a campaign against
the Annan Plan, and that after instructions taken by Ankara he has signed and
put into effect Ankara’s package, which drags the Turkish Cypriot community to
annihilation”.
Elcil pointed
out that there could be no solution to the Cyprus problem “by taking
instructions from Turkey”, “by accusing the other side” and “by protecting the
strategic interests of Turkey and not the ones of the Turkish Cypriots at the
table”.
Elcil said that
Eroglu refrains from announcing what he puts onto the negotiating table and
what proposals he submits “in order for forcing the Greek Cypriots to abandon
the table”. Elcil pointed out that Eroglu is going to the negotiating table
demanding “separate sovereignty” and “citizenship for the population carried
from Turkey” [Translator’s note: as the Turkish settlers are described] and
“trying to acquit the separatist structure” created on the island by Turkey
after 1974.
Elcil noted that
Eroglu submits these proposals to the table knowing that the Greek Cypriots
will reject them and argued that “divorce before marrying” is being discussed
at the negotiations.
Elcil said: “It
is obvious that there will be no solution with this mentality. The desirable
result with the lies [regarding the existence] of embargo and isolation and the
statement that ‘the Greek Cypriots do not want a solution’ is to achieve the
division of the island. This is the continuation of the ‘Plan for Recovering
Cyprus’ determined in 1956 by you together with the governments of Ankara from
which you take instructions for years”.
(I/Ts.)
7. Ozgurgun: Downer has no reliability
Turkish Cypriot
daily Gunes (12.12.13) reports that Huseyin Ozgurgun, leader of the National
Unity Party (UBP), speaking first yesterday at the debate of the “presidency
budget” at the self-styled assembly, said that it is important to have a united
voice on the Cyprus problem. He added that it is not important who the
“president” is, but be able to act in common.
Reiterating that
he supports the Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu, Ozgurgun argued that
although the Greek Cypriot political parties have different views, they can act
in unison on the Cyprus problem.
Ozgurgun noted
that the United Nation’s GS special envoy for Cyprus Alexander Downer has no
reliability, claiming that although the Turkish Cypriots support reconciliation
and an agreement, their patience has been strained.
8. KutlayErk may be the next general secretary of
CTP-BG
Turkish Cypriot
daily KibrisPostasi (12.12.13) reports that the names of KutlayErk and
BirikimOzgur are those who come forward for the position of general secretary
of the Republican Turkish Party – United Forces (CTP-BG).
Asked to comment
on this, Erk said to the paper that according to the results of the general
assembly of CTP-BG, it was expected. He looks positively the position of CTP
general secretary.
On the other
hand, Ozgur stated to the paper that he is not interested in the position.
9. Turkey to transmit Georgian power to EU
According to
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 12.12.13), the Borcka-Akhaltsikhe
electricity transmission line will be able to transmit 700 megawatt (mW) power
from Georgia to the European Union through Turkey, Turkish Energy Minister
TanerYildiz has said, adding that the capacity would reach 1100 mW in advance.
“Power generated
in Georgia will be available to European markets very soon,” Yildiz said during
the inauguration ceremony of a power transmission line in Georgian province of
Akhaltsikhe yesterday. The electricity transmission line between Turkey’s Black
Sea province of Artvin’sBorcka district and Akhaltsikhe was built to transmit
power from Georgia via Turkey to Europe.
Yildiz stated
that this facility would also transmit Azerbaijani energy: “Georgia’s energy
and also Azerbaijan’s energy will be able to be transmitted to the EU. Turkey
is a reliable market. If power generation starts, 700 mW power can be
transmitted to Turkey,” he said. The transmission capacity will increase to
1100 mW in the next stage, he noted.
Yildiz also said
the transmitted power can also be supplied, recalling that Turkey’s energy
bourse, EPIAS, would be established.
Yildiz noted
that Turkey was not only a corridor in the framework of this project but it was
also a consumer country. They expect that this project would raise supply that
would reduce prices in favour of citizens. The Turkish Electricity Transmission
Company (TEIAS) will be choosing a third party to assume the transmission
component of the project by way of a tender process at a later date, he said.
10. OSCE: Excessive penalties threaten journalism
in Turkey
Turkish daily
Today’s Zaman (online, 11.12.13) reported that DunjaMijatovic, the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) representative on freedom of the
media, has said that excessive penalties against journalists may threaten
investigative journalism and freedom of speech in Turkey.
In a written
statement sent to the Cihan news agency, Mijatovic spoke against an investigation
targeting Taraf journalist Mehmet Baransu for reporting on a confidential
National Security Council (MGK) document that mentioned a planned crackdown on
faith-based groups in Turkey. According to the OSCE representative, it is
“alarming” to see that the journalist faces the risk of being sentenced to
dozens of years in jail for publishing confidential state documents.
Mijatovic said
he is closely following developments related to the investigation against
Baransu. “It is very important that journalists be able to freely perform their
profession and their right to keep news sources protected by the law,” she
added.
The OSCE
statement follows an earlier message by the European Union, which said public
authorities should not interfere with freedom of expression in the media,
against the background of Turkish government pressure on the media through
criminal and civil lawsuits. “The right to freedom of expression includes the
freedom to receive and impart information and ideas without the interference of
public authorities,” Peter Stano, spokesperson for EU Enlargement Commissioner
Stefan Fule, told the Cihan news agency on Tuesday.
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