TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
78/15
29.04.15
1.
Akinci to meet with Erdogan by the end of the week; The date of his meeting
with President Anastasiades not determined yet
2.
Erdogan said that Akinci will not negotiate on his own without consulting
Turkey
3.
AKP MP Kuzu: “If Akinci likes it so much he should live in the south”
4.
Akinci replies to Kuzu: “Your statement were rude and disrespectful”
5.
Akdogan: “The TRNC is our homeland. Because our martyrs were killed there”
6.
Turkish Cypriot political parties and NGO’s reacted over Erdogan’s statements
7.
Kilicdaroglu: “TRNC is not under Turkey’s tutelage”
8.
Erdogan, Davutoglu and Cavusoglu sent separate messages to Eroglu thanking him
for his services
9.
Turkish columnists comment on Akinci’s election and the clash with Erdogan
10.
Ozersay expresses support for Akinci
11.
Developments in Turkish Cypriot parties following the “presidential elections’”
results
12.
Sertoglu welcomes President Anastasiades’ reference to “CTFA-KOP” process in
CBM’s
1. Akinci to meet with Erdogan by the end of the week;
The date of his meeting with President Anastasiades not determined yet
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (29.04.15) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci is expected to visit Ankara
on Friday or Saturday in order to hold a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip
Erdogan. The paper notes though that an “official;” statement has not made
yet on the issue.
Citing information, the paper also writes that the
meeting between Akinci and President Nikos Anastasiades, which was scheduled
for Saturday, was cancelled in order the first meeting and visit of Akinci to
be conducted in Turkey.
In
addition, a statement was issued by the new Turkish Cypriot leader’s office
according to which a date for Anastasiades - Akinci’s meeting is not determined
yet. The statement notes that the issue of the meeting between the two Cypriot
leaders was discussed during the conversation that took place after
Anastasiades called Akinci to congratulate him for his winning but a date and a
time for the money is not set yet.
(CS)
2.
Erdogan said that Akinci will not negotiate on his own without consulting
Turkey
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Bakis
(29.04.15) reports that Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who insists to
continue the polemic entered with the newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader
Mustafa Akinci, did not take a step back from his statements.
Replying to reporters’ questions on his
return from Kuwait, Erdogan said: “TRNC
President will not continue according to his own understanding”, adding that he
wishes they could agree, but because there are the guarantor countries, this
agreement cannot be made only by their own.
Erdogan also said that they are on
behalf of the “TRNC” (translator’s note: the breakaway regime in the occupied
area of the Republic of Cyprus) and Greece on behalf of the Greek Cypriot
administration (translator’s note: as he refers to the Republic of Cyprus). Erdogan also said: “These issues are not
matters that will be agreed without being discussed first with these guarantor
countries. Esteemed president will not do this work (talks) with his own way.
There is no distress since the rights of our Cyprus citizens are protected”.
(DPs)
3.
AKP MP Kuzu: “If Akinci likes it so much he should live in the south”
According to Turkish Cypriot daily
Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 29.04.15), AKP MP and Turkish National
Assembly Constitutional Commission president Prof. Dr Burhan Kuzu, speaking on
a Turkish TV programme recently, criticised strongly the newly elected Turkish
Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
Kuzu commented that Erdogan should have
said a lot more to Akinci and added: “On what Akinci was relying on and he was
trying to pick a fight?” He also said that if Akinci liked the Greek Cypriots
so much then he should go and live there.
Kuzu said a person should know his
place; however Turkey will not come to Cyprus to tell Akinci what to do.
4. Akinci replies to Kuzu: “Your statement were rude
and disrespectful”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (29.04.15) reports that the office of the
Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci replied to the statements of the Turkish
Constitutional Commission president Burhan Kuzu noting that Kuzu’s statements
and the words he used against Akinci were “rude, in poor taste and an insult
not only against Akinci but also against the Turkish Cypriots”.
According
to Akinci’s statement, the Turkish Cypriots voted for Akinci for his vision and
his personality and everyone must respect their political will. It also added
that a “TRNC” which will be able to stand on its own two feet would be in a
more healthy position within a federal Cyprus and the EU.
(CS)
5.
Akdogan: “The TRNC is our homeland. Because our martyrs were killed there”
Under the above title, Turkish Cypriot
daily Ortam newspaper (29.04.15) reports that Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Yalcin Akdogan, evaluating to Turkish
reporters several issues in Turkey’s agenda, referred to Akinci’s election in
the “presidency” of the “TRNC” and congratulated him for his victory.
Akdogan
underlined that Turkey supported by all means until so far “north Cyprus’
development” and added that it will continue to do so. “Do you know why?
Because we consider it as a homeland. The quarrel regarding motherland and
foster-land is because we consider it as homeland. And this because in that
land, in that homeland a lot of our martyrs lost their blood and killed. (…)
Recalling
that Turkey is the only country which exerted efforts for the recognition of
the “TRNC” as an “independent state”, he reminded that Turkey has brought into
the agenda of the international community the Cyprus problem.
(AK)
6.
Turkish Cypriot political parties and NGO’s reacted over Erdogan’s
statements
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(29.04.15) reports that the New Cyprus
Party (YKP), the United Cyprus Party (BKP), the Turkish Cypriot Teacher’s Union
(KTOS) and the Famagusta Initiative, issued separate statements and condemned
the recent statements by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan against
the newly elected “TRNC president” Mustafa Akinci.
According to the paper, all political parties and NGO’s
condemned strongly Erdogan’s statements and called him to respect the political will of the Turkish Cypriot
community.
In its written statement, the New Cyprus Party (YKP) said that
Erdogan’s statements prove the “policy of imposition and pressure” that Turkey
follows towards the “TRNC”, and called everyone to support their struggle
against Turkey’s policies.
Also, the secretary-general of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) Abdullah
Korkmazhan criticized Erdogan for the statements he made about Turkey’s ties
with the “TRNC” and stated that the Turkish Cypriot community’s expectation
from Turkey is to show respect to its “elected president” and to the
community’s political will.
Moreover, commenting on Erdogan’s
statements, the general secretary of
KTOS Sener Elcil, said that Erdogan’s attack against Akinci was not only an
attack against him but also against the Turkish Cypriots.
Elcil
continued and stated that the Turkish Cypriot’s have the knowledge, the skills
and potentials to be self-administrated. “We do not want to be Ankara’s bond
slaves”.
On the same issue, the Famagusta Initiative’s activist Mustafa
Ongul, in a written statement expressed his support to Akinci and stressed the
need for the establishment of ties between Turkey and the “TRNC” based on
friendship and not on the “motherland-daughter land” logic.
(AK)
7.
Kilicdaroglu: “TRNC is not under Turkey’s tutelage”
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News
(online, 29.04.15) reports that the leader of the main opposition party
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu,
responding to the spat between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the
newly-elected Turkish Cypriot leader over the nature of the relationship
between the two countries, said: “It’s
not appropriate to present Turkish Cyprus (editor’s note: the breakaway
regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) as a state which is under the command and tutelage of Turkey, just
because Ankara has given the TRNC support”.
When asked if the CHP considers the
“TRNC” as a “baby-land”, Kilicdaroglu said that the “TRNC is an independent
state”.
“Turkey could aid and give support to
many countries, but using that support as if it were a ‘right of empery’ and
using such pitiless language does not suit the Turkey of the 21st century,” he
said.
“Turkish
Cyprus has a different flag, parliament and judiciary. Their democracy and consciousness
of democracy is far more developed than ours. They are more sensitive to
corruption. We have to respect the TRNC and its institutions,” Kilicdaroglu
claimed.
The CHP leader accused the government of
perceiving everything as if it were in their own “backyard.”
(DPs)
8.
Erdogan, Davutoglu and Cavusoglu sent separate messages to Eroglu thanking
him for his services
Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper
(29.04.15) under the front-page title: “We will not forget your services”,
reports that according to a statement issued by the press office of the
“Presidency”, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s Prime Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu sent separate messages to
the former Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, thanking him on behalf of the
Turkish nation about the services he offered while being in his post.
As the paper writes, Erdogan in his
message thanked Eroglu for all he offered to the Turkish Cypriot’s struggle for
“freedom and existence”, for his services and the efforts he exerted in the
Cyprus negotiation talks, and to the “national cause” in general.
Erdogan described Eroglu as a real
example of a leader and said that they will be thinking of his contribution and
be thankful to him forever.
Similar were the messages sent to Eroglu
by Davutoglu and Cavusoglu.
(AK)
9.
Turkish columnists comment on Akinci’s election and the clash with Erdogan
Columnist
Cengiz Candar, writing in Turkish daily Radikal
(29.04.15), under the title “The Erdogan-Akinci Altercation”, argues that Tayyip Erdogan’s foreign policy
has made a U-turn from the early 2000s and Cyprus is no exception.
Candar writes that “Akinci's election
campaign was held up by two main pillars: 1. He expressed a powerful will to
fix the Cyprus problem. 2. He promised to reshape relations with Turkey on the
basis of two equal countries. (…) There is no need to add that the ‘settlement’
means a ‘federation’ between ‘two states and two communities’.
(…)
From the day Mustafa Akinci was elected,
Erdogan tried to put him in his place saying, ‘He should watch his language’. He insisted on making the ‘motherland and
baby nation distinction’. This was not one of the ‘gaffes’ that everyone has
grown accustomed to Erdogan making. It reflected a point of view.
Erdogan has, as in so many things, made
a U-turn in the foreign policy from the early 2000s with respect to its near
abroad, a policy that is now better understood to have been largely the work of
Abdullah Gul. Cyprus is no exception.
Meaning, Erdogan has shifted to a position that is in favour of the ‘status quo’
and that feels ‘the best settlement policy is no settlement’. That was how
Turkey's ‘deep state’ approached the Cyprus problem to begin with. As a result,
the relationship between Erdogan and the ‘deep state’ is exposed in his
approach to Cyprus as being ‘flirtatious’ at least if not ‘matrimony’.
Meaning
that the polemic that took place between Erdogan and Akinci less than 24 hours
after Akinci had been elected ‘TRNC president’ is no coincidence.
(…)
‘Hopes for a settlement’ on Cyprus have
been brought back to life. Now, pay attention to the direct talks that are
going to begin under UN observation on 4 May.
Pay attention to what?
To this: Ankara (you can read this as
Tayyip Erdogan) is very disturbed by the idea of ‘a blow/coup against the
status quo’ in the ‘TRNC’ being delivered by ‘left-wing secular’ Akinci who
will most likely set out towards a settlement together with Anastasiades. Might
Ankara try to ‘sabotage’ the ‘settlement process’ on Cyprus? What is it going
to do?
How can we interpret a tone of voice
that disrespects the political will in the ‘TRNC’ by adopting an attitude of ‘I
pay the piper, I call the tune’ and that insists on the ‘motherland-baby nation
asymmetry’ instead of acknowledging that the ‘TRNC’ and Turkey are equals? (…)”
On the same issue, columnist Sami Kohen,
writing in Turkish daily Milliyet (29.04.15), under the title “The New Cyprus
Facts”, reports, inter alia, the following:
“In a climate in which the whole world
regarded Mustafa Akinci's election as ‘president’ of the ‘TRNC’ as positive it
was most unfortunate that the "motherland-baby nation" polemic
between Ankara and Lefkosia [editor’s note: the occupied part of Nicosia] led
to quite unnecessary friction.
That the issue has been closed now is
good to hear. However, what matters is that this argument should not leave an
after taste and that this kind of rhetoric should not be repeated. In order to
do this - apart from stopping angry outbursts - we need to pay attention to the new realities concerning Cyprus. What
exactly are these realities?
1. Independent candidate Mustafa Akinci
was elected "president" in the KKTC with 60.5% of the vote. We have
to respect this result from the ballot box that represents the national
will. (…)
2. Akinci's election was welcomed by the
Greek Cypriots and the international community alike. The Turkish side's image
has been elevated in the persona of the new leader. That disparaging words were
uttered from Turkey at this exact time is a contradiction.
3. The ‘TRNC’ was founded as an
‘independent state’ to offset the ‘Greek Cypriot State’ (editor’s note: the
Republic of Cyprus). Ankara is the only country that recognizes this status. Akinci's comments about the ‘motherland-baby
nation’ relation are not so much a challenge against Ankara but an expression
of the Turkish Cypriots' desire to act more independently and to stand on their
own two feet. This in turn demonstrates the reality that the sense of having a
‘Turkish Cypriot identity’ has grown in strength.
4. True,
the ‘TRNC’ has so far been able to maintain its existence thanks to Turkey's
political, military and economic support. Nobody is denying this. But clearly,
comments made from time to time such as ‘You exist because of us’ are offensive
to the Turkish Cypriots. There is no need to repeat this in official
announcements. Yes, the ‘TRNC’ still depends on Turkey. But Turkey also needs
the ‘TRNC’, particularly in a strategic and military sense.
5. Harmony, coordination and cooperation
between Ankara and Lefkosia are needed today perhaps more than ever. It goes
without saying that the Turkish Cypriot administration is going to take into
account Turkey's interests when considering its own interests. Ankara in turn needs
to act in a similar fashion and the government should cooperate with the ‘TRNC’
instead of imposing its own opinion.
Right now there is growing international
opinion that the chances of fixing the Cyprus problem have increased. One of
the various factors influencing this idea is the election of Mustafa Akinci.
Similarly, the fact that the Greek Cypriots have Anastasiades, who backed the
Annan Plan, as their leader is seen as an opportunity here.
In addition, the regional state of
affairs plus the political and economic conditions make for an appropriate
climate.(…)”
Columnist Ilnur Cevik, writing in
Turkish daily Sabah (29.04.15), under the title “Akinci may solve Turkish
Cypriots' image problem”, argues that
Erdogan is being extremely sensitive in view of the games being played against
Cyprus behind the scenes to sever the ties between Turkey and the Turkish
Cypriots, and feels any suggestions of Turkish Cypriots acting more
independently and giving the image that Ankara is being sidelined, plays into the
hands of the adversaries of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots. Thus, he reacts
strongly to even a hint of any weakening of the bonds between Ankara and the
Turkish Cypriots.
Cevik also said: “Yet, it is also true
that the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey have a serious image problem in the West.
The Turkish Cypriots are unfortunately regarded as puppets of Ankara and thus
no one takes them seriously. Ankara is regarded as the dominant boss that
imposes its will on the Turkish Cypriots irrespective of their own preferences.
All this is being proven wrong by Akıncı. Now he will be the more independent
face of the Turkish Cypriots and has a chance to regain respectability for the
Turks on the island.
Now there will be a serious Turkish Cypriot
negotiator who has always proven resourceful and conciliatory towards the Greek
Cypriots. Those who expect him to ‘sell out’ are mistaken. On the contrary, he
will be a tougher negotiator than those of the past, much to the discomfort of
the Greeks.”
Columnist Serkan Demirtas, writing in
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 29.04.15), under the title “Turkey
should avoid arguments with Turkish Cyprus’ new leadership”, believes that “the resolution of the Cyprus
problem will of course have regional economic and political consequences and
will be to the advantage of both Turkish and Greek Cypriots. The removal of the Cyprus problem from the
international agenda will also give an important hand to Turkey’s EU process as
nearly half of the chapters have been blocked due to this question. That’s why
Turkey should try to do its best to support the new leadership and avoid
arguments and tensions with the Turkish Cypriots.”
(DPs)
10.
Ozersay expresses support for Akinci
According to Turkish Cypriot daily
Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 29.04.15), former Turkish Cypriot negotiator
and independent “candidate” Kudret Ozersay
expressed his support to Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
Commenting on the tension between Akinci
and Erdogan, Ozersay wrote on social media: “I didn’t say anything yesterday in
order to avoid adding fuel to the flames, but I do find that Akinci’s words are
on the spot. I also think that the way he expressed his opinion without
hesitating was also a right thing to do. From now on, I think it would be
better to engage in healthy diplomatic dialogue instead of using media. It is
not right for our relations with Turkey to be exploited through eviscerated
concepts. I hope this discussion evolves in to some concrete steps towards
healthier relations.”
11. Developments in Turkish Cypriot parties following
the “presidential elections’” results
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (29.04.15) reports that the “agony congress”
for all the Turkish Cypriot parties has started in the breakaway regime
following the “presidential elections’” results.
The
paper writes that the National Unity Party (UBP) will hold its “guidelines
congress” on June following by its ordinary congress on December 1. The paper
writes that 6-7 members of the party are getting ready to run for the party’s
leadership while calls for the current leader Huseyin Ozgurgun started to
surface. On his part, Ozgurgun dismissed those who want him to resign from his
post, saying that resigning is easy but keeping on its not, adding that this
issue is not on his agenda for the time being.
The
Democratic Party will hold its congress in February 2016, however the party’s
officials will convey prior to this to examine the recent developments and the
party’s decisions.
The
Communal Democracy Party will hold it congress in years as it was planned
before the “elections”.
The
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) will hold its extraordinary congress on June 14.
The party’s leader Ozkan Yorgancioglu stated that he will be a candidate for
the leadership again stating that he takes full responsibility for the
“presidential elections’” results.
Reporting
on the same issue, Diyalog (29.04.15) writes that many important CTP officials
stated that the “coalition government” with DP will continue and there will be
no early “general elections”. In addition the possibility of Mehmet Ali Talat
to be a candidate for the party’s leadership receives great support from
party’s members.
In
addition, Havadis newspaper (29.04.15) reports that Kudret Ozersay is moving
forward to establish a party and adds that the “mayor” of occupied Lapithos
Fuat Namsoy, expressed his support to the new political formation. Namsoy was
an UBP member but supported Ozersay on the “presidential elections”. However,
Ozersay stated on his Facebook account that he will is not establish a party
for the time being.
(CS)
12.
Sertoglu welcomes President Anastasiades’ reference to “CTFA-KOP” process in
CBM’s
Under the title: “Sertoglu: It is a positive development”, Turkish Cypriot daily
Ortam newspaper (29.04.15) reports that the chairman of the Turkish Cypriot
Football Association (CTFA) Hasan Sertoglu, issuing a written statement
yesterday after the announcement by President Nikos Anastasiades of the four
proposals package as CBMs, welcomed Anastasiades’ proposals and especially his
reference to the “Turkish Cypriot Football Association” (CTFA) and the Cyprus
Football Federation (KOP) process.
Sertoglu
described this development as very positive and said: “Sport is very important
for building confidence and trust between the two communities”.
“We have been saying this for months,
especially to our politicians here. We should have been the ones who proposed
this, so I am sad that we didn’t but I am also happy about this development”.
(AK)
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/ AM)
