TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 173/14 16.09.14
1. Eroglu briefs four political parties on the Cyprus problem
2. Davutoglu’s statements prior to his illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus
3. Yorgancioglu: “The natural gas can be marketed to Europe through north Cyprus and Turkey”
4. Siber the only applicant for the CHP candidacy
5. 20.000 new students at Elementary schools in the occupied area of Cyprus
6. A giant park similar to Disneyland is planned to be constructed in the occupied area of Cyprus
1. Eroglu briefs four political parties on the Cyprus problem
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (16.09.14) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu briefed yesterday the leaders or representatives of the four political parties represented in the so-called assembly of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus.
According to the paper, the parties, called also as the “Parliamentary Platform”, alleged that the Greek Cypriot side causes difficulties in the negotiating process, that the UN remains indifferent against this situation and that this is the reason for which the negotiations cannot advance.
In statements after the briefing, Huseyin Ozgurgun, chairman of the National Unity Party (UBP) said that they had a “useful meeting” and added that there is a convergence between the four parties on the issue of determining a road map as regards the way by which the process will continue, just like the convergence that existed on the Joint Declaration of the 11th of February. Ozgurgun noted that his party adopts the view that the Turkish Cypriot side is at the negotiating table for finding an agreement within the framework of the established UN parameters. “Some demands of the Greek Cypriot side have extremely frightened us”, he argued noting that the proposals on the territory and the citizenship are included in these so-called demands.
Speaking on behalf of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Ozdil Nami, self-styled foreign minister of the regime, said that the course of the negotiations is not positive. He noted that they were briefed on the Turkish Cypriot side’s counter proposals to what he called as “trouble creating proposals of the Greek Cypriots”. He argued that “serious difficulties” exist in the negotiations and described as “encouraging” the fact that they continue in spite of this. Nami said that the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser will exert efforts in the direction of overcoming the difficulties regarding the procedure and mainly on the issue of the convergence papers. He said that the “government” will continue supporting Eroglu and called on the Greek Cypriot side to respond positively to the will of the Turkish Cypriot side.
In his statements, Serdar Denktas, self-styled deputy prime minister of the regime and leader of the Democratic Party (DP), alleged that what is actually impeding the process is the fact that the UN does not see or ignores that what he called as excessive demands of the Greek Cypriots harm the process. “There is absolutely no one in northern Cyprus who will accept these approaches of the Greek Cypriot side”, he claimed alleging: “They want to use the fact that we are not recognized as weapon against us. You may force the two sides to sign an agreement, but this agreement will be the beginning of a new conflict”.
Cemal Ozyigit, chairman of the Social Democracy Party (TDP) said that they support that they should remain committed to the text of the Joint Statement of 11 February, which he described as “important”. “Within the framework of this text, we support a stance in favor of the agreements, the convergences reached until today and the insistence on this issue”, he said arguing that the issue of the rotating presidency is sine qua non for them. He noted that they are seriously annoyed because the negotiations constantly return to the beginning.
(I/Ts.)
2. Davutoglu’s statements prior to his illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency (16.09.14), Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, prior to his first illegal visit as Prime Minister to the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, gave a press conference at the Esenboga airport in Ankara.
At the press conference, Davutoglu said that when the government or the President began their duties, they made their first visit to “TRNC”, which is a nice tradition of the Republic of Turkey. He added that this visit, which has a high symbolic importance, is an expression of support to the independence of the “TRNC” and to the just cause of the “Cyprus people”.
Noting that within framework he is making his first foreign trip to the “TRNC”, Davutoglu said that he will be informed regarding the latest developments regarding the ongoing negotiations between the “TRNC” and the “Greek Cypriot sector”.
Reminding that the Cyprus problem had experienced a serious negotiation process for the last 40 years within the framework of the UN, Davutoglu said: “The point, that we reached the most advanced stage, was the point in 2004 with the extremely positive stance of Turkey and the TRNC. Unfortunately, because the Greek Cypriot sector said ‘no’ to the UN plan at that day, that crisis has lasted until today”.
Stating that the negotiations gained a new acceleration with the intense support of Turkey and the UN efforts in the last period, Davutoglu said that he will be informed in detail by the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu regarding these negotiations.
Recalling that in every stage of the negotiation process he went many times to the TRNC as a Foreign Minister and made efforts in order to accelerate the negotiations, Davutoglu said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared with Eroglu during his visit last week these issues and today they will discuss them in more details.
Noting that during the visit they will express their support to the economic and political development of the “TRNC”, Davutoglu said: “Within the last 12-13 years, it has been a serious economic development attack in the TRNC. Parallel to the development in Turkey, the economy in the TRNC has obtained a very serious growth according to the previous periods. Of course, we support the TRNC with very important projects. The most prominent project is to meet the water need of the island with the clean, pure, holy water of Anatolia and with the water pipes to connect de facto the TRNC with Anatolia. We will also follow these developments today.”
Davutoglu claimed that despite all the pressures and obstacles, the “TRNC” has experienced for 30 years now the change of many “presidents” and “prime ministers” with transparent and just elections and has founded within itself a well-established democracy.
He went on: “Because of the importance which the Cyprus problem bears in the EU process for both sectors of Cyprus and for Eastern Mediterranean, including the relations between Turkey and Greece, and for the UN system which is dealing with the big crises in the world, we will make a strong call on the issue of the contribution of the solution of the Cyprus problem in all these processes.”
3. Yorgancioglu: “The natural gas can be marketed to Europe through north Cyprus and Turkey”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (15.09.14) reports that the self-styled prime minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu stated that the water transferred from Turkey can be distributed to the whole of the island and the natural gas can be marketed to Europe through the occupied area of Cyprus and Turkey. “These two factors will not only be the key to peace in Cyprus but also in the Middle East”, he said.
In statements to Milliyet newspaper, Yorgancioglu also said that he felt discomfort due to the presence of the casino’s and nightclubs in “north Cyprus”. “In the modern world, societies cannot gain welfare by being enemies”, he said and added: “A step forward from the Greek Cypriots on finding a solution for the Cyprus problem will also set out a meaning of forming a bridge with Turkey.”
4. Siber the only applicant for the CHP candidacy
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (16.09.14) reports that the self-styled speaker of the assembly Sibel Siber is the candidate of the Republican Turkish Party (CHP) for the April 2015 “presidential elections”.
The decision for Siber’s candidacy was taken unanimously by the party’s assembly which came together yesterday. Siber was the only person applied for the position, following a previous decision of the party’s assembly, according to which those who were interested to be CTP’s candidates should apply to the party expressing their interest for the position.
The paper however writes that CTP’s “deputy” Dogus Derya posted in her Facebook account that a phrase that showed that the decision was not taken unanimously and reacted in the following way: “Unanimously? Sometimes there is nothing to say, sometimes you just laugh”, she wrote.
5. 20.000 new students at Elementary schools in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (16.09.14) reports that the elementary schools in the occupied area of Cyprus opened yesterday.
As the paper writes, the so-called minister of education Mustafa Arabacioglu visited yesterday the Sehit Tuncer primary school and was briefed about the problems that exist there.
In his statements, Arabacioglu stated, inter alia, that the new educational year has started with totally 20.000 new elementary students.
AK
6. A giant park similar to Disneyland is planned to be constructed in the occupied area of Cyprus
Under the title: “Disney’s park plan for the TRNC”, Turkish daily Cyprus Today (13.09.14) reported that plans have gone in to build a massive multi-million-dollar theme park near the illegal Ercan airport.
According to the paper, the “Gifa Land project”, as it is called- is described as a “different version of Disneyland” over an area of 100.000 m2 in the east of occupied Lefkosia. The project has been submitted to “development authorities” and could create some 300 jobs.
The company behind the project, Gifa Holding, has said that it is now waiting for the so-called government to allocate the land in order for the project to be implemented.
Speaking on the issue, Berkan Mustafa Toker, the “director” of the “Cyprus Turkish Investment Agency” (YAGA), confirmed that the “agency” had received an application from the firm and that it was consulting the “interior ministry”. “The company have asked for a bloc of hundreds of donums of land”, he said adding that it is not easy to find hundreds of donums of land in a bloc near “Ercan” that its owned by the “state”.
Toker added that they are now at the stage of looking for an alternative location.
“The feasibility study envisages a park with a one-of entrance fee, with rides to include, drop towers, ferris, wheels, log fumes, motion platforms, rollercoasters”, writes the paper.
Meanwhile, speaking also to the paper, an engineering official of Gifa construction has said that the project will cost hundreds of millions of US dollars to be built and added that it will be constructed by professional Italian, German and Turkish firms.
The official added that the park will have many attractive features similar to that of Disneyland; however, incorporating Turkish Cypriot culture. “Among the many features the project includes is the construction of hotels, funfair rides, waterfalls, reservoirs (…).
The same official said that 80% of the plans of the project were already completed and stated that they now expect for the “government authorities” decision about the allocation of land.
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