TURKISH CYPRIOT AND
TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 56/14 25-26.03.14
1. Eroglu announces possible visit by John Kerry to Cyprus in April
2. Ozersay: “The only remaining phase is 'give and
take'”
3. Nami on his
contacts in Berlin
4. Denktas: Varosha is not a confidence building measure; DP and UBP could
unify under a different name
5. UBP-DP decided to have common candidates for 16 “municipalities”
for the forthcoming “municipal elections”
6. Gul asked from Ban to become actively involved in
the Cyprus peace efforts
7. New Cyprus Party issued a statement onthe European
Parliamentary elections
8.
Atun discussed with a US Embassy official the Cyprus problem and the direct
trade
9. Illegal Near East University alleged: “Deep Purple
concert will be a confidence building measure”
11. The KTSO has
signed a “cooperation agreement” with the TSE
12.
The newly elected executive board of KTTO
13.
A survey by KADEM on education in the occupied area of Cyprus
1. Eroglu announces possible visit by John Kerry to Cyprus in April
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (26.03.14) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu
has said that the US Secretary of State, John Kerry will most probably visit
Cyprus in April and hold meetings with the two communities. In statements
yesterday at his office during a meeting with the chairman of the
administrative council of Turkish Ezcacibasi Holding, Eroglu argued thatcurrently we are at the “warming up” stage of the
negotiations and added:
“We have not started the give
and take yet. We think that we should quickly pass into the mutual give and
take process and end the negotiations with an agreement. The Greek Cypriot side
started exhibiting a stance as if it is not in a hurry. However, the interest of the world on us has
intensified a lot...”
Eroglu reiterated the allegation that the Greek Cypriot side should feel that two separate peoples are
obliged to live on these landsand that an agreement should be made for this.
“We feel this and from time to time we even suffer the pain of the
non-solution”, he alleged wishing that an agreement is reached soon with this
last effort. “In this process, the
relations of Turkey’s economic institutions with south Cyprus [Translator’s
note: as he described the Republic of Cyprus] could increase and the south could have advantages from a 70-80 million
market. Especially after an agreement, the opening of the seaports and
airports to the south will contribute to the economy of the Greek Cypriots. If
the Greek Cypriot side thinks in the direction of these interests, it will have
no meaning to play with time. We are
planning to end the negotiations with simultaneous referenda before 2015, but
the other side’s stance is important”.
Eroglu said that he will bring this issue onto the agenda during his
meeting with President Anastasiades on 31 March.
Eroglu alleged that the Greek Cypriots
complain about all institutions that visit the occupied area of Cyprus and this
has been turned into a “sickness”. He argued that the Greek Cypriots write
letters to the countries concerned and try to prevent such visits. The latest
example, he claimed, is experienced in the Deep Purples’ case. Eroglu said that
they discussed this issue with President Anastasiades and alleged that his
behaviour is not in compliance with the confidence building measures and the
good relations.
(I/Ts.)
2. Ozersay: “The only remaining phase is 'give and
take'”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper
(25.03.14) reported thatthe Turkish Cypriot negotiator Kudret Ozersay evaluated
to the press the last negotiators meeting and the recent developments.
Ozersay stated that the conditions are ready for a
“give and take” process to start as soon as the leaders get together. “The only
remaining negotiation is not continuation of talks, but proceeding to the “give
and take” phase. If this process’ is called ‘Cyprus negotiations’ instead of
‘chats’ the only remaining step is ‘give and take’:, he said.
Speaking to the press
at the self-styled presidency after his meeting with Greek Cypriot negotiator
Andreas Mavrogiannis, Ozersay said that the two negotiators shared their
opinions on different dimensions of economy, security and guarantorhips.
The two negotiators also had a quick overview of the
previous headings and each side’s position on them said Ozersay and added
“Security and guarantees were discussed and we also talked about Turkish
Cypriot position on involvement of all the guarantors in the process”. The
Turkish Cypriot negotiator said they reviewed 6 headings and that the Turkish
Cypriot side is ready to discuss the subheadings which the Greek Cypriot side
wants to discuss.
During the meeting, the negotiators also discussed the
agenda and the format of the upcoming leaders’ meeting which is scheduled for
31 of March. According to Ozersay the two negotiators agreed on some elements
of the meeting but also had disagreements regarding some of the issues. Ozersay
stated that the position of the Turkish Cypriot side regarding the leaders’
meeting is to be well prepared and aim for concrete results.
It is reported
that the negotiators’ next meetings will take place on 8, 11 and 15 April
and there will be no other
meetings before these dates.
3. Nami on his
contacts in Berlin
Illegal Bayrak television (26.03.14) broadcast
that the self-styled foreign minister Ozdil Nami, evaluated his contacts to Berlin
to the BRT. Nami met yesterday with the Social Democrat Party MP and member of
the German Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission Dieter Nieman and the
Co-President of the German Greens Party and member of the Federal Parliament
Cem Ozdemir.
“We conveyed what needs to be done in the
negotiations process and we discussed as to how the EU in general and Germany
in particular could contribute to the process. The European Parliament
elections will take place in the near future and we also took up this issue. We
also expressed our views about the possible impact the new balances of power to
be formed could have on us. It was quite fruitful” Nami said. Expressing that
he held a positive meeting with Ozdemir, he said that the Cyprus problem and
ways of lifting the international embargoes “imposed” on the “TRNC” were
discussed during the meeting. Nami also attended the Nevruz day celebrations
held at the Turkish Embassy in Germany.
As part of his contacts in Berlin, he will also
be holding meetings with officials from the German Foreign Ministry,
representatives of media organizations, civil society organizations and
businessmen.
4. Denktas: Varosha is not a confidence building measure; DP and UBP could
unify under a different name
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (26.03.14) reports thatthe
self-styled deputy prime minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area
of the Republic of Cyprus, Serdar
Denktas has argued that returning the occupied closed city of Varosha to its
legal owners is not a confidence building measure.
In statements to illegal TAK news agency, Denktas referred to some confidence building measures they have
prepared. He alleged that, for example, the one leg of the European Rally Championship could be held in the occupied
area of Cyprus and the other in the government-controlled area or an
international yacht rally could be held using all the ports of the island.
He went on and argued: “We must show that we could do something together. This must be the confidence building
measures, not the return of Varosha. Joint activities should be organized.
These could be sports activities, cultural activities, but we must do some
things in which the international community will also be able to participate”.
Denktas reiterated the view that the Turkish Cypriot side is not
ready for a possible solution to the Cyprus problem and added thatthey should establish their deficiencies as well as the kind
of the derogations they will ask for and the period for which they will ask
these derogations. Denktas argued
that the EU should launch a “serious accession period” with the Turkish Cypriot
side without the political recognition to be a precondition, because they
are “very behind” and they have “very big deficiencies” both from the point of
view of the certification and the laboratories.
“If we had launched a serious initiative when Turkey was signing a
Customs Union agreement with the EU, we would not have been experiencing the
difficulties we are today in exporting to any place of the world, including
Turkey”, he argued and alleged that “this accession process should start
separately with the Turkish Cypriots until the solution, so that confidence
towards the EU to be re-established”.
Denktas claimed that the
convergences on the chapter of Economy in the Cyprus talks should be discussed
from the scratch, because “this chapter is unbelievably full of elements
against the Turkish Cypriots”. “Mistakes exist in
the other [chapters] as well, but this is very important, because it is something
which concerns our future”, ha alleged.
Denktas reiterated his view that “something is being cooked” outside
Cyprus on the Cyprus problem and that pressures are exerted on both sides from
the USA, the EU, the UN, Turkey and Greece.
Meanwhile, in statements to
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (26.03.14), Denktas, who is also chairman of
the Democratic Party – National Forces (DP-UG), referred to the cooperation between DP-UG and the main “opposition”
National Unity Party (UBP) which started in the “local elections” and said
thatit is possible for the two parties to be united “in a new party under another
name”. He noted that it would not be appropriate for the two parties to
unite under the roof of the DP or the UBP, but during the recent discussions
for cooperation, they saw that the base of their parties has “embraced each
other”. “It is possible to carry this further”, he added.
Denktas
went on and referred to the next year’s “presidential elections”.He said that
if the Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu is candidate, DP-UG will support him. “In this case, it is out of the question for the DP-UG to indicate
a candidate”, he noted adding that if any DP-UG member decides to run as
“independent candidate”, he will be expelled from the party before the
“elections”.
(I/Ts.)
5. UBP-DP decided to have common candidates for 16
“municipalities” for the forthcoming “municipal elections”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper
(24.03.14) reported that the National Unity Party (UBP) and the Democratic
Party (DP) held a press conference regarding their collaboration for the forthcoming
“municipal elections”, where DP leader Serdar Denktas and UBP leader Huseyin Ozgurgun
announced the 16 “municipalities” where the two parties will nominate common
candidates.
It was stated that the two parties have no intention
to confront anyone with this collaboration and that their decision should be
considered as an embrace.
DP- leader Denktas said the collaboration will be for
16 “municipalities” out of 28 and said that they were hoping to reach success.
According to
their agreement UBP and DP/UG will nominate common candidates in the following “districts”:
Occupied Lefkosia, Famagusta, Keryneia, Gerolakos, Gonyeli, Kythrea, Agios
Epiktios, Sinta, Agios Amvrosios, Dikomo, Pergamos, Lefkonoiko, Agios Sergios, Komi
Kepir, Kokkina and Rizokarpasso.
6. Gul asked from Ban to become actively involved in the Cyprus
peace efforts
Turkish daily Today's Zaman newspaper (25.03.14)
reported that Turkish
President Abdullah Gul met with US President Barack
Obama and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon while attending the Nuclear Security
Summit 2014 which was held at the Haque between
March 24-25.
Gul and Ban discussed the Cyprus problem during the
meeting. Agreeing that it was critical to keep the achievements of the
negotiations held in February, Ban encouraged Turkey to maintain its constructive
role in the Cyprus problem.
According to the paper, Gul pledged during the meeting
that Turkey will maintain its constructive role in finding a comprehensive
solution to the Cyprus problem saying that Turkey would be pleased to see the Secretary-General
become actively involved in the Cyprus peace efforts.
7. New Cyprus Party issued a statement on the European
Parliamentary elections
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (24.03.14)
reported that the Executive Board of New
Cyprus Party (YKP) issued a statement regarding the European Parliamentary
elections, noting that during theelections’ process many insincere actions are
being taken repeatedly in the occupied area of Cyprus.
According to the
written statement some groups are demanding two seats for Turkish Cypriots in
the European Parliament and a separate elections in north, and that this is not
a sincere demand. “While no EU law is implemented and while no one does
anything for European Parliamentary works to be activated in the north part of
Cyprus, screaming “we also want” when it comes to having seats, is not a
sincere attitude. YKP called everyone to
vote on the ideological grounds instead of ethnic origin”, the statement noted.
8. Atun
discussed with a US Embassy official the Cyprus problem and the direct trade
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris
Postasi (26.03.14), the general secretary of the National Unity Party (UBP)
Sunat Atun met at UBP headquarters with Victor Marsh, Deputy Chief of the Political
Section at the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia.
During the meeting, they exchanged views
regarding the latest developments on the Cyprus problem. Atun noted that the
Turkish Cypriots should start direct trade with all the word, claiming that
“TRNC” (translator’s note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the
Republic of Cyprus) is a “full-grown state”. Tahsin Ertugruloglu, “deputy” with
the UBP, was also present at the meeting.
9. Illegal Near East University alleged: “Deep
Purple concert will be a confidence building measure”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper
(24.03.14) reported thata press conference was held at theillegal Near East
University (NEU) regarding the Deep Purple concert, which will take place on
May 24.
NEU “officials”
announced the date and details about the scheduled concert and answered
questions. The concert is organized as part of the 25th anniversary
celebrations of the illegal University. President of executive board of NEU,
Ahmet Savasan announced that construction of Park Near East where the concert
is to take place, will be completed by 24 May, and it will serve as the biggest
green land in occupied Lefkosia.According to NEU Near East Park will cover 220.000 m2 and the stage will be 1,250 m2.
The tent area will be 33 thousand m2 and
there will be 1,500m2 area for food and drink stands, 200 toilets will be built
and thousands of trees including old ones will be planted in the area.
Answering Kıbrıs
Postası’s question whether the “Greek Cypriot authorities”made any attempts to
prevent the concert, NEU’s Murat Tuzunkan said “in the times where the peace
negotiations are on-going and we are all hoping for a solution, a rock concert,
which is not a political event should unite people. Music is the universal
language and should not be considered as a threat to anything. We invite
everyone to attend. The concert will be free to anyone coming from Cyprus. This
concert can be considered as a confidence building measure and gesture that
shows we can be united by the universal spirit of music”
It is also announced that charter flights will be
organized for anyone from the rest of
the world if they wish to come to the concert. The Deep Purple band will fly to Cyprus with
NEU’s private jet.
It was also
announced that the total cost of Park Near East and the concert is
approximately 3 million TL ( Approximately 972.000 Euros)
In addition, the paper writes that the Turkish Cypriot
negotiator, Kudret Ozersay also touched on the issue during a press conference
to the Turkish Cypriot press stating: “During these times when we are trying to
find a comprehensive solution, everyone should work on building confidence. For
this reason we requested from Mr. Mavroyiannis to give our message to Mr.
Anastasiades expressing our opinion regarding the attempts to postpone the
event and why we think the concert can
serve as a confidence building measure” .
10. Kasif
will visit the trade fair “Intertraffic Amsterdam”
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (25.03.14)
reports that the self-styled minister of public works and transportation Ahmet
Kasif will participate in the international trade fair “Intertraffic
Amsterdam”, held in Amsterdam between 25-28 of March.
Kasif is accompanied by some “high rank
officials from the police force”.
11. The KTSO has
signed a “cooperation agreement” with the TSE
Turkish Cypriot daily Diyalog newspaper
(26.03.14) reports that the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KTSO) has
signed a “cooperation agreement” with the Turkish Standards Institute (TSE).
As the paper writes, the “cooperation
agreement” was signed by the so-called deputy prime minister, “minister of
economy, tourism and culture”, Serdar
Denktas, the chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry, Ali Cirali
and the “chairman” of the “executive board” of the Turkish Standards Institute,
Hulusi Senturk.
The “cooperation agreement” envisages the
establishment of a calibration center in the occupation regime that will
exhibit the activities of the KTSO abroad, the standardization, and the
cooperation between the KTSO and the “TSE” in the fields of evaluation of
conformity.
The “cooperation agreement” envisages also the
preparation of a report on issues related to the quality infrastructure of the
“TRNC”, the potential market opportunities, the trade conditions and the
evaluation of conformity and the analysis of the current condition of the
companies and enterprises operating in the occupied area of Cyprus.
AK
12. The
newly elected executive board of KTTO
Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi
(26.03.14) reports that the new elected president of the Turkish Cypriot
Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) is Fikri Toros. The new elected executive board
consists of Selen Necat, Salih Celiker, Serhan Kaner, Mustafa Erk, Mustafa Genc
and Aziz Limasollu.
Addressing the assembly of KTTO, Toros said
that the society should be prepared for the new Cyprus problem process, adding
that they will start very soon to implement the EU acquis and the time to adapt
it will be very short. He explained that the sectors of tourism and agriculture
are the two most important sectors in the occupied area of Cyprus.
13. A
survey by KADEM on education in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi
(26.03.14) publishes a survey conducted by KADEM (Cyprus Social and Economic
Surveys Centre) with the cooperation of the paper on the “private
education and private phenomenon” at the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus.
According to the survey results, 33.2% of
total 38,900 primary/secondary education students take private lessons. In
addition to this, the result shows that 39% of students, who go to private
schools, also take additional private lessons.
Moreover, the 14% of total 38,900 students
go to private school. According to the results, the 25% go to private
elementary schools and only the 11% go to private secondary schools.
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