TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA
REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 244/15
22.12.2015
1.Akinci said that the Turkish Cypriot “people” see their security in
Turkey’s guarantees
2. Burcu: There is no preparation for an unofficial five party
conference in Davos
3. Ozgurgun condemned recent statements by President
Anastasiades
4. Contradictory statements by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot building
contractors
5. A Chinese village is constructed in occupied Trikomo
area
6. Davutoglu stated that Turkey and Israel achieved progress on the
normalization of their ties
7. Turkish Deputies called for the resumption of the Kurdish peace
process
1. Akinci said that the Turkish Cypriot “people” see their
security in Turkey’s guarantees
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (22.12.15) reports that the Turkish
Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, in a meeting yesterday with the “association of
martyrs families and war veterans”, stressed that the important thing is to
reach a settlement where both sides will see justice and will be able to say “we
can live with this”. He noted that freedom, equality and security are important
and added: “The Turkish Cypriot people see their security in Turkey’s
guarantees, if there is not Turkey, they don’t see it as a real guarantee. My
duty considering that I represent the Turkish Cypriot people and I am their
voice, is to explain to all interlocutors, not only to the South (translator’s
note: the Greek Cypriot side), but also to the people who visit me, this Turkish
Cypriots’ feeling and to form such a frame where the Turkish Cypriot will feel
Turkey’s security, but this security should not be perceived as a threat for the
other side. Is it possible to do this? It is possible. As long as there is a
will, determination and understanding, it is possible to find the way for this.”
Akinci further said that until to reach that day, especially the
bizonality and the political equality should be sorted out and added: “We
covered a distance, but it did not finish. There are more paths that we will
walk in front of us and let us constitute the other important principles of this
agreement. Besides, Turkey has also a saying in the guarantees, when that day
comes, we will discuss it in a five-party conference. The Greek Cypriot side,
the Turkish Cypriot side and the three guarantor countries will altogether
evaluate these”.
(DPs)
2. Burcu: There is no preparation for an unofficial five party
conference in Davos
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (22.12.15) reports that Turkish Cypriot
leader Mustafa Akinci’s spokesman Baris Burcu denied reports in the Greek
Cypriot media that there are preparations for an unofficial five-party
conference in Davos.
It was written in the Greek Cypriot press that UN special envoy Espen
Barth Eide is trying to organize an unofficial five party conference in order to
bring together the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities with
guarantor powers Turkey, Greece, and Great Britain to discuss the guarantee
issue during the World Economic Forum, which will be held in Davos between 20-23
January, 2016.
Burcu said that “Davos is an economic forum”, adding that Eide has
not informed them officially on the above mentioned efforts. Burcu noted that
Akinci will go to Davos to carry out contacts on the side-lines of the World
Economic Forum, however his programme has not become clear yet.
Asked to comment whether Akinci will have high official meetings or
not in Davos, Burcu said: “We want to have high official contacts in every
ground and in every opportunity. If these opportunities occur, we will use
them”.
(DPs)
3. Ozgurgun condemned recent statements by President
Anastasiades
Under the above title, Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper
(22.12.15) reports on statements by Huseyin Ozgurgun, chairman of the opposition
National Unity Party (UBP).
Commenting in a written statement the recent statement made by
President Anastasiades that “the areas provided in the Annan Plan to be returned
to the Greek Cypriots could in no way be changed and that this is a sine qua
non”, Ozgurgun said that such statements affect negatively the negotiation
process and caused anger to the Turkish Cypriot “people”, whose hopes towards a
possible agreement have been reduced.
“Such statements which affect negatively the negotiation process,
reminds to the Turkish Cypriots that the Greek Cypriot’s mentality has not
changed and will not change and that the Greek Cypriots would continue ignoring
the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people in the island, their security, their
freedoms, rights and benefits”.
Ozgurgun added that it is naturally for the “people” to wonder how a
fair and viable agreement is possible to be reached with the Greek Cypriots by
March, when they have no goodwill and are narrow-minded.
(AK)
4. Contradictory statements by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot
building contractors
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (22.12.15) reports that
Mithat Yenigun, chairman of the Turkish Building Contractors’ Union
(TMB), has issued a written statement noting that TMB had signed an agreement
with the Turkish Cypriot Building Contractors’ Union (KTIMB) aiming at making
use of the economic potential in the island, which will come up after a possible
solution to the Cyprus problem.
Noting that there is a potential of 100 billion euro in Cyprus,
Yenigun said that they could help in the development of Cyprus by conveying the
experience they gained from their international activities. He
noted:
“We hope that an agreement will be reached adopted by both
communities. There are a lot of works to be done in Cyprus after the
solution. There are places which are inert for a long time. A move in tourism
may be made. The infrastructure works will be carried out”.
Yenigun said that in case of a solution, their target is to cooperate
in many projects such as the renovation in the occupied fenced off city of
Varosha and other places which are inert.
Meanwhile, Cafer Gurcafer, chairman of the KTIMB, told Kibris
that the Turkish Cypriot building contractors had not signed any agreement
with the Turkish building contractors for reconstructing the occupied fenced off
city of Varosha, like the Turkish press reported yesterday. He said that
Varosha is not specifically mentioned in the agreement protocol they signed with
the Turkish building contractors, adding that they had signed a protocol for the
reconstruction of Varosha and the Green Line with the Cyprus Contractors’ Union
(OSEOK).
Gurcafer stated that they are trying to turn this protocol into a
part of the agreement which will be signed and submitted to referendum in the
end of the negotiations. He added: “Cooperation will be made with the Greek
Cypriot contractors in the works in Varosha and the buffer zone. The details of
the cooperation with the Turkish contractors have not yet been
determined”.
Gurcafer said that they decided to cooperate with the Turkish
contractors on the issue of making business abroad, the provision of technical
knowledge and the potential which will come up after the solution of the Cyprus
problem.
(I/Ts.)
5. A Chinese village is constructed in occupied Trikomo
area
Turkish daily Milliyet newspaper (22.12.15) reports that Chinese
investor Youfei Ma, signed an agreement with the Turkish Cypriot Noyanlar Group
for constructing a 142-residence and 52-villa village in the occupied Trikomo in
a 26-donum area. Only Chinese people will be able to buy a house in the village,
according to Milliyet.
Speaking to the paper, the chairman of Noyanlar Group Ahmet Noyan
stated that the Chinese investor chose Cyprus because he believes in the
solution process and because it considers the island to be a virgin beauty.
On his part, the “mayor” of occupied Trikomo stated: “This is a big issue for us
the world has started to notice us”.
The paper further stated that six Chinese families have bought some
of the villas that are already constructed in the area. It also writes that the
Noyanlar Group is planning to open an office in Iran and Israel aiming for
Russian customers.
Finally Milliyet writes that the fenced off Varosha city, who as it
notes is expected to be opened after a solution is reached between the two sides
of the island, and will open the way for many investment opportunities, is only
30 Km away from occupied Trikomo.
(CS)
6. Davutoglu stated that Turkey and Israel achieved progress on
the normalization of their ties
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (22.12.15) reports that Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that Israel was led to pursue better relations
with Turkey due to the overwhelming victory of the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) in the November 1 elections.
“There is a need to be cautious. The November 1 elections have had
an impact on Israel’s stance. They have relented in regards to certain
issues when they saw that the AK Parti would stay in power until 2019,”
Davutoglu was quoted as saying by sources during a meeting of his party’s
highest decision-making body, the Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK),
late on December 20.
“There is no deal with Israel yet but progress has been maintained,”
Davutoglu said.
(…)
“There are some positive steps that have been taken for the lifting
of the blockade and the paying of compensation. They are not warm to totally
lifting the blockage of Gaza but they have arrived at a point where they assume
they can loosen the blockage for Turkey,” Davutoğlu told AKP’s
executives.
“They state that they might not prevent assistance sent to Palestine.
As for the compensation, there are international standards on this matter; we
seek harmony with these standards. There is flexibility on this issue, too, on
the part of Israel”, Davutoglu added.
But Davutoglu emphasized that a final deal was not guaranteed because
Israel might eventually cease “fulfilling what falls on its
shoulders.”
Numerous efforts to normalize ties between Turkey and Israel have
failed, including one initiated by U.S. President Barack Obama in March 2013. At
the time, Israel bowed to a longstanding demand by Ankara, once a close
strategic partner, to apologize formally for the deaths aboard the Mavi Marmara.
However, an agreement to normalize relations has not been
achieved.
(…) Moreover, a senior Turkish official, who requested anonymity,
told reporters on December 18 that progress had been made on Turkey’s key
demands to lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip and compensation over the 2010
raid.
“We are close to a final framework” for a deal on the normalization
of ties, said the official. “There is tangible, positive
progress.”
Earlier, Israeli officials revealed that Israel and Turkey held
secret talks in Switzerland and had reached “understanding” to normalize ties
that were downgraded following the deadly 2010 Israeli commando
raid.
7. Turkish Deputies called for the resumption of the Kurdish peace
process
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (22.12.15) reports that Deputies
from both opposition and ruling parties have urged a resumption of the peace
process through dialogue amid renewed clashes in the southeast, with one
Republican People’s Party (CHP) MP saying “low-intensity warfare is continuing”
in the region.
CHP Deputy Chairman Sezgin Tanrıkulu called on parties on December 21
to “open a new way in Parliament” for dialogue instead of clashes.
“Turkey cannot solve the Kurdish problem with either ditches or
tanks”, Tanrikulu said, calling for a third way.
The Deputy delivered his remarks during a visit to the Sur district
of southeastern Diyarbakır province where security forces and the youth
organization of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have been clashing for weeks.
“The CHP is ready for dialogue for the resumption of talks”,
Tanrıkulu said, calling for the start of talks in Parliament.
Also, Orhan Miroglu, Deputy with the Ruling Justice and Development
(AKP) also warned that the fight against terrorism was not possible with a lack
of democracy.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament on December 21, Miroglu
said that they favored a “national consensus in
Parliament.”
“We want a discussion in Parliament and [support a] stance of all our
political parties against terror and violence with a national consensus, rather
than with symbolic, daily moves,” Miroglu said.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), meanwhile, called for efforts
that would bring “normal life” back to the areas affected by the
sieges.
“The solution is never evacuation and depopulation of these cities.
The solution is creating the environment for a return to normal life,” Ayhan
Bilgen, a spokesperson for the HDP, said at a press conference on December
21.
(…)
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(AK / AM)
