TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No. 27/16 10.02.2016
1.
Erdogan has reportedly asked Siber not to return
occupied Morfou to its legal owners and give the regime’s “citizenship” to
10,000 settlers
2.
Ozgurgun calls Akinci to clarify that the Turkish Cypriots will be joint
partners who manage the state
3.
Bozkir: Turkey’s biggest wish is a Cyprus settlement to be found in a way that
the Turkish Cypriots have wished and Turkey has always supported
4. Turkish Cypriot columnists assess the situation in
the Cyprus talks after the statements by President Anastasiades and Mustafa
Akinci
5. “A 99% agreement on the water management issue”
6.
A change of the town planning zone in the occupied Keryneia
7.
The “Independent Cyprus Turkish Tour Operators Association” is established in
Britain
8. The occupation regime participated in a tourism
fair in Brussels
9. The Ambassador of Ireland to Cyprus visited Atalay
10. Turkey summoned the US envoy over the latest
statements by the US on the PYD organization
11. Turkey will reportedly hold talks with Israel to
mend ties
12. HDP’s Demirtas accused the AKP government of
committing a massacre in Cizre; HDP’s Deputies hold contacts in Washington and
Moscow
13. Turkey to issue a smoking ban for outdoors with
Erdogan’s orders
1. Erdogan has reportedly asked Siber not to return
occupied Morfou to its legal owners and give the regime’s “citizenship” to
10,000 settlers
Under the title “Stand tall, do not step back”, Turkish
daily Milliyet newspaper (10.02.16) reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan has said to the Turkish Cypriot delegation headed by the “parliament’s
speaker”, Sibel Siber, that he closely follows the negotiations held in Cyprus.
“Stand tall in Cyprus, do not step
back”, noted Erdogan addressing the Turkish Cypriot delegation according to
Milliyet’s information.
The
Turkish President is also quoted as saying that “the EU’s promises should not be
trusted”.Erdogan has reportedly emphasized that no step back should be made
from the Annan Plan, which had been rejected because of the Greek Cypriots’
“no” vote in 2004 and argued that “making a step back would be wrong”.
Referring to occupied Morfou which would be returned
to its legal Greek Cypriot owners according to the provisions of the Annan
Plan, Erdogan has reportedly
said:“Morfou should not be given to the Greek Cypriots. Because the Annan Plan
has not been accepted, the things happened there are not valid”. According
to the paper, Morfou is the most productive area of the island.
Erdogan
has also drew attention to what Milliyet describes as “the problem of
approximately 10,000 citizens of the Republic of Turkey”, who had acquired the
right of becoming “citizens of the TRNC” [Translator’s note: The breakaway regime in the
occupied area of Cyprus], but have not been granted the “citizenship” yet. He reportedly said the following to the
Turkish Cypriot delegation: “Why don’t you give the citizenships? A step should
be taken on this issue”. The delegation said that “a legal preparation is
being made for the citizenships”, but Erdogan replied: “We as Turkey accepted to the country 2.5 million people from Syria.
Why don’t you make citizens? Why are you afraid of the citizenship?”
Erdogan has also drew attention to the slow tempo of
the reforms carried out in the occupied area of Cyprus and added that “the
necessary steps for people’s prosperity should be taken”.
According to the paper, complaints on the issue of the “citizenship” were also expressed by
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who also met with Siber’s delegation. When
a self-styled deputy in Siber’s delegation told him that “the EU and the Greek
Cypriots oppose to the citizenships”, Davutoglu
has reportedly replied that “this cannot happen by looking at the others”.
Referring
to the issue of granting “citizenship” to Turkish businessmen, Davutoglu said:
“You are a small state, open your doors”.
As regards the Cyprus talks, Davutoglu has reportedly described as “important” the territory issue
and noted that Ankara is not positive to “putting a limit on the citizenships”.
Siber has reportedly explained that “there is a
climate of optimism in the negotiations”.
According to the paper, persons who have been working
for five years with a work “permit” in the occupied area of Cyprus are
acquiring the right of becoming “citizens” of the regime. However, the current
self-styled government is granting “citizenship” to those who have worked for
twelve years with a “permit” and if a “draft-law” which is now being examined
by the relevant “parliamentary committee” is adopted, this period will be
extended to fifteen years.
(I/Ts.)
2.
Ozgurgun calls Akinci to clarify that the Turkish Cypriots will be joint
partners who manage the state
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris (10.02.16) reports that the leader of the National Unity
Party (UBP) Huseyin Ozgurgun said that the insistence of the continuation of
the Republic of Cyprus by the Greek Cypriot side in a possible solution
disturbs the Turkish Cypriot side. Claiming that the Greek Cypriot side is
making statements that insult the Turkish Cypriots, Ozgurgun said that for this
reason he made statements to the press, and added: “Our president (translator’s
note: the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci) should give an answer to all
these. We give our answers as UBP, but we expect these statements also from our
esteemed president”.
According
to a press release by UBP press office, Ozgurgun, evaluating yesterday the
Cyprus issue, said that the “government” will not create problems on the Cyprus
issue. He added: “The Cyprus issue is our priority and the UBP’s stance on this
issue is crystal clear. Although there are some who criticise us for forming a
government with the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) we as the UBP did this for
our people, the arithmetic at the parliament calls for this”.
However,
Ozgurgun, further said that they are not pleased with the latest developments
on the Cyprus issue and called on Akinci
to clarify that the Cyprus issue is a give-and-take process as well as an issue
of management. He argued: “The ‘president’ should clearly state that the
Turkish Cypriot ‘people’ will be joint partners who manage the state, once
he takes this issue to the negotiating table then the Turkish Cypriot ‘people’
will be more comfortable”.
Noting
that the undiluted bi-zonality is the main principle for the solution of the
Cyprus problem as stated by the UN parameters, Ozgurgun said that the UN
parameters should not be forgotten. He added: “In these parameters, there are
two bi-zonal, founding states. These two founding states are the state of the
Turkish Cypriots and the state of the Greek Cypriots. Now the Greek Cypriots
say “No, the Republic of Cyprus will continue’. Over here, the UN parameters
collapse. The second thing they say, ‘No, everyone will settle where they want,
EU acquis will be implemented’. Here again, the UN parameters collapse. The
third they say is, ‘No need for guarantees within the EU’. By diluting the
guarantorship, they are going out of the UN parameters. At that case, it is not
possible to be able to make such an agreement; we expect Akinci’s statement on
this.”
He
also warned that if a solution that is tailored only by the Greek Cypriot side
alone is approved then the country may suffer a major economic collapse.
(DPs)
3.
Bozkir: Turkey’s biggest wish is a Cyprus settlement to be found in a way
that the Turkish Cypriots have wished and Turkey has always supported
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris (10.02.16) reports that Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief
Negotiator Volkan Bozkir said that while Turkey will continue to support the
Cyprus negotiations process it is also working towards improving the economic
standards of the “TRNC” (translator’s note: the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) and
the living standards of the people.
During
a meeting with a delegation from the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO)
headed by its chairman Firki Toros, Bozkir stressed that the biggest wish of
Turkey is to reach in a result on the Cyprus problem in such a way that the
Turkish Cypriots have wished and Turkey has always supported.
Reminding
that the Cyprus talks are continuing in the island, Bozkir said that they
desire to reach a solution in the form of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation
based on the political equality. He added that they also wish the continuation
of Turkey’s identity to be a guarantor. Finally, Bozkir wishes to both leaders
success in terms of finding solution in this problem.
Toros,
for his part, said that a potential federation to be successful should be
formed by a strong Turkish Cypriot economy in order to protect the gains of the
Turkish Cypriot side.
(DPs)
4. Turkish Cypriot columnists assess the situation
in the Cyprus talks after the statements by President Anastasiades and Mustafa
Akinci
Under the title “And things broke down”, Turkish Cypriot
columnist Mehmet Levent assess in daily
Afrika newspaper (10.02.16) the situation
in the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem after the
recent statements made by President Anastasiades, the Turkish Cypriot leader
Mustafa Akinci and Akinci’s spokesman Baris Burcu. Levent reports, inter
alia, the following:
“[…] After this
point, in spite of all the artificial pumping [of hope], the reality that the
solution is a much weaker possibility than it had been assumed has come to the
surface with nothing remaining hidden. From now on, the merchants of hope
will not find clients so easily for the hopes in which even they themselves do
not believe! Because, like Akinci has said in the beginning of the process,
these people cannot bear another disappointment.
The realities could be hidden until this point with
the lie and spiel that important progress has been achieved in the
negotiations. And this balloon, which would blow up sooner or later, blew up
with the definite and clear statements by Anastasiades!
Anastasiades
says that the Greek Cypriot side will not accept the rotating presidency. Let
alone the other points of objection, even only this is enough to cause a
breakdown at a point.
The reply given by Akinci especially to this clearly reveals this reality. ‘If the Greek Cypriot people will not digest
a Turkish Cypriot being at the head of the common federal state during just
periods, this means that there will be no agreement’. [Translator’s note:
This quotation was given in bold letters by the columnist]
That is, now you will ask: Have things broken down? In my view they have! From now on the
negotiations will continue connected to a life support unit and when the last
grain of sand falls down from that narrow hole, they will pull the plug and
declare that they have lost the patient! […]”
Meanwhile, commenting on the same issue, Turkish
Cypriot columnist Mert Ozdag writes,
inter alia, the following in daily Yeni Duzen newspaper under the title
“Agreement or separation?”:
“The real
picture is coming to surface slowly – slowly in the negotiating process, which
has for a long time been loaded with too many hopes with public relations games
and caused very big expectations. I have written this before: We are
actually at such a period that this is a turnout. Either the points of
consensus would be really declared or the period of mutual blaming would start.
The latter happened! With Anastasiades’
statements the realities have come to the surface. To start with, there is no
agreement on many points. Or the leaders understand different things about the
agreement. In the guarantees, for example. I am sorry, but one of the leaders
is definitely lying. Because Akinci is saying ‘we have not discussed it, it
will be taken up in a five-party conference’ and the Greek Cypriot leader says
‘we have surmounted the guarantees’. […] Which one is true? These examples
could be multiplied. For example, […] the Greek Cypriot leader insistently says
that the solution will be the continuation of the Republic of Cyprus. […] Akinci, however, notes that ‘the TRNC exists’
and in the solution it will become a ‘founding state’. […] There is absolutely
no convergence on the issue of the rotating presidency. Anastasiades says that
‘this cannot happen’ and Akinci that ‘if this does not happen, there will be no
solution’. […]
A
concrete agreement exists only in the property and I think that this agreement
will not be accepted by the majority of the Turkish Cypriots. The agreement
that ‘the priority for filing an application during the first year will belong
to the first property owner’, is not something that was received positively in
the north. […]
When we look at the general picture, we see that Anastasiades has started using
the process for securing a great success to DISY in the elections in May.
Akinci is drawing the attention to this situation in his last statement Akinci
is right in this comment. […]
Very well, what will happen now? As Akinci said, the
Greek Cypriot leader is in an election mood. This is May for which Akinci says
that is a ‘natural time table’! And Turkey’s stance says that ‘if this job ends
until March, it is ok, if not, everyone will go his own way’. In your view what
kind of a turnout we are at now? Is it an agreement or separation? It seems to
me like it is the second one.
I
hope I am wrong, but on the one hand the real face of the Greek Cypriot leader
which came to surface because of the elections in the south and Turkey’s stance
and Akinci’s statement that ‘the TRNC exists’ on the other’ are showing that we
are closer to separation.
I said that I hope that I am wrong, but excuse me, expecting a result from the negotiations in
such a climate is naivety”.
(I/Ts.)
5.“A 99% agreement on the water management issue”
Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (10.02.16) under
the front-page title: “A 99% agreement
on the water issue”, reports that the occupation regime’s delegation composed
by four “ministers” which held two days contacts in Ankara on the issue of the
finalization of the agreement for the “water project” and the issue of the
water management, returned last night to the occupied area of Cyprus, satisfied
from the outcome of their contacts.
The delegation was composed by the so-called minister
of finance Birikim Ozgur, the “minister of economy, industry and trade”, Sunat
Atun, the “minister of agriculture, natural resources and food”, Erkut Sahali
and the “minister of communication, environment and culture”, Kutlu Evren.
According to the paper, in statements to illegal
Tymbou airport upon their return from Turkey, so-called minister Ozgur said, inter alia, the following: “A great
majority of the substantial proposals prepared by our prime minister in
cooperation with several other circles in the TRNC will be included in the
final inter-governmental agreement to be signed with Turkey. We will give a
more detailed briefing at a later stage after the signing of the agreement”.
Ozgur said also that they are pleased from their two
days contacts in Turkey and added: “We will convey to the prime minister this
morning the text derived from the result of our work”.
Also
speaking, so-called minister Atun said, inter alia, that the workings had been
defined and that a 99% agreement had been reached. “Only the signatures are
left and we will present to prime minister Kalyoncu the outcome of our visits”.
(AK)
6.
A change of the town planning zone in the occupied Keryneia
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris (10.02.16) reports that an “amendment in the 2016 Keryneia
white area decree” has started to be into force by February 8, 2016. According
to a “decision of the council of ministers”, there will be a limitation to the
buildings, for example, in the avenues the ten-storey buildings will be limited
to seven-storey buildings, and the seven storey-buildings in the streets will
be limited to five-storey buildings.
The
self-styled mayor of occupied Keryneia municipality Nidai Gungordu said that
the decision is correct.
Asim
Akansoy, the self-styled minister of interior and labour, said that the
occupied town of Keryneia is one the most important tourist towns, adding that
the unsustainable structure within the old town of Keryneia cannot continue.
(DPs)
7.
The “Independent Cyprus Turkish Tour Operators Association” is established
in Britain
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris (10.02.16) reports that most of the Turkish Cypriot tour operators in Britain have been united
under the umbrella “Independent Cyprus Turkish Tour Operators Association”
(ICTTOA).
The
Turkish Cypriot tour operators, who met in the “London Destination Fair”
lately, had the idea to be united in order to be more beneficial in order to
safeguard more tourism for “ North Cyprus” (translator’s note: the occupied
area of the Republic of Cyprus). As a result, they announced officially their
association “ICTTOA” and at the moment, there are 10 members. The aim of the
Association is to be able to promote better “North Cyprus”, to increase the
number of visitors to the occupied area of Cyprus, to protect the image of
“North Cyprus” and to increase their cooperation in the tourism field.
The
chairman of ICTTOA Refik Niyazi Salp, speaking to the paper, said that their
primary aim is to market in a more effective way Cyprus. He added that they
will increase the dialogue with the “Turkish Cypriot Association of Tourism and
Travel Agents” (“KITSAB”), the “Turkish Cypriot hoteliers union” (“KITOB”) as
well the so-called ministry of tourism.
Salp explained that they want to revive again the current system of
incentives. He further said that their advertising campaign of “North Cyprus”
in Britain by the “ministry of tourism” should be in a long term and not in a
short one. He added that if they work altogether as a team they will be more
successful and be able to help their “country”.
(DPs)
8.The occupation regime participated in a tourism
fair in Brussels
Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (10.02.16)
reports that the occupation regime was
represented in the tourism fair “Salon Des Vacances” which took place in
Brussels, Belgium on February 4-8.
According to the paper, the occupation regime attended the fair with its own stand and it was
represented there by the “ministry of tourism” and representatives of the
tourism sector.
Issuing a statement on the issue, the “ministry” said
that within the framework of their participation to the fair, “officials of the ministry” and
representatives of the sector, held contacts with several Belgian and European
tour operators and briefed them about the occupation regime’s tourism and
possible mutual working opportunities.
The paper adds that Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief
Negotiator Volkan Bozkir was among those visited the occupation regime’s stand.
(AK)
9.The Ambassador of Ireland to Cyprus visited
Atalay
Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (10.02.16)
reports that the Ambassador of Ireland
to the Republic of Cyprus Nicholas Twist visited the chairman of the “religious
affairs department” Prof. Dr. Talip Atalay.
According to a statement issued by the “religious
affairs department”, the effects of the
ongoing communication and dialogue between the religious leaders in Cyprus to
the peace process for the solution of the Cyprus problem has been discussed
during the meeting.
(AK)
10.Turkey summoned the US envoy over the latest
statements by the US on the PYD organization
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (09.02.16) reported
that Turkey has summoned the U.S. Ambassador
in order to protest Washington's latest statement that refused to call the
Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union (PYD) a "terrorist" organization.
Turkish
diplomatic sources told the Hürriyet Daily News that the Turkish Foreign
Ministry has summoned the U.S. Ambassador John Bass. "Turkey's unease over
the U.S. stance concerning the definition of the PYD and the YPG [the PYD's
military wing, the People's Defense Units] has been clearly conveyed to the
U.S. Ambassador," said the diplomatic source, speaking under customary
condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, Ankara Anatolia news agency (09.02.16)
reported that the row between Turkey and
the United States over the definition of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union
Party (PYD) has grown.
Turkey’s
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavugoglu in statements in Budapest during a joint
press conference with his counterpart Peter Szijjarto, said that allied
countries needed to make up their minds as to who their partners were in the
fight against the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Stating that it was not rational for some countries
not to regard the PYD as a terrorist organization when all countries were
designating it as such, Cavusoglu said that allied countries needed to make up
their minds. “Therefore, our friends and
allies need to make their minds up. Are we [one of] the partner countries in
Syria in the fight against Daesh or are terror organizations?” Cavusoglu asked.
One day ago, the
U.S. State Department spokesperson John Kirby reiterated the U.S.’ stance that
it does not perceive the PYD as a terrorist organization, while adding that it
understands ally Turkey’s concerns regarding the organization. “We don’t, as
you know, recognize the PYD as a terrorist organization,” Kirby said on
February 8 during a daily press briefing, adding that they knew and understood
that Turkey recognized the PYD as a terrorist organization. “Even the best of
friends aren’t going to agree on everything. Kurdish fighters have been some of
the most successful in going after Daesh inside Syria,” said Kirby.
(…)
11.Turkey will reportedly hold talks with Israel to
mend ties
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (09.02.16) reported
that according to Israeli media Turkish and Israeli diplomats are set to meet
in Switzerland on Feb 10 as part of ongoing negotiations for their reconciliation.
Turkish
diplomatic sources did neither confirm nor deny the reports but the Turkish
private broadcaster NTV said that Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary
Feridun Sinirlioglu was on his way to Geneva to attend the meeting.
Diplomats of the two countries have long been
negotiating over a plan to normalize ruined relationship because of Israeli
commandos' raid on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara flotilla. Israel officially
apologized to Turkey in 2013 over the killings of 10 Turkish citizens but
discussions on how much compensation will be paid to the families of the
victims and how Turkish access to Gaza will be provided in an unrestricted way
have still been not clear.
12.HDP’s Demirtas accused the AKP government of
committing a massacre in Cizre; HDP’s Deputies hold contacts in Washington and
Moscow
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News
(09.02.16) Peoples’ Democratic Party
(HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtas has said that Ankara has been deliberately
obscuring events going on in the restless southeastern district of Cizre,
following reports that scores of civilians were killed in an operation against
militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“Here is the situation in Cizre: There were 70-90
people in total in a few buildings around a cellar. There were no clashes but
there was artillery fired [by the military],” Demirtas said on Feb. 9.
“They committed
a massacre in Cizre but they cannot announce it. They are scattering the dead
bodies into side streets and ruined houses as if the dead bodies were already
there,” Demirtas added.
(…)Meanwhile,
the HDP announced on February 9 that two HDP Deputies have been holding talks
in Washington, while another Deputy has been in Moscow in order to attend the
opening of a representation office of Syrian Kurds.
Urfa
Deputy Osman Baydemir and Bingol Deputy Hisyar Ozsoy, who also serves as the
party’s Deputy Co-chair in charge of external affairs, are in Washington to
hold “a series of diplomatic meetings,” the HDP said in a written statement.
Baydemir
and Ozsoy had meetings scheduled with officials from the U.S. State Department
and members of the U.S. Congress, and they will return to Turkey on February 14
after “a series of diplomatic meetings in New York too,” the party said.
The HDP also said that Diyarbakır Deputy Feleknas Uca
had travelled to Moscow to attend the opening of a representative office of
“Syrian Kurdistan.”
Last week, Farhat Patiev, the chair of the Council of
the Federal National-Cultural Kurdish Autonomy said that a representative office
of Syrian Kurdistan was due to open in Moscow on Feb. 10.
Patiev had accompanied Demirtas during a meeting with
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Dec. 23.
13.Turkey to issue a smoking ban for outdoors with
Erdogan’s orders
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (09.02.16) reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in
statements during a reception he hosted at the Presidential Palace on February
9 on the occasion of the “Quit Smoking” day”, said that protecting non-smokers
from cigarette smoke is more important than smokers' freedom to enjoy
cigarettes.
Stating
that it is an essential duty of the state to protect its citizens against the
use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco, Erdogan said that Turkey has been working
hard to decrease the number of smokers. “There can be no such freedom as the
freedom to smoke. What really matters is that we protect the freedom of
non-smokers rather than smokers,” Erdogan said.
“Fighting against smoking is a personal principal of
mine. There cannot be such a thing as ‘freedom to smoke.’ Just as there cannot
be a thing such as freedom to commit suicide and freedom of exposure to
terminal illness, there cannot be freedom of habits that lead to these
outcomes.”
Erdogan
added that as part of the Health Ministry’s campaign against smoking, over
141,000 people were supported with free treatment to quit smoking and over 23.5
million people who called “quit smoking” hotlines were treated.
Meanwhile,
Turkish Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu has announced that Turkey will
extend a smoking ban previously issued for indoor areas to outdoors.
The Turkish
Health Minister announced that a new outdoors smoking ban, which aims to extend
restrictions on smoking areas, would be issued, amid repeated opprobrium towards
the habit from Erdogan.
Under
the law, smoking outside shopping malls, in the gardens of sanctuaries and in
outdoor walking areas and playgrounds will all be prohibited amid other new
regulations for indoor areas, daily Sabah quoted Muezzinoglu as saying.
The
outdoors smoking ban will reportedly come into effect this year.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(AK/AM)
