TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA
REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 99/16
28-30.05.2016
1. Akinci insists that they should have also taken part at the UN
summit; Apliki crossing point may be opened in 5-6 months
2. Burcu called for the resumption of the Cyprus negotiation
process
3. Siber claimed that the Turkish Cypriots live under “unjust
embargoes”
4. Denktas said that they should ask Turkish and Greek Cypriots if
they prefer the continuation of the status quo or not
5. Settlers want to cross to the free areas of the Republic of
Cyprus
6. Trade volume between Turkey and the breakaway regime has been
reduced
7. “Golden bay hotel” in occupied Karavas poured concrete at the
beach to build a kiosk
8. Vote of confidence to Yildirim’s
government
9. EU’s Timmermans cites progress on visa-free travel for
Turkey
1. Akinci insists that they should have also taken part at the UN
summit; Apliki crossing point may be opened in 5-6
months
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 27.05.16), Turkish
Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, in a speech at a gathering of the “North Cyprus
Banks Association”, has said that there can be ups and downs at the negotiations
and expressed the hope that although the process seems to be going downhill this
is only temporary.
Akinci described the developments that occurred after the UN World
Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul as a storm in a tea cup. “We, as the Turkish
Cypriots, should have taken part at that summit” Akinci claimed and added that “the Turkish Cypriot people is one of the equal
partners of the Cyprus Republic however they have been excluded and could not
return to their rightful place for the past 53 years”.
Claiming that it is not fair for a community leader to represent the
whole island, he argued that not only UN member countries and states but others
also participated at the summit and added that even if the “TRNC” is not
recognized it could also have attended the event.
Explaining that he was invited as the “TRNC president” to a dinner by
the Turkish President, which was organized in line with the summit but at a
different venue, Akinci said: “I accepted this
invitation”.
Noting that he held a fruitful meeting with the UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon, he added that a storm was broken out in a tea cup after this
meeting. Akinci noted that the developments occurred after the summit were
perceived as “an aim to increase the status of the TRNC”, adding that “this will
not be allowed”.
Stating that their aim is to achieve what is reasonable and possible,
a bi-zonal, bi-communal solution based on the politically equality of the two
founding states, he said their efforts are towards achieving this
aim.
“Everyone should know that no one can decide which dinner the TRNC
president will attend or not or if he can meet with the UN Chief or not”, Akinci
stressed.
Stating that he was sorry to see the Greek Cypriot side so outraged,
Akinci said that he could understand this only at a certain extent. “However it
is not possible to understand some circles in the North who could not stomach
our participation in the dinner and meeting with the UN Chief. What’s really
saddening was if we didn’t participate in this event and if only the Greek
Cypriot leader had attended the summit and the dinner, then these circles will
then ask where Akinci was, where the Turkish President was and they will say
that we were excluded by Turkey and that Turkey recognized the Greek Cypriot
side only”, Akinci argued.
Stressing that he will continue to work towards establishing a
united, federal Cyprus, Akinci said that “such incidents can upset me but cannot
sway me from my path”.
Stating that he will guard the rights and legitimate interests of the
Turkish Cypriot “people”, he reiterated that he will not ignore the reasonable
sensitivities of the other society.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (29.05.16) reported
that Akinci, speaking at the “walnut festival” at the occupied village of
Lefke, reminded that the opening of the crossing point in Apliki has been in
the agenda for 15-16 years, adding that they took the decision of opening it
with the Greek Cypriot leader Anastasiades immediately after himself took
office.
Explaining that the construction of the crossing point will be put
out to tender by the UN next Friday, Akinci noted that the works may be finished
in 5-6 months and then the crossing point can be opened.
(DPs)
2. Burcu called for the resumption of the Cyprus negotiation
process
According to illegal BRT (28.05.16) the so-called presidential
spokesman Barıs Burcu made a call for the Cyprus negotiation process to resume
without further delay.
Burcu issued a written statement, noting that they had learned from
the statement of the Greek Cypriot Spokespman that following his telephone
conversation with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon, the Greek Cypriot
leader, as he called President Nikos Anastasiades, will not perpetuate the
unnecessary crisis his “unjust” reaction has caused and that he is ready for the
negotiations.
“As it is known, president Akıncı has shared his views regarding the
immoderate reaction of the Greek Cypriot leadership as to his visit to Istanbul
with the public and expressed his regret and disappointment. He reiterated his
determination to maintain the negotiations and called on the Greek Cypriot
leader to return to the negotiation table”, Burcu said.
He added that Akıncı deems it necessary to underline the following
issues. “It is an unjust but a well-known fact that the ‘Republic of Cyprus’,
where the Turkish Cypriot people are not represented and which is administered
only by the Greek Cypriots, is recognized as the only legal entity for the whole
of the island”, Burcu stated.
“There is no need to ask for a confirmation for that from the UN
Secretary General. It is also pointless to consider that this can change with
the presence of our president in Istanbul. Our president is aware of the fact
that this unjust status quo can only be changed with a settlement that is based
on a new bizonal, bicommunal federal structure based on political equality”,
noted Burcu in the statement and added that Akıncı is already maintaining his
efforts to that end on every possible platform.
“What really matters for Akıncı is to defend the rights and
interests of the Turkish Cypriot people on every platform without the permission
of anyone else. He will continue his efforts towards that end whether in
Istanbul or in any other platform. As specified in the relevant statements
of the United Nations, Akıncı maintains his determination for the
intensification of the settlement efforts and reaching a solution in 2016 by
which both communities will be able to live in equality, freedom and security”,
Burcu also said.
Expressing his satisfaction that the Greek Cypriot leader is
correcting his mistake, Burcu claimed it is clear that recurrence of such
“unjust” behavior would be detrimental to the negotiation
process.
Burcu said within this context that Akinci expects Mr. Anastasiades
to initiate, in the shortest possible time, the necessary consultations with the
UN and the Turkish Cypriot side, to decide on a new meeting date instead of the
meeting that did not take place on May 27th.
3. Siber claimed that the Turkish Cypriots live under “unjust
embargoes”
Turkish daily Milliyet newspaper (28.05.16) reported on statements
by the “speaker” of the so-called assembly Sibel Siber who delivered a speech in
a conference organized in Kastamonu in Turkey, entitled: “The past and the
future of the Turkish Cypriots”.
Speaking during the event, Siber referred, inter alia, to the
“unjust embargoes” imposed on the Turkish Cypriots and argued that they do not
deserve to live with them.
Reminding that Turkey is the only country which recognizes the
“TRNC”, Sibel stated that it is via Turkey that they are able establishing
relations with the world.
Recalling that the Turkish Cypriots live under “embargoes in the
fields of sports, culture e.t.c”, Siber described them as
“inhuman” and alleged that both the “TRNC” and Turkey are the sides which
support since 1968 the ongoing efforts at the negotiation talks aiming to reach
a solution on the Cyprus problem.
(AK)
4. Denktas said that they should ask Turkish and Greek Cypriots if
they prefer the continuation of the status quo or not
Turkish daily Milliyet newspaper (30.05.16) reports that the
self-styled deputy prime minister and “minister of finance” Serdar Denktas,
speaking to the paper’s correspondent in the occupied area of the Republic of
Cyprus Sefa Karahasan, proposed a new solution for Cyprus. He said that they
should ask first the Turkish and Greek Cypriots whether they prefer the current
conditions to be continued or to have a two-state system. Denktas argued that
“if the world countries accept the current conditions, then they are accepting
the existence of two states in the island, and these two states should cooperate
to come to an agreement”. He stressed that everyone should see that they
(Turkish Cypriots) will never be under the umbrella of the Republic of Cyprus.
(DPs)
5. Settlers want to cross to the free areas of the Republic of
Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (29.05.16) reported that
settlers and holders of Turkish passports who live in the breakaway regime want
to be able to cross to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus and called on
the two leaders in Cyprus to discuss the issue at the negotiation
table.
Speaking to the paper, various settlers claimed that the fact that it
is forbidden for them to cross is against human rights and an injustice against
them. They also said that the only way for them to cross is to get married with
a Turkish Cypriot and claimed that is easier for them to travel to Greece than
to cross to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus.
(CS)
6. Trade volume between Turkey and the breakaway regime has been
reduced
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris writes in its economy pages that the
trade volume between Turkey and the breakaway regime has reached its lowest
point of the last seven years.
According to the paper, there is a reduction of 8,6% compared to the
trading volume for the three first months of 2015 which was 229,385,000 and the
trade volume of the same period in 2016 which was 209,680,000.
In addition, according to data by the Turkey’s Institution of
Statistics, exports from Turkey to the breakaway regime were reduced to 28,44%
while imports were also reduced to 5,90% for the above mentioned period.
(CS)
7. “Golden bay hotel” in occupied Karavas poured concrete at the
beach to build a kiosk
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (29.05.16), on its front
page under the title “Concrete at the peninsula”, reports that the managers of
the “Golden bay hotel” at the occupied village of Karavas poured cement at the
peninsula in front of the hotel in order to build a kiosk for meals for their
hotel customers. It is stressed that the pouring of concrete started without
permission yesterday. A citizen reported the incident to the “police” and then
the “district governorate” of occupied Keryneia town found it out.
Mehmet Envergil, an officer of the “district governorate”, said that
a “legal procedure” will start and the “antiquities department” will also be
informed.
The paper published also photos from the area that was
damaged.
(DPs)
8. Vote of confidence to Yildirim’s
government
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (29.05.16) reported that Prime
Minister Binali Yıldırım underlined that the new Justice and Development Party
(AKP) will be the government of all Turkish citizens, after winning a
parliamentary vote of confidence on May 29 with 315 votes of support, while 138
lawmakers voted against the administration.
“As AK Party [AKP] governments, we have a characteristic attribute:
No matter how many votes we garner at the elections, we become the government of
all. After winning a vote of confidence under this roof [of the Turkish
Parliament], we became the government of all 79 million [citizens],” Yıldırım
said during his address to parliament.
“We will firmly walk towards accomplishing the 2023 goals of Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk,” Yıldırım said, referring to the founder of the modern Turkish Republic, saying
that they would be in service to the nation and work to further develop the
country’s democracy, rights and freedoms.
Some 453 Deputies attended the vote, with Nationalist Movement Party
(MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli as the only opposition leader present, as main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) chair Kemal Kılıcdaroglu and the
co-chairs of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Figen Yüksekdag and Selahattin
Demirtas, did not attend the vote held.
The ruling party, which has 317 Deputies in the 550-seat parliament,
gathered 315 votes, as one of AKP’s Deputies was unable to attend the vote while
another AKP Deputy is the Speaker of Parliament and was hence excluded from
voting.
(…)
9. EU’s Timmermans cites progress on visa-free travel for
Turkey
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (29.05.16) reported that the
European Commission’s Vice-President Frans Timmermans said on May 27 that the
European Union and Turkey held constructive talks on the conditions for granting
visa-free travel for Turks and that EU experts will visit Ankara next week to
work on removing the last obstacles.
Timmermans said on Twitter after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu and the EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik that they shared a
“joint determination to overcome last remaining obstacles to visa
liberalization.”
(…)
Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed that officials
from Ankara would meet with their European counterparts next week to determine a
roadmap on visa liberalization.
(…)
---------------------------------------------------
TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio
(AK / AM)
