TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No. 82/15 06.05.15
1. Akinci is visiting Ankara
2. Olgun evaluated the current
stage of the Cyprus negotiation process
3.
The appointment of the new “foreign minister” postponed
4. First visit to Akinci by
US Ambassador
6. Denktas and Tacoy due to
Turkey
7.
Construction in mosques increased in the last 15 years in the occupied area of
Cyprus
8. Erdogan declines Putin’s
invitation to Moscow ceremony in fresh diplomatic snub
9. Turkish Deputy Prime
Minister: “It would be super if HDP failed to pass election threshold”
10. “Lack of fair media opportunity in Turkish elections”
1. Akinci is visiting Ankara
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis (06.05.15) reports that the newly elected Turkish Cypriot
leader Mustafa Akinci is carrying out his first “official foreign visit” to
Ankara today. Akinci and his team will ask Turkey’s strong support for the
process. Akinci, who gave a positive reply to Eide’s demand for truly
substantive negotiations, will inform Turkish officials regarding the new
process.
According
to trusted sources, the paper writes that Akinci, who is going to Ankara with
the Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ozdil Nami this morning, will ask Turkey’s
active support on the negotiating process, which will be shaped around the
joint declaration of February 11.
According to the sources,
one of the issues that Akinci will discuss is getting Turkey’s help on
acquiring well-trained experts especially on the fields of international law,
property and constitution.
The
paper further reports that Akinci’s delegation will discuss with the Turkish
officials their first visit with Espen Barth Eide, Special Adviser of the
Secretary General on Cyprus. Akinci wants also Turkey’s support, as a guarantor
country, on the new process.
According
to the paper, the issue of opening the fenced off town of Varosha will not be
in the agenda, however, if the issue is opened, then Akinci will convey to them
his views on the matter.
Akinci
and his delegation will be greeted by ceremony at Esenboga airport and his
first meeting will be with Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Then, he
will attend a lunch in his honour hosted by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Later, Akinci will attend an official state ceremony, after which he will meet alone
with President Erdogan. Their meeting will be followed by a meeting of their
delegations after, which a press conference will be held. After attending a
dinner in his honour, Akinci will return to the occupied area of Cyprus on the
same evening.
(DPs)
2. Olgun evaluated the current
stage of the Cyprus negotiation process
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (06.05.15) reports that the former Turkish Cypriot
negotiator Ergun Olgun, issued a written statement yesterday after handing over
his position to the new Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ozdil Nami, underlined that
a new window of opportunity has arisen in the Cyprus negotiation process and
stated that the Turkish Cypriot Negotiating team has completed two months ago
all its preparation work related to the negotiations.
Olgun
added that after completing its preparation work, the negotiating team has
conveyed to the UN an indicative roadmap and stated that they had also conveyed
to the new “president” and the new negotiator all this work.
Referring to the current stage of the Cyprus
negotiation talks, Olgun said that the proposals submitted in 2014 by the two
sides on six chapters, the 11th February Joint Declaration and the
convergences between the two sides of the 2008-2012 period, are still on the
table of the ongoing Cyprus negotiation process which is carried out within the
framework of the UN’s parameters. “The
negotiations will continue from the point they were left, with a structured,
intensified and productive way, within a time limit and with the aim to yield a
positive result. Efforts should be exerted to end the talks with bridging
proposals and a give-take process”.
Referring
to the problems experienced recently between Turkey and the “TRNC”, Olgun
described them as intra-familial issues and stressed the need for both Turkey
and the “TRNC” to solve their problems with the more appropriate way.
(AK)
3. The
appointment of the new “foreign minister” postponed
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (06.05.15)
reports that the appointment of the new “foreign minister” of the breakaway
regime is being postponed for a few days since the “current fm”, Ozdil Nami,
who was appointed as the new Turkish Cypriot negotiator, will conducted a
scheduled visit in Berlin on May 8.
The paper writes that the appointment of the new
“foreign minister” will take place after the visit, according to a decision
taken by the central committee of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP).
(CS)
4. First visit to Akinci
by US Ambassador
Turkish
Cypriot daily (06.05.15), under the title “First visitor, US Ambassador”,
reports that US Ambassador to Cyprus John M. Koenig visited yesterday morning
the newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
The
Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ozdil Nami, the self-styled undersecretary of the
foreign ministry Erhan Ercin and the “presidential spokesman” Baris Burcu were
present at the meeting. No statement was issued before or after the meeting.
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 05.05.15), the latest developments on the
Cyprus problem and the US’s role in the negotiations process were discussed at
the visit which was closed to the press.
(DPs)
5. An ancient tomb of the
Hellenistic-Romaic period was found near the illegal Tymbou airport
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (06.05.15)
reports that an ancient tomb belonging
to the Hellenistic-Romaic period was found yesterday during the excavation
works which were taking place near the area of the illegal Tymbou airport,
within the framework of the works for broadening the illegal Tymbou airport
landing field. According to the paper,
“officials” of the so-called antiquities department arrived to the area and
inspected the excavations.
In statements to the paper, the “director” of the “antiquities department” Fuat Azimli said that
pieces of historic importance, such as a broken sculpture, a king’s head, 4
legs and pieces of a sculpture with three hands were found inside the tomb.
Azimli said that all the antiquities belong to the
Hellenistic-Romaic period. He added that more information will be given to the
media after the cleaning and inspection works.
(AK)
6. Denktas and Tacoy due
to Turkey
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 06.05.15), self-styled deputy prime
minister SerdarDenktas and the self-styled minister of public works and
communication HasanTacoy are to hold separate contacts in Turkey. Both will be
flying to Turkey this evening.
Denktas
will be travelling to Isparta as guest of the Turkish World and Relatives
Society. He will be delivering a speech on the history of the Cyprus problem at
the SuleymanDemirel University tomorrow afternoon.
Denktas,
who will also be holding other “official” contacts, will be returning to the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus on Thursday evening.
Tacoy
on the other hand will be delivering a speech at the 10th International
Electronic Communications Regulators Conference in Istanbul. He was invited by
the Turkish Information Technologies and Communication Authority.
7. Construction
in mosques increased in the last 15 years in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (06.05.15)
reports that 38 mosques were built in the last 15 years in the occupied area of
Cyprus.
According to information obtained by the “directorate
of Waqfs”, 38 mosques have been built
since 2000, increasing the number of mosques to 204. The paper also writes that
the number of churches in the breakaway regime is 204.
According to this information, 3 mosques were built in 2000, 5
in 2001, 1 in 2005, 2 in 2006, 5 in 2007, 7 in 2009, 5 in 20010 and 6 in 2013.
The mosques were built among other areas in occupied Leonarisso, Koma tou
Yialou, Vokollida Agios Georgios, Gaidouras, Acheritou, Milia, Gastria,
Flamoudi and Massari.
In statements to the paper, the director of the
“directorate of Waqfs”, Ibrahim Benter,
stated that the interest for mosque construction continues this years as well
and added that the request for building a mosque is issued by the persons
living in an area it is conveyed to the
“religious department” and after to the “directorate of Waqfs”, which examines
the issue. He also stated that a huge part of the construction budget is covered
from the “Turkish embassy” in the occupied area of Cyprus.
(CS)
8. Erdogan declines
Putin’s invitation to Moscow ceremony in fresh diplomatic snub
Turkish
Hurriyet Daily News (06.05.15) reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
has declined an invitation from counterpart Vladimir Putin to attend the
ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Moscow’s victory in World War II, in
an apparent diplomatic reprisal against the Russian leader’s decision to label
the 1915 killings of Ottoman Armenians as genocide last month.
Russian
diplomatic sources told daily Hurriyet on May 5 that Turkey would be
represented by Ambassador Umit Yardim at the May 9 Victory Day Parade in
Moscow.
9. Turkish Deputy Prime
Minister: “It would be super if HDP failed to pass election threshold”
Turkish
Today’s Zaman newspaper (06.06.15) reports that Turkish Deputy Prime Minister
Yalcin Akdogan on Tuesday dismissed concerns over the possible failure of the
pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) to pass the 10% election threshold,
saying it would be “super” if it doesn't qualify to enter Parliament.
“Some
people say this or that would happen if the HDP fails to pass the threshold,”
he said during a visit to the eastern province of Malatya. “Nothing would
happen. It would be super. It would be very good. Did they even exist when the
[ruling Justice and Development Party] AK Party launched the [settlement]
process?”
The
HDP may struggle to pass the 10% election threshold to enter Parliament in next
month's parliamentary elections. But if the HDP does achieve what would be a
historic first for the party, the AK Party is unlikely to secure a big enough
parliamentary majority to comfortably press for constitutional changes that
would pave the way for a Presidential system, sought by President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, to replace the current parliamentary one.
As
the June 7 elections hove into view, both Erdogan and AK Party officials have
intensified their criticism of the HDP.
10. “Lack of fair media opportunity in Turkish elections”
Under
the above title, Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (06.05.15) published a commentary
by Murat Yetkin (06.05.15):
“The
Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) filed an official
complaint to Turkey’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) on May 5, claiming that President
Tayyip Erdogan has been taking sides on behalf of the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK Parti), despite the President’s political neutrality
outlined in the Constitution.
The
HDP asked the YSK to warn the President, as well as the media, about the
coverage of his almost daily speeches, which in practice double-up the AK Party
campaign for the June 7 elections along with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s
rallies.
The
YSK has no authority over the President beyond the power to issue a call to
him. Actually, no other institution has authority over the President. Article
105 of the Constitution states that the President can only be tried in court in
case of “treason.” So if Erdogan openly demands votes for the AK Party, nobody
can do anything about it. Erdogan uses the same rhetoric in all his speeches: “Yes,
I am taking sides, I take sides with the people, he says, as if all his
opponents are “against the people”.
However,
the YSK does have authority over the Higher Board of Radio and Television (RTUK)
in election times. RTUK, in turn, has authority over at least the public
broadcaster TRT. Working on a state budget, TRT must give fair coverage to all
parties according to the votes they received in the most recent elections.
Ahead of the local elections in March 2014, upon a complaint filed by the
social democratic main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), RTUK had
told the YSK to warn TRT over its unfair coverage weighted against all
opposition parties.
Yesterday
May 5, President Erdogan was speaking at a rally in the western province of
Tekirdag and almost all news channels were broadcasting it live. At one point
he stopped. It was the afternoon (ezan) call for prayers and almost all
politicians do this in order to show how respectful they are to people’s
beliefs. The ezan took a bit longer than usual, around 3-4 minutes. All TV
stations broadcasting the rally live, apart from CNNTurk after the first
minute, continued to show the crowds during the ezan, waiting for Erdogan to
start talking again.
Here
is the irony: TRT is currently celebrating its 51st anniversary, and its
stations are broadcasting a number of stories from earlier elections. One of
these stories is about a debate on the economy before the 1991 elections. The
head of the six political parties entering the elections, including the then-Prime
Minister Mesut Yilmaz, were discussing their positions live.
It
would not be possible in today’s Turkey to see Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
discussing anything live with an opposition leader or leaders. CHP head Kemal Kilicdaroglu
has repeatedly challenged him to a live debate, on whichever TV station Davutoglu
prefers, but he has yet to receive any reply. When Davutoglu appears live for
an interview on any channel, the reporters who ask him questions must be
approved in advance by his press people.
It
is not just TRT that has problems on this. Most of the private channels, even
those that are not controlled by pro-government owners of construction
companies, feel obliged to broadcast Erdogan’s programs, considering the
current political atmosphere.
Communications
and political science departments in universities across the world could do
worse than to consider the Turkish situation as an academic case study
regarding the exploitation of the media.”
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(CS/ SP)
