TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 110/14 17.06.14
1. Eroglu: “Our goal is the negotiation talks to be concluded with a referendum”
2. The British Ambassador to Ankara met with Eroglu
3. Ozersay met with high level officials of the Swedish Foreign Ministry; He responded to Kasoulides’ statements
4. Farewell visit from Iran’s Ambassador Rezaei to Nami
5. Akansoy condemns Eroglu; “The negotiation process has passed into the control of Anastasiades”
6. Data on the imports and exports of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus
7. The number of visitors to the occupied area of Cyprus increased this year
8. Main opposition parties nominate Ihsanoglu for Turkey’s presidency
9. Reactions and comments on Ihsanoglu’s nomination
1. Eroglu: “Our goal is the negotiation talks to be concluded with a referendum”
Under the above title, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.06.14) reports on statements by the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu who met yesterday with a delegation of the “Independent Turkish Commission” headed by the former Finnish President Marti Ahtisaari.
Speaking during the meeting, Eroglu referred to the Cyprus negotiation talks and said that they have almost agreed on the Economy Chapter, adding that they approached the property issue and that the Turkish Cypriot side had already submitted proposals on the territory issue.
Explaining that even though they agreed for the guarantees issue to be discussed during the meeting that the three guarantor powers would attend to, due to the changes of the “Greek Cypriot administration”, as Eroglu described the Republic of Cyprus, they reverted to some issues.
Eroglu expressed then the belief that there would be a progress on some issues during the next meetings of the leaders that will take place on June 23 and July 7.
On the Cyprus problem, Eroglu said that the non-solution of the Cyprus problem is the main problem in the “country”, adding that the negotiations are carried out for the solution of the Cyprus problem.
Explaining that the main target is to reach a positive outcome from the negotiations that will lead to a referendum, Eroglu, however, said that the process is moving slowly and added that until so far, the sides have submitted to the table their views as regards the main chapters.
Eroglu explained that a progress was achieved at the chapter “Governance and Power Sharing” during the previous negotiation talks with Christofias, however, he added, that since Anastasiades has come with new positions, they have started to discuss these issues from the beginning.
On his part, Ahtisaari provided information about the commission and its activities and said that the commission aims to contribute more to Turkey’s EU negotiation talks.
Ahtisaari also said that the commission had carried out a research in 2004 on the possible opportunities to be created with Turkey joining the EU.
Explaining that the conclusion of the report had stated that Turkey’s accession talks should have started immediately once Ankara fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria, he said that in 2009 a second report titled “Turkey in Europe: Breaking the vicious circle” was also published.
Pointing out that he himself and his colleagues believe that Turkey should become a member of the EU, Ahtisaari added that disputes like the Cyprus problem create a negative image for Turkey and pointed out that the solution of the Cyprus problem will create important opportunities for the utilization of the natural resources across the island.
(AK)
2. The British Ambassador to Ankara met with Eroglu
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 16.06.14), Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu met with the British Ambassador to Ankara Richard Moore.
The British High Commissioner Matthew Kidd and Eroglu’s spokesperson Osman Ertug were also present during the meeting, which took place on Monday at Eroglu’s “office”.
3. Ozersay met with high level officials of the Swedish Foreign Ministry; He responded to Kasoulides’ statements
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.06.14) reports that the Turkish Cypriot negotiator, Kudret Ozersay met with high level officials of the Swedish Foreign Ministry, in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm.
Ozersay who continues his talks in Stockholm accompanied by Gunes Onar, member of his negotiating team and “undersecretary of the presidency, responsible for political affairs”, and lawyer Oguzhan Hasipoglu, has stated during their contacts, that the Turkish Cypriot side is exchanging views with various countries and the UN as well on what could be done in order for the Cyprus negotiation talks to reach a positive result.
“We do not carry out these visits to complaint about the Greek Cypriot side”, Ozersay said adding that they are exerting efforts to share with important political actors in the international arena their views on the steps that should be taken in order for the negotiation process to be successful.
“The Turkish Cypriot side’s voice should he heard, their views should be made known and visible. In case of no comprehensive solution, we have a status problem. We do not have embassies abroad, we have representatives. We carry out these contacts since it is the way the policy makers to be aware of our thoughts. These kinds of visits are constructive from the point of view that the Turkish Cypriots should become more visible and that the prejudices that exist should be lifted”.
Meanwhile, in the framework of his contacts in Stockholm, Ozersay met with representatives of several political groups in the Swedish Parliament.
In his statements there, Ozersay, inter alia, replied to the statements made yesterday by the Government Spokesman of the Republic of Cyprus who has said that the “Turkish Cypriot side has not submitted any proposal on the territory and citizenship issues”.
Ozersay said that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready to submit proposals on all issues and recalled that during 2008, the Turkish Cypriot side had submitted proposals including proposals on the citizenship issue. “There are a lot of proposals by the Greek Cypriot side that turn aside from the UN’s parameters. Especially, the proposals on the Federal Executive and the Property issues, these are proposals that we do not approve since they are out of the UN’s parameters. Shall we stand now and say that the “Greek Cypriot side has not brought proposals on the Federal executive? The Turkish Cypriot side will bring proposals on 6 Chapters. However, the Greek Cypriot side, for some reason, creates fantasies in its mind that ‘the Turkish Cypriot side does not submit proposals’, and afterwards they believe this”.
Ozersay went on and added: “We did not say that we will not discuss maps and figures, we did not say that we will not give land. Let’s say that the issue of territory will be arranged and that this issue will be discussed at the appropriate time, on the other hand, responding to the Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides statement “Let’s do the give-take process on September and go to a referendum next year”, I say: ‘Lets pass to the give and take process in the autumn, and if you consider that we should proceed to a referendum, lets write down three articles on this, create a road map and then I will not have any discomfort”.
(AK)
4. Farewell visit from Iran’s Ambassador Rezaei to Nami
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 17.06.14), Iranian Ambassador to Nicosia Ali Akbar Rezaei, who completed his term, paid a farewell visit to self-styled foreign minister Ozdil Nami.
According to a press release by the so-called ministry, “the stage reached in the commercial and social relations between Iran and Turkish Cypriots and how to develop the current relations” were discussed during the meeting, which was held at the “ministry”.
Speaking during Rezaei's visit, Nami said that the dialogue with Iran is increasing especially under the umbrella of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Nami thanked Rezaei for his positive contribution in this process and wished him success in his new post.
5. Akansoy condemns Eroglu; “The negotiation process has passed into the control of Anastasiades”
Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi (17.06.14) reports that Asim Akansoy, so-called deputy with the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTO-BG) in statements from the social media, expressed strong criticism to the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu and his team, accusing him of bombing the hopes of the “people” who are in favour of the solution.
In his statement Akansoy, inter alia, said: “The president and his team have not made even a small move to pave the way for the Turkish Cypriots. The negotiation process has passed into the control of Anastasiades. It is obvious who is responsible for this. We will not remain silent”.
Akansoy accused also Eroglu of insisting to keep out of the negotiation process the “assembly and the government” and for not informing both the “community” and the “people” about the developments on the Cyprus negotiation talks.
(AK)
6. Data on the imports and exports of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (16.06.14) reports that the exports of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus to European Union countries have seriously decreased this year comparing to the past. According to the report of the so-called central bank for 2014, the percentage of the exports of the regime to the above mentioned countries had been 15% of its total exports in 2006 and fell to 2.8% in the period January-March 2014. The same report shows a decrease in the imports of the regime by 11.3%. The imports from Turkey and other countries in the period January-February 2013 reached 254 million 350 thousand and 391 dollars, which decreased to 225 million 596 thousand and 559 dollars during the same period this year.
The exports to Turkey and other countries increased by 18.1% in the first three months of 2014 comparing to the same period of 2013, as they reached 39 million 787 thousand and 47 dollars from 33 million 654 thousand and 993.
Breakaway regime’s exports (percentage in total exports) according to groups of countries are the following:
Year Turkey EU Other European Countries Middle East and Arab Countries Other Countries
2006 47,6 15,0 15,1 17,8 4,5
2007 58,4 15,8 8,8 11,6 5,4
2008 49,9 20,5 5,9 17 6,7
2009 54,2 18,5 1,7 19,5 6,1
2010 46,4 12,2 3,6 32,3 5,5
2011 53,3 8,3 1,3 32 5,1
2012 51,0 7,7 1 35,7 4,6
2013 54,1 3,9 3,5 32,9 5,6
2014
January- 58,4 2,8 0,5 34,4 3,8
Breakaway regime’s imports (percentage in total exports) according to groups of countries are the following:
Year Turkey EU Far East Countries Other European Countries Middle East and Arab Countries Other Countries
2006 68,8 18 6 1,2 4,8 1,2
2007 67,9 16,1 7,3 2,6 4,3 1,8
2008 69,8 14 6,5 4,7 3,4 1,6
2009 69,6 15,5 6,6 2,3 4 2
2010 70,9 15,6 5,7 1,9 4,3 1,6
2011 68,6 16,8 4,9 2,5 5,2 2
2012 72,4 14,5 4,8 1,7 4,8 1,8
2013 66,9 16,2 6,3 3,3 5,6 1,7
2014
January-February 63 14,2 8,4 6,6 5,5 2,3
The exports of the regime in the period January-March between the years 2013-2014 (in US dollars) are the following:
Year 2013 2014 Percentage change
January 9,516,125 12,519,802 31,6
February 12,042,188 13,231,262 9,9
March 12,096,680 14,005,986 15,8
Total 33,654,993 39,787,047 18,1
The imports of the regime in the period January-March between the years 2013-2014 (in US dollars) are the following:
Year 2013 2014 Percentage change
January 135,429,036 128,231,892 -5,3
February 118,927,355 97,337,667 -18,2
March - - -
Total 254,356,391 225,356,391 -11,3
(I/Ts.)
7. The number of visitors to the occupied area of Cyprus increased this year
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (17.06.14) reports that the number of persons who entered into the occupied area of Cyprus through the illegal ports and airports of the regime increased by 7% in the first four months of 2014 in comparison to the same period of 2013. According to the paper, the number of these persons, without counting the so-called citizens of the regime, reached 363 thousand 282 during the above-mentioned period.
The number of the passengers from Turkey who entered into the occupied area of Cyprus during the above-mentioned period was 290 thousand and 83, while the number of citizens from third countries reached 73 thousand 199 passengers.
According to data quoted by the paper, 994 thousand 312 persons entered into the occupied area of Cyprus thought the crossing points and 941 thousand 913 persons exited the occupied area through the same way. The majority of those persons in both categories were “citizens” of the regime.
During the first five months of 2014, 368 thousand and eight “citizens” of the regime entered the occupied area of Cyprus and 369 thousand 164 exited. During the same period the relevant numbers of Greek Cypriots were 281 thousand 705 and 280 thousand 705 respectively. Citizens of other countries entered 294 thousand and 599 times into the occupied area of Cyprus and exited 292 thousand 44 times.
(I/Ts.)
8. Main opposition parties nominate Ihsanoglu for Turkey’s presidency
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 16.06.14), the two major opposition parties represented at the Turkish Parliament have finally announced their agreement for nominating the former head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, as their joint presidential candidate.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu officially announced on June 16 that the senior diplomat would be announced as a joint candidate with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), in a move they dub “The Grand Conciliation.”
“We are proposing a person who will be accepted by everybody and who will set a model for everybody with his reputation, honesty, knowledge and experience: Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu,” Kilicdaroglu told reporters as he made a joint statement with MHP leader Devlet Bahceli following their meeting at Parliament.
“Let me express that we have been experiencing a new case in democracy. We want to start a process that favours peace and serenity and that keeps distance from strife,” Kilicdaroglu added.
For his part, Bahceli described Ihsanoglu’s nomination as “a fortunate step,” suggesting that their efforts for nominating a joint candidate should be considered as “a move beyond political parties”.
“By becoming united on this name, the MHP is willing to finalize this election without allowing any chaos and having our democracy strengthened,” Bahceli said, pledging his party’s strong efforts to have Ihsanoglu elected to the presidency.
The former OIC chief’s nomination by the opposition parties as a joint candidate is apparently based on assumptions that he could be embraced by right-wing and conservative voters alienated from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Speaking after the announcement, Ihsanoglu described his nomination as a "great courtesy." "To be the focal point of this conciliation is a great courtesy. There is no doubt that there are many people with superior qualities who deserve this post and can do what is necessary in this job. I welcome the joint decision of the CHP and the MHP with respect and gratitude," he said.
The paper, under the title “Who is presidential candidate Ihsanoglu?” reported that Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, a senior academic and diplomat nominated by Turkey’s two biggest opposition parties as a joint candidate in the presidential election, became a more visible figure for the public after his election as head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in 2005.
Along with his diplomatic career, Ihsanoglu, who was born in Cairo in 1943, also focused on studying in history institutions of learning Islam, as well as scientific and cultural exchanges between Islam and the West.
Both during his academic and diplomatic career, Ihsanoglu was actively involved in bilateral and multilateral efforts for rapprochement between cultures, particularly between the Muslim world and the West.
Ihsanoglu’s close involvement with Turkish national diplomacy dates back to his tenure at the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), the first subsidiary body of the OIC, the headquarters of which are based in Istanbul.
Having served as the founding director-general of the IRCICA for 24 years from 1980, in 2004 Ihsanoglu became the first ever secretary general of the OIC to be elected by vote. During his tenure, the name of the OIC was changed from the Organization of Islamic Conference to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in June 2011.
9. Reactions and comments on Ihsanoglu’s nomination
Under the title “CHP blows hot and cold on Ihsanoglu move as AKP heralds 'end of opposition'”, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 16.06.14) reported that the announcement of Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the former head of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as the joint opposition presidential candidate has drawn mixed reactions from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), while a senior Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmaker heralded “the end of the opposition".
Reactions poured in after the unexpected announcement by CHP head Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli in a joint press statement following their meeting in Ankara, June 16.
Although Ihsanoglu’s nomination received general support within the CHP, a number of dissidents questioned whether the choice truly represented the party.
Ihsanoglu’s nomination received general support from the two parties, although some dissidents in the CHP reacted negatively to the selection. Huseyin Aygun, the CHP’s Tunceli Deputy, complained through his Twitter account that the party should have nominated “a leftist candidate” for the post.
CHP Istanbul Deputy Nur Serter, meanwhile, criticized the party leadership for Ihsanoglu’s appointment, stressing that he “did not represent” the CHP. “I am in deep sorrow and shame. A dagger has been stabbed into the heart of the CHP. We will evaluate what we will do with our friends,” she told daily Hurriyet. Serter is a representative of the party’s Kemalist faction, staunchly loyal to secular and republican views.
Meanwhile, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials evaluated the appointment of a non-partisan academic as the presidential candidate as being “the end of the opposition”, which had not even been able to introduce a candidate from their parties.
“This is the end of the opposition,” Burhan Kuzu, the head of the Parliament’s Constitution Commission and a senior member of the AKP told Anadolu Agency. “This shows that they could not agree on a person to do politics. This means that the leftists will not be able to find an appropriate nominee.”
Arguing that the opposition’s “sole purpose” was to see Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan losing the election no matter who the winner is, Kuzu said they were making a miscalculation. “They believe that the AKP has 45% and the opposition has 55%. This is not a correct calculation. This calculation does not work in the presidential elections,” he said.
Mustafa Sentop, a deputy leader of the AKP, touched on the conservative identity of Ihsanoglu and criticized the CHP for “misunderstanding” the AKP’s political success. “The AK Party is not winning because it appoints conservative names, but because it is based on the people’s values. As long as the CHP continues its fight against the people’s values, it will never be able to be successful, even if it appoints the Sheikh of el-Ezher (an Islamic university in Cairo) rather than just a graduate of el-Ezher, Ekmelettin Ihsanoglu,” he said. “Ekmeleddin saw Turkey for the first time at the age of 30. He is a transfer from Egypt. He was born in Cairo,” Sentop added.
Only a few months before leaving his post as head of the OIC, Ihsanoglu was the target of a harsh campaign by the AKP government.
Despite having previously lobbied hard for the election of Ihsanoglu to the post, the AKP government publicly pointed the finger at him in the summer of 2013 for his stance in the aftermath of the toppling of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
Reacting to the nomination, Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) co-chair Pervin Buldan said her party was now likely to nominate its own candidate for the first round of the elections. “It seems difficult for us to support a candidate backed by the MHP,” Buldan said.
Columnist Murat Yetkin, writing in Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 17.06.14), under the title “A smart choice by Turkish opposition for presidency”, reports that one can see a smart tactical calculation behind the move, for a number of reasons:
1- The candidate should be patriotic, conservative, democratic, secularist and with high moral values.
2- The support from BDP, which promises them to support them on the 2nd round. The CHP is clearly seeking to give an option to Kurdish votes if Erdogan does not meet their demands.
3- Ihsanoglu is a name from the AKP’s backyard. Ihsanoglu still has respect within the AKP voter base. He is actually more renowned among AKP and MHP circles than the CHP’s, which is why Bahceli said he was happy that Kilicdaroglu had come up with Ihsanoglu for the candidacy. What's more, Kurdish voters do not have any particular negative feelings about him.
Now it is Erdogan’s turn. He knows the Kurds hold the key to the presidential elections at a time the government is having a number of serious difficulties, like the hostages held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq, ISIL’s advance to Turkmen cities in Iraq, problems with Kurdish groups in both Iraq and Syria, the entire Syrian situation, Iran’s rapprochement with the U.S., and the dialogue process with the PKK. Erdogan’s choice of whether he will be the candidate of AKP will determine the near future of politics. Because if he gives up the idea of being the next president and supports Gul instead, there will be a totally different political picture.
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