TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 238/14 19.12.14
1. AKP Deputy called on Derya to apologize
2. Flash protest at “parliament” in solidarity with
DogusDerya
3. Talat and Denktas on Derya’s issue
4. Turkish Cypriot daily to AKP Deputy: “You are the one
that should apologize”
5. 2015 financial “budget” approved
6. EVKAF: Antiquities smuggling is still continuing
7. The Mayor of occupied Lefkosiamet with the Italian
ambassador to Cyprus
8. Demirtas: Continued rule of AKP may lead to civil war
9. Zaman daily’s chief editor is charged under
anti-terror laws
10. Opinion poll shows Turkish support for EU membership
at record low
11. Turkey appeals an ECHR ruling on compulsory religion
classes in schools
1. AKP Deputy called on Derya to apologize
According
to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 19.12.14), Turkish
Grand National Assembly Prime Ministry Council member, AKP Deputy and head of
the “Turkey-TRNC Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group” Omer Faruk Oz has
invited DogusDerya, “deputy” with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), to
apologise for her recent statement in the “parliament”.
Oz said he
could not understand what her intention was when she made the statement and
added that if that “deputy” did not apologise, he would bring legal action
against her. He went on to say that it should be known that that person is a
“deputy” today because of the actions of the Turkish military.
Oz went on
and said that Derya was ‘characterless’ and she had no right blaming the
Turkish military for rape and pointed out that they saw this as a disrespect towards the Turkish
nation and military. He also congratulated the people who reacted towards
Derya.
2. Flash protest at “parliament” in solidarity with DogusDerya
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 18.12.14) reported that Gender
Equality Platform held a flash protest on Thursday at the “parliament” in
solidarity with “deputy” with the Republican Turkish Party – United Forces
(CTP-BG) DogusDerya who was targeted by obscene invectives and threats on
social media.
The members
of the Gender Equality Platform entered the “parliament” all wearing purple and
opened a banner which read “We won’t keep quiet against violence”. After the
protestors opened the banner, the “parliament’s security” intervened causing a
brief quarrel between the protestors and the security.
Protestors
who closed their mouths with black bands protesting the attacks against freedom
of speech were taken out of the room while Mehmet Caglar who was leading the
session announced a 10 minutes recess. “Deputies” with the Social Democracy
Party (TDP) ZekiCeler and Mehmet Cakıcı supported the protestors alongside
several CTP-BG “deputies” while the protestors were being taken out after
chanting slogans: “Women cannot be silenced by rape”, “DogusDerya is not
alone”.
On the same
issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (19.12.14) reports that the Secretary of
executive council of the New Cyprus Party (YKP) Celal D. Onen, in a written
statement, called on all those who attacked DogusDerya even with “rape threats”
to apologize.
TahirGokcebel,
chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Secondary Education Teachers' Trade Union
(KTOEOS) said that the verbal attack against Derya violates the human rights
and the democracy, adding that this kind of attack is intolerant and fascist.
He also said that the racists, who use the history and the nationalism as a
feeding tool, are responsible for the pain and the division in Cyprus.
CananOnurer,
general secretary of the Turkish Cypriot Journalists Trade Union (BASIN - SEN),
in a written statement, also criticized the attack against Derya.
Meanwhile,
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 18.12.14) reported
that the Turkish Cypriot Teachers’ Trade Union (KTOS) called all the pro-peace
groups and people from both sides of the Island to join the demonstration which
will take place on Saturday morning in order to raise a ‘joint and strong voice
against the perpetrators of despicable crimes of our past and their likeminded
supporters’.
In a press
release issued on Thursday, the General Secretary of KTOS, SenerElcil notes
that after Derya’s speech at the “parliament” (in which she urged everyone to
recognise the fact that both communities suffered during the conflicts) the
unspoken and painful truths of our past was once again revealed. In his
statement, Elcil listed the mass murders of 50s, 60s and 70s and pointed out
that rapes, missing persons and mass murders were the common grief of all
Cypriots.
Elcil also
urged everyone to stop denying the past atrocities and face the truth with
dignity and “accept the fact that everyone suffered during the war”.
“Perpetrators of the terrible crimes, some of whom still live among us and
their likeminded supporters attack the ones who speak of the truth and calls
everyone to face the past in order to build a better future”, said Elcil.
The
demonstration will take place at 11.00 am on Saturday the 20th at Ledra Street
check-point in Nicosia.
3. Talat and Denktas on Derya’s issue
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (19.12.14) reports that former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, made statements
supporting the “deputy” with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) DogusDerya who
was insulted heavily in the social media and even faced threats for her life
because of her statements that the Turkish army in 1974 raped Greek Cypriot
women.
Talat
condemned the attacks against Derya and stated that “laws” must be introduced
so that similar attacks and insults not to be able to take place in the future.
He also described the harsh comments
made against Derya inconceivable and called on the organizations which have
members who made these kinds of comments to dismiss these members from their
ranks. He also said that the attacks are against the freedom of opinion and the
freedom of speech.
Talat also accused the Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu of not
exerting any international effort as regards the Cyprus problem and of
isolating further the Turkish Cypriots. He also said that the non-election of
Eroglu in the “TRNC presidency” will send a strong message to the world. Talat
finally added that Eroglu not only in the Cyprus problem but also in “internal
issues” harms the Turkish Cypriot community.
In
addition, Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris (19.12.14) reports that
SerdarDenktas, self-styled economy, tourism, culture and sport minister and
Chairman of Democratic Party (DP) called on persons who make accusations
against the Turkish army to come to reason.
Denktas stated that it is not right to forget how the “country”
was created, where they have come from, what they have been put through and
what dangers they have faced. However, Denktas stated thay is one thing to
condemn with strong language statements that someone does not agree with, and
another thing to insult the person.
4. Turkish Cypriot daily to AKP Deputy: “You are the one that
should apologize”
Under the
title “You are the one that should
apologize”, Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (19.12.14) refers to the statement made yesterday by
the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy and Turkish Grand National
Assembly’s (TBMM) Administrator, Omer Faruk Oz regarding the Republican Turkish
Party’s (CTP) “deputy” DogusDerya, who had stated that Greek Cypriot women
had also been raped in 1974 and Greek Cypriots also suffered like the Turkish
Cypriots, Armenians and Maronites.
Recalling
that Oz described Derya’s statements as “immoral” and called on her to
apologize or else he would file a lawsuit against her, the paper reports, inter
alia, the following: “[…] We wonder, to whom he will file this criminal
complaint? To the TRNC police and attorney general’s office? And our police and
attorney will get into action, take Dogus’ deposition and try her afterwards by
lifting her immunity. Is that so?
Then why
are you waiting sir? Start immediately. Dogus will not apologize to you. Do not wait in vain, because she did
nothing to apologize for. She only said the realities which you still do not
want to accept. She only should be rewarded not punished, because she had the
courage to say these. […] What do
you think? You think that the Turkish army invaded the island and did not even
touch the unarmed innocent Greek Cypriots? Is that so? It did not rape women.
It protected them with compassion! Go on! Do not wait. Run to the court. Let us
open this file of the rapes thanks to you. Let all the world come and watch.
Let us see how many Greek Cypriot women will come and testify in this court.
No one, he
says, could accuse the Turkish army of raping. Why is that? All armies in the
world are rapists and only the Turkish army is innocent? Only the Turkish army
is as pure as the driven snow? If there
is someone who should apologize, that is you. Look Japan apologized after
65 years for the rapes of British women by Japanese soldiers. You are not
Japanese. You are Turk. Or more correctly, you are Ottoman! If the Japanese are
told that they are bribed, they commit hara-kiri. You, however, hang those who
tell you that! […]”
(I/Ts.)
5. 2015 financial “budget” approved
According
to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 19.12.14), the
so-called assembly general council has approved the 2015 “budget” as 4 billion
96 million 720TL. Twenty seven “deputies” approved the budget whereas 9
“deputies” voted against it. Fourteen “deputies” were not present at the vote.
6. EVKAF: Antiquities smuggling is still continuing
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (19.12.14) reports that RaifErsenal, chairman of the administrative council of EVKAF religious
foundation, has said that in spite of the existence of “powerful laws”, the
smuggling of Cypriot antiquities is still continuing.
Under the
title “Smuggling did not end”, the paper publishes statements by Ersenal saying
that the smuggling of antiquities in Cyprus started in the 19th
century by foreigners who legally purchased Cyprus’ wealth and took it to their
countries.
Ersenal has launched an initiative for promoting the antiquities
taken out of Cyprus in the 1800’s. Within this framework, copies of these
antiquities will be made and exhibited as a protest. The first
part of this campaign took place in September at occupied AgiaIrini village
under the title “Alasya is reborn”.
(I/Ts.)
7.The Mayor of occupied Lefkosia held a meeting with the
Italian ambassador to Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (19.12.14) reports that Mehmet Harmaci, Mayor of occupied Lefkosia held a meeting with the
Italian Ambassador to Cyprus Guido Cerboni on December 15.
According
to the paper, during the meeting the two men discussed how the bi communal
projects and initiatives are affecting positively the peace process in Cyprus.
8. Demirtas: Continued rule of AKP may lead to civil war
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 18.12.14), the co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP),
SelahattinDemirtas, has said that the continued rule of the Justice and Development
Party (AKP) endangers the existence of Turkey as a country and will lead to a
chaos.
Turkey
needs the rule of the HDP in order to be able to attain peace and serenity,
Demirtas said on Dec. 17, delivering a speech at a convention of the HDP in the
Eastern Anatolian province of Igdir.
“Turkey
will not go on this way anymore; it cannot go on like this. Believe me, if the
AKP government rules this country for another four years, then something called
Turkey may not exist anymore,” he said, using remarkably combative language.
“It will
fall into pieces amid the danger of a very big civil war and very big chaos. If
we cannot build true peace and join hands, then they will turn [the country]
into Syria. They will turn it into a country like Syria where people slaughter
each other every day. You have seen what ISIL [the Islamic State of Iraq and
Levant] has done, what the Taliban has done in Pakistan just yesterday [Dec.
16],” Demirtas said, referring to a recent Taliban attack on a school in which Taliban
gunmen massacred more than 100 children in Peshawar.
“We will
not let this understanding, which massacres people day and night and without
considering whether they are children, to settle and gain power in this
country,” he said.
The AKP has
been in possession of all state resources for the last 12 years, HDP co-chair
Demirtas said, adding that it has not resolved a "single problem".
“The AKP government has been in power through all this time, with
all resources in its hands. They have turned from being a political party into
the state itself, but there is not a single problem that has been resolved,” he
said.
Noting that
while President RecepTayyip Erdogan, during his Prime Ministry from early 2003
to summer 2014, described the Kurdish people as “the very dearest” to him,
Demirtas said this was just empty rhetoric.
“Twelve
years have passed and we are only 'the very dearest’ for Tayyip Erdogan. The
Kurdish people still don’t have the right to education in their mother tongue
and don’t have the right to establish a party with its own identity,” he said.
9. Zaman daily’s chief editor is charged under anti-terror laws
According
to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online, 18.12.14), as part of an intensified
government campaign of cracking down on critical and independent media outlets
in Turkey, EkremDumanlı, the editor-in-chief of the nation's best-selling
daily, has been charged with "establishing and administrating an armed
organization" under the anti-terrorism law based on two op-ed pieces and
one article published in his newspaper five years ago.
HidayetKaraca,
the general manager of Turkey's leading national TV station, Samanyolu, was
also charged under the anti-terrorism law. The government-backed operation
against these two prominent journalists and a number of other media
professionals has been blasted by opposition parties and media organizations
for undermining freedom of the press.
The
government has also been criticized for the timing of the operation, as it came
right before the anniversary of two major graft probes that were made public on
Dec. 17 and 25 of last year. The government aims to divert the public's
attention away from allegations of corruption, opposition parties maintain.
In a clear
sign of the serious violations of due process in the detention and arraignment
hearings, the defence lawyers of detained journalists Dumanlı and Karaca have
been kept in dark, preventing the lawyers from pursuing their client's rights.
Following a lengthy interrogation, both journalists -- whose four-day detention
is a punishment in itself -- were taken to the İstanbul Courthouse.
Police
began to question Dumanli and Karaca on Wednesday, the last day that they could
be legally detained. Both journalists were questioned for at least seven hours.
After leaving the police department, Dumanlı vowed not to bow to
"Yazids" -- a reference to a despotic ruler in the eighth century
whose name has been used to describe repressive leaders. Dumanlı also chanted a
slogan as he was escorted away from the police department, saying that
"there is no way back from democracy.”
The law has
been violated in various ways during the detention period of the suspects, who
were not allowed to know -- due to a confidentiality order on the investigation
-- what they were accused of until they were questioned. Hasan Yılmaz, one of
the prosecutors in charge of the operation, interrogated the suspects at the
İstanbul Police Department rather than at the prosecutor's office, a move which
is highly unusual.
10. Opinion poll shows Turkish support for EU membership at
record low
Turkish
daily Sabah (online, 19.12.14) reports that according to a recent survey conducted by Turkish research company TNS
Piar, the desire of Turks to join the European Union has dropped to all-time
low.
The survey
found that only 28% of Turks think that Turkish membership to the EU would be
"a good thing", while 39% thinks that joining the union would be bad
and 25% stated that it would be neither good nor bad, while the other 8%
refused to answer the question.
Another
survey by the EU's polling organization, which measured public opinion of more
than 32 thousand people, revealed that only 28% of Turkish respondents support
Turkey's EU membership. The survey shows that Turkish support declined by 10%
compared to the previous survey conducted six months ago.
In response to a question whether Turkey will
benefit full membership of the EU, 54% of respondents said no and only 36%
chose to answer yes.
11. Turkey appeals an ECHR ruling on compulsory religion
classes in schools
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 18.12.14), Turkey has appealed
the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) ruling that said high school
students must be allowed to opt out of religious education classes, which are
currently compulsory.
The ECHR
had ruled in a Sept. 16 by decision that the Turkish education system was
“still inadequately equipped to ensure respect for parents’ convictions” and
violated the “right to education,” in a case stemming from Alevi complaints on
mandatory religious classes.
Turkey
appealed to the ECHR’s Grand Chamber, the court’s office of appeal, on the last
day available to do so, requesting that the case be reviewed.
In 2011,
applicants Mansur Yalçın, YükselPolat and Hasan Kılıç, who are all adherents of
the Alevi faith and whose children were at secondary school at the time,
complained that the content of the compulsory classes on religion and ethics in
high schools was based exclusively on the Sunni understanding of Islam.
They
claimed that this violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights
Protocol No. 1 (right to education).
“Turkey has
to remedy the situation without delay, in particular by introducing a system whereby
pupils could be exempted from religion and ethics classes without their parents
having to disclose their own religious or philosophical convictions,” the court
had stated in its ruling in the case of Mansur Yalcin and Others vs. Turkey.
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