TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 03/15 06-07.01.15
1. Turkey issues a new NAVTEX for oil and natural gas explorations
in Cyprus’ EEZ
2. Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa Vessel to resume exploration activities
3. Eroglu: TPAO will continue its seismic explorations
4. Erk: The two leaders must return to the negotiation table
5. Ozersay launched his election campaign
6. US backtracks on arms deal with Turkey, denies transfer of
warships
7. An opinion poll puts Eroglu in clear lead by 46%
8. Banner used during the demonstration of the “animal breeders
and producers union” calls on Erdogan to come and save the protesters
9. Consumer price index rate in the occupied area of Cyprus was
6.49% in 2014
10. Erdogan: EU needs to reassess its policy towards Turkey
11. Davutoglu will attend WEF summit in Davos
12. Corruption commission votes against the referral of
ex-ministers for trial; Opposition condemns the decision
13. Turkish court rules against scrapping election threshold
14. A Dutch journalist released after being detained at home in
Turkey
15. Columnist comments on the arrest of the Dutch journalist
1. Turkey issues a new NAVTEX for oil and natural gas
explorations in Cyprus’ EEZ
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (07.01.15) reports that Turkey issued yesterday around noon a new NAVTEX on behalf of the
“TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus, according to which the
Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa vessel will hold seismic explorations for oil and
natural gas in the Republic of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) during the
period between 6 January and 15 April, 2015. Barbaroswill be accompanied by M/V Bravo Supporter and M/W Kofso vessels.
According to the announcement, the explorations will be carried out in the area
south of Limassol “in a broad corridor”.
Referring
to the issue, Turkish Cypriot daily
Afrika newspaper (07.01.15) reports that “Barbaros continues its way” andTurkey
escalates tension in the area. The paper recalls that it had been said that
Turkey would have withdrawn the Barbaros vessel by the end of the year (2014)
and notes that “Turkey failed to meet the expectations” and “Barbaros will
continue its activities in the area”.
(I/Ts.)
2. Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa Vessel to resume
exploration activities
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 06.01.15), the Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa
seismic research vessel is to continue its exploration activities in the
Eastern Mediterranean, the so-called foreign ministry of “TRNC” (editor’s note:
the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) has
announced.
The
seismic research vessel which had been anchored at the occupied port of
Famagusta awaiting further instructions from the Turkish Petroleum Consortium
departed on Tuesday.
A
written statement issued by the “TRNC foreign ministry” stated that the Turkish
Petroleum Consortium will be issuing a new NAVTEX or marine advisory in
response to the Greek Cypriot side’s decision to extend its own unilateral
drilling activities off the coast of Cyprus.
“Despite
all our efforts of goodwill we see that the Greek Cypriot administration
(editor’s note: the Government of the Republic of Cyprus) is insistent on
continuing its unilateral activities on hydrocarbon exploration and drilling.
Within this framework, the Greek Cypriot administration has extended its
drilling activities to new blocks until the 29th of March. More importantly the
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades in his January 5th dated statement has
continued to insist on preconditions for returning to the negotiating table,
stating that the Turkish Cypriots could only be involved in the management and
exploitation of the island’s natural resources once a settlement is reached on
the island”, the statement read.
It
said that in light of all these developments it is out of the question for
Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side to remain silent over the Greek Cypriot
administration’s attempts to ignore the legitimate rights and interest of the
Turkish Cypriot “people”.
“As
a result, the license issued to the Turkish Petroleum Consortium will be
extended” the statement said, adding that Turkey will be announcing the
decision on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot side later on Tuesday.
“Within
this framework, the Turkish Cypriot side in collaboration and cooperation with
Turkey will continue its own exploration activities as part of efforts to
protect the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people. However, the
Turkish Cypriot side continues to believe that cooperation between the two
sides for the exploration and management of any hydrocarbons is the best path
to pursue. In line with this view, the Turkish Cypriot side declares that its
2011-2012 proposals on this issue still stand valid. We would like to use this
opportunity once again to urge the Greek Cypriot leadership to abandon its
unilateral actions, to return to the negotiating table and to help create a
favourable atmosphere in line with the Joint Declaration towards achieving a
comprehensive settlement in Cyprus” the statement concludes.
3. Eroglu: TPAO will continue its seismic
explorations
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (07.01.15) reports that Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu has said that the Turkish
Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) will continue its seismic explorations in the
areas for which it had been authorized by the self-styled government of the
breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus. In
statements to illegal TAK news agency, Eroglu
noted that “government officials” and “motherland Turkey” have made the
necessary evaluations and Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa seismic explorations vessel
will the soonest start its work in a new area.
Asked to comment on President Anastasiades’ recent
statements on the issue, Eroglu alleged that with these statements President
Anastasiades once more disrupts the “multi-sided efforts” exerted under the
leadership of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide for
the resumption of the negotiations. Eroglu
claimed that the Turkish Cypriot side has submitted through Eide a proposal for
the unconditional resumption of the negotiations after 31 December 2014, when
both sides would interrupt their work. Eroglu argued that the Turkish side made
no statement on the issue until 5 January 2015, because they had promised this
to Eide.
Referring to the statement issued by President Anastasiades
after the meeting held the day before yesterday with the political party
leaders, Eroglu described this statement as “mocking Eide and the third
parties” and added: “He has again put as precondition
for us to accept the unilateral activities they are holding under the title of
the so-called ‘Republic of Cyprus’ and the Greek Cypriot sovereignty in order
to return to the table. While sovereignty lays in the substance of the Cyprus
problem, Mr Anastasiadesis trying to
camouflage his intention to run away from the negotiations, in which we were
about to pass to the give and take, and therefore to avoid the solution, by
putting forward this precondition which he knows that neither we as Turkish
Cypriot side nor motherland Turkey will ever accept […]”.
(I/Ts.)
4. Erk: The two leaders must return to the negotiation
table
Turkish
Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (06.01.15) reported that KutlayErk, the
general secretary of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) called on for the
re-launching of the Cyprus talks and stated that the two leaders of the two
communities in Cyprus have not the luxury to abandon the negotiation table.
Erk
who was speaking on a television program of Sim TV, stated that the solution is
much delayed in Cyprus and that a settlement must be found for the sake of all
Cypriots.
He
said that the conditions put by President NicosAnastasides to return to the
negotiation table cannot be met since this would mean that Turkey officially
recognizes the Republic of Cyprus. “This is not possible”, Erk stated. He also
called on the Greek Cypriot parties to put pressure to the President in order
to return to the negotiation table.
He
said that the solution of the Cyprus problem and of all the issues related to
it, is the main concern of CTP; however he said that the Turkish Cypriots also
face other problems, the most important of which is unemployment and the
economic crisis. He said that neither of each problems will be solved if Eroglu
is elected again and expressed the belief that CTP’s “candidate” SibelSibel
will win the “presidential elections”. He also claimed that Turkey has no
influence to the “presidential elections”.
Erk
said that the new NAVTEX will increase the tension in Cyprus, adding Erk stated that the international community
will decrease the tension of an armed conflict or of a military intervention,
which as he said is not likely.
5. Ozersay launched his election campaign
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (07.01.15) reports that the independent
“presidential candidate” KudretOzersay held a press conference in the occupied
Lefkosiaofficially launching his campaign.
Ozersay
explained the reason of his “candidacy” and said that he aimed to reinstate
“the self confidence that the Turkish Cypriots have lost over the years”. He
said that the “president” had many duties and authorities deemed by the
“constitution” and added that by not using these authorities it is equal with not fulfilling the duty.
He
said that even if there was even a 1%
chance for a solution to be found to Cyprus problem he thought it was worth
trying and showing the highest amount of effort towards that goal. He added
that he wanted this duty to be carried out by a “president” who knows what he
is doing.
Ozersay
also added that he believed in the principles of a solution and that a solution should be a
bizonalbicommunal federal solution based on equality with a new federal state.
Touching
upon the natural resources issue Ozersay said that a solution could be found
through ‘part by part’ solutions similar to the European steel and coal union
that led to the EU itself. He also said that there is certain cooperation between the two sides
such as culture, missing persons, heritage and religious affairs.
He
said that if he was to be elected he is
determined to regulate the relations between Turkey and the breakaway regime and vowed that the relations
should be defined by an “international agreement” to avoid problems that occur
between the two “countries”. He added that the “constitution's temporary
Article 10” could also be lifted through an international defence agreement
with Turkey underlying the fact that the situation in 1974 is not entirely the case today.
Ozersay
during his press conference said that the faced-out town of Varosha was also on
his agenda and he is planning for the city to be first taken out of its status
as a military zone and open it for residency and investment under Turkish
Cypriot administration. He said that the Greek Cypriots wouldn't be troubled
with this due to the opportunity for them to be able to return to their
properties.
6. US backtracks on arms deal with Turkey, denies
transfer of warships
Turkish
daily Sabah (online, 06.01.15) reported that the U.S. has shelved the handover
of two leftover frigates to Turkey as the U.S. Congress excluded Turkey from a
bill seeking permission to transfer vessels to foreign countries citing
Turkey's sour relations with Israel and the latest gas row with Cyprus. The
move is interpreted by foreign policy experts as an action that will lead
Turkey to think twice before getting into new arms purchases.
Signed
into law by U.S. President Barack Obama, the Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2013
authorizes the transfer of the frigates Curts and McClusky to Mexico on a grant
basis. The act also authorizes the sale of the frigates Taylor, Gary, Carr and
Elrod to Taiwan, Defense News reported.
In the 2012 version of the Naval Transfer Act,
Turkey was to receive two Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates,
the USS Halyburton and the USS Thach, which are being decommissioned by the
U.S. navy. However, some members of
Congress objected to the transfer of the naval frigates to Turkey, mainly
citing the county's strained relations with Israel and Cyprus in the
Mediterranean.
The decision from Congress came after Turkey
made various trade agreements with Russia and started looking for alterative
sellers when purchasing heavy military products. Turkey is negotiating a tender
for a long-range air defence missile system with the U.S. and France after
eliminating China from its possible suppliers.
The
offer to transfer the vessels was not a result of a Turkish demand, but the
U.S. denying the planned transfer could make Turkey look for alternatives in
its planned expansion of military craft.
"I believe we should hold off on sending powerful
warships to Turkey and encourage the government in Ankara to take a less
belligerent approach to their neighbours," Congressman Eliot Engel
reportedly said during the debate, an approach that Ankara strongly opposes. On
Tuesday, President RecepTayyip Erdogan slammed some Western powers for what he called
their defamation campaign against Turkey and said: "We are not a country
that you can point a finger at and scold."
Members of Congress particularly emphasized
Turkey's tension with Cyprus over energy sources off the divided island and its
pressure against natural gas exploration by U.S. companies in the region. "Turkey has recently threatened
legitimate Cypriot and Israeli efforts to cooperation on energy
exploration," another congressman, Brad Sherman, was quoted as saying.
7. An opinion poll puts Eroglu in clear lead by 46%
According
to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 07.01.15), the
“Girne American University’s” (GAU) “Kyrenia Research Institute” (“GAE”)
announced the results of its annual ‘Expectations Research’ with an additional
part regarding the upcoming “presidential elections” declaring 46% public
support to current Turkish Cypriot leader and “candidate” DervisEroglu giving
him the lead of 16% over CTP (Republican Turkish Party) “candidate” SiberSiber,
who has 30%.
The
“GAE” published its annual expectations survey results with a press conference
today at the Turkish Cypriot Chamber Of Commerce.
Addressing
the press conference, Dr Vehbi, said that this survey was extra special
regarding the presidential race, however emphasised that this survey was not
commissioned by any candidate and it was totally scientific and had no
political objective.
According
to the poll, the people trusted the media more than they did last year and
trustworthiness of the media has risen from 5.3% to 7.8% compared with the
previous year.
According
to the survey, 15.5% of the people are not going to vote in the “presidential
elections”. He also added a result suggesting that 40% of the people said no to
a “presidential system”, alongside the undecided of around 30%.
According
to the poll, the public support for Eroglu was 46%, followed by SibelSiber at
30%, Mustafa Akinci at 17%
andKudretOzersay at 7%.
Meanwhile,
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (07.01.15) reports that according to the survey,
the non-solution of the Cyprus problem is one of the most important problems in
the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus.
8. Banner used during the demonstration of the “animal
breeders and producers union” calls on Erdogan to come and save the protesters
Turkish
Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (07.01.15) reports about the demonstrations
conducted in the last few days in the breakaway regime by the “animal breeders
and producers union”.
According
to statements by the “union’s” chairman Mustafa Naimogullari, the “union” is
protesting against the big cuts in the “2015 budget” for agriculture, which as
a result will affect negatively the producers and their development, since
smaller compensation will be given to the producers and no solution would be
found in the various problems they face.
The
“union’s” members gathered with their tractors in front of the “assembly” the
previous days and in front of the “ministry of finance” and stated that they
will continue their protest in the coming days as well until their demands are
met.
The
paper writes that a banner used by the protesters drew the attention of the
journalists since the phase “Our President (Tayyip Erdogan) come and save us”
was written on it. Commenting on the issue, YeniDuzen’s general publishing
director and columnist CenkMutluyakali, criticized the protesters and wondered
how Erdogan could save the producers. “It is as if Erdogan would say ‘we sent
them water, we sent them electricity, we sent them population, let’s sent them
milk as well”, Mutluyakali wrote noting that what the producers need is no
money but motivation.
The
paper also publishes statements by KutlayErk, the general secretary of the
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) who noted that the Turkish Cypriot leader
DervisEroglu is behind the protestrrs’ actions. Erk also stated that the
“union’s” members are motivated by the fact that there is an “election period
ahead”, therefore they can take whatever they ask for from the “government’.
In
addition, Kibris Postasi (07.01.15) writes that the protesters were not happy
about the banner, indicating that it was not the protest which made the
headlines but the banner, which drew attention away from the real issue.
9. Consumer price index rate in the occupied area of
Cyprus was 6.49% in 2014
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (07.01.15) reports that the consumer price index rate for 2014 was 6.49% in the occupied area
of the Republic of Cyprus. According to the so-called state planning
organization (“DPO”), the index was reduced by 0.44% during last month and increased by 1.60% during the second
half of 2014. The index’s total increase in 2013 was 10.22% and the
increase for the first six months reached 4.89%.
(I/Ts.)
10. Erdogan: EU needs to reassess its policy towards
Turkey
According
to Turkish daily Sabah (online, 06.01.15), Turkey’s President RecepTayyip
Erdogan, in his address to envoys yesterday at the seventh Ambassadors
Conference in Ankara, called on the Turkish envoys to be aware of the black
propaganda purported against Turkey by some foreign media outlets. "You
should stay strong against the yellow journalism in those countries. You are
the representatives of the Turkish nation, you are the mission chiefs. You
should never, ever make concessions," said the President. He further said
that the EU, which Turkey has been trying to join for decades, must revise its
policies towards Turkey. "They have stalled us for a long time, they have
caused us to lose time. It is a pitiful situation that the EU tries to give
Turkey a lesson while it needs to realize the dangers and threat [against
itself]," said the President. Turkey has been sitting at the negotiation
table with the EU longer than any other candidate. The country handed its
application to Brussels in 1987 and the accession talks began in 2005. However,
negotiations hit a stalemate in 2007 due to Ankara's position on the Cyprus
issue and opposition from “Southern Cyprus” (editor’s note: the Republic of
Cyprus), France and Germany.
On
the Syrian civil war, which started in 2011 and displaced millions of Syrians,
the Turkish president highlighted that the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham
(ISIS) threat in the region stems from the Bashar Assad regime and the
discriminative policies by the then-Iraqi government. Referring to the
anti-ISIS coalition, led by the U.S. to eliminate the ISIS threat in the
region, Erdogan said that it is not possible to end ISIS only through air
operations and that boots on the ground is a must.
11. Davutoglu will attend WEF summit in Davos
According
to Turkish daily Sabah (online, 06.01.15),
Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced that he will be
attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Switzerland to
represent Turkey. His attendance comes six years after the incident when then
Prime Minister and current President, RecepTayyip Erdogan, abandoned a panel
with Israel's then President Shimon Peres in protest of the invasion of the
Gaza Strip.
Davutoglu
will also visit Germany from January 11-12 and then travel to the U.K. during
the week of January 18. He is expected to continue his visits after leaving
Davos, traveling to Brussels in the last week of January.
Through the planned diplomatic visits in January,
Davutoglu aims to intensify efforts to eliminate smear campaigns and wide range
of propaganda against Turkey.
Additionally,
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday at the Seventh Annual
Ambassadors' Conference in Ankara that "Turkey is experiencing some unfair
practices and incorrect approaches due to the bias coming from our European
friends towards Turkey's membership. While such short-sighted approaches occur,
we are trying and taking steps to regain the enthusiasm about the EU accession
process from the public."
Meanwhile, according to the Prime Ministry,
Davutoglu will attend the WEF summit in Davos as a keynote speaker at a special
session on January 24. He will attend Davos as the current G20 president. The
summit aims to address four key issues including growth and stability, society
and security, innovation and industry and crisis and cooperation in the world.
12. Corruption commission votes against the referral
of ex-ministers for trial; Opposition condemns the decision
According
to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online, 05.01.15), Turkey’s Parliamentary
Commission established to look into claims of corruption against four former Cabinet
Ministers has voted against referring them to a top court for trial amidst
allegations against the government placing heavy pressure on ruling party
members of the commission.
Nine
ruling party members of the 14-member parliamentary Corruption Investigation
Commission voted, as expected, against referring the four former Ministers to
the Constitutional Court in a session of the commission on Monday.
The
remaining five opposition members of the commission voted in favour of a
referral to the Constitutional Court, which is called the Supreme State Council
when it tries top state officials.
Members
of the commission expressed their opinion in an open ballot voting separately
for each of the former Ministers whether they should appear before the top court.
The
four former Ministers -- Economy Minister ZaferCaglayan, Interior Minister
MuammerGuler, EU Affairs Minister EgemenBagis and Environment and Urban
Planning Minister Bayraktar -- left their posts under claims of corruption a
week after a graft probe went public on Dec. 17, 2013.
On
the same issue, the leaders of the
opposition on Tuesday blasted nine members of the parliamentary Corruption
Investigation Commission who voted against sending four former Ministers to the
top court to face trial, with main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP)
leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu calling them “sell-outs.”
Talking
in his weekly address to the party caucus on Tuesday, Kilicdaroglu said, “These
Deputies [members of the corruption commission] are Deputies who have taken it
upon themselves to be the protectors of thieves.”
“What
kind of a conscience do you have? How can you rent out your consciences? How
can you sell them? Is it this easy to be the protectors of thieves? You have
sold your conscience, sold your morals, sold your beliefs, sold your
faith," Kilicdaroglu said, strongly criticizing the commission members
from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
MHP
leader DevletBahceli also criticized the government in his weekly address to
the party committee on Tuesday, saying, “As Prime Minister [Ahmet] Davutoglu is
busy ripping off arms like actors in horror films; those ministers with piles
of evidence [of corruption and bribery] against them have been protected and
the national conscience has been desecrated.”
Speaking
directly to the four ex-ministers charged with corruption and bribery, Bahceli
said the Ministers who were saved from being sent to the Supreme State Council
will eventually be forced to face the consequences. “Turkey will no longer
carry the weight of AK Party's systematic blows to justice and morality,” he
said. “No one can wave their finger at Parliament, which is the reflection of
the national will,” he added.
Stating
that the AK Party Deputies in the investigation commission were taken into
“persuasion rooms”, the opposition leader said, “A government that is
illegitimate from head to toe cannot, must not, run the country.”
13. Turkish court rules against scrapping election
threshold
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (06.01.15), Turkey's
Constitutional Court has rejected on Tuesday appeals to scrap a controversial
election threshold, which stipulates that political parties need to secure 10%
nationally to gain representation in parliament.
The
court said in a 14-2 majority decision that it had rejected the individual
submissions due to a "lack of jurisdiction," meaning it did not
consider having the authority to hear the cases. The head of the Court,
HasimKilic, did not participate in the vote. The top court's decision comes
ahead of the general elections in June.
Under
the current system, political parties in Turkey must have at least 10% of votes
nationwide to gain parliamentary representation – the highest such threshold in
Europe.
The
International Crisis Group's Turkey director, Hugh Pope, had recently told The
Anadolu Agency that lowering the threshold would encourage more people to
choose candidates they actually wanted to vote for, ending the common feeling
people have that their votes may be “wasted”.
“It
will allow the HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party, a pro-Kurdish group) to enter
party politics normally and build itself up as an institution,” he added.
The
HDP is the closest party to the 10% limit, as it places independent candidates
to circumvent the threshold in the east and southeast of Turkey; these
independent Deputies later founded a group in parliament.
In
2007 the European Court of Human Rights had ruled that Turkey's election
threshold did not violate the right to free elections and was not a violation
of human rights, but it did add that it was “desirable” to lower it.
14. A Dutch journalist released after being detained
at home in Turkey
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 06.01.15), FrederikeGeerdink, a
Diyarbakır-based Dutch journalist, has been released after being detained by
police in the south-eastern province of Diyarbakır on Jan. 6.
Geerdink
had earlier stated on her Twitter account that eight police officers were
searching her house and would take her to the local police station. “Terrorism
police just searched my house, team of 8 guys,” Geerdink tweeted on Jan. 6.
“They take me to the station now. Charge: propaganda for terrorist
organization,” she added.
The
Justice Ministry said in a written statement on Jan. 6 that there had been
three different complaints to the Ankara police accusing the journalist of
making PKK propaganda through her Twitter account, after which the Diyarbakır
Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation.
Geerdink
could not be found at her address on three separate occasions, but was detained
on Jan. 6 in order to give her testimony regarding a court ruling, the
statement also said. She was released on the prosecutor’s orders after giving
her testimony, it added.
Geerdink's
announcement of her detention came hours after President RecepTayyipErdoğan had
declared at a meeting of ambassadors in Ankara that "there is no freer
press, in Europe or elsewhere in the world, than in Turkey".
Dutch
Foreign Minister Bert Koenders was also attending the 7th Ambassadors'
Conference in Ankara when he heard about the detention of Geerdink.
Koenders
said he was "shocked" by the detention of the journalist on the
official Twitter account of Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adding that he
would discuss the situation with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
“Shocked
by arrest of @fgeerdink. Will personally discuss this here in Ankara with my
Turkish colleague Cavusoglu,” he wrote. Koenders also warned Turkey over press
freedom four days before arriving in Turkey, reports said.
15. Columnist comments on the arrest of the Dutch
journalist
Columnist
SerkanDemirtas, writing in Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online,
07.01.15), under the title “How the Dutch FM learned about the arrest of the
Dutch journalist”, comments on the arrest of the Dutch journalist in the
following commentary:
“I
was at a lunch with the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, Bert Koenders,
along with two colleagues, at the residence of the Dutch Ambassador to Turkey,
Ron Keller, when news broke about the detention of Dutch journalist
FrederikeGeerdink in Diyarbakır.
Ahmed
Dadou, the spokesperson of Minister Koenders, rushed into the dining room in a
very anxious way to inform the Minister, the Ambassador, and the guests about
the detention of Geerdink. ‘Terrorism police just searched my house, team of 8
guys. They take me to the station now. Charge: ‘propaganda for terrorist
organization’,’ read the tweet Geerdink posted at 1.33 p.m., leaving all of us
in the room shocked.
(…)
The astonishment could easily be read on
Minister Koenders’ face, as he got the news precisely as the roundtable
discussion was focused on the state of freedom of expression in Turkey and the
importance of a free media for the democratic development of countries. “FM
#Koenders: shocked by arrest of @fgeerdink. Will personally discuss this here
in Ankara with my Turkish colleague Cavusoglu,” tweeted the Dutch Foreign
Ministry in an immediate reaction on Dec. 6.
The
lunch with Minister Koenders was an informal one and held in a brainstorming
format. But it should not go unnoticed that the detention of Geerdink is a
development that speaks for itself in regards to the state of free media in
Turkey, as it took place on the very same day the Dutch Foreign Minister was in
the Turkish capital to address the Turkish Ambassadors gathered for their
annual conference.
Koenders
was invited by the Turkish Foreign Ministry as the guest of honour, along with
other top international figures like the Foreign Ministers from Argentina and
Nigeria, as well as Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees and Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO. They were all in
Ankara to address the Turkish Ambassadors, who were gathered for a conference
titled ‘New Turkey: Continuity and Change in Foreign Policy’.
There's
no doubt that Koenders raised the arrest of the Dutch journalist in his
bilateral talks with both Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU Minister
VolkanBozkir late on the afternoon of Dec. 6, in the way that any Foreign
Minister would do. After the talks, he was scheduled to deliver his statement
to the Turkish Ambassadors at around 9.00 p.m., after the Hürriyet Daily News
went to print.
(…)
In
his long speech to the Turkish Ambassadors, given at the same time Geerdink was
being arrested, Erdoğan claimed that Turkey harbours the freest media in the
world. Erdogan also tasked Turkish Ambassadors with the duty of standing
against a growing smear campaign against Turkey carried out by the Western
media and of nixing anti-Turkish propaganda.
A Turkish Ambassador recently told me how their job had
become more stressful and difficult, as they found themselves in a defensive
position, just like in the 1990s. It also coincides
with Prime Minister AhmetDavutoglu’s planned visit to various European
capitals, including Berlin, London and Brussels, in January, where he is
expected to seek ways to repair Turkey’s broken image. It’s also known that EU
Minister Bozkir is working on a new freedom of expression package, which would
be announced by PM Davutoglu during his visit to Brussels in late January or
early February.
It’s getting increasingly difficult every day for Turkish
diplomats to explain the developments in Turkey to their counterparts in the
West. It’s also getting more difficult for Turkey’s friends in Europe to insist
on a continued engagement with Turkey, given the circumstances. Last but not
least, it’s getting much more difficult for national and international
journalists based in Turkey to do their job in a free, objective and brave
way.”
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
