TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
37/16 24.02.2016
1.
Akinci briefs Siber, Kalyoncu and Sahali on the Cyprus problem; Siber says that
the process entered now into the essential and difficult issues
2.
Colak is holding contacts in Germany
3.
Crucial day for the CTP-UBP “coalition government”; CTP will ask for extra
time; It is reported that Turkey does not want a political crisis
4. Kucuk stated that they have
new information about missing persons in the occupied village of Assia
5. Cerkez accused the Greek
Cypriot side of delaying the process regarding the network communications
connection
6. The “mayor” of occupied
Agios Amvrosios explains the developments in the village
7. Around 30 families from Turkey
live in shanties in the occupied area of Morfou
8. A drop of halloumi
exports to Turkey and the Gulf countries
9.
Serbia and Kazakhstan participated in the “1st international bicycle
tour” with their national bicycle teams
10. “KAU” participated in the
“Dawn Education Expo 2016 Fair”
11. DNA report suggests
Ankara bomber was Turkish citizen
12. Davutoglu: No doubt
YPG-PKK behind Ankara bombing
13. Turkey’s MHP vows
support for Ankara’s “legitimate defence against terror”
14. Kilicdaroglu:
Government’s foreign policy discrediting Turkey
15. Demirtas: AKP is an “extension of ISIL”
16. Erdogan: “Syria exporter of terrorism”
17. Survey: Turkish nation happier and more hopeful for the future
1. Akinci
briefs Siber, Kalyoncu and Sahali on the Cyprus problem; Siber says that the
process entered now into the essential and difficult issues
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (24.02.16)
reports that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa
Akinci held a briefing yesterday at his office on the negotiations for finding
a solution to the Cyprus problem. Sibel Siber, self-styled speaker of the
“assembly” of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus, Omer
Kalyoncu, self-styled prime minister and Erkut Sahali, self-styled minister of
agriculture, natural resources and food and acting “foreign minister”, Baris
Burcu, Akinci’s spokesman and Ozdil Nami, Turkish Cypriot negotiator
participated in the one and a half hour briefing.
In statements after the briefing, Siber said that Akinci informed them on the latest developments in the
negotiations, adding that the process is being carried out with good will.
Arguing that the pre-election campaign started in the government-controlled
area of the island, Siber said that the aim and the target are for a solution
to be reached. Siber noted that since
the last evaluation they had there is no concrete progress in the negotiations,
but now we are in “a substantial and difficult process”. She said that the
belief of the Turkish Cypriots in the solution continues to exist.
Moreover, Kalyoncu
said that they exchanged views as regards the negotiations and added that they
received the minutes of the negotiations, but these face to face meetings are
also important.
Finally, Sahali
said that they discussed both the negotiations and the preparations for the
solution, but at the same time how the “government” should proceed within the
framework of the solution. He also expressed the belief that the
negotiations will continue without being influenced by the elections in the
government-controlled area of the island.
(I/Ts.)
2. Colak
is holding contacts in Germany
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (24.02.16)
reports that Emine Colak,
self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of
the Republic of Cyprus, is holding
contacts in Berlin, the capital city of Germany.
Within the framework of her contacts, Colak met with the German EU Minister
Michael Roth at the Parliament. According to a statement issued by her
office, Colak briefed her interlocutor
on the latest developments in the Cyprus talks, noting that “they have come to
the difficult issues in the negotiating process, but in spite of this they hope
that the sides will achieve a comprehensive progress by May on the issues of
governance, the EU, economy and property”. She claimed that the Turkish
Cypriot side allegedly wishes to focus on the other issues after the elections
in the government-controlled area of the island and reach a solution by the end
of 2016 and is exerting a great effort.
During her contacts at the Parliament, Colak met with representatives of the
German government and opposition parties. Within this framework, she met with the Vice President of the
Federal Parliament’s EU Commission and SPD Deputy, Achim Barchmann. During
the meeting emphasis was given to the
importance of Germany’s support to the solution process and its political and
technical support within the EU after the solution.
Colak
also met at the Parliament with the SPD Deputy and member of the Federal
Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Dietmar Nietan. She briefed him on the negotiating process and
underlined the importance of the German Parliament’s and Germany’s support to
the process.
(I/Ts.)
3. Crucial
day for the CTP-UBP “coalition government”; CTP will ask for extra time; It is
reported that Turkey does not want a political crisis
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (24.02.16)
reports that the deadline given by the National
Unity Party (UBP) to its major “coalition partner” the Republican Turkish Party
(CTP) to sign the agreement regarding the administration of the water brought
from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus is ending today.
UBP’s chairman, Huseyin
Ozgurgun told Kibris that “we have said what we had to say on Friday” and
that the self-styled prime minister’s duty is to end this crisis. “We gave
tomorrow [today] as a date and we are waiting”, he said adding: “There is nothing to say. We are curious to
see how the prime minister Mr Omer Kalyoncu will end this crisis”.
A
source from the CTP told Kibris that they will ask from the UBP for extra time
until Monday, because “we are looking for a consensus on some changes to be
made in the agreement as regards the water”.
Meanwhile, today or in the end of this extra period of
time asked from the UBP it will be found out whether the meeting held last week
between CTP’s Chairman Mehmet Ali Talat and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in
Turkey will influence the future of the CTP-UBP “coalition government”.
A
source close to the self-styled government told Kibris the following: “The government will not collapse. CTP will ask for extra time replying to UBP’s demand andI think that
this extra time will be accepted. Furthermore, on Wednesday, transportation minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu will also
visit Ankara. The problem will be overcome”.
A
source close to the UBP said that the “government” ended and that they have
started discussions with the Democratic Party (DP).
Kibris recalls that according to information published
on Sunday, Turkey does not want a crisis
on the water issue or in the Cyprus negotiations.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper
(24.02.16) reports that the problems
regarding the signing of the agreement of the administration and operation of
the water disrupted the “economic protocol” to be signed with Turkey for the
period 2016-18. Under the title “The February wages in two installments”, the paper writes that the self-styled
government could not start talks with Turkey on the “protocol” and therefore it
cannot pay the wages of February 2016 “in one piece”. Turkey has not paid
its contribution to the “budget” of the regime for the period January-February
2016 as it is provided for in the “budget”.
According to Havadis, Kalyoncu asked to meet with the
Turkish Prime Minister, but Ahmet
Davutoglu has not yet replied to Kalyoncu’s request. On the other hand, the UBP is reportedly annoyed by Talat’s
visit to Ankara last week and by his meeting with Erdogan, as it perceived
this move as “ignoring the government”.
Havadis asked Birikim Ozgur, self-styled minister of
finance, regarding the wages, but Ozgur preferred not to reply to the paper’s
questions. He said that Kalyoncu is informed about the regime’s financial
situation and incomes and added that “Mr prime minister will make the necessary
announcement to the public on this issue”.
(I/Ts.)
4. Kucuk stated that they have new information
about missing persons in the occupied village of Assia
Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (24.02.16)
reports that the Turkish Cypriot member
of the committee of missing persons Gulden Plumer Kucuk, in statements to
illegal TAK news agency, has stated that they have received information from an
eyewitness concerning new tombs with missing persons in the occupied village of
Assia.
Kucuk
said that they will evaluate the information and added that after they confirm
that this is accurate, they will carry out excavations in the area.
He, however, pointed out that they have received
similar information in the past but there weren’t reliable. He added that only 20-25% of the information the
committee receives are accurate.
(AK)
5. Cerkez accused the Greek Cypriot side of
delaying the process regarding the network communications connection
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (24.02.16)
under the front-page title: “The mobile
communications connection has been suspended”, reports that the former chairman
of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Trade and chairman of the technical committee
with GSM operators, Gunay Cerkez, evaluated to the paper the issue related with
the connection of the mobile communication networks between “north Cyprus” and
“south Cyprus” which is taking place within the framework of the “confidence
building measures”.
Cerkez
denied the allegations saying that the works between the “officials” of both
sides in the island for the connection of the network communication were not
fruitful due to Turkey’s negative reply on this matter and argued that Turkey
has nothing to do with this matter.
Supporting that although both sides seem to have
goodwill to solve the issue of the network communications connection, Cerkez said that due to the parliamentary
elections which are to take place in “south Cyprus”, as he described the
Republic of Cyprus, their Greek Cypriot interlocutors cannot give answers on
when they will make the necessary amendments on their laws.
Cerkez,
however, accused the Greek Cypriots for delaying tactics and said that he
considers that the main reason that the Greek Cypriots delay the process is
because they want to cooperate with Turkish firms and not with firms which are
registered in the “north”.
Pointing out that the Turkish Cypriot side has made
already all the necessary steps towards the communications network connection,
Cerkez argued that unfortunately the Greek Cypriot side has not exerted the
necessary efforts and thus the process has been suspended.
(AK)
6. The “mayor” of
occupied Agios Amvrosios explains the developments in the village
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis (24.02.16) reports that Cemal Erdogan, “mayor” of the
occupied village Agios Amvrosios, in an interview to the paper, said that the population of the village is not 2,350
as it is registered in the “state”, but during the summer season is around to 12 thousand people, because
there is 18km coastline.
Erdogan
said that since he came to power, the “municipality” started to contribute to
the infrastructure of the area especially in the fields of sports and arts. He
noted that many undergoing projects funded by “Turkey’s financial aid
committee”, have come to a halt due to the crisis, adding that it is really
important to solve the crisis on the water issue. He added that they should
accept Turkey’s proposal on the water issue.
Erdogan further said that he
will travel to FYROM with the hunters on March 5 and meet with other mayors of
the region.
Noting that this year they
plan to continue the development of the beach at the occupied village Agios
Amvrosios along with the nature trails, Erdogan explained that they will take
also funds from the EU for these projects. He
added however that their main investment financier for their projects is the
illegal Turkish embassy in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus.
(DPs)
7. Around 30 families from Turkey live in shanties
in the occupied area of Morfou
Under the front-page title: “Shame of humanity in
shanties”, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (24.02.16) reports that
around 30 families which came to the occupied area of Cyprus from Urfa district
in Turkey to work as seasonal workers, live in inhuman conditions in shanties
in the occupied village of Kalohorio (Kapouti) in occupied Morfou.
According to the paper, these families live in very
unhealthy and bad conditions without bread and food while their children do not
attend school.
(AK)
8. A drop of halloumi
exports to Turkey and the Gulf countries
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris (24.02.16) reports that Ali Cirali, chairman of the
“Turkish Cypriot chamber of industry” (KTSO”), said that they experience
difficulties in their dairy product exports in Turkey and especially in Antalya
due to the cancellations in the hotels. The demand of dairy products,
particularly halloumi/hellim has been decreased in Turkey and in the Gulf
countries. The paper explains that this decrease in Turkey is due to the
terrorist attacks and the crisis with Russia, while in the Gulf countries is
due to the drop of oil price.
Cirali
said that although the “state” (editor’s note: the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) subsidizes the exports of
halloumi/hellim, the producers do not want to buy milk, because their products
are not competitive abroad.
(DPs)
9. Serbia
and Kazakhstan participated in the “1st international bicycle
tour” with their national bicycle teams
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (24.02.16)
reports about the “1st international bicycle tour” which took place
in the breakaway regime between 19-21 of February and writes that due to its
success it will be conducted every year.
Noting
that the tour helped both towards the recognition of the “TRNC” and the
increase of bicycle tourism, the paper writes that two out of the seven
countries participated in the tour with their national bicycle teams. These
were Serbia and Kazakhstan, according to Kibris.
(CS)
10. “KAU” participated in
the “Dawn Education Expo 2016 Fair”
According
to Turkish Cypriot daily Haberal Kibrisli (24.02.16), the illegal “American
university of Cyprus” (“KAU”) participated in the “Dawn Education Expo 2016
fair” which was held in Karachi between 6-7 February, in Lahore between 9-10
February and in Islamabad between 13-14 February.
(DPs)
11. DNA report suggests
Ankara bomber was Turkish citizen
Turkish
daily Today’s Zaman newspaper (24.02.16) reports that a DNA report from a suicide bombing that killed 29 people in the
Turkish capital Ankara last week suggests that the main perpetrator was a Turkish-born,
not a Syrian as initially stated by the government, a senior Turkish security
official said on Tuesday.
Turkish
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed a Syrian Kurdish YPG militia fighter
working with Kurdish militants inside Turkey for the attack, naming him as
Salih Necar, born in 1992, from the Hasakah region of northern Syria.
But
the DNA report suggested the attack was carried out by Abdulbaki Somer, born in
the eastern Turkish city of Van, said the security official and the state-run
Anadolu news agency, which cited prosecution sources.
That
matches the name given by the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), a Kurdish militant
group, when it claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on its
website on Friday.
"The
DNA report has been published. We saw that it was not Necar," a Turkish security
official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity because the results
of the investigation have not yet been made public. "The bomber's DNA
matches that of Abdulbaki's father. It looks like the bomber was Abdulbaki
Somer, that's what the report is saying," the official said.
12. Davutoglu: No doubt YPG-PKK
behind Ankara bombing
Turkish
daily Today’s Zaman newspaper (24.02.16) reports that Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that “it is “crystal
clear” that the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the militia of Syria’s
Democratic Union Party (PYD), and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)
jointly staged the car bomb attack that killed 29 people in the capital Ankara
on Feb. 17, has stated.
Speaking
to his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputies on Feb. 23, Davutoglu
stressed that his conviction was supported by “loud and clear evidence.”
Davutoglu stated that TAK's claim of responsibility for the
Ankara bombing was a diversionary tactic, and that the various militant groups
were all part of the same "terrorist structure"."As
a result of rapid work by our security units, it has been clearly understood
that this attack was planned and carried out through a cooperation between the
YPG and the PKK," Davutoglu said.
"The
claim of responsibility by TAK, a PKK offshoot, aims to divert attention from
the YPG. Whether it's KCK, YPG, PKK, TAK or PJAK, they are all part of the same
terrorist structure," he said, referring to a series of Kurdish militant
groups. "Their owners and puppeteers are known to us."
13. Turkey’s MHP vows support
for Ankara’s “legitimate defence against terror”
Turkish
Hurriyet Daily News (24.02.16) reports that pledging “unconditional support” for the Turkish government’s “fight
against terrorism”, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahceli has vowed
to back a cross-border operation into northern Iraq or northern Syria if
necessary.
“I’m calling on [Prime
Minister Ahmet] Davutoglu … Whoever threatens Turkey’s national security,
whoever grows an enmity against the Turkish nation, and whoever fires a bullet
against our people, should be sought, found and immediately punished,” Bahceli
said on Feb. 23, in his first public remarks
since a Feb. 17 car bomb attack that killed 28 people in the capital Ankara.
“Mr.
Davutoglu, if necessary, cross to the Kandil [mountains in northern Iraq]. If
necessary burn that place and level it to the ground. If needed, hit the north
of Syria like a thunderbolt,” Bahceli said, addressing his party’s
parliamentary group.
“By
not heeding the U.S., which said ‘Stop firing artillery at the YPG’ and which
allied with the PYD, and by not heeding Russia’s provocations, Turkey shows its
power to both friends and enemies. For our legitimate defence, clean out
everywhere the PKK/PYD is present and rid this precious nation of the sickness
of terrorism,” MHP head Bahceli also said.
14. Kilicdaroglu:
Government’s foreign policy discrediting Turkey
Turkish
Hurriyet Daily News (24.02.16) reports that Turkey’s main opposition Republican
People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kilicdaroglu
stated that the Turkish government’s
foreign policy is discrediting Turkey in the region.
“We
used to be the most prestigious country [in the region],” he said, while
addressing party deputies in parliament on Feb. 23. “Now we have turned into a
tribal state.”
Turkey should change its
foreign policy completely, the main opposition leader argued.
“Statesmen
are those who defend the benefits of their countries. Those who have made
Turkey a part of the Middle East swamp cannot be statesmen. Those who support
such a thing cannot either. Why are we involved in the domestic business of
Syria?” he asked. He also questioned the government’s potential to do the right
things in the region.
15. Demirtas: AKP is an
“extension of ISIL
Turkish
Hurriyet Daily News (24.02.16) reports that Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Sehalattin Demirtas has
called the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) an “extension of the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL),” while ruling out that the Syrian Kurdish
Democratic Union Party (PYD) in northern Syria was attacking Turkey.
“What kind
of an enmity against Kurds is this that they [the AKP] await a bombing in some
part of the country just to accuse the PYD?” he asked during his address to the
party Deputies on Feb. 23.
“Did the
PYD threw a single stone at you from [Syria]? I am not talking about bullets
but stones,” he said.
“And then,
they are calling us [the HDP] the terror extensions, etc. Is there any better
terror extension than you [the AKP]? You are the extension of ISIL. And this is
your hypocrisy. Our party keeps calling
for peace as yours is doing all this and you expect us to remain silent. The
AKP is a political extension of ISIL,” he said.
16. Erdogan: “Syria exporter of terrorism”
Turkish
Hurriyet Daily News (24.02.16) reports that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan stated that the chaos in Syria has provided an environment
for terrorist organizations like Daesh, al-Nusra, the PYD [Democratic Union
Party] and the YPG [Peoples’ Protection Units] to grow and disperse.
He made
these statements in a speech at the Turkey-Somalia Business Forum in Istanbul
on Feb. 23.
“As Turkey,
we have been struggling with a separatist terror organization for 30 years. In
our view there is no difference between terrorist organizations. We do not
discriminate between al-Shabab, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL]
and al-Nusra, or between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK], the Democratic
Union Party [PYD] and the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units [YPG],” he
added. Referring to Turkey’s support for Somalia, the Turkish President said
Ankara would “never let it down.”
“Restructuring the state with all its institutions is a long and
hard road full of barriers. We should support Somalia on this rocky road,” he
said. “Somalia became a symbol for
Turkey’s perspective on the African continent and our wish to establish
brotherhood with other African countries,” Erdogan said.
17.Survey: Turkish nation happier and more hopeful for the future
Turkish
daily Sabah ( 23.02.16) reported that a
new Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat)
survey paints a happy picture of the Turkish public with the number of
people saying they are happy rising a slight 0.3% from last year, as well as a
rise in people expressing hope for a better future.
The results
from the TurkStat Life Satisfaction Survey for 2015 found the percentage of
participants who said they are happy increased to 56.6% from 56.3 % in 2015 and
people who said they are unhappy decreased to 11.4% from 11.7%.
Happiness
is a relative concept, as the findings of the survey reveal. The survey results show that women are less
happy than men, with the percentage of happy women falling to 60.2% from 60.4%
in 2014, while men who said they are happy increased 0.9 %. Although
TurkStat did not give any reason for the drop in women's happiness, it can be
attributed to a number of factors affecting women's wellbeing in the country
that the Turkish government attempts to improve such as gender inequality,
especially in employment, and fears of violence toward women. The employment
rate for women in the country is about 30% and women often face a glass ceiling
in employment in high-paying jobs.
According
to the survey results, youth are happier than senior citizens. The highest
level of happiness was for the 18 to 24 age group at 63.8 %, while it remained
at 51.7 % for participants between the ages of 45 and 54, the lowest for any
age group.
Marriage
was also a means for happiness for Turks, apparently, as the rate of happiness
of married participants was more than 10 % higher than for unmarried
participants. The survey also found that hope for the future had a slight
increase from 73.8 % in 2014 to 74.4 % last year. As for overall happiness, men
expressed more hope about the future than women.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(CS/AM)
