TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
24/15 05.02.15
1.
Cavusoglu claimed that the Greek Cypriots are not determined for a Cyprus
settlement
2. Ertug
criticized Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman’s statements on Cyprus
3. The TDP
is holding contacts in London
4. Izcan
calls on Turkey and Eroglu to withdraw Barbaros and postpone NAVTEX and
President Anastasiades to return to the negotiating table
5. Eroglu
called once again the Greek Cypriot side to give up its “excessive demands”
6. Akinci
says that he will try to achieve a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal solution
7. Feminist
groups react to Siber’s ad campaign; Siber invites Eroglu for a debate
8. Turkey
and Finland signed a Joint Economic and Trade Committee agreement
1. Cavusoglu
claimed that the Greek Cypriots are not determined for a Cyprus settlement
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (05.02.15)
reports that Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu claimed that the Greek
Cypriots are not determined for a Cyprus settlement. He also said that Greek
Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades should stop hiding behind the Annan plan and
should return to the negotiating table.
During a televised interview at Ulke TV in
Ankara, Cavusoglu said that Turkey is ready to give any kind of support in
order to cooperate with the newly elected Greek government, adding that “a
politically and economically strong Greece is good for resolving the Cyprus
issue”.
Cavusoglu said that he sent a letter to
Greek Foreign Minister and he is going to have a telephone conversation with
him in the coming days.
Cavusoglu, however, warned about one of
Syriza’s coalition partner parties, Anel, saying the populist right-wing
Independent Greeks party is "anti-Turkey". "It may be populism
but we take our measures. We don't want any more tension”, he added.
Referring to the natural gas exploration
activities in the East Mediterranean, Cavusoglu said that steps that exclude
Turkey from the region are not possible to be implemented. He added: “We will
not permit this. The sale of natural gas and oil that will be extracted from
there, it will be through Turkey. Our proposals are fair proposals”.
2. Ertug
criticized Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman’s statements on Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (05.02.15)
reports that Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu’s spokesman Osman Ertug,
commenting on the Greek Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kutras’ statement that there
is only one State in Cyprus, claimed that this is a denial of the Turkish
Cypriots presence and one which ignores the “TRNC” (editor’s note: the
breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus).
In a written statement issued yesterday,
Ertug alleged that they are trying to impose the Republic of Cyprus on the
Turkish Cypriots. He also claimed that there are two equal and sovereign sides
on the island, adding that this kind of statement is a violation of the spirit
of the joint statement. Ertug noted that although the government in Greece has
changed, their policy on the Cyprus problem has not changed.
Finally, Ertug called on the newly elected
Greek government to persuade the Greek Cypriot side to return to the
negotiating table without preconditions and to respect the joint statement.
3. The TDP is holding contacts in London
Turkish
Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (05.02.15) reports that a delegation from the Social Democracy Party (TDP), headed by its
chairman CemalOzyigit, met yesterday in London with various groups of Deputies
at the British Parliament and addressed a conference held at the Parliament
last night.
HuseyinAngolemli
and DenizBirinci, TDP’s “deputy” and foreign relations secretary respectively,
are the other two members of the Turkish Cypriot delegation, which participated
also in an open discussion regarding the latest developments in Cyprus.
Speaking
during the conference held at the Parliament, Ozyigit noted that the negotiating process which started with the Joint
Declaration of 11 February 2014 was interrupted and recalled that the Joint
Declaration provides for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation based on political
equality, but at the same time agreement has been reached on the issues of
single sovereignty, single international identity and single citizenship. He
pointed out that while it was expected for the natural gas and oil to play the
role of a catalyzer in the negotiating process, the opposite happened and it
caused tension.
He said
that the TDP has been supporting from the very beginning that simultaneous
steps should be taken and added that it was seen that threats and provocations
cause damage and have no benefits to the process. “We wish that cooperation and
reconciliation prevails, instead of tension and showing of power”, he said.
Referring
to the issue of the return of the occupied fenced off city of Varosha, Ozyigit
noted that TDP opposes to Varosha
remaining a ghost city by hiding behind the expression that “it is a part of
the comprehensive solution”. He said that they support the return of Varosha to its legal owners and in return of
this they demand the opening of Famagusta port for trade and the illegal Tymbou
airport for direct flights. Ozyigit recalled that an article regarding Varosha
was included in the second High Level Agreement of 1979, which clearly said
that Varosha should be returned to its legal owners within the framework of
confidence building measures adding that this was not contrary to the
comprehensive solution.
Ozyigit reiterated the view that the negotiations
should immediately resume and suggested
thattwo separate negotiating processes at technical level should be established
at which, in parallel to the negotiations for finding a comprehensive solution,
the issues of Varosha and the hydrocarbons to be discussed.
Ozyigit
argued that the British government, as a member of the EU, has “very important
responsibilities as regards Cyprus” and added that it should contribute to the
resumption of the negotiations and to the reaching of a permanent solution the
soonest.
(I/Ts.)
4.Izcan
calls on Turkey and Eroglu to withdraw Barbaros and postpone NAVTEX and
President Anastasiades to return to the negotiating table
Under the title: “Calling from BKP to Ankara and Anastasiades”, Turkish Cypriot daily
YeniDuzen newspaper (05.02.15) reports that the chairman of the United Cyprus
Party (BKP) IzzetIzcan, in a written statement yesterday, called on the one
hand Ankara to postpone its NAVTEX and withdraw the Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa
vessel and on the other President Nikos Anastasiades to return to the
negotiating table.
Izcan
accused in the statement the “AKP government” and the Turkish Cypriot leader
DervisEroglu for the policy they follow at the negotiating table and supported
that they had prepared the basis for the collapse of the Cyprus negotiation
talks. “By extending the NAVTEX and denying withdrawing the Barbaros vessel,
they have blown up the possibility for the resumption of the negotiation talks.
The postponement of the NAVTEX and the withdrawal of Barbaros are preconditions
for the resumption of the talks”.
Izcan stressed the need also for
President Nikos Anastasiades to abandon the delaying tactics policy and return
to the table, since as he pointed out, the non-solution of the Cyprus problem
is against all Cypriots in the island.
Supporting the view that it is insincere
to say that the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) should be part of the
comprehensive solution, Izcan expressed
his belief that the CBMs should be implemented in parallel to the negotiation
process since, as he stated, the CBMs would ease the efforts for finding a
solution.
Izcan supported further that the most important CBM that should be
implemented is the simultaneous opening of occupied Famagusta port and the
illegal Tymbou airport. “These would be a great benefit for all the Cypriots
and will also contribute to the comprehensive solution”.
(AK)
5.Eroglu
called once again the Greek Cypriot side to give up its “excessive demands”
Under the title: “Greek Cypriots should
give up their excessive demands”, Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper
(05.02.15) reports on statements by Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu who in a visit to several villages
in the occupied area of Morfou yesterday as part of his “election campaign”,
referred, inter alia to the Cyprus problem stressing the need for a solution to
be found in the following period.
“This
effort should not last more than 1-2 years. If the Greek Cypriot leadership is
willing to find a solution, it should give up its excessive demands”, Eroglu
said.
Reiterating
his known position that the solution to be found should be a partnership to be
established consisting of two founding equal states, Eroglu added that the
Turkish Cypriots will continue to live freely under the umbrella of the “TRNC”.
Supporting that the “existence of the
TRNC” strengthened him at the negotiating table, Eroglu alleged that “if their
state wouldn’t exist, he would had been a community leader that would demand
the rights of a minority”.
Referring to the forthcoming
“presidential elections”, Eroglu said that the “leader to be elected” should be
reliable, experienced, tolerant and a person who will be aware of what he
wants.
(AK)
6. Akinci says that he will try to achieve a bi-zonal,
bi-communal federal solution
Turkish
Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (05.02.15) reports that Mustafa Akinci, independent candidate in the so-called
“presidential elections” to be held on 19 April in the occupied area of the
Republic of Cyprus, has said that the
Cyprus problem cannot continue in its present form and that it has prolonged
too much and came to a saturation point.
In
statements yesterday during visiting various villages within the framework of
his campaign, Akinci recalled that during his recent visit to the occupied area
of Cyprus, the Turkish EU Minister
VolkanBozkir described the wall separating the island as a “wall of shame” and
that during his visit to Greece Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu referred
to the benefits of “planning considering Turkey and Greece as a single
geographical area”.“If we had heard these words in the past we would not have
believed to our ears”, he argued and expressed the view that the problem we
experience in such a small area like Cyprus should be solved by protecting the
rights of the people of both communities.
Akinci said
that in parallel to the efforts for
finding a comprehensive solution, a process of confidence building measures
facilitating the everyday life of the two communities should be discussed. He
noted that the occupied fenced off city of Varosha should open under the UN
control for the benefit of the two sides and added that at the same time they
will look for an agreement in the direction of the opening of the occupied
Famagusta port for trade and launching direct flights from the illegal Tymbou
airport.
Akinci said
that the achievable solution is a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation as provided
in the Joint Declaration of 11 February 2014. “This is the solution that is
possible”, he noted adding that they will
spend their time trying to achieve what is possible.
(I/Ts.)
7. Feminist
groups react to Siber’s ad campaign; Siber invites Eroglu for a debate
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris
Postasi Daily News (online, 05.02.15), the feminist groups FEMA, YKP-FEM and
Baraka reacted to the ad campaign of the “presidential candidate” of the
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) SibelSiber. They argue that the ad campaign does
not take seriously women’s rights.
The activist groups said that the slogans
used at the ad campaign as “A woman who can do a better job than a man”, “Men
should vote for us too” and references such as “lady” depict only the fact that
she is a female rather than her intelligence or qualities.
Meanwhile, Siber, in a visit to Turkish
Cypriot daily newspaper Havadis in the framework of her election campaign,
invited Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu to a debate.
Siber said that she is ready to have a one
to one debate with Eroglu on any TV channel. Accusing Eroglu of nepotism, Siber
said: “He uses his influence and position to enjoy public assets without any
legal basis”.
So far, Eroglu has not responded to Siber’s
invitation. However independent candidate KudretOzersay who invited all the
“presidential candidates” to a debate last week reacted to Siber's
invitation. “It was me who said we
should hold a debate with all candidates. But Siber invited Eroglu but not
other candidates”, Ozersay said.
8. Turkey
and Finland signed a Joint Economic and Trade Committee agreement
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(04.02.15), Turkish Economy Minister NihatZeybekci and Finland’s Foreign Trade
Minister LenitaToivakka have signed a Joint Economic and Trade Committee
agreement intended to boost bilateral trade and investment.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Zeybekci
said that Turkey plans to make investments worth at least $300 billion over the
next decade and urged Finnish companies to increase their investment in Turkey.
Turkey has attracted foreign direct
investment worth about $140 billion, according to figures provided by the
minister during the ceremony. “Overall, Finland’s direct investment in Turkey
is approximately $300 million. We are inviting Finnish investors to Turkey.”
Zeybekci said.
Toivakka said that the new agreement is a
critical step in boosting cooperation and trade ties between the two countries.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
