21/4/16

TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW

TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S



No. 74/16 21.04.2016
1. Nuland met with Akıncı and reiterated U.S support to the efforts for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem
2. Eide: A lot of issues have not been concluded in the Cyprus talks but the climate is good
3. Turkes to pay an illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus today
4. Columnist: The change of “Turkey’s aid delegation’s” name will be an attempt to improve only its “image”
5. Denktas has allegedly said to a Turkish Cypriot columnist that April’s salaries will be paid normally without any problem
6. The new “university” in occupied Morfou to be ready by June
7. The Illegal University of Keryneia signed a cooperation protocol with an Iranian University



1.Nuland met with Akıncı and reiterated U.S support to the efforts for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem
According to illegal Bayrak television (20.04.16), the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State Victoria Nuland met yesterday with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı at the “presidential palace”.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Nuland said that she had a positive meeting with Akıncı during which they discussed the latest stage reached in the Cyprus negotiations process. “We’ve also received a positive appraisal of last night’s meeting between the two leaders. It seems that there is good progress now in taking the leaders’ agreements and consolidating them”, Nuland stated.
She also added that the United States will remain intensively involved in the Cyprus problem. “Washington is eager to help the sides to come to an agreement that the Cypriot people need and deserve”, Nuland stated.

2. Eide: A lot of issues have not been concluded in the Cyprus talks but the climate is good
Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (21.04.16) reports that Espen Barth Eide, UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus, has said that there are currently a lot of issues which have not been concluded in the negotiations, but the climate in the negotiations is good. In statements yesterday, Eide described as “constructive” the 1,5-hour meeting he had with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and noted that he shares the view that the meeting held between the leaders the day before yesterday was “productive”.
Eide argued that contrary to the expectations of some circles there is no loosening up in the negotiations and that the negotiators of the two sides are intensively working.
Referring to the meetings he had with the British and the French Foreign Ministers and the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Victoria Nuland, Eide noted that during these contacts he saw that the above-mentioned officials were willing to support the process in Cyprus.
The international interest and support are very strong at this critical turning point. During these contacts more concrete issues are discussed such as the economic support”, he added.
Asked what progress was achieved in the negotiations, Eide said that the announcement on the progress could be made by the leaders, who will decide when this will happen. He noted that the issues are being discussed in an interrelated manner in the negotiations and expressed the belief that this method would not have been chosen if they did not think that it would have a result. He added that the sides are doing whatever they can for overcoming their differences in the negotiations.
Replying to a question as to whether the issue of the natural gas resources had come onto the agenda of his meetings with the French and the British Foreign Ministers, Eide said: “I have good meetings with key countries and organizations which expressed support to the process. I will discuss this issue with them, but not over the media”.
(I/Ts.)

3. Turkes to pay an illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus today
Under the title: “Turkes is coming”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (21.04.16) reports that Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister, Responsible for Cyprus Affairs Tugrul TurkeS will pay an illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus today for “official contacts”.
According to information acquired by the “presidency”, Turkes will meet in the afternoon at the so-called presidential palace with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.
More details about Turkes’ program will be announced later in the day.
(AK)


4. Columnist: The change of “Turkey’s aid delegation’s” name will be an attempt to improve only its “image”
Writing in his column in Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (21.04.16) columnist Sami Ozuslu refers to information published yesterday by Kibris Postasi newspaper which argued that during the recent meeting between Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes, the change of the name of “Turkey’s aid delegation” in the occupied area of Cyprus was agreed. The columnist reports that, according to the same information, Akinci and Turkes agreed also to discuss “changes regarding the way by which this delegation is operating”.
Under the title “Why the name of Turkey’s aid delegation is changing?” the columnist notes:
If this information is true, it is possible to comment these news in two ways. Either Ankara perceived the reaction of the Turkish Cypriots and decided to restrain Turkey’s aid delegation’s stance ‘which interferes in everything’, - and if this is the issue, this is a proper decision – or [the situation] is exactly the opposite! That is, Ankara, in spite of the voices of the Turkish Cypriots which are continuously raised, decided to further increase the weight of the delegation here. And if this is the decision and the intention, it means that things will become even more difficult.
It is definite that the point to which the relations between Turkey and the TRNC have come is not sustainable. This goes for both sides. On the one hand there is the Turkish Cypriot administration which continuously ‘begs for money’. And on the other, there is Turkey which continuously ‘gives money’. This form of relations, far from poisoning the interstate relations, increases the distance between the peoples. It cannot be useful for anything else. However, it would be naivety to think that this preference is ‘random’. Ankara is not unhappy at all by the 1983-declared TRNC remaining as a kind of ‘satellite state’. Even though the high amount of money transferred to the TRNC is made an issue, the ‘full dependency’ relation developed in return for this is without a cost.
Changing the name of Turkey’s aid delegation or even the way it operates under this situation and these circumstances will not go further than being an ‘image’ operation. Even if the ‘good scenario’ is implemented, it is obvious that there will be an arrangement which will be aiming at improving only the perception […] As for the ‘bad scenario’, it will be like in 2011. In a period during which ‘Rallies for the Communal Existence’ were taking place, the then president Eroglu sent a letter to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan saying: The technical chairman of the aid delegation, Halil Ibrahim Akca is interfering too much in our internal affairs, remove him from his duties’. And in response, Akca was hurriedly appointed as Turkish ambassador to Nicosia!
In my view history is not comprised of repetitions, but sometimes it can be repeated!”
(I/Ts.)

5. Denktas has allegedly said to a Turkish Cypriot columnist that April’s salaries will be paid normally without any problem
Under the front-page title: “No need for panic. April’s salaries are ready”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (21.04.16) reports that according to the paper’s columnist Levent Ozdam, who held a meeting with so-called deputy prime minister and “minister of finance” Serdar Denktas, the latter told him that the salaries for the month of April are ready and that there is no need to worry about this issue.
The columnist wonders in him column entitled: “Free chair…. No need for panic. April’s salaries are ready”, from where the “ministry of finance” which until recently had its treasury empty, has found so much money. “Somehow it has found them and it gave us good news. Let him announce later where he had found them…”, writes the columnist, expressing also the belief that most probably Denktas has struck a happy medium with Turkey on the issue of the signing of the “economic protocol”.
Ozdam writes also in his column that Denktas told him that the money was not given by Turkey.
Asked to reply to the question on when the “economic protocol” will be signed, Denktas clarified that the “protocol” is not possible to be signed with its current form and pointed out to the need to make some amendments on this.
(…)
(AK)
6. The new “university” in occupied Morfou to be ready by June
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (21.04.16) reports that Dr. Serdal Gunduz, member of the “board of trustees” of the “Cyprus Health and Social Science University” that will open in occupied Morfou, has announced that the “university” will start functioning officially as of June 1st.
Gunduz made the above statements yesterday upon a visit he held to the paper.
Gunduz further said that the “goal” of the “university” during its first year of opening is to reach to 1,250 students.
He added that the “university” will be covered with 20 thousand meter square of closed area and of 25 thousand meter square of open area. Also, the bed capacity of the campus will serve the needs of 50 thousand students.
Gunduz also stated that inside the campus of the “university” there will be laboratories, conference meetings, amphitheaters, health centers, digital libraries, cafeterias, supermarket and other facilities.
(AK)

7. The Illegal University of Keryneia signed a cooperation protocol with an Iranian University
Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (21.04.16) reports that the illegal Keryneia University (GU) has signed a “cooperation protocol” with Iran’s Mohaghegh Ardebili University.
According to the paper, the “cooperation protocol” envisages cooperation between the two “universities” in the fields of technology, research and culture.
The “protocol” envisages also the exchange of students and academic staff.
The “protocol” was signed by the “vice rector” of the “Keryneia university”, Prof Dr. Ilkay Salihoglu and the rector of the Mohaghegh Ardebili University, Dr. Goudarz Sadeghi Hashjin.
(AK)






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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(AK/AM)