TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
17/16 27.01.2016
1.
The Turkish self-styled ambassador to Nicosia refers to a “geographic
federation, two lands, two peoples and two sovereignties” in Cyprus
2.
TMT: “We oppose to even a single Greek Cypriot coming and settling in the
north”
3.
Bozkir: We wish for a solution that will make the two sides in Cyprus happy
4.
Ozyigit: The system of guarantees must continue until trust is established
between the two communities
5.
Siber met with the President, the Assembly Speaker and the Prime Minister of
Iraq
6.
Davutoglu: Great difficulties but also great opportunities ahead of us
regarding the Cyprus problem
7.
Akansoy: Funding has been released for Deryneia and Lefka checkpoints
8.
New representatives of the breakaway regime in Azerbaijan and Hungary
9.
Sucuoglu: The advertising campaign in Britain was effective
10.
The “municipalities” in the occupied area of Cyprus spend the utmost of their
budget in the personnel expenses
11.
The “Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry” is having contacts in Turkey in order
to establish calibration in laboratory
12.
Cavusoglu: Turkey to boycott Syria talks if PYD invited
13.
Erdogan: District governors should act against PKK
1. The
Turkish self-styled ambassador to Nicosia refers to a “geographic federation,
two lands, two peoples and two sovereignties” in Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper
(27.01.16) reports that the Turkish
so-called ambassador to the occupied part of Nicosia, DeryaKanbay has alleged
that no one except Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots thinks of a solution to the
Cyprus problem in which the “Turks on the island will live fairly and humanly”.
In statements yesterday during a meeting
with a delegation of the so-called Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT),
Kanbay argued that the foreign states
which want a solution to be found in Cyprus think of their own interests.
He added: “I am not saying it to create fanaticism. Unfortunately, such a
reality exists in the world. Certain
powers dominate over the international institutions. The ‘yes’ and ‘no’ vote of
the five permanent members of the UN Security Council influences many things in
the world”.
Claiming that these countries are
bargaining with each other and no one says anything when one of them commits
crimes somewhere in the world, Kanbay alleged: “This is what you experience for
years in Cyprus. It is said that the
stars in the world are aligned for finding a solution in Cyprus. You can see
the reason for this when you look 500 or 1000 kilometers away from the island.
Therefore, I do not believe that these stars say ‘let us find a solution’ for
the black eyes of the Turkish Cypriots. They have interests and plans.Except
the policy of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots for the solution in Cyprus, no
one thinks ‘let the Turks on the island live fairly and humanly, let the
injustices be abolished, let the Turkish people not experience oppression, crimes
and discrimination again. I do not believe this”.
Arguing
that the concerns of the TMT association as regards the solution of the Cyprus
problem are justified and correct, Kanbay said that he shares the same concerns with
persons who have similar views with the members of the association and some
part of the society in Turkey. “Turkey
does not think something different than you. Its point of you to the
negotiations is the same”, he noted and added:“Negotiations do not mean
that ‘I will take everything’. The two sides should trust each other. In some
things give and take balancing could exist to the extent they think that they
are justified. This is such a process. In any case, negotiations cannot be
conducted with an approach that what I am saying will happen hundred per cent.
[…]”
Recalling that a federal structure will be
established in the end of the negotiations and arguing that this will be a
“geographic federation”, Kanbay alleged: “They
regard the state established in 1960 as a communal federation, but the current
one is a geographic federation, two territories, two peoples and two
sovereignties. They say that these will unite and have a single international
sovereignty. I am very curious to see how they will do this. […] As a
federal state structure is comprised of a federal or a unified state and in the
end of founding states, you should not forget that together with your founding
state, by your side there will be another founding state and its people. That
is, living eternally with the spirit and
feeling of confrontation with these people, turning the back and opposition
will not bring too much tranquility and prosperity to this island. […] I know that many tourists come from the
south to the north [Translator’s note: ‘North’ is how he described the
occupied area of the island and ‘south’ the government-controlled area]. I also
know that they freely have lunch in restaurants, they go around and have fun
and they even enter into the gardens of some Turks and shout that ‘this house
is mine’. However, I also know that no one behaves them badly, no one attacks
them. If you do similar things, it is sure that war will come up. Yesterday, they celebrated at the statue of a
murderer. There are still people who believe in him, people who follow him. We
wish that their number decreases and is abolished. […]”
Kanbay went on and alleged that after what
he called as “terrible crimes” in Cyprus, the issue was raised at the UN
Security Council which decided that they will continue recognizing the Republic
of Cyprus. He claimed: “In spite of the fact that the Greek Cypriots were those
who avoided the negotiations, the discussions and finding a solution to the
problem for many years, no honest nation in the world told them ‘do not run
away from the table, solve this issue, you are anyway the ones at fault’. Have
you heard a European or a western state to say this? I have not. […]”
Referring to the Annan Plan, Kanbay
alleged:“The UN had put forward a
solution plan of its own without asking the Turkish Cypriots, the Annan Plan. I
do not know to what extent they had asked the Greek Cypriots, on the issue.
They put this plan of theirs in front of you without letting you read it,
without explaining it and said: ‘it will be good. Let us say yes’. Your people
said yes by 65%-66%. The Greek Cypriots saw that there were some minor things
which they did not want in it and said ‘no’. And they did it with 75%. The
priest, the church, Papadopoulos, all of them were involved in the issue and
achieved the ‘no’ vote. In such a case which would be the side to be rewarded
in the world and which would be reprehended? While normally they should have
reprehended the Greek Cypriots and should have said to you ‘bravo, you said yes
to our plan, come and let us embrace you’, they pushed you aside within one
month and accepted them into the EU. These
are realities. If we attempt going after dreams without knowing these, we will
bump into the wall in the end and fall down. […] I call on everyone to see the
realities”.
Referring to the negotiating process,
Kanbay said that the negotiations are heading towards somewhere with a certain
tempo and argued: “I agree with what
some politicians say. Especially the community leaders, the leaders of the
civilian organizations, the scientists, and the intellectuals should read this
agreement text well, explain it well to their neighborhood, their community and
take the right decision. Is the agreement text that will come up
guarantying your future? […] When the leaders read the agreement document which
will come up in the end of the negotiations and says ‘ok, this is appropriate
for my people’ and turn to the communities saying ‘look at it and vote for it’,
the Turkish Cypriot people should not do
it in a hurry like in the case of the Annan Plan, but they should carefully
read it, because this is a great responsibility”.
(I/Ts.)
2. TMT:
“We oppose to even a single Greek Cypriot coming and settling in the
north”
Turkish Cypriot daily HalkinSesi newspaper
(27.01.16) reports that Yilmaz Bora,
chairman of the so-called Turkish Resistance Organization (TMT), has said that
they oppose to any kind of a formula for a solution to the Cyprus problem and
any negotiations process which does not take as basis the “TRNC”, as he
described the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus.
A delegation of the association met yesterday with the Turkish so-called
ambassador to the occupied part of Nicosia, DeryaKanbayand conveyed to him an
eight-point letter with the association’s views on the Cyprus problem.
Alleging that the “TRNC” and “south
Cyprus”, as he called the government-controlled area of the island, should be
politically equal, Bora claimed:
“Bi-zonality is fundamental. It cannot be watered down with the EU norms”.
Bora further alleged that the property
issue should be solved with global exchange and compensation of properties and
added: “We oppose to even a single Greek
Cypriot coming and settling in the north, because the unchanged Greek Cypriot
mentality will cause conflicts again. The active and effective guarantees of
motherland Turkey are of vital importance and cannot change. It is not
possible for a solution to be achieved without taking into consideration the
realities experienced in Cyprus […]”.
(I/Ts.)
3. Bozkir: We wish for a solution that will make the two sides
in Cyprus happy
Turkish
Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (27.01.16) reports that the Turkish Minister
for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Ambassador VolkanBozkir stated that Turkey
wishes for a solution of the Cyprus problem that will make the two sides in
Cyprus happy.
Bozkir made
these statements evaluating recent visits of EU delegations in Turkey.
Referring to the Cyprus problem, Bozkir said: “Our wish is to
reach a bi-zonall, bi-communal solution, based on political equality that will
make the two sides in Cyprus happy and will prevent returning to the old days”.
(CS)
4. Ozyigit: The system of guarantees must continue until trust
is established between the two communities
Turkish
Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (27.01.16) reports that the chairman of the
Social Democracy Party (TDP) CemalOzyigit
stated that his party supports greatly the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa
Akinci and his team on the negotiations and added that the time has come for a
just and permanent solution to be reached.
He made
these statements during a meeting he held with the Republican People’s Party’s
(CHP) foreign relations committee, which is currently in the occupied area of
the Republic of Cyprus for a series of contacts.
Ozyigit
stated that the solution should be bi-communal, bi-zonal and must safeguard the
political equality of the two communities in Cyprus. On the issue of guarantees
he said that TDP supports demilitarization noting that this includes the British
bases in Cyprus. However, he noted that we must not forget the bitter events
that took place in the past which should not be repeated. Therefore until trust
is established between the two communities the system of guarantees must
continue.
(CS)
5. Siber
met with the President, the Assembly Speaker and the Prime Minister of Iraq
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris
(27.01.16), the self-styled assembly speaker of the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus SibelSiber, who attended 11th
Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC member states (PUOICM) in
Bagdad, had the opportunity to meet with some Assembly Speakers and Committees
of participating countries in the Conference.
Siber had also separate meetings with the
President, the Assembly Speaker and the Prime Minister of Iraq. Later, Siber
and her accompanying delegation visited with the Turkish delegation the Turkish
Embassy in Bagdad.
During the meetings, Siber stressed the
importance to establish a more close dialogue and to hold mutual visits in
order to develop the tourism and the economic cooperation with the Islamic
countries.
Claiming that the “TRNC” (translator’s
notes: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) is
an island of education, Siber argued that their graduated students are
recognized internationally. She added that their “universities” have academic
cooperation and exchange programmes with other international universities.
On the same issue, illegal Bayrak
television (online, 27.01.16) reported that Siber, speaking upon her return at
the occupied airport of Tymbou, said that she
had found the opportunity to address the conference despite the fact that the
“TRNC” attended the meetings as an observer state. She described her contacts
with representatives of other OIC states also extremely productive and useful.
Stating that she had invited students from
OIC member countries to come and study in the “TRNC”, Siber said that she had
also conveyed their desire to set up inter-parliamentary friendship groups with
OIC member states.
“Unfortunately the area we are in is a
boiling pot. Once again we understand the importance of peace and prosperity we
enjoy on the island. I conveyed in my address the importance of ensuring the
democratic and peaceful existence of all people in their own countries without
having to flee or become refugees”, she said.
Siber, further, called for OIC member
countries “to take concrete steps in order to contribute to the lifting of the
isolations as soon as possible”.
(DPs)
6. Davutoglu: Great difficulties but also great opportunities
ahead of us regarding the Cyprus problem
Turkish
Cypriot daily YeniBakis newspaper (27.01.16) reports that the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that there are
many difficulties ahead as regards the Cyprus problem but there are many
opportunities as well.
Davutoglu
made this statement during a speech he delivered yesterday at the Turkish
Parliament, where he informed the Turkish Assembly about the Davos meeting.
He also added that he shared this thought with the British Prime
Minister Davit Cameron, whom he called “a dear friend”, on a
meeting they held in the sidelines of the Davos meeting.
(CS)
7. Akansoy:
Funding has been released for Deryneia and Lefka checkpoints
Turkish Cypriot illegal Bayrak television
(27.01.16, online) broadcast that AsimAkansoy, self-styled minister of interior
and labour of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of
Cyprus, said today that the tender launched by the UNDP for the opening of the
Lefka/Apliki and Deryneia crossing points has been completed.
Akansoy noted that the 2.1 million euro has
been released by the European Commission.
He said that the tender was awarded to
M-Tas&AhmetKorukoğlu Ltd and that the planning stage for the road works on
the occupied part of the barricade of both crossing points was planned to be
completed by March of this year.
Explaining that the road works on the
government-controlled area of the Republic at both crossing points will be
carried out by the government of the Republic of Cyprus through its own
funding, Akansoy said: “The expansion and asphalting of the short stretch of
road left between the two checkpoints will be carried out jointly by the two
sides”.
He noted that the road on the
government-controlled area at the Lefka/Apliki crossing point was expected to
be completed in a year and half.
Akansoy also said that the financial
assistance provided by the European Union was only to be used for the
construction of the roads and that an application would be made to the EU for
additional funding to complete remaining infrastructure. “An additional 70 civilian
personnel will be employed by the police force to manage the checkpoints”, he
concluded.
8. New
representatives of the breakaway regime in Azerbaijan and Hungary
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Star
Kibris (27.01.16), Turkish Cypriot leader
Mustafa Akinci met yesterday with UfukTurhaner, who has been appointed
to the “TRNC representative office” in Azerbaijan and with SeldaCimen,
appointed to the “TRNC representative office” in Hungary.
During the meeting, Akinci stressed the
importance of such positions with regards to representation of the Turkish
Cypriot “people” in the world. He added that the “appointment” of two women
“representatives” in their “representative offices” both in Azerbaijan and in
Hungary as pleasing and prideful development. He further wished Turhaner and
Cimen success in their duties.
(DPs)
9.Sucuoglu:
The advertising campaign in Britain was effective
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris
(27.01.16), the self-styled minister of tourism FaizSucuoglu announced that the
advertising campaign launched in Britain on December 28, 2015, was effective.
He added that according to their statistical data, the number of visitors to
their “North Cyprus” website increased by 94% within a month.
Sucuoglufuther said that the advertising
posters of “North Cyprus” placed in UK airports, metro undergrounds, buses and
other important city centres were effective.
Meanwhile, the paper also reports that the
tourism sector of “North Cyprus” was also promoted in the tourism fair MATKA
2016 held in Helsinki between 21 and 24
January.
According to information provided by the
“tourism ministry press office, a delegation from the “ministry of tourism”
carried out meetings with the tourism sector representatives particularly from
Finland and in general from the Nordic market.
Tourist road maps eco-tourism brochure,
several other brochures for special interest tourism, tourist promotional DVDs,
and water sports, eco-tourism, mountain biking brochures were also distributed
at the stand.
(DPs)
10. The
“municipalities” in the occupied area of Cyprus spend the utmost of their
budget in the personnel expenses
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (27.01.16)
reports that the so-called state planning organization (“DPO”) published an
evaluation report on “local administrations in ‘TRNC’ during the period
2006-2014”.
OdulMuhtaroglu, director of the “DPO”,
indicated that the biggest component of the expenditure items is the “personnel
expenses”, adding that these expenses of the “municipalities” in 2006 were 68.7
million TL, while in 2014 the expenses reached 179.4 million TL. He explained
that the item personnel expense is the 41.82% of the average proportion of the
total expenses.
Noting that the number of the total
personnel in the “municipalities” in 2014 was 3,293 persons, Muhtaroglu said
that in 2006 the number of the total personnel was 2,372 persons.
(DPs)
11. The “Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry” is having
contacts in Turkey in order to establish calibration in laboratory
Turkish
Cypriot daily YeniBakis newspaper (27.01.16) reports that the “Turkish Cypriot
Chamber of Industry” (KTSO) is having contacts in Turkey in order to establish
calibration in laboratory and to improve the standards in the breakaway regime.
“KTSO
chairman” Ali Cirali, heading a delegation held meetings with the Turkish
Standards Institution (TSE), the Turkish Accreditation Foundation and the so-called embassy of the breakaway
regime to Ankara.
In
statements during the meetings, Cirali stated that the breakaway regime must
develop and also must improve its standards adding that it may face many
difficulties meeting the EU standards in case a solution on the Cyprus problem
is reached soon.
(CS)
12. Cavusoglu:
Turkey to boycott Syria talks if PYD invited
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(26.01.16), Ankara will boycott UN-sponsored Syria peace talks in Geneva if the
Democratic Union Party (PYD) is invited to the table, said Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday.
"Under what title will PYD sit at the
table? Could a terrorist organization be a representative of [Syrian Kurdish]
people", he argued during a live interview with Turkish private NTV news
channel in Strasbourg, where he came to attend the Winter Session of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
His remarks came before the Syria peace
talks scheduled for Friday in Geneva, for which the invitations have been sent
after delay by disagreements over which opposition factions should participate
to decide on the political process to end the five-year-old conflict.
"Will al-Qaeda and Nusra Front be able
to take a seat at the table? The negotiation will be made between the
opposition and the regime. Terrorist groups are out of the question," he
said.
He also ruled out presence of separate
opposition groups for Syrian Turkmens or Arabs as the opposition delegation at
the table will consist of them all. "They
say the PYD will not be invited, but if it is invited we will certainly boycott
the Geneva talks," he added.
13. Erdogan:
District governors should act against PKK
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency
(26.01.16), Turkish President
RecepTayyip Erdogan on Tuesday urged district governors to do their part, in
line with the law, against violence carried out by PKK terrorists in Turkey’s
southeast.
Speaking to local-authority leaders at the
presidential complex in Ankara, Erdogan claimed that the PKK was trying to
exert dominance by "using every kind of immoral method in some districts
and streets in the southeast of our country".
"In particular, district governors
should gallantly act by using the authority granted by the law to eliminate the
destruction the PKK has caused and to fill the gaps caused by the municipalities,"
Erdogan told the officials.
"In
addition, public servants who support the terrorist organization should be
swiftly be identified and surrendered to justice," the President added.
Meanwhile, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily
News (online, 26.01.16) reported that the
Justice and Development Party (AKP) has launched internal investigations
against 15 Mayors and around 10 provincial Heads over corruption allegations,
after a Mayor was sent to the party’s disciplinary council with an expulsion
request for taking material advantage of his position.
Reports indicated Prime Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu, who is also the AKP’s leader, briefed mayors to pay the utmost
attention to their private lives and pecuniary affairs at a recent closed-door
meeting. “We would grow suspicious of anyone who has a new wife, job or house,”
Davutoglu was quoted as saying during the meeting with AKP mayors.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/
AM)
