TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
78/16
27.04.2016
1.
“Coalition government” received vote of confidence
2.
Siber delivered a speech in “Kosovo”
3.
Turkish Cypriot columnist warns that AKP wants to transform the Turkish Cypriots
into Ottomans
4.
Todd visited Atalay
5.
The Greek Cypriots demanded their right to use the 70% of the water produced in
the Waste Water Treatment Facility in occupied Mia
Milia
6.
The Ravelin / Land Gate in occupied Famagusta lacks of
care
7.
Turkey’s Parliament Speaker’s call to remove secularism from Turkey’s
Constitution sparks outrage
8.
EU calls on Turkey for ‘focused efforts’ on integration of Syrian
refugees
1.
“Coalition government” received vote of
confidence
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 27.04.16), the National Unity
Party-Democratic Party National Forces (UBP-DP) coalition government has
received a vote of confidence in “parliament”.
While
27 “deputies” voted in favour of the new “government”, 22 “deputies” voted
against the motion.
The
UBP’s 18 “MPs”, the DP’s 5 “MPs” and the 4 independents all voted in favour of
the “government” reaching a majority yes vote which was all that was required
for the vote of confidence to pass.
“Deputy”
Zeki Celer from the Social Democratic Party (TDP) did not take part in the
vote.
According
to the “constitution”, no party or group of “deputies” can file a motion of no
confidence for the first three months after a vote of confidence is
secured.
Self-style
prime minister Huseyin Ozgurgun, who thanked the“parliament” in a speech after
the vote said that the new “government” will be working to serve the “people”
during its term in office. He also said that it will be the UBP and DP’s
priority to do their best to work in harmony with all political parties
represented in the “assembly”.
2.
Siber delivered a speech in “Kosovo”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (27.04.16) reports that self-styled assembly
speaker of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus
Sibel Siber, who is currently carrying out contacts in “Kosovo” (translator’s
note: Cyprus does not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of
Kosovo), said that they believe now that they will reach a permanent peace with
the negotiations for a solution.
Addressing
a conference ran by Turkey’s Ambassador to “Kosovo” Kivilcim Kilic, Siber
delivered a speech on the position of the Turkish Cypriots in the historical
process and their current situation. Siber noted that “there are many
similarities between Kosovo and TRNC. We see a people that despite the
difficulties and the ethnic discrimination have preserved its identity, language
and culture and continue and will continue its existence”. Sibel further said
that although their population is few in Cyprus, has continued its existence
despite any difficulty and pressure.
“Kosovo
deputy assembly speaker” Fikrim Dana and “deputy” Muferra Sinik attended also
the conference.
Meanwhile,
Siber met also with Turks living in the city of Prizren.
(DPs)
3.
Turkish Cypriot columnist warns that AKP wants to transform the Turkish
Cypriots into Ottomans
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (27.04.16) publishes an article by Sami
Ozuslu who argues that the breakaway regime is going through some «interesting
developments» due to the efforts of the ruling in Turkey Justice and Development
Party (AKP) to integrate the occupied area of Cyprus using
religion.
Ozuslu
writes that the recent statements made by the self-styled deputy prime minister
Serdar Denktas, that one of the main goals of the new “government” will be to
improve relations with Turkey, which were injured by some circles in the recent
past, are really interesting.
“While
Serdar Denktas was making these statements in the assembly, the Speaker of the
Turkish Assembly Ismail Kahraman was saying that ‘secularism must be lifted by
the Turkish Constitution’. There is no doubt that the Turkish Constitution is a
result of a coup d’ etat. […] However, there is another truth that cannot be
doubted as well. The AKP government is moving forward transforming Turkey into a
country of ‘Islamic law’. This is an issue of a main concern especially for the
peoples of Turkey. However; if these developments are evaluated together with
the statements of Serdar Denktas and his partner in government Huseyin Ozgurgun
at the government’s program, we can assume that Turkey is leading the Turkish
Cypriots towards some direction as well”, Ozuslu writes and adds that the
main aim of Ankara is to transform everyone into “Ottomans”.
Ozuslu
also writes that the road map of those to whom it was assigned to take care of
the issues here (in Cyprus) is to connect the northern part of Cyprus with
Ankara and the assimilation of the society with the Ottoman culture, the
religion and the ottoman civilization. “This is the point and the aim of all the
policies followed on economy, culture and society”, Ozuslu writes and notes
the following:
“Ankara’s
authoritarian structures want to make everyone the same, to transform everybody
into Ottomans, ignoring the communities in Anatolia which have different
culture, different religion and nationality. It has the same intention for
Cyprus as well”, the columnist writes and notes that someone has the duty to
inform the Turkish Cypriots about this.
(CS)
4.
Todd visited Atalay
Turkish
Cypriot daily Democrat Bakis newspaper (27.04.16) reports that the British High
Commissioner to Cyprus Damian Roderick Todd visited yesterday the “head” of the
“religious affairs department” Talip Atalay.
According
to a statement issued by the “religious affairs department”, during the meeting,
Atalay and Todd exchanged views about the inter-religious leader’s dialogue.
(AK)
5.
The Greek Cypriots demanded their right to use the 70% of the water produced
in the Waste Water Treatment Facility in occupied Mia
Milia
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (27.04.16) under the front-page title: “The
Greek Cypriots want water”, reports that according to the agreement reached
between the Turkish Cypriot and the Greek Cypriot side during the stage of the
construction of the Waste Water Treatment Facility in occupied Mia Milia region,
the Greek Cypriots would have the right to use the 70% of the produced water,
while the Turkish Cypriots the remained 30%.
According
to the paper, the Greek Cypriots want to use their right to take the 70% of the
water produced. The paper adds that totally 11 million cubic meters of water a
year is produced from the wastewater and flows to the river.
The
paper points out that for many years the water was not appropriate to be used
due to the salt ratio it had, but with the new project which is planned to be
implemented in the waste water treatment facility, the problems will be solved
and the water will be appropriate for agriculture use.
The
paper adds also that the “Greek Cypriot administration’s” demand concerning the
water can only be met if “serious investments” take place.
(AK)
6.
The Ravelin / Land Gate in occupied Famagusta lacks of
care
Under
the front-page title: “Ravelin tower needs to be maintained”, Turkish Cypriot
daily Kibris newspaper (27.04.16) reports that the Ravelin / Land Gate tower
which is considered as one of the most important historic towers in Cyprus and
is located in the “within the walls” occupied city of Famagusta, is in a very
bad condition and lacks of care.
According
to the paper, due to the miserable situation of the tower and the
insensitiveness of the relevant “authorities”, the “country’s image” to the
tourists has been disgraced.
(AK)
7.
Turkey’s Parliament Speaker’s call to remove secularism from Turkey’s
Constitution sparks outrage
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 27.04.16) reports that Turkey’s Parliament
Speaker Ismail Kahraman sparked outrage late on April 25 by suggesting that the
principle of secularism “must be removed” from Turkey’s Constitution, as even
members of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) voiced
disagreement.
“As
a Muslim country, why should we be in a situation where we are retreating from
religion? We are a Muslim country. So we must have a religious Constitution”,
Kahraman said in a conference titled “New Turkey and New Constitution” in
Istanbul, stressing that “as a Muslim country” Turkey’s constitution should
be religious.
However,
the next day Kahraman stepped back from his remarks, saying he had “expressed
his personal opinion on the new Constitution” and stressing the need to provide
a “clear definition of secularism” in the new constitution.
“In the new Constitution, the concept of secularism should be defined clearly
and concisely, in a manner preventing its abuse and ill-intentioned
interpretations,” he said.
Kahraman’s
comments also drew criticism from within the AKP, with Istanbul Deputy Mustafa
Sentop, who also heads Parliament’s Constitution Commission, saying the issue
was not under discussion. “We have secularism in our efforts for a new
Constitution. We haven’t discussed the removal of secularism from the
Constitution,” said Sentop on April 26, stressing that Kahraman was not speaking
on behalf of the party.
AKP
Deputy Group Chair Naci Bostancı also commented on Kahraman’s statements,
stressing that such a change in the Constitution was not on the AKP’s
agenda.
Republican
People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kilicdaroglu has also criticized the
Parliament Speaker’s comments on removing secularism from the Constitution,
suggesting that the Speaker should leave his job if he doesn’t believe in
certain principles. “I’d like to call on the Parliament Speaker: Either
believe in the state, the Republic, the superiority of law, the equality of men
and women, the independence of judiciary, the freedom of the media and a
secular, democratic, social law state, or leave that seat,” said Kilicdaroglu in
the parliamentary group meeting of his party on April 26, while adding that the
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) doesn’t know the meaning of
secularism.
“You
can be sure that they [the AKP] don’t know what secularism is. Secularism is the
guarantee of all the faiths. Secularism means the freedom of religion and
conscience. Secularism means the state not abusing religion,” said
Kilicdaroglu, as he said that secularism is the main guarantor of social peace.
“Secularism is being human. In short, it is respecting the people,” he
added.
The
leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahceli, has also
criticized the Parliamentary Speaker for comments on removing secularism from
the charter, saying the speaker made a mistake and should correct it.
Peoples’
Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Figen Yuksekdag has also criticized Parliament
Speaker Kahraman’s comments
on removing secularism from Turkey’s Constitution, saying the Justice and
Development Party’s (AKP) “true colours have been shown”. “Do they want a
religious Constitution because they are religious? But in their perception of
religiousness, acquitting thieves and corrupt people is a duty,” said Yuksekdag
at an HDP parliamentary group meeting on April 26. She also said that
Kahraman’s remarks were linked to the AKP’s bid to introduce an executive
presidential system to Turkey.
On
the same issue, columnist Murat Yetkin writing in the paper under the title
“Secularism is the key for democracy in a Muslim society”, reports that Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu did not touch upon the issue during his address to his
party group in Parliament. He ended his commentary by writing “President
Erdogan’s desire for a shift to a presidential system, which could enable the
concentration of executive power in one hand, as well as Parliament Speaker
Kahraman’s recent suggestion, should not overshadow this. Secularism is the
key for democracy and state of law in a Muslim society, and it is also the best
cure for radicalization. ”
Meanwhile,
Turkish daily Milliyet (online, 27.01.16) reports that Turkey’s President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, commenting on this issue, said: “My thoughts are known on
this subject. The reality is that the state has an equal distance from all
religious faiths. This is laicism”.
8.
EU calls on Turkey for ‘focused efforts’ on integration of Syrian
refugees
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 26.04.16), in a clear
acknowledgment of the generations-long and multi-layered impact of the presence
of millions of Syrian refugees in Turkey, the EU’s executive arm has urged
Ankara to concentrate its efforts on measures to help better integrate Syrians
into the Turkish society.
During
a visit to southeastern border province of Sanliurfa on April 26, EU
Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn underlined that after five years of
conflict in Turkey’s neighbourhood, it is time for Ankara to focus on schooling
Syrian children and improving the Turkish language skills of Syrian refugees
regardless of their age. “When there is peace, there is opportunity for
prosperity. Prosperity means jobs and perspectives. Prosperity gives people a
hope to stay in their region,” Hahn told reporters during a visit to a refugee
camp managed by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in
Harran, Sanliurfa.
Praising
the Turkish government for taking the initiative to grant Syrian refugees work
permits, Hahn said the opportunities had still not been fully taken. “We saw
that this opportunity has not yet been really fully exploited because of the
lack of language skills. But we also witnessed during a previous Gaziantep visit
a couple of weeks ago that there is still a cross-border relation between Syria
and Turkey, and this is something you can build on,” the EU Commissioner said.
Referring
to their meeting with Turkish government officials in Istanbul earlier this
week, Hahn said they also discussed the prospects of offering Syrians the
chance to start setting up their own jobs in Turkey.
---------------------------------------------------
TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/AM)
