TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 115/14 24.06.14
1. Fule: No progress is possible in Turkey’s EU accession negotiations without convincing progress in Cyprus and the political reforms
2. Former self-styled finance minister: “Turkey wanted Cyprus Turkish Airlines to be closed down”
3. Nolan: 175.258 voters are registered in the regime’s “voters’ lists”
4. DP to support UBP's “candidate” for occupied Lefkosia municipality
5. US Ambassador Koenig visits Talip Atalay
6. The new President of Cittaslow wishes to visit Cyprus
7. The “White Hotel” will be turned into a “modern art museum”
8. Turkish PM Erdogan to meet US, European envoys
9. Presidential Election survey gives 54% to Erdogan, 39.4% to Ihsanoglu
10. Demirtas elected HDP co-chairman at party congress
1. Fule: No progress is possible in Turkey’s EU accession negotiations without convincing progress in Cyprus and the political reforms
Under the title “Turkey will do its bit”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (24.06.14) reports that the EU Commissioner responsible for the Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy, Stefan Fule has said that the accession negotiations are the “engine” of the relations between Turkey and the EU, but progress in this field will be possible only in case “convincing progress” is achieved on issues which are related to the political reforms and Cyprus.
In statements after the 52nd Partnership Council between Turkey and the EU, Fule said that in the meeting he had stressed, like he did during his recent visit to Ankara a week ago, that sustaining the momentum in the accession negotiations would be important for both sides’ interests from the point of view of acquiring “real and concrete results”.
Fule said that implementing the Additional Protocol would revive Turkey’s accession process, adding that “many chapters might open and close, some of which very quickly”.
In his statements, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator, argued that Turkey will do its bit in its accession process, including on issues related to the political reforms and Cyprus and added that they expect from the EU to do the same. Cavusoglu claimed that especially the recent developments in the Middle East and Eastern Europe proved once more that a “common political vision” is needed in the relations between Turkey and the EU. “The EU membership is a strategic choice for Turkey”, he said expressing the belief that “some EU member states should approach Turkey’s EU accession process with a “strategic perspective instead with their short-term interests”.
Cavusoglu argued that Turkey’s accession process should be accelerated and alleged: “Within this framework, I want to recall that 17 chapters are unfortunately blocked for political reasons. The rest of the chapters should open without further delay”. He also claimed that Turkey’s accession negotiations should be completed without political obstacles.
Meanwhile, after the same meeting, the EU Term President and Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos drew attention to the importance of fully and without discrimination implementing the Additional Protocol for all EU member states and pointed out that this is Turkey’s obligation. He said that they reiterated the call on Turkey for progress on this issue and that a step in this direction would create a “visible acceleration” in the negotiating process.
(I/Ts.)
2. Former self-styled finance minister: “Turkey wanted Cyprus Turkish Airlines to be closed down”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (23.06.14) reported that former minister of finance Ahmet Uzun stated that it was upon Turkey's wish that “Cyprus Turkish Airlines” (CTA) was closed down.
According to Aytug Turkkan's article which was published on Gazette 360 Uzun said the following: “It was Turkey who wanted CTA to be closed. They told us that we were not capable of flying planes and that there were many private companies who could do it better”. According to Uzun during a meeting with Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan, Ferdi Sabit Soyer who was “prime minister” at the time, requested from Erdogan not to bring up the CTA issue and said that it was a Turkish Cypriots's private issue. “However in the period after that meeting the issue remained open and CTA was closed down leaving its staff unemployed” added Uzun.
3. Nolan: 175.258 voters are registered in the regime’s “voters’ lists”
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (24.06.14) reports that Nevvar Nolan, chairman of the breakaway regime’s so-called high election council, has said that 175.258 persons are registered in the regime’s “voters’ lists” and therefore have the right to vote in the “municipal elections” and the “referendum for the constitution” which will be held on Sunday 29 June, 2014.
In statements to illegal TAK news agency, Nolan called on everybody to use their right to vote. He said that there will be five different kinds of “ballot papers”: for the “mayors”, the members of the “municipal council”, the “mukhtars [Translator’s note: Head of villages], the members of the “village council” and the “constitutional referendum”.
According to Nolan, the 681 ballot boxes and the 175.258 voters will be distributed as following to the various occupied “districts”:
Area Nicosia Famagusta Keryneia Morfou Trikomo
Number of voters 68.390 57.046 41.788 25.724 23.482
Number of ballot boxes 212 175 134 83 77
(I/Ts.)
4. DP to support UBP's “candidate” for occupied Lefkosia municipality
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (23.06.14) reported that the chairman of the Democratic Party (DP) Serdar Denktas stated that DP will determine the new mayor of (occupied) Lefkosia.
Speaking during an event DP chairman Denktas announced that his party will be supporting UBP's candidate for occupied Lefkosia municipality Kemal Deniz Dana.
5. US Ambassador Koenig visits Talip Atalay
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (23.06.14) reported that US Ambassador to Lefkosia John Koenig met with the "head of religious affairs department" Talip Atalay.
According to the statement issued by the “Religious Affairs Department” during the meeting which took place at Atalay's office the two evaluated Joe Biden's meetings with the religious leaders of Cyprus.
6. The new President of Cittaslow wishes to visit Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (24.06.14) reports that Ali Komurcugil - coordinator of Cittaslow of the occupied village Agios Sergios, which is a member of Cittaslow, - and Dr Resmiye Alpar Atun – assistant professor at the “Eastern Mediterranean University” (“EMU”) – participated in the general assembly of Cittaslow, which was held in the Netherlands between 18-22 June.
In a statement to “TAK”, Komurcugil said that the newly elected President of Cittaslow Stefano Pisani Sindaco took over the presidency from former President Gianluca Marconi, who visited the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus last March. Komurcugil announced that Sindaco said that he also wishes to visit Cyprus very soon. He also said that they had very useful contacts during the general assembly.
7. The “White Hotel” will be turned into a “modern art museum”
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi (24.06.14), the self-styled assembly speaker Sibel Siber and the chairman of the administration council of Evkaf Rauf Ersenal announced to the paper that a four storey building known in the past as “White Hotel” in the occupied part of Lefkosia (Lokmaci) will be turned into a “Modern Art museum” within a six month period.
Siber also said that the building, which belongs to the Evkaf administration and is located in the heart of Lefkosia, will give life to the area.
8. Turkish PM Erdogan to meet US, European envoys
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (24.06.14) reports that the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with the American ambassador to Turkey and ambassadors from European Union countries today.
Francis Ricciardone, the U.S. ambassador to Ankara is to bid farewell to Erdogan after his three years of mandate that saw serious confrontations between himself and the prime minister. In the last three years, Erdogan targeted Ricciardone for various reasons and even threatened to expel the ambassador from Turkey by declaring him persona non grata.
Erdogan's agenda today also includes a luncheon with EU ambassadors. Erdogan is to deliver a speech to the various ambassadors and will discuss the state of Turkey's accession process. Erdogan holds such meetings with EU ambassadors twice a year.
9. Presidential Election survey gives 54% to Erdogan, 39.4% to Ihsanoglu
Turkish Sabah newspaper (23.06.14) reported that Objective Research Center (ORC), a renowned research institution, has recently conducted a survey to analyze public opinion prior to the presidential elections which will be held in less than 50 days in Turkey.
While the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have come together and announced Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as their joint candidate, the AK Party is yet to announce its presidential candidate although many expect the current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to run for president in the elections while the People's Democratic Party's candidate is expected to be Selahattin Demirtas.
The survey was conducted in 32 provinces with the participation of 3026 people between 18-21 of June. Findings suggested that Recep Tayyip Erdogan received 54% of the votes, while Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu received 39,4% whereas HDP's candidate received 6,6%. When Recep Tayyip Erdogan's candidacy was replaced with Abdullah Gul, the latter received 52, 5% while Ihsanoglu's votes increased to 40,5% along with HDP which received 7,2 % in the case that Abdullah Gul runs for president but still did not surpass AK Party's votes. On a different note, CHP supporters expressed disapproval of Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as the presidential candidate as 68% stated they were not pleased with him whereas only 25% of MHP supporters said they were unhappy with Ihsanoglu's candidacy.
10. Demirtas elected HDP co-chairman at party congress
Turkish daily Today's Zaman (23.06.14) reported that Selahattin Demirtas, leader of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), was elected co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) at an HDP congress on Sunday. Figen Yuksekdag, head of the Socialist Platform of the Oppressed (ESP), was also elected as a co-chair of the pro-Kurdish HDP, post heldup to the congress, by HDP deputies Ertugrul Kurkcu and Sebahat Tuncel.
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