TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA
REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 75/16
22.04.2016
1. Agreement on the 2016-18 “economic protocol” was reportedly
reached during Turkes’ illegal visit to the occupied area of
Cyprus
2. Ozgurgun: The new “government” is able to meet all its financial
responsibilities
3. Evkaf administration claims that 14% of the properties in Cyprus
belongs to them
4. BKP warned that any wrong steps on the territory and population
issues may lead the Cyprus negotiation process to a deadlock
5. Columnist: If no solution is reached, the population in the
occupied area will exceed the population in the government-controlled area
6. Turkish Cypriot businessman Asil Nadir convicted of stealing ₤34
million extradited to Turkey from the UK
7. “IUSARC” to organize “search and rescue games” in the occupied
area of Cyprus
8. Direct flights from Gaziantep to the “TRNC” to be launched
soon
9. NATO chief: Turkey's efforts to stop smugglers
crucial
10. Turkey’s Ergenekon plot case overturned by top court of
appeals
1. Agreement on the 2016-18 “economic protocol” was reportedly
reached during Turkes’ illegal visit to the occupied area of
Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (22.04.16) reports that
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Cypriot Affairs, Tugrul Turkes
arrived yesterday in the occupied area of Cyprus to hold a series of
contacts.
In statements after a meeting with the new self-styled prime minister
Huseyin Ozgurgun and “deputy prime minister” Serdar Denktas, Turkes said that
the Cyprus negotiations are going well and that Turkey is satisfied with the
fact that self-sacrificing efforts are exerted for the solution of the Cyprus
problem, noting that they want a result to be reached for the wellbeing,
freedom, interests and the benefit of the Turkish Cypriot community.
Turkes noted that he had earlier met with Turkish Cypriot leader
Mustafa Akinci, who briefed him on the ongoing negotiations for finding a
solution to the Cyprus problem.
Referring to the establishment of the new “government”, Turkes
described as an “important step” for the Cyprus negotiations and the everyday
life in the occupied area of Cyprus the fact that the “government” was
established within a short period of time. Turkes expressed his satisfaction
with this as “Cyprus citizen”.
In his statements, Ozgurgun recalled that they worked together with
Turkes at the Council of Europe. He argued that they see and know that in
every period they can succeed by working in cooperation, harmony and
coordination with “motherland Turkey” and expressed the belief that the
forthcoming period will be “much more positive and
productive”.
Ozgurgun said that they know that if this cooperation and harmony
continues Turkey and the “TRNC” will look at the future with hope and without
facing any problems both in the negotiations and in the internal issues. He
argued that in this sense they know that the developments will be much more
speedy and productive during the new period.
Afterwards Turkes met also with the members of the new “cabinet”.
Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (22.04.16) refers to
Turkes’ illegal visit under the title “Turkes came, the finance
relaxed”. Noting that Turkes will stay in the occupied area of Cyprus until
Saturday, the paper reports that according to some allegations, at the
backstage of the Turkish official’s visit to the island an agreement was reached
on the issue of the “economic protocol” to be signed between Turkey and the
breakaway regime for the period 2016-18 and that Turkey will give financial aid
to the regime for paying the salaries and its other expenses.
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (22.04.16) reports that
Turkes met at a dinner with representatives of the real sector of the
economy in the occupied area of Cyprus. The Turkish “ambassador” to occupied
Nicosia, Derya Kanbay and members of the new “cabinet” also attended the dinner.
(I/Ts.)
2. Ozgurgun: The new “government” is able to meet all its
financial responsibilities
Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (22.04.16) reports that “prime
minister” Huseyin Ozgurgun, alleged that the newly established “government” does
not face any problems as regards meetings all its financial responsibilities. He
made these statements after the first meeting of the new “council of ministers”.
He went on and added that the salaries of the “civil servants” as
well as a big part of other payments will be taken care within the current
month.
Ozgurgun also stated that the new “government” will present its
program to the “assembly” today and added that on Wednesday the “government’
will ask for “confidence vote”. He also stated that despite the “coalition”
government having only 23 “deputies” they expect that they will receive the
consenting vote of the independent “deputies”.
In addition, illegal Bayrak television (22.04.16) broadcast that
Ozgurgun read out the “government program” for the National Unity Party-Democrat
Party coalition in “parliament” today.
According to the program, “the UBP-DP government will continue to
support efforts to reach a bi-communal, bi-zonal federal solution to the Cyprus
problem on the basis of political equality despite being critical of the Greek
Cypriot side’s stance on the issue. The program however points out that any
settlement to be reached on the Cyprus problem must ensure the continuation of
Turkey’s effective guarantees and must seek to protect the Turkish-Greek balance
in the region. It says that the solution must also preserve the socio-economic
structure established over the years on both sides of the island, keeping the
forced movement of people to a minimum.
The property issue must be solved mainly through compensation,
exchange or limited restitution. The bi-zonal nature of a settlement must not be
watered down through ‘special status areas’ the program
states.
While expressing support to initiatives aimed at building
confidence between the two sides, Ozgurgun stated that the new “government” will
work towards the implementation of Confidence Building
measures.
Also touching upon the issue of hydrocarbons, the “government
program” states that “the natural resources of the island can and should be used
for cooperation and not be turned into a source of
conflict”.
It says that the “government” in cooperation will do all it can to
defend and protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriots if any attempts are made
to usurp their rights.
According to the “program”, the two parties are also vowing to
undertake a series of reforms, infrastructural projects and privatizations as
stated in the 2016-2018 economic protocol, and to prepare the Turkish Cypriot
and “TRNC institutions” for EU membership.
These efforts also include enhancing and developing cooperation and
relations with Turkey as well as international organizations such as the
Organization for Islamic Cooperation and the European
Union.
(CS)
3. Evkaf administration claims that 14% of the properties in
Cyprus belongs to them
Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (22.04.16), in its front page
under the title “14% of Cyprus property belonged to Evkaf administration before
1878”, reports that the Cyprus Evkaf administration alleged that as a result
of a research regarding the Turkish Cypriot properties of Evkaf
has reached to documents and title deeds that prove that the properties
belong to the Evkaf administration. For this reason, they will file a case to
the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
According to a research presented in a press conference yesterday, the
14% of the Cyprus property belonged to the Evkaf administration before 1878,
however, the rate of the actual use by the Evkaf administration fell to 6 per
thousand during the era of the British colony and the Cyprus Republic.
As part of the “Evaluation and Research project of the Cyprus Evkaf Properties”,
which lasted seven years, and examined the Evkaf administration from 1571 to
1974, it is reported that 2,443 registers and 8 million documents were revised.
According to the research, the number of the known Evkaf properties
is 608, but generally there are in Cyprus 2,220. In the research, the
constructions which offer community services like mosques, schools and fountains
were mapped.
Prof. Dr Ibrahim Benter, director of the Evkaf administration,
announced that as a result of this research, they will take legal action in
Cyprus and at the international courts for their properties. He added that the
documents they obtained will be useful in every aspect and one benefit will be
at the ongoing Cyprus talks. Benter also said that they should be ready when the
property issue will be discussed at the Cyprus talks and the Evkaf financial
inventory will be asked. He argued that in order to reach a just agreement, they
should claim the properties of Evkaf with evidence based on the international
law.
Claiming that “there is a declaratory ruling of the court that the
properties in Varosha (translator’s note: the fenced off town of Varosha) is an
Evkaf property”, Benter argued that in order to be able to file a claim at the
ECHR, there should be an effective domestic remedy both in “TRNC” and in “South
Cyprus”.
The director of the project Dr Nazif Ozturk, for his part, also
alleged that 14% of the property in Cyprus belongs to the Evkaf administration,
adding that the known number of mosques is 190, however the real number of
mosques is 400 and most of them are in “South Cyprus”.
(DPs)
4. BKP warned that any wrong steps on the territory and population
issues may lead the Cyprus negotiation process to a deadlock
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Bakis newspaper (22.04.16) under the
title: “The granting of new citizenships is very dangerous”, reports that the
secretary of foreign relations of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) Salih
Sonustun, issued a written statement supporting that the issues of
territory and population which block the Cyprus negotiation process are very
possible to lead the process to a deadlock if wrong steps are taken.
Sonustun also argued that wrong steps were made on the “citizenship”
issue. Pointing out that the two leaders had reached to an agreement on
the population issue and that they had closed this chapter, Sonustun warned that
the granting of new “citizenships” would be a very dangerous step. “This
would blow up an issue into which an agreement was reached”, Sonustun added.
“The Turkish Cypriot community will exert efforts with its democratic
will in order to abolish the possibility of granting new citizenships”, Sonustun
also said.
(AK)
5. Columnist: If no solution is reached, the population in the
occupied area will exceed the population in the government-controlled area
Under the title “If there is no solution, the population of the
north will exceed the south in ten years”, columnist Hasan Hasturer in
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (22.04.16) comments on a statement
made by Foreign Minister Kasoulides in London that the breakaway regime is
prepared for granting 25,000 new “citizenships” with “Ankara’s approval” and
that this will be tantamount to eliminating the agreements reached in the
negotiations aiming at finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.
The columnist argues the following:
“Our Greek Cypriot neighbors always look for things they had not
accepted in the Cyprus problem. Between the first and the second operation
on 20 July 1974, the Turkish side had proposed a solution on the basis of
cantons. The Greek Cypriot side did not accept it. If it had, the
situation which would have been created on the island would be very
different. In the more recent past, [there was] the Annan Plan. The
Turkish Cypriots accepted the Annan Plan. The Greek Cypriots said ‘OHI’
[Translator’s note: it means ‘no’ in Greek]. If they said yes and the Annan Plan
was implemented with two yes votes, Cyprus would be very different now than the
current Cyprus.
The population issue is the nightmare of the Greek Cypriots. I
understand their fears. However, one should not have to be a political future
teller in order to say that if there is no solution, there will be a boom in the
population of northern Cyprus with new citizenships, not with births. It is
definite that the reactions by the Turkish Cypriots against the new citizenships
will not be able to prevent them.
Years ago it was said that ‘when the stage of the solution comes, the
TRNC population will be 500 thousands’. The officials who came to northern
Cyprus from Turkey ask questions in order to acquire information about the
population when they travel. Some time ago, an official from Turkey asked about
the population of the Keryneia coasts. When he received the reply ‘it is around
60 thousands’, he said that ‘this coastline could bear a population exceeding
the one million’. When the economic problems of northern Cyprus are discussed,
the paucity of population is said to be the most important negative aspect.
There are a lot of people who use more clear expressions and even say that ‘you
cannot administrate even the service sectors with this population’.
The foreign diplomats with whom we talk to are also as much closely
interested in the citizenship issue in the north as the Greek Cypriots. I can
very clearly write here as well what I say to them. ‘If the solution is not
materialized in 2017 the latest, the increase of the citizens in the TRNC will
start with tens of thousands and continue increasingly. Let no one be surprised
if after five years the population is by 100 thousand more than it is today. If
there is no solution, the population of the north will exceed the population of
south Cyprus in ten or fifteen years. And the world will digest somehow the
new population structure’.
The CTP and even the UBP before the CTP put a stop on the issue of
the new citizenships. […] However, during all visits held to Turkey, the
issue of the citizenship was always raised [even] when very different issues
were discussed. When the citizenship issue came onto the agenda, our side
avoided it somehow. […] If there is no solution, no one will be able to
resist to this, regardless of who is in the government in northern Cyprus.
The most flexible citizenship legislation of the world will be materialized in
northern Cyprus. Citizenship will be granted without even needing a Council of
Ministers’ decision by the book. One day the Greek Cypriot side will also accept
the new population structure. And naturally they will not even talk about the
4:1 proportion”.
(I/Ts.)
6. Turkish Cypriot businessman Asil Nadir convicted of stealing
₤34 million extradited to Turkey from the UK
Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (22.04.16) reports that Turkish
Cypriot businessman Asil Nadir, who has been serving a jail sentence of over
five years in the United Kingdom for stealing money from shareholders in the
British company Polly Peck, was extradited to Turkey late
Thursday.
Sources also said that Nadir, both a Turkish and Turkish Cypriot
“citizen”, is expected to leave for the breakaway regime where his family
lives.
Nadir, who fled to the occupied area of Cyprus in 1993, returned to
the UK in 2012 to face a trial over charges of false accounting and theft of 34
million pounds.
Nadir has reportedly given up his British citizenship in order to
benefit from an extradition treaty between Turkey and the UK. In 2010, the UK
sentenced Nadir to 10 years in prison. Sources further added that Nadir has
benefited from the British law granting prisoners release on parole after
serving half of the sentence.
7. “IUSARC” to organize “search and rescue games” in the occupied
area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Bakis newspaper (22.04.16) reports that
the “International Universities Search and Rescue Council (IUSARC)” will
organize at the “Middle East Technical University” (“ODTU”) branch in the
occupied area of Cyprus the “International Universities Search and Rescue Games
2016”.
The event will be organized between April 22-29 and totally 6 groups
from 20 universities from 10 different countries, are expected to participate,
writes the paper.
(AK)
8. Direct flights from Gaziantep to the “TRNC” to be launched
soon
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (22.04.16) reports that
direct flights will be launched from Turkey’s Gaziantep to the “TRNC” as of
May 2.
According to statements made to Ankara Anatolia by Cemal Alyamac,
director of the administration board of Alyamac Tourism, the flights will be
carried out three times per week.
Alyamac explained that they have reached to an agreement with a
private aviation company, the Onur Air, to carry out the flights, within the framework of their aim to attract more tourism.
(AK)
9. NATO chief: Turkey's efforts to stop smugglers
crucial
Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (22.04.16) reports that NATO
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg praised Turkey's efforts to stop the
migration crisis.
Stoltenberg paid a two-day visit to Ankara where he met with
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu and Defense Minister İsmet Yilmaz. This is the fourth time Stoltenberg has visited Ankara since he
assumed his post in October 2014, and this time terrorism, illegal migration,
NATO's expansion and the upcoming NATO summit were the major topics he discussed
with Turkish officials.
Turkey plays a crucial role in fighting human trafficking on the
Aegean Sea," he said. In addition, Ankara Anatolia news agency (22.04.16)
reported that Erdogan met Stoltenberg at the presidential palace in Ankara on
Thursday. According to presidential sources, Erdogan and
Stoltenberg discussed Turkey-NATO ties as well as regional security
issues.
10. Turkey’s Ergenekon plot case overturned by top court of
appeals
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (22.04.16) reports that Turkey’s top
court of appeals has overturned convictions in the Ergenekon coup plot trial,
considered one of the most significant legal battles in recent Turkish history
which lasted nearly a decade, ruling that the “Ergenekon Terror Organization,”
the target of the allegations, did not exist at all.
The Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that the local court’s recognition
of the “Ergenekon Terror Organization” was not felicitous because it was not
known when and by whom the “Ergenekon Terror Organization” was established. “Its
crimes and hierarchic structure was not exposed” and “its leader was not
evident,” a senior judge said, while reading out the summary of the reasoned
judgment at the final hearing of the appeal case on April
21.
The appeals court said the local court had failed to show “legal and
actual links” between an armed attack at the Council of State and the Ergenekon
case.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
