TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
79/16
28.04.2016
1.
Akinci to send the new “elections law” back to the
“assembly”
2.
Occupied Keryneia is facing water problems
3.
Hahn: Real litmus test for Turkey is the accession
negotiations
4.
Erdogan cited the Green Line in Cyprus as an example of how a safe zone can be
created in Syria
5.
Davutoglu condemned Bursa attack; “Turkey will not step back from the fight
against terrorism”
6.
Davutoglu: New Constitution to include liberal
secularism
7.
“Three hard tests for Davutoglu”
8.
Turkey and China agree to enhance relations at Asian
forum
9.
Russian Rosatom to sell 49% shares of Akkuyu nuclear plant due to financial
problems
10.
The illegal YDU university to chair an international conference in
Vienna
1.
Akinci to send the new “elections law” back to the “assembly”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (28.04.16) reports that Turkish Cypriot
leader Mustafa Akinci will send back to the breakaway regime’s “assembly” the
“law on elections and referendum” which was unanimously approved last week.
Citing
information obtained by Kibris Time newspaper, Yeni Duzen notes that Akinci
has some reservations on the issue of the period for which one should
live in the occupied area of Cyprus in order for being able to run for
“candidate”. Meanwhile, some “deputies” of the National Unity Party (UBP) –
the major “coalition partner”- are also said to be against this “law”.
(I/Ts.)
2.
Occupied Keryneia is facing water problems
Turkish
Cypriot daily Diyalog newspaper (28.04.16) reports that occupied
Keryneia, known as the city of tourism for the occupied area of Cyprus,
is facing a “water crisis” like many other areas of the occupied part of the
island, in spite of the fact that drinkable water is coming from Turkey’s
Anamur area. The paper writes that this water is flowing into the sea because of
the lack of concern by the regime’s “governments”.
Occupied
Keryneia needs 550 tons of water daily and it is given only around 350-400 tons,
“officials” said
adding that taking some measures was inevitable.
Erdinc
Akun, head of occupied Keryneia “municipality’s” water affairs, told the paper
that the water problems increased during the past 15 days and added: “We are
forced to give water once every 3-4 days to some areas.
The citizens are complaining but nothing can be done”.
The
continuous increase of population and the return of summer house owners to their
homes in parallel to the construction activity in the area cause an increase of
the need for water, he said
pointing out that he has no other option in these circumstances than cutting the
water supply.
(I/Ts.)
3.
Hahn: Real litmus test for Turkey is the accession
negotiations
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily New (online, 28.04.16) reports that “the real litmus
test” for Turkey in terms of relations with the European Union will be the
accession negotiations if the country truly wants to become a member of the
28-member club, a senior EU figure has said.
The
clear remarks by EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and
Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn came on April 26, just days after Turkish
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Ankara would stop taking back migrants when
asked what Turkey would do if the EU tried to delay the visa portion of a March
accord which intended to stem illegal migration into Europe, mainly due to
influxes triggered by the conflict in Syria.
“I
think many of us are always clear that we are not satisfied with the current
situation,” Hahn said, speaking with a group of journalists, when reminded of
the apparent damage to the EU’s image and credibility in Turkey because a
considerable part of the society has been convinced that the EU has misused the
priority of rights and freedoms in the name of finding a solution to the refugee
crisis.
“Once
again, the real litmus test for Turkey will be the accession negotiations. This
is the key and here we will see what the real aim of Turkey is. If the real aim
is to become member, then of course the rule of law is at top of the priorities.
This is why nowadays, due to the energization of the accession process we
applied, we would like to start as soon as possible with Chapter 23 [Judiciary
and Fundamental Rights] and 24, and as we do nowadays with all the other
accession countries, we will conclude our process by closing Chapters 23 and 24
[Justice, Freedom and Security]. So the final assessment by the European
Commission will only be done if 23 and 24 is closed,” Hahn said in the
southeastern border province of Sanliurfa during a visit to a refugee camp
managed by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in Harran
district.
“If
there are developments which are not in line with our understanding of rule of
law, no matter if it is a journalist, a judge or an academic, it is raised by
us. I can only urge everybody, if there is a real will to cooperate with us, to
understand that if cooperation means cooperation without future membership, this
is a different situation. If cooperation means to finally have a membership,
then the situation is different. It is up some of our neighbours and Turkey; it
is one of those neighbours, to decide if they want to become members, yes or no.
So far, my knowledge is they want to become members and in that respect, we
expect certain reorientations in the way Turkey is developing itself,” he
said.
Echoing
previous remarks by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a joint visit to the
southeastern border province of Gaziantep on April 23 along with European
Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission Vice President Frans
Timmermans and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Davutoglu warned Turkey would
stop taking back migrants from Europe if the bloc failed to keep its word on
visa-free travel for its citizens.
“This
kind of tone, this kind of language is certainly not the language [used] among
the people who want to become not only partners, but friends, who want to become
a member of a club. I think in that sense, we expect mutual respect in the way
how we communicate, number one,” Hahn said of Davutoglu’s
remarks.
“Number
two, [I don’t exactly take such threats personally] because I don’t want to
comment on it to stay polite because it is honestly among the people trying to
achieve a common goal; this is not the way forward,” he
said.
“We
have agreed on an action plan and this action plan covers many, many elements.
Of course the refugee crises is, if you like, a triggering element of this
action plan. Visa liberalization is one element. And I think and I am convinced
that there is a mutual understanding that everything should be done within a
certain time frame. Our understanding was always if Turkey wants to speed up the
process leading to visa liberalization, we are more than happy. In the past,
there was not this kind of urgency. If this is now the case, fine, but we cannot
renounce our conditions because we are negotiating with other countries like
Ukraine, Georgia but also Kosovo very recently on visa liberalization and there
we apply a certain methodology, certain criteria.”
Hahn
described the state of affairs surrounding media freedom in Turkey for both
Turkish and foreign journalists as “a very huge
concern.”
“Because
it is definitely not in accordance with our rule of law standards. That is why I
personally believe very strongly in this accession process momentum because if
we are negotiating Chapter 23 and 24, we have exactly this kind of leverage
which allows us to discuss with our Turkish colleagues about, for instance, this
issue: freedom of expression. The same applies for the independence of the
judiciary and other things. And that’s why this is something which not only
applies for Turkey, but also applies for the countries in the western Balkans”,
he said.
Hahn
shied away from making a clear-cut comment on Parliamentary Speaker İsmail
Kahraman’s remarks suggesting on April 25 that the principle of secularism “must
be removed” from Turkey’s Constitution.
“First
of all the decision about the constitution is subject to a decision of the
Turkish Parliament, and the Turkish Parliament is elected by the Turkish people.
So I don’t want to intervene about what is decided by the Turkish Parliament. I
cannot make any comment on what it means for our accession negotiation. Usually
we are cooperating with the Venice Commission, which is an institution of the
Council of Europe. They are very well experienced in looking at Constitutions
and they are making their comments, which is a very strong reference for us.
This is what I can say for the moment,” he said.
4.
Erdogan cited the Green Line in Cyprus as an example of how a safe zone can
be created in Syria
Turkish
daily Sabah (online, 28.04.16) reports that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
speaking to journalists on his official visit to the Croatian capital of Zagreb,
addressed the debate sparked by Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman's opinion
that secularism should not be mentioned in the new draft Constitution prepared
by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). He said secularism
ensures the state is of equal distance to people of all
beliefs.
There
is a serious effort taking place to prepare a new Constitution and he expressed
his opinions," Erdogan said, noting that Kahraman, as a member of the AK Party,
had sworn to uphold the party's regulations on secularism. "This means he
accepts the AK Party's policies on the matter. He just cited certain examples
from around the world during a scientific meeting on
constitutions."
The
suggestion to introduce a presidential system to replace the current
parliamentary structure has generated serious criticism, Erdogan said, but
argued that critics have not proposed any alternatives to ensure a smoothly
running state system.
Erdogan
also briefed the members of the press on topics such as his visit to Azerbaijan,
the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and the ties with the U.S., which have been under
significant strain due to U.S. President Barack Obama's administration's open
support to the PKK terrorist organization's Syrian affiliate Democratic Union
Party (PYD).
Referring
to the Syrian border with Turkey, Erdogan noted the significant deployment of
military hardware near the Syrian border in Kilis to prevent DAESH from further
hitting the town. "Next month, the U.S. will be sending HIMARS batteries, which
have a maximum range of 90 kilometers. All necessary measures are taken to
protect our security."
He
also repeated his opinion on the necessity of establishing a safe zone in
northern Syria:
"If the world wants to end the refugee flood, the necessary amount of land in
the north should become safe. Once that happens, our Syrian brothers currently
living in tent or container cities can move there." He said new towns could be
built there so Syrians could lead comfortable and safe
lives.
He
cited the Green Line in Cyprus, secured by U.N. peacekeepers, as an example of
how a safe zone can be created in Syria.
When
asked about stories in the German media on Germany seeking a base near Incirlik,
he said: "Such matters depend on developments. As a NATO member, such
deployments benefit us. Germany or France building such a thing near Incirlik
could benefit us, we should not forget," but added that such matters can only
happen with Ankara's permission.
Commenting
on the ties with EU, Erdogan criticized EU officials for asking for projects to
invest in rather than supporting Turkey's efforts to care for Syrians.
When
asked if he found the EU sincere when it comes to lifting visa restrictions on
Turkish nationals for the bloc's Schengen zone, Erdogan said that the lifting of
visa restrictions was already an obligation the EU has to implement. "We had
already signed the necessary documents when I was Prime Minister, agreeing on
the lifting of the visa [requirement] in October 2016. I don't understand how
doing the same thing four months earlier can be promoted as a huge deal. No one
had the right to act as if they are doing Turkey a great favour. I openly
said this to European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker. Both are very good friends of mine. However, our
conversation took such a turn that I was forced to take a stand. I told them:
'Support us if you want. What projects are you talking about?' We will see how
much of the promised money they will release by the end of the
year."
5.
Davutoglu condemned Bursa attack; “Turkey will not step back from the fight
against terrorism”
Ankara
Anatolia news agency (27.04.16) reported that Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said in Ankara on Wednesday that Turkey will not step back from its
fight against terrorism despite facing attacks.
In
statements in a press conference at the airport before his departure for his
official visit to Qatar, Davutoglu wished the injured in Wednesday evening’s
Bursa attack in north-western Turkey a speedy recovery.
A
suicide blast killed one person and injured 20 others at the entrance of a
historic bazaar in Bursa.
"We
will continue to take a principled stand against terrorism and terrorists
wherever and however it occurs," Davutoglu said.
About
the warnings issued by the U.S. for its citizens in Turkey, Davutoglu said that
such alerts were, unfortunately, giving rise to psychological
unrest.
"Currently,
there are no countries in the world, which are not vigilant against terrorism… A
person visiting Paris, Brussels or Istanbul is not under less risk than a person
visiting Bursa today," Davutoglu said.
6.
Davutoglu: New Constitution to include liberal
secularism
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (27.04.16), Turkey’s new Constitution will
contain the concept of liberal secularism, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has
said Wednesday.
Speaking
at a meeting of the provincial heads of the ruling Justice and Development (AK)
Party in Ankara, Davutoglu said that the new Constitution would include the
elements of liberal secularism “in a way that ensures the freedom of religion
and faith”.
"In
our new Constitution, we will include a sense of secularism that is not
authoritarian but liberal. The AK Party is not pursuing anything else in this
regard, and we don’t think it is correct to make any speculations regarding this
matter,” he said, referring to the recent debates over Parliament Speaker Ismail
Kahraman’s remarks that secularism “must be removed” from the new Constitution
that is currently under discussion in Turkey.
The
Prime Minister went on to say that the principle of secularism has always been a
part of the AK Party’s statutes, and was also included in the draft
constitutions written by the party so far. “Within this framework, the new
Constitution will include the principle of secularism in a way that ensures the
freedom of religion and faith, and that the government keeps an equal distance
from all belief groups,” he said.
Davutoglu
also said that the writing process for the new Constitution had begun this week,
adding that it was based on extensive consultations with academics and opinion
leaders, as well as through deliberations within the
party.
7.
“Three hard tests for Davutoglu”
In
a commentary under the above title in Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News
(28.04.16), columnist Murat Yetkin, supports that there are three important
thresholds or tests ahead of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in the next
two months which can be decisive for Turkey in closing the gap with the
West.
According
to Yetkin, “the first one is the visa-free travel scheme for Turkish citizens as
a part of the immigration control deal between Turkey and the European Union
(EU).
(…).The second one is the normalization of Turkey’s relations with
Israel. (…).
The
third and perhaps most difficult one would be Cyprus. All parties express
optimism for a reunification agreement between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots to
come out of the ongoing talks under the auspices of the United Nations (UN). The
pace is a bit slow now due to the elections on the Greek part of the island. So
far the talks have failed numerous times, the last being in 2004 following a
referendum in which the Greek side voted negatively but was taken into the EU as
a member. If an agreement takes place, it would not only be a major
breakthrough in peace, stability and trade in the Eastern Mediterranean
(considering gas fields off Cyprus and Israel) but also might bring a boost in
Turkish-EU relations. The Greek Cypriot government vetoes the opening up of five
negotiation chapters with Turkey, two of them being about judicial reforms and
rights and freedoms, as two areas of criticism in
Turkey.
If
Davutoglu manages to pass all three tests, he is likely to empower his hand
inside and outside Turkey”.
8.
Turkey and China agree to enhance relations at Asian
forum
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (27.04.16), Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Cavusoglu and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed on Wednesday to enhance
bilateral relations in areas such as counter-terrorism, joint projects and
tourism.
Speaking
at a meeting of an intergovernmental Asian forum in Beijing, the top diplomats
stressed the need to work together against terrorism and shared ideas on how
such cooperation could be increased, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
The
sources, who remained anonymous under foreign ministry protocol, said that
Cavusoglu told his counterpart of Turkey’s efforts to prevent foreign terrorist
fighters and human trafficking.
Beijing
is hosting the fifth regular Foreign Ministers' meeting of the Conference on
Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) from Wednesday to
Thursday. Nearly 40 delegations from member states and observers are expected to
attend the gathering.
Wang
underlined that China and Turkey are both founding members of CICA, where China
assumed the chairmanship from Turkey in 2014.
He
said China was ready to collaborate in efforts to establish regional security
and infrastructure to promote development in the Asian region, according to a
statement posted on Beijing’s foreign ministry website.
Turkish
diplomatic sources revealed that the Foreign Ministers also discussed economic
cooperation and planned joint projects such as a railway across northern Turkey
and a nuclear plant in the country.
They
also suggested that Turkish and Chinese contractors could work together in third
countries. Cavusoglu was also set to meet his Belarusian and Ukrainian
counterparts.
9.
Russian Rosatom to sell 49% shares of Akkuyu nuclear plant due to financial
problems
Turkish
daily Sabah (27.04.16) reported that the state-owned nuclear energy giant
Rosatom which was affected by Russia's economic recession in recent years,
decided to sell 49% of its shares in Turkey's first nuclear power plant
project.
Emphasizing
that there have already been concerns regarding the financial health of the
state-run company and its ability to finance projects in the wake of Russia's
deep economic problems -- fuelled by low oil and gas prices and Western
sanctions associated with the Ukraine crisis -- sources indicate that Rosatom's
willingness to sell so many shares has nothing to do with the November 24 crisis
between Turkey and Russia.
Expressing
that Rosatom's partial sale of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Turkey's first
nuclear plant project, should be considered normal, energy experts stress that
the sale has importance for Turkey in terms of potential construction work on
the power plant.
The
nuclear plant in the southern province of Mersin is the first of three nuclear
power plants that Turkey currently plans to build to reduce its dependence on
imported energy from exporters such as Russia and Iran.
Turkey
launched the construction of its first nuclear power plant in negotiations with
Russia in 2010 for greater energy independence. The $20 billion project will
consist of four units, each of which will be capable of generating 1,200
megawatts of electricity.
Rosatom
is constructing the Akkuyu power plant and it is expected that the facility will
produce approximately 35 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year once
completed. Its service life is estimated to last 60 years. Akkuyu power plant is
forecast to begin operating in 2023 at the latest.
10.
The illegal YDU university to chair an international conference in
Vienna
Turkish
Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (28.04.16) reports that the illegal Near East
University (“YDU”) will chair the International Conference on Application of
Fuzzy Systems and Soft Computing (ICAFS-2016) which will take place on August
29-30 in Vienna, Austria.
According
to the paper, the conference is organized within the framework of the Science
Direct and Scopus program.
More
than 100 scientists from several countries such as Japan, the US, Germany,
Russia, Poland, Turkey, the UK, Azerbaijan and Austria, are expected to
participate to the conference.
(AK)
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