TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No. 107/15 11.06.2015
1. Bozkir:
2014 Progress Report is unacceptable and will be returned without being opened
2. Akinci:
Whatever government is formed in Turkey, the Turkish Cypriot side will be in a
close contact with them on the Cyprus talks
3. Burcu’s
statements on the Cyprus talks
4. Akinci
said that “he will be evaluating a request by those taking part in the yacht
rally to sail around the island freely”
5. More
developments about Corendon came into light
6. “Caner
Gonyeli search and rescue exercise” started
7. The
Turkish Cypriot electricity “authority” will go bankrupt by the end of the year
8.
Residents of occupied village of Lefka protest against the mines to be operated
9. Davutoglu:
AKP respects people's coalition choice
10.
Columnist evaluates Erdogan – Baykal meeting and enumerates the parties’
positions on forming a government
11.
Turkey's EU membership bid backed by Romania
1. Bozkir:
2014 Progress Report is unacceptable and will be returned without being opened
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(10.06.15), Turkey rejected a 2014
progress report on EU membership compiled by the European Parliament on
Wednesday.
The country’s EU Minister VolkanBozkir said that Ankara will return the report,
which covers the reforms Turkey has made to comply with to join the EU, without opening it.
Three key sticking points for the Turkish
government were the definition of the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 as genocide,
declassifying the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a terror group and
any suggestion of an end to the EU’s economic contributions to Turkey.
"I had earlier informed the EU
Parliament about the report and said if [these] three elements were included,
we would return it", Bozkir said. He added: "The report will go into
history books as the first one rejected by Turkey and described as
'unacceptable'."
Bozkir
claimed the report had put a block on the negotiations for Turkey’s accession
rather than encouraging them. He also raised the issue of Cyprus, where a
newly-elected Turkish Cypriot leader is building ties with his Greek Cypriot
counterpart to reunify the island, suggesting the report may affect the
process.
The Minister added that the report would
not have any effect on the Turkish economy or financial markets.
The European Parliament approved Turkey’s
2014 progress report on Wednesday by 432 votes in favour, 94 against and 127
abstentions.
In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry
said: “The Resolution of the European Parliament (EP) regarding the European
Commission's 2014 Turkey Progress Report was adopted in the EP Plenary on 10
June 2015.
The EP Resolution, which was drafted this
year by Mrs Kati Piri, Dutch member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists
and Democrats, confirmed that Turkey is a strategic partner of the EU with its
role in cooperation in the fields of economy, energy security and foreign
policy, as already indicated in the 2014 Enlargement Strategy of the European
Commission.
We
continuously express to the EU authorities that Turkey sees accession to the EU
as a strategic choice and resolutely continues to work in the direction of full
membership. In order to reinforce and encourage this resolute stance, we
expect the European Parliament to be fair and objective in its Resolutions on
Turkey and to voice its criticism and expectations in a balanced manner.
However,
the EP Resolution, which contained a balanced and constructive critical tone in
its first draft, has unfortunately been changed into a one-sided text far from
being objective in the process of adoption by the EP Foreign Affairs Committee. This
attitude continued in the plenary of the EP, and thus one of the most
unfortunate Resolutions on Turkey has been adopted by the EP. It is obvious
that this Resolution will not contribute to our cooperation with the EP.
The frequency of the Resolutions against
Turkey and their content with prejudiced statements and criticism undermine our
relations with the EP, which took office after the elections held in May 2014.
They also aggravate concerns that the EP is unwilling to include Turkey in the
EU project.
We do not
accept this Resolution and will return it to the EP as it contains unfounded
allegations against our country in many fields. The EP
[European Parliament] decision draft, which was a balanced one and had
constructive criticism in it in the first take, was transformed into a
one-sided, far-from objective text during its process in the EP Foreign Affairs
Committee.”
Speaking after the vote, the Parliament
Rapporteur’s for Turkey, Dutch socialist MEP Kati Piri, said: "The EU and
Turkey are important strategic partners and it is in the interest of both to
have a close and effective cooperation". However, she said there are still
"concerns on certain developments" and urged Turkey to “respect media
freedom, free expression and judicial independence".
Piri welcomed the recent general election
in Turkey, saying it "demonstrated the resilience of Turkish democracy and
the democratic spirit of its citizens". She added: "Turkish voters
have indicated that they want change. Our reaction should not be to shut the
door. This report also clearly calls for more, not less, engagement with Turkey
at all levels."
The report praised the country for efforts
to reach an "inclusive and sustainable" settlement with its Kurdish
population and asked the European Commission to "support the Turkish
government's efforts to conclude the peace process with the Kurdish community,
through socio-economic and educational programs in the southeast of
Turkey."
Despite criticism over "government
interference" in the judiciary and bans on social media, the report
praised the country for its "invaluable support" for Syrian refugees.
It also urged the European Commission
"to review the conduct of the EU accession negotiations with Turkey and to
consider how EU-Turkey relations could be improved and intensified".
2. Akinci:
Whatever government is formed in Turkey, the Turkish Cypriot side will be in a
close contact with them on the Cyprus talks
According to illegal Bayrak channel
(online, 11.06.15), Turkish Cypriot
leader Mustafa Akıncı has said that the Turkish Cypriot side will continue to
work in close dialogue with any new government to be formed in Turkey towards
reaching a settlement in Cyprus.
Speaking on the results of the Turkish
general elections yesterday, Akinci said that the outcome of the elections in
Turkey was the decision of the Turkish people. “Everyone will be respectful of
the decision taken by the Turkish people for their own future. What can be
expected of us is to respect the outcome” he said.
Responding to a question as to whether the
results of the elections will impact the Cyprus negotiations process, Akinci
reminded that past and present Turkish governments always supported the Cyprus
negotiations process. “I don’t know how the new government in Turkey will be
but no matter who forms the new government we shall continue to work with them
in close dialogue towards reaching a successful conclusion to the Cyprus
negotiations process.
3. Burcu’s
statements on the Cyprus talks
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris
Postasi Daily News (online, 11.06.15), Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci’s
spokesman BarisBurcu said that the two Cypriot negotiators will come together
on 12 June and 15 June for day long meetings.
In a press release issued today, Burcu said
that the negotiators’ endeavours to speed up the process will continue till the
leaders meeting on the 17th of June which will be attended by the Turkish
Cypriot leader Akinci and the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades.
“A
day before the actual meeting, the leaders will hold separate meetings with
UNSG Special Advisor Espen Barth Eide in the morning. Eide will meet with the
negotiators on the same day (16 June)”, read the statement.
According to Burcu’s statement during
today’s meeting which lasted around 4 hours the negotiators developed a joint
work principle in order to harmonize the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs)
with the substantive talks.
“The negotiators have decided to prioritize
economic issues. In this regard technical committees on economy will produce
common ideas for the heading” said Burcu.
4. Akinci
said that “he will be evaluating a request by those taking part in the yacht
rally to sail around the island freely”
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 11.06.15), the 4 day “sail season celebrations” at the “Karpaz Gate
Marina” kicked off last night with the cocktail of the 26th Eastern
Mediterranean Yacht Rally.
Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and
Turkish Cypriot negotiator OzdilNami were amongst those who attended the event.
Akinci, in
a statement, said that he will be evaluating a request by those taking part in
the yacht rally to sail around the island freely. “As and
when the Cyprus problem is solved, a large number of problems seen unsolvable
will be solved. But the important thing
is to solve these problems before a settlement”, he said.
5.
More developments about Corendon came into light
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(11.06.15) continues publishing
information about the tour operator company Corendon, which announced that it
will suspend its entire operation in the occupied area of Cyprus and writes
that very strange developments came into light concerning the Jasmine Court
hotel in occupied Keryneia which was rented to the company by a Turkish family
called Topal.
According to the paper, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) which is
among the leading banks in the UK and also one of the “legal owners” of the
“Jasmine Court hotel” in occupied Keryneia, filed a lawsuit in the “Property
Compensation Commission” demanding either “compensation” or the “return” of the
management of the hotel. The case is still in progress, writes the paper.
Speaking to the paper about the issue, the Turkish Cypriot lawyer of the RBS
SinanSemiler said: “According to the TRNC’s laws, proceeding to the renting of
the Jasmine Court hotel to a company or to another person whilst the hotel was
hired by Topal family, is not possible to happen. This is the reason why
Corendon is leaving the island”.
Semiler
stated further that the owners of the hotel prior to 1974 were a Cypriot of
Armenian origin and the RBS, who both applied to the “Property Compensation
Commission” asking either “compensation” or the “return” of the hotel.
Meanwhile, the paper reports also on
statements by the so-called minister of
economy, tourism, youth and sports MentesGunduz who said, inter alia, that
Corendon’s decision to suspend its operation in the “TRNC” is a very
disappointing development which caused distress to several circles in the
“country”.
Gunduz
added that he has sent the issue to the “assembly” in order to be discussed
immediately and added that he had also informed the
so-called prime ministerOzkanYorgancioglu, the so-called minister of finance
ZerenMungan and former “minister” SerdarDenktas.
Stressing
the need for steps to be taken in order to win back Corendon, Gunduz said that
they will do all the necessary. He explained that he has already undertaken
initiative in order to meet with Corendon’s officials and exchange views about
the problems occurred. “Winning back the company which has transferred tourists
to the country and promoted our country abroad several times in the past, is a
precondition”, Gunduz added.
(AK)
6. “Caner
Gonyeli search and rescue exercise” started
According to illegal Bayrak channel
(online, 11.06.15), the land phase of the “2015 Martyr Lieutenant Caner Gonyeli
search and rescue exercise” which is being conducted with the participation of
civilian and military units from Turkey and the “TRNC” (editor’s note: the
breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) was held
yesterday.
Before the land phase, a press briefing of
the 2015 Martyr Lieutenant Caner Gonyeli Search and Rescue Exercise was held at
the occupied Bogazi military headquarters of the Turkish occupation forces in
Cyprus.
Speaking at the press briefing, the
“Turkish Cypriot security forces”, the “Security Forces” Commander Brigadier
General IlyasBozkurt said that successful search and rescue operations required
professionally trained staff, good planning and coordination and a readiness 24
hours a day.
He said that the “Martyrs Lieutenant Caner
Gönyeli Search and Rescue Exercise” was held to test the “TRNC’s” capabilities
and to highlight its authority to conduct such operations within international
waters in the Eastern Mediterranean as well as the Turkish Search and Rescue
zone declared by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
General Bozkurt also gave information about
the current exercise as well as it aims.The land phase of the exercises was
conducted at 101 in the occupied Saint Hilarion Area.
Meanwhile,
the sea phase of the exercises which was scheduled to be conducted off the
coast of occupied Famagusta today has been postponed to tomorrow.
According to the “Security Forces
Commandership Press Office” statement, the second and third phases of the
exercise were postponed due to bad weather conditions.
On the same issue, “BRT” also broadcast
that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci visited the TCSG Yasam ship which
will be taking part in the sea phase of the “2015 Martyr Lieutenant Caner
Gonyeli Search and Rescue Exercise”.
Self-styled prime
ministerOzkanYorgancioglu, the self-styled minister of environment and natural
resources HakanDincyurek and the self-styled minister of public works and
communications Hasan Tacoy were amongst those who visited the vessel, docked at
the occupied port of Famagusta.
A briefing was given to Akıncı about the
vessel and the exercise during his visit.
Giving the briefing, Lieutenant Colonel
OguzAybek said that the main duty of the vessel which belonged to the Turkish
Coast Guard is to enforce the law and maintain the security of life and
property within the maritime waters of Turkey in accordance with the national
and international law. He also provided information about the general features
and the military capabilities of the ship.
Briefing Akinci about the Exercise, Colonel
SuleymanYarayan said that the exercise was being conducted for the first time
this year under the control and administration of the Coast Guard Command. He
also added that the main aim of the exercise is to test the military
capabilities of Turkey’s and the “TRNC’s” search and rescue units, to increase
the level of cooperation on search and rescue activities between the two
“countries” and to improve the operation procedures of the units taking part in
the exercise.
Noting that the land phase of the exercise
was conducted yesterday, Colonel Yarayan also provided information of the
scenario of the sea phase of the exercise which will be conducted tomorrow.
7. The
Turkish Cypriot electricity “authority” will go bankrupt by the end of the year
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (11.06.15)
reports that IsmetAkim, chairman of the administrative council of the Turkish
Cypriot so-called electricity authority (KIB-TEK), has said that KIB-TEK loses
60 million Turkish liras every two months because
of the increase in the price of fuel. In statements to Kibris, Akim noted:
“We have lost 60 million TL in two
months. If the government does not take our proposals into consideration, we
will shut down the institution by the end of the year”.
Akim said that they have decreased their
prices but the fuel cost, which had been 600 US dollars per ton in January,
raised to 1,200 US dollars today. He noted that they are losing money every
month and criticized self-styled prime minister, OzkanYorgancioglu, adding that
“if a problem exists here, the prime minister should solve this problem”.
(I/Ts.)
8. Residents
of occupied village of Lefka protest against the mines to be operated
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris
Postasi Daily News (online, 11.06.15), the “Lefka Region Civil Society
Organisations Coordinatorship” (STOK) blamed the so-called ministry of
environment and resources for being on the side of the companies who want to
operate mines in occupied Lefka instead of siding with the residents of the
village who are opposing to the mines to be operated.
In a press release, STOK reiterated their
stance on the issue and said that they will not allow mines to operate in the
occupied village of Lefka. Residents of Lefka region who are still suffering
from the pollution caused by the Cyprus Mines Cooperation (CMC) works with
record number of cancer cases observed monthly are concerned with the latest
developments.
9. Davutoglu:
AKP respects people's coalition choice
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(11.06.15), Turkish Prime Minister AhmetDavutoglu
has stressed that his Justice and Development Party (AKP) respects the Turkish
people’s choice, after the June 7 election that produced no majority
government.
"Our people opted for a coalition. We
will not argue against it but will try our best to do our part," he said
at a live interview on state broadcaster TRT on Wednesday evening.
Davutoglu highlighted that the will of the
nation is beyond argument, ruling out any resentment on the part of AKP towards
the Turkish people for the decline in their votes compared to previous
elections. "What is right is whatever the people say. You can't have
resentment towards the people, or take offense," he said.
The Prime
Minister said it was instead a development that merited self-assessment. Davutoglu
maintained that the results could not be justifiably called a failure for his
party, saying: "The Turkish people said ‘we continue to confer the main
responsibility over our future to AKP to form the government. We will remain
calm and united. Just as we successfully managed the administration for 12
years in power, so are we the only ones now to make the coalition a
success."
"But if they [negotiation efforts]
yield nothing, we will not leave the country with an interim government or shut
the parliament, but will go to the public again to ask what their new order
is," he said.
Davutoglu touched on President
RecepTayyipErdogan's meeting earlier in the day with Deniz Baykal -- former
leader and freshly-elected MP of the main opposition Republican People's Party
(CHP) -- who will preside over the assembly, as the oldest Deputy at 76, until
a Speaker is elected. Davutoglu ruled out any negotiation between the two over
a possible coalition during the meeting. "Our
President is not part of the coalition talks, but is the holder of the seat
that could remove any deadlock. He may come into play only to overcome
crises," he said.
Davutoglu ruled out any "red
lines" while searching for a coalition partner, but said his party has its
own political and moral principles. "I have never used the term 'red line'
even in diplomacy. Politics is conducted not on lines but on a course and
towards a direction," he said.
10. Columnist
evaluates Erdogan – Baykal meeting and enumerates the parties’ positions on
forming a government
Columnist Murat Yetkin, writing in Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 11.06.15), under the title “Erdogan’s Baykal
move before Davutoglu’s coalition talks”, evaluates the meeting as follows:
“Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan, not Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, made the first
political move after the Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost its
parliamentary majority in the recent election, meeting with Deniz Baykal,
the former head of the social democratic Republican People’s Party (CHP) on
June 10.
It appears that Erdogan sent a message to
Baykal, who was in his constituency in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya on
the night of June 9, after accepting the resignation of Davutoglu (a routine)
but also asking him to form a new government and stay in power until then.
Baykal apparently did not respond immediately and asked CHP head Kemal
Kilicdaroglu about it. (…) It was to be held at the residence of the Foreign
Minister - currently used by Erdogan - rather than in the controversial Presidential
Palace, which the CHP does not recognize the legitimacy of. Baykal then took
the first plane from Antalya to Ankara, where he and Erdogan had a one-on-one
meeting lasting more than two hours.
Baykal said
afterwards that he “saw that Erdogan was open to coalition possibilities.” He
later told the Hurriyet Daily News that he did not in particular mean a
coalition between the AKP and the CHP, but all combinations including the
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’
Democratic Party (HDP). Baykal’s most
important message to Erdogan was probably advising him not to force his
constitutional limits, as voters demanded, and to encourage the parties to
agree on a stable coalition government.
It seems that after meeting with Baykal,
Erdogan might allow all coalition scenarios to be exhausted rather than push PM
Davutoglu and the AKP for an early election to try once again to shift from a
parliamentary to a presidential system through an AKP majority (which didn’t
emerge on June 7).
Before updating the positions of the
political parties before Davutoglu begins his tour to establish a coalition (or
minority) government, one must recall the significance for Turkish politics of
the first Erdogan-Baykal meeting back in 2003.
At that time, Erdogan had been banned from
politics and was not a member of parliament, so he was not even able to lead
his own party as Prime Minister. It was Baykal who let that happen through a
constitutional amendment, thus allowing Erdogan to lead the government. That
move by Baykal changed the course of Turkish politics.
Today, Erdogan is the President and Baykal
is set to open parliament as the most senior Deputy, also serving as the
temporary Speaker until a new one is elected. It may be worth noting that the
Parliament Speaker is the substitute for the President in the latter’s absence.
Will this second meeting after 12 years
change the course of Turkish politics again?
Here are the latest positions of the four
parties in Parliament before the start of coalition talks:
Davutoglu’s first choice is an AKP minority
government, but no other parties are likely to approve of this.
His second best choice is a coalition with
the MHP. But MHP leader Devlet Bahceli has two conditions for a coalition:
Erdogan should withdraw to his constitutional limits (and he should not be
involved in daily government politics), and the Kurdish peace process (which
Bahceli describes as a “dissolution process”) should immediately be stopped.
Davutoglu rules out any coalition with the HDP and a coalition with the CHP is
his least favoured option.
Kilicdaroglu’s first choice is to remove
the AKP from power through a coalition with the MHP. But the seats of the two
parties do not add up to 276 seats, which is the necessary number to pass a
vote of confidence. Meanwhile, Kilicdaroglu’s least favoured option is a
coalition with the AKP.
The HDP, meanwhile, as its co-chair
Selahattin Demirtas has stated a number of times, wants to stay out of any
coalition, but could give outside support to non-AKP options. On paper the HDP
could support a CHP-MHP coalition, but the MHP would not like to be part of a
coalition that survives thanks to the HDP, whose number one priority is a constitutional
solution to the Kurdish problem.
Kilicdaroglu, who ran under an election
campaign slogan declaring “Vote them out”, will have great difficulties in
explaining a coalition with Davutoglu with the shadow of Erdogan lurking behind
him. The CHP head has the example of German and Greek social democrats eroding
after joining coalitions with bigger conservative partners. On the other hand,
Davutoglu is aware that he must compromise on issues important to the other
three parties, like the struggle against corruption. Essentially this would
mean admitting the cases that he had to deny all along.
It is certainly not an easy puzzle to
solve. But as SuleymanDemirel, the master of coalition politics in Turkey, once
said, “There is always a solution on legitimate grounds”.”
11. Turkey's
EU membership bid backed by Romania
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(11.06.15), Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, during an official visit
to Romania, discussed relations, trade and EU membership with his counterpart.
Bilateral relations, trade volume and EU
membership topped a meeting on Wednesday between Romania and Turkey's Foreign
Ministers in Bucharest.
During a joint press conference with his
Turkish counterpart, Romania's
BogdanAurescu said: "We will continue to support Turkey's EU accession
bid, and the relative reforms it is making to join."
Turkey and Romania aim to boost bilateral
trade volume to $10 billion.
Cavusoglu said that their trade volume has
increased to $6 billion in the last 13 years, adding "This shows us that
there is a potential and Turkey and Romania can reach $10 billion soon."
Cavusoglu also said that there are 7,000
Turkish companies operating in Romania and they have $6 billion of investment
there.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/
AM)
