TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 209/14 08-10.11.14
1. The Turkish navy authorized over oil crisis with Cyprus
2. Eroglu: We will evaluate Eide’s proposal, although it is not pleasing us
3. Turkish Cypriot columnist: There is no conflict or controversy about the natural gas between the Cypriots
4. Frassoni: The attitude of Turkey gave fuel to the growing of the Cyprus problem
5. CTP “deputy” participated in the “Nuclear threats and common struggles in the Mediterranean basin” organized by Europe’s Greens
6. Cicek and Arinc to attend the “celebrations” for the “UDI”
7. Caglar to attend PACE’s meeting in Paris
8. The occupation regime’s budget for 2015 envisaged to be 4 billion 95 million TL
9. Eroglu promised Alevits the building of a “Cem Evi”, a House where to hold their religious gatherings
10. Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KTSO) participated in the “World of Perishables Expo Middle East
1. The Turkish navy authorized over oil crisis with Cyprus
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 09.11.14) reports that Naval Forces Commander Admiral Bulent Bostanoglu said that the Turkish navy has been authorized to act on the crisis in Cyprus. The Turkish navy has been authorized by the government for the full implementation of recently amended rules of engagement in the Eastern Mediterranean in the face of growing tension between littoral countries, including Turkey, “Greek Cyprus” (editor’s note: the Republic of Cyprus), Egypt and Israel over oil and natural gas drilling projects.
“The Prime Ministry handed over the rules of engagement to the Chief of General Staff and the Chief of Staff handed them over to the Naval Forces Command. We will act in line with these rules of engagement in the event we face a situation over this issue,” Bostanoglu, the naval forces commander, told reporters Nov. 9 in Mugla as he participated in the Blue Whale-2014 naval exercise.
“Our naval forces elements will continue their mission of situational awareness in the region.” Bostanoglu’s statement came after a question on which rules of engagement the Turkish navy would follow if Turkish vessels confront Greek or Israeli warships in the eastern Mediterranean.
“The Turkish Naval Forces is providing support and close protection to the Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa Research Vessel. On the other hand, it continues to keep the drill ship hired by the Greek Cypriot administration (editor’s note: the Government of the Republic of Cyprus) under surveillance from nine kilometres’ distance. The order given to us for the moment is not to enter into this nine-kilometre area. That’s why no incident of harassment or disturbance has occurred,” he said.
The Turkish naval commander said the ongoing Blue Whale exercise had nothing to do with the ongoing tension and that it was a biannual exercise whose preparations started two years ago. “The objective of the exercise is to improve cooperation with our allies and particularly to perform anti-submarine defence operations,” he said.
2. Eroglu: We will evaluate Eide’s proposal, although it is not pleasing us
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 07.11.14), Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu noted that the Turkish Cypriot side is at the negotiation table, adding that they accepted many preconditions so that the negotiations could continue.
However, he added that after this point they will not accept any preconditions. During a reception on Friday, Eroglu, commenting on the contacts of the UN General Secretary Cyprus Special Advisor Espen Barth Eide, said that Eide came with a proposal and that “despite the fact that the proposal is not pleasing them” they will evaluate it.
Eroglu said that they told Eide that they were not the ones who abandoned the negotiations table and that they are reportedly ready to continue from where they left off.
Eroglu claimed that the hydrocarbon issue needed to be discussed, and that people from different platforms, including Eide, should remind both communities that they both have rights over the natural gas. He repeated that they proposed for a joint committee to be created on the issue of natural gas. He claimed that he found out from the media that Anastasiades had made statements that he will definitely not bring this issues to the table.
Eroglu said: “We did not abandon the table. He abandoned it. He always wants to come to the table with preconditions. We are not going to always accept preconditions”. Eroglu noted that when he was “elected” as the “president”, he wrote a letter to the UN Secretary General expressing his desire to continue the negotiations where they have left off. Eroglu also accused Anastasiades of not only continuing the negotiations from where they left off from but also requesting preconditions. “I have accepted the text of the joint declaration at once while Anastasiades only accepted the 10th version”, alleged Eroglu.
3. Turkish Cypriot columnist: There is no conflict or controversy about the natural gas between the Cypriots
Writing in his column in Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (10.11.14), columnist Serhat Incirli reports that there is no conflict or controversy regarding the natural gas between the Cypriots. Under the title “They deceived Espen Barth Eide!” Incirli refers to UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide’s statement that “the Cypriots are dealing with minor things, they are losing the big picture, the benefits of the solution, they are seeing the tree and are losing the forest”.
Incirli writes, inter alia, the following:
“And Eide called on the sides to turn the natural gas into a real incentive and not into an obstacle for the solution. […] When the man took over his duties, this issue came onto the agenda and he thinks that the Cypriots are interested in the natural gas. However, the natural gas is not our issue, especially of the Turkish Cypriots. The natural gas has been at the table during absolutely no period of the negotiations. Or more correctly, it has been and it was solved instantly, it was passed through. There is absolutely no conflict of controversy between the Cypriots regarding the natural gas. The natural gas is an issue of Turkey and some other states. We have written this before: it is a situation where the elephants are fighting and the Turkish Cypriots are being crushed.
Why the negotiations have stopped? Is it because Dervis Eroglu or our government said that we also have rights on the natural gas? No! Then why they stopped? Let us be open to each other. Let us not deceive Eide. The negotiations have stopped because of the ‘activities to gain rights over the rights of the Turkish Cypriots’. And the signature of the Turkish Cypriots was lacking from within this ‘cessation’, this pause of the negotiations. […]
My poor Eide thinks that the problem is the natural gas. It is not Mr Eide. The Cypriots have no such a problem. During the time when Mehmet Ali Talat and Demetris Christofias reached an agreement on this issue, no one criticized it, no one said anything. The fight on the natural gas is between Turkey and others. The ‘Republic of Cyprus’ is also included in the others, of course, but ‘the Turkish Cypriots’ are not! (We are being used, but anyway, this is a separate issue). […]
Our actual issue is the following my Norwegian brother:
We do not want to give the smallest bit from the lands we obtained in 1974 (we call them booty). We have created a ‘very happy’ part of people within the established socioeconomic system after 1974. This happy part of people says ‘let no solution to be reached and it is enough’. From time to time they say ‘the non-solution is the solution’. As you understand, it is an issue of interests. It is a situation in which the trees are happy and the forest unhappy, as you would say.
And my dear Norwegian brother our issue is also that the blindness of the Greeks in the south who do not see us as politically equal. This part of people, who see the Turkish Cypriots as ‘minority’ and try to explain the issue with ‘numbers’, do not foresee that in the meantime the population in the north area will in the near future become two million without a solution.
Let them not deceive you Mr Eide. The Cypriots have absolutely no problem with the natural gas. […]”
(I/Ts.)
4. Frassoni: The attitude of Turkey gave fuel to the growing of the Cyprus problem
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online, 03.11.14), under the title “EGP’s Frassoni: Turkey’s path of development not sustainable” published an interview with Monica Frassoni, co-president of the European Green Party (EGP).
In the interview on Nov. 7, Frassoni, among other, answered the following questions:
Q: Many observers point out how difficult it has become to talk to the government of Turkey because of its strong-headed policies be they in domestic or foreign areas. Do you think Turkey has lost its EU orientation?
A: We have had these suspicions recently. The EU has not been encouraging in this regard either. Turkey is a proud country with a lot of potential, especially if it does not make the mistakes we talked about earlier. Turkey has to be very careful about that. The EU has a responsibility towards Turkey. Membership will not happen overnight. My own opinion is that the EU has to be deeply reformed before taking new members. We are not perfect; the EU needs to be much more integrated. Another problem with EU membership is that every time a new member joins, reforms stop in the new member country -- like in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, etc.
Q: There are also domestic concerns that Turkey is turning back to the pre-2004, pre-democratic-reforms era because of the adoption of some recent laws.
A: I agree. If the same party rules for more than 10 years, if there is a very strong personality heading the party, you're bound to have this kind of occupation of power. Those types of setbacks are not good for Turkey.
Q: The latest Turkey Progress Report from the EU states that chapters 23 and 24 -- blocked by Cyprus -- related to basic rights, freedoms and the judiciary should be opened with Turkey. What is your opinion?
A: We as the Greens have been very vocal on Cyprus. We always held the opinion that Turkey could have made moves to put pressure on the Republic of Cyprus to solve problems. However, the attitude of Turkey gave fuel to the growing of the problem. We also think that Cyprus is responsible for obstructing the opening of the chapters. In addition, we think that it was wrong on the part of Turkey to make drillings for gas near Cyprus recently. This is not helpful at all.
Q: Do you think there will be enough will in the EU to remove the block from Greek Cyprus on these chapters?
A: Yes, but this also depends on Turkey. If Turkey sends ships drilling for gas near Cyprus, this is not helpful; and it will only unite members of the EU around the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey is a big country, Cyprus is so small. We have been dealing with this problem for decades. What if Turkey takes a bold step? Turkey will not lose, but only gain.
5. CTP “deputy” participated in the “Nuclear threats and common struggles in the Mediterranean basin” organized by Europe’s Greens
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (10.11.14) reports that Armagan Candan, “deputy” with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) participated in the “Nuclear threats and common struggles in the Mediterranean basin”, panel which took place in Istanbul and was organized in the framework of the European Green party’s convention which took place in Turkey.
According to the paper, Candan stated that Cyprus has no information about the Akyuku nuclear power station which is planned to be constructed in Mersin, despite the fact that the island is very close to Mersin. He further stated that the issue of natural gas could help towards the efforts for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.
6. Cicek and Arinc to attend the “celebrations” for the “UDI”
Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (09.11.14) reports that Cemil Cicek, Speaker of the Turkish National Assembly (TGNA) and Bulent Arinc, Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for Cyprus Affairs, will illegally visit the occupied area of Cyprus on November 15th, in order to attend the “celebrations” for the “UDI”.
As the paper writes, Cicek and Arinc will attend the opening ceremony of the new building of Veterinary Faculty and Veterinary Hospital at the illegal Near East University (YDU).
(AK)
7. Caglar to attend PACE’s meeting in Paris
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (08.11.14) reported that according to a decision of the so-called assembly, Mehmet Caglar, so-called deputy with the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG) in occupied Morfou, will attend the meeting of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which will take place in Paris, France today.
Caglar will return to the occupied area of Cyprus on November 11, after completing his contacts there.
(AK)
8. The occupation regime’s budget for 2015 envisaged to be 4 billion 95 million TL
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (08.11.14) reported that the “committee of economy, finance, budget and planning” of the so-called assembly will launch tomorrow the discussions for the occupation regime’s 2015 fiscal year budget.
According to the paper, the budget of the occupation regime for 2015 envisages to be 4 billion 95 million TL, while the budget for last year was 3 billion, 776 million 224 TL. Comparing with last year’s budget, there is an increase of 8.4%, writes the paper.
The discussions of the occupation regime’s budget will be completed on November 26 and if it will be approved, the “budget” will be set into force as of January 1st.
(AK)
9. Eroglu promised Alevits the building of a “Cem Evi”, a House where to hold their religious gatherings
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (10.11.14) reports that the Alevi Culture Centre in the occupied area of Cyprus organized its annual ceremony for the celebration of the Day of Ashura. The celebrations were attended by Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, the self-styled speaker of the “assembly”, Sibel Siber, the “ambassador” of Turkey to occupied Lefkosia Halil Ibrahim Akca, the “prime minister” Ozkan Yorgancioglu and many “officials”.
During the ceremony, Eroglu stated that the foundation stone of a “Cem Evi”, a House where the people of the Alevi community can hold their religious gatherings will be laid soon. On his part Yorgancioglu gave the promise that next year the Day of Ashura to be celebrated in the Cem Evi.
[Tr. Note: The Day of Ashura is celebrated on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram. This day is commemorated by Sunni Muslims (who refer to it as The Day of Atonement) as the day on which the Israelites were freed from the Pharaoh of Egypt.
10. Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KTSO) participated in the “World of Perishables Expo Middle East
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (10.11.14) reports that the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KTSO) participated in the “World of Perishables Expo Middle East “ (WOP 2014) fair so as to promoting the breakaway regime.
According to the paper, firms that are members of KTSO exhibited theirs products in the fair. Agriculture products, such as dairies, oranges and potatoes were also promoted in the fair.
The paper adds that Helal Saeed, chairman of the Dubai World Chamber of Commerce visited the pavilion of the breakaway regime.
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