TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No. 27/15 10.02.15
1. Nami:
Todd spoke the truths; Schultz promised to bring the Direct Trade Regulation
onto the EP’s agenda in 2015
2.
Caglar: Siber has visited many countries promoting the “TRNC”
3. TDP carried out contacts in London with Socialist
International; TDP seeks to become a member
4. Onurer: "Check-points are no different than
60's barricades"
5. One more case of British citizens who lost their
property in the occupied area of Cyprus
6. Eroglu inaugurated a “District court” in occupied
Trikomo
7. Erdogan tours Latin America
8. Erdogan takes control of his Twitter account; An
anti-smoking message his first tweet
1. Nami:
Todd spoke the truths; Schultz promised to bring the Direct Trade Regulation
onto the EP’s agenda in 2015
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (10.02.15)
reports that Ozdil Nami, self-styled
foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic
of Cyprus, has alleged that the British
High Commissioner in Nicosia, Ric Todd told the truths in his statements to a
Greek Cypriot newspaper regarding the lifting of the so-called isolations
allegedly implemented on the Turkish Cypriots. In statements to Kibris,
Nami said that reference to the “isolations” was made in former UN
Secretary-General Koffi Annan’s report who alleged that the “yes” vote of the
Turkish Cypriots in the 2004 referendum showed that the reasons of implementing
isolations were unjust. He further noted that the UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon also drew attention to the “isolations” in his recent report.
Noting that in 2004 the EU General Affairs Council
decided the ending of the “isolations”, Nami
alleged that the reasons for not bringing the EU’s Direct Trade Regulation onto
the agenda ceased to exist because of the stance of the Greek Cypriots in the
negotiations.
“The calls that
the Turkish Cypriot side should not pay the price for the Cyprus problem are being
evaluated more carefully and a discussion started (in the EU circles) as to
what could be done”, claimed Nami alleging that the main target of the
Turkish Cypriot side is the solution, but the Turkish Cypriots should not pay
the price of the prolonging of the Cyprus talks.
Nami said that they are expecting the world to take a
step on the issue of the “isolations” and that they are continuously exerting
efforts on this issue.
Alleging
that the President of the European Parliament (EP), Martin Schultz has told
them that he would bring the issue of the Direct Trade Regulation onto the
agenda EP’s general assembly in 2015, Nami said that the EU wants to evaluate
all options before “twisting the arm” of its member-states which oppose to the
above-mentioned regulation.
Alleging that what he called as the fact that the Greek Cypriot side ignores
the “isolations” caused annoyance within the EU, Nami claimed: “Our wish is for behaving more
constructively on the issue of the isolations and produce a formula within the
framework of respecting Cyprus’ single international identity. We were
expecting them to permit the Turkish Cypriots’ using the name ‘hellim’, which
is their fundamental right, instead of preventing this”.
Nami
said that when Cyprus entered into the EU, the occupied area of the island was
described as “area outside the control of the Republic of Cyprus” and alleged
that this shows that the Greek Cypriots cannot conduct a control regarding the
halloumi cheese in the occupied area of the island. “Formulas had been produced (on the issue of
halloumi) and the issue had come to its final stage, but instead of
cooperating, the Greek Cypriots tried to expand their sovereignty in the
north”, he claimed.
Referring
to the production of halloumi cheese in Turkey, Nami criticized this and said
that Turkey exports the same quantity of halloumi as the “TRNC”, breakaway
regime in the occupied area of Cyprus. He noted that the issue came onto the agenda during
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s recent illegal visit to the island
and that Turkey agrees with the Turkish Cypriots on this issue. Nami expressed
the belief that the necessary arrangements will be made on this issue.
(I/Ts.)
2. Caglar:
Siber has visited many countries promoting the “TRNC”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli newspaper (10.02.15)
reports that Mehmet Caglar,
self-styled deputy with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), has said that the statement by Sibel Siber,
candidate in the forthcoming “presidential elections”, who addressing a group
of journalists from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in
November 2014, had said “but we don’t want recognition”, was a statement made
“as a result pressure”. Caglar was relying to criticism against Siber by
the self-styled deputy with the National Unity Party (UBP), Tahsin
Ertugruloglu.
Caglar argued that as “speaker of the assembly”, Siber has visited many countries and
carries out her duties properly. “Having
the TRNC recognized is our duty of promoting the Turkish Cypriot people’s wish
for peace, their wish for solution and their characteristics in culture and in
every sense”, he argued noting that “we are doing this anyway”.
Caglar claimed that as “deputy” of the “TRNC”, he
exhibits his pro-solution stance in all the meetings he goes with Ertugruloglu
abroad and added that they work in harmony together. He noted that they
participate in the meetings as “elected representatives of the Turkish
Cypriots” and not as “deputies of the TRNC”, but this does not mean that they reject
the “TRNC”. He alleged that they established the “TRNC” with the will of the
Turkish Cypriots until finding a federal solution. He said that during the past some steps have been taken, but there was
no official policy for the recognition of the “TRNC”.
(I/Ts.)
3.TDP
carried out contacts in London with Socialist International; TDP seeks to
become a member
Under the front-page title: “TDP’s membership to Socialist International on its way”, Turkish
Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (10.02.15) reports that a delegation of the Social Democracy Party (TDP) composed by its
“chairman” Cemal Ozyigit, the “deputy” Huseyin Angolemli and the “assistant
secretary, responsible for foreign affairs”, Deniz Birinci held contacts in
London with the General Secretary of the Socialist International, Luis Ayala.
According to the paper, Ozyigit explained during their meeting with Ayala, the TDP’s positions
and views on the latest developments on the Cyprus problem and stressed that as
TDP, they support an urgent, viable and fair solution to the Cyprus problem.
Ozyigit explained that the solution to be found should
be based on the UN parameters as included in the Joint Declaration signed by
both communities on February 11, 2014. He pointed out that the solution should
be a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal Cyprus with one single sovereignty and one
single international identity.
Also speaking, Ayala said that he knows the Cyprus
problem very well since he follows the developments very closely.
Stating that Socialist International is a big family, Ayala said that after TDP completes the
necessary procedures for application of membership, they would like to evaluate
the soonest possible its application.
Also speaking,
Birinci pointed out that TDP pays a great importance to the issue of foreign
relations and added that in this framework, they consider very important their
membership to Socialist International, which has an important mission globally,
as she said.
Birinci
added that their goal is to complete the soonest possible all the necessary
procedures for their application of membership.
AK
4. Onurer: "Check-points are no different than
60's barricades"
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (09.02.15)
reported that the Cyprus Socialist Party’s (KSP) “presidential candidate”
Mustafa Onurer likened the disruptions
at the check points to the barricades in Cyprus between the years of 1964-67.
Onurer said that the only way to come over these kinds
of problems was to struggle for the people of Cyprus. “People are forced to waste hours waiting to cross to the other side
of their country and this is happening in the 21st century”, Onurer said. .
“This
situation is the product of the imperialist powers and we have to struggle for
a better future for our people. That is the only way to change these scenes that are similar to the
situation during 1964-67”, he added.
5. One more case of British citizens who lost their
property in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (10.02.15) in
its column called “Letter from Afrika” reports
on the case of a British couple who bought a residence in occupied Karmi
village and writes that the couple has lost their house and the amount of 55
thousand sterling pounds which paid for the constructor’s debts.
According to the paper, the British citizen Graham
Covlstock visited the paper yesterday and explained that in 2004, together with
his wife Helen Letchford, they bought a residence in occupied Karmi village
from a real estate’s company called Unwins Estates. The couple explained that
the constructor of the residences was the well-known Gary Robb who went
bankrupt and was wanted by the British police for drug smuggling.
The paper writes that the British couple filed a
lawsuit to the court and lost the case together with their house and all the
money they paid.
AK
6.Eroglu inaugurated a “District court” in occupied
Trikomo
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (09.02.15)
reported that the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu inaugurated in a special
ceremony which took place in occupied Trikomo, the building of the occupied
Trikomo (İskele)“district court”.
Speaking during the event, Eroglu stressed that the
opening of the “İskele district court” will allow the cases to be heard and the
“people” to receive justice sooner.
Praising theoccupied Trikomo area for becoming a fully
functional district, Eroglu said that the “foundations of the republic” are
becoming further rooted with the inauguration of new infrastructures every
passing day.
7.Erdogan tours Latin America
Ankara Anadolu in English (10.02.15) reports that Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his delegation arrived Monday in Bogota,
Colombia, the first stop of his Latin American tour.
President Erdogan is accompanied by his wife and
daughter, Emine and Sumeyye Erdogan, as well as Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu, Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Mehdi Eker, Culture and
Tourism Minister Omer Celik and Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci.
Colombia is Erdogan's first stop of his Latin American
tour, which will continue with visits to Cuba and Mexico.
Erdogan said on Sunday before departing from Istanbul
that this will be the first visit of a Turkish President to Colombia, Cuba and
Mexico.
Meanwhile, according to a statement from the
Presidential Press Information Center, Erdogan will be the first Turkish President
to visit Latin America since 1995.
It is expected that during these visits, bilateral,
regional and global issues will be comprehensively discussed with
representatives from each of the three countries, and various agreements will
be signed regarding various areas.
"Furthermore, thanks to business council meetings
that will be held in these countries, businessmen who accompany our President
on this visit will have the opportunity to come together with local
counterparts, evaluate business and investment projects and improve the
development of current ones," the statement said.
8.Erdogan takes control of his Twitter account; An
anti-smoking message his first tweet
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (09.02.15) reported
that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has personally sent his first tweet
on February 9, giving an anti-smoking message.
The now-verified account, @RT_Erdogan, was originally
opened in August 2009, and amassed over 5.7 million followers, mostly by
sharing phrases from Erdogan’s public speeches with no additional comments.
Although he never clarified who was managing this
account, Erdogan has voiced his displeasure with Twitter on several occasions
in the past. During the Gezi Park
protests of June 2013, he described the micro blogging website as a “menace,”
while in March 2014, Turkey blocked Twitter, hours after then-Prime Minister
Erdogan vowed to “wipe out” the social media platform.
However, this has not kept the President from finally
taking control of his account.
“Today is Feb. 9, World Quit Smoking Day. Be
strong-willed and do not surrender to a cigarette,” Erdogan tweeted, after sharing
a number of statistics about smoking-related deaths.
(..)
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