TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
84/16
07- 09.05.2016
1.Akinci
wished 2016 to be the year of solution
2.
Akinci met the Norwegian Foreign Minister
3.
Ozgurgun: “Foreign ministers of both sides should be present at the negotiation
table”
4.
Siber: “The granting of citizenships should be fair”
5.
More on the “citizenship” issue
6.
Erk evaluated as positive development Turkey’s decision to remove visa from the
EU countries
7.
Columnist: The government crisis in Turkey has started to deeply influence the
occupied area of Cyprus
8.
Cavusoglu: The Turkish Cypriots are ready to sign the “supplementary protocol”
regarding the water
9.
Erdogan rules out revising Turkey's terror laws for EU visa
exemption
10.
An Istanbul court jailed Turkish journalists Dundar and
Gul
11.
Corendon airlines re-launched flights to the illegal Tymbou
airport
1.
Akinci wished 2016 to be the year of solution
According
to illegal Bayrak television (07.05.16) the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa
Akinci and the President Nikos Anastasiades held their first meeting for the
month of May.
Making
a statement upon his return to the “presidential palace”, Akinci said that their
first meeting for this month passed off cordially and that their next leaders
meeting will be held towards the end of the month on the
27th.
“We
are holding beneficial meetings with Anastasiades and there is reciprocal
understanding between the two sides”, said Akinci.
Noting
that they are trying to come to an agreement that would take in the
sensitivities of the two sides and that they are trying to create a bi-zonal
bi-communal federal structure, Akinci said that although differences still
remained between the two sides, much progress had been
made.
Explaining
that both sides of the island wanted the year 2016 to be the year of solution,
Akinci said that there is efficient time, will and determination in order for
this to be realized.
“If
efforts continue towards this end, then there is hope for a solution and a
positive outcome”, he added.
2.
Akinci met the Norwegian Foreign Minister
According
to illegal Bayrak television (07.05.16) Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci
met the Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende at the so-called presidential
palace on Friday.
No
statement was made to the press regarding the meeting.
During
the meetings, the Norwegian Ambassador to Nicosia and stationed in Athens Jorn
Gjelstad, the so-called presidential spokesman Baris Burcu, the so-called
undersecretary of the “foreign ministry” Erhan Elcin, the “presidential private
secretary” Cenk Gurcag and the “foreign relations coordinator” Deniz Birinci
were present at the meeting.
Akinci
also gave an interview to Norwegian State Television journalists regarding the
latest phase reached on the Cyprus issue.
(AK)
3.
Ozgurgun: “Foreign ministers of both sides should be present at the
negotiation table”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (09.05.16) reports that the self-styled
prime minister Huseyin Ozgurgun argued that “foreign ministers of both sides
should be present at the negotiation table”. Ozgurgun was speaking to the
illegal TAK news agency.
He
said that the “presence of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot foreign
ministers at the negotiation table would be more useful and healthier for the
negotiation process”, adding that if the Greek Cypriot side truly wants a
solution then the presence of the “foreign ministers” at the talks will be an
indication for this.
Ozgurgun
evaluated the recent developments on the Cyprus problem and stated that the
“government’” and Turkey support the negotiation conducted by the Turkish
Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. “It is our biggest wish to see the president
concluding the talks on the Cyprus problem reaching an agreement before the end
of 2016, if there is such a will in south Cyprus”, he stated, arguing that this
cannot happen by wishes only. “There is a certain reality on the negotiation
table”, he said accusing the Greek Cypriot side of not wanting a solution.
He
also said that his “government” aims to undertake numerous projects over the
next two years. He stated that their aim is to increase the prosperity of the
“people” and to open the way for new investments.
Referring
to the recent political developments in Turkey, and the resignation of the
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Ozgurgun stated that these cannot affect
the economic and financial protocol between Turkey and the breakaway regime as
well as the water project and added that the protocol will be signed shortly.
Referring
to the water issue, Ozgurgun stated that work is underway to supply the “public”
with water before summer. He also added that the “government” is planning to
move towards the privatization of the ports and the electricity and
telecommunications “authorities”.
(CS)
4.
Siber: “The granting of citizenships should be
fair”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Haberal Kibrisli newspaper (09.05.16) reports that the self-styled
assembly speaker of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of
Cyprus Sibel Siber, during a television program at the Turkish Cypriot
private channel Genc TV, said that there are people who live in the “country”
more than 20 years but have not become “citizens” yet. She reminded that in
previous periods some persons who have never been in the island or just lived in
the “country” for a few months used to become citizens. She further argued that
“the granting of citizenship should be fair”.
(DPs)
5.
More on the “citizenship” issue
Under
the title “All eyes on the government”, Turkish Cypriot daily Diyalog newspaper
(09.05.16) reports that 10,174 settlers who live in the breakaway regime for a
period between five to twenty years are expecting to be granted a “citizenship”.
The
paper writes that these persons are expecting the new “government” to take a
decision on the issue. It also cites information that in addition to the
thousands of “citizens’ applications” made, there are thousands of persons who
are waiting for the “government’s” decisions on the issue in order to make their
own applications for “citizenship”.
Commenting
on the issue, the deputy prime minister Serdar Denktas claimed that life goes on
and the persons of Turkish origin who have the right to be granted the
“citizenship”, they will become “TRNC citizens”. “There are people who have
never visited Turkey in their lifetime and they consider themselves to be
Cypriots. The citizenship for these people cannot wait for the solution”,
Denktas alleged.
(CS)
6.
Erk evaluated as positive development Turkey’s decision to remove visa from
the EU countries
Turkish
Cypriot daily Haberal Kibrisli newspaper (09.05.16) reports that self-styled
former foreign minister Kutlay Erk evaluated Turkey’s decision to lift the visa
for all EU countries as a positive development and added: “At this moment the
lifting is not yet final. It is a liquidation decision; however, we hope that
the EU should also lift the visas imposed to the Turkish citizens. We believe
that this is a good development from the point of view of Turkey”. Erk further
said that the second stage is how this issue will influence them as Turkish
Cypriots.
Noting
that the visa issue will affect positively Cyprus, Erk argued that in case the
Turkish citizens enter the Republic of Cyprus without a visa, then he believes
that this may be an opening and not a difficulty in the context of the Cyprus
problem.
Stressing
that the visa removal will be an important step on Turkey’s accession process
into the EU, Erk said that Turkey has been negotiating for years now with the EU
this visa issue and alleged that in the end, Turkey defeated the EU and took as
a result the removal of the visa.
(DPs)
7.
Columnist: The government crisis in Turkey has started to deeply influence
the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot columnist Ahmet Tolgay writes in daily Kibris newspaper
(09.05.16) that the government crisis in the Recep Tayyip Erdogan – Ahmet
Davutoglu – Justice and Development Party (AKP) triangle in Turkey has started
to deeply influence the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied area of
the Republic of Cyprus. The columnist reports, inter alia, the following on
the issue:
“While
talking about the Water Project of the Century and the financial and economic
protocols which have been pending for signature since October, crises that
should have been created were created between the TRNC and Turkey. […] The
government crisis in the Recep Tayyip Erdogan – Ahmet Davutoglu – AKP triangle
in Turkey has started to deeply influence the “TRNC”. The foreign exchange has
soared. The visits of our prime minister and ministers to Ankara have been
postponed. The signing of the protocol and the water issues have been postponed
for an indefinite period of time. Every political crisis penetrates and
passes. If we read the situation correctly, it is obvious that this crisis in
Turkey will penetrate us as well. In our country, where drought has started to
make itself felt, the water in the Panagra dam may delay even more to reach the
people. The hot money flow, which the protocol will provide to our economy, may
not be secured. Both the market and the salaries may be shaken by the shortness
of money. This shortness has anyway been dominating for months. If you say
why, Turkey’s internal policy and bureaucracy have been focused now on their own
serious problems.
Weeks
of perhaps months are needed for the overcoming of this very serious crisis,
which started by the settling of accounts within the ruling party in
Turkey.
According to the decision taken, AKP’s extraordinary congress will be held on 22
May and the new president will be determined. The new prime minister will be
appointed. The new prime minister will establish his government. The president
of the republic will approve the new government. The government program will be
prepared and read in the TGNA. The government will secure vote of confidence.
A new deputy prime minister responsible for Cypriot affairs will be
appointed. It is not known whether Tugrul Turkes will stay at his post. It is
possible that the growing of the dimension of the political crisis to lead to
AKP’s split up and early election coming onto the agenda.
The
essence of these my friends is that a long time and burdensome efforts are
needed for the situation to calm down and the Turkey-TRNC relations to be put on
the right track. […]”
(I/Ts.)
8.
Cavusoglu: The Turkish Cypriots are ready to sign the “supplementary
protocol” regarding the water
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (08.05.16) reported that Nazim Cavusoglu,
self-styled minister of agriculture and natural resources of the breakaway
regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has said that the
Turkish Cypriots have completed what they had to do on the water issue and are
ready to sit at the table with Turkey and sign the “supplementary protocol”
which will include the transitional period until the invitation of tenders as
regards the distribution of the water.
Cavusoglu
visited on Saturday the pumping station and the water desalination installation
in occupied Myrtou area and the pumping station and the dam in occupied Panagra
area. During the visit Cavusoslu was briefed by engineers of Turkey’s State
Water Affairs who are responsible for the occupied area’s water provision
project.
Cavusoglu
said that there are currently 12 million cubic meters of water in occupied
Panagra dam and that the annual water needs of the occupied area of Cyprus are
estimated to be around 27 and 30 million cubic meters.
He noted that the water is currently coming from Turkey in full capacity but
the dam is not full and the extra water is flowing into the sea because some
technical tests are being carried out.
The
daily capacity of the occupied Myrtou desalination facility is 200 thousand
cubic meters and its annual capacity reaches 75 million cubic
meters.
(I/Ts.)
9.
Erdogan rules out revising Turkey's terror laws for EU visa
exemption
Ankara
Anatolia news agency (07.05.16) reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
criticized one of the European Union requirements regarding visa exemption for
Turkish citizens.
Among
five remaining benchmarks for Turkey to address, the EU demanded a change in
Ankara's legislation on terrorism in exchange for visa liberalization for
Turkish citizens.
"We
will go our way; you go yours," Erdogan said, addressing a local rally in
Istanbul on Friday. "The EU is telling us to change our law on combatting
terrorism. [They] are allowing terrorists to raise tents and then [they] come
with requirements”.
Erdogan
was referring to a controversial tent raised in March by PKK supporters near the
European Council building in Brussels. PKK is declared a terrorist organization
by the EU, the U.S. and Turkey.
His
comments come two days after the European Commission proposed visa-free travel
for Turks.
In
addition, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (07.05.16)
reported that the Turkish President’s criticism of the European Union
requirements regarding visa exemption for Turkish citizens is an indication that
the issue will not have a positive outcome.
10.
An Istanbul court jailed Turkish journalists Dundar and Gul
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (07.05.16) a high court in Istanbul convicted
Turkish journalists Can Dundar and Erdem Gul on Friday night on charges of
revealing state secrets, sentencing them to five years and 10 months, and five
years in prison, respectively.
Dundar,
the editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet newspaper and Erdem Gul, the paper’s
Ankara bureau chief, were put on trial following the publication of images
purporting to show arms being transported to Syria in trucks belonging to
Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, also known as
MIT.
The
14th High Criminal Court acquitted the duo on charges of attempting to overthrow
the government, while ordering that the charges of “knowingly and wilfully”
helping the terrorist FETO/PDY organization or the so-called “parallel state” to
be separated from the trial.
A
few hours before the court announced the guilty verdict, Dundar had escaped a
gun attack outside Istanbul's Caglayan courthouse, police
said.
He
was assaulted by a gunman outside the courthouse. Dundar was not wounded in the
attack, but a Turkish news channel, NTV, Correspondent Yagiz Senkal was slightly
injured. Police later arrested the attacker.
The
journalists have been convicted in a case linked to searches carried out on MIT
trucks on two occasions in January 2014. In May last year, Cumhuriyet ran a
story and images claiming to show the discovery of arms in the Syria-bound
trucks.
11.
Corendon airlines re-launched flights to the illegal Tymbou
airport
Under
the title: “Corendon airlines again at Ercan”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris
newspaper (07.05.16) reports that Corendon airlines has re-launched flights to
the “TRNC”.
After
an eleven month break, Corendon airlines, which is the biggest tourist operator
in the Netherlands, has carried out a flight from Amsterdam to illegal Tymbou
airport, transferring around 186 tourists.
Corendon
Airlines, which belongs to the Corendon Group, was the first airline which
carried out the first charter flight to the "TRNC" in 2010. Corendon was
bringing approximately 10,000 tourists to the occupation regime per year, with
charter flights to and from the occupied area of Cyprus via Turkey, from the
Netherlands and Belgium.
The
airline will from now on carry out schedule flights twice a week, every Monday
and Friday from Amsterdam to the illegal Tymbou airport via Antalya, writes the
paper.
(AK)
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