TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
71/15 18-20.04.15
1. The
results of the 1st round of the “elections” in the occupied area of the
Republic of Cyprus
2.
Statements after the “elections’” results; Eroglu and Akinci are determining
their strategy for the second round
3. How
columnists comment on the results of the first round of the “elections” of 19
April 2015
4. Six
newspapers confiscated and one TV channel was closed down during yesterday’s
“elections” in the occupied area of Cyprus
5. Toros:
The registration of halloumi-hellim cheese has been postponed until an
inspection mechanism is created in the occupied area of Cyprus
6. Racist
protest from Azeri students in the occupied area of Cyprus
7. Toros
supports the idea of opening up a bi-communal university in the UN controlled
buffer zone
8.
Cavusoglu: Erdogan and Obama to inaugurate Turkish mosque in Maryland
9. CHP
outlines ambitious election manifesto, prioritizes fight against poverty
1. The
results of the 1st round of the “elections” in the occupied area of
the Republic of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (20.04.15)
reports that none of the “candidates” for the “presidential elections” in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus managed to take more than 50%.
DervisEroglu, the present Turkish Cypriot
leader and the independent “candidate” Mustafa Akinci will run for the post in
the second round on next Sunday, 26 April 2015.
The independent “candidate” DervisEroglu”
supported by the National Unity Party (UBP) and the Democratic Party (DP)
gathered 28.18% of the votes, while the independent “candidate” Mustafa Akinci
supported by the Social Democracy Party (TDP) and the United Cyprus Party (BKP)
received 26.92% of the votes.
SibelSiber, “candidate” of the Republican
Turkish Party – United Forces (CTP-BG), run third with only 22.54% of the
votes. Meanwhile, the independent “candidate” KudretOzersay received 21.23% of
the votes.
The paper also reports that the voters’
turnout was the lowest of the “election history” of the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus with only 62.34% of 176.916 “eligible
voters”. It is reported that in 1990, there was the highest turnout with
93.48%.
According to data by “YSK”, in 1976, there
was 88.6%; in 1981 there was 74.8% turnout; in 1985 there was 85.7%; in 1995,
there was 85.13% in the first round and 80.12% in the second round. The turnout
in 2000 was 81.02%, in 2005 was 69.58% and in 2010 was 76.3%.
It is the third time that there will be a
second round in the “presidential elections”. There were also second rounds in
1995 and in 2000. In 1995, the race was between RaufDenktas and DervisEroglu,
where Denktas won. In 2000, the race was again between Denktas and Eroglu,
where Eroglu withdrew from the second round and Denktas was declared winner
without “elections”.
Following are the total results announced
by the Higher Election Board (YSK):
There were 176,915 “registered voters” and
693 ballot boxes.
DervisEroglu: 28.18%
Mustafa Akinci: 26.92 %
SibelSiber: 22.54
KudretOzersay: 21.23
Mustafa Onurer: 0.39
ArifSalihKirdag: 0.49
Mustafa Ulas: 0.24
The results of the “elections” according to
the “districts”:
Occupied district of Nicosia
Ballot boxes: 213
Number of voters: 55,764
Number who voted: 35,592 – 63.83%
Mustafa Akinci: 10,894 – 31.27%
KudretOzersay: 8,091 – 23.23%
DervisEroglu: 7,971 – 22.88%
SibelSiber: 7,427 – 21.32%
Mustafa Onurer: 135 – 0.39%
Mustafa Ulas: 107 – 0.31%
ArifSalihKirdag: 212 – 0.61%
Occupied district of Famagusta:
Ballot boxes: 178
Number of voters: 45.993
Number who voted: 28,171 – 61.25%
DervisEroglu: 8,723 – 31.83%
KudretOzersay: 6,177 – 22.54%
SibelSiber: 6,379 – 23.28%
Mustafa Akinci: 5,849 – 21.34%
ArifSalihKirdag: 118– 0.43%
Mustafa Onurer: 102 – 0.37%
Mustafa Ulas: 55 – 0.2%
Occupied district of Keryneia
Ballot boxes: 140
Number of voters: 35,397
Number who voted: 21,472 – 60.66%
Mustafa Akinci: 5,824 – 27.61%
KudretOzersay: 5,410 – 25.65%
DervisEroglu: 5,400 – 25.6%
SibelSiber: 4,264 – 20.21%
ArifSalihKirdag: 94– 0.45%
Mustafa Onurer: 68 – 0.32%
Mustafa Ulas: 35 – 0.17%
Occupied district of Morphou
Ballot boxes: 84
Number of voters: 20,811
Number who voted: 13,293 – 63.87%
Mustafa Akinci: 4,219 – 32.47%
DervisEroglu: 3,990 – 30.7%
SibelSiber: 3,033 – 23.34%
KudretOzersay: 1,586 – 12.2%
ArifSalihKirdag: 70– 0.54%
Mustafa Onurer: 69 – 0.53%
Mustafa Ulas: 28 – 0.22%
Occupied district of Trikomo
Ballot boxes: 78
Number of voters: 18.951
Number who voted: 11,770 – 62.11%
DervisEroglu: 4,272 – 37.47%
SibelSiber: 3,184 – 27.92%
Mustafa Akinci: 2,220 – 19.47%
KudretOzersay: 1,609 – 14.11%
Mustafa Onurer: 49 – 0.43%
ArifSalihKirdag: 37– 0.32%
Mustafa Ulas: 31 – 0.27%
(DPs)
2.Statements after the “elections’” results; Eroglu and Akinci
are determining their strategy for the second round
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (20.04.15) publishes statements by the four
main candidates of yesterday’s “presidential elections” after the results were
finalized.
DervisEroglu,
who passed in the second round, said that if
there had been a bigger turnout, these “elections” would have finished this
Sunday and called on those who did not go to the ballots in the first round to
do so in the second one. He went on and added that the period ahead is
critical since the Cyprus negotiations will be re-launched in May and added
that a person who will represent the
rights of the “TRNC and the TRNC people” must be elected. He said that as
regards himself he has faith and experience on the issue and added that those
who believe in the future of the “TRNC” and want Turkey’s guaranteed to
continue must vote for him.
As regards
the strategy he will follow in order to select votes for the second round,
Eroglu said that he will meet with the parties that support him and he will
determine their plan. However, he will also hold contacts with KudretOzersay
and the Republican Turkish Party (CTP).
On his
part, SerdarDenktas the chairman of the Democratic Party (DP) which supported
Eroglu for the elections expressed the belief that Eroglu will definitely be
the winner of the second round.
Mustafa Akinci, who also passed in the second round, noted that
the elections results showed that the “people need change”. Akinci who
delivered a speech after the results were announced, stated that the Turkish
Cypriot community has passed a difficult test with this “election”. Reminding
that his main focus is finding a solution to the Cyprus problem Akinci said
that he will do everything he can to reach a settlement which will benefit both
Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities equally. “This island’s people,
both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots have suffered a great deal of pain.
Here tonight I promise to do everything I can on my part to reach a solution
that will allow all of us to live peacefully with each other as brothers and
sisters ”, he stated.
According
to the paper,Akinci also said that he will hold meetings today with the
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and with KudretOzersay and he will ask for their
support and co-operation for the second round of the “elections”.
CTP
candidate SibelSiber stated that the election had been a democratic one; she
wished the two candidates who have gone through to the second round all the
best.
The
chairman of CTP and self-styled prime ministerOzkanYorgancioglu stated that his
party did not expect the outcome of the “elections” and added that CTP will
convene today in order to decide which candidate will support in the second
round. According to Havadis, CTP is expected to support Mustafa Akinci.
On his
part, KudretOzersay stated that the persons who voted for him can cast freely a
vote to any of the two candidates passed in the second round of the
“elections”.
(CS)
3. How columnists comment on the results of the first round of the
“elections” of 19 April 2015
Columnist LeventOzadam comments in Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (20.04.15) on the results of the first round
of the “presidential elections” held yesterday in the occupied area of the
Republic of Cyprus and reports that the
“voters” said they want “early [general] elections”.Ozadam writes, inter
alia, the following:
“[…] The results of
the first round of the elections did not surprise me. There is nothing abnormal in the ranking, but the results are not very
normal.Their most interesting characteristic is the fact that all four
important candidates remained under 30%. In our view the first message
which the elections gave is the following: According to the votes which the
candidate of the government’s major coalition partner secured, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) has
experienced a heavy loss of blood and its position in the government has been
shaken! And this means early elections. If the candidate of a party which
is in the government concludes the elections a little bit in front of Ozersay,
who had no organization [to back him], it is meaningless for this party to
remain in power!
If we begin from
the end, the real winner of the
elections is KudretOzersay. Ozersay,
the votes of whose were estimated around 10% during the election campaign, has
doubled this number and as of today the way for him to establish a new
formation is opened. If we leave aside the questions as to whether there
had been interference after some mayors, members of the National Unity Party
(UBP), expressed their support to Ozersay two days before the elections, a new
procedure is about to begin in politics and it must begin! […]
Siber’s candidature was a mistake from the very beginning, but she was
nominated and the smack down was inevitable. It is obvious that the quarrel between the ‘mustached and the
non-mustached persons’ within the CTP is still continuing and the basis of the
party could not congest the fact that Siber had been among the founders of the
Democratic Party (DP). […]
Mustafa Akinci
might not have taken as much votes as Mehmet Harmanci [in Nicosia], but if we look at the whole country, he
achieved a big success. During the election campaign he kept ahead the
‘Cypriotism image’ and even though he did not full achieve his target because
of his standing up against Turkey, he has acquired a big advantage! If he
had drawn a milder and softer picture in the [TV] programs and especially if
his party was more organized, he would be in the first place now. […]
The votes secured
by Eroglu should be interpreted by two ways. The total votes of the UBP and the DP are around 50%, but Eroglu remained
at 28%! Even though a reduction in Eroglu’s votes was caused due to the
settling of accounts during [UBP’s] congress, the fact that he is not accepted
in the basis of the DP and lastly the emergence of KudretOzersay, being at the
first place is always a success because he was the candidate who had been
attacked the most”.
Commenting on the
same results, columnist Sami Ozuslu
writes in Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen (20.04.15) that Akinci will be directed towards securing
the support of the CTP voters and partly from those who have voted for Ozersay.
He notes: “Eroglu, on his part, has no party to which he could be directed. He
will try to gain the right wing voters who voted Ozersay and those resentful
[voters] who did not go to the ballot box. CTP supporting Akinci is inevitable,
it bears historic importance and in any case prime minister and [CTP]
president Yorgancioglu had given a clear message in this direction in the
beginning of the elections. And the
statements made after the last night’s result show that CTP will fully support
Akinci. In any case, this is the correct thing to do. And even if the CTP takes an opposite
decision, its basis will not listen to it. […] Those who gained from the results of the first round are Akinci, the
parties TDP and BKP which supported him, and Ozersay. […]”
(I/Ts.)
4.Six
newspapers confiscated and one TV channel was closed down during yesterday’s
“elections” in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(20.04.15) reports that in total six
newspapers were confiscated yesterday in the breakaway regime, since they
violated the “elections restrictions” of the “Higher Election Board” (YSK) and
published reports related to the so-called presidential elections.
According to the paper, three out of the
six newspapers which were seized are the Turkish newspapers Hurriyet,
Cumhuriyet and Zaman, while the other three are the Turkish Cypriot newspapers
Detay, Kibris Postasi and Afrika.
The
paper writes also that the Turkish Cypriot channel Ada TV closed down for a
while with the excuse of not complying with the “election restrictions”.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika
newspaper (19.04.15) under the front-page title: “Bon Appetit! How many votes for bulgur?” [Translator’s note: Bulgur
is the traditional dried crushed wheat which is used mainly in Middle Eastern
cooking], reports that 24 hours prior to
the “elections”, some people in the occupied area of Cyprus were distributing
plastic bags with food to several neighborhoods
in the occupied part of Lefkosia with the aim to attract votes.
The paper writes that similar practices
were observed in “elections” in the past in order to buy off the voters and
adds that in spite of this, no investigation was made.
(AK)
5. Toros:
The registration of halloumi-hellim cheese has been postponed until an
inspection mechanism is created in the occupied area of Cyprus
Under the title “Green light for inspection
in northern Cyprus”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (18.04.15) reports
that FikriToros, chairman of the
Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry, has
argued that a formula is searched on the issue of the registration of
halloumi-hellim cheese as a product of protected designation of origin (PDO)
that will be providing for the establishment of a separate inspection mechanism
in the occupied area of Cyprus which will not be depended on the Republic of
Cyprus. In statements to Kibris, Toros
claimed that the DPO procedure will not be concluded until this formula is
found.
Toros said that the stage during which the
EU Commission was evaluating the application submitted by the Republic of
Cyprus’ Ministry of Agriculture ended in January and alleged:
“As required by the procedure, after the
completion of this evaluation, the EU Commission sent it for the opinion of the
[EU Commission’s] Legal Service. In
spite of the fact that this application has been made on behalf of the entire
island of Cyprus, the inspection mechanism of the north of the island, that is,
for the Turkish Cypriot hellim producers has not been mentioned in the
application. About two months ago, an opinion was produced by the legal
service. According to this, a decision was taken that this registration will
not be concluded and it will not be published in the official gazette before
the establishment of an inspection mechanism which is missing in this
application and the Turkish Cypriot hellim producers who are in the north of
the island are included”.
According to Toros, this decision is
satisfactory and “means that the inspection mechanism of the Republic of Cyprus
which has submitted the application will not encompass the producers here
because the Republic does not exercise effective control in the north”. “Therefore,
this application will be concluded, if a separate inspection mechanism which
could directly report to the EU is established in the north”, he argued.
Toros said that the biggest concern which
they express during their lobbying activities is regarding the inspection
procedure being dependent on the Republic of Cyprus. “The evaluations ended and the geographic registration is suspended at
the moment”, he argued. Toros described this as a “good development”, but
claimed that they are not happy because the procedure is not completed and the
halloumi-hellim cheese is produced in many countries outside Cyprus such as
Turkey, the Netherlands, Germany and some Middle East countries.
Toros
described as “false information” the statement made by the Minister of
Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Nikos Kouyialis that everything
is completed and the translation into 25 languages is currently taking place
now.
Toros said that the Republic of Cyprus
exercise no effective control in the occupied northern part of the island and
this is why the financial aid from the EU is not given to the Turkish Cypriots
through the Ministry of Finance, the “Green Line Regulation” is needed, the
TAIEX missions are going to the occupied area of the island and not the
government-controlled area and Turkish Cypriot task Force exists in the EU.
(I/Ts.)
6.
Racist protest from Azeri students in the occupied area of Cyprus
Under the title “Racist protest from Azeri students”, Turkish Cypriot daily
HaberalKibrisli newspaper (18.04.15) reported that incidents occurred on Friday
night during the presentation of a theatre performance which took place in
occupied Morfou.
According to the paper, around 300 Azeri students held a racist
protest prior to the performance against the main actor of the play
AretVartanya who is of Armenian origin.
The so-called police arrived in the
scene where it arrested a group of students.
(AK)
7. Toros
supports the idea of opening up a bi-communal university in the UN controlled
buffer zone
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 18.04.15), the Turkish Cypriot
Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) has expressed support to the idea of opening up a
bi-communal university in the UN controlled buffer zone.
FikriToros, Chairman of the KTTO, said that
they are very excited about the idea.
The issue came up during a visit paid to
the acting “Rector of the Eastern Mediterranean University” (“DAU”) Prof. Dr
NecdetOsam by Toros and an accompanying delegation.
Speaking during the visit, Toros argued that establishing such a
university in Cyprus would contribute to fostering and developing relations
between the two sides on the island.
“Creating such a university which will
offer courses on human rights, history, language, literature and religion would
be extremely valuable in bringing the two sides on the island closer”, he said.
Toros added that the Chamber is prepared to
do all it can to support the initiative.
(DPs)
8. Cavusoglu:
Erdogan and Obama to inaugurate Turkish mosque in Maryland
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(20.04.15), the Presidents of Turkey and the U.S. will inaugurate the
Turkish-American Culture and Civilization Centre in Maryland, Turkey’s Foreign
Minister said on Sunday.
Mevlut Cavusoglu, on a three-day visit to
Washington, visited the centre that also has a middle-sized mosque, and lunched
with representatives from the American Muslim community.
“During a phone call, President
(RecepTayyip) Erdogan asked President (Barack) Obama to accompany him in
opening the centre together and President Obama accepted his offer ‘in
principle’,” Cavusoglu told the representatives.
If Obama’s schedule allows at the time of
the opening, he will accompany Erdogan.
Cavusoglu said that the centre has been
constructed as a place where all Muslims in the U.S. can come together and
worship freely.
9. CHP
outlines ambitious election manifesto, prioritizes fight against poverty
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online,
20.04.15) with the above title reports that Turkey’s main opposition social democrat party has outlined an
ambitious election manifesto with concrete and holistic promises to end
poverty, address the problems of the country’s 17 million poor and prioritize
turning the country into a first-class democracy.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chairman of the
Republican People’s Party (CHP), announced his party’s manifesto under the
title of “A Liveable Turkey” and introduced his parliamentary candidates on
April 19 in Ankara with the participation of more than 5,000 enthusiastic party
colleagues.
Introducing a four-legged strategy for the
realization of his promise, Kilicdaroglu said that the first section is to
ensure that Turkey will become one of the top 20 countries on the Human
Development Index. “Our current rank is 69. Our objective is to move Turkey
forward and to place it among the first 20 countries. Can we make it? Yes, we
can,” he said.
In a bid to do so, the CHP will push for
democracy and freedoms, introduce the Political Ethics Act and reduce the
election threshold from the current 10%, among many other measures,
Kilicdaroglu said.
Likewise, the CHP will seriously deal with
the Kurdish question, Kilicdaroglu said. The right address for the resolution
of the problem is Parliament, the CHP leader said, while the manifesto
suggested establishing a national inter-party commission to carry out the
process.
The second leg of the strategy is to
implement numerous measures to turn the country into a competitive economic
actor by exiting the “middle income and middle technology trap”.
Kilicdaroglu promised to abolish the High
Education Board [YÖK], another remainder of the Sept. 12 [1980] coup.
The CHP also promised to create employment
for 1 million Turks through economic policies that envisage the creation of
more jobs at a moment when official figures suggest more than 11% of the
country is unemployed.
The third leg of the CHP strategy is to
reinforce a constitutional principle of the “social state” to provide a fair
distribution of the national wealth that has been severely damaged over the
13-year rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).
For the sustainability of a liveable
Turkey, Kilicdaroglu said that the last leg is to establish a strong state with
strong institutions free from the interventions of politics. “It’s not enough
to establish democracy. It should be rooted. For this, the governments will not
intervene into the affairs of independent institutions like the Central Bank
and others.”
Kilicdaroglu also published a to-do list
for the first 100 days and 12 months of a CHP administration.
(DPs)
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/ AM)
