TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
231/14 10.12.14
1.Erdogan
and Davutoglu discuss Cyprus with Cameron
2.Cicek
asked from Jordan support on the Cyprus issue
3.
Chairman of Businesswomen’s Confederation asked the support of Muslim countries
on the struggle for “TRNC” independence
4.
Eroglu’s policy on the Cyprus problem was criticized
5.
Sibel: Secret funds of the “presidency” can be used for lobby activities
6. CTP “deputy” participated in the Progressive
Alliance Parliamentarian Conference in Lisbon
7. Ozersay called the “Turkish Cypriot authorities” to
make a statement on Akkuyu issue
8.
Austrian Ambassador to Nicosia visited “GAU”
9. Illegal
YDU became member of ECREA and EUPRERA
10.
The “law of foreigners and immigration” entered into force
11.
“Livestock breeders union”: Our animals have many illnesses because the
“government” does not take any measures
12.
Data for lyceum graduates and university registers in the breakaway regime
13.Davutoglu: Demirtas would be responsible for every
drop of blood during reconciliation process
14. Debates over the teaching of the Ottoman language
in Turkey continue; Reaction statements by CHP’ Deputies and Demirtas
15. Lithuania expressed full support to Turkey’s EU
bid
16. Turkey to lift visa requirements for Polish
nationals
1.Erdogan
and Davutoglu discuss Cyprus with Cameron
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (10.12.14)
reports that the Cyprus problem was on
the agenda of the meetings which British Prime Minister, David Cameron held
yesterday with Turkish President RecepTayyipErdogan and Prime Minister
AhmetDavutoglu. During Cameron’s visit to Turkey, Erdogan hosted a two-hour
working lunch for him with the participation of Foreign Minister
MevlutCavusoglu.
In statements at a press conference after holding a
1.5-hour meeting with Cameron, Davutoglu
said that when the leaders of Turkey and Britain meet, Cyprus is definitely one
of the issues which they discuss. Responding to questions, Davutoglu noted that he briefed Cameron on
his recent visit to Athens and added:
“As two
guarantor powers, and Greece as the third guarantor power, we have a common
stance in the direction of the commencement of the peace talks on the island
the soonest. The commencement of the peace talks the soonest and the
settlement, through dialogue, of all problems of the island by the two sides,
including the natural gas resources, as well as avoiding unilateral steps,
constitutes our common point of view”.
The Turkish Prime Minister said that Turkey and
Britain have a “very deep rooted historic past” and a “very sound cooperation”,
arguing that within next years this cooperation will greatly contribute to regional
peace and not only to the welfare of their two peoples. Davutoglu described
ISIS as a threat to the peoples of the area and the international community and
underlined the need for everybody’s cooperation on this issue.
In his statements, the British Prime Minister said that during their meeting they
discussed Cyprus and the pressure which Turkey is experiencing on the issue of
the [Syrian] refugees. He noted that Turkey is one of the biggest donors
for these refugees and added that that they should do whatever they can on this
issue.
(I/Ts.)
2.Cicek asked from Jordan
support on the Cyprus issue
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis
(10.12.14), under the title “Cicek asked from Jordan support for Cyprus,
reports that Turkish Parliament Speaker CemilCicek met with Prime Minister
Abdullah Ensour on Tuesday.
During the meeting, which was held in
Amman, Cicek said that he had very beneficial meetings during his contacts in
Jordan. Referring to Jordanian-Turkish relations, he added that that they want
to develop their relations more. He also noted that they should strengthen
their economic relations more.
Ensour, for his part, highlighted the
leading Turkish role in the regional and international political arena.
Meanwhile, Ankara Anatolia news agency
(online, 09.12.14) reports that Cicek asked from Jordan, which is a temporary
member of the UN Security Council, support on the Cyprus issue.
3. Chairman
of Businesswomen’s Confederation asked the support of Muslim countries on the
struggle for “TRNC” independence
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (10.12.14) report that
the Chairman of Turkey’s Industrialists' and Businesswomen's Confederation
EmineAtasoy called the Arab countries, the Turkic countries in central Asia and
the African countries to support the struggle of the “TRNC” (translator’s note:
the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) for
independence. She added: “We, as Muslim countries, should support each other”.
According to a press release issued by the
Confederation, Atasoy delivered a speech in a “peace summit” in Ankara with the
participation of Ambassadors in Ankara from 150 countries (Arab countries,
Central Asia Turkic Republics, African and Europe countries), as well as,
Turkey’s powerful civil organizations.
4. Eroglu’s
policy on the Cyprus problem was criticized
Turkish Cypriot daily KibrisPostasi newspaper
(10.12.14) reports that the Cyprus
problem was discussed yesterday at the self-styled assembly of the breakaway
regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, which approved the
“budget” of the so-called presidential office, the “parliament” and the “court
of auditors”.
Addressing the “assembly”, FerdiSabitSoyer, self-styled deputy with the Republican Turkish
Party, recalled the process prior to the National Unity Party’s (UBP) congress
in 2012 and argued that the Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu “designed”
developments according to his plans for the 2015 “presidential elections”.
Referring to the five years of Eroglu’s so-called presidency, Soyer claimed
that they have never experienced a period with such explicit interferences by
the Turkish Cypriot leader in the internal politics and added that such a
period must never be repeated. He
described the “road” followed by Eroglu both in the Cyprus talks and in the
internal politics as “not being sound”.
HuseyinOzgurgun, chairman of the main “opposition” UBP, accused “prime minister” and chairman of
the CTP, OzkanYorganciolu of meeting with Greek Cypriot officials who “do not
recognize his title”. Referring to the Cyprus talks, Ozgurgun alleged that
the process has been interrupted in spite of what he called Eroglu’s “positive
stance”. Ozgurgun criticized the fact that after the interruption of the talks,
Yorgancioglu met with “some Greek Cypriots” who do not recognize the “prime
ministry of the TRNC”. Replying to CTP “deputy” FaziletOzdefne’s remark that
Eroglu had met with the US Vice President Joe Biden who forced him το lower the flag of the “TRNC” and entered the
“presidential palace” through the back door, Ozgurgun said that Biden
recognizes Eroglu as the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community.
HuseyinAngolemli, “deputy” with the Social Democracy Party (TDP), said that President Anastasiades withdrew
from the negotiations “in the face of the negative developments”.Referring
tothe return of the occupied fenced off city of Varosha to its legal owners,
Angolemli noted that such a provision was included in the 1977-79 High Level
Agreements and added that this issue is on the agenda, but the Turkish side
says that Varosha is a part of the comprehensive solution. Noting that the
Greek Cypriot side says that the exploitation of the hydrocarbon will be
realized after the solution, Angolemli argued that both statements are made
with the same aim.
Omer
Kalyoncu, “deputy” with the CTP, referred to the decision of the UBP and the
Democratic Party (DP) to support DervisEroglu in the forthcoming “presidential
elections” and noted that after this decision these parties should not say that
they want peace. He said that
all parties support the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, but it is important to
support them by “speaking the language which the world understands”. Recalling
that Eroglu had stated that he would continue the Cyprus negotiations from the
point at which his predecessor, Mehmet Ali Talat, had left them, Kalyoncu
noted: “He said this, but what did he do?”
Mehmet
Cakici, “deputy” with the
TDP, said that Eroglu’s real intention
is to not find a federal solution to the Cyprus problem and added that Eroglu
continued negotiating because he could not leave the table. According to
Cakici, it is not possible to say that the negotiating process is successfully
administrated by Eroglu. He said that the recent five years of Eroglu’s being
at the leadership of the community were lost for Turkish Cypriots.
(I/Ts.)
5. Sibel:
Secret funds of the “presidency” can be used for lobby activities
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (10.12.14)
reports that SibelSiber, “speaker” of the “assembly” and “candidate of the Republican
Turkish Party for the “April 2015 presidential elections” made statements in a
meeting of her party.
Siber stated that the most efforts put by lobbies in
the international arena for the Turkish Cypriot side, the stronger their
position would be at the negotiation table. She also stated that the secret funds of the “presidency” can be used
for lobby activities and added that if she is elected she will use these funding
for this purpose.
6.
CTP “deputy” participated in the Progressive Alliance Parliamentarian
Conference in Lisbon
Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (10.12.14)
reports that ArmaganCandar, “deputy”
with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) participated in the Progressive Alliance
Parliamentarian Conference which took place in Lisbon between 4-5 of
December.
The conference was organized by the European
Parliament Socialist Group in co-operation with the Portugal Socialist Party
which hosted the event.
The paper writes that Candar held contacts in the
sidelines of the conference where he evaluated the latest developments
regarding the Cyprus problem and in the Eastern Mediterranean.
7.Ozersay
called the “Turkish Cypriot authorities” to make a statement on Akkuyu issue
Turkish Cypriot daily KibrisPostasi (09.1214) reported that the “presidential candidate”
KudretOzersay urged the “authorities” and the related “ministries” to make a
statement regarding the nuclear plant that is planned to be built in Mersin/
Akkuyu in Turkey, located only 90 km away from the northern coast of Cyprus.
“Cyprus is in no condition to handle a nuclear disaster”, said Ozersay.
Speaking during a TV program aired on Channel Sim,Ozersay
evaluated the news regarding the nuclear plant.
Replying to a question,Ozersay noted that there are
lots of holes in this project and urged the “authorities” and especially the
so-called ministry of environment and natural resources to make a statement
regarding the issue.
Stressing
the need for the issue to be discussed at the “government level”, Ozersay said that the “minister of environment” has
not made any comment on the issue until now.
Addressing the “ministers”, Ozersay asked whether they have contacted Turkey on the issue and
added:“If our country is a tourism
centre, our health ministry should go directly to Turkey and communicate with
them for the sake of our people’s health and food safety”. Ozersay also said
that it is not clear what risks are awaiting us and what would happen in case
of an accident.
8.
Austrian Ambassador to Nicosia visited “GAU”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Bakis (10.12.14) reports that Austrian Ambassador to Nicosia Dr
Karl Mueller visited yesterday the illegal Keryneia American University (GAU).
Dr Mueller visited the campus and was informed regarding the “university” and
its education policies.
Self-styled
vice chairman of the board of directors of “GAU” Dr AsimVehbi said that aim of
Austrian Ambassador’s visit to “GAU” is to know more regarding the “university”
and to take steps that will strengthen the bonds between the universities by
discussing the higher education system of Austria and “TRNC” (translator’s
ntoe: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus).
Dr
Vehbi claimed that the interest on “GAU” increases every day, adding that until
today they have academic cooperation with approximately 200 international
universities. He also added that “GAU”’s international vision is for the “TRNC”
to become more known and the “isolation” imposed to them lifted in academic
terms.
9. Illegal
YDU became member of ECREA and EUPRERA
Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin newspaper (10.12.14)
reports that the Communication Faculty
of the illegal Near East University (YDU) was accepted as member by the
European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) and by the
European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA).
According to the paper, the dean of the faculty
GokceKececi stated that this is one of the important steps taken by the faculty
which continues the efforts for co-operation with various universities.
10.
The “law of foreigners and immigration” entered into force
Turkish
Cypriot daily Bakis (10.12.14) reports that the self-styled interior ministry
announced that the “(amendment) law of foreigners and immigration”, which was
published in the “official gazette”, has entered into force, adding that the
foreigners, who live in the occupied area of Cyprus, can benefit from this
“amnesty law” by paying 1,675 TL until the 8th of February 2015.
According
to the “announcement”, the “law” embraces all the unregistered foreigners, who
are living in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus. Unregistered
foreigners are the following: foreigners who are married to “TRNC citizens”;
single children of the “TRNC citizens” who are older than 18 years old and are
not “TRNC citizens”; mothers and/or fathers of the “TRNC citizens” who are not
“TRNC citizens”; those who are married to foreigners who have the “white card”;
older single children of foreigners who have a “white card”; spouses of the
foreigners who are living in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus with a
working or student permission; older single children of the foreigners who are
living in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus with a working or student
permission; students who have a registration right at the “TRNC universities”
and spouses, mothers and fathers of registered students.
11.“Livestock
breeders union”: Our animals have many illnesses because the “government” does
not take any measures
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (10.12.14)
reports that the finding member of the
livestock breeders union in the breakaway regime CemalDarbaz, stated that the
union is experiencing the worst periods in its history.
Darbaz stated that the “government” did not keep the
promises given to the livestock breeders who face many financial problems. He
also stated that their animals have many illnesses due to the fact that the
“government” does not take any measures to protect them. He said that the
animals suffer from many illnesses as Brucellosis and the “authorities” do not
take any action. “They just sit there watching”, he stated.
12. Data
for lyceum graduates and university registers in the breakaway regime
Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (10.12.14)
reports that according to data obtained by the self-styled ministry of
education, 2,500 persons in the
breakaway regime graduated from lyceum in the academic year 2013-2014.
According to the “ministry” 800 of these lyceum
graduates were registered to universities.
13.Davutoglu: Demirtas would be responsible for
every drop of blood during reconciliation process
Turkish Cypriot daily Sabah (09.12.14-online in
English) reported that Prime Minister AhmetDavutoglu, in statements to
journalists upon his return to Turkey after his trip to Poland, lambasted the
Gülen Movement saying that it is in contact with certain organizations
including the PKK, which took up arms against Turkey to carve out an
independent Kurdish state in the southeastern region.
“We know about talks and contacts between the Gulen
Movement and the [PKK]. The public also has a right to know” Davutoglu claimed.
(…)Touching on the reconciliation process between Ankara and Kurds that
started with Justice and Development Party (AK Party) initiatives, Davutoglu
said that the reconciliation process includes all actors in Turkey, including
the government, in talks with different groups to successfully end the process.
Regarding the security package that was proposed by
the government to prevent anti-democratic incidents and to strengthen Turkish
security forces in line with EU norms, Davutoglu said that the security package
prepared to prevent incidents such as the October 6-7 Kobani protests. He also
warned Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) leader SelahattinDemirtas by saying: “Demirtas will be responsible for every
[drop of] blood that may be shed from now on”, following Demirtas's statements
that the HDP will prevent the security package by taking to the streets in
protest if necessary.
(…)
Meanwhile, Turkish daily Sabah (10.12.14- online in
English) reported that the Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) İmralı Committee,
with the exception of Istanbul Deputy SırrıSüreyyaOnder, visited the Kandil
Mountains in Iraq to discuss the details of the meeting held between the
committee and Deputy Prime Minister YalcınAkdogan on Monday as well as the
meeting between PKK's imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan in İmralıprison on
November 29 with the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK).
The committee is expected to discuss details of the
'Democratic reconciliation and negotiation draft' which was presented by PKK's
imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan with the KCK. PervinBuldan, who is one of the
members of the İmralı Committee and HDP's deputy chairwoman, has stated that
they are visiting the Kandil Mountains to evaluate the conclusions reached at
the meetings held between the committee, the government and PKK's imprisoned
leader Abdullah Ocalan.
It was reported that the committee will be holding
meetings with the government when they return from the Kandil Mountain and
convey the messages of KCK's administration pertaining to the draft plan. They
will be visiting Ocalan afterwards to discuss the current state of events and
the situation of the reconciliation process.
(…)
14.Debates over the teaching of the Ottoman
language in Turkey continue; Reaction statements by CHP’ Deputies and Demirtas
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (09.12.14) reported that
the Deputy chairman of the parliamentary group of the main opposition Republican
People's Party (CHP) AkifHamzacebi, in statements during a press conference in
Parliament on Tuesday, said that the 19th National Education Council on Sunday
should have been a platform to discuss real problems related to education in
the country.
Hamzacebi
said that Ottoman Turkish can be proposed as an optional subject but the issue
has been distorted by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government
and President RecepTayyipErdogan.
The President, addressing the fifth Religion Council
on Monday, apparently contradicted Prime Minister AhmetDavutoglu as Erdogan
announced Ottoman Turkish would be a compulsory subject whether critics like it
or not, whereas Davutoglu had said the matter is just a suggestion at the
moment.
CHP
Deputy chairman BurhanSenatalar said THAT the debates on Ottoman Turkish and
religious education have overshadowed the chronic problems of the educational
system in Turkey, such as
crowded classrooms, inequalities in education, the inadequacies of libraries
and laboratories, a shortage of teachers and large numbers of teachers waiting
to be appointed to schools.
CHP deputy NurSerter
told reporters in Parliament that the message the AK Party government wants to
give with compulsory Ottoman Turkish, is that they plan to bring the Arabic
alphabet back into schools as a compulsory subject despite the alphabet reform
of Parliament in 1928. Serter said the suggestion of the National Education
Council is a coup of the reform in 1928.
Talking to the media after the opening of the
Vocational and Technical Education Quality Improvement Project (METEK) in
Ankara on Tuesday, Education Minister NabiAvcı said that the debates on Ottoman
Turkish should be conducted in a civilized manner. Avcı also noted that
teaching Ottoman Turkish will not be easy as it is a combination of languages.
Avoiding questions by reporters on the differing views
of President Erdogan and Prime Minister Davutoglu, Avcı asked the media to pay
as much attention to vocational and technical education as they do with Ottoman
Turkish.
Meanwhile, Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (09.12.14) reported further that the Pro-Kurdish
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairman SelahattinDemirtas, in an interview
on Tuesday with the daily Bugun newspaper, slammed the government plans to
teach the Ottoman language in compulsory classes at high schools, saying that
nobody, not even the Turkish military, can force his daughter to take the
course.
“It
is nonsensical to make Ottoman language courses compulsory. You forced children
to say the pledge of allegiance [Andımız] for years as well, but you recently
stopped that. If you try to teach it [Ottoman language] by force, nobody, even
your whole army, can make my daughter enter the course”, Demirtas said.
The practice of reciting the pledge of allegiance by
primary and secondary school students every morning had led to resentment among
the Kurdish population, as they viewed such acts in schools to be part of
broader assimilation policies and ultranationalist ideology that ignore the
existence of minority identities in Turkey. The practice was recently stopped
by the government.
(…)
15.Lithuania expressed full support to Turkey’s EU
bid
According to Turkish daily Sabah (09.12.14-online in English),
the Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė was on a visit to Turkey and met
with President RecepTayyipErdogan on Tuesday.
Accompanied by two Ministers and a business delegation
on her visit, Grybauskaitė spoke abouther
country's support for Turkey's EU negotiation process.
After
the meeting in which two agreements – the Memorandum of Understanding on
Co-operation in the Field of European Integration and the Declaration on the
Establishment of the Joint Economic and Trade Commission – were signed, Grybauskaitė and Erdogan held a press conference.
Indicating his satisfaction with Grybauskaitė's visit,
Erdogan said that it is a sign of relations with Baltic countries moving
forward, echoing the relations between the Ottoman Empire and the Grand Duchy
of Lithuania.
Pointing
to the two countries' alliance in NATO and common perspective on many regional
issues, Erdogan said: “Turkey
was among the countries that strongly supported Lithuania's NATO membership in
2004. Contributing to NATO Baltic Air Policing mission in 2006, our country
still provides personnel and financial assistance to the NATO Energy Center of
Excellence settled in Vilnius. I would
also like to express our satisfaction and gratitude for Lithuania's support to
our EU membership process” and noted that the two agreements that were
signed will render this support stronger and clearer.
Expressing
her gratitude for Turkey providing a substantive and permanent support for her
country, Grybauskaitė said:
“It is important to agree about combatting the challenges in our region, to
answer them timely," adding, "Our targets are not easy to deal with”.
Emphasizing
her country's support to Turkey's euro-integration process, Grybauskaitė said:
“Turkey's EU membership process is an area in which Lithuania can be helpful.
... We are always ready to share our experience”.
Last month, she praised Turkey's democratic and
determined attitude by stressing that Turkey is a country that has coped with
crises and security issues in its region.
“Turkey should have close relations with the EU because Turkey's membership
will benefit both sides”, she said.
(…)
16.Turkey to lift visa requirements for Polish
nationals
Ankara Anatolia news agency (09.12.14) reported that
the Turkish Prime Minister AhmetDavutoglu said on Monday that his government decided to lift visa
requirements for Polish citizens, so as to boost interaction between the two
nations.
In statements during a joint press conference with his
Polish counterpart EwaKopacz, following the two leaders' private meeting and a
working dinner in Warsaw, Davutoglu said: “In
response, Prime Minister EwaKopacz promised us to increase the frequency of
flights between the two countries", said Davutoglu.
He
stated that his Polish counterpart also pledged full support to Turkey for
Schengen visa liberalization.
“We hope that the air transportation will increase and
Turkish citizens will have the chance to freely move throughout Europe with the
support from Poland”, Davutoglu added.
Deputy PM NumanKurtulmus, Economy Minister
NihatZeybekci and Culture and Tourism Minister Omer Celikaccompanied the
Premier during the visit.
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