TURKISH CYPRIOT AND
TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No.
82/14 07.05.14
1. Eroglu: Cross talks by negotiators by the end of
May
2. Ozersay and Mavroyiannis started substantial
negotiations yesterday
3. Elcil: To bring to trial those who hoisted the
Cyprus Republic flag is an occupation policy
4. The regime will grant “citizenship” to those living
in the occupied area for eleven years and those who invest three million euro
5. Mehmet Birinci: “The elections in the TRNC are more
democratic than the EP elections”
6. AgiosPanteleimonas church in occupied Myrtou
village lucks of care
7. Davutoglu calls for Ukraine territorial integrity
8. Opposition in Turkey debating idea of joint
candidate for presidency
1. Eroglu: Cross talks by negotiators by the end of
May
Turkish daily
Hurriyet (07.05.14) reports that Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu said thatboth sides had the
advantage of having a right-wing and a nationalist leader and that the
signatures of both sides would produce a “double yes”, in an interview to
the paper’s correspondent in the occupied area of Cyprus Omer Bilge. However,
Eroglu added, a political will is necessary for a Cyprus settlement. Eroglu
noted that even the leftist leadersChristofias and Talat did not make it and
added: “Even Talat said: ‘In 2008 the problem will be solved’, then ‘an
agreement by the end of 2009’ and his latest call ‘with intense negotiations we
will come to an end in 2010’ but it didn’t happen”. “I have the political will for the solution.
We will see if they [Greek Cypriots] have it or not,” he said. Reiterating that
his aim is to solve the Cyprus problem by the end of 2014, Eroglu explained
that the substantive negotiations process, which started yesterday, is the most
difficult stage.
He stressed that
he knows very well how the Turkish Cypriots want a solution and added: “I have
no suspicion that the Turkish Cypriots will approve my signature and I want to
believe that Anastasiades’ signature will also be embraced by the Greek
Cypriots. But if Anastasiades follows the thesis of ‘We have nothing to give.
They [Turks] should be the ones giving’ of Greek Cypriot Archbishop
Chrysostomos II, we cannot reach an agreement.” He also noted that a
give-and-take process should begin.
Eroglu claimed that there would be no solution if the Greek Cypriots
want to continue the process according to the conditions before 1974.
A second round of cross talks by the negotiators from
each side of Cyprus is planned to occur before the end of the month, Eroglu said.
He added that it would be beneficial if the Turkish Cypriot negotiator
KudretOzersay goes to Athens and if the Greek Cypriot negotiator goes to
Ankara. Turkey will have the opportunity to listen from first-hand the Greek
Cypriot’s positions and Greece the Turkish Cypriot’s positions.
Eroglu said that
the negotiations had been ongoing for 50 years and that there was no topic left
to be discussed, adding: “The substantive negotiations process has started. The
difficult issues of property, governance and power share are being discussed.
If the Greek Cypriots accept the convergences reached until today and if we
arrange at the most end the territory issue, then a plan may emerge that would
be brought for a referendum to both sides by the end of this year. Now we will
see their real thoughts. Our aim for a solution is the end of 2014 but the
Greek Cypriot leader mentioned the end of 2015 in a speech in Brussels.”
Under the
subtitle “USA interferes in the balance”, Hurriyet reports that Eroglu said:
“US Ambassador to Cyprus says that Turkey is eager for a solution. Turkey
demonstrated to the whole world its will by supporting the Annan plan in 2004,
which was rejected by the Greek Cypriots. During the Annan plan period, the USA
campaigned for the plan by giving material, moral support and by pouring money.
The Greek Cypriots should have taken some lessons by rejecting the plan. This
time, they should be more careful. Under the condition that USA keeps the
balance between the Greek and the Turkish Cypriots, we are not restless on their
initiatives for solution, these are useful”.
2. Ozersay and Mavroyiannis started substantial
negotiations yesterday
Under the title
“Five proposals were submitted in five hours”, Turkish Cypriot daily Detay newspaper
(07.05.14) reports that the Turkish
Cypriot negotiator KudretOzersay and the Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas
Mavroyiannis met yesterday at the buffer zone within the framework of the
negotiations for reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem. Noting that the substantial negotiations
started yesterday, the paper writes that the issues on the agenda were the
property, the federal public service and the federal powers. During the
meeting, which started at 10.00 o’ clock in the morning and lasted five hours,
proposals were submitted on issues on which convergence has not been achieved.
In statements
after returning to the occupied area, Ozersay
described as “important” the fact that they met for five hours and “even more
important” the fact that “approximately five different proposals” were
submitted. He said that the
proposals concerned the issues of “property, public service committee and the
federal government”, that “some negotiations” were held on these proposals and
that at the same time they exchanged views on some issues regarding the
territorial adjustment when discussing the property. “There are some proposals on which potential for progress exists”,
he argued noting that from time to time the delegations were withdrawing into
separate rooms in order to make their own evaluations.
Ozersay said
that the next meeting of the negotiators
will be held on Tuesday 13 May, but before this meeting, experts on the
property issue will meet with the aim of turning the 13 May meeting into a
“more productive one” and UN officials will be holding shuttle diplomacy on
Thursday and Monday. He also noted that they
agreed that new issues will come onto the agenda during their meeting on
Tuesday.
“I think we had a positive start”, said
Ozersay and expressed satisfaction with the fact that many “elements necessary for a negotiation existed” during the
above-mentioned meeting. He noted that the
sides, instead of saying “I like
this point” or “I do not like this point”, submitted counter proposals.
Ozersay said that President Anastasiades and the
Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu will meet soon on a
date which will be decided after the President’s return from Germany. He
reiterated the allegation that they expect the further intensification of the
process.
Asked whether
meeting with Pieter van Nuffel, special representative of the EU Commission’s
President Barosso, is on their agenda, Ozersay replied that they are always
ready to exchange views on issues related with the EU, but actually the
negotiations on the EU chapter, like on all the other chapters, should be held
between the Turkish Cypriot side and the Greek Cypriot side.
Ozersay said
that the unsolved issues concerning the foreign relations, the election, the
decision-taking mechanism and the composition of the federal administration,
and the EU will come onto the table.
Ozersay noted
that in the end of May or in the
beginning of June, the negotiators’ second cross-visit to Athens and Ankara
will come onto the agenda.
Ozersay argued
that they are not far away from the road
map foreseen by the Turkish Cypriot side and added that they expect progress to be achieved by
summer. Otherwise, he argued, the acceleration gained after February might
be lost.
Replying to
another question, Ozersay said that the issue of the occupied fenced off city
of Varosha had not even come onto the agenda of his meeting with the UN Deputy
Secretary-General responsible for political affairs, Jeffrey Feltman.
(I/Ts.)
3. Elcil: To bring to trial those who hoisted the
Cyprus Republic flag is an occupation policy
Turkish Cypriot
daily KibrisPostasi Daily News (online, 06.05.14) reports that the General
Secretary of the Cyprus Turkish Teachers’ Trade Union (KTOS) SenerElcil issued a statement in support of the Turkish
Cypriot couple (Koray and CinelBasdogrultmaci) who were charged for hoisting
the Cyprus Republic flag outside their shop in occupied Famagusta.
In the statement
Elcil said:
“This incidence has fully exposed the
policies of this separatist structure, which was established by Turkey and
their local collaborators through the violation of the international law and
was designed to force Turkish Cypriots to flee from the Island.
It is clear that
the ones who claim they saved us are actually after our soil. Like it was not
enough that the Turkish Cypriots have become the minority in their own country
and are impoverished and forced to migrate under migration laws, now we are brought
at the courts for hoisting the Cyprus Republic flag. This is clearly an
occupation policy. It is also evident that while they claim to be pro-solution,
in reality they can’t even stand Turkish Cypriots’ rights in the Republic of
Cyprus.
We urge the ones
who pulled us off from the Republic of Cyprus, who doomed us to live in this ‘lawless’
system, who deceived the community with embargo lies and who judge us by their
cheap nationalistic propaganda to immediately return their Cyprus Republic
passports and IDs.
Holding and hoisting the Cyprus Republic flag is not a
crime. The related trial against Koray and CinelBasdogrultmaci is completely
political and the Turkish authorities are the ones who are responsible.
We strongly
protest the expansionist and colonizing attitude that does not show any respect
to the Turkish Cypriots and stress our support and solidarity with Cinel and
KorayBasdogrultmaci. We will plea to the international law in support of anyone
whois unfairly treated by this system.”
Meanwhile, Turkish
Cypriot daily Afrika (07.05.14) reports that there was a group in the “court” to
support the Basdogrultmaci couple. The group was consisting of Greek Cypriot,
Turkish Cypriot, Colombian and Swedish citizens. They were all carrying
plackets reading “I am a Cypriot not a martyr”.
The trial was
postponed for the 11th of June. The “judge” said that he will charge
the Basdogrultmacicouple with accusations of shouting at the “court” “I don’t
recognize the fake flag of your fake state”.
The supporting
group unfurled a flag of the Republic of Cyprus outside the “court”.
4. The regime will grant “citizenship” to those
living in the occupied area for eleven years and those who invest three million
euro
Under the title
“Citizen in eleven years”, Turkish Cypriot daily Diyalog newspaper (07.05.14)
reports that TeberrukenUlucay,
self-styled interior minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of
the Republic of Cyprus, has explained to the paper the amendments which the regime is preparing to bring to the so-called
citizenship law.
Ulucaysaid that the “draft-law” is providing for
granting “white card” to people living in the occupied area for five years
continuously after securing a “work permit”. He noted that after the eleventh year the “citizenship”
could be granted to “a certain percentage” of these people.
Ulucay
went on and added that they are making a move towards the investors in the
“draft-law” by taking into consideration the practices followed in the world.
He noted that the “citizenship” will be
granted to people who invest three million euro in the occupied area of Cyprus
and to their families.
(I/Ts.)
5. Mehmet
Birinci: “The elections in the TRNC are more democratic than the EP elections”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (07.05.14)
reports on statements by Mehmet Birinci, candidate for the EP elections with
the Cyprus Socialist Party, who in statements to the paper has said that they
do not want to be a party of the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots only,
but to be a party of the whole people of Cyprus.Birinci said that they see the
elections as an opportunity for this.
Replying to
the paper’s questions, Birinci, inter alia, described the EU as an imperialist
power and added that the EP’s election process is anti-democratic. “The EU is
not the champion of democratic formation as it looks like. It is completely
fallacy. Only those who have money can attend these elections. The amount of
1000 euro is like a boundary. This is a completely wrong implementation”.
Birinci went on and alleged that the “elections in the TRNC”
are more democratic than the EP’s elections. He said that in the
“elections” taking place in the occupied area of Cyprus, the “voters” have the
right of “cross voting” in comparison with the EP’s elections that there is no
right for “cross voting”. He stressed that this method aims to hold the voter’s
will under control and to force the voters to remain under the domination of
certain political formations.
(AK)
6.
AgiosPanteleimonas church in occupied Myrtou village lucks of care
Turkish Cypriot daily HaberalKibris
newspaper (07.05.14) publishes in its front-page
photos of AgiosPanteleimonas church in occupied Myrtou village and writes that
the situation of the church is deplorable.
As the paper writes, the church and the
monastery of AgiosPanteleimonas which is expected to be restored, has become a
place of use by alcoholics and people using drugs. The paper points out that
there is a children’s park near the church and underlines that the worries of
the people living near the area have been increased.
A group of the paper visited the other
day AgiosPanteleimonas church and spoke with the so-called mayor of the
occupied Lapithos municipality, FuatNamsoy.
Namsoy expressed his sorrow for the situation
of AgiosPanteleimonas church and said that these kind of historical places
belong to Vakif Foundation. He added that they are responsible only for the
cleaning of this place.
The paper calls the “officials” to take
measures as soon as possible, pointing out the safety issue in the area.
(AK)
7. Davutoglu calls for Ukraine territorial
integrity
According to
Ankara Anatolia news agency (07.05.14), Ukraine's
unity and territorial integrity must be protected at all costs, Turkey's
Foreign Minister said Tuesday.
"While
protecting its unity, the Ukrainian government should take steps to make
reforms that would give rights to all of its people with different ethnic and
linguistic backgrounds," Ahmet Davutoglu said in a Council of Europe
meeting in Vienna.
Regarding the
situation of the Crimean Tatar community, the Minister stressed that Crimea is
the homeland of Crimean Tatars. He also expressed his concerns over reports
that the Crimean Tatars' leader Mustafa Dzhemilev was denied entry to his
native peninsula.
"Ukraine should not be divided into eastern,
western, or pro-Europe, pro-Russian borders," Davutoglu said.
8.Opposition in Turkey debating idea of joint
candidate for presidency
Turkish daily
Hurriyet Daily News (online, 06.05.14) reported that in preparation for the run-up to a two-round presidential election
scheduled for August, opposition parties have started to consider nominating a
joint candidate.
The idea behind
a joint candidate is to name the
strongest possible competitor against the ruling Justice and Development
Party’s (AKP) candidate, who will most likely be Prime Minister RecepTayyip
Erdogan.
The elections
scheduled for August will be different to those of the past, as Turks will be
electing their President through direct voting for the first time.
The former
leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) and Antalya Deputy
Deniz Baykal visited his successor Kemal Kilicdaroglu on May 5 to suggest that
the CHP head should meet with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in order to
reach a consensus on a joint nomination for the presidency.
Speaking to
reporters after the meeting, Baykal admitted that the presidential elections
had come onto the agenda and proposed that the CHP and the MHP should agree on
a joint candidate.
Baykal also
reportedly said the Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) should be included in such
an attempt against the AKP’s candidate.
The HDP,
however, made its objection to such an idea clear, with its co-leader
ErtugrulKurkcu labelling the main opposition party’s quest “authoritarianism.”
Kurkcu said
Turkey was facing the prospect of the ruling AKP exploiting the presidential
election as a tool to fortify its power. “Baykal’s proposal, saying ‘Let the CHP make an alliance with the
MHP,’ shows the presence of Islamist authoritarianism on one side and
nationalist authoritarianism on the other. No, we will not be a part of this
polarization. We will nominate our own presidential candidate as the joint
power of everybody excluded by this system,” he said, speaking at his party’s
parliamentary group meeting on May 6.
HDN, under the
title “MHP suggests joint opposition candidate”, reported that MHP leader DevletBahceli has suggested that
the opposition should unite behind one candidate in the presidential election
in August to stop the ruling party’s candidate.
“Turkey has
unfortunately been polarized at the hands of the AKP [Justice and Development
Party],” Bahceli added. “We do not want polarization. That’s why we don’t
approve of the presidency of a politician who is responsible for this
polarization.” Asked whether he would ask support from other parties, Bahceli said he would go to talk to the
Republican People’s Party (CHP) as the main opposition party but also the
Felicity Party (SaadetPartisi) and the Great Union Party (BBP).
“If not sufficient, I’ll also go to various
faith groups, including Alevis, to those who can contribute. I will not leave
any doors un-knocked. I will tell them, ‘The candidate we propose is not the
MHP’s candidate but the President who can rule the country. It’s the first
time that the President is being elected through popular vote. There should be
no partisan outlook to that. Let’s get someone whose common ground is larger,’”
he said. Bahceli also said Turkey was passing through a very crucial period.
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