TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA
REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 240/15
16.12.2015
1. Burcu: Cyprus negotiations are not at the stage of having a
solution plan in January 2016
2. Turkish MFA reiterates that a five-party conference should be held
on the issue of guarantees in Cyprus
3. Davutoglu: Slowness of Turkey-EU relations stems from
Cyprus
4. Denktas: “TRNC must be one of the sides of the federal
states”
5. The regime expects 10,000 applications for “white
card”
6. The “budgets” of the “GKK” and the so-called foreign ministry were
approved
7. Statements by Ozgur on the economic protocol to be signed with
Turkey
8. Survey shows that Turkish Cypriots are not
happy
9. Foreign diplomats and Ambassadors attended a reception of the
occupied Lefkosia municipality
10. Curfews in Turkey’s southeast to be
tightened
1. Burcu: Cyprus negotiations are not at the stage of having a
solution plan in January 2016
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (16.12.15) reports that
Baris Burcu, spokesman of the Turkish Cypriot leader, has said that
the ongoing negotiating process is not yet at the stage of having a solution
plan in January 2016. Responding to Kibris’ questions after some allegations
published yesterday in the Turkish Cypriot press, Burcu noted: “Our wish and
intention to reach a solution the soonest remain. I hope that the next couple of
months will be used well and this stage will come”.
Referring to the meeting held between the leaders yesterday, Burcu
said that they mainly discussed the property issue adding that it was not
possible “to cover distance” on some issues. Burcu pointed out that details will be given after the meeting on 20
December, if the leaders feel that this is necessary.
Arguing that the Turkish Cypriot side is always hopeful and with good
will, Burcu said that there is no other way than concluding the process
successfully and that if you sit at the negotiating table with the prejudgment
that the other side does not want a solution, you cannot succeed.
Burcu noted that officials from the IMF and the World Bank have
met with the negotiating teams and that the message they conveyed was that they
would be ready to contribute to the solution technically and financially.
Burcu added that the foreign officials were told to work fast and prepare for an
early solution.
(I/Ts.)
2. Turkish MFA reiterates that a five-party conference should be
held on the issue of guarantees in Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (16.12.15) reports that Tanju
Bilgic, spokesman of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has described as
“groundless” the information published in the Greek Cypriot press that
Foreign Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu had discussed the system of
guarantees in Cyprus with some Greek Cypriot officials.
Replying to a question yesterday, Bilgic said that Turkey’s stance
on the issue is known adding that the guarantees should be discussed at a
five-party conference with the participation of the guarantor powers at the
final stage of the negotiating process.
Bilgic argued that Sinirlioglu held no meeting with any Greek Cypriot
official.
(I/Ts.)
3. Davutoglu: Slowness of Turkey-EU relations stems from
Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (16.12.15) reports that the
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu argued that the main reason for the
slowness of Turkey’s EU bid is the Cyprus problem.
Davutoglu was replying to a reporter’s question during a joint press
conference with his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borissov, regarding the reforms
that Turkey must implement in order for new EU chapters to be opened.
He stated that there were recently great progress in n Turkey-EU
relations since a new chapter, Chapter 17, was opened after four years. “But I
have to say that the reason of this does not stem from the delay of the EU
required reforms in Turkey, but from the Cyprus problem”, he said.
Hurriyet Daily News (16.12.15) reports that speaking at the press
conference Davutoglu stated that Turkey aimed to open more chapters in its EU
accession process and finalize the process as soon as possible. “Our aim is to
open more chapters, including the 23rd and 24th chapters that are of great
importance, in the coming months; close the opened chapters with the
developments to be reached on the Cyprus issue, and thus complete Turkey-EU
integration and the accession process,” Davutoglu stated.
(CS)
4. Denktas: “TRNC must be one of the sides of the federal
states”
Turkish Cypriot daily Bakis newspaper (16.12.15) reports that the
chairman of the Democratic Party (DP) Serdar Denktas stated that in order for
the bi-zonallity to be guaranteed forever the TRNC must be one of the sides of
the federal state.
Denktas who made these statements during the “assembly” discussion on
the “foreign ministry” budget further stated that they were not asking for
something that cannot be done and added that the “foreign ministry” must be
strengthened further in order for the voice of the “TRNC” to be heard in the
world.
(CS)
5. The regime expects 10,000 applications for “white
card”
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (16.12.15) reports that
the self-styled ministry of interior and labor of the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus has started accepting applications for
“permanent residence permit”. The paper writes that 10,000 persons have the
right to apply for “permanent residence permit” and a “white card”.
According to a new “arrangement” in the “law”, persons, who work in the occupied
area of the island having a “work or business permit” for six consecutive years,
will have the right to file an application.
Hasan Alicik, “undersecretary” at the self-styled ministry, told
illegal TAK news agency and Bayrak television yesterday that those who
acquire “work permit” for twelve consecutive years will qualify for
“citizenship”. He said that 10,000 foreign citizens have the right to
apply for permanent “residences permit”, adding that applications are
expected especially by those who have a “work permit” for six, seven or eight
years.
Meanwhile, in statements to Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen
newspaper (16.12.15), Alicik noted that 41,622 foreigners lived in the
occupied area of Cyprus with a “work permit” or a “permit” to establish a
business and that 32,545 of these foreigners came from Turkey, 2,454 from
Turkmenistan, 1,516 from Pakistan, 600 from Vietnam, 486 from Ukraine, 471 from
the Philippines and 286 from Bangladesh.
Alicik said that 38,000 persons could potentially benefit from the
new “arrangement”.
(I/Ts.)
6. The “budgets” of the “GKK” and the so-called foreign ministry
were approved
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (16.12.15) reports that the so-called
assembly approved yesterday the “budget” of the so-called Turkish Cypriot
Security Forces command (“GKK”) which is 259 million 500 thousand T.L.
Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (16.12.15) reports that
the “assembly” also approved the “budget” of the so-called foreign ministry that
is 41 million, 140 thousand 800 TL.
In statements during the meeting of the “assembly”, so-called foreign
minister Emine Colak said that the amount allocated to the “foreign
ministry’s budget” constitutes 0.92% of the total “state budget”, adding that
this amount is an obstacle in its efforts to meet their responsibilities,
especially given the ongoing Cyprus talks.
(AK)
7. Statements by Ozgur on the economic protocol to be signed with
Turkey
Under the title: “We should see our ties with Turkey as we see
those with the IMF”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (16.12.15) reports
on statements by so-called minister of finance, Birikim Ozgur, who recalled
that the 1,5 billion TL of the “budget deficit” of the breakaway regime is the
result of the “trivialized” protocols which had been signed with Turkey until so
far and that to be signed in the next days. “The way we see our ties with
Turkey, is the way we should see those with the IMF”, Ozgur said.
Ozgur made the above statements during a meeting he held with a
delegation of the "Young Businessmen's Association"
("GIAD").
He added that in the framework of the technical works they had
launched in order for the Turkish Cypriot community to be prepared for the post
solution period, they held a meeting with the IMF’ delegation yesterday morning.
Referring to the economic protocol to be signed with Turkey very
soon, Ozgur recalled that it is the Turkish Cypriots who demanded aid from
Turkey, so they should fulfill their responsibilities in return.
(…)
(AK)
8. Survey shows that Turkish Cypriots are not
happy
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (16.12.15) reports that
according to the findings of survey on “Happiness, social insurance and
political trust”, conducted in the breakaway regime in September 2015, Turkish
Cypriots are not happy. The survey was conducted by the “center of migration
identity and work rights”.
According to the survey, Turkish Cypriots are not happy due to past
traumas, injustice and partisanship. The unhappiest persons, the age of which
ranks between 45-54, live in occupied Morfou and the happiest live in Trikomo.
Turkish Cypriots trust political parties the least while they trust most the
“police”. They believe that the economy is going from bad to worse.
Finally, they believe that they have no influence on politics, the
developments of the Cyprus problem and the economy.
(CS)
9. Foreign diplomats and Ambassadors attended a reception of the
occupied Lefkosia municipality
Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (16.12.15) reports
that the “mayor” of the occupied Lefkosia municipality Mehmet Harmanci,
hosted last night a reception on the occasion of the New Year 2016.
According to the paper, high level officials and Ambassadors
attended the event.
Among the participants were the “Turkish ambassador” in the
occupied part of Nicosia, Derya Kanbay and the Ambassadors of Germany, Ireland,
Finland, Italy, Sweden, Austria, the First Secretaries of the Embassies of
France and the UK in Cyprus and officials of the United Nations Peacekeeping
Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), the United Nations Development Programme- Action for
Cooperation and Trust (UNDP-ACT), the United Nations Development Programme -
Partnership for the Future (UNDP-PFF), the EU Program Support Office (EUPSO) and
the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) of
Cyprus.
In his opening speech, Harmanci referred to the recent developments
on the Cyprus problem and the global socio-economic and political developments
that took place in 2015.
On the Cyprus problem, Harmanci wished that the New Year 2016 would
be the year not of the “Cyprus problem” but of the “solution of the Cyprus
problem”.
(…)
(AK)
10. Curfews in Turkey’s southeast to be tightened
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (16.12.15) reports that Turkish
authorities plan to implement even stricter practices during curfews imposed in
districts in Turkey’s southeast in the context of military operations
targeting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Upon new decisions to be followed at times of curfew, announced after
a cabinet meeting on Dec. 14, the police will ask for the military’s help when
necessary during curfews.
Military personnel and special operations forces will therefore
provide support to counterterrorism police officers while additional police
stations will be built in areas under curfew, particularly those near the border
with Syria. The Turkish government also aims to halt cross-border support to the
PKK, cutting links to Kurdish areas in northern Syria administered by affiliates
of the PKK.
The move comes amid a series of indeterminate curfews recently
imposed in the south-eastern towns of Cizre and Silopi in Şırnak province. Cizre
and Silopi made the headlines late on Dec. 13 when around 3,000 teachers and a
large number of doctors began to flee the two towns before the official start of
the curfews.
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