TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
05/16 09-11.01.2016
1.
Akinci: “Everyone wants the year 2016 to be a year of new beginning for Cyprus”
2.
Burcu replies to Ozdag’s accusations
3. Turkes argues that there is no delay in Turkey’s
payments to the breakaway regime in Cyprus and that the Cyprus talks are going
well
4. Talat evaluates the regime’s relations with Turkey;
He says that Turkey asked “citizenship” for another 26.000 settlers
5.
Turkey summons British Ambassador over suspension of Turkish diplomats’ bank
accounts in UK
6.
Ozgurgun: The agreement reached with the Turkish government on the water issue
should be implemented immediately
7. More about the scandal with the illegal Tymbou
airport
8.
Sucuoglu signed protocol for archaeological excavations with the Ankara Gazi
University
9.
One weapon accounts for every six persons in the breakaway regime
10.
Under-14-year-old football team of the “Turkish Cypriot Football Federation” to
participate in a tournament held in Spain
11.
Davutoglu: South-Eastern municipalities use funds to aid PKK instead of
building infrastructures
12.
Working Journalists’ Day marked amid protests and detentions in Turkey;
Erdogan: Press freedom is not unlimited
1.
Akinci: “Everyone wants the year 2016 to be a year of new beginning for
Cyprus”
According to illegal Bayrak television
(online, 09.01.16), Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, within the framework
of ‘Cooperation and Dialogue meetings’, met with the village’s’ headmen in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus on Saturday. He informed them regarding
the latest phase reached on the Cyprus issue and listened to their views.
Making a statement prior to the meeting,
Akinci noted that the Cyprus issue has been continuing for over half a century
now and added that the issue has been discussed thoroughly. “What’s important is to reach an agreement
that is accepted by the two sides”, said Akinci and added that it is their aim
to achieve two “yes” at a possible referendum.
“For a solution we need mutual
understanding, we need to understand one another”, said Akinci and added that
they are working to reach an agreement where both peoples on the island are
equal, living in security and peace. He
said that they are constantly meeting with officials from Turkey, the
parliament, government, opposition, civil society organisations and
municipalities in order to find the criteria for the solution.
Reiterating his belief that that they
will shape the future together, Akinci said that he will continue to hold
meetings regarding the progress that is being made at the Cyprus negotiations.
“We must create a solution by listening to one another. We aim for the year
2016 to be a year of a solution. If we know what is possible and what is not we
can reach our aim more easily”, Akinci added.
Meanwhile, the “Chamber of Electrical
Engineers” held its New Year’s reception on Friday night and Akinci, self-styled
parliamentary speaker Sibel Siber, self-styled prime minister Omer Kalyoncu and
a variety of politicians took part in the event.
Speaking at the reception, Akinci said
that they are trying their best to establish peace on the island through cooperation
and expressed his belief that the “Chamber of Electrical Engineers” and the
“Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Architects and Engineers” as always, will continue
to contribute to the solution process on the island.
Noting that everyone wants the year 2016
to be a year of new beginnings for Cyprus, Akinci said: “I hope just like the
Turkish Cypriot ‘people’, the Greek Cypriot ‘people’ will also have the same
desires and that with the same feelings we will both achieve a solution and
peace on the island”.
2.
Burcu replies to Ozdag’s accusations
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 09.01.16), Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa
Akinci’s spokesman Baris Burcu made a statement regarding the accusations
hurled against Akinci and the negotiations team by the Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) deputy chairman Umit Ozdag in Turkey.
Noting that without having
any real facts or knowledge, Ozdag had made statements that were insulting and
offensive, Burcu said that Ozdag had made similar biased statements in the past
and it is clear that he is being supplied information by anti-solution circles.
Explaining
that Ozdag had claimed that he visited the occupied area of the Republic of
Cyprus to follow the Cyprus negotiations process, Burcu criticized Ozdag as he had made inappropriate statements
without even requesting an appointment with Akinci, the negotiations team, the
self-styled parliamentary speaker,
theself-styled prime minister or the self-styled foreign minister.
Burcu
reminded Ozdag, who evaluated the Akinci’s handling of the Cyprus negotiations
process as anti-democratic and far from being transparent, that information
sharing is at its highest level at the negotiations process.
Ozdag
had also claimed that the negotiations team is insufficient when it comes to
international law and EU law. Burcu’s reply to this claim was to list the
number of experts that are serving on the negotiations team. “Ozdag overstepped
the boundaries when he characterised the negotiations process that is being
carried out in cooperation and harmony with Turkish officials, as
submissiveness”, Burcu added.
He
added that the attack against Akinci and the negotiations team is at the same
time an insult against the Turkish Cypriot “people”. “On both sides of the
island there are those who are opposed to a solution and we are witnessing
accusations that are equivalent to insults by those circles. Without paying
heed to unfounded accusations, we will continue to work towards finding a just
and permanent solution to the Cyprus problem, with all our good intentions”,
said Burcu.
3. Turkes argues that there is no delay in Turkey’s
payments to the breakaway regime in Cyprus and that the Cyprus talks are going
well
Turkish daily Milliyet newspaper (10.01.16) reports
that Tugrul Turkes, Turkish Deputy
Prime Minister responsible for Cyprus Affairs, has argued that there is no problem on the water issue between Turkey
and the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus and
claimed that the issue is being exploited politically in the internal political
affairs of the breakaway regime. In statements to the paper, Turkes said
that the impression has been created that Turkey does not give money to the
breakaway regime because of the water and added:
“There is no
such issue. I have been looking after Cyprus for four months. No payment
that came to my office and was withheld. When I read the news in Cyprus, I was
astonished. The water is for the people’s benefit. The politicians in Cyprus should take the responsibility for this […]
There is no debate between the state of the Republic of Turkey and the TRNC.
There is no disagreement. Turkey is trying to do whatever it can for its
brother-country Cyprus”.
Turkes said that Turkey proposed the building of
472-kilometer water distribution network in the occupied area of Cyprus, the
prevention of leakage-waste of water and the establishment of a second part of
the project regarding the installation of a pre-paid system. According to Turkes, Turkey has asked the
signing of an additional “protocol” so that no time is wasted until the
build-operate-transfer procedure. “We have proposed that with this additional
protocol the Water Affairs Department (DSI) carries out all these, until an
agreement is reached on the water”, he noted.
Turkes
said that he could not understand the stance of the Republican Turkish Party
(CTP), which had not approved the agreement reached between the regime’s
“minister of finance”, Birikim Ozgur (who comes from the CTP) and Turkey. He alleged:
“The TRNC is a separate state. We do not interfere in
its internal affairs. However, let me note the following: I am the Deputy Prime
Minister Responsible for Cyprus. Can I make an agreement with the officials in
Cyprus and then take it for approval to the AK Party council? Mr Birikim has
been authorized and made an agreement […] Afterwards, the party which should
implement it (the CTP), takes it to its council. And then it says no. How will
it explain this to its voters? […]”
Turkes claimed that Turkey has never taken a decision
which victimizes the Turkish Cypriots and everything agreed with the
“protocols” is being paid on time. He
noted that the money that should have been given to the regime within the
framework of the financial “protocol” has not been given, because the
“protocol’ has not been signed yet. “Why was the financial protocol not
prepared? This should be questioned”, he said.
Referring to the negotiations process for finding a
solution to the Cyprus problem, Turkes alleged:
“The
negotiations are proceeding positively. We are talking with president
Mustafa Akinci. We are satisfied with
the fact that the negotiations with Anastasiades are going well. However, both
sides should make small gestures in order to be able to reach an agreement
within the framework of the confidence building measures, but the Greek Cypriot
side avoids even these small gestures. If Anastasiades wants to remain in
history, he should make an agreement. Anastasiades should resist the pressures
in the south”.
(I/Ts.)
4. Talat evaluates the regime’s relations with
Turkey; He says that Turkey asked “citizenship” for another 26.000
settlers
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (11.01.16)
reports that Mehmet Ali Talat,
leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), has said that the Turkish so-called embassy in the occupied part of
Nicosia can make statements on various issues, but “the important thing is what
purpose these statements are serving”. Asked to comment on the statement
issued by the “embassy” regarding the CTP and the “council of ministers”, Talat
noted that the important thing is
whether these statements are beneficial. “This is an issue of debate. My
objection is not for this. My objection is that the party assembly is the one
which establishes and dissolves the government. The approach that the party
assembly cannot take decisions is wrong. […] The party assembly can of course take decisions regarding the policies
of the government and give instructions the ministers who are party members.
This is within its competences”.
Asked to comment on the statement of the “embassy”
that the water issue will be solved in the “cabinet”, Talat said that after the CTP assembly took a decision, the “ministers”
coming from the CTP cannot approve anything else.
Replying to another question, Talat noted that the water issue should be solved at the
political level. “I think that my
visit to Ankara could help in this. I think that it would be difficult for
this issue to be solved if it remains at technical level in Ankara”, he argued.
Asked about the new “economic protocol” between Turkey
and the regime, Talat said that the
“protocol” will be completed by tomorrow and a proposal will be submitted to
Turkey. “We are waiting nothing from Turkey. We are the ones who delayed”, he
admitted.
Asked
whether Turkey has put as precondition for the signing of the “protocol’ that
the “citizenship” of the regime should be given to another 26.000 Turkish
settlers, Talat replied that “Turkey has the approach
of drawing the attention of the government here to its citizens living here and
their complaints”.“As far as I know the total number of the complaints should
be around 26.000”, he said and agreed with the comment of the journalist that
this number is “quite big”.
(I/Ts.)
5.
Turkey summons British Ambassador over suspension of Turkish diplomats’ bank
accounts in UK
According
to the turkish state channel TRT (online, 09.01.16), the Turkish Foreign
Ministry summoned the British Ambassador to Turkey on Friday and asked him to
take steps against suspended bank accounts of Turkish diplomats by the United
Kingdom.
Turkish
authorities have started an objection appeal process in English courts calling
on British authorities to fulfil their obligations under international law,
said Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic.“We have initiated an appeal
process. We expect for the prohibitions and precautions that have been placed
on these accounts to be immediately lifted and for the UK to follow and adhere
to the legal obligations that are required by international law. We expect the
legal appeal process to be finalized very soon”.
Bilgic
underlined the suspension of the bank accounts violates Vienna Convention as it
is against the nature of diplomatic and consular relations. “As you know, some
international agreements on diplomatic relations are recognised as
constitutional law. These are the 1961 and 1963 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations”, he said.
“Freezing
of these accounts means the disregard of both these agreements”, he continued.
“Additionally
by freezing these accounts the UK has disrupted the workflow of our diplomatic
and consular activities and has disregarded the Vienna conventions. Naturally
this is completely unacceptable for us”.
Responding to a question
about the freezing of diplomats’ bank accounts at a Turkish bank in England,
Bilgic said the freezing of the accounts dates back to a decision that was
taken in 2014-2015 by the Greek Cypriot administration (editor’s note: as he
refers to the Republic of Cyprus) as “precautionary measure”.
The
issue was brought to the attention of the British authorities by the Turkish
embassy in London and the British ambassador to Ankara was summoned by the
Turkish Foreign Ministry to explain the decision.
Bilgic said that taking this
kind of decisions is harming the negotiation process for Cyprus.
6.
Ozgurgun: The agreement reached with the Turkish government on the water
issue should be implemented immediately
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 09.01.16), the leader of the National Unity Party (UBP) Huseyin Ozgurgun has said
that the agreement reached with the Turkish government on the water issue
should be implemented without any further delay. “To present a party
decision as though it is the government’s decision is harming the people”, said
Ozgurgun.
Referring
to the agreements that were made on the water issue and the ceremonies that
took place with “government officials”, Ozgurgun reminded of the last meeting
that took place in December between Turkey and “TRNC” delegations and noted
that it was decided with an “intergovernmental agreement” that the water
management and inspections would be carried out by “TRNC public authority”
during that meeting.
“Due
our ‘government partner’ the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) taking this issue
to its party assembly, the Economic and Financial Cooperation Protocol has not
been signed and our people are suffering due to this”, said Ozgurgun.
He
said that the National Unity Party’s stance on the water issue has been clear
from the very beginning and added that the UBP will not take part in any
unnecessary discussions as it is well aware of its duties and responsibilities
towards the public. “The intergovernmental agreements that have been reached
should be implemented right away. This artificial issue that has taken over the
public’s agenda for no apparent reason should be overcome”, said the UBP
leader.
7.More about the scandal with the illegal Tymbou
airport
Under the front-page title: “Theembassy has warned the ministry as well”, Turkish Cypriot daily
Afrika newspaper (10.01.16), invoking reliable information concerning the
scandal related with the illegal Tymbou airport, wrote that the so-called
ministry of transportation asked the “Turkish embassy” in the occupied area of
Cyprus to contribute financiallyto the payment of the Turkish company which
signed the agreement for the service procurement at the illegal airport.
However,
as the paper alleged, the “embassy” denied to contribute for this purpose and
proposed to the “ministry” to provide the control-inspection service of the
illegal Tymbou airport to the “state airport directorate”. However, the “ministry of transportation of the TRNC”
did not take into consideration the “embassy’s proposal” and signed the
agreement with the foreign company.
As
the paper writes, the agreement was signed last October by the “undersecretary
of the ministry of transportation” Olgun Amcaoglu. Amcaoglu who had objections
to the signing of this agreement received pressure by the so-called minister of
transportation Tahsin Ertugruloglu who told him that the signing of the
agreement was “Erdogan’s order”. .
The
above mentioned agreement envisaged the decision approved by the “council of
ministers” to provide a foreign company the control-inspection services of the
T&T airport company which is responsible for the management of the illegal
Tymbou airport.
(AK)
8.
Sucuoglu signed protocol for archaeological excavations with the Ankara Gazi
University
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (09.01.16)
reported on the contacts of the “minister of tourism” Faiz Sucuoglu in Turkey.
According to the paper, he signed a protocol for
archaeological excavations with the Ankara Gazi University. Information is not
provided regarding the areas in which the excavations will take place.
In addition, the paper reported that Sucuoglu met with
the Turkish Minister of Tourism Mahir Unal and with the deputy Prime Minister, responsible
for Cyprus Affairs Tugrul Turkes. Commenting on his contacts with Unal,
Susuoglu stated that they discussed ways to strengthen the cooperation in the
area of tourism and he conveyed to the Turkish Tourism Minister his proposal
the year 2017 to be “the year of North Cyprus”, in Turkey.
Finally the paper reports that Unal may visit the
breakaway regime next week.
(CS)
9.One
weapon accounts for every six persons in the breakaway regime
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (11.01.16)
reportsthat there are 49,526 weapons in the breakaway regime and notes that one
weapon accounts for every six persons.
The paper cites information by the “ministry of
interior” according to which “there are almost 57,000 weapons for a population
of 290,000”. Noting that there has been an increase in weapon buying during the
last five years, the paper adds that these are shotguns, air guns and paintball
weapons.
(CS)
10.
Under-14-year-old football team of the “Turkish Cypriot Football Federation” to
participate in a tournament held in Spain
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (09.01.16)
reported that the teen, under-14-year-old football team of the “Turkish Cypriot
Football Federation” will participate in the “CTFA U14” footballtournament to
be held in Spain.
According to the paper, the tournament will take place
in March and teenager teams from Barcelona, Seville, Liverpool and other big
football teams will also participate.
(CS)
11.
Davutoglu: South-Eastern municipalities use funds to aid PKK instead of
building infrastructures
According
to Turkish daily Sabah (online, 10.01.16), Turkey’s
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, in a closing speech of the ruling Justice
and Development (AKP) Party's 24th Advisory and Assessment camp held at in the
western city of Afyonkarahisar, claimed
on Sunday that municipalities in south-eastern Turkey are using funds to help
the PKK terrorist organization, instead of building infrastructure in the
region.
Most
of the municipalities in south-eastern Turkey are run by the Democratic Regions
Party (DBP), the sister party of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Recently,
there have been many reports that the municipalities administrated by the DBP
provide assistance to the PKK by digging trenches and establishing roadblocks
to claim control over cities.
Davutoglu
said that the DBP-run municipalities did not turn their funds into investments,
which is essential to secure peace and tranquillity in the region. The Prime
Minister said that these municipalities will give an account for these funds.
Davutoglu also touched upon
some media reports' claims that there was a time limit for terror operations ongoing in the south-eastern Turkey. The Prime Minister said
that "There is no such time limit", and the operations would continue
until an atmosphere of peace is ensured in the region.
12.
Working Journalists’ Day marked amid protests and detentions in Turkey;
Erdogan: Press freedom is not unlimited
According
to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online, 10.01.16), a number of press associations, representatives from political parties
and civil society groups across Turkey staged demonstrations to protest
political pressure on journalists during Working Journalists' Day on Jan. 10.
Demonstrators took to the
streets in both Istanbul and Ankara to protest the fact that 1,000 journalists
have been fired in recent months and that 33 are in prison, while over 200
reporters faced investigations in 2015.
Speaking
to those gathered in front of the school, Güseren Ergezer from the Turkish
Journalists Union (TGS) said that journalists do not feel that it is
appropriate to celebrate Working Journalists' Day since many of their
colleagues have been either killed or imprisoned in recent months. "We
journalists have spent a lot of time in courthouses recently to give statements
to prosecutors over alleged crimes, instead of spending our time doing our
actual jobs. Almost every day, [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan's lawyers file
a criminal complaint against one of us. Judges are ordered to issue rulings to
arrest journalists and over 30 journalists are still behind bars. The only evidence
used to justify these arrests is the journalists' news reports," Ergezer
said.
Meanwhile,
Erdogan issued a statement on Friday to
mark Working Journalists' Day and said that a country's democracy is as strong
as the extent to which its media and journalists are free to do their jobs, but
added that the ability to exercise that freedom should not be construed as
constituting exemption from responsibilities.
The
President also said that powerful states have a strong media environment that
allows different voices to flourish. "The media should be independent and
the level of democracy in a country is shown by the extent to which the media,
journalists and media employees are free. However, this freedom should not be
interpreted as entailing an absence of responsibility. What matters is that
people have access to true and objective news,” Erdogan said.
Many social media users
lambasted Erdogan's message, describing his remarks as insincere and accusing
him of responsibility for the pressure on journalists and media outlets in
Turkey.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(AK
/ AM)
