TURKISH CYPRIOT AND
TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 142/14 01.08.14
1.Eroglu claimed that the Ottoman
conquest of Cyprus put an end to the Crusades
2. Reactions to the
intention of a Turkish Cypriot to return Greek Cypriot property to its legal
owners
3. The breakaway
regime worries about the Ebola virus
4. Ozyigit: The works
are being done by the “embassy” and not by the “government”
5. Tunali says that
the SDP is an alternative for all parties; SDP’s views on the Cyprus
problem
6. In total 90 Jehovah
witnesses live in the occupied area of Cyprus
7. Yildiz denies claim
on petrol trade with ISIL
8. Thirty one police
officers in Turkey face charges over “monitoring private lives”
9. Survey in Turkey
shows that Erdogan’s popularity in four out of seven Middle East countries has
dropped
10. Columnist assesses
figures showing increasing human rights violations in Turkey
1. Eroglu claimed
that the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus put an end to the Crusades
Turkish Cypriot daily
Kibris newspaper (01.08.14) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader
DervisEroglu made statements as regards the August 1 anniversaries celebrated
by the breakaway regime.
According to the paper, the 1st of August is
celebrated as “Communal Resistance Day” and also marks “the 38th anniversary of
the Security Forces Commandership, the 56th anniversary of the establishment of
the Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT) and the 443rd anniversary of the
conquest of Cyprus by the Ottomans.”
Commenting on the
issue, Eroglu claimed that the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus put an end to the Crusades.
He went on and alleged that the Turkish Cypriots are at the negotiation table
having the expectation of a permanent and viable solution after the Greek
Cypriot “neighbors” abandon their vision of “enosis” with Greece.
2. Reactions to the
intention of a Turkish Cypriot to return Greek
Cypriot property to its legal owners
Under the title “If what is taken
with blood is not given away at the table, it is given in the conscious”,
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper
(01.08.14) refers to the reactions which were caused after the news it
published yesterday regarding a Turkish Cypriot named ErayOzer who is looking
for the legal Greek Cypriot owners of properties he had been “granted” by the
breakaway regime in occupied Voni and Palekythro villages in order to return
them these properties without wanting anything for exchange.
The paper writes that journalists from the government-controlled
area of the island called the paper asking for contacting Ozer. “We hope
that the real owners of the properties in Voni and Palekythro will soon
appear”, notes the paper and adds: “Of
course everyone is very curious of what the stance of our administration will
be on this issue. (…) No one until now did this. Think. Our Immovable
Property Compensation Commission is purchasing the properties of Greek Cypriots
by paying money. ErayOzer, however, will
give the property he possesses without waiting for anything in return (…) He should be applauded”.
Afrika writes that this news was commented a lot yesterday on
the internet. A person named OzerDuru
wrote the following on Facebook:
“The statue of this man should be built. However, this ineffective and
shortsighted administration could even throw this man into prison…Bravo to the man”. Another person
named Mustafa Serdengecti wrote the
following: “Even if he gives [the
property], will the TRNC, which has the mentality of a conqueror, give it? It will take [the property] from him and give
it to another clean conqueror Muslim. Will
it ever give it to its owner?”
The paper
concludes: “We are also very curious how this incident, which is something happening for the first time in
our looting history, will end. Let it be an example to those who say that
‘what is taken with blood cannot be given away at the table’”.
(I/Ts.)
3. The breakaway
regime worries about the Ebola virus
Turkish Cypriot daily
Detay newspaper (01.08.14) reports that the breakaway regime worries about the
Ebola virus after its outbreakin West Africa countries and adds that speaking
to the paper, the self-styled minister of health AhmetGulle said that measures
will start to be taken as of September 1st at the illegal entry
points of the breakaway regime.
Gulle said that measures are already in place
since two months ago in hospitals and health centers in the occupied area of
Cyprus however he said that no measures have been taken at the crossing points
and “entry points”. He said that plans were made so that as of September 1st
measures will be taken there as well.
Reporting on the same issue, Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris Postasi (01.08.14) writes that the breakaway regime remains silent
on the issue of Ebola out brake, despite that fact that hundreds of West
African students are expected to arrive during the weeks in the occupied area
of Cyprus for studying of for tourism purposes.
The self-styled
“ministry of health” has just released an announcement for persons who were
going to travel to West African countries back in April. Speaking to the paper,
the “director of pathology department”, EmineGüllüelli said that no precautions
are taken yet as the issue is notyet on the “health ministry's” agenda.
4. Ozyigit: The works are being done by the
“embassy” and not by the “government”
Turkish Cypriot
daily HalkinSesi (01.08.14) reports that the leader of the Social Democracy
Party (TDP) CemalOzyigit, participating in a television programme, criticized
the “government” in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus that it cannot
produce solution to their problems. He
affirmed that some works, which should be done by the “government”, are being
done by the so-called embassy of Turkey in the occupied area of the Republic of
Cyprus.
5. Tunali says that
the SDP is an alternative for all parties; SDP’s views on the Cyprus problem
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris
newspaper (01.08.14) reports that TozunTunali,
founder of the Social Democrat Party (SDP) has said that SDP is an alternative
for all parties and its aim is to secure equality among the people. In an
interview with Kibris, Tunali was asked
about their stance on the Cyprus problem. He replied:
“There is a view which we have been
supporting for many years. The
communities have been separated into two parts. Thoughts exist for two states
and a central government. We are not opposed to this. However, these
negotiations are not productive.Anastasiades shares the negotiations with
his people. We have to also share the
stage to which the negotiations have come. There is no transparency. Look at Morfou area. Not even a single
house is built. Those who die are buried in Nicosia. There is nothing worse
than uncertainty.If the highest organ does not raise people’s awareness on the
issue of where the negotiations are heading to, when tomorrow the day for
referendum comes, the people will make their comment like they said no to the
constitution.We will do whatever we can for the return of the Cypriots who live
in Turkey and third countries of the world. Rural plots of land are distributed in this country.We will encourage
people to come. We will give a rural plot of land to them, to their
children and secure that they will make investments. The Turkish Cypriot
population abroad is more than 500 thousands. If even 10 thousands of them
come, the economy will be revived”.
The paper recalls that Tunali was known as sympathizer of the
National Unity Party (UBP) and that he then joined the Democratic Party
(DP),which he afterwards abandoned. When the paper asked Tunali why he felt
the need to establish a new party, he argued that he is a person who grew up in
the left and during his university years he
was representative of the [current main opposition in Turkey] Republican
People’s Party (CHP) in Ayranci area. He said that when he returned to
Cyprus he played football in the team of Cetinkaya. “People older than us told us that we have to stop being leftist,
otherwise we would definitely not get any job”, he noted and added: “We became
sympathizers of the UBP and the next day we started working”.He said that he
was never active in the UBP and when the nine members of the party left and
established the DP, he joined them and became active within the DP. He
argued that they represented the social democrat views within the DP and that
they started being isolated within the party, where 3-5 persons ruled.
Tunali
said that the 25-26 member council of the SDP is ready and that within 15-20
days they will form the committee and the central administrative council and
they will elect the general secretary, the vice president and the president of
the party.
(I/Ts.)
6. In total 90 Jehovah witnesses live in the
occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(01.08.14) reports that 90 persons who
are religiously connected with the Jehovah Witnesses community are living in
the occupied area of Cyprus.
As the paper writes, 60 out of them live in occupied Lefkosia while the rest of them in
occupied Famagusta.
According to the paper, most of the Jehovah Witnesses are Turkish Cypriots while some of them
are Turks from Turkey, British, African and
Turkmens.
The Jehovah Withnesses are gathering according
to the paper from time to time to the occupied Neapoli village where their
headquarters are located and they pray.
The total number of
Jehovah Witnesses in the Republic of Cyprus is approximately 2,500 writes the
paper.
7.Yildiz denies
claim on petrol trade with ISIL
Turkish daily YeniSafak newspaper
(31.07.14-online in English) reported
that Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister TanerYildiz denies an
opposition political Deputy's claim on petrol trade with militant groups.
Mehmet Ali Ediboglu, a
Deputy from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) previously
claimed that Turkey bought $800 million of petrol from the Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.
Yildiz said on Wednesday in an Eid-ulFitr
celebration event in Kayseri organized by the Independent Industrialists' and
Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD) the following: “While Turkey is trying to be stronger in the region, and putting forth
its 2023 goal, some people claimed that we bought petrol from ISIL, from Iraq,
from Al-Nusra in Syria. This claim is completely groundless, even a lie, a
slander. This is an issue relevant to discrediting Turkey. Everyone surely
knows that we certainly will not incite on it”.
“We are not in any way
involved in the deterioration of Turkey's stability and the imposition of the
guardianship; no matter what the excuse”, Yildiz added.
8.Thirty one police
officers in Turkey face charges over “monitoring private lives”
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily New (01.08.14) reports that many of the police officers
detained last week were involved in those corruption probes and they have
interpreted the current case as politically motivated.
According to Turkish
authorities, the suspects detained on charges of “illegal wiretapping, spying
and fraud” in an operation on July 22 had been monitoring the private lives of
the people they allegedly wiretapped illegally.
A total of 31 police
officers were arrested earlier this week after 115 police officers were
detained in overnight raids July 22 on charges of illegal wiretapping, spying
and fraud.
The investigation came
after two corruption probes into high-profile figures from political and
business circles was interpreted by the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) as an operation aimed at toppling the government.
The transcripts of the private conversations
were being kept on over 32,000 pages in 37 folders, the study has revealed. In
addition, the suspects also recorded the meetings of SelamTevhid probe suspects
with other men and women and took photographs of those meetings.
(…)
The file on the
illegal wiretapping suspects also included the transcripts of phone
conversations by Prime Minister RecepTayyipErdoğan and HakanFidan, head of
National Intelligence Agency (MİT). Fidan’s 123 conversations were recorded as
part of the Selam-Tevhid organization probe.
Erdogan’s phone talks
with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on November 26, 2013, Hamas’ Ismail
Haniyeh on November 28, 2013, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on
December 3, 2013, were also recorded and included in the Selam-Tevhid probe.
9.Survey in Turkey
shows that Erdogan’s popularity in four out of seven Middle East countries has
dropped
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (31.07.14-online in
English) reported that according to an
opinion poll conducted by the Pew Research Center and published on Wednesday,
Turks are divided on how they feel about Prime Minister RecepTayyip Erdogan
ahead of his bid to become President in an upcoming election, and about their
country's direction.
(…)
The poll found
respondents evenly split on Erdogan, with 48% saying he has a good influence on
the country and the same percentage saying he has a bad one. The survey polled
1,001 people from April 11-May 16 and has a margin of error of 4.5% points.
A slim majority – 51%-- is dissatisfied with the
country's direction, while 44% said they are satisfied. However, Pew noted that
while opinion has been split on this issue over the past four years,"
prior to 2011, the mood in Turkey was much more negative, with clear majorities
expressing dissatisfaction with the country's direction" each year between
2002 and 2010.
Also, 50% of those interviewed in the Pew
survey viewed the economy as being good, while 46% said it was bad.
On the İstanbul's Gezi Park protests, 49% of
the respondents said they supported the protests while 40% opposed them.
The survey also shows
that the support for Erdogan has dropped significantly in four out of seven
Middle Eastern countries since last year.
According to a statement released by Pew
regarding the survey, 75% of its
participants from Jordan had a favorable view of Erdogan in a survey conducted
last year, but in the poll conducted recently, it is only 60%.“Support dropped
even further in Egypt (-26 points). Turkey had been a strong supporter of
ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and his now-outlawed Islamist Muslim
Brotherhood,” the statement stated.
Regarding the public
perception of Erdogan in Tunisia and Lebanon, Pew's statement said: “Opinions of Erdogan have held relatively steady in Tunisia and Lebanon
since last year. In Lebanon, Erdogan's support is bolstered by Sunni Muslims
(76% favorable) and Christians (58%). Erdogan himself is a Sunni Muslim, as are
the majority of Muslims in Turkey. Only one in ten Lebanese Shiite Muslims have
a positive view of him.”
The Pew statement said
that its survey has shown that 16% of Israeli participants have a positive
opinion of Erdogan. “This includes only 8%of Israeli Jews. On the other hand,
62 % of Israeli Arabs have a favorable impression of Turkey's leader.
Support for Erdogan
has also dropped in the Palestinian territories since 2013 (-19 points).
10.Columnist
assesses figures showing increasing human rights violations in Turkey
In a commentary entitle: “New generation of human rights violations”, columnist CengizAktar
writes, inter alia, the following:
“In a
statement on June 26, the UN International Day in Support of Victims of
Torture, the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TİHV) and the Human Rights
Association (İHD) indicated that 5,848 people suffered from police violence
last week in Turkey and that official complaints against them went unpunished. The
BaranTursun Foundation keeps a tally of incidents of police violence and the
consequences which have become an undeniable part of daily life. The statistics
provided by baransav.com are hair-raising. ‘Until
late May 2013, which was the beginning of the Gezi Park incidents, police
officers were held responsible for the death of 135 people, 27 of which
occurred in police stations. This figure rose to 160 people by May 2014. In 2007, the reconfigured Law on Police
Duties and Authoritieswas introduced as a bill geared toward public order, but
it actually turned the police into an army to interfere in public events.
This army of police power has been staging a frontal assault on caring people
who raise their voices against violations of rights and they have used disproportionate
violence on protesters. Those who perceived the police as a 'protectionist
power' before the Gezi Park protests have started to perceive it as a 'power of
repression and intimidation' after the said protests.
With the paramilitary
security squads already tyrannizing people and the government's plan to turn
the gendarmerie into a sort of rural police, we are about to have a
full-fledged police state. In this connection, I would like to announce the establishment of the
Ali İhsanKorkmaz Foundation.
(…)
According to a recent
report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), we
spent $19.1 billion on arms in 2013. Turkey ranked 16th in terms of military
expenditures in 2012. It rose to 14th place in 2013. Bravo! Turkey allocated 2.3% of its national income to arms spending in the
past and in the last 10 years, this figure rose to 13%. There is more. In 2013,
the sum spent on domestic security, including riot vehicles and tear gas
amounted to $14.8 billion. Thus, a total of some $32 billion was spent on
security expenditures, which accounted for 4.1% of the national income. Compare
this figure with 1.9% spent for the justice system and 3.2% for education”.
(…)
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