TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
57/15 25-26.03.15
1.
Bilgic: “The Greek Cypriots should exert efforts for the solution”
2.
Cicek: I wish 2015 will be the year of solution in Cyprus
3.
Turkuaz seismic vessel will start search for oil and natural gas
4.
Eroglu: We are ready to complete the Cyprus problem
5.
Support from BKP to Akinci
6.
Cirali announced the establishment of a new joint hellim committee between
Turkey and the “TRNC”
7.
Ertug holds contacts in Ankara
8.
Turkey hopes for rapid, unconditional solution to the Cyprus issue
9.
The “chairman of the Turkish Cypriot municipalities’ union” is in Strasbourg to
attend a Congress
10.
A cooperation protocol between the breakaway regime and the Haccettepe
University on organ transplants
11.
Strike of all trade unions of the “public sector” paralyzed life in the
breakaway regime
12.
Data on tourist facilities and hotels in the occupied area of Cyprus
13.
More on TalipAtalay’s efforts to become an AKP candidate
14.
“Turkish Cypriot tourism, writers and journalists association” established
15.
Turkish cartoonists sentenced to jail for insulting Erdogan; Columnist Idiz
comments on Erdogan’s intolerance on criticism
1.
Bilgic: “The Greek Cypriots should exert efforts for the solution”
Under the above title, Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (25.03.15) reported that the spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry TanjuBilgic in statements
during a press conference at the Ministry, called the Greek Cypriot side to
suspend its “unilateral” activities in the Eastern Mediterranean and to exert
sincere efforts towards the solution of the Cyprus problem by returning to the
negotiating table.
Responding to a question at his routine
weekly press briefing regarding the Cyprus negotiations process, Bilgic said
that following:
“Both
the TRNC and Turkey remain committed to a lasting political settlement in
Cyprus. The Greek Cypriot side had abandoned the
negotiating table before, providing as an excuse the efforts we carried out in
order to protect the interests of the Turkish Cypriots. Actually, this
indicates their insincerity. Whereas, a comprehensive solution in Cyprus will
also bring forward a solution to the issue of sharing the natural resources on
the island. The Turkish Cypriot side is still at the negotiating table and
maintains the political will and determination to resume the talks within the
framework set by the 11th of February 2014 Joint Declaration”, Bilgic said.
He, however, pointed out that it is not
possible to reach to a solution only with the determination of the Turkish
Cypriot side. “We are expecting the Greek Cypriot side to suspend all its
unilateral activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, to return to the
negotiating table and to show a sincere effort towards a settlement. Turkey
will continue to support the TRNC in all fields as it did yesterday, today and
tomorrow”, Bilgic added.
(AK)
2. Cicek: I wish 2015 will be the year of solution in Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (26.03.15) reports that the speaker of the
Turkish Grand National Assembly CemilCicek expressed the wish that 2015 will be
the year of solution in Cyprus.
He made
these statements speaking at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies
(CSIS) in Washington in a conference under the title “Turkish-US relations in
the 21st century”.
Cicek
claimed that the determination of Turkey for a just and permanent solution,
based on political equality continues. However, the described as “unfortunate”
the fact that “the Greek Cypriot side started unilateral explorations for
natural gas in Eastern Mediterranean and that they used as an excuse to leave the negotiation table the measures
taken by the Turkish Cypriot side in order to safeguard its rights”.
Cicek said
that the return of the Greek Cypriot side to the negotiation table will create
again the hope for the solution of the Cyprus problem. “It is our wish that
this conflict which has been continuing for 50 years now to come to an end in
2015”, he claimed.
(CS)
3. Turkuaz
seismic vessel will start search for oil and natural gas
According to Turkish daily Sabah (online,
25.03.15), Turkuaz seismic vessel, which
was designed and built by Turkish engineers, will start to search for oil and
natural gas on behalf of Turkey next week.
The Mineral Research and Exploration
Institute (MTA) has completed the building of a seismic vessel that can search
for oil and natural gas in the poles and oceans. The vessel, which was given
the name "Turkuaz Search Vessel," will be put into the sea with a
ceremony attended by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Energy and Natural
Resources Minister TanerYildiz next week. Turkuaz,
together with the Barbaros vessel, will be used to search for oil and natural
gas on behalf of Turkey. It was stated that Turkuaz is not only a seismic
vessel, but also has up-to-date geological, geophysical, hydrographical
equipment and remote control robot systems. Thus, Turkuaz can collect data from
the seas, evaluate them in laboratories and analyse the samples collected from
the sea bed. It also has a heliport that reaches international standards.
Besides the
continental shelf of Turkey, Turkuaz has the capacity to search for oil in the
poles, oceans and hotly disputed regions like the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and
Eastern Mediterranean. It also has the capacity to draw
earthquake maps of Turkey, research climate change, sea pollution and life at
the bottom of the sea. Turkuaz can also be used by public institutions. The
Barbaros vessel, the other investment by Turkey in this field, is owned by the
Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO), while Turkuaz is owned by the MTA.
(DPs)
4.Eroglu: We are ready to complete the Cyprus problem
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (26.03.15) reports that the Turkish Cypriot
leader DervisEroglu and candidate for the “presidential elections” to be held
on April 19,stated that he is ready to
complete the Cyprus problem.
Eroglu said that the negotiations will be launched soon and
claimed that the Turkish Cypriot side has a time limitation but has every good
intention to finish the Cyprus problem. He also
said that he is aware of all the worries and knows all the thoughts of the
Turkish Cypriots and he is ready to negotiate for their best interests.
Kibris
(25.03.15) reported that Eroglu, in the framework of his election campaign
stated that the Turkish Cypriot side is committed and sincere to a solution
based on the “realities” of the island. He accused the Greek Cypriot side of
leaving the negotiation table and he claimed that he still believes that it is
possible to reach a settlement if there is good will.
(CS)
5.Support
from BKP to Akinci
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper
(25.03.15) reported that the United
Cyprus Party (BKP) expressed full support to the “presidential candidate”
Mustafa Akinci.
According to information given by BKP, the chairman of BKP, IzzetIzcan expressed
the belief that Akinci is the only candidate who will be able to achieve an
early federal solution in Cyprus and the only one who can embrace the Turkish
Cypriot community.
Speaking during a luncheon meeting with
party officials, Izcan argued that the
“presidential candidate” Akinci is different from the other candidates and
supported that “he is the only candidate who can share the vision of an
independent and objective presidency”.
Izcan
stated that BKP will support Akinci at the forthcoming “presidential elections”
and called all Turkish Cypriots to support him since as he stated, Akinci’s
victory will open the door for a new period for the Turkish Cypriots.
(AK)
6.Cirali
announced the establishment of a new joint hellim committee between Turkey and
the “TRNC”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi
newspaper (25.03.15) reported that the chairman
of the “Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry”, Ali Cirali, speaking exclusively
to the paper, announced that a joint hellim committee composed by Turkish and
Turkish Cypriot representatives has been established.
According to the paper, Cirali’s
statements caused the reaction of the chairman of the “Union of dairy products’
producers” in the occupied area of Cyprus, CandanAvunduk who alleged that they
were not informed about the establishment of the new “committee”. Avunduk added that the issue of hellim cheese
had to be a “national cause” and accused Cirali for not informing them.
Cirali explained that the “new joint
committee” had been formed to work on hellim/halloumi; he, however, refrained
from giving out any other information with regards to the work they were
carrying out.
(AK)
7. Ertug
holds contacts in Ankara
According to illegal Bayrak television
(26.03.15), Turkish Cypriot leader DervisEroglu’s spokesman Osman Ertug, who is
currently in Ankara to speak at a panel on the Cyprus issue at Baskent
University, said that the suspended Cyprus negotiations process expected to
resume in the coming weeks must yield results this time.
Alleging that the Greek Cypriot side has no
intention of resolving the Cyprus issue, Ertug said that the water to arrive
from Turkey via a pipeline could be a motivating factor for the Greek Cypriots.
Ertug also added that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready to share the water and
that the Greek Cypriots need to do the same on the issue of hydrocarbons.
Ertug will
also be meeting with officials from the Turkish Foreign Ministry and diplomacy
correspondents.
Speaking in an interview to TRT in Ankara,
Ertug claimed that the Greek Cypriot side has abruptly abandoned the
negotiating table. He also said that the Greek Cypriot leader needed to return
to the table without any preconditions.
“It is not possible for us to return to the
table because we are still there. The important thing is what kind of a
negotiating process we will be entering so that we may bury the Cyprus problem
in the pages of history once and for all” he said.
Explaining that the new negotiations will
start from where they were previously left off, Ertug said that the new process
must be conclusive and result oriented.
Claiming that the Greek Cypriot side
displayed no intention of settling the Cyprus problem, Ertug said that they
expect the international community to lift the “isolations” imposed on the
Turkish Cypriots so as to encourage the Greek Cypriots to work towards a
settlement.
Asked to
comment on rumours that the talks could be carried to Geneva, Switzerland,
Ertug said that this could be a positive thing to move the talks outside of
Cyprus if groups which opposed a settlement were to take action. “Talks held
abroad could allow the leaders to be more flexible and that the Turkish Cypriot
side is ready to hold negotiations anywhere.”
(DPs)
8. Turkey
hopes for rapid, unconditional solution to the Cyprus issue
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(26.03.15), Turkey is supporting the immediate resumption of peace talks
between Turkish and Greek Cypriots, claimed AydaSoylu, the UN Geneva
“representative” of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic
of Cyprus.
Soylu made the comments as part of the
annual report on the human rights situation in Cyprus, which was presented
during the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
"The lack of finding a solution to the
Cyprus issue is deeply affecting human rights in the TRNC (editor’s note: the
breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus)", claimed
Soylu, alleging that discrimination and violence against Turkish Cypriots is
increasing.
Soylu also claimed that “the number of
schools providing education in Turkish is insufficient in the island’s south
(editor’s note: the government controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus),
while lawmakers had also banned Turkish names of geographical regions (editor’s
note: Cyprus Parliament banned the use of the Turkish names of the Greek
Cypriot villages in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, which were
changed after Turkey’s invasion to Cyprus in 1974)”. "Political and social
rights of TRNC citizens have been illogically rejected," said Soylu.
"Turkey fully supports the immediate
resumption and the rapid conclusion of UN-led peace talks", she claimed,
adding that Turkey hopes that the Greek Cypriot side holds similar views.
(DPs)
9. The
“chairman of the Turkish Cypriot municipalities’ union” is in Strasbourg to
attend a Congress
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 25.03.15), a delegation from the “union of cyprusturkish
municipalities” is taking part in the 28th Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
of the European Council.
The self-styled chairman of the union and
mayor of the occupied village GeunyeliAhmetBenli evaluated their Strasbourg
visit to the “BRT” stating that “during the 27th congress they had emphasized
the deficiencies on the status of the Turkish Cypriot people and that during
this congress the situation had been rectified”.
“The
agreement reached in 2004 had enabled us to be here but there are some
shortcomings and during last year’s congress we had voiced these and now we are
attending the 28th session not as visitors but with a host status”, said Benli.
He added that for the first time the
Turkish Cypriot “people” are taking their official place at the congress. “We
sat at the 487th seat for the first time. We have strengthened our
status” said Benli.
(DPs)
10. A
cooperation protocol between the breakaway regime and the Haccettepe University
on organ transplants
According to illegal Bayrak television
(26.03.15), the self-styled health minister AhmetGulle, who has begun his
contacts in Ankara, met yesterday with Turkey’s Health Minister Mehmet
Muezzinoglu. They discussed ways of solving the problems of patients sent to
Turkey for treatment as well as issues related to cooperation between the two
“countries”.
Speaking to the “BRT”, Gulle pointed out
that Turkey has serious experience when it comes to health and health systems
and that they are benefiting from this.
Stating that they want to create a unique
health system which addresses the needs of the “TRNC” by taking into account
the infrastructural conditions of the country, Gulle said that discussions with Muezzinoglu focused on cooperating for
the establishment of a general health insurance scheme.
Gulle will
be signing a health protocol with the Haccettepe University for cooperation on
organ and cell transplants.
Meanwhile, the self-styled minister of
environment and natural resources HakanDincyurek is also in Ankara for a series
of contacts. He met with the Turkish Minister for Environment and Urban Planning
IdrisGulluce.
(DPs)
11. Strike of all trade unions of the “public sector” paralyzed
life in the breakaway regime
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (26.03.15) writes that “life has stopped”
yesterday at the breakaway regime after all trade unions of the “public sector”
in all occupied towns held a strike and marched in front of the “prime
ministry”.
The trade
unions were protesting against the “immigration law” which allows new
regulations to the salaries of the new coming
“public sector employees” and considered to be against the rights of
workers, according to the unions which also claimed that the “law” is against
the “constitution” and call on the “government” to abolish it.
Small
fights took place between the “police” and the protestors in the occupied part
of Lefkosia after the latter brought a puppet in front of the “prime ministry”
which it represented the “government” and set it on fire and also tried to force the gates of the
“building” in order to enter the “prime ministry”, writes the paper.
(CS)
12.Data
on tourist facilities and hotels in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper
(26.03.15) reported on statements by SahapAsikoglu,
"undersecretary" of the
so-called ministry of tourism who in statements to the paper, referred, inter alia to the occupation
regime’s tourism and underlined that in occupied Famagusta there are tourists
but as he said there is not enough bed capacity.
Asikoglu in his statements said that
there are a lot of tourist complexes’ in the occupied area of Famagusta which
are inactive and stressed the need for incentives to be given to their owners
in order to reactivated their facilities.
Asikoglu explained that there are two
active hotels in occupied Famagusta, the Palm Beach Hotel and the Salamis Bay
Conti Resort Hotel. He added that still, these two hotels are not enough to
cover the needs of the tourists.
Asikoglu
stated also that there are totally 134 hotels operating in the “TRNC” in 2015.
The total hotel bed capacity is 19.300.
According
to data given by the “Turkish Cypriot hotelier’s union”, in occupied Keryneia
there are totally 88 facilities with 13,057 bed capacity, in occupied Famagusta
there are 9 facilities with 1,499 bed capacity, in occupied Trikomo 28
facilities with 3,819 bed capacity, in occupied Morfou 4 facilities with 126
bed capacity and in occupied Lefkosia 5 facilities with 808 bed capacity.
Seventeen
out of the 134 hotels which operate in the occupation regime, are five-star
hotels, 4 are four-star hotels, 10 are three-star hotels, 18 are two-star
hotels and 18 are one-star.
Also,
in general, there are 5 tourist villages, 5 boutique hotels, 29 touristic
bungalows, 3 hotel apartments, 18 guesthouses e.t.c.
(AK)
13.More on TalipAtalay’s efforts to become an AKP candidate
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (25.03.15) reported about TalipAtalay, the
"director" of the "Religious affairs department" in the
occupied area of Cyprus who is a candidate to be a candidate for the parliament
elections is Turkey with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
According
to the paper, the AKP supporters in the breakaway regime have started to show
their support to Atalay, despite the fact that it is not determined yet if he
will be a candidate or not. The paper also wrote that Atalay had showed how
religious he truly is since one of the main issues he supports in his campaign
is the importance of Quran lessons to be taught in the occupied area of Cyprus.
(CS)
14. “Turkish
Cypriot tourism, writers and journalists association” established
Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen (25.03.15)
reports that the “Turkish Cypriot tourism writers and journalists association”
(KITUYAD), consisting of journalists, writers, academicians and researchers who
works on mass media for tourism issues, was established in the occupied area of
the Republic of Cyprus.
According to a statement by RehaArar,
chairman of the board of Merit Hotels, he said that the tourism section is
important for the economy of the “TRNC” and it should be promoted.
(DPs)
15. Turkish
cartoonists sentenced to jail for insulting Erdogan; Columnist Idiz comments on
Erdogan’s intolerance on criticism
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily
News (online, 25.03.15), two cartoonists for the popular satirical weekly
Penguen have been jailed to 11 months in prison, over a satirical piece on free
speech in which they were convicted of including a hidden gesture “insulting”
Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan.
Cartoonists BahadirBaruter and OzerAydogan
were sued for the Aug. 21, 2014, cover of the magazine, which satirized Erdogan’s
election as Turkey’s President. In the drawing, Erdogan is seen asking whether
officials at the new presidential palace in Ankara have prepared “any
journalists to slaughter”, referring to ritual sacrifice in Islam, to mark his
inauguration.
Soon after the publication, a Turkish
citizen named CemSafcier filed a complaint to the Prime Ministry, arguing that
the “ball-shaped” hand gesture of the official seen buttoning his jacket while
welcoming Erdogan in the cartoon is used to imply that the person being
addressed is homosexual.
More than 70 people in Turkey have been
prosecuted for “insulting” Erdogan since he was elected President in August
2014.
Commenting on the same issue, columnist
SemihIdiz (HDN, 26.05.15), under the title “Erdogan must tolerate criticism”,
writes, inter alia, the following:
“According to a Turkish saying, he (or she)
who goes to the hamam must be prepared to sweat. This means that if you are
taking on a particular job you must be prepared to put up with its downside.
President RecepTayyip Erdogan does not want to observe this.
His intolerance is increasingly showing
through the number of libel and slander cases opened by him against
journalists, caricaturists, artists, and ordinary citizens, many of which
result in convictions. Erdogan’s sense of the democratic right of critical free
expression is limited, if it exists at all. To cite another Turkish saying, he
wants a rose garden without the thorns.
(…)
To cite a famous example, Abdulhamid, who
was also known for his intolerance, banned all depictions and references to
large noses in political caricatures and writings because of his own
disproportionate nose, and sent all those who defied him to prison. That was
over a century ago. Erdogan’s behaviour shows that some things change little in
Turkey.
(…)
This is only the latest case showing the
extent to which the judiciary has been co-opted to protect Erdoğan’s
reputation, at the expense of the freedom of expression.
Responding to a parliamentary question by
the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Justice Ministry
revealed recently that throughout the seven months that Erdogan has been in
office as President, 105 investigations have been initiated against people who
allegedly insulted him, resulting in eight arrests.
The fact that former “Miss Turkey,”
MerveBuyuksarac, is facing four-and-a-half-years in jail for allegedly
insulting Erdogan by posting a satirical poem taken from a magazine on her
Instagram site has even become world news, further damaging Erdogan’s already
tarnished international prestige.
(…)
Previous
Turkish Presidents were generally respected due to the office they held, which
is supposed to be above party politics according to the Turkish constitution.
Erdogan has violated this elemental rule and is acting as a President who works
only for his own constituency, not for all of Turkey as he should.
He therefore invites the criticism he gets
and will ultimately have to learn to live with this. If he is not prepared to
do so, then he has to be prepared to sue many more people, and brace himself
for the fresh damage that this will do to his reputation at home and abroad.”
(DPs)
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/
AM)
