TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
65/15 08.04.15
1.
Eide to KIBRIS: The situation which was preventing the
negotiations ceased to exist
2. Eroglu, Nami and Olgun evaluated Eide’s statements
3. Eroglu:
“Greek Cypriot side wants a leader who will say yes to a solution to be elected
4. Denktas: “KTFF’s’ application
to become member of the CFA may cause the breakdown of the self-styled
government
5.
Ozgurgun: “Eroglu will win the elections from the first round”
6.KSP’ “presidential candidate” Mustafa Onurer
excluded from voting in the so-called presidential elections
7. One
out of five young persons unemployed in the breakaway regime
8. Atalay failed to get nominated as AKP candidate in
elections in Turkey
9. Political parties in Turkey submitted their
candidate lists for the forthcoming June elections
10. Former Secretary-General of OIC Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu to run as MHP candidate in Turkey’s parliamentary elections
1. Eide to KIBRIS: The situation which was
preventing the negotiations ceased to exist
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (08.04.15) reports thatUN Secretary-General’s Special
Adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eidehas
said that the situation which was preventing the continuation of the negotiations
towards finding a solution to the Cyprus problem ceased to exist. In an
interview with KIBRIS, Eide argued that
“if we see the issue technically”, President Anastasiades has lifted his
decision to postpone the negotiations.
Eide said that the important thing is not having a
crisis because of the content of the negotiations and added that the
interruption of the negotiations because of other reasons does not sadden him. He added: “The sides were not talking to each other
because of the hydrocarbon crisis. This situation does not exist anymore
because of some reasons. There is no drilling, there is no NAVTEX, there is no
Barbaros. And this means that we will continue the negotiations from the point
we have remained”.
Eide noted that the sides should not assume that
everything goes well and that they have a lot of time, pointing out that the
possibility of experiencing a crisis again always exists.
Asked why the
“crisis” was solved in Ankara and not in Nicosia and he brought a message from
Ankara in order to overcome the “questions”, which President Anastasiades had
in his mind, Eide replied:
“Yes, but at the
same time I am in Nicosia as well. […] Turkey
is an important and a directly interested neighbor. At the same time, Ankara
has a role. The NAVTEX and the Barbaros were activated upon the wish of the
Turkish Cypriots, but the owner of the ship is Turkey. What Turkey thinks
on this issue is also important. On its basis, this is a Cypriot problem, but I
talk to Turkey and Greece as well. I continuously meet with the guarantor power
Britain, the members of the UN Security Council, the USA, Russia and the EU.
This dispute has both local and international dimensions. The key here is the
two communities on the island, and the guarantor powers and the international
communitycomeafterwards. […]”
Asked whether
Turkey says that “we did not want to do this [that is, to issue the NAVTEX],
but we did it because the Turkish Cypriots asked us so”, Eide replied
negatively noting that “there is cooperation between Turkey and the Turkish
Cypriots”. He noted that he should talk
with both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots in order for being able to see the
whole picture and recalled that Turkey maintains 40.000 troops on the island
and “a remarkable presence”.
Replying to
another question, Eide said that no drilling activities will be taking place
for a long time, because the companies did not find natural gas and that is why
they want to reevaluate the geological model of the area. He added also that
the companies cut their expenses because of the decrease of the oil prices
internationally.
Eide noted also
the following:
“I can say that as long as there is no
drilling, there will also be no NAVTEX. I was openly told that if there is no
drilling there will be no NAVTEX. The NAVTEX was a response to the drilling,
but you have to ask others if there will be a NAVTEX in case the drilling
begins.
This situation opened a window of opportunity for us
that will last for more than a year and perhaps two years. However, I
want to warn those who believe that ‘we have plenty of time’. We have a window
of opportunity and this window is open. We do not know when this window will
close. Therefore, we must not be too relaxed. Let us take a step forward and
make use of this opportunity. […]
I am trying to avoid putting a timetable because I do
not want time to become the main issue. However, there is a thought of
implementing a progress plan which will be advancing speedily. It is a process very speedy, with not many
interruptions and the negotiators will work full time from the beginning to the
end. A short period of time for evaluation may be given. We will see where we
stand after this period. What I am trying to achieve is to come to a final
stage where the final give and take will be held with the contribution of
international actors in order to secure opportunity for the solution of some
issues. As I said, there are many common
views on many issues […]
There are also
[issues that] I call as ‘mild
disagreements’, on which no agreement was reached, but it could be reached
with a little give and take. And there are the issues on which the fundamental disagreements exist and it
is impossible to build bridges regarding these issues because there is no
common path. What you can do here is
strategic concessions and these will be exchanged. The climate should be
appropriate in order for this to happen. This will emerge not in the beginning,
but when we reach the end. We want to reach a point at which the disagreements
to be decreased to the minimum. […]”
Replying to
another question, Eide said that the solution to the Cyprus problem will bring
growth and stabilize the economy in Cyprus. Asked whether this is valid for the
hydrocarbon companies, Eide said: “Definitely. The hydrocarbons are the best
example for this. If your economy
depends on agriculture, tourism and banking, having a solution on the island is
not so important. As long as there is sea, sand and sun, tourists will continue
coming. However, if you pass to an economy
based on the hydrocarbons, that need different investments and long term
thinking and strategy, then the problems of having a divided island will be
more evident. […]”.
(I/Ts.)
2.Eroglu, Nami and Olgun evaluated Eide’s
statements
According to illegal Bayrak television (08.04.15) the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu n
written statement today has welcomed the announcement for the resumption of the
Cyprus negotiations process which has been stalled for the past 6 months.
Stating that the Turkish Cypriot side was pleased with
the restart of the talks, Eroglu reminded that he has been waiting at the
negotiating table since last year.
“Looking at
Eide’s statements, we understand that Anastasiades has finally agreed to return
to the negotiating table. We find Eide’s statement and announcement positive”,
Eroglu said.
Pointing
out that the UN Special Adviser had said that 2015 will be a decisive year for
the Cyprus negotiations process and that the current window of opportunity
could not remain open forever, Eroglu said that Eide’s views and evaluations
converged with those of the Turkish Cypriot side.
“Mr. Eide stressed in the Q&A session that the
hydrocarbons issue did not only concern Cyprus but the region as a whole and
should be taken up with all parties concerned. He also pointed out that the
Cyprus problem created discontentment within the EU and that it was the general
conviction of the international community that the Cyprus problem could not
continue to exist. These evaluations are extremely important for the future of
the process”, Eroglu stated.
Eroglu
also expressed the hope that the Greek Cypriot side acts in accordance with the
sensitivities that have risen both in the region and the international
community. “It is clear that the international community will not tolerate the
negotiations to remain open-ended nor will the Turkish Cypriot people continue
to accept being the victims of the status quo”.
Reiterating the Turkish Cypriot side’s commitment to
reach a speedy settlement to the Cyprus problem, Eroglu expressed the hope that
the Greek Cypriot side will refrain from taking anymore unilateral actions
which will jeopardize the outcome of the talks.
Also,
so-called foreign minister Ozdil Nami, speaking to illegal BRT’s evening news
program, has welcomed the decision by the Greek Cypriot leader to return to the
negotiating table and the resumption of the stalled Cyprus negotiations
process.
Evaluating yesterday’s announcement by Eide that the
talks could resume following the “presidential elections” in the “TRNC”, Nami
said that the Turkish Cypriot side was ready to resume with the talks in an
intensified manner.
Nami
claimed that Anastasiades had turned away from making a big mistake by
returning to the negotiations without any preconditions.
Expressing his view that Anastasiades should never have
left the talks in the first place,Nami said that there has been no change in
the Turkish Cypriot side’s position. “It
seems that Mr. Anastasiades has accepted returning to the talks without
demanding any preconditions. This is pleasing. I only wish all this time wouldn’t
have been wasted. Anastasiades wasted all this time for nothing”, Nami alleged,
expressing also the hope that as and when the leaders return to the talks they
maintain a speedy, well constructed and result oriented process which respects
and recognises past convergences.
Meanwhile, commenting on Eide’s statements, the Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ergun
Olgun has said that Eide’ statements in regard to the resumption of the talks
after the “TRNC presidential elections”,
was a good start.
Claiming
that the Turkish Cypriot side was fully engaged and committed towards reaching
a solution to the Cyprus proble, Olgun said: “The restart of the Cyprus
negotiations is today’s best news. There are positive aspects mentioned by Mr.
Eide”.
Claiming
that the Cyprus talks had been suspended due to the Greek Cypriot side’s
unilateral hydrocarbon exploration activities, Olgun said that the UN Special
Adviser had emphasized this during his press conference yesterday.
“This
is a very constructive stance. It is also important that Mr. Eide reminded that
his mission in Cyprus is to help facilitate a settlement to the Cyprus problem.
We have conveyed to Mr. Eide that we remain fully engaged and committed towards
reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem”, Olgun said.
3. Eroglu:
“Greek Cypriot side wants a leader who will say yes to a solution to be elected
Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (08.04.12)
reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader and candidate for the “presidential
elections” Dervis Eroglu, stated that the Greek Cypriot side “would like a
leader that would say yes” to a solution to be elected. Eroglu made these
statements in the framework of his “election campaign”.
“I have experience in various phases the stance and
the extreme demands of the Greek Cypriots”, Eroglu alleged and claimed that in
case a “yes leader” is elected then “the Turkish Cypriot people will lose the
chance to live in this land”. He also said that the Greek Cypriot side expects
him to lose the “elections”. “It is because they know what I believe in. They
know that I will reflect the expectations and the will of the Turkish Cypriots
at the negotiation table”, he claimed.
Eroglu also said that if a solution occurs, it is
fine. “But if there is no solution, then we will continue the road we have drowned
with the people”. He also said that his great difference with his other six
opponents is that he served as “president” for many years and experienced
himself the facts that he is talking about.
(CS)
4. Denktas: “KTFF’s’ application to become member
of the CFA may cause the breakdown of the self-styled government
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (08.04.15) reports that Serdar Denktas, self-styled deputy prime minister and “minister”
for economy, tourism, culture and sports of the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has
reiterated that he opposes to the Turkish Cypriot football “federation’s”
becoming a member of the Cyprus Football Association (CFA or KOP) and noted
that this issue could go as far as leading to the breakdown of the self-styled
government and cause a crisis in the occupied area of the island.
In an interview
with KIBRIS TV, Denktas said that he does not find “KTFF’s” decision to be
correct and if the self-styled prime minister does not like his decision, he
could remove him from his duty, but then the “government” will collapse.
Denktas argued that the “KTFF’s” becoming a member of
the CFA prevents the establishment of a Turkish Cypriot “national football
team” and weakens the Turkish Cypriots in the negotiations for reaching a
solution to the Cyprus problem, by being contrary to the position that the two
“federal states” should separately hold their sport activities.
Denktas said
that the federations which are members of FIFA are autonomous and if the “KTFF”
joins the CFA, the regime will not be able to give directly any financial aid
to the “federation”, but the aid will go to the clubs.
(I/Ts.)
5.
Ozgurgun: “Eroglu will win the elections from the first round”
Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper (08.04.15)
reports that Huseyin Ozgurgun, the chairman of the National Unity Party (UBP)
stated that the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu will be the winner of the
“presidential elections” from the first round. He was speaking at a television
program.
Ozgurgun said that it is not difficult for Eroglu to
get the 50% +1 vote needed to be elected from the first round and added that
90% of UBP will support his candidacy. He also said that 40% of the voters are
still undecided as regards the person who they will vote for and claimed that
if this number is taken into account, Eroglu is easily elected from the first
round.
(CS)
6.KSP’ “presidential candidate” Mustafa Onurer excluded
from voting in the so-called presidential elections
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (08.04.15)
reported that the “presidential
candidate” with the Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP) Mustafa Onurer is excluded
from casting his vote on the 19th of April “elections”, as he is not registered
in the electoral ballot.
In statements on the issue to the illegal TAK, the “chairman” of the “Higher Electoral
council” Safak Oneri said that despite being registered in the occupied
Gerolakkos village last year for the local elections, he had been struck off
the list due to a complaint that he did not live in that area.
Having
fallen off the list, Onurer omitted to re-register; therefore he is not
registered in the electoral ballot at present and will therefore be unable to
cast his vote.
Speaking to TAK news agency, Onurer said that they
were looking into what could be done. In the last “election period”, Onurer had
moved from occupied Gerolakkos to occupied Dikomo and despite registering his
new address, he thought that this would have electronically registered in the
ballot as well.
7. One
out of five young persons unemployed in the breakaway regime
Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (08.04.15)
publishes data by the “State Planning Organization” (DPO) for 2013 and reports
that unemployment among the young persons in the breakaway regime reached 23%.
Noting that “one out of five young persons in
unemployed”, the paper writes that unemployment among the youth is increased
every passing day. The number of person among the population who has no work is
8.929 and reached 8.4% according to the DPO data. Unemployment among men is
6.3% and unemployment among women is 12.1%. Occupied Famagusta has the highest
unemployment rate (11.2%) and occupied Keryneia the lowest (6.9%).
(CS)
8.Atalay failed to get nominated as AKP candidate
in elections in Turkey
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (08.04.15)
reported that the Director of the “Religious Affairs department” Talip Atalay failed
to win the right to be a nominee for candidacy for the AKP party elections.
Atalay’s personnel social media account noted that
Atalay announced that he was unable to win candidacy and wished the other
candidates success. He thanked everyone who had shown an interest in him and
given himsupport.
9.Political parties in Turkey submitted their
candidate lists for the forthcoming June elections
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (07.04.15) reported that the ruling Justice and
Development Party’s (AKP) candidate list for the upcoming general election
included figures from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s inner circle, who will
likely be taking a seat at parliament for the first time as lawmakers. Among
the surprise names is Berat Albayrak, Erdogan’s son-in-law, who has been
nominated from Istanbul.
Along
with Erdogan loyalists, several advisors known as being close to Prime Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu are also taken in at the AKP’s list.
(…)Some 99
candidates out of the AKP’s total 550 candidates are women, while 105 of the
AKP’s current MPs are not included in the list.
(…)
Among the new names that will run for parliament from
the AKP are Mucahit Arslan, a close confidant of Erdogan for decades; Yasin
Akdag; Aydın Unal, Erdogan’s former speechwriter; journalist Mahmut Ovur; and
journalist Nuri Elibol.
Current Ministers who were appointed to the cabinet
despite not being Deputies - Efkan Ala, Yalcın Akdogan, and Numan Kurtulmus -
have all been nominated to be elected to parliament in June.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s advisors Ali
Sarıkaya, Prof. Dr. Vedat Bilgin, Prof. Dr. Emine Nur Günay, Taha Özhan, Ertan
Aydın, and Prof. Celil Göçer are also in the list.
The list also includes Mustafa İsen, a secretary of
former President Abdullah Gul.
Ozan Ceyhun, a former German-Turkish European
Parliament MP, and Savcı Sayan, a former member of the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) and adviser to former CHP leader Deniz Baykal,
are also among the surprise names on the AKP’s list.
Meanwhile, Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (07.04.15)
reported that the main opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP) has submitted a list of Deputy candidates to
the Supreme Election Board (YSK) that includes a high number of women and
figures from the media.
In a press conference on Tuesday, CHP spokesperson
Haluk Koc said thatthe top of the
party's list for major cities such as Ankara, İstanbul, Bursa, Adana, İzmir and
Eskisehir were allocated to women, adding that 103 out of the 550 candidates to
run in the June 7 election are women.
He also said that 85% of the names on the party's list
were determined according to the preferences of the 760,000 members of the
party.
Female candidates include figures such as CHP Deputy
Chairwoman Selin Sayek Boke, Zeynep Altıok Akatlı (daughter of poet Metin
Altıok), Selina Ozuzun (a renowned lawyer in the Turkish Armenian community)
and CHP Deputy Safak Pavey.
CHP Deputy Mustafa Balbay and member of the CHP
general assembly, Tuncay Özkan, who have journalistic backgrounds, were
nominated for the next elections along with new figures from the media.
(…)
Also, according to Turkish daily Sabah (07.04.15) Turkey's pro-Kurdish People's Democracy
Party (HDP), announced its upcoming parliamentary candidates on Tuesday and
submitted their list to the country's top election authority, the Supreme
Electoral Council.
The
HDP candidate-list includes many names from Turkey's Alevi community leaders as
well as Armenian-origin Turkish citizens. Among four
major parties, the HDP has nominated the most female candidates with 268
candidates out of a total 550, followed by Republican People's Party's (CHP)
103 candidates.
The
pro-Kurdish political line, currently represented by HDP, used to run for the
parliamentary seats with individual independent Deputy candidates in earlier
elections, in order to by-pass the 10% national threshold, but in the upcoming
June 7 elections, HDP will – for the first time ever – enter the race as a
unified party.
There are both upsides and downsides to HDP's
revolutionary decision. If the party is unable to make the 10% threshold in the
elections, they will have no representation in the parliament. But this risk
also comes with an advantage, of course: the party's current representation of
35 MPs in the parliament will more than double in size if the party manages to
'break' the national threshold.
In addition to both veteran and young figures of the
Kurdish political movement, in constituencies where the HDP is likely to win,
candidates vary from socialists to pious Muslims, individuals from ethnic and
religious minorities, activists from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
intersex (LGBTI) groups, and an outspoken conscientious objector.
Aiming
to attract Alevi voters, the HDP nominated senior Alevi opinion leaders and
activists such as Muslum Dogan, the president of the Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural
Association (PSAKD), and Turgut Oker, the President of the Confederation of
European Alevi Unions (AABK).
(…)
Demirtas and Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Pervin
Buldan, a frequent visitor to Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as part of HDP delegations within the peace
process, have been exempted from a rule in the party’s internal regulations
limiting Deputies to two consecutive terms in parliament.
Accordingly, both Demirtas and Buldan are nominated
from Istanbul, while the other co-chair of the party, Figen Yüksekdag, was
nominated from Van.
Another frequent visitor of Ocalan, Deputy
Parliamentary Group Chair İdris Baluken, was nominated from Diyarbakır, while
another visitor, Sırrı Sureyya Önder, was nominated from Ankara.
Dilek
Ocalan, the jailed PKK head’s niece, was nominated from Sanlıurfa, while
prominent Kurdish political figure Leyla Zana was nominated from Agrı.
About
56 million Turkish citizens will vote on June 7 in the country's 25th general
elections to elect the 550 members of parliament.
A
total of 54,812,423 people are registered to vote in Turkey while 1,103,258
people will be able to cast their votes outside the country.
The Supreme Election Board will announce the final
registered list on April 24.
The elections in Turkey will start on June 7 at 08:00
a.m. (0600GMT) and finish at 17:00 p.m. (1500GMT).
Turkish nationals living abroad will be able to cast
their votes between May 8 and May 31.
10. Former Secretary-General of OIC Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu to run as MHP candidate in Turkey’s parliamentary elections
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (07.04.15) reported
that Turkey’s opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has announced its
final list of candidates for June's elections.
The list was submitted to Turkey's Supreme Election
Board on Tuesday, weeks after MHP leader Devlet Bahceli declared that the MHP
would not form a coalition with other opposition parties.
Notable MHP candidates are Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the
former diplomat and ex-Secretary of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) who ran against current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey's
presidential election last year, and the former head of the Central Bank of
Turkey, Durmus Yilmaz, who also served as an economic advisor under former
Turkish President Abdullah Gul.
An offer by Mustafa Kamalak, the leader of Turkey’s
other right-wing party, the Felicity Party (SP), who had suggested forming a
joint candidature, was rejected by the MHP.
(…)The MHP won 71 seats in parliament with 14.27% of
the vote in the 2011 general elections.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(AC/
AM)
