TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA
REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 51/16
17.03.2016
1. Bozkır: “It is out of the question to recognize the Greek Cypriot
administration in southern Cyprus just to open one [EU] chapter”
2. Colak comments on Anastasiades - Davutoglu meeting: It is an undesirable
situation; We will be disturbed if we are left out
3. Colak met with MUSIAD
4. Denktas: 2016 will be the year of the
referendum
5. Turkish Cypriot travel agents say tourism in the occupied area
will benefit by the lifting of the ban by Russia on Turkish tour agents
6. Agreements between the breakaway regime and various countries in
the field of health tourism
7. There was an 8.5% increase of the breakaway regimes’ visitors in
2015
8. Illegal GAU’s general secretary has been re-appointed as President
of IACBE for the European Region
9. A motion was submitted at the Turkish Parliament to lift HDP
Deputy's immunity over terror propaganda
10. 320 arrested in Turkey-wide police operation against PKK
11. Three more academics arrested on charges of terror propaganda;
The British academic detained released
1.Bozkır: “It is out of the question to recognize the Greek
Cypriot administration in southern Cyprus just to open one [EU] chapter”
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (16.03.16) reported that
Turkey’s EU Minister and Chief Negotiator, Volkan Bozkır, in statements
during a during a televised interview with Turkish private broadcaster NTV,
stated, inter alia, that the “capriciousness” of the “Greek Cypriot
administration”, as he described the Republic of Cyprus, should not be allowed
to block the EU-Turkey deal reached last week in order to curb the migrant
influx into the EU,
“When the EU’s continuity is under threat, it should be out of
question that this [the Turkey-EU deal] is being prevented with one country’s
capriciousness,” Bozkir said, adding that “It is out of the question to
recognize the Greek Cypriot administration in southern Cyprus just to open one
[EU] chapter”.
He argued that Turkey has always opposed the idea of including the
Cyprus negotiations to be a part of Turkey's EU accession process and has always
promoted finding a solution to the conflict. "They can now talk about finding a solution to the Cyprus issue
thanks to our determined stance in the past decade," alleged
Bozkır.
Bozkır further added that the deal presented by Turkish Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on March 7 in Brussels during an extended meeting with
the heads of the 28 states of the EU was a “whole package.”
“Our Prime Minister clearly said that the package was a whole. The
package will enter into force if a consensus on all matters will be reached”,
said Bozkır.
“Here the responsibility falls on the EU. The EU administration
should talk the Greek Cypriot administration in southern Cyprus into [the
deal]”, Bozkir also said.
2. Colak comments on Anastasiades - Davutoglu meeting: It is an undesirable
situation; We will be disturbed if we are left out
Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (17.03.16) reports that
Emine Colak, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has said that the Turkish Cypriots
were informed about the meeting held recently between President Anastasiades and
Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu, but this is not a “desirable situation”.
“That is, a sensitive point for us”, she said in statements to Ada
television and added: “Any context regarding Cyprus should of course be a
debate carried out by the Turkish Cypriots. If frankly such contacts and
dialogues take place without us or with us being left out, yes these will be
disturbing us”.
Noting that all issues are turning around to be based on the dispute
in Cyprus, Colak said that in this sense they will keep their dialogue and
coordination with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish Prime
Ministry at the highest level.
(I/Ts.)
3. Colak met with MUSIAD
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.03.16) reports that
Emine Colak, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, met yesterday with Okyay Sadikoglu,
chairman of the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association in
the occupied area of Cyprus (MUSIAD Cyprus).
According to a statement issued by Colak’s office, they exchanged
views on how the so-called isolation allegedly implemented on the Turkish
Cypriots will be broken. MUSIAD is organized all over the world.
(I/Ts.)
4. Denktas: 2016 will be the year of the
referendum
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (17.03.16) reports that
Serdar Denktas, the chairman of the Democratic Party (DP) stated that “2016
will be the year of the referendum” in Cyprus.
According to a statement issued by DP headquarters, Denktas made
these statements during various congresses he held with members of his party at
villages in the occupied area of Cyprus, in the framework of the preparations
for DP’s regular council which will be held on May 10.
Denktas said that the recent developments show that the referendum
will be held in 2016. He also said that the “people must say no to a solution
that would end up without the Turkish guarantees in Cyprus”.
He went on and added that DP always protects the “state” which, as he
said is the guarantee of the “people’s future”.
(CS)
5. Turkish Cypriot travel agents say tourism in the occupied area
will benefit by the lifting of the ban by Russia on Turkish tour agents
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.03.16) reports that the
Russian Federal Tourism Agency (ROSTURIZM) of the Russian Federation’s
Ministry of Culture has decided to lift the ban implemented on the activities
of Turkish travel agents in the country that started after Turkey had
brought down a Russian airplane in Syria. After the above decision ROSTURIZM
added the Turkish companies on its website again, notes the paper.
In statements to Kibris, Orhan Tolun, chairman of the Turkish
Cypriot “travel agents’ Union” (“KITSAB”), said that in case the flights
(between Russia and Turkey) start, the tourism of the occupied area of Cyprus
will secure unbelievable benefits. He recalled that the number of Russian
tourists in the hotels in Antalya had decreased by 90% because of the embargo
imposed by Russia on Turkey and added that with the lifting of this embargo
the flow of tourists will begin both to Turkey and to the occupied area of
Cyprus.
Underlining the necessity of carrying out a “serious” advertising
campaign for carrying more tourists to the occupied area of the island, Tolun
said that they have lost 2016 and that they should seriously plan what they
could do for 2017.
Tolun noted that as “KITSAB” they could invite foreign journalists
who will write articles about the occupied area of Cyprus when they return to
their countries. “Importance should be attached to these, because the salvation of
our country is in tourism”, he argued.
(I/Ts.)
6. Agreements between the breakaway regime and various countries
in the field of health tourism
Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (17.03.16) reports that Ahmet
Savasan, the founding chairman of the “Cyprus Health Tourism Council”
participated in the ITB Berlin Tourism Fair in which 10,147 tourism foundations
from 189 countries participated.
According to the paper, Savasan on the sideline of the Tourism
Fair met with various members of the World Health Tourism Council and also with
representatives of various countries aiming to find the base to co-operate in
the field of health tourism. In addition efforts were exerted so that more
persons to travel to the breakaway regime for this purpose.
Speaking to the paper, Savasan said that new agreements were made for
health services in the fields of cardiology, esthetic, in vitro fertilization
treatments and other with the following countries: Holland, Slovakia, Hungary,
Denmark and Sweden.
Savasan also argued that health tourism could contribute greatly to
the breakaway regime’s economy.
(CS)
7. There was an 8.5% increase of the breakaway regimes’ visitors
in 2015
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (17.04.16) reports that
there was an 8.5% increase of the breakaway regimes’ visitors in 2015,
compared to last year.
According to data obtained by the “TRNC Central Bank Bulletin”,
regarding the tourism sector, 1,483,244 persons visited the breakaway regime
in 2015 while 1,366,07 persons visited the breakaway regime in
2014.
Among the visitors, 1,110,795 were of Turkish citizenship
while 372,499 were from third countries.
According to the information, 70% of the travelers visited the
breakaway regime in August.
(CS)
8. Illegal GAU’s general secretary has been re-appointed as
President of IACBE for the European Region
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (17.03.16) the
“general secretary” of the illegal American University of occupied Keryneia
(“GAU”), Assistant Professor Dr. Sualp Davut has been re-appointed as President
of the IACBE (The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education USA)
for the European Region.
The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)
is an educational accreditation agency for college and university business
programs.
More than 1,100 universities until today are accredited to the IACBE.
(AK)
9. A motion was submitted at the Turkish Parliament to lift HDP
Deputy's immunity over terror propaganda
Turkish daily Sabah (16.03.16) reported that a source in the Prime
Minister's office said that an official request to remove the parliamentary
immunity of the opposition HDP’ lawmaker Tugba Hezer Ozturk, was sent to the
Turkish Parliament on Wednesday.
Prosecutors are seeking to remove the Deputy's immunity, which
protects lawmakers from prosecution, over a visit she paid to the home of Salih
Necar, the terrorist who carried out last month's suicide car bomb attack that
killed 29 mostly military personnel in Ankara.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions
on talking to the media, said that the request was sent after Prime Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu's office received a summary of proceedings against Ozturk from
the Justice Ministry.
Last week, similar requests to lift the immunity of five other HDP
lawmakers, including the party's two co-leaders, were lodged with the
Parliament.
A motion to lift HDP Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen
Yuksekdag and party Deputies Selma Irmak, Sırrı Sureyya Onder, and Ertugrul
Kurkcu's immunities was submitted to Parliament.
If put to a vote, the motion to lift the HDP MPs' immunity requires
an absolute majority, i.e. 276 votes.
The prosecutor's office summary was sent last month to the Justice
Ministry with a request that the immunity of the HDP Deputies be lifted, so they
can face charges of "openly instigating people to hatred and hostility" and
"being a member of an armed terrorist organization".
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had previously broached the idea of
lifting the immunity of HDP parliamentarians due to the party's alleged support
for terrorism.
10. 320 arrested in Turkey-wide police operation against PKK
Ankara Anatolia news agency (16.03.16) reported that around 320
suspects, including lawyers, politicians and students, were detained and 41 of
them were arrested during country-wide anti-terror operations against the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the three days before March 16, according to
data gathered by Anadolu Agency.
In operations in Istanbul, with the support of helicopters in 16
districts, 29 suspects, including lawyers, were detained.
(…)While the operations mostly took place in southeastern and
eastern provinces such as Elazıg, Gaziantep, Sanlıurfa, Kahramanmaras, Malatya
and Batman, police also detained university students in the western province of
Bursa for allegedly being members of the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement
(YDG-H), a youth branch of the PKK and the outlawed Kurdistan Communities Union
(KCK).
In a separate operation in the western province of Manisa against the
PKK/KCK, ten people, including the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) provincial
heads Hatice Aslan and Sait Aycı, were detained, while two members of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), a party
that is not represented in the Turkish Parliament, were detained in the eastern
province of Erzurum.
11. Three more academics arrested on charges of terror propaganda;
The British academic detained released
Turkish daily Hurriye Daily News (16.03.16) reported that an
Istanbul court arrested three Turkish academics late on March 15 for “making
terrorist propaganda” when they read out a joint petition signed by more than
1,000 colleagues calling for an end to clashes between security forces and
militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in January.
The arrest of academics Esra Mungan, Muzaffer Kaya and Kıvanc Ersoy
came after the three were detained for holding a press conference on March 10 at
the Education and Science Workers’ Union’s (EGİTİM-Sen) 6th Office in Istanbul,
where they read out a declaration entitled “We won’t be part of this crime.”
The court’s verdict said the declaration was in support of the PKK
and showed similarities to earlier remarks made by Bese Hozat, a PKK
figure.
The academics denied the charges, with Kaya and Ersoy saying they had
not heard of Hozat before.
Mungan is an academic at Bogazici University and Kaya lectures at
Nisantası Univeristy. Ersoy lectures at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University.
Meanwhile, according to the paper, the British academic Chris
Stephenson who was taken into custody on March 15 on suspicion of conducting
propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) because of a Nevruz
leaflet in his possession, has been released but still faces the prospect of
deportation.
Stephenson was taken into custody upon a prosecutor’s instruction on
accusations of “making propaganda for a terror organization” for possessing a
Nevruz leaflet printed by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
Stephenson was released on March 16 after being interrogated by a
prosecutor.
(…)
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