TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
116/16
23.06.2016
1.
Akinci on the developments regarding the fire on Troodos Mountains
2.
Cavusoglu alleges that the Greek Cypriots “misused” Turkey’s offer for help in
the fire on Troodos Mountains
3.
Turkes accused the Greek Cypriot side of letting politics get involved in
Turkey’s offer for assistance
4.
Veysel Eroglu: “Greek Cypriots need to get permission from Church to accept
Turkish aid”
5.
Reactions to the developments regarding the fire on Troodos Mountains
6.
Cavusoglu: “The TRNC should be strong”
7.
Ertugruloglu: “We should not allow open ended negotiations”
8.
An “action plan” on tourism was signed between Turkey and the
“TRNC”
9.
People’s Party: “The economic protocol will not solve our
problems”
10.
Atun said that they want to increase exports from 8% to
20%
11.
Erdogan: Turkey could hold UK-style referendum on stalled EU
bid
12.
Ball in Israel’s court, Hamas not an issue: Turkish FM
13.
Sabah reports that Chapter 33 to open on June 30
1.
Akinci on the developments regarding the fire on Troodos Mountains
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (23.06.16) reports that Turkish Cypriot
leader, Mustafa Akinci has argued that they have exerted efforts for
extinguishing the fire on the Troodos Mountains which was burning for five days
and for preventing the environmental disaster. In a written statement issued
yesterday as regards the events of the past few days, Akinci claimed that
“our guide in this case could not be the established molds of politics and
diplomacy” and that “our guide should be reason only and the principles
of humanism”.
He
alleged: “In front of such a big tragedy it has no meaning for me where these
vehicles will land and from where they will take off, how they will be
coordinated and what this means politically. […] Unfortunately, the fire
continued and expanded until Tuesday. Meanwhile, help from the EU was asked. In
an environment in which the fire could not be controlled, I called three
times Mr Anastasiades, insistently stressing that we should leave aside the
political arguments in order to be able to save the forests together and that he
should see this issue as a humanitarian one and break the molds”.
Akinci
said that after the Greek Cypriots rejected the firefighting helicopters and the
airplane from Turkey landing in illegal Tymbou airport, the Turkish Cypriots
suggested that they could land at occupied Krini and Morfou areas and that they
could take water from occupied Morfou Bay, which is the closest sea to the
area.
Akinci
argued that after their last telephone conversation with President Anastasiades
no one called him and that he found out about the Republic of Cyprus’ decision
through the press. He expressed sorrow because the place of landing of the
helicopters and the sea from which they would be taking water has allegedly been
used politically and the issue was not approached focusing on the geographic
proximity to the fire and effectiveness of the efforts.
(I/Ts.)
2.
Cavusoglu alleges that the Greek Cypriots “misused” Turkey’s offer for
help in the fire on Troodos Mountains
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (23.06.16) reports that Turkish Minister of
Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu has alleged that the Greek Cypriot side, as
he called the Republic of Cyprus, attempted to gain advantages even in a
“sensitive situation” such as the fire on the Troodos Mountains and in front
of such a “humanitarian approach”, as he described Turkey’s alleged offer to
help in extinguishing the fire.
Responding
to a question on the issue during a joint press conference yesterday in Ankara
with the self-styled foreign minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu, Cavusoglu claimed:
“They are trying to make the Turkish planes and helicopters land in the Greek
Cypriot side. This is not something which we could accept. I am saying this
to the Greek Cypriot sector: at least do not misuse even such humanitarian
issues, do not try to drag them elsewhere”.
(I/Ts.)
3.
Turkes accused the Greek Cypriot side of letting politics get involved in
Turkey’s offer for assistance
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (23.06.16) reports that Tugrul Turkes,
the Turkish deputy Prime Minister Responsible for Cyprus Affairs, commented on
the fact that the aid Turkey offered for extinguishing the fire that broke out
on the Troodos Mountains was not accepted in the end, as he
said.
He
made these statements during a meeting he held with the self-styled minister of
public works and transportation Kemal Durust who is currently visiting Ankara.
Turkes
accused the Greek Cypriots of showing their “carelessness” for one more time.
They could accept help from Turkey but they would let politics get involved
discussing if the water used was coming from the north or the south, he alleged
and added: “ I just hope that they will get their head together the sooner
possible so that all these issues get under control”.
(CS)
4.
Veysel Eroglu: “Greek Cypriots need to get permission from Church to accept
Turkish aid”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (23.06.16) reports under the title “Papaz
(the priest) said ohi (no) again”, that the Turkish Minister of Forest and
Water Affairs, Veysel Eroglu, implied that it was the Church of Cyprus that did
not want Turkey to participate in the efforts for extinguishing the fire that
broke out in the Troodos mountains.
Eroglu
stated the following: “When south Cyprus was left without water, we said ‘we
would give you water, we will give you oil’. The priests there said: ‘It is not
permissible to use the water or the fuel of a Turk’. They cannot do these jobs
without asking the priests; but if they get permission from them we will go and
try to extinguish the fire. Otherwise they will be burned out completely”, he
stated.
(CS)
5.
Reactions to the developments regarding the fire on Troodos Mountains
Under
the title “We saw the real face of the Greeks”, Turkish Cypriot daily
Gunes newspaper (23.06.16) reports that Dursun Oguz, general secretary
of the National Unity Party (UBP), has criticized the stance of the “south
Cyprus Greek administration”, as he described the Republic of Cyprus, which
first rejected the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey’s offer for help in
extinguishing the fire on the Troodos Mountains and afterwards accepted it
allegedly putting forward some conditions. In statements yesterday to Diyalog
TV, Oguz alleged that the world once more saw the Greek Cypriots’ real
face.
Recalling
that help from Israel and Greece came for extinguishing the fire, Oguz claimed:
“Let us help also, we said. They did not accept our help. I am leaving to the
people to comment on the stance of the Greek Cypriots, who want peace here on
the island. Those who watch this incident will confirm that the Greek
Cypriots are sitting at the negotiating table insincerely and falsely”.
Turkish
Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (23.06.16) refers to the developments
under the title “Blow by the fire to the solution” and writes that “the
Greek Cypriots’ conditioned acceptance of Turkey’s offer for help was left in
suspense”. “Turkey on the one hand rejected it and on the other heavily
accused the Greek Cypriots”, notes Afrika and publishes the statements made
yesterday by Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkish Deputy Prime
Minister responsible for Cypriot Affairs, Tugrul Turkes and Turkish Cypriot
leader, Mustafa Akinci.
Under
the title “Quarrel for sovereignty”, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis
newspaper (23.06.16) reports that Turkey’s proposal for help was prevented by
the Cyprus problem and crashed on the “wall of sovereignty”.
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (23.06.16) refers to the issue under
the title “Turkey did not abandon its ‘official position’; It did not land in
Larnaka”.
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.06.16) refers to the developments
under the title “Rejection by Turkey to the conditioned demand”.
(I/Ts.)
6.
Cavusoglu: “The TRNC should be strong”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.06.16) reports that Turkish Minister
of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that he discussed with
the self-styled foreign minister, Tahsin Ertugruloglu the reforms, which were
made and are being made in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus. In
statements yesterday in Ankara during a joint press conference with
Ertugruloglu, Cavusoglu alleged:
“Whether
there is a solution or not, the TRNC must be very well prepared for the future,
must be strong. Therefore it is useful to both increase the financial aid
and continue the reforms. We are seeing this determination in the current
government. The project of the century which we materialized in the TRNC, the
project of providing water, should reach its end. The water should effectively
reach the Turkish Cypriot people. We agree on this issue also. We have
thoroughly discussed all these issues”.
Noting
that he will soon visit the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, Cavusoglu
alleged that they wish a solution to the Cyprus problem to be reached by the end
of this year and claimed that “no excuse remained any more for the Greek
Cypriots”, because the parliamentary elections have ended.
“Meetings between the leaders and the negotiators should take place more often”,
he noted.
Replying
to a question, Cavusoglu recalled that the leaders launched the procedure for
reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem by issuing a joint declaration and
argued that they wish for a “lasting and just solution based on the political
equality and bi-zonality”. “The procedure is carried out under the auspices
of the UN”, he said claiming that it is “totally natural for the community
leaders to meet with the UNSG”.
Cavusoglu
alleged that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots are not responsible for the delay
in finding a solution to the Cyprus problem and that one of the reasons of the
delay is what he called as “unilateral steps taken by the Greek Cypriots” on the
natural gas issue and the withdrawal of the Greek Cypriot side from the
negotiating table after “our reply”.
He claimed that the Turkish Cypriots have rights on Cyprus’ natural gas and
oil resources and that the decision of how the income from these resources will
be spent should be taken jointly and not unilaterally.
Cavusoglu
said that the number of the breakaway regime’s “representations offices” abroad
has been increased, but this is not enough.
He noted that Turkey will continue providing any support it can for making
these “representation offices” active. He also said that they are working on
strengthening the infrastructure of the breakaway regime’s “ministry” of foreign
affairs.
(I/Ts.)
7.
Ertugruloglu: “We should not allow open ended negotiations”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.06.16) reports that self-styled
foreign minister, Tahsin Ertugruloglu has alleged that the negotiating
process by the end of the year is “an opportunity which should be given to the
negotiations, but I am not one of those who believe that we should allow an open
ended negotiating process any more like the Greek Cypriot side wishes”.
In
statements yesterday in Ankara during a joint press conference with Turkish
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu, Ertugruloglu expressed
the view that it is not possible to reach a result in the negotiations as long
as “the Greek Cypriot side is recognized as the Republic of Cyprus, the identity
of the Turkish Cypriots is rejected and the sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot
people is rejected”.
Ertugruloglu
alleged that the Greek Cypriots do not want a solution and wished for them to
see and accept one day that Cyprus is not a Greek island.
Asked
to comment on the reactions in the Greek Cypriot community to the statements
made by Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides as regards the use of the income
from the natural gas in financing the solution of the Cyprus problem,
Ertugruloglu claimed that these reactions show the mentality of the Greek
Cypriot side
and that the Greek Cypriots approach the issue as if they are the only ones who
have rights on the natural gas and the Turkish Cypriots have no say on this
issue.
(I/Ts.)
8.
An “action plan” on tourism was signed between Turkey and the
“TRNC”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Diyalog newspaper (23.06.16) reports that Turkey’s Minister for
Culture and Tourism Nabi Avci, who paid an illegal visit yesterday at the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, signed a “tourism cooperation action
plan” with the self-styled minister of tourism and environment Fikri Ataoglu.
The
“action plan” envisages the development of the cooperation between Turkey and
the “TRNC” (translator’s note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the
Republic of Cyprus) on the issues of planning, promoting, technical support,
education and other issues related to tourism. Within the framework of the
“action plan”, “promotion activities” will be organized in Germany, Britain and
in 10 districts in Turkey.
According
to the signed “action plan”, works will launch in order for the “TRNC” to
receive services under the same conditions from the public relations companies
that the Turkish Foreign Ministry cooperates with, and technical support will be
offered to the “TRNC” during the tourist fairs.
The
paper also reports that the “action plan” reads that a technical support for
promoting the “TRNC” in the markets of Britain, the Gulf countries, Azerbaijan
and Iran will be given.
Turkish
Minister Avci, speaking to the press after the signing ceremony, said that he
believes that this “action plan” will take further the relations of Turkey and
the “TRNC” on the tourism field.
Meanwhile,
Ataoglu, for his part, said that direct flights from the occupied airport of
Tymbou to Bursa and Eskisehir will launch, adding that there is no doubt that
Turkey is always next to the Turkish Cypriot “people”.
(DPs)
9.
People’s Party: “The economic protocol will not solve our
problems”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (23.06.16) reports that the Turkish Cypriot
political party People’s Party (HP), in a written statement, said that the
“economic and financial cooperation agreement” between Turkey and the “TRNC”,
known as the “economic protocol”, which was approved on Monday at the
“assembly” of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of
Cyprus, will not solve their “country’s problems”. It added that
unfortunately the “government” did not take under consideration their warnings
and proposals and acted with the old political understanding. The statement
read that they don’t expect that a self-contained economy will be created with
the implementation of the “agreement”.
(DPs)
10.
Atun said that they want to increase exports from 8% to
20%
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (23.06.16) reports that the self-styled
minister of economy and energy Sunat Atun held a meeting with a delegation of
the “Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry” headed by its chairman, Ali
Cirali.
During
the meeting, Atun stated that the development of industry in the breakaway
regime is their main goal and added that they will exert efforts for a
sustainable economy. He went on and added that they want to increase exports up
to 20% from 8% and added that efforts are made towards this direction.
(CS)
11.
Erdogan: Turkey could hold UK-style referendum on stalled EU
bid
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 23.06.16), Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested Turkey could hold a referendum over whether
to continue its long-stalled accession process to join the European
Union.
Angrily
lashing out at the bloc’s treatment of Ankara, Erdogan said that Turkey could
hold a referendum along the lines of that in Britain, where voters are deciding
on June 23 whether to stay in the European Union or leave. “We can stand up
and ask the people just like the British are doing”, Erdogan said in a speech
late June 22 at a fast-breaking dinner, quoted by the state-run Anadolu
Agency.
“We
would ask, ‘Should we continue the negotiations with the European Union or
should we end them?’ If the people say ‘continue,’ then we would carry on”,
Erdogan said.
He
accused the EU of not wanting to accept Turkey as a member as it is a
“Muslim-majority country.”
Erdogan
said that Turkey had been promised membership in 1963 but that nothing had
happened despite the passage of 53 years. “Why are you stalling?” he
asked.
With
the question of Turkey’s possible membership being raised in the British
referendum, Ankara has been angered by comments from London suggesting that it
has no realistic chance of joining the bloc in the medium term. During
the campaign, Prime Minister David Cameron said Turkish membership was not
“remotely on the cards” and may not happen until the year
3000.
On
the same issue, Ankara Anatolia news agency (22.06.16) reports that Erdogan
also criticized European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday
following the latter’s remarks that Erdogan would need to make an explanation to
the Turks if a visa-liberalization deal fails.
In
an interview published earlier on Wednesday in German daily Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung, Juncker said that visa requirements for Turkish citizens
traveling to the EU could only be lifted if Turkey fulfilled the refugee
agreement with the EU plus all other required conditions. "If Turkey meets all
of the 72 conditions for lifting the visa requirement, which we have formulated
together, then there will be no reason to refuse their citizens visa-free
travel", Juncker reportedly said. "However, if Mr Erdogan seriously tries to
break the agreement, then it will be his job to tell the Turks why they cannot
enjoy visa-free travel to Europe," he added.
Speaking
at a commencement ceremony at the Fatih Sultan Mehmet University in Istanbul,
Erdogan accused Juncker of “not knowing” the Turks.
“You
do not know the Turkish nation at all. These people are not after visa-free
travel. It is you who are concerned about what might happen if Turkey opens its
doors and all refugees walk towards Europe”, he
retorted.
“And
they are in a stew. When 60,000 people gathered in [border province] Edirne,
they got very anxious, and started wondering about whether all those people
would cross into Bulgaria or Greece,” he said.
“But
in the meantime we are hosting three million refugees. Why? Because we care
about people, unlike you. You have no such concerns. All this readmission
agreement and other stuff just show how untrustworthy you all are. You are not
keeping your promise.
"And
this is your ugly face. Then you get mad when Erdogan shows your ugly face [to
the world]. And that is why you are trying to get rid of Erdogan," he
added.
The
President also accused the European Union of not accepting Turkey as a member
“because it is a Muslim-majority country”. “You
cannot prove otherwise. A former French Foreign Minister once said this to me in
very clear terms: 'They won’t get you in the EU. You are trying in vain,' he
said. When I asked why, he said it was because we were
Muslims.”
12.
Ball in Israel’s court, Hamas not an issue: Turkish FM
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News newspaper (online, 22.06.16) with the above title
reports that any deal between Turkey and Israel to normalize their strained
relations depends on action taken by Tel Aviv, Ankara has said, adding that
Turkey’s relationship with Hamas in Gaza cannot be a subject for the
talks.
“Whether
a balance is to be struck or not in the first next meeting – this depends on the
steps that Israel will take. Our conditions are extremely plain, these
[conditions] need to be fulfilled, like how our demand for an apology was
fulfilled,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said June 22 at a press
conference in Ankara alongside visiting self-styled foreign minister Tahsin
Ertugruloglu.
“Our
Palestinian brothers living there are living under extremely difficult
conditions,” Cavusoglu said, referring to Gaza.
“There
are electricity and water problems. Israel has unfortunately bombed many schools
and hospital infrastructure, these need to be rebuilt. Humanitarian aid and
development aid need to be transported to Gaza and Palestine without any
obstruction. We are discussing all of these matters in a detailed way,” he
said.
Cavusoglu
argued that he does not think there is “a problem concerning
Hamas”.
“Our
discussions with Hamas were never a secret from the very beginning. Suggestions
we have made to Hamas leaders are also not a secret. On one side, we are trying
to make a contribution to the Middle East peace process. We know that we haven’t
been able to make this contribution adequately because our relations with Israel
went off track. But everybody who has been paying attention to the Middle East
issue, all of the countries and Israel, today acknowledge that there can be no
permanent peace or solution without Hamas”, he said.
“Therefore,
from now on, our contacts will continue in the context of the [importance] of
the unity of Hamas and Fatah in Palestine and in the context of making
contribution to the Middle East peace process. Countries that reacted to us on
this subject when we first contacted Hamas after they won the elections, even
Israel, have greatly understood what we want to do. That’s why there is no
condition called ‘Hamas’ in order to normalize our relations with Israel,” he
added.
13.
Sabah reports that Chapter 33 to open on June
30
Under
the title “Turkey, EU to meet for membership talks on June 30”, Turkish daily
Sabah newspaper (23.06.16) reports that officials from Turkey and the European
Union will meet on June 30 to officially open a new chapter for Ankara's
negotiations to join the bloc.
EU
diplomats confirmed on Thursday that lower-level officials would meet to open
Chapter 33, which is a series of talks on "financial and budgetary provisions"
that Turkey needs to meet in order to become a member.
Chapter
33 will be the sixteenth chapter Turkey opened since October 3, 2005 when it
first launched membership negotiations.
The
two sides were unable to agree on a date to discuss the chapter, Hurriyet daily
reported. Accordingly, the EU and Turkey had agreed to discuss the matter during
the Netherlands's term in the presidency of the Council of the EU, which would
end on June 30.
Initially,
the Netherlands proposed to meet on June 24, but Britain opposed it for its
proximity to the Brexit referendum, which will take place on June 23. Turkey
insisted that the meeting takes place before Slovakia's presidency of the
Council of the EU, therefore both sides agreed on June 30.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
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ICh)
