TURKISH CYPRIOT AND
TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 137/14 25.07.14
1.
The Turkish Cypriot press alleges that a crisis was
created in the Cyprus negotiations by President Anastasiades
2. The chairman of the
Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry expressed his worries over halloumi PDO
efforts to the representative of the European Commission in Cyprus
3. Robbers of a bank
in the breakaway regime may have escaped in the free areas of the Republic of
Cyprus
4. Columnist assesses the statement that 90.000
persons living in the occupied area of Cyprus have the right to vote in the
Turkish elections
5. If Israel continues
terrorizing, it will eventually be tried at international courts, says Erdogan
6. US Jewish group demands
Erdogan return its award given to him
7. Davutoglu: Turkey
may close its embassy in Tripoli
8. Voting cards for
Turkish presidential polls revealed; if there is a second round, to be held on
August 24
1.
The Turkish Cypriot press alleges that a crisis was
created in the Cyprus negotiations by President Anastasiades
Under the title “Anastasiades ran away from the
table”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisnewspaper
(25.07.14)alleges that President
Anastasiades abandoned the five-hour meeting held yesterday between the leaders
in the buffer zone in Nicosia within the framework of the Cyprus negotiations.
According to the paper, President Anastasiades exhibited an “intransigent and aggressive” stance on the issue of the
Confidence Building Measures and the convergences achieved between the two
sides in the past. “Anastasiades, who stood
up twice hitting his hand on the table, reprehended his own delegation and
scolded the UN officials, and afterwards abandoned suddenly the meeting by
taking his bag”, argues the paper adding that questions have been raised by
the fact that the Turkish Cypriot leader
made no statement after the meeting.
Sources told Kibris that President Anastasiades threw away his glasses because of his anger and
smoke in spite of the fact that smoking was prohibited. The sources argued that President
Anastasiades insisted on the view that the convergences of the past should not
be binding and should not be on the table. He reportedly said that the only
thing which he accepts that is agreed by the sides is the content of the joint
declaration and refrained from approving
the eight Confidence Building Measures agreed last Friday by the negotiators of
the two communities.
Moreover, under the title “Crisis in the negotiations”, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (25.07.14) reports that the negotiations for finding a
solution to the Cyprus problem have entered into deadlock. Noting that
moments of tension were experienced yesterday during the meeting of the two
community leaders, the paper argues that “the Greek Cypriot leader Nikos
Anastasiades abandoned the negotiating table with anger” and that “some sources
said that Anastasiades could not control his anger and threw his glasses on the
table”.
Referring to the same issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (25.07.14) writes that President Anastasiades had said
that he is in tension because of the negotiations and the visit of Troika to
Cyprus and asked to smoke. According to the paper, after smoking three cigarettes the one after the other, President
Anastasiades stood up, threw his glasses on the table, gathered his documents
and abandoned the table, while the Greek Cypriot delegation remained at its
place.
Moreover, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (25.07.14) reports that “the negotiating table became a real mess” and that the negotiations
for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem have come into deadlock. The paper writes that the United Nations worries about the future of the negotiations and
that President Anastasiades reiterated yesterday his proposal as regards the
preparation of a document with the agreed issues, the convergences and the
issues which have not been agreed, while Erolgu insisted on the acceptance of
the so-called “Downer Document”.
Under the title
“Crisis in the negotiations”, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (25.07.14) also reports that President
Anastasiades abandoned the meeting and notes that “this unexpected action shocked both the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish
Cypriot negotiating delegation”.
(I/Ts.)
2. The chairman of
the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry expressed his worries over halloumi PDO
efforts to the representative of the European Commission in Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper
(25.07.14) reports that Georgios Makropouliotis, the representative of the
European Commission in Cyprus met with Ali Cirali, the chairman of the Turkish
Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KTSO).
Cirali informed Makropouliotis on the works of
KTSO and expressed the thoughts and the worries of the Chamber on the issue of
the application to register halloumi as a PDO (Protected designation of
origin), by the Republic of Cyprus. Cirali stated that the halloumi producers
must not be victimized adding that halloumi is a common cultural product of
both Turkish and Greek Cypriots.
3. Robbers of a
bank in the breakaway regime may have escaped in the free areas of the Republic
of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily
Yeni Duzen newspaper (25.07.14) reports that around 3 million Turkish Lira (1
million euro) were stolen yesterday from the Kooperatif Merkez Bankası (Central
Cooperative Bank) in the breakaway
regime.
According to the paper, the robbery was
conducted by two robbers who hijacked a security vehicle which was later found
abandoned near Zodia check-point. The
so-called police stated that the robbers may have escaped in the free areas of
the Republic of Cyprus.
4. Columnist assesses the statement that 90.000
persons living in the occupied area of Cyprus have the right to vote in the
Turkish elections
Writing in Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (25.07.14)Turkish Cypriot columnist Cigdem Durust assesses the statement made by
the Turkish so-called ambassador in the occupied part of Nicosia, Halil Ibrahim
Akca that 90.000 persons living in the occupied area of Cyprus have the right
to vote in the Turkish Presidential elections. Under the title “90 thousand
Turkish Republic voters live in the TRNC”, Durust reports that theyhave been
criticized a lot for many years because they say that the demographic structure in the occupied area of Cyprus has changed
and that its population and cultural and political structure is changing in an
uncontrolled manner. She notes that they have been threatened and insulted
because they said that this structure could be related to cultural and
sociological assimilation.
She continues
noting, inter alia, the following:
“(…) I had been proud of being able to do simple
mathematical calculations with my brain, but the statement by the Embassy of
the Republic of Turkey (TR) to Nicosia confused me. I was willingly or unwillingly surprised when it said that 90 thousand
Republic of Turkey (TR) voters live in the TRNC. I tried to calculate. Ours
here is approximately one per cent of the TR population (it is even a little more).
This does not affect them because who knows how many more one per cent they
have in so many countries. However, one
in every four persons we see in the streets in the northern part of Cyprus is a
TR voter. There are absolutely no
children in this TR voters’ population within our structure. All of them
are either married to each other or single (I am very well intended). When I
wanted to make some estimation and multiplied the number of the said TR voters’
population even with at least two (at least one spouse or one child), it comes out that it is more than half of
our TRNC population. Do you also not think that is this scary (…)
I do not even want to think of the conclusions we will
reach when we approximately think and compare this with the number of the TRNC
voters. If you look at it
differently, this means that this
becomes half of the about 177 thousand TRNC voters. It these have been
calculated, they may be hidden locked in the closet of the competent
authorities with the status of top secret (…)”
(I/Ts.)
5. If Israel continues terrorizing, it will eventually be tried at
international courts, says Erdogan
Turkish Daily Sabah
newspaper (25.07.14) reports that the Turkish Prime Minister and AK Party
presidential candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview on CNN that
Israel is a "terror state" and its operations in Gaza are creating a
"wave of terror."
Dismissing Israeli President Benjamin
Netanyahu's criticism that the Turkish and Qatari governments are involved in
funding Hamas' activities, Erdogan asked "who finances Israel?". He
claimed that Turkey is only delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
"Qatar's cooperation with Turkey has always been to be on the side of the
persecuted and to support them through humanitarian aid. This is what's being
done," added Erdogan. He also said, " If Israel is sincere on
establishing ceasefire, we [Turkey] will convince Hamas."
6. US Jewish group
demands Erdogan return its award given
to him
Turkish daily Today’s
Zaman newspaper (25.07.14) reports that an association of Jewish Americans said
that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become the world's
"most virulent anti-Israeli leader" and demanded that he return an
award it gave him a decade ago, partly for his efforts to broker peace between
Israel and the Palestinians.
The New York-based American Jewish Congress
awarded Erdogan its "Profile of Courage" award in 2004 for what it
said was his stance on fighting terrorism and working towards peace.
"Now, we want it
back," the association's president, Jack Rosen, said in an open letter to
Erdogan dated July 23
and made public on Thursday. He cited the Turkish leader's comments last
weekend that Israel had "surpassed Hitler in barbarism" through its
attacks on Gaza.
7. Davutoglu:
Turkey may close its embassy in Tripoli
Turkish Hurriyet Daily
News (25.07.14) reports that Turkey has considered closing its embassy in
Tripoli because of growing security concerns in the country, Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu has said, adding that efforts to evacuate Turkish citizens in
Libya were underway.
“We may take such a decision,” the foreign
minister said July 24 during an interview with the private channel A Haber,
upon a question on whether Turkey would close its embassy in Tripoli.
“Unfortunately, the clashes in Tripoli have
intensified, spreading to downtown [area of the city] and close to our
embassy,” Davutoglu said, recalling that Turkey had already suspended work at
its consulate in Benghazi due to poor security conditions.
Davutoglu said that he informed Prime Minister
Erdogan late July 23 on the recent developments in the country, adding that the
government was working on contingency plans for the evacuation of Turkish
citizens in Libya in the event that they want to leave the country.
8. Voting cards for
Turkish presidential polls revealed; if there is a second round, to be held on
August 24
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (25.07.14) reports
that the voting cards for the August 10 Turkish presidential elections were
unveiled on July 24. The three presidential candidates, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
Selahattin Demirtas and Ekmeleddin İhsanoglu have been placed on the cards from
left to right, respectively, as they prepare for Turkey's first-ever
presidential election by popular vote.
The election will be
held over two rounds, with the first on Aug. 10. If no candidate receives over
50% of the vote in the first round, the second round will take place on Aug.
24.
----------------------------------------------------
TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
