TURKISH CYPRIOT AND
TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 236/13 13.12.13
1. Ertug: the negotiations process has not collapsed
2. Davutoglu will carry out contacts tomorrow in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
3. Talat: Varosha should be included in a package of
confidence building measures
4. Sloat will reportedly not meet with Eroglu
5. Bengu Sonya challenges Serdar Denktas for the
leadership of Democratic Party
6. Ozgurgun calls on “government” to resign if is not
able to pay the salaries
7. Tourism of occupied Cyprus was promoted to Chinese
tourist operators
8. The regime’s income from tourism exceeded six
billion TL during the period 2009-2013
9. Davutoglu met with Nalbandian
10. Sarigul officially applies for CHP candidacy for
Istanbul mayoral post
1. Ertug: the negotiations process has not
collapsed
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (13.12.13) reports that Osman Ertug, representative of
the Turkish Cypriot leader, has alleged that the statements reportedly made by the
Greek Cypriot side regarding the collapse of the negotiations process in Cyprus “give the
impression of being a part of a prefabricated scenario”.
In a written
statement issued yesterday, Ertug said that the Turkish Cypriot side does not
believe that the efforts reached a deadlock and alleged that a positive answer
by the Greek Cypriot side could pave the way for full-fledged negotiations.
“In this period,
during which the efforts for a joint statement reached decisive stage, some
wrong and misleading statements are being made by the Greek Cypriot side to the
public”, claimed Ertug noting that the Turkish Cypriot side received these
statements with “astonishment and sorrow”.
Alleging that
foreign diplomatic circles also admit that the sides could reach the point they
are today on the issue of the joint statement due to the “positive and
constructive contributions” of the Turkish Cypriots, Ertug noted that the
efforts are now focused on the viability and the continuity of the “new
partnership state” which will be established.
He claimed that
statements made through the official news agency by officials in the Greek
Cypriot side, at a stage during which the view that a positive result had been
reached, saying that “the process has collapsed and that it came to a deadlock”
serve no other purpose than harming the process.
(I/Ts.)
2. Davutoglu will carry out contacts tomorrow in
the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
According to
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen (13.12.13), Turkey’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs Ahmet Davutoglu will pay one-day illegally visit tomorrow at the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus.
He will arrive
at the occupied airport of Tymvou at 11.00 a.m and will have separate meetings
first with self-styled minister of foreign affairs Ozdil Nami, later with
self-styled prime minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu, self-styled assembly speaker
Sibel Siber and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.
Eroglu will host
a lunch for Davutoglu and a joint press conference will be followed. Davutoglu
will return to Turkey tomorrow night.
3. Talat: Varosha should be included in a package
of confidence building measures
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (13.12.13) reports that the former Turkish Cypriot
leader Mehmet Ali Talat has argued that it would be wrong to relate the issue
of the return of the occupied closed city of Varosha [to its legal owners] with
the opening of the port of Famagusta for direct trade. Responding to Kibris’
questions on the issue, Talat expressed the view that Varosha could be included
in a package of confidence building measures.
Arguing that
“the Cyprus problem has almost been turned into an issue of Varosha”, Talat
claimed: “We talk about no other subject than Varosha and the port of
Famagusta. If Varosha will be in the question, it can be compared only to
Tymvou [airport]. Accordingly, in case Varosha is given to the Greek Cypriot
side, another step should be taken in the solution of the Cyprus problem. In
parallel to Tymvou, other kinds of isolation should be lifted (in sports for
example)”.
Talat reiterated
the allegation that the return of Varosha is more difficult than the solution
of the Cyprus problem itself and argued that “many details are included” in the
issue of Varosha.
(I/Ts.)
4. Sloat will reportedly not meet with Eroglu
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (13.12.13) reports that Amanda Sloat, Deputy Assistant
Secretary at the US State Department will not meet with the Turkish Cypriot
leader Dervis Eroglu during her visit to Cyprus. According to information
obtained by Kibris from Eroglu’s office, the American official had arranged a
meeting with Eroglu but yesterday she postponed it.
Noting that the
American diplomat arrived yesterday in Cyprus, the paper cites a statement made
by the Spokesman of the US Embassy to Nicosia, who said that he would make no
comment on the visit and added that the Cyprus problem is not included in
Sloat’s duties.
(I/Ts.)
5. Bengu Sonya challenges Serdar Denktas for the
leadership of Democratic Party
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (13.12.13) reports that the general secretary
of the Democratic Party (DP) Bengu Sonya stated that he will be a candidate
against Serdar Denktas for the party’s leadership in the forthcoming election
congress of DP which will be held on January 26, 2014. Denktas is the current
chairman of DP.
Sonya
announced that he will be a candidate during yesterday’s Constitution Meeting
of DP which was postponed for December 28 because quorum was not safeguarded.
According to the paper, during the meeting Denktas and Sonya got into a severe
disagreement which led Sonya to announce that he will also be a candidate for
the party’s leadership.
6. Ozgurgun calls on “government” to resign if is
not able to pay the salaries
Turkish Cypriot
daily Gunes newspaper (13.12.13) reports that Huseyin Ozgurgun, the chairman of
the National Unity Party (UBP) reacted against the statements of the
self-styled minister of finance Zeren Mungan who said last week that if the
economic protocol signed between Turkey and the occupation regime is not
implemented, there will be no money for paying the salaries in occupied Cyprus.
Ozgurgun said
that the “government” is trying to get away of the responsibility of paying
salaries and called it on to resign if is not able to carry on with its duties.
“Paying salaries is the government’s responsibility”, he stated.
Ozgurgun made
these statements during a discussion held in the “assembly” for the so-called
“budget” during which the amendment of the “article 10” of the “constitution”
which is about the present of the Turkish occupation forces in Cyprus. Ozgurgun
stated that he is against this effort and his party will not support the
amendment of the “article 10”.
7. Tourism of occupied Cyprus was promoted to
Chinese tourist operators
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (13.12.13) reports that officials of the
biggest tour operator of China visited Turkey and the breakaway regime for a promotion tour.
The twenty two
Chinese tourist operators were quests of the Merit International Hotels and
Resorts and the Intel Travel. They stayed in occupied Cyprus for two days and
visited among other places, occupied Keryneia.
The paper writes
that Turkey and the breakaway regime will be included to China’s tourist
programs in the future and the number of tourists visiting occupied Cyprus will
be increased. According to Havadis, Chinese tourist operators will prepare a
ten-day visit to Turkey in which a two-day visit will be dedicated to occupied
Cyprus.
8. The regime’s income from tourism exceeded six
billion TL during the period 2009-2013
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (13.12.13) reports that the contribution of tourism to
the breakaway regime’s economy for the period 2009 – 2013 was six billion 285
million Turkish liras (TL). According to Kibris, with the charter flights,
which started in 2010 and the tourists who were brought to the occupied area
from 13 countries, the income of the regime from tourism increased by 74% in
the above-mentioned period.
During the past
few years the sector is continuously growing, writes Kibris, adding that the
growth percentage rate in the past three years was 9.3%.
The paper
reports that the businessmen in the sector are worried because of statements
made by the “government” that the incentives given to the charter flights might
be reduced by 30% in 2014. They argue that 10 TL return to the economy of the
regime for every 1 TL invested in tourism.
It is said that
only in 2012, the 40 million TL which were given to the tourism fund from
sources secured by Turkey brought to the regime an income of 610 million US
dollars. The next target of the sector is to bring one million tourists to the
occupied area of Cyprus and secure an income of one billion US dollars.
(I/Ts.)
9. Davutoglu met with Nalbandian
Turkish daily
Today’s Zaman (online, 12.12.13) reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu has met with his Armenian counterpart, Eduard Nalbandian, in the
first high-level visit from Turkey to Yerevan in five years, on the side-lines
of a meeting of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(BSEC).
During his
one-day visit to Yerevan, where he arrived to attend the BSEC's 29th assembly
of Foreign Ministers, Davutoglu had a meeting with Nalbandian, a move that can
be seen as significant for the restoration of diplomatic ties between Ankara
and Yerevan -- who have been at odds over Armenian genocide and the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
An Armenian
diplomat who wished to remain anonymous said that the two-hour meeting between
the two foreign ministers took place in the afternoon.
At the BSEC
meeting, Foreign Minister Davutoglu called for the strengthening of trade
cooperation between countries in the Black Sea region. He said that as a key
solution for economic problems in the world, regional cooperation will pave the
way for better opportunities in the region.
Speaking before
the meeting with Davutoglu, Nalbandian told the reporters that relations
between Turkey and Armenia should be normalized without any preconditions.
He said the
stance of Armenia and the international community on the normalization of
relations is obvious. “Turkey linking normalization with other issues makes no
sense and won't yield any results,” he said. Nalbandian also said that Armenian
officials are supposed to hold meetings with all the member states' delegation
heads, including the Turkish delegation.
The Foreign
Minister was greeted by protests from several groups upon his arrival on
Thursday morning. Early in the day, protesters gathered in front of the hotel
where Davutoglu was set to attend the BSEC meeting of Foreign Ministers.
Protesters shouted slogans and held placards in English and Armenian condemning
Turkey for its stance against the 1915 incidents. Security forces clashed with
protesters when they insisted on moving toward the building. Davutoglu entered
the hotel through the backdoor.
10. Sarigul officially applies for CHP candidacy
for Istanbul mayoral post
According to
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily New (online, 12.12.13), Sisli Mayor Mustafa
Sarigul has officially submitted his candidacy application for the Istanbul
municipality in the Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) provincial headquarters.
“As of today, I
commend myself firstly to the CHP, then to all of my Istanbul citizens,”
Sarıgul said on Dec. 12 in a press conference with the CHP’s Istanbul
provincial head, Oguz Kaan Salici, after submitting his application.
Stressing that his
mayoral campaign will be aimed at “embracing all segments of society,” Sarigul
also vowed to protect Istanbul’s cultural and natural heritage. He also put
emphasis on the chronic transport issue in Istanbul, pledging to end the
“traffic ordeal,” without giving any details.
The AKP has
announced that current mayor Kadir Topbas will run for the post again, while
Sirri Sureyya Onder has been officially named as the People’s Democratic
Party’s (HDP) Istanbul candidate.
The Nationalist
Movement Party (MHP), meanwhile, named Rasim Acar as the party’s nominee for
the heated Istanbul mayoral race.
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