TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 234/14 13-15.12.14
1. Cavusoglu and Venizelos discussed the Cyprus problem
2. Cavusoglu’s interview to Milliyet
3. Ertug criticizes the Greek Cypriot side
4. Eroglu sent a congratulatory message to Donald Tusk
5. Eroglu: The forthcoming period will be very crucial
6. Siber sends a letter to the EU Commission on the issue of
halloumi-hellim cheese
7. Fifty thousand residences in the occupied area of Cyprus are
empty or used as a second home
8. A congress on drawing a roadmap for the future of the occupied
city of Keryneia
9. CTP attended the Council meeting of the Socialist International
in Geneva
10. Another “DP deputy” resigned from the party and will join UBP
11. Newly established National Justice Party on the Cyprus problem
12. LSD is spreading among cattle in occupied Famagusta
13. Turkish police detain Zaman chief editor in crackdown;
Davutoglu vows to hit back at 'parallel state'
14. Local media condemns police raid on media, detention of
journalists; opposition parties describe raids against media as “civilian coup”
15. US, EU condemn detention of journalists in Turkey
16. Latvia is hopeful that some chapters in Turkey’s EU
negotiation process will be opened
17. Lithuania fully supports Turkey’s EU bid
18. Turkey to open imam-hatip schools abroad
1. Cavusoglu and Venizelos discussed the Cyprus problem
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (12.12.14), Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu and Greek Deputy Vice President and Foreign Minister Evangelos
Venizelos have met in Greece to discuss steps to de-escalate tensions over the
divided island of Cyprus.
The pair
met in Thessaloniki on Friday as part of the 31st Meeting of the Council of
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC).
Venizelos
called for the withdrawal of the Turkish research ship Barbaros out of the
Greek part of the island and claimed its presence constituted a violation of
Cyprus' sovereign rights, the news agency reported. "Continuing
negotiations, reaching a sustainable solution and eliminating unnecessary
debates are what really matter in Cyprus," said Cavusoglu for his part.
On the same
issue, Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online, 12.12.14) reported that Cavusoglu suggested that he and Venizelos
pay a visit to “Greek Cyprus” (editor’s note: the government controlled area of
the Republic of Cyprus) and “northern Cyprus” (editor’s note: the occupied area
of the Republic of Cyprus) together, according to a Hurriyet daily report
citing unnamed diplomatic sources. Hurriyet
added that the Ministers agreed to ease the recent tension caused by the
suspension of the peace talks.
Meanwhile,
according to illegal Bayrak television (online, 13.12.14), Cavusoglu has called
the Greek Cypriot leader NicosAnastasiades in New York where he underwent heart
surgery, to wish him well, the Anatolian News Agency has reported. The two men
did not discuss anything else, the report said.
2.Cavusoglu’s interview to Milliyet
Turkish
daily Milliyet newspaper (14.12.13) reports on statements by Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu upon his
return from Greece.
Speaking to the paper’s journalist Abdullah Karakus on
board the airplane to Ankara, Davutoglu replied to questions on the Cyprus
problem.
Following
is an abstract of the interview:
Subtitle: The Cyprus problem should be connected to a
timetable
Q: “Have you made any openings
about Cyprus during your recent visit to Greece? You had a long meeting with
your Greek counterpart, will there be new developments?
R: “Before coming to Greece, I
said to our President: ‘Tomorrow we will meet with Venizelos’ and he said:
‘Wonderful, your meetings are very frequent’. We have met in Ankara, in New
York and in several international meetings and all our meetings were
constructive. We’ve notice that Greece
is more proactive.It was behaving timidly especially because of the Cyprus
problem, which is a sensitive issue. It kept silence. However, after the
suspension of the talks and the drilling issue, Greece started to be more
proactive. We are satisfied with this, it is what we wanted. Because, it is not enough only one of the
guarantor countries to be incentive. With
the one or the other way, Greece should be active on this issue. This would
encourage both sides in the island. The negotiations should be amongst them.
And finally, like it happened during the Annan plan, we should sit all together
and finish this job. And a timetable is necessary urgently for this job.
Subtitle: Solution is possible in the short run
Q:
Will there be any developments in the short run?
R: “I believe that it is possible in the short run. As
long as there will be a timetable. The two leaders, the two sides should
proceed forward and progress.Provided that they would reach to a certain point,
at the end, we can all meet and solve this issue with the UN.
Called it as you like, peace plan, or solution plan, or friendship or an island
plan… The efforts should be carried out in a comprehensive way and this should
be solved. There is further the interest and support of several countries like
the US. We do not feel uncomfortable by this. Everyone’s support towards this
issue is important. The EU undertook the task of consultancy. The EU is not
possible to be a side of the direct negotiations. And this is due to the fact
that the Greek Cypriot side is a member of the EU while the TRNC is not. There
is an issue of equality here. For this reason, the EU has always the duty of
consulting, of providing contribution and encourage”.
Q:“How the gas dispute in the Mediterranean will be
solved? There is an alternative gas approach by Israel and the Greek Cypriot
side.
R: “It is clear that the Turkish Cypriot people have
rights towards the reservoirs in the region of Cyprus, this is already
something which the Greek Cypriot side has not denied.Still, there is not any
formation which would safeguard their rights. We are opposed to the unilateral
drilling works. This should be regulated in in a way. It is necessary to work
in order to safeguard the rights of the Turkish side. We proposed the joint
committee. And also, the establishment of a private firm. Establish a
partnership company and this would operate.
There are rights which could be ensured under the
umbrella of an international organization. On the one hand negotiations will
take place and on the other hand, unilateral drillings into which the Turkish
side is not involved will also take place. We oppose to this. And if there are
reservoirs and these would be market to Europe, then, the best way for these to
be marketed is via Turkey. If they want to market to Europe the petrol to be
explored from the east Mediterranean, the region and Israel’s territorial
waters, then this petrol could be marketed through Turkey. We are ready for
this and we will do all necessary.
Q:
“What have you discussed on phone with the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades?
R:
“He was satisfied a lot from my phone call. He said a lot of positive things
for the solution and the restart of this job. We had a long discussion. We
joked each other. I told him: ‘Get well
first and we will prepare the ground. Let’s resume the negotiations. And let’s
finish the negotiations the soonest possible”. He sent his regards to our
President and our Prime Minister and we joked each other. We have a
personal friendship”. (…)
AK
3. Ertug criticizes the Greek Cypriot side
According
to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (13.12.14), Osman Ertug, the Turkish Cypriot
negotiator, claimed that the Greek Cypriot side is trying to spread to the
world the “fallacy” that it is the only sovereign authority on the island even
as it attempts to cover up its withdrawal from the negotiations.
Ertug
recalled that the Greek Cypriot side has cooperated [with the Turkish Cypriot
side] in the Committee on Missing Persons and the Technical Committee on
Cultural Heritage but that it has refused similar cooperation with regard to
the newly discovered hydrocarbon resources. Claiming that the intentions and
sincerity of the Greek Cypriot side need to be questioned, Ertug said that the
international community must take note of this and persuade the Greek Cypriot
side to return to the negotiating table without delay and without any
preconditions.
Ertug said:
"Those who level various accusations against the Turkish Cypriot side and
Turkey have to answer the following simple question: Who has run from the
negotiating table? Which side has left the table by rejecting the targeted
division of authority just when the talks had reached the potentially critical
and decisive 'give and take' stage?"
In a
statement issued yesterday, Ertug said that Nikos Christodoulides, the
spokesperson of the Greek Cypriot administration (translator’s note: as he
calls the Cyprus Government), has issued numerous statements that aspire to
treat Turkey as a negotiating partner and that urge Turkey to respect the
sovereignty rights of the Republic of Cyprus while ignoring the Turkish Cypriot
side, which is their real negotiating counterpart.
Ertug
alleged: "The Greek Cypriot side has not shown the slightest respect for
the equal sovereignty and political equality rights of the Turkish Cypriots,
who are one of the two equal sources of sovereignty [in Cyprus]. We cannot
accept its conduct as sole sovereign authority with regard to the natural
resources that we own jointly."
Ertug
continued: "The Greek Cypriot side refuses to accept the Turkish Cypriot
side as its negotiating counterpart and has argued that Turkey must demonstrate
its good will for an agreement in practice. We would like to remind them that
they are the ones who need to prove themselves in essence and in practice on
the island. It is clear that the Greek Cypriot side rejected all the UN plans
for a comprehensive solution thus far and that it opposes basic UN parameters
even today. This truth can be seen in UN records."
Noting that
the Turkish Cypriot side remains at the negotiating table, Ertug said:
"With the Joint Declaration of 11 February 2014, the Greek Cypriot side
accepted the principle that neither side can claim authority or legitimacy over
the other and committed itself to a division of powers on the basis of
equality. It is now rejecting this division of powers and has run from the
negotiating table citing various excuses."
Ertug's
statement concludes: "This plain truth cannot be covered up with verbiage
or a succession of statements. Our peoples are waiting for us to produce
results, not to generate polemics or excuses."
4. Eroglu sent a congratulatory message to Donald Tusk
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 13.12.14), Turkish Cypriot leader
DervisEroglu has sent a message to Donald Tusk, congratulating his election as
the new President of the European Council.
In his
congratulatory message, Eroglu said that
he hopes the European Council’s decision to lift the “isolation” of the Turkish
Cypriots will be implemented during Mr Tusk’s term in office.
Eroglu also
claimed in his message that the Cyprus problem remained unresolved, primarily
because the Greek Cypriot side had rejected all past and present solution plans
proposed by the UN and had more recently abandoned the negotiating table by
citing various excuses.
He alleged
that the Greek Cypriot side’s decision to suspend the talks just as the two
sides had agreed to move onto the next phase of give-and-take had raised
questions regarding the Greek Cypriots’ sincerity towards solving the Cyprus
problem.
Stressing
that the issue of hydrocarbons in the region could only be solved through a
spirit of understanding and cooperation as well as establishing a healthy
dialogue, Eroglu expressed the view that the issue could act as a catalyst
rather than an obstacle in the way of reaching a settlement.
Eroglu
further alleged that the Turkish Cypriot side had given the Turkish Petroleum
Consortium the permission to conduct its own exploration activities off the coast
of Cyprus following the Greek Cypriot side’s hydrocarbon exploration. “Our
proposals to conduct joint exploration, exploitation and distribution made in
2011 and 2012 still stands” said Eroglu, adding however that these proposals
too had been rejected by the Greek Cypriots.
“It is my greatest hope and expectation that you use your
influence to encourage the Greek Cypriot side to return to the negotiating
table without setting any preconditions”, he said.
5. Eroglu: The forthcoming period will be very crucial
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (14.12.14) reports that Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu has said that the forthcoming
period will be very crucial for the Cyprus problem. Eroglu, who visited
occupied Famagusta on Saturday within the framework of his “election”
campaign,alleged that the Greek Cypriots abandoned the negotiating table,
because of an “invalid reason”. He went on and claimed:
“They
abandoned the table showing as pretext the seismic explorations of Barbaros
explorations vessel. Our vessel will
continue these explorations, because in the past we had said to the Greek
Cypriot leadership that if the Greek Cypriots took a step regarding the
hydrocarbon resources, we would also have a step to take. Postpone this step,
we said, but they did not listen to us…”
Furthermore,
Eroglu alleged that the Greek Cypriot
leaders are lying to their people when they say that all refugees will return
to their homes, the Turkish occupation army will be withdrawn, Turkey’s
guarantees will end and the Turkish settlers will return back to Turkey. He
claimed: “The Greek Cypriots, who are members of the EU and the UN, do not want
to share with us. The Greek Cypriot leaders have always deceived their people.
They have left the table because there would have been in a give and take at
this stage. […] He [Translator’s note: President Anastasiades] has undergone a
surgery. […] However this year is coming to an end and there will be no
negotiations. The negotiations might
start in February…”
Eroglu
argued that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready to find a solution through mutual
give and take and reiterated the allegation that President Anastasiades should
unconditionally return to the table.
Arguing that the big countries of the world have interests on the
island, Eroglu said that “for this reason the next five years are more
important from the point of view of shaping our future”.
Eroglu alleged that a leader who will be protecting the “people’s”
and “motherland’s” rights should represent the Turkish Cypriots at the table and added:
“There is no need for me to say what
will happen to us in case those who say let us give no matter what it costs,
sit at the negotiating table […] We are in favour of an agreement, but we
are not going to say ‘yes’ to the Greek Cypriot impositions”.
(I/Ts.)
6. Siber sends a letter to the EU Commission on the issue of
halloumi-hellim cheese
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (15.12.14) reports that SibelSiber, self-styled speaker of the “assembly” of the breakaway
regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has sent a letter to the EU Commission on behalf of all political
parties represented in the “body” expressing their concern for the continuation
of the “efforts of the Greek Cypriots” to “unilaterally secure benefits” from
halloumi-hellim cheese’s registration as a product with protected designation
of origin.
Siber
argued that the Greek Cypriot leadership avoids cooperation on the issue of sharing
the island’s natural resources and exhibits negative stance on the issue of
registering halloumi in a manner that will add value to “both peoples” on the
island.
The letter
said that the Turkish Cypriots are not represented in the European Parliament
in spite of the promises allegedly given to them in 2004 and the rejection of
the Annan Plan by the Greek Cypriot side. It also claimed that the developments
on the halloumni issue deal a blow to the Turkish Cypriot economy. According to
Siber’s letter, these initiatives, which allegedly ignore the existence of the
Turkish Cypriots on the island, are contrary to a bi-communal, bi-zonal
solution based on the political equality of two founding states.
Siber pointed out that the exports of halloumi constitute 24% of
the Turkish Cypriot economy and 16.5% of the population in the occupied area of
Cyprus earn their living from the production of halloumi and its subsidiary
sectors.
Siber called on the Commission to conclude the issue of this
registration in a manner which will secure benefit to both “peoples” living on
the island according to the decision taken by the EU General Affairs and
Foreign Relations’ Council in 2004 providing for the lifting of the so-called
isolations of the Turkish Cypriots and securing their economic development.
Siber has sent a similar letter to the UN Secretary-General’s
Special Adviser on Cyprus, Epsen Barth Eide asking for his support on this
issue.
(I/Ts.)
7. Fifty thousand residences in the occupied area of Cyprus are
empty or used as a second home
Turkish
Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (15.12.14) reports that 50 thousand out of 136 thousand residences in the occupied area of
Cyrus are either empty or used as a second home. According to the “National
Physical Plan” prepared in the occupied area of Cyprus every four years and is
currently waiting for the approval of the “council of ministers”, 20% of the empty residences are used as a
second home and 16% are totally empty. The majority of the empty houses are
in occupied Keryneia and Trikomo areas. It
is estimated that around 15 thousand buildings are half completed.
According
to the paper, the increase in both the buildings and the population is low, but
not balanced, as the population and the buildings are mainly concentrated in
three big cities and especially in Nicosia and Keryneia.
The total
area of occupied Cyprus is 3.242 square kilometers, including the fenced off
city of Varosha. Only an area of 150
square kilometers is built, that is, 4.7% of the total occupied area of the
island. According to the paper, 65%
of the built area is located in the three big occupied cities, Nicosia,
Famagusta and Keryneia. Nicosia’s and Keryneia’s share reaches 45%
(Keryneia alone constitutes 22% of this built area).
Density in every kilometer square in occupied Keryneia was 182 in
2006 and increased to 251 in 2011. The same numbers for occupied Famagusta were
217-248 and for occupied Nicosia 232-244.
According
to the data, the population in the
occupied area of Cyprus increased with a speed of 1.40 % in the period
1978-1996, 3.8% in the period 1996-2006 and 2.18% in the period 2006-2011.
The increase of the population in occupied Nicosia and Keryneia is higher than
the average in the entire occupied area of Cyprus.
The data shows that 69% of the population lives in the cities and
31% in the rural areas. The great part of the population of the
districts lives in the city centers. For example, 85% of occupied Nicosia’s
population is urban population. In occupied Morfou urban population is
65%.
(I/Ts.)
8. A congress on drawing a roadmap for the future of the
occupied city of Keryneia
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 12.12.14), a 2 day congress which aims to
draw a roadmap for the future of the occupied city of Keryneia and to seek ways
of improving the city’s administration is being held in the occupied town of
Keryneia.
Speaking
during the opening session, the self-styled mayor of occupied
KeryneiaNidaiGungor said that he had vowed to run occupied Keryneia in a
transparent, democratic and participatory manner. He said that the congress
aimed at preparing the infrastructure for this, adding that the congress will
help determine the city’s problems and will shed light on which areas
improvements are needed.
The
self-styled minister of public works and communications Hasan Tacoy said that
occupied Keryneia with its developing surroundings, growing population and
contribution to the country’s economy is an important city, adding that it is
important in protecting and maintaining the city’s historical wealth and
culture while ensuring healthy development.
Self-styled
interior minister TeberrukenUlucay said that they had launched work on
preparing an Urban Development Plan for the occupied town of Keryneia which is
one of the fastest growing urban settlements on the island.
The
so-called speaker of the assembly SibelSiber, on her part, said that occupied
Keryneia is one of the island’s most beautiful cities and that the congress is
part of efforts to preserve this and to create an even more beautiful city.
Delivering
the last speech, Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu said that occupied
Keryneia has undergone an immense transformation both in size and population
since 1974. He said that he constantly reminds the “Greek Cypriot
administration” at the negotiating table that Keryneia is not the city it was
40 years ago when it had a population of only 4,000.
9. CTP attended the Council meeting of the Socialist
International in Geneva
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 13.12.14), a delegation from the
Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG) is attending the Council
meetings of the Socialist International in Geneva. The delegation is also
holding meetings on the side-lines of the council.
According
to a press release by the CTP-BG press bureau, the party’s Secretary General
KutlayErk and the party’s Assembly and Foreign Relations Committee member
MuhittinTolgaOzsaglam are representing the CTP.
The two are
also holding bi-lateral meetings on the Cyprus issue.
The
statement also reminded that the CTP-BG was attending the Socialist
International meetings as a full member.
10. Another “DP deputy” resigned from the party and will join
UBP
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (15.12.14) reports that MentesGunduz “deputy” with the Democratic
Party (DP) resigned from the party and will join the National Unity Party (UBP)
after the “budget voting” of the breakaway regime.
The paper
writes that this is the fourth “DP
deputy” who resigned from the party after AhmetKasif, Ergun Serdaroglu and
HamitBakirci also left DP and joined UBP a few weeks ago.
The paper
writes that the decision of the three “deputies” to join UBP was taken by the
party’s central committee with 5 votes in favor, 3 against and 2 votes
abstentions and adds that the issue created a lot of arguments within the
party.
11. Newly established National Justice Party on the Cyprus
problem
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (15.12.14) reports that the newly established National Justice Party
(UAP) gave a press conference about the party’s principles and its position
on the Cyprus problem.
Speaking
during the conference, the party’s leader FatmaSolmaz, stated that the party is against a federal solution for
the settlement of the Cyprus problem, alleging that such a solution would make
the Turkish Cypriots to be pulled away from Turkey. She also said that the
“TRNC’ should not become member of the European Union before Turkey.
She further said that the population in the breakaway regime must
reach 500,000, therefore the “TRNC citizenship” should be granted to those
staying in the occupied area of Cyprus for only five years with the condition
that they have not a criminal record.
On the
religious courses, she said that these must become obligatory and also stated
that those who rape young persons must be executed.
Reporting
on the same issue, YeniDuzen (15.12.14) reports that Solmaz was in the past a
candidate for the “parliament elections” with the Social Democracy Party (TDP).
12. LSD is spreading among cattle in occupied Famagusta
According
to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (13.12.14), the contagious Lumpy Skin Disease
(LSD), which was observed in occupied villages of AyiosAndronikos and
AyiaTrias, was also diagnosed in cattle in a barn in occupied village of
Yialoussa on the 12th of December. There is growing concern that the
disease is spreading.
As of 12
December, a calf in occupied AyiaTrias, a cow in occupied AyiosAndronikos, and
a heifer and a bullock in occupied Yialousa were diagnosed with LSD. They were
immediately destroyed by veterinary units and buried by the so-called
municipality. So far, the number of
animals destroyed has reached 27.
Officials
of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus said
that more animals in the LSD-infected barns are bound to be contaminated, and
these may be destroyed before showing any symptoms of the disease.
Meanwhile,
“veterinary, health, and municipal teams” continue to disinfect the barns in
the area meticulously.
13. Turkish police detain Zaman chief editor in crackdown;
Davutoglu vows to hit back at 'parallel state'
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (14.12.14), Police
detained the editor-in-chief of Turkey’s Zaman daily on Sunday, bringing the
total number of people in custody to 27 in an ongoing crackdown on local media
figures and police officials in 13 provinces across Turkey.
All the
people detained have been alleged to be linked with the U.S.-based cleric FethullahGulen
and his so called Gulen movement.
Police took
EkremDumanli into custody from Zaman's office in Istanbul. Dumanli, who is a
staunch critic of the government, dismissed all allegations against him and
claimed his innocence in a speech at the daily's building before he was taken
away by the police. "We have no fear as we have no fault," the Zaman
editor said in a speech, which was televised live.
His lawyer,
Hasan Gunaydin, read out the charges against the editor, which included
allegations of deprivation of liberty, forgery in official documents, forming a
crime organization by force, menace and compulsion.
Hundreds of
people surrounded the Zaman building when Dumanli was being taken away. They
strongly condemned the police operation and termed it an attempt to muzzle the
free press in the country.
Former
ruling AK Party Deputies, IdrisBal, HakanSukur and former Interior Minister
IdrisNaimSahin were among the daily’s supporters in the crowd. Zaman daily is
alleged to be close to the so-called Gulen movement.
Istanbul
Chief Public Prosecutor HadiSalihoglu said it ordered the detention of 31
people on charges of forgery, fabricating evidence and forming an alleged crime
syndicate to overtake the sovereignty of the state. Earlier, it was reported
that the prosecutor’s office had given the order for 32 detentions, but
Salihoglu revised down the figure to 31.
HidayetKaraca, chairman of the Samanyolu Media Group, is another
senior media figure who was detained earlier in the day. Producer
SalihAslan and Director EnginKoc of a Samanyolu TV series were also taken into
custody in Eskisehir province and sent to Istanbul, police said.
Makbule Cam
Alemdag, scriptwriter of another TV series, that used to broadcast on
TekTurkiye or One Turkey, was also detained in Van province.
TurgayBalaban,
a lawyer for Aslan and Koc, said the two were detained over allegations of
framing other people through their TV show as part of an alleged Gulen movement
operation in 2010 against a "radical" group. The leader of the group,
Mehmet Dogan, served 17 months in jail and was said to be a foe of Gulen,
Turkish media reports said.
According
to the prosecutor’s office in Istanbul, former chief of Istanbul's
anti-terrorism police department, TufanErguder, former Istanbul Deputy Chief of
Police, MutluEkizoglu, and ErhanErcikti, former public security chief of
Istanbul police department, are also among the detainees.
Meanwhile,
A.A. (14.12.14) also reports that Turkish
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pledged on Sunday to retaliate against anyone
who attempts to undermine the Turkish state and government.
He made his
remarks after Sunday's Istanbul-based police crackdown on senior Turkish media
figures and police officials in 13 cities across the country, which has seen a
total of 27 people taken into custody since early morning.
"Those
who infiltrated state institutions and wire-tapped the President and Prime
Minister must know that their actions have consequences," he told a
provincial congress of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in
southeasternAdiyaman province.
"Once
they declared war on the country's elected ruling party through hidden hands
controlling the bureaucracy in disguise of 'service to people,' everything
changed," Davutoglu said.
The Premier
also said that this parallel state even made an attempt to organize an
operation against the government by infiltrating Turkey's national intelligence
agency, MIT.
14. Local media condemns police raid on media, detention of
journalists; opposition parties describe raids against media as “civilian coup”
Turkish
daily Today’s Zaman (online, 14.12.14) reported that speaking with a single
voice, many press organizations in Turkey condemned the police raids on the
Zaman daily and Samanyolu TV and the detention of at least 23 people, including
journalists, on Sunday.
Criticizing
the authoritarian one-man regime of President RecepTayyip Erdogan and the
Justice and Development (AK Party) government, the Journalists and Writers
Foundation (GYV) said in a written statement on Sunday that those who do not
obey the political power are gradually being depicted as criminals to be
repressed. Using the police to raid TV stations and newspaper buildings cannot
be seen in democratic states of law but is an instrument of tyrants to
intimidate and silence journalists, the GYV stated. According to the GYV,
attacking TV stations, newspapers and even program scriptwriters and producers
is the biggest menace to Turkish society.
The Platform for Independent Journalism (P24)
condemned the operations by releasing a statement titled “No to police state”
on its website. The P24 statement noted that targeting journalists who shared
the corruption and graft scandals of the government with the people is
unacceptable.
In a joint
press statement on the operations on Sunday, the Turkish Journalists
Association (TGC) and the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) strongly condemned
the detentions of journalists and called it an intervention into people's
freedom to obtain information. “Freedom of the press and speech cannot be
punished,” the statement noted.
Reacting to
the detention of at least 23 people during Sunday's nationwide operation, the
joint statement said that freedom of the press and speech are under greater
pressure today in Turkey. According to the statement, more than 200 journalists
have been imprisoned in Turkey, violating their right to a fair trial and even
without knowing the main reason for their imprisonment. Classifying Turkey as
being among those countries without press freedom, the statement added that
there is no punishment for exercising freedom of the press and freedom of
speech in democratic countries.
On the same
issue, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 14.12.14), under the title
“Turkish main opposition leader blasts police media operation as a ‘coup’”,
reports that main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kilicdaroglu has described the Dec. 14 police
operation, in which the police raided a newspaper and detained a number of
broadcasters, as a “coup”.
“The current process is not something faced in healthy democracies.
This is a coup process,” Kilicdaroglu said. “Detentions of journalists and
raids on television stations in the early morning are not something we can
accept under any circumstances.”
OktayVural,
the deputy leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said the operation
targeted the public’s right to be informed on the corruption issue, labelling
those ordered the operation “cowards.”
Hasip
Kaplan, a Deputy from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), said this was an act
to “silence the opposition.”
Istanbul
Deputy and former professional footballer HakanSukur went to the Istanbul
office of daily Zaman in the Yenibosna neighbourhood to express support for the
newspaper against the operation.
Sukur, who
was elected as an AKP Istanbul Deputy in the June 2011 elections, firmly
positioned himself on the side of the Gulen movement late last year, resigning
from the party on the eve of massive graft investigations targeting leading
Ministers and pro-government businessmen.
15. US, EU condemn detention of journalists in Turkey
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 15.12.14), the United States expressed concern on Dec. 14 over the detentions in
Turkey of more than two dozen media figures.
U.S. State
Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington was "closely
following" reports of the raids and arrests.
"Media
freedom, due process and judicial independence are key elements in every
healthy democracy and are enshrined in the Turkish constitution," she
added. "As Turkey's friend and ally, we urge the Turkish authorities to
ensure their actions do not violate these core values and Turkey's own
democratic foundations."
The EU said
that Turkish raids on media outlets go against European values. Turkish police raids on media outlets are
incompatible with media freedom and run counter to European values, the
European Union said in an unusually strongly worded statement on Dec. 15.
"The
police raids and arrests of a number of journalists and media representatives
in Turkey today are incompatible with the freedom of media, which is a core
principle of democracy," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and
Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said in the joint statement. "This
operation goes against the European values and standards Turkey aspires to be
part of", they said.
The paper also reports that Nils Muiznieks, the Council of Europe
Commissioner for Human Rights, has urged the Turkish government to stop its
crackdown on press freedom and act in compliance with the rule of law and human
rights following a massive operation against journalists on Dec. 14.
“I am
following with deep concern the events unfolding in Turkey. The arrest [Dec.
14] of journalists and media workers is a serious setback for media freedom in
the country. Irrespective of the reasons which may have motivated them, such
measures are disproportionate and unnecessary in a democracy,” Muiznieks said
in a written statement issued Dec. 15.
“They are as worrying as the waves of arrests
of journalists in 2011 which were condemned by my predecessor in his report on
media freedom in Turkey. Indeed, media
freedom has been a long-standing problem in Turkey and such measures carry a
high risk of cancelling out the progress Turkey has painstakingly achieved in
recent years,” he said.
“They send a new chilling message to journalists and dissenting
voices in Turkey, who have been under intense pressure, including facing
violence and reprisals. They are also likely to polarize Turkish society
further and to increase public mistrust in the state’s ability to uphold human
rights,” Muznieks said.
16. Latvia is hopeful that some chapters in Turkey’s EU
negotiation process will be opened
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (12.12.14), Latvia is hopeful that during its
presidency of the EU, some chapters in Turkey’s EU negotiation process will be
opened.
Speaking to
Anatolia Agency, Latvia's Ambassador to
Turkey AtisSjanits said that Riga expected that Turkey would move forward in
its EU membership bid by opening "at least some chapters in the
negotiation process". "Latvia is among the countries that support
Turkish integration in the European Union," Sjanits added.
"We
need to have a consensus with the other European countries to open some
chapters," said the Latvian Ambassador.
Latvia will
take over the rotating EU presidency after Italy in January 2015.
The
Ambassador also praised Turkey's developments in the last decade. "Turkey
is fiscally healthy and has political stability and easily fulfils the Maastricht
criteria with the exception of inflation. This is a big difference from what we
saw a decade ago", he said.
He also
mentioned that Latvia and Turkey will be celebrating their 90th anniversary of
diplomatic relations in 2015.
"I
bring that up because the relations between our countries have never been as
intense as during the last two years," he said. "During my time in
Ankara, we have had three official presidential visits. Recently, we were the
first European country to host newly elected Turkish President Erdogan".
Sjanits
also talked about providing "visa-free travel" within the EU for
Turkish citizens. "Overall situation is that it can be completed in two or
three years,” said the envoy. “I must also mention that there is no threat of
illegal immigration by Turkish citizens."
17. Lithuania fully supports Turkey’s EU bid
According
to Turkish daily Sabah (online, 15.12.14), Turkey and Lithuania have always
enjoyed good relations and now we are looking forward to extending our
cooperation in different areas.
Despite the geographical distance between
Turkey and Lithuania, the relationship between the two countries has historical
roots and both countries have enjoyed problem-free affairs for centuries. The
growing momentum in bilateral relations has strengthened after Lithuanian
President Dalia Grybauskaitė visited Turkey last week.
Lithuanian
Ambassador to Ankara KęstutisKudzmanas, in an interview to the paper, talked
about the future of the bilateral relations, areas to cooperate and Turkey's EU
bid.
Commenting
on the visit of Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė to Turkey, the
Lithuanian Ambassador said: “There are several areas that our countries
continue to cooperate in harmony. Firstly we have been a member of NATO since
2004 and Turkey actively contributed to the protection of the air spaces of
Baltic countries by providing its four F-16 jets for NATO's Baltic Air Police
Mission in 2006. Moreover, Lithuania's EU membership has brought the two
countries much closer in terms of common objectives and mutual cooperation.(…)”
Asked to
comment on Turkey’s EU membership bid, the Lithuanian Ambassador said:
“Lithuania is one of the countries that joined the EU club quite lately. We
became a member of the EU in 2004 and it was not only beneficial for new member
states but also benefitted EU countries. (…) Turkey's EU membership process is
an area in which Lithuania can be helpful. We are always ready to share our
experiences with Turkey. (…)
After almost years of stagnation Turkey opened a new chapter of
negotiations during the Lithuanian EU presidency and hopefully our neighbouring
country Latvia can have such success during their presidency.
18. Turkey to open imam-hatip schools abroad
According
to Turkish daily Sabah (online, 15.12.14), the imam-hatip - literally imam and
preacher - schools of Turkey, which focus on a curriculum with theological
lessons, will be opened abroad for Turkish expatriates in other countries.
The
Ministry of National Education plans to establish schools in countries with a
large Turkish population and has started talks with Turkish communities to
determine their religious educational needs. The ministry also plans to convert
buildings owned by the state in France's Strasbourg, Austria's Vienna and New
Jersey in the United States to imam-hatip schools and will cooperate with the
Diyanet Foundation of Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs (DİB), top
state-run authority on religious affairs.
Along with the opening of imam-hatip schools
abroad, the ministry plans to increase the number of international imam-hatip
schools operating in Turkey. Currently, three schools operate in the cities of
Istanbul, Kayseri and Konya where nearly 1,000 students from 72 countries
attend. Those international schools were established to train religious
officials such as imams for Muslim countries lacking resources. The ministry
also provides training for staff of religious schools in Russia, Bulgaria,
Greece, Romania and Somalia and delivers educational materials to those countries.
The imam-hatip schools, which offer a mixed
curriculum of Islamic theology and non-religious subjects, have long been
targeted by the country's secular elite, which have been at odds with
conservatives. Especially during the Feb.28 coup process in late 1990s,
imam-hatip students were forced to drop out of schools after imam-hatip middle
schools were closed and denied admission to universities by a deliberate
decrease in high school grades.
The number
of imam-hatip high schools rose to 1,008 from 876 last year. Total number of
imam-hatip students currently stands over 714,000.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
