TURKISH CYPRIOT AND
TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 144/14 05.08.14
1. Turkey’s EU Minister: “14 out of 17 chapters cannot
open on Turkey’s EU negotiation talks due to the Cyprus issue”
2. Ozyigit: The Turkish Cypriots are outside the
international law since 15 November 1983
3. Measures for the Ebola virus in the occupied area
prior to the arrival of foreign students
4. A new “university” under the name “Vakif
University” is planned to be constructed in occupied Morfou area
5. The works for the “water project” in the occupied
area of Cyprus are close to be concluded
6. Self-styled minister is criticized because of
visiting Marseille on the expenses of a private company
7. The occupation regime to be represented in a
congress in Hungary
8. Turkey refuses joint energy policy with Israel
9. Turkish voters fail to show up at ballot boxes
abroad
1.Turkey’s EU
Minister: “14 out of 17 chapters cannot open on Turkey’s EU negotiation talks
due to the Cyprus issue”
Turkish Cypriot daily Diyalog newspaper
(05.08.13) reports that Turkey’s EU
Minister and Chief Negotiator with the EU, MevlutCavusoglu in statements during
a meeting of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Bodrum , referred,
inter alia, to Turkey’s EU bid and said that 14 out of 17 chapters are not
possible to open due to the Cyprus problem. He continued and stressed the need
for these political obstacles to be lifted.
Cavusoglu expressed also in his statements the wish for the Turkish citizens in 3-3,5
years to be able to travel to several EU countries and to Schengen countries
without visas.
Stating that the
no-visa movement is a right in the EU, Cavusoglu accused the EU for
implementing a “double standard” towards this issue and said that the EU does not respect court
rules and thus implements different decisions for several countries.
(AK)
2. Ozyigit: The Turkish Cypriots are outside the international
law since 15 November 1983
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (05.08.14)
reports that CemalOzyigit, chairman
of the Social Democracy Party (TDP) has
said that the Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu is not behaving sincerely at
the negotiating table.
In an interview with Havadis, Ozyigit was asked whether
Eroglu is sincere at the negotiating table for finding a solution to the Cyprus
problem. Ozyigit replied, inter alia, the following:
“Eroglu is
doing what the circles that trust him want. He is maneuvering. And this is not
a sign of sincerity. We expect a sincere behavior and something to be done
honestly. If you noticed, both in his
interview with Cumhuriyet newspaper and his interview with the BBC, Eroglu says
‘for how long they will still force us to sit at the table?’ He wants to say that ‘we do not want but some
people insistently say to us to sit’. No, we want to sit at the table, because
the Turkish Cypriots are outside the international law since 15 November 1983
[Translator’s note: The date when the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied
area of Cyprus was declared]. And they are in a structure isolated, far away
from the world…”
Moreover, Ozyigit argued that the “Greek Cypriots”, as
he describes the government of the Republic of Cyprus, joined the EU because of
the so-called mistakes committed by the Turkish Cypriots, who are considered EU
citizens “only as individuals”. Ozyigit
expressed the view that the only way for the Turkish Cypriots joining the
international community is to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. He
argued: “The conditions for the solution should be enforced. The right-wing
[parties] always says the following: ‘We do not necessarily need a solution’. No, we need a solution, because we have no
other chance for entering into the international law”.
Moreover, Ozyigit accused President Anastasiades of
being insincere at the negotiating table, because he allegedly does not accept
the convergences agreed in the past. He said: “There is a clear text here and
there is a 77-page document with three titles submitted by the UN
Secretary-General to the sides. Our
expectation is for starting from the issues on which agreement could not be
reached. Convergence should be achieved on these so that the give and take
procedure to take place”.
Asked about the so-called presidential elections which
will be held in April 2015 in the occupied area of Cyprus, Ozyigit reiterated that his party will support Mustafa Akinci and
called on the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) as well to offer its support to
Akinci just like the TDP had supported Mehmet Ali Talat in 2010’s
“elections”.
(I/Ts.)
3. Measures for the Ebola virus in the occupied area prior to
the arrival of foreign students
Under
the title “No need to rush”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (05.08.14) reports
that self-styled minister of health of the breakaway regime in the occupied
area of the Republic of Cyprus AhmetGulle announced that the necessary measures
have been taken against the Ebola virus disease (EVD).
Gulle
said that although the Ebola virus has not appeared in the occupied area, they
follow very close the issue and they also apply all the necessary precautions.
He added that they are planning to establish communication with the
“universities” and the students before September, in case any African students,
who will come, carry the virus.
On
the same issue, Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen (05.08.14) reports that the
so-called ministry of health has intensified the works on taking precautions at
the “gates” of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
due to the flow of foreign students that will start coming in the island from
the 1st of September.
The self-styled undersecretary of the ministry of health Dr Omer
Gur said that “he will meet and discuss this issue with the Greek Cypriot
health committee on Thursday”, adding that they will do the necessary works in
order to increase the measures at the crossing points and the illegal entry
points of the breakaway regime, prior to the arrival of foreign
students in September.
4.A new
“university” under the name “Vakif University” is planned to be constructed in
occupied Morfou area
Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper
(05.08.14) reports that the Chairwoman
of Turkey’s Confederation Community NezaketEmineAtasoy visited yesterday
Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister, BesirAtalay and informed him about their plans
to build a new “university” called “Vakif University” in THE occupied Morfou
area.
According to a statement issued by the
“Confederation”, Atasoy informed Atalay concerning the “university” to be
constructed in the “TRNC” and asked also for the Turkish Government support and
contribution.
Atasoy stated that the
“TRNC”, with its educational institutions and “universities” will become an
example “country” globally.
(AK)
5.The works for the
“water project” in the occupied area of Cyprus are close to be concluded
Under the title: “It is on the end”, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper
(05.08.14) reports on the works which
are taking place in the occupied area of Cyprus for the project of transferring
water from Turkey to the occupied area via pipe lines and writes that the
project is very close to be concluded.
As the paper writes, a total of 13.6 km undersea pipeline was installed while by the end of
this month the montage works offshore the occupation regime are expected to be
concluded.
Meanwhile, the
water purification plant in occupied Myrtou area is expected to be concluded by
January 2015.
(AK)
6. Self-styled minister is criticized
because of visiting Marseille on the expenses of a private company
Turkish Cypriot Kibris Postasi Daily News newspaper
(04.08.14, online) reports that the
so-called minister of environment HamitBakirci’s and his wife’s visit to
Marseille 10 days ago, which was funded by a private company, caused “a public
uproar” in the occupied area of Cyprus, with many criticizing the nature of
this trip and the lack of explanation from Bakirci’s side regarding the purpose
of what is described as his “privately funded Marseille holiday”.
The Turkish Cypriot negotiator KudretOzersay joined
the criticisms through social media yesterday and urged Bakirci to give
answers. Ozersay, who is also the leader of the “ToparlaniyoruzHareketi” (Let’s
get it together movement), wrote a sarcastic comment on his Facebook account
saying: “Questioning the nature of the relationship between politics, the stone
quarries and other similar companies and criticizing Bakirci’s silence after
his visit to Marseille...Haven’t you got anything better to do? Do not get
involved with such things.”
Ozersay also emphasized that occupied north Cyprus’
environment is destroyed, adding that the only activity politics seem to be
doing is renewing the “permission” of the stone quarries, giving new
“permissions” or extending the “permissions”. He stated that “there is a
possibility of other secret profiting under politics’ passiveness”.
Moreover, Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper
(05.08.14) reports that the general secretary of the teachers’ trade union
(KTOS), SenerElcil issued a statement yesterday asking Bakirci the following
five questions: 1. Is it true that HamitBakirci visited Marseille with his family
and “officials” from his “ministry”? 2. Is it true that all the expenses for
going to Marseille were covered by a company which exploits plaster stone in
occupied Karpasia? 3. Is it true that Bakirci extended the permission of this
company to exploit plaster stone in occupied Karpasia? 4. Is it true that a
water desalination plant has been built in occupied Gastria without inviting
tenders and this installation is now inactive? 5. Which is the company that
built this water desalination plant and who paid this company?
Finally, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli newspaper
(05.08.14) reports that in statements to Kibris Time news website, Bakirci said
that he paid for the expenses of his wife, but the company covered all his
expenses and the expenses of the “ministry officials”. He noted that they went
to see on the spot how the company works and added that his conscious is at
ease because “we did nothing wrong”.
(I/Ts.)
7. The occupation
regime to be represented in a congress in Hungary
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (05.08.14)
reports that the “Akdeniz
(Mediterranean) Strategic Research Center” will attend the “3rd
Global Turkish-Turan congress” which will take place in Hungary between August
5-10.
The congress is organized by the Turan Foundation
in Hungary and is supported by the Parliament and the government of Hungary.
The occupation regime
will be represented at the congress by a 6 members delegation composed by the
chairman of the Akdeniz Strategic Research Center, Mehmet Aldemir, the general
secretary GokhanGuler and “officials” of the so called “culture department”.
(AK)
8. Turkey refuses joint energy policy with Israel
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (04.08.14), Turkey’s Energy Minister TanerYildiz, speaking at a press conference
in Ankara on Monday, said that Turkey
will not co-operate with Israel on energy policy while it is attacking Gaza.
He added that any proposal for a natural gas pipeline between Israel and
Europe, via Turkey, could not go ahead for political reasons.
Yildiz
also said: "An energy project's economic feasibility is also important as
its political feasibility and now, if we build a natural gas pipeline between
Israel and Turkey, innocent children's blood would flow from this pipeline."
Yildiz
added: "Now there is an unjust situation in Gaza but if the attacks stop,
Turkey could discuss energy [with Israel]."
9. Turkish
voters fail to show up at ballot boxes abroad
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 04.08.14) reported that a total of 232,000 Turkish citizens voted at ballot boxes overseas in
the first round of Turkey’s presidential elections, falling far behind the
government’s expectations in the first year of the undertaking.
Another
152,000 people had voted as of August 4 at customs gates to Turkey, where
voting is still continuing unlike in foreign cities with relatively large
Turkish populations, according to Deputy Prime Minister EmrullahIsler.
“We
have almost one more week,” Anadolu Agency quoted the Deputy Prime Minister as
saying on the side-lines of a meeting in Ankara yesterday. “I think that this
number will go higher. My expectations for the sum of foreign countries and
customs gates votes stand at around 450,000 to 500,000.”
The total number of Turkish constituents eligible to vote abroad
was 2,780,757, which is about 5% of the total electorate.
Voting
at the customs gates will continue until August 10, the day of the elections in
Turkey. A second round will be held on Aug. 24 if none of the three candidates
wins 50% plus one of the valid votes.
The ballot boxes abroad will be brought to Turkey in private jets
before being opened in the country on the Election Day.
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