TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
64/16
07.04.2016
1.
Akinci: Solving ‘little’ Cyprus’ problem will contribute to
regional peace
2.
Akinci met with Turkes and Gul
3.
Turkes says Turkey will continue “helping” the breakaway regime
in Cyprus aiming at a “competitive economy”
4.
The UBP and the DP have reportedly agreed to a great extent on
establishing a “coalition government”
5.
Talat: An UBP-DP “coalition government” will sabotage the Cyprus
negotiations
6.
Ozyigit says that the only thing missing from the “economic
protocol” is the appointment of a “governor” from Turkey
7.
KTOEOS criticized the “economic protocol” by saying that it is
oppressive towards the Turkish Cypriots
8.
Turkish Cypriot columnist says that the plan of annexing the occupied
area of Cyprus to Turkey is becoming more evident these days
9.
Columnist describes as “the second monopoly” the project of
bringing electricity from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus
10.
The “Near East University” will attend the IATEFL meeting in
Birmingham
11.
Energy firms eyeing consortium to carry Israeli gas through Turkey
12.
Director of OME argued that Cyprus’ tendering on the 6th, 8th and
10th parcels was a “diplomatic mistake”
1.
Akinci:
Solving ‘little’ Cyprus’ problem will contribute to regional
peace
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News newspaper (online, 07.04.16) with the above
title reports that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci
said that solving the dispute on the “little” divided
Mediterranean island of Cyprus will also bring peace and prosperity
to the crisis-riddled region.
Delivering
a speech at the 19th Eurasian Economic Summit organized by the
Marmara Group Foundation, Akinci
said:
“Nowadays,
incidents do not only affect the country where it happens, it affects
everywhere. An economic crisis in a country affects other countries
too and a bomb that explodes in a society [hurts] our hearts, if not
our bodies”.
Akinci
said that a just and federal solution to the Cyprus issue will not
only allow for the two communities of the island to reach a peaceful
and prosperous future but will also allow for a regional cooperation
to be reached.
2.
Akinci
met with Turkes and Gul
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 07.04.16), Turkish Cypriot
leader Mustafa Akinci, who is holding a series of contacts in
Istanbul on the side-lines of the 19th Eurasian Economic Summit, met
yesterday separately with former Turkish President Abdullah Gul and
the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Responsible for Cyprus Affairs
Tugrul Turkes.
Speaking
after his meeting with Turkes before holding a longer meeting with
the participation of their respective delegations, Akinci
said that Turkes had conveyed to him the Turkish government’s
unhappiness over claims that it was behind the collapse of the
“coalition government” in the “TRNC”. He
said that “Turkes had told him that it was out of the question for
the Turkish government to interfere with the creation or dissolution
of governments in the TRNC and that they would be happy with any
government model that emerges”.
“Mr
Turkes strongly denied any involvement of the Turkish government.
This has made us happy”, Akinci said.
Pointing
out that governments in Turkey in the past had meddled in the “TRNC’s
domestic politics” and had tried to influence the “government’s
set up”, Akinci said: “We all experienced this in the past but
many years have passed. I too hope that we will not experience such
things again. This is my expectation and that of the Turkish Cypriot
people”.
Akinci
also said that the Turkish government’s preference is a government
model that will contribute to the “president’s”
(editor’s note: Turkish Cypriot leader) efforts
in the negotiations process and which will not create problems.
Akinci
also stated that he had found the opportunity to discuss the ongoing
Cyprus negotiations process and the pending “economic protocol”
with Turkes.
He
further said that the Turkish Cypriot “people” need to be able to
stand on their own two feet, to administer themself successfully and
to have a sustainable economy, all which he added is possible through
a healthy dialogue with Turkey.
Also
touching upon his meeting with the former Turkish President Abdullah
Gul, Akinci said that they found the opportunity to evaluate the
latest situation in the Cyprus talks. He said that Gul’s interest
in the Cyprus problem, which goes back to his term in active
politics, continues.
3.
Turkes
says Turkey will continue “helping” the breakaway regime in
Cyprus aiming at a “competitive economy”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (07.04.16) reports that Tugrul
Turkes,
Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Cyprus Affairs, has
argued
that Turkey’s aid to the “TRNC”, the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, aims at “creating a strong
state structure” and an “economic system”, which will be
“self-sufficient, harmonized with the global conditions,
competitive and sustainable”.
Addressing
the 9th
Eurasian Economic Forum held in Istanbul, Turkes referred also to the
Cyprus talks and said: “We
are aware of the importance of the negotiating process for the TRNC.
I want to once more confirm that our government is and will continue
being by the Turks of Cyprus side”.
Turkes
said that regardless of the Cyprus negotiations, Turkey is determined
to continue granting to the “TRNC” any kind of “financial,
economic and social aid”.
(I/Ts.)
4.
The
UBP and the DP have reportedly agreed to a great extent on
establishing a “coalition government”
Under
the title “UBP-DP is done”, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis
newspaper (07.04.16) reports that even though Turkish Cypriot leader
Mustafa Akinci has not given the mandate for establishing a new
“coalition government” to any party leader, the
meetings among the parties are continuing.
The leaders of the National
Unity Party (UBP) and the Democratic Party (DP),
Huseyin Ozgurgun and Serdar Denktas, held meetings during the last
couple of days and achieved
an agreement to a great extent.
It
is noted that after agreeing to a great extent on the issue of the
“economic protocol” to be signed with Turkey, the two leaders
held a bargain on the distribution of the “ministries”,
on which they agreed on an UBP proposal that the DP will take three
“ministries”.
The
paper writes that Mehmet Ali Talat, leader of the Republican Turkish
Party (CTP) has also proposed three “ministries” to the DP, five
for his party and two for the Social Democracy Party (TDP), which is
reportedly divided in two on the issue of whether it should
participate in a “coalition government”.
Meanwhile,
according to Turkish Cypriot daily Democrat Bakis (07.04.16), DP’s
mouthpiece, Denktas said yesterday that he held meetings with both
the UBP and CTP and the discussions
were mostly shaped on the “economic protocol” to be signed with
Turkey.
He noted that in
case they reach an agreement on this “protocol”, they will
evaluate the issue tonight at the DP’s assembly. He
said that they
will discuss later the name of the party with which they will
establish a “coalition”.
(I/Ts.)
5.
Talat:
An UBP-DP “coalition government” will sabotage the Cyprus
negotiations
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (07.04.16) reports that Mehmet
Ali Talat,
leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), has argued that a
possible “coalition government” between the National Unity Party
(UBP) and Democratic Party (DP) will sabotage the negotiations for
finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.
In statements to Kanal Sim television yesterday, Talat
argued that former Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu “is trying
to lay hands on the UBP” and that even though Eroglu has not
returned to politics, he is trying to administrate the party “from
the shadow”.
Arguing
that “they” have “broken DP’s wings”, Talat added: “[…]
Thus only five deputies will be able to participate in the coalition
with the UBP and because it will not be very strong in this
coalition, an
Eroglu-DP government will actually be established with support from
the outside and it will sabotage the Cyprus problem. And [it will do
it] immediately. In five minutes, in one day it will sabotage it. It
will grant a lot of citizenships, thousands of citizenships, the
negotiating table will fall into pieces
[…]”
Talat
said that the “economic protocol” with Turkey includes 2-3 vital
issues which cannot be accepted by his party: the provisions for the
“electricity authority” (KIB-TEK), the “state planning
organization” (DPO) and the “judiciary”.
He added: “The increase of the retirement age is a necessity,
otherwise the retirement funds will not be able to bear the burden.
In any case this was our demand also”. Talat noted that they agreed
with the UBP and wrote down their agreement. He said that when their
delegation visited Turkey, the representatives of the UBP said that
the objections put forward by the Turkish bureaucrats were right.
“However, here we agreed”, he noted.
(I/Ts.)
6.
Ozyigit
says that the only thing missing from the “economic protocol” is
the appointment of a “governor” from Turkey
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Bakis newspaper (07.04.16) reports that
Cemal Ozyigit,
leader of the Social Democracy Party (TDP), has
said that the only thing missing from the “reform package” which
caused the collapse of the self-styled government is the appointment
of a “governor”.
In statements to the paper, Ozyigit noted: “If
all institutions and organizations will be given away, if the
judiciary will also be included, a governor should be brought and the
job to be finished. There is no place for Abdulhamit’s laws in the
country”.
Ozyigit
said that if some are looking for persons to sign the “economic
protocol” having the mentality “let us take the money and
distribute it” and if their aim is to give away the “electricity
authority”, the communications and the ports, leaving the employees
without a trade union and forcing them to migrate, the TDP will not
participate in “such a scenario”.
Noting
that the TDP will not participate in a formation which will mortgage
the future of the Turkish Cypriots, Ozyigit pointed out that if they
will join the new “coalition”, a “way out program” should be
prepared for the development of the “country” and not an
“economic package”.
(I/Ts.)
7.
KTOEOS
criticized the “economic protocol” by saying that it is
oppressive towards the Turkish Cypriots
Turkish
Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (07.04.16) reports that Tahir Gokcebel,
chairman of the Cyprus Turkish Secondary School Teachers' Union
(KTOEOS) said that the “economic protocol” to be signed between
Turkey and the breakaway regime for the period 2016-18 beyond being
an economic one is political and intentional, adding “We say
enough, we won’t keep silent”.
In a
written statement, Gokcebel suggests that the “country” is facing
a new imposition, adding that it (the economic protocol) is a new
written and oppressive model of acceptance policies to the Turkish
Cypriot community in the political, cultural, social, energy,
education, and jurisdiction fields. Gokcebel further said that the
“economic protocol” is the same and even more oppressive of what
the IMF has imposed to some countries.
Noting
that with promises of economic stability, productivity and
restructure as it is said in the “economic protocol 2016-18” they
are trying in reality to complete the steps of a political,
ideological, rent-seeking structure, Gokcebel argued that “the
management of institutions like the army, central bank, police and
the fire department are completely seized and the people will become
more poor than the previous protocols”.
Noting
that with the new “laws” in the “country” they want to create
an “open-air prison”, Gokcebel said that the “parliament” and
the “government” have become a hostage of the illegal Turkish
embassy in the occupied area of Cyprus.
Gokcebel
further said that if this “protocol” is imposed on the “people”
then even the Cyprus talks will be ended,
adding that this package is not economic is completely ideological
and political.
(DPs)
8.
Turkish
Cypriot columnist says that the plan of annexing the occupied area of
Cyprus to Turkey is becoming more evident these days
Writing
in her column Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (07.04.16)
columnist Fatma
Azgin wonders whether the “Alexandretta process” is being
implemented now with the aim of annexing the occupied area of Cyprus
to Turkey. Azgin
reports, inter alia, the following:
“We
are passing through days in which the project of binding the TRNC to
Turkey is continuously becoming more evident.
In
the water project, the electricity project and the content of the
economic program the accession of these lands to Turkey, turning them
into a province is becoming more evident.
The breaking point of Turkey’s domination, which covered a pretty
long distance for this end, has long since been exceeded. The
transfer of population which in years doubled the local population,
the exploitation of this place’s resources afterwards without
giving anything in return and the fact that the state and the people
are always in debt in the end are clearly showing the bankruptcy
course.
Regardless
of how many elections we will hold, of how many governments we will
establish, our ‘independent and free’ will has suffered from
erosion.
[…]
Finding
a solution to the Cyprus problem in this environment is becoming
difficult. It is evident that Turkey lacks of will and wants to
implement its ‘own plan’. If this place is ‘annexed’,
something except for ‘protests’ to the UN or the EU should not be
expected.
[…]”
Furthermore,
Azgin republishes an excerpt from an article published by Turkish
columnist Ayse Nur in Turkish daily Radikal newspaper on 14 October
2012 regarding the process of Turkey annexing Alexandretta.
(I/Ts.)
9.
Columnist
describes as “the second monopoly” the project of bringing
electricity from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot daily Diyalog newspaper (07.04.16) reports that Turkish
Cypriot columnist in T24 online newspaper, Metin
Munir described the project of transferring electricity from Turkey
to the occupied area of Cyprus as “the second monopoly” after the
water project.
Munir reports, inter alia, the following:
“The
electricity in the TRNC is expensive. It is not trustworthy. It is
cut off often.
[…] The
TRNC’s laws on the energy issue are outdated.
These do not give permission to solar and wind power. These aim at
repelling the investors, not attracting them.
KIB-TEK,
which is the official electricity authority, is a rotten, corrupt
institution.
[…]
Everybody
knows that the electricity problem will not be solved with KIB-TEK.
There are other things which are also known by everybody: Such as
that the AKP government wants to divide and privatize KIB-TEK, to
bring electricity to the island from Turkey with underwater cables
and to have this job done by a company named AKSA. AKSA is the only
private sector electricity producer on the island.
It has installations in the west around Famagusta operating with big
profit margin. As I found out from company sources, AKSA,
which is one of the big electricity producers in Turkey and one of
the companies which the AKP loves, wants to drag an undersea cable to
Cyprus from its power plant near Antalya and become the only
electricity producer, supplier and distributor in the entire TRNC.
The AKP is ready to have it [AKSA] make this job.
The project has not been materialized until today because there is
resistance within the trade unions and the political parties on the
electricity issue, like it happened on the water issue. The AKP has
broken this resistance on the water and came to the stage of
establishing a water monopoly on the island (and a depot of an
unearned income). […]”
The
columnist notes that he does not know when, but one day the
electricity monopoly will also be established. He adds that both AKSA
and Turkey’s self-styled embassy in the occupied part of Nicosia
are advertising this by arguing that when the electricity from Turkey
comes, the price of electricity will decrease to the half of the
existing one.
Pointing
out that the AKP government wants the electricity production, supply
and distribution to be carried out by the same company, the columnist
notes that this will be tantamount to establishing a monopoly on the
island in this field and thus the
prices will come to the level they are today and they will even
exceed it.
“In
a place where there is no competition, the prices increase and the
quality falls”, he recalls referring to a basic rule of the free
market. Munir says that Turkey has a law which prevents monopoly and
established a “Competition Committee” in 1997. Noting that there
is no such “law” in the occupied area of Cyprus, Munir argues
that if
the project of bringing electricity from Turkey is prepared properly,
the price will fall to the one fourth of the existing one.
He argues:
“Studying
the directives of the European Union on the energy issue and
preparing a project in harmony to these directives is enough for
achieving this result.
According to these directives, the same company cannot transfer and
produce the energy. […]”
Munir
concludes his column by describing a model of electricity transfer,
production and distribution in the occupied area of Cyprus in harmony
to the EU directives.
(I/Ts.)
10.
The
“Near East University” will attend the IATEFL meeting in
Birmingham
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (07.04.16) reports that Enis Sayman,
so-called director of the “English preparatory school” of the
“Near East University” (“YDU”) in the occupied area of the
Republic of Cyprus, will participate in the IATEFL meeting
(International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign
Language), which will be held in Birmingham, Britain, between April
13 and 16, 2016.
(DPs)
11.
Energy
firms eyeing consortium to carry Israeli gas through Turkey
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News newspaper (online, 06.04.16),
at
least 15 energy companies want to be part of a planned consortium
which will carry Israeli gas to Europe via Turkey, according to
Turcas CEO Batu Aksoy, who said the first Israeli gas may reach
Turkey in the next five years.
“We
plan to establish a buyer consortium [to carry Israeli gas to Europe
through Turkey]. Each consortium member will take some gas in this
plan. At least 15 companies have contacted us so far and voiced their
intention to become a part of this planned consortium,” he said in
an exclusive interview with daily Hurriyet.
The
holders of rights in Israeli’s natural gas reservoir have been in
contact with Turkish companies for months, including Turcas,
concerning exports of Israeli gas.
Aksoy
noted it was not possible for a single company to deal with such big
exports, adding that the estimated 8 billion cubic meters (bcm) of
Israeli gas could be taken on an annual basis by sharing the risks
with reliable partners. “Potential consortium partners that have
contacted us are composed of companies which utilize or distribute
gas. Namely, they are active players in the sector. A constructive
buyer consortium needs to be established,” he said.
“In
these projects, the construction process lasts the shortest period of
time. Political discussions, the issuance of intergovernmental
agreements or the financial feasibility issues take a much longer
time.
Regarding
Israeli gas, some bilateral agreements may be required between Turkey
and Israel, between Israel and Cyprus, and between Cyprus and Turkey.
In resolving long-term regional problems, the planned pipeline may
play a role. If the parties want and the required political
environment is created, the gas may reach Turkey by 2021,” he
added.
“The
less dependent a country becomes on a sole provider, the lower gas
costs it faces. Europe wants to decrease the share of Gazprom in its
gas market by opening their gas market more and increasing their
liquefied natural gas [LNG] sources… Turkey needs to do the same.
Turkey
has been connected to Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan by pipelines. There
are two other sources to maximize the pipelined gas potential: The
eastern Mediterranean and Iraq… The inflow of natural gas via six
or more pipelines from five suppliers rather than four pipelines from
three suppliers will enable Turkey to gain a much bigger bargaining
position in gas price talks. We believe eastern Mediterranean gas
will be a huge chance for Turkey on the road to becoming an energy
hub,” he said.
Aksoy
noted that this did not mean eastern Mediterranean gas is an
alternative to Russian gas. “Russia is a big and reliable gas
supplier, I believe. Russia did not cut the gas flow to Turkey during
the Cold War, the Ukraine crisis and even following the jet crisis.
Russia did not cut the gas flow to Europe either… Why should
[Turkey] however not reduce the costs? We need to diversify our
resources one way or another. If Turkey takes 8-10 bcm gas from the
eastern Mediterranean and 5-10 bcm from Iraq, the risks will be
dispersed and key opportunities will be unleashed on the road to
opening the energy markets in Turkey,” he added.
12.
Director
of OME argued that Cyprus’ tendering on the 6th, 8th and 10th
parcels was a “diplomatic mistake”.
According
to Turkish daily Milliyet newspaper (07.04.16), Dr Sohbet Karbuz,
Director of the Mediterranean Countries Energy Companies Association
(OME) Hydrocarbons, argued that the “single-sided decision of the
Greek Cypriot administration (translator’s note: as he refers to
the government of the Republic of Cyprus) regarding the 3rd round
licence tender for the gas fields by South Cyprus is an effort to
pull Russian energy companies to the region”. He claimed that the
Greek Cypriots intend to boost the Russians up in the Mediterranean,
adding, however, that such a tender will roughen the atmosphere while
the Cyprus talks are continuing well and it was not needed such a
tender.”
Karbuz
also described Cyprus’ tendering on the 6th, 8th and 10th parcels
as a “diplomatic mistake”.
(DPs)
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