TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No. 132/15 16.07.2015
1. Erdogan will visit the breakaway regime for the celebrations of
the Turkish invasion in Cyprus
2. Battleships of the Turkish Navy to arrive in the breakaway regime
for the celebrations of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
3. Eide met with Ozyigit
4. A “coalition protocol” between CTP and UBP was signed
5. The new “government’s” position on the Cyprus problem
6. Reactions to the establishment of a CTP-UBP “coalition
government”
7. The breakaway regime’s current deficit for 2014 is the lowest
of the last three years
8. Luxembourg Foreign Minister: Opening of Chapter 17 on economic
policy as part of Turkey’s bid for EU membership is a possibility
9. Davutoglu visited HDP; coalition with CHP is the only option;
AKP is in favour of lowering the 10% election threshold
1. Erdogan will visit the breakaway regime for the celebrations
of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus
Turkish
Milliyet newspaper (16.07.15) reports that RecepTayyip Erdogan, the President
of the Republic of Turkey will illegally visit the breakaway regime for the
celebrations of the 41st Turkish invasion in Cyprus on July 20.
According
to the paper, Erdogan will hold meetings during his visits with the Turkish
Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and so-called officials of the newly established
“government” in the occupied areas of Cyprus.
(CS)
2. Battleships of the Turkish Navy to arrive in the breakaway
regime for the celebrations of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Illegal
Bayrak television (16.07.15) broadcast that battleships of the Turkish Navy
will arrive in the breakaway regime within the framework of the celebrations
for the 41st anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
The TCG
Gokceada Frigate of the Turkish Naval Forces which will anchor off the coast of
occupied Keryneia, the TCG I Inonu Submarine and TCG Bora Assault Boat which
will dock at the harbour of occupied Keryneia and the TCG Bozcaada Covette
which will dock at the occupied Famagusta harbour.
In
addition, the Turkish Air Force’s aerobatic display team – the Turkish Stars
will also be performing a show in occupied Keryneia on Sunday from 6pm.
(CS)
3. Eide met with Ozyigit
Turkish
Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (16.07.75) reports that the UN
Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide held a meeting
with the General Secretary of the Social Democracy Party CemalOzyigit, on the
framework of the visits he pays to the leaders of Turkish Cypriot parties.
According
to the paper, Eide referred during the meeting to the on-going Cyprus
negotiations, stating that they are “difficult but important”. He noted however
that he is optimistic about the result and added that his hopes increase every
time a meeting between the two leaders in Cyprus is completed.
He also
said that it is vital to reach a modern agreement which would take the island
forward as a united federal Cyprus. Eide said he accepted that there are many
issues to discuss still but he believed this is an opportunity not to be
missed.
Speaking to
the press after the meeting, Ozyigit pointed out that hope towards a solution
had increased with Mustafa Akinci’s “election”. Noting that the EU Commission
President was visiting the island, Ozyigit said these initiatives would pave
the way for positive results in the coming period.
(CS)
4. A
“coalition protocol” between CTP and UBP was signed
Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris
(16.07.15) reports that the coalition protocol between the Republican Turkish
Party (CTP) and the National Unity Party (UBP) was signed yesterday by CTP’s
leader Mehmet Ali Talat and UBP’s leader Huseyin Ozgurgun at the so-called
assembly of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of
Cyprus.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Talat
said that the protocol is consisting of three chapters: “Government’s working
order”, “TRNC Assembly’s working order and coordination” and “The distribution
of the ministries”. Noting that the “coalition government” has been approved by
the “presidency”, Talat said that the protocol will be submitted to the
“assembly”, which will hold an extraordinary meeting today in order to put into
effect. He added that the “government programme” will be submitted to the
“assembly” the latest in a week.
Noting that the “government” will make
reforms, Talat said that the Turkish Cypriot “people” has wanted this to
happen, but it could not be materialized due to “weak governments” or other
reasons. He stressed that they will put them into practice, explaining that the
aim of the “coalition government” is to achieve important reforms, including
the “constitution”, to take the necessary measures in order to reach a
sustained economic structure and to support the ongoing Cyprus talks.
Ozgurgun, for his part, said that the
protocol between CTP and UBP is a milestone in their political history in order
to overcome the serious problems of the period. Noting that they have to carry
out important work, Ozgurgun said that they have to do hard work.
(DPs)
5.The new “government’s” position on the Cyprus problem
Turkish
Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (16.07.15) reports that Omer Kalyoncu, the
new “prime minister” of the breakaway regime, made statements about the new
”government’s” position on the Cyprus problem. The new “government” was
established after a coalition was formed between the Republican Turkish Party
(CTP) and the National Unity Party (UBP).
Kalyoncu
stated that in the protocol of the new “government” it is stated clearly that
it supports the negotiation for the solution of the Cyprus problem. He said
that things are going on well, no problem has occurred so far and the former
“foreign minister” Nami is now on the side of the Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci
as negotiator.
Kalyoncu
also asked for the members of the two parties to evaluate positively the
coalition “government” and added that he asks for the everyone’s support so
that to prepare the society for a better future.
(CS)
6. Reactions
to the establishment of a CTP-UBP “coalition government”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(16.07.15) reports that the Turkish Cypriot primary school teachers’ trade
union (KTOS) has called on the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) – National Unity
Party (UBP) “coalition government” to develop its policies according to some
principles, evaluations and proposals. In a written statement issued yesterday,
KTOS’ education secretary, Burak Mavis
expressed the view that the newly established “government’ does not represent
the community and added: “The
establishment of a government between the UBP, which is the guardian of the
status quo, and the CTP leadership
which has been saying for forty years that ‘I will demolish the 40-year-old
mentality of the UBP’, is both shady and
a kind of treason to the struggle for democracy which the community has been
giving for years”. Mavis argued that the CTP-UBP “coalition government” is
established on the “lack of principles”.
Meanwhile, referring to the same issue, IzzetIzcan, chairman of the United
Cyprus Party (BKP), has expressed the view that the CTP-UBP self-styled government will be a “government of destruction and
poverty”. In a written statement issued yesterday, Izcan said that the two parties have established a “coalition
government” to protect the status quo and “materialize the Justice and
Development Party’s (AKP) package”.
(I/Ts.)
7. The
breakaway regime’s current deficit for 2014 is the lowest of the last three years
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(16.07.15) reports that OdulMuhtaroglu, “undersecretary” at the self-styled
state planning organization (“DPO”) has said that the breakaway regime’s current deficit for 2014 is the lowest of the
last three years. In a written statement issued yesterday, Muhtaroglu noted
that the current deficit was 125.1 million US dollars in 2012, 44.7 million
dollars in 2013 and 11.7 million dollars in 2014.
According to the balance of payments’
report, the foreign trade was 122.4 million dollars in 2012, 120.7 million
dollars in 2013 and 134 million dollars in 2014.
The imports, on the other hand, were
1,705.3 million dollars in 2012, 1,699.4 million dollars in 2013 and 1,784.3
million dollars in 2014. The rate of the exports in comparison to the imports
was 7.2% in 2012, 7.1% in 2013 and 7.5% in 2014. The foreign trade deficit was
1,582.9 million dollars in 2012, 1,578.7 million dollars in 2013 and 1,650.3 in
2014.
According to Muhtaroglu, the income from
tourism and the higher education increased in 2014. The net income from tourism
was 571.9 million dollars in 2012, 613.4 million dollars in 2013 and 679.4
million dollars in 2014. The net income from higher education was 412.8 million
dollars in 2012, 535.6 dollars in 2013 and 589.8 million dollars in 2014.
(I/Ts.)
8. Luxembourg
Foreign Minister: Opening of Chapter 17 on economic policy as part of Turkey’s
bid for EU membership is a possibility
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(15.07.15), Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister, Jean Asselborn, said on Wednesday
that opening Chapter 17 on economic policy as part of Turkey’s bid for EU
membership is a possibility.
Speaking at the Foreign Affairs Committee
at the European Parliament in Brussels, Asselborn said: "It is possible
for Chapter 17 on Economic Policy to be opened soon”. He added: “We are
expecting a new government to be formed soon in Turkey. We will pragmatically
and constructively strengthen EU and Turkey relations."
Asselborn also said that there had been
improvements in terms of the ongoing Cyprus talks.
9. Davutoglu
visited HDP; coalition with CHP is the only option; AKP is in favour of
lowering the 10% election threshold
Under the title “Turkey's AKP breaks ice
with HDP in first round of coalition talks”, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News
(online, 15.07.15) reports that Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has
completed the first round of coalition talks with other party leaders, delivering
warm messages after each of the three meetings, inevitably raising hopes for
the second round that will be conducted next week despite the absence of any
concrete commitments from any party.
Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader
Davutoglu’s visit to the headquarters of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) on
July 15 was the third and last stop of his tour of other parties in a quest to
form a coalition government. It was also the longest meeting so far, as it took
longer than Davutoglu’s meetings with both Republican People’s Party (CHP)
leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet
Bahceli earlier this week.
The long-stalled peace process dominated
messages separately delivered by Davutoglu and HDP executives following their
meeting, with the former choosing to place greater emphasis on the need to end
the justification of violence for the sake of democracy.
“Disarmament will happen in Turkey one way
or another. Let’s together make this happen. You make a call and then let all
arms in Turkey be handed over,” Davutoglu said at a press conference after the
two-hour meeting.
His meeting with the party, which is
focused on the Kurdish problem, came shortly after HDP co-chair Selahattin
Demirtas called on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down its
arms against Turkey, but also stressed that his call was not enough for a final
solution.
“The way to stop the PKK from being a
threat is through negotiations. If it is up to our call, I would make a call
every now and then ... It’s not up to a call, but I am making a call here: The
PKK must absolutely lay down arms against Turkey,” Demirtas said on private
broadcaster Haberturk late July 14.
Davutoglu described Demirtas’ call as
“right” and “good”, arguing that it reflected the grassroots’ will as well.
Referring to their meeting, Davutoglu
quoted Demirtas as saying, “As democracy grows, arms should gradually decrease
to a minimum and then to zero”. He also said that although significant
democratic reforms had been made in the AKP’s 13-year reign, there had been no
disarmament.
According to Davutoglu, if the peace
process is to resume, then the HDP must have clout and make a contribution to
disarmament; otherwise, the party will have no role to play in the process.
Meanwhile, the AKP leader said he
considered the HDP’s rhetoric had changed for the better since the June 7
election results showed the need for a coalition government. “At today’s
meeting, too, their approach was as, ‘We are ready to discuss everything with
the AKP’. Having this approach is appropriate,” Davutoglu said.
On the same issue, under the title “One
option left on the table for coalition after first round of talks”, Turkish daily Sabah (online, 16.05.15)
reports that the AK Party's options for a coalition have slimmed down to one, a
coalition with the CHP, after it has been made clear that neither the MHP nor
HDP will be part of a coalition.The next round of talks will determine the
final picture, but Turkey is likely to head back to the polls as the odds of
compromise between the two parties have been considered very low.
Davutoglu, speaking after his meeting with
HDP co-chairs Demirtas and Yuksekdag, said neither party is considering a
partnership. Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman DevletBahceli,
maintained his previous stance not to be part of a coalition, reiterating his
view on the matter to Davutoglu during their talks on Tuesday. Together, it
leaves only one remaining option viable, which is a coalition with the CHP. The
CHP has kept its door ajar to a coalition with the AKP but this option too
could prove to be a hard task, as there is slim chance of a consensus on terms
both parties insist on.
Meanwhile, Sabah also reports that Davutoglu said on Wednesday that the AKP is
in favour of lowering the 10% election threshold that political parties in
Turkey need to receive in order to be represented in the parliament.
Speaking in a televised interview
broadcasted on Turkish private channel NTV, Davutoglu said that AK Party will
propose to lower the threshold in the coalition talks, reminding that AKP had
already offered to remove it entirely during President RecepTayyipErdogan's
Prime Ministry post.
Answering whether AK Party would prefer a
possible snap election rather than forming a coalition government with the
other political parties, Davutoglu said that the party's priority is to form a
government and added that AKP would easily pave the way for a snap election by
letting the tension increase within Turkey if their intention was 'not being a
part of the coalition'.
A lowering of the current 10% election
threshold was already offered by the AK Party in 2013 as part of the reforms
that were announced as a democratization package on Sept. 30, 2013.
The AK Party proposed three alternatives in
the democratization package – maintaining the 10% threshold, reducing it to 5%
or removing the threshold altogether and fully implementing the single-member
district system.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/
LF)
