TURKISH CYPRIOT AND
TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 228/13 03.12.13
1. Eroglu: the Turkish side wants the “founding
states” to be sovereign
2. “Positive messages” after a meeting between Denktas
and Sertoglu
3. Elcil warns Bagis
that mules-like Cypriots are able to kick as well
4. Turkish Cypriot businessman says no embargo is
implemented on the breakaway regime
5. Talat commented on
Papadopoulos’s election to DIKO leadership: If he is like his dad, it is going
to be a disaster
6. Turkey did not
include occupied Cyprus for geographical indication for raki
7. CTP election
congress to be held on Sunday
8. Turkish government
profiling went on until 2013, report claims
9. Arinc:
'Transformation' of Turkey's private tutoring centers likely to be completed by
2015
10. CHP Washington
Office was opened in the USA
1. Eroglu: the Turkish side wants the “founding
states” to be sovereign
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (03.12.13) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader,
Dervis Eroglu has alleged that the Greek Cypriot side aims at imposing the
framework it wants in the Cyprus problem by issuing a joint statement.
According to a statement made from his office, Eroglu gave an interview to
Turkish daily Hurriyet newspaper. Referring to the efforts for issuing a joint
statement within the framework of the Cyprus talks, Eroglu alleged that the
Greek Cypriot side tries to “tie” their hands as regards possible demands they
could have during the negotiating process. “They will take what they want in
advance and afterwards we will run after them”, he claimed.
Eroglu argued
that President Anastasiades demands single sovereignty, single international
identity and single citizenship as well as the continuation of the Republic of
Cyprus. Eroglu went on and said that the Turkish side wants an agreement in
which the “founding states” will be sovereign, a new state which could give
citizenship is established, and Turkey’s active and effective guarantees and bi-zonality
will continue. He claimed, inter alia, the following: “…Mr Anastasiades is very
far from a solution, which the Turkish Cypriot people could accept. As the
esteemed Cemil Cicek, Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA)
said on Wednesday, ‘there could be no marriage by force’. Either a new bi-zonal
federal state, which will be based on political equality and the founding
states will be coming together, will be established, or new evaluations and new
solution formulas will come up”.
Referring to the agreement signed in Zurich between the Cyprus
Football Association (CFA), the Turkish Cypriot so-called football association
(TCFA), FIFA and UEFA, Eroglu said he wants the Turkish Cypriot football
players to have contacts abroad and this “injustice” to end, but “the Greek
Cypriot side is not sincere”. He alleged that the only goal of the Greek
Cypriots is to dominate over the Turkish Cypriots and to use this in politics
as well.
Eroglu argued that the “coalition partners” in the so-called government
should be sensitive on this issue and agree on a “common point” after
discussing the issue between them. “Yes, the federations are autonomous, but it
is the government’s, the state’s duty to get into action on issues that concern
the government and the state”, he claimed.
(I/Ts.)
2. “Positive messages” after a meeting between
Denktas and Sertoglu
Turkish Cypriot
daily Bakis newspaper (03.12.13) reports that Serdar Denktas, self-styled
deputy prime minister and “minister” responsible for sports in the occupied
area of the Republic of Cyprus, alleged yesterday that he had not exerted an
effort to influence the decision of the Turkish Cypriot so-called football
association (TCFA) and the football clubs and claimed that he only made some “warnings”
on the agreement signed in Zurich between the Cyprus Football Association
(CFA), the “TCFA”, FIFA and UEFA.
Addressing the
“assembly”, Denktas argued that he had only said some realities and warned
regarding the process. He noted that he is a politician who attaches importance
to political equality and added this does not happen only in their relations
with the Greek Cypriots.
He went on and argued: “Whomever I meet I try to make him feel that I
am politically equal. If, as a person elected, I meet with someone who is
appointed, I try to make this difference understood. I may not be loved because
of this. I do not care at all. If I am a representative elected with the will
of this country, whoever I talk with as politician who believes in this state, I
want my interlocutor to know the representation power given to me by my people
and respect this representation power”.
Denktas noted that the decision as regards the
Turkish Cypriot football belongs to the clubs and the general assembly of the
“federation”, but added that it is his duty to warn them when he sees that they
take some wrong steps. He said that during the meetings he had held with the
clubs, he underlined the points on which they are “sensitive”. He argued that
he would be happy if the “deficiencies” in the text of the agreement are
overcome and a text that takes into consideration their “equality” is approved
by the general assembly of the “federation”.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (03.12.13) reports
that Serdar Denktas, who has exhibited negative stance against the provisional
agreement signed in Zurich between the CFA, “TCFA”, FIFA and UEFA, met
yesterday with the chairman of the “TCFA”, Hasan Sertoglu. According to the
paper, “positive and constructive statements” were made after the meeting.
The paper writes that before the meeting Sertoglu thanked Denktas
for his address at the “assembly” during which he had expressed his respect to
the decision of the football clubs, describing as “warning” the “concerns” he
had expressed. Sertoglu gave the message that from now on they will be noting
Denktas’ warnings and try to cooperate with him, writes Kibris.
He said, inter alia, the following: “We have passed into a very
different stage of the process now. We have completed the first stage and
passed into the second one. We will consult with everyone in the second part as
well. We have informed the esteemed minister about this. We came to convey to
him in detail what we have done at the briefing of the clubs. We came to find
out esteem minister’s views…”
He went on and argued that asking for someone’s views is not the
same as taking instructions from him.
In his statements, Denktas said that what had been experienced
during the process remained in the past, that they respect the decision of the
clubs and that they will help so that everyone does his bit in order for taking positive steps for the
future of the young people.
(I/Ts.)
3. Elcil warns
Bagis that mules-like Cypriots are able to kick as well
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper
(03.12.13) reports that Sener Elcil, the general secretary of KTOS (Turkish
Cypriot Primary Teachers Trade Union) strongly criticized the statements made
by the Turkish Minister Responsible of EU Affairs Egemen Bagis who accused
Cypriots of being stubborn and tenacious, like mules.
Elcil said that the statements made by Turkish
officials are without any concern for appropriateness and stated that mules can
also kick.
Elcil went on and said the following: “They
keep Varosha closed, they transfer population in the island usurping our
political rights, and they are looting the Greek Cypriot properties. They
changed the names of the places by force, they have created a puppet regime
which is connected to them, and police is bind to them. The [Turkish]
ambassador is interfering in any of our jobs, the Turkish Cypriot community is
subject to culture assimilation due to the Quran lessons the mosques and the complex
of buildings adjacent to mosques”, Elcil said and noted: It seems Bagis who
says that wants solution conveniently forgets all these.
4. Turkish Cypriot businessman says no embargo is
implemented on the breakaway regime
Turkish Cypriot
daily Havadis newspaper (03.12.13) reports that Turkish Cypriot businessman
Director of New Clouds Ltd company Meric Eruklu, who had been awarded as “The
Entrepreneur of the Year” by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of industry, has said that
no embargo is implemented on the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied area
of the Republic of Cyprus. He noted that his company’s exports reach one
million Turkish liras (TL) annually and added that sometimes there are some
minor problems in the exports, but none of them is “embargo”.
He went on and pointed out: “On the one side we say that embargo is
implemented and on the other that we carry out exports to 40-50 countries. This
is a big contradiction”.
Eruklu noted that his company is now trying to strengthen its
presence in ten countries and added that they export ice, which is included
among the products that are very difficult to be exported. “In spite of this,
we are carrying out exports to many countries. Consequently, even our exporting
net is an indication that there is no embargo on the TRNC”.
He said that his company is active as of 2007 and that in 2013 it
carried out exports of ice to Turkey, Iraq and the EU. He noted that they are
working on adding Australia in their market and their target afterwards is
America and Japan.
He said, inter alia, the following: “We continuously say that there
is embargo on the TRNC, lift the embargo. However, there is no embargo on the
TRNC. We shout and make calls for the lifting of the embargo. When someone asks
us which embargo we should lift, we cannot reply to him. Absolutely no TIR of
mine was forced to wait at the port or to return back…”
(I/Ts.)
5. Talat commented
on Papadopoulos’s election to DIKO leadership: If he is like his dad, it is going
to be a disaster
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper
(03.12.13) reports that the former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat
commented on the election of Nicolas Papadopoulos, the son of the Late Tassos
Papadopoulos in the leadership of the Democratic Party (DIKO) and said that if
Nicolas Papadopoulos will follow his father politics, this would be a disaster.
He went on and said that the Nicolas
Papadopoulos approach as regards the Cyprus problem and the Turkish Cypriot
side does not leave room for hopes. “But we have to wait and see”, Talat
stated.
Commenting on the common declaration between
the two sides in Cyprus, Talat stated that he was accused of making
contradictory statements on the issue. “I said that in the past there was no need
for a common declaration […] hoverer now is a necessity”, Talat stated adding
that now UN and EU are putting pressure over it. “We turn an inessential issue
into something important”, he stated.
6. Turkey did not
include occupied Cyprus for geographical indication for raki
Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper
(03.12.13) reports that Ali Cirali, the chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber
of Industry accused Turkey of refusing to include raki which is produced in
occupied Cyprus, in the geographical range of Turkey’s geographical indication
(GI) for raki.
According to Cirali, Turkish Cypriot Chamber of
Industry asked for occupied Cyprus inclusion but the Izmir Chamber of Trade was
against it. As a result, raki that is produced in occupied Cyprus cannot use
that name anymore.
[Tr. Note: Raki is an alcoholic liqueur
flavored with anise, made in Turkey and the Balkans.]
7. CTP election
congress to be held on Sunday
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(03.12.13) reports that the 24thelection congress of the Republican
Turkish Party (CTP) will be held on December 8.
The candidates for the position of the CTP
leadership, are the current chairman and self-styled prime minister Ozkan
Yorgnacioglu and CTP’s general secretary Asim Akansoy.
According to the paper 1.117 commissioners will
have the right to vote.
The paper writes that if Yorgancioglu loses, he
will resign from the “prime ministry”.
8. Turkish
government profiling went on until 2013, report claims
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman newspaper
(03.12.13) writes that the Turkish government profiled a large number of
individuals whom it believed to be followers of certain religious and
faith-based groups and monitored their activities up until 2013, a Turkish
daily reported on Monday.
According to the report, the profiling of
individuals did not end in 2010 as previously claimed, but it continued between
2011 and 2013. Those mainly profiled are reportedly followers of Hizmet, a
faith-based movement inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen. The
daily also claimed that other religious groups that voiced criticism or
disapproval of the government's activities were also profiled, mainly civil
servants or those who planned or hoped to be employed in a state post.
Monday's report is part of a series of leaks
the Taraf daily has published in the past few days revealing a National
Security Council (MGK) document that asks the government of Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan to curtail the activities of Gulen, both in Turkey and abroad.
The document, endorsed in 2004, was signed by a number of officials, including
Erdogan, then-Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and then-Justice Minister Cemil Cicek.
Shortly after the leaks, senior AK Party member
Omer Dincer, who served as Prime Ministry undersecretary in 2004, said the MGK
decision was not implemented and that the document Taraf published was a
remnant of the previous government, which was determined to fight against
“reactionary religious activities.” The Justice and Development Party (AK
Party) formed its first government in 2002.
The Taraf report, however, claimed that the
government set up a new department at the Prime Ministry in lieu of the BUTKK
and that that department blacklisted people between 2011 and 2013.
According to the Taraf report, many individuals
were blacklisted for various reasons, such as making Eid al-Adha donations,
reading Risale-i Nur, a multiple-volume commentary on the Quran, staying at
dormitories owned by religious groups or just on the suspicion that those
individuals may be linked to religious groups.
Among profiled individuals are civil servants,
academics at universities, businessmen, lawyers and district governors. Those
blacklisted also include individuals who attended private educational institutions,
including both regular schools and prep schools, who are “suspected of having
links to reactionary activities,” as well as residents of private university
dorms owned and run by those institutions.
On Monday, Defense Minister İsmet Yilmaz spoke
to reporters and denied Taraf's claims. He said individuals and institutions
were not blacklisted or monitored as the government has never taken any action
in line with the 2004 MGK document. “Many regulations and laws have been
adopted [in Turkey's history], and many of them have not been implemented.
Thus, we should not pay heed to some claims,” the minister stated, in reference
to blacklisting claims put forward by Taraf.
Erdogan has yet to make any remark on the
document, which also bears his signature.
9. Arinc:
'Transformation' of Turkey's private tutoring centers likely to be completed by
2015
Ankara Anatolia news agency (03.12.13) reports
that Turkish parliament is likely to discuss as early as January 2014 the
transformation of private tutoring centers also known as "dershanes"
into private schools, said Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc on
Monday.
Following Monday's cabinet meeting, Arinc told
a press conference that dershanes were not needed anymore.
"What is needed now is to open new schools
and ensure that students will get prepared for university entrance exams with
full knowledge they obtain in these schools," Arinc said. "This can only be done by encouraging
the owners of dershanes, not by putting pressure." He reiterated that
dershanes will not be closed but transformed into private schools.
Arinc expressed hope that the transformation of
dershanes will be completed by September 2015.
Dershanes have played a huge part in Turkey,
acting as supplementary educators for students who desire a better education
chance by entering elite high schools and more prestigious universities. Many
parents send their children to dershane programs in which students receive
intense curriculum coverage and excel in multiple choice tests in a bid to
offer them a better education opportunity in the future.
10. CHP Washington
Office was opened in the USA
Turkish daily Today's Zaman newspaper
(03.12.13) reports that the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in
Turkey officially opened the CHP's Washington office.
A delegation on CHP, headed by its chairman Kemal
Kilicdaroglu is visiting USA with a delegation of 11 deputies for four days and
is expected to meet with a number of US officials from the White House, the
Department of State, the Pentagon and Congress.In statements during the
ceremony, Kilicdaroglu said that his party wants to have a stronger presence in
the US.
According to CHP officials, Kilicdaroglu is the
first CHP leader to visit Washington in 37 years. Kilicdaroglu said that it
looks like the CHP was not previously successful in informing Americans about
the party and the changes it has been through and he stressed that more CHP
members will come to Washington in the coming days to talk about the party's thoughts
and expectations on Turkey and foreign policy.
----------------------------------------------------
TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
