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)
