TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No. 204/15 27.10.2015
1. Akinci met with UN official Ladsous
2. Burcu refers to the meeting between the negotiators
and replies to statements by the Government Spokesman
3. Former Minister and AKP candidate alleges that Turkey
is stronger in Cyprus after the transfer of water to the occupied area
4. A survey shows that the inhabitants of occupied
Yialousa village oppose to the solution of the Cyprus problem
5. The number of Turkish voters in the breakaway regime
revealed
6. New ‘law” regarding the political parties in the
occupied area of Cyprus
7. Gezici survey: The UBP congress will hold a second
round of voting
8. Information about the number of students in the
breakaway regime
9. Turkish Cypriot doctors: “You cannot find solutions
appropriate for the country by following instructions coming from
overseas”
10. EmineDizdarli the new “ombudswoman”
11. Erdogan: Counterterrorism ops to run after election
12. Demirtas: PKK must abandon their arms
13. Assailants open fire in front of CHP headquarters in
Ankara
1. Akinci
met with UN official Ladsous
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 26.10.15), Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met yesterday with
the UN-Under Secretary General for Peace Keeping Operations HerveLadsous and
his accompanied delegation at Akinci’s office.
Speaking after the meeting, Ladsous said
that the aim of his visit is to exchange views with the two leaders and their
teams on the Cyprus talks.
He said that the UN through the UN Good
Missions Office and the Peacekeeping Forces is working in coordination with the
two sides on confidence building measures including the clearance of land
mines. He added that they will continue to work with the same determination.
The UN official also stressed that the UN will continue to strongly support the
Cyprus talks.
The UN Secretary General’s Special
Representative in Cyprus Lisa Buttenheim was also present at the meeting.
2. Burcu
refers to the meeting between the negotiators and replies to statements by the
Government Spokesman
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(27.10.15) reports that the Turkish
Cypriot negotiator, OzdilNami and the Greek Cypriot negotiator, Andreas
Mavroyiannis held a full day meeting yesterday within the framework of the
Cyprus talks.
In statement to illegal TAK news agency, BarisBurcu, spokesman of the Turkish
Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, said that
the negotiators held an “exercise” on the property issue and decided to share
again this exercise after the evaluation to be made by each side separately.
Burcu noted that the property was not the
only issue discussed. He said that ErhanErcin,
“undersecretary” at the self-styled foreign ministry and head of the “EU
working group”, held “fruitful discussions” on the issue of agriculture
together with representatives of the EU.
According to Burcu, some members of the committee which will be created as regards the
writing of the future federal laws also met yesterday and exchanged views on a
working program. He said that this was a preparatory meeting on how the
program of the above-mentioned committee will work in case the negotiating
process advances and the turn of the writing of the federal laws comes in
order.
Meanwhile, in statements to illegal Bayrak
television (26.10.15), Burcu commented
on statements made by the Government Spokesman, NicosChristodoulides, who
had reportedly said that the Turkish Cypriot side wants permanent derogations
from the EU laws and that more active participation of the President of the
European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker’s Personal Representative to the Good
Offices Mission of the United Nations in Cyprus, Pieter Van Nuffel in the talks
will be decisive for overcoming existing problems.
Burcu said
that the Joint Declaration of the 11th of February had outlined the
basic framework and principles of the negotiating process and
alleged: “The political equality,
bizonality and bi-communality are the basic principles which need to be
respected and protected”. Burcu argued that the EU laws will be implemented
without harming these basic principles.
Referring to Van Nuffel’s more active participation
in the meetings, Burcu claimed: “Van
Nuffel is not a side at the negotiating table. He is only participating in
the process to contribute to the ad-hoc committee established with the aim of
preparing the Turkish Cypriot people for the EU as well as to provide technical
support in the event the two sides need it”.
(I/Ts.)
3. Former
Minister and AKP candidate alleges that Turkey is stronger in Cyprus after the
transfer of water to the occupied area
Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper
(27.10.15) reports that EfkanAla,
Turkish former Minister of Interior and candidate with the Justice and
Development Party (AKP) in Bursa in the forthcoming parliamentary elections,
has said that Turkey is stronger now in Cyprus.
In statements during one of his visits, Ala
referred to the water transferred from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus
and said: “[…] When Turkey achieved a climate of stability, it came to a
position of solving big matters and proceeding its way. We have carried a river
under the sea to Cyprus. This is the point to which our country reached today. Cyprus had always been a problem in the
past and was put in front of us as such. Now we are stronger on the Cyprus
issue. Now the trump cards in Cyprus passed into our hands, because we are the
ones who have taken the river from Anatolia to Cyprus under the sea. Now they
are condemned to us”.
(I/Ts.)
4. A
survey shows that the inhabitants of occupied Yialousa village oppose to the
solution of the Cyprus problem
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(27.10.15) reports that a survey held at
occupied Yialousa village showed that the inhabitants do not want to abandon
the area after a solution to the Cyprus problem is reached. According to
the survey, which was held between 16 and 18 October 2015 by a researcher named
KudretAkay using the method of face-to-face interview with 766 persons, 93% of the inhabitants do not want to move
from Yialousa.
Asked to what extent they believe that
achieving the solution of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal Cyprus is possible,
53% of the participants in the survey replied negatively and 33% positively.
83% said that the house in which they live
was built after 1974, 83% that they “own” the house and 48% that they live in a
rented house. 67% stated that they own property in the government-controlled
area of the Republic and 80% that they were given an “equivalent property” in
the occupied area in return of the above-mentioned property.
47% of the respondents said that either
they or their relatives of first degree had been forced to move from the places
they had been living. They said that 39% come from occupied Bogazi, 29% from
Alefka, 14% from Mansura, 8% from SeladitouApi and 7% from occupied
Kokkina.
86% of the
participants in the survey said that they oppose to Karpasia peninsula,
including Yialousa, becoming an area open for settlement for the Greek Cypriots
after the solution of the Cyprus problem. 87% want the continuation of Turkey’s
guarantees and 85% are in favour of the “Turkish army staying on the island in
a strong manner”.
92% opposed
to the return of Morfou to its legal owners for the sake of finding a solution
and 96% said that they are against the return of villages in Karpasia peninsula
to the Greek Cypriots.
73% of the
respondents said that “the Greek Cypriots should definitely not be settled in
the Turkish Cypriot area”, while 26% think that a limited number of
Greek Cypriots could live in the Turkish Cypriot area.
51% of the
participants in the survey said that they had voted “no” to the Annan plan and
84% noted that if the plan is submitted to a referendum with the form it had in
2004 they would vote “no”.
60% of the respondents stated that they are
in favour of the rotating presidency in a federal Cyprus.
57% of the respondents described themselves
as “Turkish Cypriots”, 26% as “Cypriots”, 8% as “Turks” and 7% as “Moslem
Turks”.
50% said
that their “country” is the “TRNC”, 29% that is Turkey and the “TRNC” and 18%
that is the entire Cyprus.
60% of the
participants in the survey responded that they see Turkey as their
“motherland”, 20% as “guarantor power” and 7% as “brother and friendly country”.
54% see the
Greek Cypriots as “historic enemies”, 29% as “neighbors” and 14% as “Cypriots
speaking a different language”.
In statements to Kibris, OzayOykun, former
mayor of occupied Yialousa, said that one
of the reasons for which they had conducted the survey was the information
published in the Greek Cypriot press that after the solution a “special status”
will be given to Yialousa. The
second reason, he noted, was the
fact that the Greek Cypriot refugees from Karpasia had allegedly informed the
Government of the Republic that they want to return to their occupied houses,
even if they do not want to do so, as a result of pressure allegedly exerted on
them by the Church.
Oykun said that 1,100 “voters” live in the
village and that they have collected 750 signatures saying that they do not
want to return to Kokkina, Mansura and SelaitouApi. He argued that in the UN reports it is noted
that the inhabitants of Yialousa want to return to the villages which they
abandoned, but this is not true. He claimed: “We do not want to leave Karpasia.
We have taken roots here. We are living freely and we do not want for our
tranquility to be spoiled”.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi
newspaper (27.10.15) reports that the
inhabitants of Yialousa have sent the results of the survey and a letter with
their signatures saying that they do not want to leave Karpasia to the Turkish
Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, the self-styled prime minister, the
self-styled foreign minister, the
so-called ambassador of Turkey to the occupied part of Nicosia, to the
commander of the Turkish occupation forces, to the commander of the
so-called security forces and to the
Turkish Cypriot political parties.
(I/Ts.)
5. The number of Turkish voters in the breakaway regime
revealed
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (27.10.15) reports about the Turkish citizens who live abroad and have the right to cast a votein their current
place of residence for the forthcoming General Election to be held in
Turkey on November 1 and gives information about the number of Turkish citizens
who live in the occupied area of Cyprus.
According
to the paper, there are 93,374 persons
who have a right to vote and live in the breakaway regime but only 35,058 of
them (40%) voted for the elections.
(CS)
6. New ‘law” regarding the political parties in the occupied
area of Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (27.10.15) reports that the “law” regarding the political parties operating in the breakaway
regime has been unanimously approved by the “assembly”.
According
to the provisions of the new “law”, a party must secure at least 3% of votes in
order to get financial aid by the “government”. The threshold for a party to
enter the “assembly” remains to 5%. Under the new “law”, it will also be very
difficult for a “deputy” to be transferred from one party to another. Also
there must be a 30% quota for female “deputies”. In addition at least 30 persons are needed for
a party to be established. Finally, closing down a party for any reason becomes
extremely difficult under the new “law”.
(CS)
7. Gezici
survey: The UBP congress will hold a second round of voting
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily
News (online, 27.10.15) reports that according to an opinion poll conducted by
the survey company Gezici, the National Unity Party (UBP) congress scheduled
for this weekend will hold a second round of voting.
This weekend, there will be 7 candidates
running for the leadership of the party; the congress is scheduled to span over
two days – Saturday and Sunday because the party has close to 9,000 members.
The survey stresses that it is uncertain
how the outcome of the congress will affect the “coalition government” of the
CTP-UBP (Republican Turkish Party – National Unity Party).
In the question for whom the respondents
plan to support on the 31st of October, the 36.2% replied to Huseyin Ozgurgun,
the 29.1% said UnalUstel and the 21.0% responded with Ersin Tatar. The table
below shows the result of the survey.
|
Candidates
|
%
|
|
Huseyin Ozgurgun
|
36.2
|
|
UnalUstel
|
29.1
|
|
Ersin Tatar
|
21.0
|
|
Nazim Cavusoglu
|
7.3
|
|
HamzaErsan Saner
|
4.6
|
|
Zorlu Tore
|
1.8
|
|
Total
|
100
|
According to the poll, there will be a
second round, because no one candidate will get 50%+ in the first round. This
will mean the second round of voting will be held on the weekend of the 7th of
November.
According to the conclusion of the survey,
Gezici said that the attendance to the congress will be low – around 55-60%.
There are around 8,500 members of the party; however 2,000 of them are not even
aware that they are members and have claimed that they were registered as
members without their knowledge and would not even go to vote.
According to the survey, Ozgurgun and Ustel
are likely to be contesting the leadership in the second round of voting.
Gezici announced that they will be holding a second survey on this and will
announce the results on the 28th of October.
8.Information about the number of students in the breakaway
regime
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (27.10.15) reports that the illegal Lefka
University is organizing a workshop on “Democracy and Terrorism” and writes
that around 40 academicians from more than 15 countries will participate in the
conference.
Speaking in
the conference, the chairman of the “Higher education planning evaluation
accreditation and coordination council” (YODAK) HuseyinGokcekus, stated that
currently 80,000 students study at the “universities” of the breakaway regime
and added that 55% of them come from Turkey, 28% from 127 foreign countries and
the rest are “TRNC citizens”.
(CS)
9. Turkish
Cypriot doctors: “You cannot find solutions appropriate for the country by
following instructions coming from overseas”
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper
(27.10.15) reports that the trade union
of the Turkish Cypriot doctors (Tip-Is) went on a warning strike yesterday in
all “public” hospitals and health centers in the occupied area of the Republic
of Cyprus in order to draw attention to the problems in their health system.
Tip-Is held also a protest in front of the “assembly”. Other trade unions have
also expressed support to the protest, during which the participants held
placards saying: “Doctors are jobless, patients are doctorless”, “Austerity in
the emergency [department] kills people” and “Equal health system for
all”.
Speaking during the protest, the chairman of Tip-Is, SilaUsarIncirli
said that the problems of their health system are “as old as the Cyprus
problem” and accused the “officials” of not attaching importance to the
“laws’ regarding the health system. She
noted that the “general health insurance” alone will not solve the problems in
the “country”, as the officials are saying, and added: “You cannot find solutions appropriate for this country with
instructions coming from overseas. You must find solutions in harmony to the
realities of this country”.
(I/Ts.)
10. EmineDizdarli
the new “ombudswoman”
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 27.10.15), EmineDizdarlı has been approved by the so-called parliament
of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus as the
new “ombudswoman”.
Dizdarli had been appointed to the post by
Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci earlier this year but required the
approval of the so-called assembly for it to become official. Her appointment
was approved by two rounds of voting.
11. Erdogan:
Counterterrorism ops to run after election
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(26.10.15), counterterrorism operations
will continue after the Nov.1 general election, Turkey’s President said on
Monday. “No one should expect sloppiness,” RecepTayyip Erdogan said in a
speech to village leaders at the presidential palace in Ankara.
He said
that Turkey equally sees the PKK, Daesh, the Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union
Party (PYD) and its armed wing the People’s Protection Units (YPG) as well as
the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) as terror
groups.
It was the 13th meeting with village chiefs
since Erdogan was elected President in August last year. He has referred to
these local leaders, known as muhktars, as having “key roles in ensuring
stability and safety in Turkey”.He called for the muhktars to ensure people
turn out to vote on Sunday’s poll. “Voting is an honour and a virtue,” Erdogan
said.
Erdogan further alleged that the country
had re-established an environment of stability and safety that was “harmed
after June 7”.
12. Demirtas: PKK must abandon their arms
Turkish
daily Zaman newspaper (27.10.15) publishes an interview by the co-leader of the
pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party Selahhatin Demirtas who stated that the
PKK must abandon their arms.
Referring
to the forthcoming general election in Turkey, Demirtas stated that his party
will increase its supporters, will secure 14-15% of the votes and will elect
100 Deputies. On the June elections the party received 13% and elected 80
Deputies.
On the
Justice and Development Party (AKP) Demirtas stated that it is very possible to
be divided after the elections and a new party to be emerged out of it.
(CS)
13. Assailants
open fire in front of CHP headquarters in Ankara
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet
Daily News (online, 27.10.15), unknown
assailants opened fire late on Oct. 26 at the Republican People’s Party (CHP)
headquarters in Ankara, the party’s deputy head has said.
CHP deputy head TekinBingol said that an
unknown assailant sitting in the backseat of a black car opened fire five times
at around 7:15 p.m. after the vehicle slowed down at the entrance door of the
party’s headquarters. The car immediately left the scene following the assault,
Bingol said.
Bingolfuther said that such incidents would
not discourage the party from conducting its pre-election campaigning.
The Ankara Governor’s Office said an
investigation to reveal the perpetrators of the incident is continuing with
diligence.
Meanwhile, Justice and Development Party
(AKP) spokesman Omer Celik also condemned the incident on his Twitter account,
demanding that the perpetrators be found immediately.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/ AM)
