TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
1.
Akinci reiterates his positions on the property replying to criticism
2.
Turkey condemns the attack against the mosque in Deneia village
3.
Reactions for the attack against the mosque in Deneia village continue
4. Akinci to brief Turkish
Cypriot officials and political parties represented at the “assembly” on the
Cyprus negotiation talks
5. CHP’s Deputy submitted a
parliamentary question in the TBBM on the allegations about sending wastewater
from Turkey to the occupation regime
6.
Disagreement at the “assembly” showed lack of communication between CTP high
ranking members
7. A “committee” will be
established to boost the real estate property sector in the occupied area of
Cyprus
8. A “draft bill regarding
the associations” was approved
9. The “tourism ministry”
participated in a tourism fair in Utrecht, Netherlands
10. Cavusoglu: Turkish-Saudi ground operation in Syria not on
agenda
11. Bozkir accuses EP Rapporteur of “losing neutrality”
12. Two AK Party senior figures removed from party’s founders list
13. Daily life struggles on in Turkey’s Sur as curfew enters 83rd
day
14. Turkish Air Force gets new electronic warfare system
1. Akinci
reiterates his positions on the property replying to criticism
Turkish Cypriot daily KibrisPostasi newspaper
(23.02.16) reports that Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci has said that he is exerting efforts to secure the best
possible solution for his “people” during the negotiations for finding a
solution to the Cyprus problem, adding that the appreciation and support to
this “good-intentioned” effort has been included in the Resolutions of the UN
Security Council and the European Parliament.
In an interview with KibrisPostasi, Akinci was asked
to comment on criticism made against him by AlpayDurduran, member of the
council of the New Cyprus Party (YKP), who had reportedly said that there is no
development in the Cyprus talks and that Akinci’s stance is a “trick”, and by
DervisEroglu, former Turkish Cypriot leader, who had reportedly argued that the
“people” will be dragged to courts on the property issue.
Akinci
noted that it is not easy to say that a solution will definitely be reached,
but “together with our negotiating team I am working and I will continue with
all my power for the 2016 being a year of solution”. He argued that the most correct and beneficial thing
for everyone to do for their community is to contribute in this effort and
claimed that it is wrong to ignore the positive developments which are seen
even by the UN and the EU institutions and spread pessimism.
Explaining his position on the property issue, Akinci
reiterated the following:
“The right to
apply and the right of ownership are different things. The pre-1974 owner will
of course be able to use their right to apply. For example, if a person who lived in a property in the north before
1974 and after the solution wants to live under the Turkish Cypriot Founding
State Administration in the same house, if he prefers this instead of
compensation or another choice, what could be more natural than declaring this
preference from before?
However, even
though they are few in number, when this kind of demands is assessed the
situation of the current user will be important of course.
We
have no intention to bring a person, who lived in the above-mentioned house
forsome years before 1974, face to face with a family of refugees, which left
its property in the south and lives in this house for many years and let them
rush in courts. Within this
framework, it is extremely important that the criteria are clear and the right
of ownership is not ambiguous.
In
this example, it is indisputable that the priority will be in the ownership
right of the person who currently lives [in the house]. […]”
(I/Ts.)
2. Turkey
condemns the attack against the mosque in Deneia village
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned today (23.02.16) theattack
carried out the day before yesterday against the historic mosque in Deneia
village.
In a written statement published on its webpage
(http://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-49_-23-subat-2016_-gkry_deki-denya-camii_nin-kundaklanmasi-hk_.tr.mfa),the
Ministrystates the following:
“We are feeling
great regret about the setting on fire, in the morning of Sunday 21
February, of the Deneia Mosque, which is in the island of Cyprus and bears the
characteristics of a heritage that should culturally and historically be protected
and we are strongly condemning the
above-mentioned incident.
Essentially, the fact that Deneia mosque, which had
been attacked in January 2013 and was restored with the efforts of the
Technical Committee for Cultural Heritage, was target of an ugly attack for the second timeis thought provoking.
During a period in which the process for a comprehensive solution in Cyprus is
advancing towards its final stage, this
kind of attacks must not be permitted to influence the existing positive
climate.
We are joining the call by the TRNC President Mr
Mustafa Akinci towards finding the soonest and punishing the perpetrators of
the above-mentioned incident and within this framework we are expecting a
responsible stance to be followed in order for such incidents, including the
attacks happened against Turkish Cypriots on 15 November 2015, which harm the
feelings of trust between the two peoples, not to be repeated and we are
expecting the issue to be followed with the necessary seriousness and
sensitivity”.
(I/Ts.)
3. Reactions
for the attack against the mosque in Deneia village continue
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.02.16)
reports that the self-styled foreign
ministry of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
condemned yesterday the attack against the historic mosque in Deneia village.
In a written statement, the self-styled ministry described as “important development”
the launching of investigations on the issue by the officials of the Republic
of Cyprus right after the attack and argued: “Having as starting point our
past experiences, our expectation is for this investigation not to remain
fruitless like it was observed in similar attacks realized in the past and the perpetrators of this crime against
humanity to be found and brought to justice the soonest”.
The “ministry” said that in 2015 they gave permission
and provided access for religious services to he conducted in 96 churches in
the occupied area of Cyprus and 20 of these religious services have been held
in the above-mentioned churches for the first time after 50 years.
Meanwhile, in a written statement issued yesterday, HasanTacoy, general secretary of the
Democratic Party – National Forces (DP-UG), alleged that the attack derives from the enmity against the Turks by
which the Greek Cypriot leadership is raising its children and youth. He
claimed that the incident must not be underestimated and that this is a new
example of the dimensions to which the enmity against the Turks could reach. He argued that the incident shows that the
Turkish side should not give any concessions from Turkey’s active and effective
guarantees, the bi-zonality, the structure of properties and population of the
Turkish Cypriot founding state and the agreement to become primary law of the
EU.
Furthermore, CemalOzyigit,
chairman of the Social Democracy party (TDP), has argued that the attack and similar incidents aim at
preventing the solution process and added that “we must behave cool
headedly and prudently’. In a written statement, he argued that the perpetrators should be found and
brought to justice, pointing out that this kind of attacks must not be
attributed to the Greek Cypriot community.
Noting that the
restoration of the mosque started yesterdayKibris reports that the cost of
5-6 thousand euro for the restoration will be paid by the Republic of Cyprus. The works are expected to be completed
within a week. In statements to Kibris, the Turkish Cypriot co-chairman of
the Technical Committee for the Cultural Heritage, Ali Tuncay, who visited the mosque yesterday with the Greek Cypriot
co-chairman TakisHadjidemetriou, described
the incident as saddening and added that the incident will not terrorize them
and they will continue their work. “The cultural heritage and especially
the religious places must be turned into a field of cooperation and not
conflict”, he noted.
Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (23.02.16) covers the issue on its front page and
reports that inhabitants and the priest of the village told a team of Hadavis,
which visited Deneia, that they were sorry about the attack adding that this
was a “work of mad men”. The priest of the village told the Turkish Cypriot
journalists that the mosques are important for the Turkish Cypriots just like
the churches are important for the Greek Cypriots. “While such an effort is
being exerted for us living together, 3-5 mad men doing such a thing is embarrassing”,
he added.
(I/Ts.)
4. Akinci to brief Turkish Cypriot officials and
political parties represented at the “assembly” on the Cyprus negotiation talks
Turkish Cypriot daily YeniBakis newspaper (23.02.16)
reports that Turkish Cypriot leader
Mustafa Akinci will brief today the “speaker” of the so-called assembly
SibelSiber, the so-called prime minister Omer Kalyoncu and the so-called
minister of natural resources and food, ErkutSahalli who represents the
“foreign minister”, about the ongoing Cyprus negotiation talks.
According to the paper, the Turkish Cypriot negotiator
OzdilNami and the so-called presidential spokesman BarisBurcu will be also
present at the meeting.
Akinci
will meet also on Wednesday with the leaders and the representatives of the
Turkish Cypriot political parties to brief them on the Cyprus negotiation
process.
(AK)
5. CHP’s Deputy submitted a parliamentary question
in the TBBM on the allegations about sending wastewater from Turkey to the
occupation regime
Under the title: “TRNC’s
water on TBMM’s agenda”, Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (23.02.16)
reports that the issue of the transferring of wastewater from Turkey to the
occupied Panagra Dam, has been included into the agenda of the Turkish Grand
National Assembly (TBBM).
According to the paper, the Republican People’s Party Deputy in Mersin FikriSaglar, submitted a
parliamentary question, asking from Turkish Prime Minister AhmetDavutoglu to
reply if the allegations by TurgutAybak chairman of the Mersin Waterworks
Authority (MESKI) were true. He asked also to be clarified why the officials
did not take measures to prevent this.
Aybak stated the other day that due to an
infrastructural problem, wastewater from three neighborhoods in Mersin's Anamur
district was deposited into the reservoirs of the dam that carries water to the
Alakopru dam in the “TRNC”.
(AK)
6.Disagreement
at the “assembly” showed lack of communication between CTP high ranking members
Turkish Cypriot daily Diyalog newspaper (23.02.16)
reports that a disagreement occurred yesterday during the meeting of the
self-styled assembly between the “parliament’s speaker” SibelSiber and the
“prime minister” Omer Kalyoncu.
According to the paper, “a very interesting discussion”
took place when the issue of the “ad hoc parliament health committee” came on the agenda. Kalyoncu asked for more
information on the committee saying that he was not informed about its
establishment. On her part Siber stated that Kalyoncu should have known about
it. “I am very sorry that the prime minister was not aware of the committee. He
was informed about it”, Sibel stated.
Both Kalyoncu and Sibel are members of the Republican
Turkish Party (CTP).
(CS)
7. A
“committee” will be established to boost the real estate property sector in the
occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot daily (23.02.16), under the title “preparations for a solution” reports
that a “committee” will be established
within the “prime ministry” in order to provide financial aid and information
for the half-finished houses and the industrial buildings.
The
self-styled council of ministers decided with the possibility of a Cyprus
settlement to establish this “committee” with the aim to eliminate the negative
effects on the construction and real estate property sector with this way and
to provide to economy with amendments and new investment sources.
The
“committee” will consist of one representative from the “state planning
bureau”, the “ministry of economy, industry and trade”, the “ministry of
interior and labour”, the “TRNC central bank”, the “association of banks”, the
“advisory board of the real estate sector” and the “Turkish Cypriot contractors
association”.
The
paper reports that some of the duties of the “committee” is to safeguard the
necessary cooperation among all the “official institutions”, to safeguard an
exchange of information with the concern of non-governmental organizations, to
establish sub-committees which will work on proper issues and to work on funds
transfers in order the half-finished investments to be completed.
(DPs)
8. A “draft bill
regarding the associations” was approved
Turkish
Cypriot daily YeniDuzen (23.02.16) reports that a “draft bill regarding the
associations” was approved yesterday unanimously in the “assembly” of the
breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus. It is reported that the “law”
has been amended in order to comply with EU regulations.
According
to the “amendments”, a foreigner has the right now to be a member of an
association and those who are 18 years and above ,living in the occupied area
of Cyprus for at least six continuously years, or have “working permit” can
have the right to establish an association.
Moreover,
the associations will be able to have cooperation and activities abroad, as
well as to open branches or representations abroad.
(DPs)
9. The “tourism ministry”
participated in a tourism fair in Utrecht, Netherlands
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan (23.02.16) reports that the self-styled ministry of tourism
of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
participated in the “Fiets en wandelbeurs” tourism fair in Utrecht in the
Netherlands from February 20 to February 21 as part of the efforts to promote
abroad the tourism sector of the occupied area.
During
the fair, brochures in English and Flemish with general information of the main
occupied towns were distributed, as well as maps for cycling and nature trails.
(DPs)
10. Cavusoglu: Turkish-Saudi ground operation in Syria not on
agenda
Turkish
daily Today’s Zaman newspaper (23.02.16) reports that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that a military ground
operation in Syria by Turkey and Saudi Arabia is not on the agenda and any such
move would need to involve all countries in the US-led coalition against the Islamic
State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
He spoke
along with his Italian counterpart, Paolo Gentiloni. Cavusoglu also said US
Secretary of State John Kerry sent a copy of the draft agreement with Russia
over the terms of the cease-fire in Syria to him.
Kerry and
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reached a preliminary deal over a truce
in Syria.
The Turkish
Foreign Minister renewed his criticism on Russia, accusing it of using the
Geneva talks as a cover to intensify its air strikes in Syria.
He said
there must be pressure on Russia for the implementation of Resolution 2254 of the
UN Security Council adopted last December.
"If we
end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, give a chance to peace, UN and UNSC
members should stop Russia's aggression," he said in an interview with Italy's
La Stampa newspaper a day earlier.
In
addition, the paper writes that Cavusoglu criticized the international
anti-Daesh coalition’s reliance on the PYD to provide ground forces against
Daesh in Syria.
Cavusoglu
said it showed “weakness and desperation to count on another terror group in
the fight against Daesh”. “It is indeed a huge mistake,” Cavusoglu said. “[…]If
all these countries are depending on another terrorist group to fight a
terrorist organization, this is just an indicator of the situation in Syria. We
must promptly put an end to this mistake.”
Moreover, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (23.02.16)
reports that Cavusoglu discussed with his Italian counterpart the Cyprus
issue. According to information by
diplomatic sources, Cavusoglu and Gentiloni evaluated Turkey’s European Union
(EU) process, the latest developments in the Cyprus negotiations and the energy
cooperation between the two countries.
11. Bozkiraccuses EP Rapporteur of “losing neutrality”
Ankara
Anatolia news agency (23.02.16) reports that Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkir accused the
European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Turkey Kati Piri of losing “neutrality
about Turkey’s issues”, days after she visited south-eastern Turkey and met
with PKK supporters.
“Ankara
cannot accept or tolerate any understanding that describes the terrorist
attacks in Turkey, which claim lives of our citizens on a daily basis, as civil
war, while condemning terrorism […] only when it takes place in an EU country”,
Bozkir stated.
He added
that it was “obvious that Piri […] cannot comprehend the most vital issue of
Turkey and also lost her neutrality about Turkey’s issues”.
Bozkir’s
statement comes days after the European Parliament’s (EP) Rapporteur for
Turkey, and a delegation of other MEPs visited the south-eastern Turkish
province Diyarbakir last week.
“Should
Rapporteur Piri, who does not describe PKK as a terrorist organization while
PKK is on EU’s official list of terrorist organizations, insists on this
approach of hers, it will be highly difficult for her to find counterparts to
talk in Turkey other than the organizations she visited in Diyarbakir,” the
statement added.
Piri stated
that the Turkish army was keeping civilian homes under continuous fire and did
“not make mention of terrorist attacks or the fight against terror in the
region in this text,” the statement said. “Instead, what is going on is
described as a civil war.”
“It is
meaningful that this delegation did not feel the need to visit Ankara, but went
directly to Diyarbakir where intensive fighting against the terrorist
organization PKK is in progress and also met with organizations overtly
supporting PKK terrorist organization,” the statement said.
12. Two AK Party senior figures removed from party’s founders list
Turkish
daily Today’s Zaman newspaper (23.02.16) reports that former President Abdullah Gul and ex-Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis, who
are both founders of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), were removed
from the list of founders after they recently levelled criticism against both
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the party over what they called Turkey's
current misguided domestic and foreign policy.
On Monday,
the news portal haberdar.com published a photo of the list, which it claimed to
have taken in 2011, showing Gul's name and photo to be featured among the
founders. On the current list that appears on the AK Party's official website,
his name has been removed.
Hence, the
political division between the current AK Party administration and its founders
has become more apparent and public.
In addition
to Gul and Yakis, two more AK Party founders, Nur Dogan Topaloglu and Yasemin
Kumral, were also removed from the list. The unknown name Ceyhun Yasemin Simsek
was included on the recent list of the party's founders, but instead of a photo
of Simsek in the allocated place, the AK Party logo is seen there instead.
The total
number of founders was listed as 64 prior to the latest change, where now it
stands at 61.
This move
came after both Gul and Yakis recently complained about the course of events in
Turkish politics dominated by Erdogan and the AK Party government.
There are rumours
circulating in Ankara that some former leading AK Party figures, including
former Deputy Prime Minister BulentArinc, ex-Education Minister HuseyinCelik
and ex-Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin, may join forces to form a new political
party under the leadership of Gul.
Furthermore,
these figures were reported to have recently rented offices in Hamamonu, a
historic site in the capital of Ankara, for the purpose of pursuing the work
for the forming of a new political party.
The AK
Party also recently referred Yakis to the party's disciplinary board for
expulsion. The AK Party wants to expel Yakis from the party for his “behavior
that does not befit the AK Party's principles.”
13. Daily life struggles on in Turkey’s Sur as curfew enters
83rd day
Turkish
Hurriyet Daily News (23.02.16) reports that residents, business owners and local officials have expressed their
wish for a return to peace in the six neighbourhoods of Sur in the south-eastern
city of Diyarbakir that have been under curfew for over 80 days, amid military
operations against outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.
A number of
towns in Turkey’s east and southeast have seen fierce clashes between security
forces and PKK militants since the collapse of the peace process in July 2015,
when PKK militants shot dead two police officers inside their apartment in the
Ceylanpinar district of the south-eastern province of Sanliurfa. That triggered
a rise in clashes between security forces and militants, shattering a fragile
peace process and a two-and-a-half-year de facto cease-fire.
The curfew
in the six Sur neighbourhoods entered its 83rd day on Feb. 22, and their
overall population has dropped to just 2,000 from around 24,000 because of the on-going
clashes.
Some 44
soldiers, 17 police officers and a village guard have been killed in Sur since
Oct. 6, 2015, while the security forces claim they have killed over 200 PKK
militants.
Having been
under curfew for more than two months, Sur now has security checkpoints every
20 meters on main access roads.
Diyarbakir
Governor Huseyin Aksoy signalled last week that the curfew may soon be lifted;
stating that 95% of the area subjected to military operations had been cleared
of PKK militants. “We hope to lift the curfew as soon as we can,” Aksoy said at
a press conference.
14. Turkish Air Force gets new electronic warfare system
Ankara
Anatolia news agency (23.02.16) reports that Turkey’s leading defence system producer ASELSAN has handed over its
newly developed and locally produced land based radar electronic attack system
called KORAL to the Turkish Air Force.
A handing
over ceremony was held at the defence company’s Golbasi facility in capital
Ankara, which was attended by Abidin Unal, commander of Turkish Air Force.
The
transportable attack system has the capability to jam, deceive and paralyze
hostile radars.
It also
“analyses multi-target signals and automatically or manually generates an
appropriate response,” according to ASELSAN.
“We are
happy that we developed this system -- which a limited number of countries in
the world have, in their inventories -- for our army though our domestic
possibilities,” the defence company’s General Manager, Faik Eken, said during
the ceremony.
Turkey has increased its efforts in recent years to eliminate
dependency on external suppliers for its defence industry. Ankara spent over $1
billion on defence, research and development in 2014, making defence the sector
with the largest research and developmental investment in the country. The top
export items are aircraft, helicopter parts, engines, armoured-land vehicles,
speed boats, missiles, rockets, launching platforms, light weapons and
electronic systems, including transmitters, simulators, sensors and software.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(CS/AM)
