TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
87/16
12.05.2016
1.
Denktas
alleges that Turkey has the power to erase the Turkish Cypriots’
debt in case of a solution based on political equality
2.
Columnist explains why Turkey worries about the solution of the
Cyprus problem
3.
Polish teachers are illegally visiting the occupation regime
4.
Illegal GAU “university” signed an academic cooperation
“agreement” with TSMU
6.
Bozkir: “Impossible for Turkey to make changes to anti-terror law”
7.
Kilicdaroglu: “Turkey can’t shift to presidency without spilling
blood”
8.
“Foreign policy under Erdogan: What will change?”
1.
Denktas
alleges that Turkey has the power to erase the Turkish Cypriots’
debt in case of a solution based on political equality
Under
the title “Denktas erased the debt (!)”, Turkish Cypriot daily
Yeni Duzen newspaper (12.05.16) reports that Serdar
Denktas,
self-styled deputy prime minister of the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, met
yesterday in Ankara with the Turkish deputy Prime Minister
responsible for Cypriot Affairs, Turgul Turkes.
In
his statements, Denktas
alleged that Greek Cypriot recent statements “will blow the
negotiating table up and they are doing this by accusing us”.
Denktas claimed:
“They
have an approach demanding that we freeze our life. They say ‘if
investments are made in Morfou area, we will destroy the negotiating
table, [and] if you grant citizenships, the negotiating table will be
blown up’.
The
last bomb thrown by the Greek Cypriot negotiators was that ‘the
Turkish Cypriots owe Turkey 17 billion euros and if Turkey does not
erase this debt, there will be no solution”.
Noting
that their “government” has given the “necessary reply” to
the above statements, Denktas alleged that the Turkish Cypriots
knocked on Turkey’s door because Turkey is their only “air-tube”
since 1963 due to what he described as the “isolation implemented
by the Greek Cypriots”. He added:
“[…]
Since
they refer to 17 billion euros, let them add the interest to this.
They will be forced to pay the equivalent for the suffering they had
caused us. If there is a solution really based on the political
equality, even if we have such a debt, Turkey is a powerful country
that could erase this [debt] for that really viable solution.
Such statements shake our people’s trust and make the Greek
Cypriots’ unwillingness more evident”.
Finally,
Denktas argued that the good intention and the sincere will of
Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and his negotiating team are
there.
(I/Ts.)
2.
Columnist
explains why Turkey worries about the solution of the Cyprus problem
Writing
in his column in Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (12.05.16),
columnist Basaran
Duzgun comments on the situation in the occupied area of the Republic
of Cyprus and explains why Turkey is worried about a possible
solution to the Cyprus problem.
Under
the title “Let everyone understand that this is the situation”,
Duzgun writes, inter alia, the following:
“TRNC’s
debt for 2015 is said to be 16 billion [Turkish] liras. TRNC’s
budget for 2016 is four billion 550 million liras. That is, it has a
debt approximately four times its annual budget.
[…]
Do
you know what the bitter aspect of this issue is? The
TRNC’s budget cannot even pay the installments of this debt.
Moreover,
every year it borrows even more. A state which has a debt four times
bigger than its budget is a bankrupt state.
[…]
It
is always asked how comes the TRNC, in spite of the fact that it is
bankrupt, continues living as if nothing happens. The answer is
simple. Turkey
pays.
Turkey fully pays the deficit which came up and caused bankruptcy and
keeps the TRNC living. That
is, it does not avoid making any expenditure in order for the status
quo, which it has established in the northern part of Cyprus since
1974, to continue economically.
And
it is not only economically, it is also administratively and
politically. It
permits the Turkish Cypriots to act as a government in an area which
it allows them, but before international law it acts based on the
reality that they are its subordinate administration. This
means, as you understand that both economic and political sovereignty
in the northern part of Cyprus belongs to Turkey.
In this sense, it does not see positively those who demand more
sovereignty and ‘the right of self-administration’. It
worries that the Cyprus problem may be solved and Turkish Cypriots
may acquire equal sovereignty in the new state to be established.
Because it fears that the Turkish Cypriots with whom it has the
relationship described above may agree with the Greek Cypriots and
abandon it.
Let everyone understand that this is the situation”.
(I/Ts.)
3.
Polish teachers are illegally visiting the occupation regime
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (12.05.16) reports that a
group of Poland teachers are illegally visiting the occupation regime
upon an invitation by the “Turkish Cypriot Teacher’s Trade Union”
(“KTOS”).
According
to information acquired by “KTOS”, the
Polish teachers arrived in the “TRNC” and visited several
“schools” and “universities” where they inspected the “TRNC’s
educational system”.
The
visit takes place in the framework of an “agreement” signed
between “KTOS” and “Poland’s Solidarity Trade Union”
(Solidarnosc) in 2008, which includes among others an “exchange of
teachers program”.
According
to the paper, a
group of five teachers from “KTOS” will be visiting Poland in
June.
(AK)
4.
Illegal GAU “university” signed an academic cooperation
“agreement” with TSMU
Turkish
Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (12.05.16) reports that the
vice-rector of the Tbilisi State Medical University of Georgia (TSMU)
Dr. Giorgi Abesadze, who is illegally visiting the occupation regime,
visited the illegal “American University of Keryneia” (“GAU).
According
to the paper, Abesadze
signed an academic cooperation “agreement” with the “rector”
of the illegal “GAU” Dr. Kutsal Ozturk.
The
“agreement” envisages academic cooperation between the two
“universities” and for students who study at the “universities”
to obtain a double diploma from both.
(AK)
5.
More about the involvement of Turkish and Turkish Cypriot companies
in the list of Panama Papers
Turkish
Cypriot Kibris Postasi newspaper (12.05.16) reports that the other
partners of the company called “Buisly Overseas Corp”, in which
Altinbas holding is also a partner and which is included in the stood
Panama Papers, were sentenced in Izmir for “establishing a crime
organization” and for “taking part in a crime organizations”.
The
Altinbas family from the town of Gaziantep in Turkey is the owner of
several fuel stations in occupied Cyprus. The Altinbas family has
started to make investments in occupied Cyprus since 1975, after the
1974 Turkish invasion to Cyprus and became “one of the biggest
groups of capital”.
As
the paper writes, the other partners of Buisly Overseas Corp, Fuat
Yalvac and Nihat Yalvac, were tried in 2013 and sentenced to 10 years
imprisonment for fuel smuggling.
(AK)
6.
Bozkir: “Impossible for Turkey to make changes to anti-terror law”
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (11.05.16) reported that Turkish
EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkır, in statements during
a televised interview with Turkish private broadcaster NTV on
Wednesday in Strasbourg, said, inter alia, that Turkey will not make
any amendments to its law on combatting terror, amid a disagreement
between Ankara and the bloc, which had demanded changes to the law as
a precondition for granting visa-free travel to Turkish citizens.
(…)
“In
an environment where we have more than 450 martyred [security
officials], where very serious terror operations are conducted, it is
impossible to politically discuss the anti-terror law in Turkey,”
Bozkır said, adding that “Turkey’s anti-terror law is actually
at the level of European standards”.
“If
there is no progress on the visa liberalization process, then the
elements of the Turkey-EU deal would be reconsidered”, Bozkir
added.
7.
Kilicdaroglu: “Turkey can’t shift to presidency without spilling
blood”
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (11.05.16) reported that the
leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal
Kilicdaroglu has criticized the presidential system that the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP) wishes to impose, saying that
such a system cannot be implemented without violence. “You can’t
bring in such a presidential system without spilling blood,”
Kılıcdaroglu said in a speech to the general assembly of the Union
of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) in Ankara on May
11, while discussing efforts to form a new Constitution.
“The
current Constitution states that the judiciary is independent and
impartial. It says that no post or authority can give orders or
instructions to the judiciary. If we are to write a new Constitution,
we will write the same things,” Kilicdaroglu said.
(…)
Stating
that he had revealed the orders of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag to judicial authorities on numerous
occasions, Kılıcdaroglu said that he asked outgoing Prime Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu about the aforementioned orders.
“How
can these orders be given? They are saying the coup laws should stay
but we should change the Constitution. Why? They are saying they will
bring the presidential system. One person will speak and Turkey will
be silent. One person will speak and judges will rule accordingly.
One person will speak and lawmaker lists will be prepared
accordingly. You can’t impose such a presidential system,” said
Kılıcdaroglu, referring to the current Constitution, which was
shaped after the September 12, 1980 military coup but has undergone a
number of amendments since.
Kılıcdaroglu’s
remarks caused a backlash by the ruling AKP, with the party’s
Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Bulent Turan accusing the CHP leader
of calling for a “civil war” and the Economy Minister Mustafa
Elitas claiming that he was plotting a “military coup.”
“We
are curious to see what Kılıcdaroglu will do. Will he execute
Deputies who support the presidential system? Will he round them up
in gas chambers like the Nazis?” Elitas asked, saying that “only
the nation” could decide on any political system change.
(…)
8.
“Foreign policy under Erdogan: What will change?”
In
a commentary under the above title, columnist Semih Idiz writes in
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (12.05.16) the following:
“The question many people are asking now that Prime Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu has effectively been ousted by President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan is what the new direction in Turkey’s foreign policy will
be, if indeed there is a new direction.
Hurriyet
Daily News Editor-in-Chief Murat Yetkin’s assessment on this issue
seems to be correct. It was not Davutoglu’s foreign policy but
Erdogan’s to start with, so one can assume there will be no radical
change in this respect.
One
could argue in retrospect that it was Davutoglu’s attempts to put
his own mark on foreign policy that brought on his undoing in the
final analysis. This was too much for Erdogan, who clearly has his
own idea about what Turkey’s relations with other countries or
international organizations should be.
Erdogan’s
salvo at the EU immediately after it became clear that Davutoglu
would be removing himself from the political scene gave an early
indication of what the tone in Ankara’s ties with Europe will be.
Erdogan’s
language in this respect is the language of brinkmanship and given
his populism one can assume that this tone will not change for the
sake of diplomatic niceties.
The
reaction from Europe to Erdogan’s defiance shows that these ties
will not be any more comfortable than they were under Davutoglu and
have a good chance of becoming even worse.
When
it comes to Turkey’s ties with the U.S., it is no secret that
Erdogan is not one of Washington’s favorite leaders.
Washington continues to openly express its concern over the
deteriorating state of democracy in Turkey, much to Erdogan’s
annoyance.
There
are also serious differences over Syria, especially with regard to
the group both countries support in northern Syria, and there is no
indication that these differences will be overcome soon. One
can therefore assume that ties with the U.S. will also remain
strained once Erdogan takes full hold of the reins of power in
Turkey.
Despite
this less than ideal situation in Ankara’s ties with the West,
Erdogan
will still not be much perturbed because Europe and the U.S. need
Turkey’s support on a host of issues.
This
will enable him to keep mounting his hobby horse and blasting at the
West, knowing that this goes down well among his grassroots
supporters.
Erdogan
also knows that the West, much to the annoyance of liberal quarters
in Europe and America, will not risk ties with Turkey simply because
of Erdogan. There is too much for them to lose.
So
the angry tone in Erdogan’s approach to the West will most likely
continue and result in more tensions but will not lead to any major
severance due to the situation prevailing in the Middle East and the
refugee crisis, both of which require cooperation with Ankara.
Erdogan
will use this situation to his advantage and keep forcing the limits.
Turkey’s
estrangement with various other countries, starting with Russia and
Egypt, is also unlikely to change in the near future.
These are pet topics of Erdogan’s, especially in his addresses to
his Islamist supporters, and he is not expected to adopt a more
pragmatic and diplomatic stance to improve ties with these countries.
Many
wonder about ties with Israel of course and even Erdogan has said the
reality of the region requires that these ties are improved. Despite
his remark the talks which are said to be ongoing to secure
rapprochement between Turkey and Israel have still not produced
results, and it is not clear when they will.
It
will take one hostile remark from Erdogan about Israel to put paid to
these efforts.
Erdogan
has made it clear in his various addresses in recent weeks that what
lies in his heart of hearts is to somehow raise Turkey to the level
of leadership in the Islamic world.
He continues to believe that Turkey is the only country that is
qualified to do this at the moment.
There
is no indication however that the Islamic world is prepared to accept
Turkey as a primus inter pares (first among equals) country and so
while Erdogan will undoubtedly continue to pay much lip service to
the idea that Islamic countries should overcome their differences and
stand united against a calculated and self-interest West, the chances
of this happening do not look very great.
All
in all one can say that it will be much the same in terms of Turkey’s
relations with the outside world once Erdogan takes full hold of the
reins, except with one proviso. These relations could get worse while
they remain on the same trajectory because of Erdogan’s
unpredictability and ability to undermine diplomatic efforts with
bellicose remarks.
But
Erdogan will still be able to maintain his position because he knows
that even if he is not the West’s favorite leader, Europe and the
U.S. will continue to need Turkey’s support on a number of issues
for the foreseeable future”.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(AK/
AA)
