TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
96/15 26.05.15
1.
Erdogan: “No concessions will be made on Turkey’s
policy towards the energy resources in the island”; Turkey to continue to be
one step ahead
2. Cavusoglu to illegally visit the occupied area of
Cyprus today
3. Ozgurgun and Tacoy support the continuation of
Turkey's guarantees
4. Kibris: The opening of two crossing points in
Deryneia and Famagusta Gate in Nicosia will be announced on Thursday
5. Elcil: Denktas’ resignation shows that the regime
established by his father is a puppet of Turkey
6.
Russian investors living in Cyprus transferred their accounts to the Creditwest
bank in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
7. The number of passengers at the illegal Tymbou
airport has been reportedly increased by 2 million during the last ten years
8.
Konsensus and Genar opinion results for Turkey’s general elections
9. OSCE to increase number of observers for elections
in Turkey amid fears of vote-rigging
1.Erdogan: “No concessions will be made on Turkey’s
policy towards the energy resources in the island”; Turkey to continue to be
one step ahead
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News
(25.06.15), Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan has said that no concessions will be made on Turkey's policy
concerning the Turkish Cypriots.
Addressing the Sixth World Forum on Energy Regulation
in Istanbul on Monday, Erdogan said: "It
is not possible for us to make any concessions on our policy regarding the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the island's energy resources."
“Cyprus will
play an important role in the energy map of East Mediterranean. The energy
resources around it have an important place in our energy diplomacy.Abandoning
our policies regarding the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the energy
resources of the island is out of the question for us. On every occasion, we
have said that any resource discovered belongs to all the people on the
island”, Erdogan said.
“Turkey is the
key country in the use of the resources unearthed there and their transfer to
global markets,” Erdogan further argued.
Erdogan also touched upon the Cyprus issue, and said
that Turkey would be extremely pleased if a settlement was reached in Cyprus.
“Just
as in Iraq, we will be the most pleased if an agreement is reached on the
island” Erdogan said, adding that Turkey will continue to be one step ahead
with its policy on Cyprus.
2. Cavusoglu to illegally visit the occupied area
of Cyprus today
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (25.05.15)
reported that the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will be visiting
the “TRNC” tomorrow (today) for an “official visit”.
According to the statement issued by the “presidency’s
press office”, “president” Mustafa Akıncı will have a face to face meeting with
Cavusoglu at 14.15 and then the two “delegations” will come together during a
working lunch.
Akıncı and Cavusoglu will hold a joint press
conference at 16.00 at the “presidential palace”.
According to the information given by the “parliament”,
the “speaker” of the “assembly” Sibel Siber will meet Cavusoglu at 16.45.
Following his meeting with Siber, Cavusoglu will come
together with the so-called prime minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu at 17.15.
Other details of Cavusoglu’s visit have not been
released yet.
3.Ozgurgun and Tacoy support the continuation of
Turkey's guarantees
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (26.05.15-online
in English) reports that the chairman of
the National Unity Party (UBP) Huseyin Ozgurgun, has stated that despite the
positive atmosphere, he has his doubts about the process.
Referring
to Anastasiades’ recent statements that if the EU was drawn into the process,
there would be no need for guarantors, Ozgurgun stressed that the process was a
UN one.
He
alleged that Turkey’s guarantees were of utmost importance and added that Greece’s
guarantee had no value. As regards the UK guarantees he said that he is not
much sure for their importance since the UK has bases on the island.
Expressing the belief that the Turkish Cypriot leader
Mustafa Akinci would defend the Turkish Cypriot’s rights, Ozgurgun claimed that
the Cyprus problem stemmed from the fact that the Greek Cypriots did not see
the Turkish Cypriots as equals.
Meanwhile, the so-called minister oftransport and
communication Hasan Tacoy, in a written
statement said that in spite of the fact that they have high expectations about
the talks, they also have fears towards the negotiation process.
Tacoy
said that one of their fears was the recent statements that there was no need
for guarantees. He said it was important to follow these closely.
On the issue regarding mines, Tacoy said thatdespite
the UN agreement in 1999 which envisaged for both sides to brief one another
regarding mines, the Greek Cypriot side as he said, had not done so, and this “surely
constituted a violation of human rights”.
Tacoy stated further that they expect the full
implementation of the Green Line Regulation in order to allow people and goods
as well as vehicles to pass to the Greek Cypriot side with ease.
4. Kibris: The opening of two crossing points in
Deryneia and Famagusta Gate in Nicosia will be announced on Thursday
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (26.05.15) reports that the opening of two new crossing points between the occupied area and
the government-controlled area of Cyprus will be announced after the meeting of
President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Thursday.
The paper writes that these crossing points will be in Deryneia area and
Famagusta Gate in Nicosia. The leaders are expected to announce new
confidence building measures (CBM) after their meeting on 28 May.
The paper refers
to the 3.5 hour meeting held yesterday at Ledra Palace Hotel in the buffer zone
in Nicosia between the Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ozdil Nami and his Greek
Cypriot counterpart Andreas Mavroyiannis and notes that the negotiations
entered into “an intensive period”. The two negotiators will be meeting again
tomorrow, most probably at the presence of Espen Barth Eide, UN Secretary -
General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus.
It is alleged
that Nami and Mavroyiannis are on the one hand negotiating the substance of the
issues and on the other are working on a list of CBMs which will be submitted
to the leaders for approval.
According to the
paper, the Turkish occupation army is
not positive to the opening of the crossing points in the areas of Athienou and
Kokkina villages which will provide a passage through military zones.
(I/Ts.)
5. Elcil: Denktas’ resignation shows that the
regime established by his father is a puppet of Turkey
Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (26.05.15) reports that Sener Elcil, general secretary of the Turkish Cypriot teachers’
trade union (KTOS), has stated that
questioning the resignation of self-styled deputy prime minister
responsible for economy, sports, tourism and culture, Serdar Denktas was their communal duty.
In a written
statement issued yesterday, Elcil said: “Mr
Denktas’ words especially for Turkey’s Aid Delegation are exemplary from the
point of view of seeing that this regime established by his father is Turkey’s
puppet and that the political will of the Turkish Cypriots is totally usurped.
[…]”
Elcil noted that
KTOS has been saying for years what Denktas said recently about Turkey’s “Aid
Delegation” and for this reason the Union has “mercilessly been criticized”.
Elcil recalled
that “some patriots” had said what Denktas stated about Turkey and protested
against this situation, but suffered the oppression of the regime. Elcil
wondered where Denktas was at that time.
He accused Denktas’ party of opposing the democratization and the
binding of the “institutions” in the occupied area to a civilian authority and
of imposing a puppet regime to the Turkish Cypriot community.
Finally, Elcil
asked Denktas why he did not table a wealth declaration about himself and his
relatives when he resigned.
(I/Ts.)
6. Russian investors
living in Cyprus transferred their accounts to the Creditwest bank in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
Turkish
daily Sabah (26.05.15) reports that the Creditwest bank, which belongs to
Altinbas Holding, is after the Russians who fled from “south Cyprus”
(translator’s note: the government controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus).
According to the paper, the Russians are carrying their accounts to the “TRNC”
(translator’s note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic
of Cyprus).
The paper argues that the
financial crisis in 2013 in Cyprus has benefitted the banks in the occupied
area of the Republic of Cyprus. The Russian investors, who owned 60 billion
euro of the 120 billion deposits in the “south part” of Cyprus, have relocated
as alleged in the article, their money due to the financial crisis to the banks
in “north Cyprus” which were becoming gradually more reliable.
Creditwest
Bank Cyprus, which belongs to Altinbas Holding, provides services as the first
private bank in the “country”, the paper reports. The general director of the bank Suleyman
Erol believes that the Russians, who fled from “south Cyprus”, are an
opportunity. He also said that their Russian clients, who live in the “south”
and carry a part of the money to the “north” are drawing the attention. For
this reason, Erol said that Russian speaking employees started to work in 4
branches out of the 14 operating in the occupied area of Cyprus after this
development.
Erol
further stressed that the 30% of their total deposits are investments of
retired Britons and Russians who live in the area. Noting that the total
accounts of Creditwest bank reach to 1.2 billion TL, Erol said that the bank’s
five –year average growth is 30%.
(DPs)
7.The number of passengers at the illegal Tymbou
airport has been reportedly increased by 2 million during the last ten years
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (26.05.15)
reports that Mustafa Sofi, “director” of
the “Civil Aviation Department”, in statements during an event organized in
the occupied area of Cyprus, has stated,
inter alia, that the “civil aviation sector” is a sector which grows up very
speedily.
Sofi
added that the number of passengers at the illegal Tymbou airport ten years ago
was 1,5 million while in 2015 this number has reached 3,5 million, as he
alleged.
(AK)
Turkish
daily Milliyet (online, 26.05.15) discloses the results of two polling
companies, just 13 days before Turkey’s general elections.
According
to the polling company Konsensus’ latest survey, which was conducted between
April 30 and May 7 with the participation of 1,500 persons through telephone
interviews from across Turkey, announced its results with margin of error
2.45%.
In
the question: “If the elections were held today, which party would you vote for?”,
the distribution of the votes to the political parties is the following:
AKP
(Justice and Development Party): 43.9%
CHP
(Republican People’s Party): 26.7%
MHP
(National Movement Party):15.8%
HDP
(Peoples' Democratic Party): 9.7%
Others:
3.9%
Genar
polling company, which conducted its survey with the participation of 3
thousand persons with the method of face-to-face interview, announced the
following results in the distribution of the votes:
AKP:
44.5%
CHP:
25.4%
MHP:15.9%
HDP:
9.5%
Others:
3.9%
(DPs)
9.OSCE to increase number of observers for
elections in Turkey amid fears of vote-rigging
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (25.05.15) reported that according to a Taraf daily
article, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will
assign observers to 33 provinces across Turkey to observe the June 7 general
election amid concerns of potential foul play.
Opposition
parties have suggested that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
will resort to vote-rigging tactics to compensate for the party's decreasing
electoral support.
Gursel Tekin, Deputy Chairman for the main opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP), hailed the OSCE's initiative saying that the establishment
of an oversight mechanism in 33 provinces, for the first time, is very
positive.
Noting that both Turkish citizens and the
international community have concerns over the fairness of the upcoming
election, Tekin said that numerous international bodies will send election
monitors to Turkey.
The OSCE published a statement last week providing
details on the delegation that will oversee the election.
(…)
“The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has observed
parliamentary elections in Turkey in 2011 as well as the presidential election
in 2014. Since 1993, more than 5,000 OSCE parliamentarians and staff have
observed nearly 150 different elections in more than 30 countries,” the
statement said.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(AK/
AM)
