TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
147/15 06.08.2015
1.Kanbay: “The existence of two separate territories, two
separate nations and two separate states in the island, is a reality”
2. Columnist believes that there is a sign of majority
among the Turkish and Greek Cypriots on the Cyprus settlement
3. Talat gave a lecture in Turkey
4. Illegal Turkish “ambassador” to occupied area of
Cyprus: “Education in the TRNC is a priority for Turkey”
5. General Bozkurt is the new Commander of the Turkish
occupation forces in Cyprus
6. The “water transfer project” almost completed
7. US-led coalition forces conduct first airstrike
against ISIS in Syria from Turkey
1.
Kanbay: “The existence of two separate territories, two separate nations and
two separate states in the island, is a reality”
Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper
(06.08.15) under the front page title: “No
need to rush”, reports on statements by the so-called Turkish ambassador in the
occupied area of Cyprus DeryaKanbay who visited yesterday the former Turkish
Cypriot leader DervisEroglu.
Speaking during the meeting, Kanbay
referred to the Cyprus negotiation process and stated, inter alia: “The negotiation process should be carried
out without losing further time but in a framework of a logical calendar; still
if they done under pressure, some things might be overlooked and difficulties
may occur”.
Kanbay
added that if they attempt to bargain the individual’s rights and the title
deeds like it happens in the fruit market, then this job will become more
difficult and more complicated.
Alleging
that it is a reality the existence of two separate territories, two separate
nations and two separate states in the island, Kanbay added:
“These [means the states] can live side
by side under a federal structure, and they could speak with one voice about
some issues in the international arena…If a federal stateis formed with this
structure, then perhaps this could be considered a success”, Kanbay stated.
Also speaking, Eroglu congratulated
Kanbay for his new post and wished him success in his new duties, supporting
that he undertook duties in Cyprus in a period during which the Cyprus
negotiation process is intensified and the hopes for the solution are raised.
Stating
that the Turkish Cypriot side should be very careful in order for the
bi-zonality and the “two people” not to be diluted, Eroglu added that the two
“states” to form the federal state should have an equal status.
Supporting that the presence of an EU
official at the negotiation talks should be discussed, Eroglu said: “While I
was in power, such a proposal was made but we did not accept it. If we wanted
consultations, we were calling our authorities and we were exchanging views.
The presence of an EU official at the negotiation table is objectionable for
us”, Eroglu added.
(AK)
2. Columnist
believes that there is a sign of majority among the Turkish and Greek Cypriots
on the Cyprus settlement
Columnist BarcinYinanc, writing in Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 06.08.15), in a commentary under the title
“Have Greek and Turkish Cypriots become more mature?”, reports that
KudretOzersay, who is a former Turkish Cypriot negotiator, shares his views
about the ongoing negotiations on social media.
Yinanc writes: “One has to give him credit;
Although he voices criticism most of the time, he does not refrain from
underlining what he sees as positive developments in the talks that have gained
a speedy momentum following the election of Akinci.”
Yinanc reports that she was surprised when
she came across a short version of that long article of Ozersay regarding the
property issue on the website of the illegal foreign ministry of the breakaway
regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus.
She added: “Can you imagine an article of
an opposition party criticizing Turkey’s Syria policy for instance published on
the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s website? It’s an interesting sign of maturity, I
told Turkish Cyprus’ first female foreign minister. ‘It is a sign of being
open-minded. He is a former negotiator and he has been involved in negotiations
for such a long time. His views are definitely worth listening [to]’, replied
EmineColak.
I guess Colak is more of a technocrat than
a politician, and probably that explains the situation, otherwise you don’t see
that type of ‘open-mindedness’ anywhere in the world.
Properties, territories and guarantees are
the three most challenging issues to be solved to reach a settlement on the
island. Maturity or an open mind will be the key to solving these issues.
From maturity I mean giving up on
maximalist expectations. On the property
issue, the Greek Cypriot side seems to have reached the understanding that
getting back all their properties will not be the case. Coming to terms
with that understanding must be all the more agonizing in the midst of an
economic crisis, when you could pin your hopes to recover on the properties you
left in the north (editor’s note: the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus).
But looking from another perspective, some kind of compensation even if it
falls short of a return is better than nothing.
The problem is that the Greek Cypriots were
made to believe they would get all their properties back even if they said no
to the Annan plan in 2004. After all, Greek Cyprus was to become a European
Union member and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) had condemned Turkey
to pay a high compensation (in the Loizidou case) to a Greek Cypriot woman for
loss of property. This ruling was going to solve the whole issue in favour of
the Greek Cypriots.
But things have not unfolded as the Greek
Cypriots were told. The Turkish Cypriot side established a domestic remedy tool
which was accepted by the ECHR as an effective mechanism and directed all other
applications to the immovable property commission established in the north of
the island. This has opened the door to the understanding that exchange and
compensation are also acceptable ways to secure property rights in addition to
return of properties. Thus the rights of the current users of the contested
properties are also recognized.
What
OzdilNami, the current Turkish Cypriot negotiator, said yesterday at a press
conference in the island is important: ‘For the first time, the Greek Cypriot
side accepted to respect the right of the current user. It [also] accepted for
the first time the necessary formula: It is not the individual applicant but
the independent property commission that will be established on equal footing,
and which will decide whether it will be exchange, compensation or return’.
This is an important sign of maturity for
the ability to be realistic based on the analysis of the circumstances. A time
will come when all relevant parties will sit at the table to finalize the deal and
that will be the time all sides, including Turkey, will have to show signs of
maturity.”
3.
Talat gave a lecture in Turkey
Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen
newspaper (06.08.15) reports that the former Turkish Cypriot leader and
chairman of the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG) Mehmet Ali
Talat, gave a lecture yesterday on the Cyprus problem at the “Young Diplomat’s
Academy” of Turkey’s Youth Foundation.
Talat explained in his lecture that the
most influential incidents of the Cyprus problem were launched especially after
the period of the Annan plan. He added also the following: “In 1999, the
international diplomacy, the UN, the EU and Turkey as well, have entered into
an attempt and said: ‘Do you think that we can solve the Cyprus problem, can we
lead Turkey to the EU?”
Talat went on and argued that the Cyprus
problem is doomed to be solved, and added: “RaufDenktas, the Turkish Cypriots
and the Greek Cypriots did not want the solution too much. The Greek Cypriots
wanted in any case to become members of the EU. And this, because they
considered that by becoming members of the EU, they would solve their security
problem. At the same time, with their accession to the EU, they were thinking
that they would be included in a group of allies with huge power against
Turkey. They were aware of the fact that they, with a 1 million population
would not be able to compete Turkey with a population of 70 million people”, stated
Talat.
He also added that after Denktas’ party
in the “elections became the first party; his policy had gradually turned
towards the direction of the non-solution.
(AK)
4. Illegal
Turkish “ambassador” to occupied area of Cyprus: “Education in the TRNC is a
priority for Turkey”
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 05.08.15), the illegal Turkish “ambassador” to the occupied part of
Nicosia DeryaKanbay, in a visit to the self-styled minister of national
education Kemal Durust, said that he has been able to carefully inspect the
“government program” and added that although there are very good projects there
are “laws” and “regulations” that need to be amended.
He said that a great duty falls upon the
“parliament” and expressed the hope that the “parliament” will work efficiently
and approve the necessary changes.
Explaining that education is one of the
essential matters for Turkey, Kanbay said that the education system functioning
properly in the “TRNC” (editor’s note: the breakaway regime in the occupied
area of the Republic of Cyprus) is a priority for Turkey.
Durust, for his part, said that the
Republic of Turkey is their Motherland and that the Turkish Cypriot “people”
are always in need of Turkey’s support and added: “Motherland Turkey always
supports us. Let there be a strengthened Turkey as it allows the people in the
TRNC living more comfortably and in peace”.
5. General
Bozkurt is the new Commander of the Turkish occupation forces in Cyprus
According to illegal Bayrak (06.08.15), new
commanders have been appointed to the Turkish occupation Forces in Cyprus and
the “Cyprus Turkish Security Forces” following the announcements made by the
Supreme Military Council in Turkey.
General IlyasBozkurt, who has been promoted
to the rank of Lieutenant General, has been appointed as the new Commander of
the Turkish occupation forces in Cyprus.
Brigadier General Bozkurt had been serving
as the Commander of the “Turkish Cypriot security forces”.
Brigadier General ErhanUzun, who was
promoted to the rank of Major General, has become the new Commander of the
“Turkish Cypriot occupation forces in Cyprus”.
According to information provided by the
“Turkish Cypriot security forces Command”, all promotions will be valid as of
the 30th of August 2015.
6. The
“water transfer project” almost completed
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 06.08.15) , the water transfer project from Turkey, which is known as
the “project of the century” is progressing and the sea phase of the project
will be completed by tomorrow Friday.
The last
pipe for the 66.5 kilometre underwater pipeline of the “TRNC water supply
project” will be fitted on the 7th of August marking its completion.
A ceremony is being organised to mark the
completion of the sea phase of the project.
Within the framework of the project, the
Mersin Alakopru Damn, the dam in occupied Panagra, the 24 km land phase in
Turkey, the 3.7 km land phase in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, the
67 kmPanagra water supply station-treatment facility and the supply line in the
occupied part of Lefkosia have all been completed.
The project
itself is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
7. US-led
coalition forces conduct first airstrike against ISIS in Syria from Turkey
Turkish daily Sabah (online, 06.08.15)
reports that the United States-led
coalition conducted its first air strike against ISIS targets into northern
Syria with an armed drone launched from a military base in Turkey, a Pentagon
spokesperson confirmed.
Laura Seal, U.S. Defence Department
Spokesperson, said that the mission was part of the Operation Inherent Resolve
and included in daily strike updates on United States Central Command website.
She said, "This follows Turkey's decision to grant clearance for the
deployment of U.S. aircraft participating in air operations against ISIL. By
basing aircraft in Turkey, the Coalition now has another strategic location
from which it can conduct strikes if and when necessary."
Meanwhile, the US-led coalition fighting
ISIS will soon start an extensive campaign against the extremist group, Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the Anadolu news agency on Wednesday.
Speaking in Kuala Lumpur after talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Cavusoglu said that the US has started
sending aircraft to a Turkish military base near the border with Syria.
"And soon we will all together start an extensive fight against
Daesh," he said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
Turkey launched airstrikes against ISIS
terrorists in Syria for the first time on July 20. Ankara also allowed the US
to use the Incirlik airbase to carry out airstrikes against the group,
shortening the flight time of airstrikes usually carried out from bases in the
Gulf.
Turkey simultaneously launched airstrikes
against the PKK terrorists at the end of July.
The US has been carrying out aerial attacks
against ISIS since September 2014.
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