TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 15/15 23.01.15
1. Davutoglu’ statements from Davos on the Cyprus
problem
2. Eroglu will have a telephone conversation with Eide
on January 25
3. Eroglu met with Amanda Sloat
4. Sibel
called on the OIC members to take steps towards ending the “isolation” of the
Turkish Cypriots until a solution is reached
5. Olgun’s interview to Kibris Postasi: “The gas issue
is an artificially inflated balloon of the Greek Cypriot side”
6. The Cyprus problem has been discussed at the
so-called assembly; Statements by Nami and Saner
7. Birinci: There are positive developments in favour
of the Turkish Cypriots in the UN Report
8.
KTOS chairman accused the self-styled minister of finance that he is an
employee who receives orders from Turkey
9.
Self-styled minister of public works and transportation is inspecting the
Iskenderun port
10. The breakaway regime will participate in 17
tourism fairs in 2015
11. Agios Panteleimonas Monastery in occupied Myrtou
to be restored by UNDP and EU funds
12. Davutoglu calls Egypt to come to dialogue;
“Dialogue is better than war of words”
13. Erdogan called on foreign countries to close down
Gulenist schools
14. Hungarian FM to visit Turkey
15. EU replies to Turkey’s actions to block Twitter
accounts
16. A Turkish lawyer has been sentenced to 10 months
imprisonment over charges of “insulting the Turkish nation and the Republic”
17. TUSİAD elected a new chairman
1.Davutoglu’ statements from Davos on the Cyprus
problem
According to illegal Bayrak television (23.01.15) the
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that no one could blame Turkey
for the non-solution of the Cyprus problem.
Speaking at a dinner on the sidelines of the World
Economic Forum Summit in Davos, the Turkish Premier reminded that it was the
Turkish Cypriots and not the Greek Cypriots who had overwhelmingly voted in
favor of the UN sponsored Annan Plan in 2004.
Davutoglu pointed out that the EU nevertheless
continued to punish the Turkish Cypriots, and not the Greek Cypriots who voted
against the plan, with “isolations and embargoes”.
Also, touching upon Turkey’s EU membership process, Davutoglu
said that Turkey has done all it can to join the EU. “We are ready to open the
27 chapters. If there were no political preventions and these chapters were
opened we could easily conclude 15 of them. I assure you that Turkey could be
ready for full membership in 2 years if these political obstacles were removed.
We are unfortunately unable to move forward because of the Cyprus Issue and the
preventative efforts of some member countries”, Davutoglu said.
2. Eroglu will have a telephone conversation with
Eide on January 25
Turkish Cypriot
daily Vatan (23.01.15) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu
said that he may not know whether the Cyprus talks will resume or not, but the
UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser will submit to the UN Security Council
the report on Cyprus on January 26, adding that he will have a phone
conversation with Eide on the day before, January 25 and Eide will be informed
on their (Turkish Cypriots) views.
Speaking to
villages in occupied Morphou area within the framework of his “election
campaign”, Eroglu said that the Cyprus talks have been dragged on. He claimed
that the Greek Cypriot side does not represent their rights, accusing the UN
and the EU of being silent on this “injustice”. He added, however, that they
have patience and they are right and they will take definitely their rights on
the negotiating table.
Eroglu also said
that he met with former Cyprus President Christofias 77 times, but only 7 times
with Cyprus President Anastasiades. He claimed that Anastasiades has abandoned
the negotiating table, but he is still on. Eroglu added that those who
abandoned the negotiating table should return without preconditions if there is
an intention of reaching an agreement.
Meanwhile, the
paper reports that Eroglu met also yesterday with a delegation from the “fighters’
commanders association”.
In his speech,
Eroglu said that this “election” is important because of the negotiations that
are expected to start, pointed out that the people’s thoughts will be carried
to the negotiating table and a leader, who will seek an agreement by taking
into account the “TRNC people’s” struggle, is needed.
Eroglu also
claimed: “We came to the presidency in the quest of having an agreement. As the
UN Secretary-General stated, we are entering into a negotiation process that
can be considered as the last episode. Therefore, your support is important”.
Eroglu noted
that the existence of the “TRNC” strengthens his hand at the negotiating table,
claiming: “If the TRNC was not present, we would be a minority at the table,
however currently we are sitting at the table as equal parties”.
According to
illegal Bayrak television (online, 22.01.15), Eroglu, speaking during a
meeting, said that he expects the Greek Cypriot side to return to the
negotiating table sooner or later, adding that it is necessary for the talks to
resume and to sit at the negotiating table with the Greek Cypriots again.
Eroglu also
claimed that it will be easier to solve the outstanding differences that
existed on the Cyprus issue if the Greek Cypriots returned to the table without
any preconditions. “Our Greek Cypriot neighbours are not at the negotiating
table at the moment but they will return to the talks sooner or later. Should
they give up their preconditions it will be very easy to reach a settlement because
our priority is not to quarrel over preconditions but to solve the outstanding
differences”, he alleged.
3.Eroglu met with Amanda Sloat
According to illegal Bayrak television (22.01.15) the Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Amanda Sloat is holding a series of contacts on the island.
As part of her contacts, Sloat met on Thursday with
the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.
The so-called presidential spokesman Osman Ertug, the
“presidential undersecretary” Hasan Gungor, the Turkish Cypriot Negotiator Ergun
Olgun as well as other members of the negotiating team were present at the
meeting.
Sloat
who is in the island to discuss with leaders of the two sides the ongoing
efforts to advance the Cyprus peace process, reiterated US support for the
UN-facilitated negotiations to reunify the island as a bi-zonal, bi-communal
federation.
Sloat will also meet with representatives of business
and civil society organizations, and alumni of US-sponsored exchange programmes.
No statement was issued to the press before or after
the meeting.
4. Sibel
called on the OIC members to take steps towards ending the “isolation” of the
Turkish Cypriots until a solution is reached
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper reports thatthe self-styled assembly speaker Sibel
Siber delivered a speech at the 10th Conference of the Parliamentary
Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Member States (PUOICM) held in
Istanbul, where the breakaway regime participated with the status of the
“observer”.
Siber
expressed during her speech the belief that the OIC member states “will take
concrete steps towards ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots until a
comprehensive settlement is reached on the island”. Also providing information
about the economy of the breakaway regime and the various locomotive sectors,
she called on OIC member states “to continue their support to the TRNC and to
invest in North Cyprus”. She also
thanked the OIC for its support “to the just cause of the Turkish Cypriot
people” both with its resolutions and declarations and called on all member
countries “to end the inhumane and unjust embargoes imposed on the Turkish
Cypriot State, to establish strong economic and social relations with the TRNC
and to hold their events and organizations in North Cyprus”.
Referring to the Cyprus problem, she said that the
time has come for a solution to be found and claimed that the Greek Cypriot side
had “abruptly” abandoned the negotiations process on the 7th of October 2014 by
“citing disagreements over the hydrocarbons issue”.
She also claimed that the Turkish Cypriot side
preserved its commitment towards reaching a settlement through result-oriented
negotiations as outlined in the February 11th 2014 Joint Declaration and called
on the Greek Cypriot side to return to the negotiation table without any
preconditions to solve all the outstanding issues, including the issue of
hydrocarbons.
In addition, illegal Bayrak television (23.01.15)
broadcast that upon her return to the occupied area of Cyprus at the illegal
Tymbou airport, Sibel stated that
the
conference had been quite useful in terms of “breaking the isolation imposed on
the Turkish Cypriots as well as developing relations with OIC countries”.
Siber
also said that they did not have the right to vote at the meeting. “We have been attending the OIC’s meetings
since 2004 as an observer, as the Turkish Cypriot state and we only had the right to deliver a speech. This
is extremely important for us because unfortunately as you all know we rarely
have the opportunity to voice ourselves and our cause at international
platforms”, she stated.
5.Olgun’s interview to Kibris Postasi: “The gas
issue is an artificially inflated balloon of the Greek Cypriot side”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (23.01.15)
reports that the Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ergun Olgun in statements in an exclusive interview he gave to the paper,
alleged that the there isn’t any gas to share in Cyprus’ waters.
Olgun who evaluated the latest developments on the
Cyprus problem and the speculations regarding gas reserves, which has been
dominating the politics around peace talks,claimed that there was no gas to
share.
According to Olgun, the gas issue is an “artificially inflated balloon” created by the
“Greek Cypriot leadership” in order to abandon the negotiations table.
Commenting
on the role of the international actors in the negotiation process, Olgun
criticized all the actors involved in the Cyprus problem for not giving enough
support to the process.
Claiming
that the actions of some of the international actors involved in the Cyprus
problem are actions which strengthen the status quo in Cyprus, Olgun added: “It
is evident that there is no gas to share anyway. They created a deliberate and
artificial crisis. There is an empty balloon and it’s the gas reserve...” said
Olgun.
Alleging
that the Greek Cypriot side and the international actors are going through a
“sincerity test”, Olgun claimed
that “south Cyprus”, as he called the Republic of Cyprusis already benefiting
from the money they got in return of drilling licenses. “They are making profit
from the license money, therefore they want this situation to continue”, said
Olgun.
Supporting that a change in Cyprus could be possible
only with visionary and proactive policies, Olgun added: “The 50 year long status quo will continue unless everyone switch to
such policies”, said Olgun.
6. The Cyprus problem has been discussed at the
so-called assembly; Statements by Nami and Saner
According to illegal Bayrak television (22.01.15) the Cyprus problem was amongst the subjects
debated during the plenary session in “parliament”.
In
statements during the meeting of the “assembly”, so-called Foreign Minister
Özdil Nami has underlined the importance of speaking to the world on the Cyprus
problem as one voice.
Nami said that the “government” attaches great
importance to national unity and solidarity and stated that a joint vision had
been expressed on the Cyprus problem and that serious work had been conducted
on the issue.
Claiming
that it would be wrong to link the problems experienced at the negotiating
table with the NAVTEX, Nami alleged that the problems regarding the
negotiations process had been going on long before the NAVTEX issue had
emerged.
Nami also said that he expected all the political
parties to support the joint vision.
Supporting that the Turkish Cypriot side could and
should not be held responsible for the suspension of the talks, Nami added that
it was the Greek Cypriots who had abandoned the negotiating table by citing the
NAVTEX as an excuse.
He further said that it is high time the international
community to be informed about the fact that it is the “Greek Cypriot
administration”, as he called the Republic of Cyprus, which was running away
from the negotiations and that the Turkish Cypriots were being subjected to
“inhuman embargoes”.
Also speaking, Hamza Ersan Saner, “deputy” with the
National Unity Party (UBP) in occupied Famagusta, pointed out that the
different views within the Turkish Cypriot society regarding the Cyprus talks
was wrong despite the fact that it was clearly that it is the “Greek Cypriot
leader”, as he called President Nicos Anastasiades who had abandoned the
negotiating table.
Referring to the latest statement by the so-called
prime minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu that he did not approve the “continental
shelf delineation agreement”, contradicted with the “foreign minister’s
statements” approving the NAVTEX issued by Turkey for seismic research.
7. Birinci: There are positive developments in
favour of the Turkish Cypriots in the UN Report
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (23.01.15) reports that
Deniz Birinci, Foreign Relations Secretary of the Social Democracy Party (TDP),
referring to the Cyprus problem, said that the policies of threats and tension
as well as the dominant accusations in the recent months are not to the benefit
of the Cypriots. He added that the clever path and the joint need is to make
dominant the sense of reconciliation and cooperation instead of the exhibition
of strength and tension.
In a written statement, Birinci said that after the
latest UN Report on Cyprus, they have entered again a period of mutual
accusations. She claimed that the latest Report has been prepared by including
the sensitivities of all sides and the current situation. She added that in the
Report there are positive developments in favour of the Turkish Cypriots.
Birinci claimed that in case the fenced off town of
Varosha is opened under the supervision of the UN in exchange of the free trade
from the occupied port of Famagusta and the direct flights from the occupied
airport of Tymbou, everyone will benefit from it.
8.
KTOS chairman accused the self-styled minister of finance that he is an
employee who receives orders from Turkey
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (23.01.15)
reports that Sener Elcil, the chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Primary School
Teachers’ Union (KTOS) accused the self-styled minister of finance Zeren Mungan
that he is an employee of Turkey.
The incident took place during the discussions for the
Economic Protocol 2015 between Turkey and the breakaway regime. Elcil who
disagreed with Mungan on his statements he made for the protocol stated: “You
are not a minister, you are a public servant, and you are taking your order
always from the (Turkish) embassy”.
9. Self-styled
minister of public works and transportation is inspecting the Iskenderun port
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.01.15)
reports that the self-styled minister of public works and transportation Hasan
Tacoy went to Iskenderun, Turkey where he will make a research on the Iskenderun port in the framework of the
efforts to improve the ports in the breakaway regime and to help their adoption
to currents needs.
On the sideline of his visit, Tacoy will also hold contacts with the
Iskenderun Chamber of Commerce and with the Mayor of the city as well as with other local officials.
10. The breakaway regime will participate in 17
tourism fairs in 2015
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli
(23.01.15), the self-styled deputy prime minister and minister of economy,
tourism, culture and sports Serdar Denktas, who is attending the 19th
East Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Exhibition (EMITT) in
Istanbul, said that the “TRNC” (translator’s note: the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) participated in 13 tourism fairs in
2014 and it will participate in 17 tourism fairs in 2015. He added that they
will participate in fairs in Helsinki and Finland for the first time this year.
The paper also reports that the breakaway regime in
the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus is also being represented at the
EMITT alongside with 71 countries.
Replying to the questions from “BRT” and “TRT” reporters,
Denktas, commenting on the incentives given in the tourism sector, said that
there is need to spread and distribute tourism revenues, which are increasingly
becoming monopolized. He announced that a pilot scheme will be launched in
occupied Famagust on the issue, explaining that the incentives for hotel
investors will be given according to how much these establishments use local
labour force and local products.
Noting that the biggest problem in marketing the
“country’s” tourism is the environmental pollution, Denktas said that tourists
are not impressed with the scenery when they arrived on the occupied area of
the Republic of Cyprus. “It’s like they see a closed room that has been dusted
for years” Denktas said. However, he added that they still remained committed
to achieving the target of attracting 1 million tourists. He said that the
“TRNC” receives most of its tourists from Turkey, pointing out to the increase
in the tourists from Scandinavian countries during 2014.
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (23.01.15) reports that
the 400 years old Agios Panteleimonas Monastery in occupied village Myrtou will
be restored by the EU and the UNDP. The restoration will cost 3
million 200 thousands euro.
12.Davutoglu calls Egypt to come to dialogue;
“Dialogue is better than war of words”
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (22.01.15) reported
that Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said that Turkey and Egypt should come together and discuss ways to
find a mutual understanding on their different points of view.
“I
want to underline: Egypt is the backbone of the region. The region’s stability
will be resilient if Egypt is strong. There will be problems in the region if
Egypt is in trouble. This is how we think; they either accept it or they
don’t,” Davutoglu said in an address to opinion-makers from various Arab
countries at a meeting on January 21 in Davos.
“Egypt can only find stability by acquiring legitimacy
through the free will of the country’s people”, Davutoglu said.
Turkey and Egypt withdrew their Ambassadors from each
other’s capitals last year as part of a tension following the ousting of
President Mohamed Morsi in a 2013 military coup staged by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,
who is now the country’s President. Turkey has remained the strongest opponent
to el-Sisi’s leadership, frequently directing accusations at the Egyptian
leader.
“Instead of
reciprocal accusations, we should come together and talk; we should try to
understand each other. We, as Turkey, have no political agenda with any other
country. Just like Tunisia. We feel great pride and happiness with [Tunisia]. I
want to congratulate all Tunisians. It’s a success story,” Davutoglu said.
Davutoglu
underlined that Turkey would never recognize the military coup in Egypt out of
“respect for its own values.”
“We
have [said this] and will continue to do so. We hope that the Egyptian people
and our Egyptian friends will be able to bring about a more inclusive
government,” he added.
(…)
13.Erdogan called on foreign countries to close
down Gulenist schools
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (22.01.15) reported
that Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has again called on foreign countries to shut down schools operated by
supporters of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, a U.S.-based ally-turned-foe,
saying that the Turkish state would happily replace those schools.
“Me, our Prime
Minister, and our Ministers tell the leaders of countries we visit to close
these schools, explaining our positions”, Erdogan said on January 22, while
speaking at a joint press conference with the Ethiopian Prime Minister
Hailemariam Desalegn.
His remarks came in response to a question about the
private and charter schools operated by supporters of the Gulen movement across
over 140 countries, including many in Africa.
Erdogan
also said government officials seek to assure these countries that Turkey’s
Education Ministry would be able to provide the services given by Gulen schools
in these countries.
“The Education Ministry is about to complete its works
on this issue,” he added.
On several occasions over the past few years, Erdoğan
has reportedly urged foreign countries, particularly African countries where Gulen
supporters are known to have a strong presence, to be careful about the Gulen
movement’s activities, arguing that it uses its schools and charities as a
cover for its “dangerous actions.”
14.Hungarian FM to visit Turkey
Ankara Anadolu news agency (22.01.15) reported that according to a statement issued by the
Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Trade, Peter Szijjarto, will pay an official visit to Turkey on January 25 and
26.
Turkey-Hungary
bilateral relations and recent regional and international developments are to
be discussed during Szijjarto's visit.
The
two Foreign Ministers will sign a cooperation agreement, the statement said.
Previously, Szijjarto stated that Budapest will
continue to support Turkey's integration with the European Union.
(…)
15.EU replies to Turkey’s actions to block Twitter
accounts
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (22.01.15) reported that the European Commission, stressed on
Thursday the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and
the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, to which Turkey is a
party, in response to a court order to remove Twitter posts by dozens of
Turkish users.
In response to a question on Turkey's Twitter move,
Anca Paduraru, a press officer for the European Commission, said: "As a fundamental principle, we would
like to recall the European Convention on Human Rights [ECHR] and the Charter
of Fundamental Rights, which clearly gives each citizen the right to freedom of
expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive
and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and
regardless of frontiers. These are standards that we value very highly and
which all parties to the convention are bound to uphold. And these are not just
European standards key for the accession process. They embody universal values.
Limitations must be strictly exceptional and proportionate and justified only
in very specific circumstances -- i.e., to ban incitement to hatred and violence."
A criminal court of peace has asked Twitter to remove
tweets posted by dozens of users, including journalists and human rights
defenders. Dozens of Turkish Twitter users tweeted on Wednesday that they had
received emails from Twitter asking them to delete certain posts and saying the
company might take action if they did not delete them.
Journalist Arzu Yıldız published via her Twitter
account a list of the accounts that were subject to the decision of the Criminal
Court of Peace. Along with the Twitter accounts of local journalists who are
critical of the government, posts from the Twitter accounts of certain news
websites which are also on the list of those tweets to be deleted.
The list also includes a Twitter account belonging to
former İstanbul Police Chief Ali Fuat Yılmazer, who is currently behind bars on
charges of wiretapping.
A total of 220 Twitter users were reportedly asked to
delete specific tweets.
16.A Turkish lawyer has been sentenced to 10 months
imprisonment over charges of “insulting the Turkish nation and the Republic”
According to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (22.01.15) Eren Keskin, a prominent Turkish lawyer,
has been handed a 10-month prison sentence on charges of "insulting the
Turkish nation and the Republic of Turkey" for criticizing the killing of
a 12-year-old by a police officer while speaking at a conference back in 2005.
A former President of the Human Rights Association's
(İHD) İstanbul office, Keskin was a guest speaker at a conference in Tekirdag
province. While speaking there, she commented on the killing of 12-year-old Ugur
Kaymaz and his father by police, saying:
"The [Turkish] state has a wild mindset [that allows it] to slay a
12-year-old. Turkey has to answer [for this]. Turkey has a dirty history."
Ten
years after her comment, a court sentenced her to 10 months in jail, basing its
ruling on the highly controversial Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).
The judge chose not to put Keskin on probation, saying
she “has a bad record and might commit another similar crime in the
future."
Speaking to the media on her conviction, Keskin said she has no criminal record and
that the judge, seeing her as an enemy, acted with vengeance.
"The
expressions 'bad record' and 'criminal record' are used for people who have
committed serious crimes. I am a human rights activist and a lawyer. So far, I
have only been tried for my views. The government claims that there is nobody
in jail for their opinions, but apparently nothing has changed in Turkey",
Keskin said.
Many
Turkish journalists and authors, including Elif Safak and Nobel literature
laureate Orhan Pamuk, have faced prosecution based on the same article, mostly
concerning comments supporting claims of an Armenian genocide in 1915.
Following a large number of cases, an amendment was introduced to Article 301
in 2008, narrowing the scope of the crime. If the Supreme Court of Appeals
upholds Keskin's conviction, she will be the first person in a long while to be
imprisoned based on the article.
17.TUSİAD elected a new chairman
Turkish daily Sabah (22.01.15-online in English)
reported that during the elections
carried out at the 45th Ordinary General Assembly of Turkish Industrialists and
Businessmen Association (TÜSİAD), Basaran-Symes, became the third female chairman
of TUSİAD after Arzuhan Dogan Yalcındag and Umit Boyner.
The board of directors list, presented by Cansen Basaran-Symes,
was also announced.
During her speech following her election, Basaran-Symes said that the business world
is having "a tough time" because of global economic uncertainties.
(…)
Basaran-Symes studied at the Faculty of Business
Administration at Istanbul University. She worked in various positions at PwC's
Copenhagen, London and Istanbul offices until April 2013, and she also acted as
a Board Member for PwC Middle and Eastern Europe and PwC Eurofirm. As of March,
2014, she has been acting as the CEO of Allianz Sigorta A.Ş. and Allianz Hayat
ve Emeklilik A.Ş. She has now been elected as Chairperson of TÜSİAD.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
