9/7/15

TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW



TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S



No. 127/15                                                                                        09.07.2015
1. Cypriot leaders reveal their visions for financial aspect of solution
2. Reactions continue to the problems of the “Property Compensation Commission”
3. One thousand and six hundred Russians have been swindled to purchase imaginary houses in the occupied area of Cyprus
4. Turkish Cypriots filed lawsuit against companies which produce halloumi-hellim cheese in Turkey
5. Newspaper’s owner accused the breakaway regime for rejecting his proposal for an 800-milion euro investment
6. CTP issued a road map for the new “government”
7. Survey reveals majority of voters want coalition not early elections in Turkey
8. Editorial says political atmosphere more optimistic about a “grand coalition” in Turkey
9. Over 70 people in Turkey have been prosecuted for “insulting” Erdoganwithin the last three months

1. Cypriot leaders reveal their visions for financial aspect of solution
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (09.07.15) reports that the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci revealed their vision for the financial aspect of a solution to the Cyprus problem yesterday evening.

Speaking at an event on the issue organised by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, Anastasiades and Akinci revealed a number of shared hopes for the country following a solution.

Anastasiades said that a solution would benefit both communities in Cyprus, providing opportunities for development. This had been indicated in a number of studies, he noted. He also said at a time of global and regional instability, Cyprus could become an excellent example of stability and cooperation. “It is clear that the unacceptable status quo does not only affect one of the communities but both,” Anastasiades said, adding that Akinci’s vision for the future in many ways coincided with his own. He said a solution should be one where “there are no winners or losers” adding it should be based on what had already been agreed, namely a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with a single international identity, single sovereignty and single citizenship.

Akinci said that the new Cyprus problem talks had got off to a good start but that it is the end result that would matter most. He said Cypriots are at the core of the conflict and have to be able to communicate their fears and concerns to each other. This, he said, could be done with the help of the UN and the international community.

Akinci said that without empathy it would not be possible to create a functional political model and bring the two sides closer together. “The people sitting opposite us at the negotiating table are not our enemies; they are our partners with whom we will create a joint future with”, he added.

2.Reactions continue to the problems of the “Property Compensation Commission”
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (09.07.15) reports that OzkanYorgancioglu, self-styled prime minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has confirmed that problems are being experienced as regards the budget of the “Property Compensation Commission”established by Turkey in the occupied area of the island and added that his so-called government does not intent or think not to pay the money or reject any decision taken by the “court”. In statements yesterday, he noted that they have not objected to the “court’s” decision as regards the sequestering of two self-styled ministerial vehicles, because the regime did not pay the compensation to a Greek Cypriot refugee.

He claimed, however, that they are paying the compensations according to an order and that 12 persons are waiting in line. “We intent not to spoil this order, because if the order is spoiled, the system will be ruined”, he added and alleged: “If a case is completed and is registered in the civilian court, the concerned Greek Cypriot citizen comes and is obliged to prove that he renounced his property or sign, but no waiver was signed in this case”.

Yorgancioglu said that the “government” evaluated the situation and they plan to put additional resources in the “budget”, noting that they have already held “the necessary discussions with the necessary competent authorities”.

Yorgancioglu alleged that the “Commission” is internationally accepted and said that the number of the Greek Cypriot refugees who have filed applications increased from seven hundred to around seven thousands because of the economic crisis in the government-controlled area of the island.  Therefore, he argued, the “budget’ could not meet these needs.  

Meanwhile, in statements to Havadis, Ersin Tatar, “deputy” with the National Unity Party (UBP) said that the “Commission” is important for the “country” and claimed that it would not be correct to load the entire burden on Turkey. He argued that a new arrangement is needed for the “Commission” so that the compensation which should be paid to be shared with the user of the occupied Greek Cypriot property. He said that a taxation system or something else could be developed as a way out from the current situation.

Moreover, the chairman of the “Commission”, GungorGunkan told Havadis that their duty is to take decisions and the duty of implementing the decisions belong to the self-styled ministries of interior and finance. He argued that the sequestrations do not concern the “Commission” and pointed out that the decrease of the Greek Cypriot applicants is derived from the problems as regards the payment and “some other problems”.  

Finally, the paper writes that no initiative has been undertaken to save the sequestered “ministerial” vehicles and the crisis is escalating. However, according to unconfirmed information, money has been paid to some Greek Cypriots, who deposited their money in banks in the occupied area of Cyprus, allegedly, because of the situation in Greece and in the government-controlled area of the island. 
(I/Ts.)

3.One thousand and six hundred Russians have been swindled to purchase imaginary houses in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (09.07.15) reports that 1,600 Russians have been swindled by the “Russian mafia” to purchase imaginary houses in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus. A Russian named Igor Korshinov, who lives in occupied Keryneia, shared a video on the social media presenting himself as president of the real estate agents in the occupied area of Cyprus and swindled 1,600 Russians promising “cheap houses and cheap life” in the occupied area of the island.
Korshinov shared the video on the http://pereezdnakipr.ru/ address, contacted the Russians who wanted to purchase a house using the name IlyaShastakov and carried out the selling procedures using the name of Ivan Krilov. He was taking money from his victims but delivered no house. Korshinov has been doing this fraud since 2013, according to the paper.

A Russian family, one of Korshinov’s victims, told the paper that they paid him 75 thousand sterling pounds, but after two years without taking the house which they had paid for, started to be suspicious about Korshinov. Therefore they carried out an investigation and found out that Korshinov, Shestakov and Krilov were the same person. When they realized that they had been swindled they asked for the return of their money, but a person named Alexey Denisov, who presented himself as Korshinov’s lawyer, threatened them with death.

Many Russian families who are swindled by the same person have shared their experience with the “Turkish Cypriot real-estate agents’ union”, which they visited to be informed regarding launching “legal proceedings”.

After the complains it received, the “union” issued and distributed in the entire occupied area of Cyprus a brochure in the English, Russian and Turkish languages with the names of the real estate agents who operate there.
(I/Ts.)

4.Turkish Cypriots filed lawsuit against companies which produce halloumi-hellim cheese in Turkey
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (09.07.15) reports that the “Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry” has filed a lawsuit against two Turkish companies, which illegally produced halloumi-hellim cheese in Turkey. It is said that now an amicable settlement is being searched and that the “chamber” is demanding compensation for the past loses.

The chairman of the “chamber”, Ali Cirali told Kibris that the sector has been suffering loses because of the production of halloumi in Turkey adding that the compensations after the courts’ decisions might reach two million Turkish liras.

Cirali noted that only a product produced in Cyprus could be named “hellim”, adding that the companies could either invest on the island or sign agreements with other companies of the island to produce this type of cheese with their own trade mark. He said that some companies in Turkey stopped the production of halloumi, but some others are still producing.
(I/Ts.)


5. Newspaper’s owner accused the breakaway regime for rejecting his proposal for an 800-milion euro investment
Under the title “Embargo issues are myth”. Turkish Cypriot daily YeniBakis newspaper (09.07.15) reports that Yusuf Kisa, chairman of the administrative board of GIFA Holdings stated that he planned to make an 800-million euro investment in 2003 in the breakaway regime with the construction of a recreational and tourism center under the name “GIFALAND theme park”; however;  he argued that the investment was rejected by the lack of political will in the “TRNC”.

Kisa stated that this project was so huge that would have safeguarded that tourists from all Middle Eastern countries would visit “TRNC” and would bring annually millions to the breakaway regime but due to nepotism practices followed by politicians in the occupied area of Cyprus, the project was not able to be realized.

He also claimed that after the news for the project leaked to the Greek press, officials from AKEL contacted him and proposed to him to build a theme park between the village of Pyla and Oroklini in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus, but he declined because as he said his aim was to develop the “TRNC economy”. “I am a person who loves his country and therefore I  did not accept this proposal which came from the Greek Cypriots”, he argued.

Kisa is the owner of YeniBakis newspaper which belongs to GIFA Holdings.
(CS)

6. CTP issued a road map for the new “government”
Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (09.07.15) reports that the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) issued a road man for the establishment of a new “government” in the breakaway regime.

The paper writes that the road map consists of ten points and notes that the first and most important of them refers to the commitment of CTP for the solution of the Cyprus problem. “The new government supports a program that will safeguard a UN solution based in one-sovereignty, one-citizenship and one international identity”, is stressed.

According to YeniDuzen a coalition government between CTP and the National Unity Party (UBP) is very possible to take place and adds that CTP’s organs will meet this evening in order to decide about the issue.
(CS)

7. Survey reveals majority of voters want coalition not early elections in Turkey
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (09.07.15) reports that a recent survey conducted by the Gezici Research Company has revealed that the majority of voters want a coalition government to rule the country instead of a majority government, with 58.8% of voters further saying that they support a coalition because they believe it will create a positive atmosphere in the country.

The Gezici survey – conducted through 4,860 people from 36 provinces across Turkey between July 4 and 5 -- revealed that 65.1% of voters want a coalition government to be established, while 34.9% are against the establishment of a coalition government.

Gezici Research Company chairman Murat Gezici told Today's Zamanthat support for a coalition government was 53.6% in a survey conducted ahead of the June 7 parliamentary election, but increased to 65.1 % in this recent survey. Gezici said any political party that wants to go to a snap election by refusing to establish a coalition will most likely be defeated in that election.

 The survey also reveals that 58.8% of respondents believe Turkey will be normalized and its economic problems will be solved if a coalition government is formed, while 41.2% believe a coalition government will bring more trouble for the country. The survey also found that 63 % of voters believe a possible majority government ruled by the AK Party will bring a negative atmosphere to the country.

 Examining if there would be a change in people's support for the political parties, the Gezici survey found there would be no major difference in the results if an early election is held. When asked which party they would vote for if a general election were to be held this Sunday, 40.1 % of respondents chose the AK Party, while 26.1% said they would vote for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). A total of 14.7% would vote for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and 14.2% would vote for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

8. Editorial says political atmosphere more optimistic about  a“grand coalition” in Turkey
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (09.07.15) publishes the following commentary by Murat Yetkin under the title: “Kurdish bid in, MHP out of the picture”.

“Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s statement on July 7 in the eastern city of Van about the continuation of the Kurdish peace bid by the Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) government has taken the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) out of coalition scenarios, according to both AK Parti and Republican People’s Party (CHP) sources speaking to the Hurriyet Daily News.

Despite the fact that Davutoglu expressed a condition on the continuation of the Kurdish peace bid, which has been effectively frozen since the start of the June 7 general election campaign in April, this was the first time since the election that he has explicitly signalled it will not stop. The condition he mentioned is for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to make the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) completely withdraw its armed groups from Turkey, as previously promised. That could be rhetorical, because putting an end to the peace process was the MHP’s prime condition for starting coalition talks with the AK Parti.

[…] The latest statement by MHP chairman Devlet Bahceli and other party officials about the CHP has exhausted the last hopes within the CHP that any political combination going forward with the MHP was possible, according to a ranking CHP source who asked not to be named.
[…]
Following Davutoglu’s statement yesterday, HDP co-chair Figen Yuksekdag said her party was “open to direct or indirect proposals” for a coalition government. That was the clearest signal from the HDP since the election, and perhaps could be read as a response to Davutoglu’s signal closing the doors on solutions involving the MHP.

These developments are not enough to say that a “grand coalition” between the AK Parti and the CHP is near, or an AK Parti government supported by the HDP, or another election in November, but the political atmosphere is now more optimistic than before Davutoglu made his statement in Van.

Now, as the formation of the parliamentary Speaker’s administrative board is expected to be completed by tomorrow, there will be no obstacle left to President Tayyip Erdogan giving the mandate to form a government to Davutoglu. The AK Parti source said that if Erdogan does that before Davutoglu departs for his visit to Bosnia on July 10, the appointments from other parties could be fixed over the weekend and official contacts could finally start next week.”

9. Over 70 people in Turkey have been prosecuted for “insulting” Erdoganwithin the last three months
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (09.07.15) reports that a fashion designer has been sentenced to pay a judicial fine on charges of “insulting” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan through his Twitter and Facebook accounts.

The Ankara 44th Criminal Court of First Instance ruled on July 8 that designer Barbaros Sansal committed the crime of “insulting via an audio, written or visual message” and sentenced him to pay a judicial fine of 7,080 Turkish Liras.

As of April this year, over 70 people in Turkey have been prosecuted for “insulting” Erdogan since he was elected as President in August 2014. There were hundreds of similar cases during his term as Turkey’s Prime Minister.

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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(CS/ AM)