TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA
REVIEW
C O N T E N T S
No. 112/16
16.06.2016
1. Burcu on the cost of a solution
2. Spehar: “It is an honour to take on a task which will provide
support to the two leaders”
3. A tender for the water lodged in Ankara; No reference to the
regime causes discomfort; Cavusoglu: It is lodged according to the “protocol”
4. Demirtas: The Cyprus problem can be solved via
economy
5. While there are 12 thousands unemployed workers in the occupied
area of Cyprus, they employ 42 thousands foreign
workers
6. Ozgurgun on the development of football in the breakaway
regime
7. “Normalization with Russia: Not that
easy”
8. Ultranationalist group threatens LGBT Pride March in
Istanbul
1. Burcu on the cost of a solution
Illegal Bayrak television (16.06.16) broadcast that the spokesman of
the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, Barıs Burcu said that the cost of
the solution of the Cyprus problem will be high and that it could not completely
be covered by outside sources.
He added therefore that the natural resources in and around Cyprus
could be used for this aim.
Burcu evaluated Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides’ statement that
some of the revenues to be obtained from the natural gas could be used for
funding the solution of the Cyprus problem.
Burcu, while answering BRT correspondent’s questions regarding the
issue, said that all natural resources in and around Cyprus belong to all
Cypriots.
“As the partners of the future, both sides have a common
responsibility towards utilizing the natural resources for the benefit of all
people living on the island” Burcu said, stressing that the exploration,
drilling and marketing of these should not be done in a way that could harm the
solution process but in a way that it could contribute to the solution of the
Cyprus problem.
“The cost of the solution of the Cyprus problem will be high. It is
not possible to cover all of this from the outside. There can be nothing more
natural than using our own wealth and resources for this aim” Burcu
added.
Responding to another question, Burcu reminded that it was Akıncı’s
primary goal to reach a solution by the end of 2016 and added that the UN
Secretary General shares the same goal.
“Within this framework, Akıncı will be happy to meet with and work
together with the UN Secretary General Ban under any condition and anywhere”
Burcu added.
2. Spehar: “It is an honour to take on a task which will
provide support to the two leaders”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (16.06.16) reports
that the newly appointed UN Secretary General’s Special Representative and Head
of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Elizabeth Spehar,
in statements to the press after her first meeting with the Turkish Cypriot
leader Mustafa Akinci at his office, said that they had a very good meeting.
Spehar noted that Akinci briefed her at the meeting on the course of
the negotiation process for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, adding
that this is her second time that she will be serving in Cyprus. She noted that
it is an honour for her to be in Cyprus again, and added: “It is an honour to
take a task which will provide support to the two
leaders”.
The paper reports that Spehar was in Cyprus in 2008 for two months as
an interim Head of UNFICYP Mission.
(DPs)
3. A tender for the water lodged in Ankara; No reference
to the regime causes discomfort; Cavusoglu: It is lodged according to the
“protocol”
Under the title “The name of the TRNC does not exist”, Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (16.06.16) reports that a tender
procedure was lodged yesterday by Turkey’s State Water Affairs (DSI) as regards
the administration of the water provided from Turkey to the occupied area of
Cyprus during the one year transitional period. No reference is made to the
“TRNC” in the tender, which includes privatizations in the above-mentioned
transitional period, notes the paper adding that the fact that no reference
is made to any “institution of the TRNC” caused discomfort in some circles. The
tender ends in July and it is not known whether firms which operate in the
occupied area of Cyprus will be able to participate in it.
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (16.06.16)
publishes statements by the chairman of the “water committee of the chambers of
architects and engineers”, Bektas Goze, who said that they have no “official
information” as regards the tender and added that lodging such a tender was not
a surprise for them, as this was provided in a “protocol” signed in May between
Turkey and the regime. Pointing out that they do not know the conditions of
the tender, Goze added that the fact that the tender was lodged in Turkey
indicates that the participation of local businesses will be difficult.
Under the title “Tender for the water in Turkey”, Turkish Cypriot
daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (16.06.16) reports that the tender invited by
the DSI, which undertook the management of the water, provides for carrying the
water to the depots of the “municipalities”, the administration, maintenance and
restoration [of the infrastructure]. The “subscription agreement” for
participating in the system was signed by 16 out of the 28 “municipalities” in
the occupied area of Cyprus. These are the “municipalities” of occupied
Famagusta, Morfou, Trikomo, Vadili, Komi Kepir, Agios Sergios, Agios Epiktitos,
Ashia, Sinda, Agios Amvrosios, Pergamos, Akanthou, Chatoz, Lefkoniko, Galateia
and Yialousa. Moreover, the “municipal councils” of occupied Yerolakkos,
Lapithos and Lysi have produced a decision on this issue but did not sign the
agreement yet.
Meanwhile, according to Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper
(16.06.16), Nazim Cavusoglu, self-styled minister of agriculture and
natural resources of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic
of Cyprus, said that DSI lodged the tender as a requirement of the “protocol”
signed between the “TRNC government” and Turkey. Cavusoglu noted that the
DSI purchases services in Turkey when this is necessary and is doing the same
for the occupied area of Cyprus. “This issue is not ours, but the DSI is
TRNC’s interlocutor”, he argued adding that in parallel to the control of the
administration and the administrator of the water, the DSI’s engineers will
supervise the measurement of the water quantities provided to the
“municipalities”. He also noted that the DSI will purchase the necessary
labor services for the maintenance of the pumping stations and the water
treatment plants until the water reaches the depots of the “municipalities”.
(I/Ts.)
4. Demirtas: The Cyprus problem can be solved via
economy
Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (16.06.16) reports that Ekrem
Demirtas, the chairman of the Izmir Chamber of Commerce stated that the Cyprus
problem can be solved via economy and noted that in this framework the fenced
off city of Varosha must be brought in to economy.
He made these statements during a meeting he held with members of the
bi-communal “Famagusta Initiative organization”.
Demirtas went on and expressed the hope the on-going negotiations for
the solution of the Cyprus problem to have a good result. However, he stated
that even if a solution is not reached, an economic opening is needed.
“Therefore, the opening of the Famagusta port and Tympou airport for
international flights under the UN control, the opening of the Turkish ports for
the Greek Cypriots as well as the opening of the Turkish aviation space will
create an economic co-operation which will open the way for the solution of
other issues as well”, he argued.
(CS)
5. While there are 12 thousands unemployed workers in the occupied
area of Cyprus, they employ 42 thousands foreign
workers
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (16.06.16) reports
that the self-styled minister of labour and social security Ersan Saner said
that according to data by the “state planning organization” there are 12.000
unemployed workers in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, while 42.000
foreign workers are employed. He added that they should examine this issue.
Addressing a workshop on “Creating an employment strategy in North
Cyprus”, which was organized by the EU coordination office and the World Bank
and was held in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus yesterday, Saner
stressed that one of their biggest problems is how they will plan the employment
strategies, adding that they, as a “ministry”, give importance to the
determination of the employment strategies which will meet the needs of the
labour market.
Specialists of the World Bank as Michele Davide Zini, representatives
of the EU Coordination Centre, “officials” from the self-styled ministry of
labour and social security and self-styled ministry of national education and
culture, as well as representatives of different civil social organizations
participated in the workshop.
(DPs)
6. Ozgurgun on the development of football in the breakaway
regime
Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper (16.06.16) reports that the
self-styled prime minister Huseyin Ozgurgun, stated that the breakaway regime is
giving great importance to the creation of installations and infrastructure for
the development in sports and football.
He made these statements during a dinner with the footballers and the
coaches of the “national team” of the breakaway regime which came third during
the “World Cup Conifa 2016”, held in “Abkhazia”.
He went on and added that they will exert efforts so that the
football teams of the breakaway regime to have contacts abroad.
(CS)
7. “Normalization with Russia: Not that
easy”
Under the above title, Hurriyet Daily News (16.06.16) publishes the
following article by Murat Yetkin:
“It was actually a routine congratulatory message for Russia Day,
which has been sent by the Turkish President and Prime Pinister every year,
similar to the messages sent to other countries on their national
days.
But this year it had a different meaning. Sending the message was not
guaranteed option because of the crisis in Turkish-Russian relations after
Turkey’s downing of the Russian Su-24 fighter jet with two pilots aboard on Nov.
24, 2015, over violations of the Syria-Turkey border.
[…]
Ironically enough, the sudden deterioration in relations with Russia
hit the Turkish city of Antalya the most.
Antalya had been receiving some 3 million Russian tourists every
summer in recent years. But in 2016, Antalya lost more than 90% of its tourists
from Russia. Not only has the tourism sector been hit, as one of Turkey’s major
fresh fruit and vegetable exporters, Antalya farmers have also been suffering a
lot from the embargo of Russia, their major client.
[…]
Both Ankara and Moscow have been saying they would like to see
relations return to normal. Putin made it clear that there was one condition for
this: An apology from the Turkish side and compensation for the
pilots.
Erdoğan also made it clear that Turkey would not apologize for
defending its borders, especially after giving insistent warnings. But he has
also said he could not believe that his good friend Putin reacted so strongly to
a “mistake” by a pilot. After news agencies interpreted this vague sentence as
meaning the mistake of a Turkish pilot hitting the Russian plane, “sources from
the presidency” leaked to the Turkish media that Erdoğan meant the Russian
pilot. But it did not turn into an official statement.
There is now a stalemate situation where both countries were losing.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has advised both the President and the Prime
Minister that Turkey should send its official Russia Day messages as usual, as a
gesture of their will to get relations back on track. So Erdoğan wrote to Putin
and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım wrote to his counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev,
the messages which were announced on June 14.
On June 15, the Kremlin said it also wanted relations to return to
normal, but first Turkey had to take some steps; (obviously Moscow was implying
the apology and compensation). […]
These are perhaps mutual gestures to break the ice between them, but
there is still no sign of a softening political stance by either Turkey or
Russia. An apology by Erdoğan would not be easy.
Since the downing of the plane, the Turkish Air Force has not been
able to carry out operations in Syrian air space against the Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), or other forces that it regards as terrorists,
because of the possibility of Russian retaliation. Would Russia now like to see
Turkey back in the Syrian theater, against its ally al-Assad? This is especially
worth asking at a time when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Russia
that his country’s patience over the tolerance shown to al-Assad was wearing
thin. What’s more, NATO (which Turkey is a part of) is also calling on Russia to
withdraw from Ukraine, amid a growing military pileup in both the Mediterranean
and the Black Sea.
Amid this uncertainty, normalization in Turkish-Russian relations
should not be expected any time soon, unless there are radical policy changes in
Ankara, Moscow, or both.”
8. Ultranationalist group threatens LGBT Pride March in
Istanbul
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (16.06.16) reports that the Alperen
Hearths, an ultranationalist youth organization linked to the nationalist Great
Union Party (BBP), has threatened the LGBT Pride March set to take place on June
26 in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, vowing to prevent the march from taking place.
A similar threat was also recently made by a group called the
Anatolia Muslim Youth Association (MAG), which vowed to intervene to stop the
“perversion.”
“Dear state officials, don’t make us struggle with these [people].
Either you do what’s necessary or we will. We will take all the risks and we
will stop the march,” the organization’s Istanbul provincial head, Kürşat Mican,
told journalists late on June 14 at their building in
Üsküdar.
“They can do whatever they want by gathering somewhere, but we
definitely don’t want them to walk naked on the sacred soil of our country in
the blessed month of Ramadan. The state should stop them by taking national
values into account. This is not normal freedom. We are issuing a warning and we
are not responsible for what will happen after this point,” Mican added.
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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(CS/ AM)
