TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
91/16
18.05.2016
1.
Erdogan reiterated Turkey’s proposal to provide water to the Republic of
Cyprus
2.
Ozgurgun claims that the Greek Cypriots are responsible for the lack of
non-solution
3.
Denktas: “Bringing electricity from Turkey is one of our
priorities”
4.
Akinci met with the French Ambassador to Cyprus
5.
Burcu asks for the punishment of those who have reportedly attacked Turkish
Cypriots in the government-controlled area of Cyprus
6.
Cavusoglu is in Turkey participating to an OIC’s committee
meeting
7.
Elcil: “Money laundering is taking place via university
students”
8.
Binali Yıldırım tops internal AKP survey for new
leader
9.
Columnist: Israel and Cyprus talks to resume from next
week
10.
Cavusoglu to Lavrov: “Prove Turkey helps Daesh, and I'll resign”; He insists
Turkey won't revise anti-terror law
11.
Turkey’s Parliament backs immunity bill
12.
Demirtas: PKK should apologize
1.
Erdogan reiterated Turkey’s proposal to provide water to the Republic of
Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris (18.05.16) under the front-page title: “The TRNC is ok
on water for the next 50 years”, reports on statements by Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the meeting of the Ministries Responsible
for Water issues of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
(OIC).
Speaking
during the meeting, Erdogan stated, inter alia, that with the water
transferred project from Turkey to the “TRNC”, they covered the “TRNC’s” potable
and agriculture water needs for the next 50 years.
Underlining
that the water transferred project had a cost of 550 million dollars, Erdogan
reiterated their proposal to the Greek Cypriots in the “south”, as he called the
Republic of Cyprus, to provide them with water. “Look Greek Cypriots, you
occasionally have water shortage and you transfer water with vessels and
tankers. We have said that we can provide water to south Cyprus as well and with
this process to be able to carry out a peace project. There is no demand at the
moment but we have done our part”, Erdogan stated.
(AK)
2.
Ozgurgun claims that the Greek Cypriots are responsible for the lack of
non-solution
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 17.05.16), self-styled prime minister
Huseyin Ozgurgun claimed that the reason why a solution has not yet been found
is because the Greek Cypriot side does not see the Turkish Cypriots as their
equals at the negotiating table.
Speaking
during a meeting with the board of directors of TMT headed by its president
Yilmaz Bora, Ozgurgun said that despite all negativities, the “government”
supports the ongoing process carried out with the support of Turkey. “We are
in support of a bi-communal solution on the basis of the political equality of
the two peoples and standing UN parameters. The Greek Cypriots will have to
start accepting some of the realities on the island should efforts to reach a
solution by the end of 2016 fail”, he added.
Ozgurgun
also alleged that the non-solution of the Cyprus problem is the result of the
Greek Cypriot side’s refusal to see Turkish Cypriots as their equal
partners.
Also
speaking, Bora claimed that the Greek Cypriots insist on not seeing the Turkish
Cypriots as their equals. Expressing, as he alleged, the society’s
discontentment with statements regarding the process, Bora said that steps
towards achieving international recognition of the “TRNC” should be
taken.
3.
Denktas: “Bringing electricity from Turkey is one of our
priorities”
Under
the title “Electricity as well will come from Turkey”, Turkish Cypriot daily
Kibris Postasi newspaper (18.05.16) reports that “deputy prime minister and
minister of economy” Serdar Denktas, stated that bringing electricity from
Turkey, after the transfer of water, is one of the priorities of the new
“government”.
Denktas,
who was speaking to Ankara Anatolia news agency, stated that efforts regarding
this issue will last 1-2 years.
Asked
about the Cyprus negotiation, Denktas stated that it is not possible to go
against the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. According to Denktas, Akinci
is the “president” who was elected by the “people” and who is sincerely seeking
a solution at the negotiating table. “We will merely support this. I appreciate
our president's sensibility”, he stated,
Referring
to Turkey-EU relations, he claimed that “the EU is not treating Turkey with
sincerity and good will”.
“If
the EU understands that Turkey is not a threat to it, but rather an opportunity,
then we will easily reach a solution. The EU is not being sincere with Turkey.
It does not show a clear good will”, he claimed.
In
addition, the paper further writes that in case the economic protocol between
the breakaway regime and Turkey is not signed prior to the extra ordinary
election conference of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) which will be
held on May 22nd, the breakaway regime will face financial
difficulties. Commenting on the issue, Denktas stated that there is a good
chance the protocol to be signed before the conlusion of the conference.
Finally,
Havadis (18.05.16) writes that Denktas issued a written statement saying that
constructors which completed work either for the “state” of for the
“municipalities” will be paid soon from money yelded by Turkey’s sources.
(CS)
4.
Akinci met with the French Ambassador to Cyprus
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 18.05.16), Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa
Akinci met on Tuesday with the French Ambassador to Cyprus René
Troccaz.
The
latest developments in the Cyprus negotiations process were discussed at the
meeting which took place at Akinci’s office.
Akinci’s
historical and political advisor Meltem Onurkan Samani and his foreign relations
coordinator Deniz Birinci were also present at the meeting which was closed to
the press.
No
statement was issued before or after the meeting.
5.
Burcu asks for the punishment of those who have reportedly attacked Turkish
Cypriots in the government-controlled area of
Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibrisli newspaper (18.05.16) reports that Baris Burcu.
spokesman of the Turkish Cypriot leader, has condemned the attack against
three Turkish Cypriots reportedly happened in the government-controlled area of
Nicosia last weekend. In a written statement issued yesterday, Burcu said
that on Sunday around 15.30 three Turkish Cypriots were attacked while
waiting at traffic lights in Makariou Avenue by some Greek Cypriots riding bikes
and holding the Greek flag and the flag of APOEL football club.
Recalling
that such “unacceptable incidents” happened in the past as well, Burcu said that
upon instructions by the Turkish Cypriot leader they asked by President
Anastasiades through the Greek Cypriot Negotiator, Andreas Mavroyiannis the
arrest and effective punishment of the perpetrators as well as the compensation
of the damages which the Turkish Cypriots suffered.
Burcu
noted that they have been told [by the officials of the Republic of Cyprus] that
such attacks were made against Omonia football club’s supports as well, but they
will do whatever they can for paying the damages of the Turkish Cypriots and
protect their rights.
Burcu
argued that the attack harms the negotiating process for solving the Cyprus
problem and the mutual feeling of trust and should be condemned by both
sides.
Meanwhile,
commending on the issue, Tahsin Ertugruloglu, self-styled foreign minister of
the breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus, argued that they do not
allege that all Greek Cypriots have the same views, but “it is a reality that
there is a Greek Cypriot youth who is nourished and educated with enmity towards
the Turkish Cypriots”.
He
alleged that another reality is that the police and the authorities took
absolutely no measure on the issue. He claimed: “The Turkish Cypriot people must
know that there are some persons in south Cyprus who do not have friendly
feelings towards them and form their future accordingly. We do not have the
right to endanger our safety and future by acting as if these things do not
exist”.
(I/Ts.)
6.
Cavusoglu is in Turkey participating to an OIC’s
committee meeting
Turkish
Cypriot daily Diyalog newspaper (18.05.16) reports that the
self-styled minister of agriculture and natural resources Nazim Cavusolglu, who
is currently visiting Turkey to participate to the meeting of the Ministries
Responsible for Water issues of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
(OIC), held a meeting with the Turkish Minister of Forests and Waters Veysel
Eroglu.
The
latter had invited Cavusoglu to the OIC’s committee meeting.
During
the meeting the issues regarding the transfer of water and the next steps to be
taken were discussed, writes the paper. Eroglu stated that the aim of the
Turkish government is the water transferred from Turkey to be soon distributed
to the Turkish Cypriot “people”.
The
paper also writes that Cavusoglu will today address the OIC’s committee
meeting.
(CS)
7.
Elcil: “Money laundering is taking place via university
students”
Under
the above title, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (18.05.16) reports that
the “general secretary” of the “Turkish Cypriot Teacher’s trade union”
(“KTOS”) Sener Elcil, in a written statement yesterday, argued that the “higher
education” in the “TRNC” is turned into a trade business and added that although
there are 14 “universities” in the “TRNC”, there are 27 other which are waiting
for “permission” to open.
Elcil
explained that one reason for the remarkable increase on the number of
university students in the “TRNC” is the fact that casinos carry out money
laundering via those students.
“This
is a scandal. Gambling casinos, hoteliers and big businessmen and each one is
the owner of a university. Recently there are also other demands coming from
Turkey for new universities to open. This has become a business trade. The total
annual revenues from the internet gambling casinos in the TRNC have reached to 1
billion dollars. University students are used in order to transfer this money to
the country via the legal way. In order to carry out this business and bring the
money to the “TRNC” as cleaned, they deposit the money to the university
students’ accounts. Besides this, although the number of university students in
the country is 86,000, only 56,000 study continually. 30,000 out of them do not
study at the universities and live in the country with student’s visas. This
method is used in order for the casinos to make money laundering. The
organization which regulates this business is the YODAK. [Translator’s note:
‘Higher Education Control and Accreditation Council’]. We have in our hand a
huge folder with the illegalities and infraction of rules of the person who is
leading this organization”, Elcil stated.
(AK)
8.
Binali Yıldırım tops internal AKP survey for new leader
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News newspaper (online, 18.05.16), Turkey’s
Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Binali Yildirim has emerged as the
frontrunner from the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) intra-party
survey, conducted ahead of its extraordinary congress to choose its new leader
and Turkey’s Prime Minister, according to the first leg results of the survey
announced late on May 16.
To
the question “Who do you want to see as the new party chairman?” a majority of
329 AKP members participating in the first round of the survey answered “Binali
Yildirim”, writing his name on the envelope distributed.
Sources
say that Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag
are the names that followed Yildirim in the survey.
9.
Columnist: Israel and Cyprus talks to resume from next
week
Columnist
Murat Yetkin,
writing in Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 18.05.16), under the above
title, argues that if there is a Cyprus settlement and normalization of
relations between Turkey and Israel then big economic projects can
follow, such as the transporting of Israeli and Cypriot off-shore gas to Europe
via pipelines through Turkey in its following, inter alia,
commentary:
“Both
talks between Turkey and Israel for the normalization of relations and talks
between Turkish and Greek Cyprus [editor’s note: as he refers to the Republic of
Cyprus] for reunification are expected to start again from next week, after a de
facto pause over the last few weeks, according to a senior Turkish
source.
The
pause in the talks on Cyprus was due to two main reasons.
The first was the parliamentary elections on the Greek side of the island on
May 22. These election is something that has been known for months. The
surprise factor also delaying the talks was the decision of Turkish Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to step down (which he described as ‘not his own
preference’) after a meeting with President Tayyip Erdogan on May 4. The ruling
Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) snap congress was announced for May 22,
coincidentally on the same day as the Greek Cypriot
elections.
(…)
The
most important change in Ankara,
which will also affect foreign policy, is that Erdogan himself will be more
directly taking the steering wheel. That is likely to affect decisive talks
on key foreign policy issues like Cyprus. So, depending on the Greek Cypriot
election result, Erdogan may take the lead on the Turkish side in a possible
international Cyprus conference in the summer months.
The
same applies for talks with Israel. Establishing a new foreign policy set up
under his control, Erdogan (not the Prime Minister) is likely to have
the final say on a potential normalization with Israel. According to both
Israeli and Turkish officials, those talks are at an advanced stage. But they
have been on de facto hold since Davutoglu’s announcement that he is stepping
down. (…)
Both
deals are of strategic importance not only for Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and
Israel, but for the broader security and prosperity of the Eastern Mediterranean
and Middle East. If everything goes according to plan and a Cyprus settlement
is reached between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots, and if normalization takes
place between Turkey and Israel, then big economic projects could follow, such
as the transporting of Israeli and Cypriot off-shore gas to Europe via pipelines
through Turkey, and the bringing of Turkish fresh water to Cyprus via an
already-built pipeline.
May
22 could mark a threshold for both schemes, after which talks may
restart.”
10.
Cavusoglu to Lavrov: “Prove Turkey helps Daesh, and I'll resign”; He insists
Turkey won't revise anti-terror law
Turkish
daily Sabah newspaper (online, 18.05.16) reports that Turkey’s Foreign
Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that if
Moscow has any evidence that shows Turkey helping Daesh, he is ready to
resign.
In
Vienna for an International Syria Support Group (ISSG) meeting on Tuesday,
Cavusoglu told Lavrov that he disagreed with the claims that Turkey turned a
blind eye to the terrorist organization Daesh, according to witnesses of the
exchange who do not want to be identified. "You are a serious diplomat, and one
of the most experienced diplomats among us. You should not rely upon such
frivolous claims", Cavusoglu said to Lavrov during the
meeting.
"I
am ready to resign if you have any evidence that Turkey helps Daesh, but if you
cannot prove your claims, I invite you to Antalya [Cavusoglu’s hometown] as a
guest for the rest of your life," he added.
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan also condemned the claims that Turkey supports Daesh
terrorist organization. "The portrayal of Turkey as a country that helps Daesh
is excuse me if this will sound harsh -- despicable", Erdogan said on
Wednesday.
Meanwhile,
Ankara Anatolia news agency (17.05.16) reported that Cavusoglu, speaking
at a dinner with Turkish businessmen following a meeting on Libya in Vienna late
Monday, has reiterated that Ankara will not change its counter-terrorism law,
charging that EU pressure on the issue constitutes “support for
terrorism”.
Cavusoglu
further said that Turkey will not yield to pressure from the EU to change its
legislation on terrorism in return for visa-free travel in the Schengen zone.
"Telling us to change our anti-terror law at a time when we are fighting against
the PKK and Daesh amounts to supporting terrorism. We will never give into such
impositions”, Cavusoglu added.
Cavusoglu
criticized the double standards in EU practices, saying some EU countries became
members although they had failed to meet the requirements to do
so.
"You [the EU] have given visa-free travel to candidate countries without even
starting the negotiation phase. Isn’t it then the right of Turkish citizens to
enjoy this too? We are talking about visa-free travel, not membership", he said.
Saying
that without Turkey, the EU could not become a global power and solve its
economic problems, Cavusoglu called for good sense in visa discussions. "We will
discuss the visa issue with EU in a sensible manner. We need to make a road map.
Everybody will keep their promises,” he concluded.
11.
Turkey’s Parliament backs immunity bill
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 18.05.16), Turkey’s Parliament
backed a controversial bill on May 17 that would strip dozens of Deputies of
their parliamentary immunity, with 348 supporting the bill in the 550-seat
Parliament.
Some
155 Deputies voted against the measure, with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)
– which focuses on the Kurdish issue – claiming that is essentially a move to
expel its MPs from Parliament.
The
number of votes approving the bill was above the number of votes needed to bring
it to a referendum, 330, but below the number that would allow the bill pass
without one, 367.
The
bill can be taken to a referendum should the results stay above 330 and below
367 in the second and final round of voting on May 20.
The
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has 317 seats in Parliament,
needs to win 367 votes– a two-thirds majority – to push the legislation through
directly at the second-vote stage.
The
first article of the proposal was accepted with 350 votes, while the second one
was accepted with 357.
Several
Deputies from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) voted against
the bill and there were at least seven MPs that voted against it in the AKP and
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which firmly stated that it would support the
AKP in lifting the immunities, the results revealed.
The
AKP has 315 seats in Parliament and the MHP has 40 seats. The CHP claims that at
least 20 Deputies from their party voted for the measure, which means that more
than 20 Deputies voted against the bill in the AKP-MHP
bloc.
According
to the results, the HDP voted against the measure as a bloc, which consists of
59 Deputies. The HDP regards the issue as “the coup agenda of the ruling
party,” rather than an issue related to immunities, said a co-deputy leader of
the party, Meral Danis Bestas.
“The
lawmakers will vote on for either ‘democracy or fascism’, and they will decide
on either ‘democracy or a one-man rule’. According to the internal regulations
of the Parliament, this proposal is meant to be the ‘self-abolishment of the
Parliament’. Those who will say ‘yes’ to the proposal also recognize our
righteousness but they say ‘the order comes from high places’. We will see to
what extent they will obey the order,” Bestas said.
The
bill had already led to fist fights at the committee stage with AKP and HDP
Deputies exchanging blows with their fists and feet rather than discussing the
document.
Under
current Turkish law, members of Parliament have the right to full immunity from
prosecution. If the new bill passes, it would lift the immunity of 130 Deputies
from all parties whose dossiers have been sent to the Parliamentary Speaker.
“What this motion seeks to destroy is the HDP in Parliament,” party co-chairs
Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, both of whom could face prosecution,
said in a letter to European MPs.
12.
Demirtas: PKK should apologize
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 17.05.16) reported that those responsible for
the recent deadly blast in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır should
apologize, Kurdish issue-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair
Selahattin Demirtas has said, regarding the May 12 attack by the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) at a village in Diyarbakır’s Sur district.
“We
want to state that we don’t and will not accept this act and we condemn it”,
said Demirtas at the parliamentary group meeting of his party in Ankara on May
17, adding that such an attack can have “no reasonable or legitimate
justification.”
“I
found the statements of the ones who claimed the attacks irresponsible. What
should be done in such a situation is to help bring to light those responsible
and apologize. Any other excuse cannot be accepted. The HDP has never been
silent over the killing of civilians in this way and it will not stay
silent,” he added, after reading the names of the 16 people who lost their
lives in the PKK attack.
Stressing
that the HDP “does not want” the current war in a number of urban areas in
southeast Turkey, Demirtas said that his party had “tried to put forward
democratic politics in order to prevent the deaths of
civilians”.
In
a statement, the PKK said the explosion was “accidental,” claiming the vehicle
exploded when anti-PKK villagers opened fire on the truck. The group said the
explosives were meant to be transferred to another location and not
detonated.
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