26/2/14

TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW





TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW

C O N T E N T S


No. 39/14                                                                                           26.02.14
1. Ozersay’s statements to Hurriyet: “My briefcase is full of surprises”
2. Erdogan and Eroglu hold a phone conversation on the Cyprus talks
3. Eroglu reiterated Turkish Cypriot side’s ‘red lines’ on the Cyprus problem
4. The “National Existence Council” evaluates the joint statement
5. Support by political parties and NGO’s to Murat
6. The Cyprus problem was in the agenda of Davutoglu’s meeting with envoys of Asia-Pacific countries
7. Turkey and the breakaway regime to sign an agreement on energy
8. The Association of Turkish Confederations asked from the World Bank to recognized the independence of the breakaway regime
9. Kasif admits that Turkey’s Internet law may affect the breakaway regime after all
10. Siber underlines the importance of strengthening the “TRNC” institutions

1.Ozersay’s statements to Hurriyet: “My briefcase is full of surprises”
Under the title: “The first contact after 55 years”, Turkish daily Hurriyet (26.02.14) publishes statements by the Turkish Cypriot negotiator KudretOzersay to the newspaper’s correspondent in occupied Lefkosia, Omer Bilge.
Ozersay referred to the “cross talks” that will take place tomorrow in Athens and Ankara and said that his briefcase that will carry to Athens is full of surprises. 
Underlining that they are aware that the Greek Cypriots will bring to the agenda during their visit to Ankara issues related to Varosha, guarantees, the issue of Turkish troops and ports, Ozersay added: “I would not like to relieve my thoughts before the meeting. We have made preparations, the Greeks will learn about the files that my briefcase has inside when I arrive in Athens. It is a briefcase full of surprises”.

Referring to the meeting he held last week with Turkey’s Foreign Ministry Undersecretary FeridunSinirlioglu, Ozersay said that they had a fruitful meeting and said that they discussed what the Greek Cypriots will bring to the agenda at the meeting in Ankara. He stated that they did not discussed the issues that they will take to Athens, since, as he said, they made their preparations long before.

Ozersay stated further that it will be the first time after 55 years that a Turkish Cypriot negotiator will visit Athens. He added that the last one who visited Greece, was the late former Turkish Cypriot leader RaufDenktas in 1959 under the title of the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community. Also, as Ozersay said, Archbishop Makarios was the last “Greek Cypriot leader” who visited Ankara on November 22-26, 1962 under the title of the President of the Republic of Cyprus.

Ozersay said that he will travel today to Athens via Istanbul and will meet tomorrow with the General Secretary of the Greek Foreign Ministry, AnastassisMitsialis, while the Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Marvoyiannis will meet with the Undersecretary of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, FeridunSinirlioglu.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (26.02.14) reports that Ozersay will be accompanied during his visit to Athens by GulfemVezirogluSevgili, first secretary of the self-styled ministry of foreign affairs and representative/director of the so-called presidency and GunesOnar, responsible for political affairs.
(AK)
2. Erdogan and Eroglu hold a phone conversation on the Cyprus talks
Under the title “Erdogan's intense phone diplomacy”, Turkish daily Sabah (online, 26.02.14) reports that  Turkish Prime Minister RecepTayyip Erdogan had a series of intense telephone conversations with Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu, Libyan Prime Minister and the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

According to the paper, Eroglu, briefed Erdogan on Monday regarding the on-going Cyprus peace talks.  It was reported that Erdogan expressed that Turkey's positive contribution to the reconciliation deal between Turkish and Greek Cypriots will continue.

3. Eroglu reiterated Turkish Cypriot side’s ‘red lines’ on the Cyprus problem
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 25.0214), Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu, in a meeting with a delegation from the Konya Culture and Solidarity Association on Tuesday, said that the Turkish Cypriot side has its red lines which includes the protection of the rights of its “citizens” and enabling them a secure and prosperous future.

Eroglu claimed: “It is only natural for citizens who arrived from Turkey to be concerned about their future. The Cyprus Turkish people are expecting and waiting for a solution that will allow them to have a peaceful and secure future”.

Eroglu reiterated that it is out of the question to abandon Turkey’s active and effective guarantees.                 

Members of the association conveyed their expectations from the Cyprus negotiations process and expressed their support to Eroglu in the talks.

Speaking during the visit, the President of the Association HuseyinSancar said that Turkey’s guarantor rights should not be wavered, nor should “TRNC citizens” who emigrated from Turkey or the martyrs to be forgotten. Sancer concluded: “We may have all arrived on this island at different times but at the end we are all citizens of this country”.

4. The “National Existence Council” evaluates the joint statement
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 25.01.14), the Chairman of the “National Existence Council” VedatCelik, in a press conference to evaluate the latest developments on the Cyprus problem, said that the Council is closely following the developments on the Cyprus issue.

Noting that the Turkish Cypriot “sovereignty” and equality was just one of the issues that they were most concerned about, Celik alleged that the threat by the Cyprus Government to leave the talks is proof that they do not accept the equality of the Turkish Cypriots.

Celik also claimed that the joint statement is trying to annihilate the Turkish Cypriots “sovereignty”, alleging: “The Greek Cypriot side is trying to erode  the notion of political equality by degrading the two founding states that is stated in founding UN documents to two founding state entities.”

He also reiterated “the Council’s desire for the sovereignty of the two peoples to be clarified in the solution to be found to the Cyprus problem and that the bi-zonal and bi-communal characteristics of the state to be established should be unchangeable”.                                 

5. Support by political parties and NGO’s to Murat
Today’s Turkish Cypriot newspapers (26.02.14) report on the yesterday detainment of the member of the Board of Directors of the New Cyprus Party (YKP) Murat Kanatli, who declared his conscientious objection and refused to perform “military service” since 2009, by a so-called military court.

Almost all the Turkish Cypriot dailies report on this issue on their front page with the title “Handcuff to Murat”.

According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrispostasi (online, 25.02.14), the YKP issued a press release after Murat Kantlı's detention, writing that Turkish Cypriot conscientious objector Murat Kanatlı was sentenced to 10 days in prison for objecting to participate in the annual compulsory military exercises in the northern part of Cyprus (editor’s note: in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) on the basis of his ideological conscientious objection.

The announcement continues: “Murat Kanatli, an EBCO Board member, had declared his conscientious objection on ideological grounds in 2009 and has since refused each year to participate in the annual compulsory military exercises in the northern part of Cyprus. On 14th June 2011 he was summoned to appear in the military court on charges relating to his refusal in 2009. After numerous postponements, on 8 December 2011 the Military Court accepted the demand of Kanatli to refer his case to the Constitutional Court, as it refers to freedom of conscience which is a human right. (…)

The court gave a penalty of 500 Turkish liras and 10 days in prison if Kanatli failed to pay the penalty. Upon refusal to pay the penalty Kanatli is sent to serve 10 days in prison. (…)

The Initiative for Conscientious Objection in Cyprus calls upon the international community to express its solidarity with Murat Kanatlı and send letters of protest to the Turkish Cypriot authorities as well as Turkish authorities’ embassies abroad which is the country directly responsible for human rights violations in the northern part of Cyprus following the Turkish invasion of the territories in 1974.”

6. The Cyprus problem was in the agenda of Davutoglu’s meeting with envoys of Asia-Pacific countries
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online, 25.02.14) reported that Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with the Ambassadors of Asia-Pacific countries in Ankara on Tuesday morning for a working breakfast. 

Approximately 25 Ambassadors attended the breakfast, where Davutoglu discussed with the envoys Turkey's relations with the Asia-Pacific region and the developments in the countries there.

Meanwhile, the negotiation talks in Cyprus which have gained momentum in recent days were also another topic that was discussed, the paper reported.

7.Turkey and the breakaway regime to sign an agreement on energy
Turkish Cypriot daily Realist newspaper (26.02.14) reports that the self-styled council of ministers is expected to approve an “international” agreement between Turkey and the breakaway regime regarding oil, natural gas, electricity and energy.

The paper writes that the agreement will be signed soon by the Turkish Minister of Energy TanerYildiz and the self-styled minister of Agriculture and Energy OnderSennaroglu.

8. The Association of Turkish Confederations asked from the World Bank to recognized the independence of the breakaway regime
Turkish Cypriot daily Dialog newspaper (26.02.14) reports that NezaketEmineAtasoy, chairperson of the Association of Turkish Confederations (TKT) and of the Turkish Industry Businesswomen and Businessmen Confederation, held a meeting with Martin Raiser, the World Bank Country Director for Turkey.

During the meeting, she stated that the World Bank must recognize the “TRNC” independence”. She also stressed that the “embargoes faced by the people of the TRNC”, cannot be accepted.

9. Kasif admits that Turkey’s Internet law may affect the breakaway regime after all
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (26.02.14) reports that the self-styled minister of public works and transportation AhmetKasif, said that the "2014 new Internet law" which is adopted in Turkey, will affect the breakaway regime after all. Kasif had stated a few days ago that the “TRNC" is a different "country", therefore the internet law adopted in Turkey will not affect it.

Kasif stated that the internet users who use server from Turkey may be affected by the new regulation, but they will try to limit the problems created as a result by the new law.

10. Siber underlines the importance of strengthening the “TRNC” institutions
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 25.02.14), self-styled assembly speaker SibelSiber, in a meeting with a delegation from the “North Cyprus Young Businessmen’s Association” (GIAD), has underlined the importance of strengthening the “TRNC’s institutions” and creating a “TRNC” (editor’s note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) that can stand on its own feet while the Cyprus negotiations process is continuing.

Speaking during the meeting, the Chairman of the association ArsenAngi said that the Cyprus negotiations process is expected to speed up in the coming days with the aim of reaching a successful conclusion. He added that the association was conducting various contacts in accordance with the efforts being carried out to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

For her part, Siber claimed that it is important that the “TRNC” to be ready for a solution, both politically and economically.

Stating that the focus of her contacts in Iran recently was to establish closer relations with Islamic countries in a bid to strengthen the “TRNC’s institutions”, Siber said that she had conveyed to her “counterparts” and officials she met the Turkish Cypriot side’s desire to successfully conclude the negotiations in a short period of time.

“Any relation established with the Turkish Cypriots will only help to strengthen and elevate the status of our institutions. Such developments may motivate the South towards a solution”, she alleged.

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