6/9/16

TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW

TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C O N T E N T S


No. 169/16                                                                                         06.09.2016
1. Turkish Cypriot member of a Technical Committee complained that the Cyprus authorities do not cooperate for “handing over” Turkish Cypriot criminals
2. Denktas asks Akinci if he can trust Anastasiades and the Greek Cypriots
3. Denktas wonders about the distribution of EU funding in the occupied area of Cyprus
4. Measures to revise the breakaway regime by the “ministry of tourism”
5. Data by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce regarding potatoes trade on the framework of  the Green Line regulation
6. The Turkish Cypriot side has not started yet the infrastructure work for the road of the Deryneia crossing point
7. EU on diplomatic push to get migrant deal with Turkey into gear
8. Court orders HDP Deputies to be present at Kurdish Communities Union trials
9. Yıldırım: 14,000 teachers to be suspended over suspected PKK links
10. Pro Erdogan daily argues that “90% of Turks doesn't count on the US”

1. Turkish Cypriot member of a Technical Committee complained that the Cyprus authorities do not cooperate for “handing over” Turkish Cypriot criminals
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (06.09.16) reports that the Turkish Cypriot team leader of the Technical Committee on Crime and Criminal Matters lawyer Hakki Onen said that there was an exchange of information with the Greek Cypriot side on criminal issues, however, the Greek Cypriot side did not take any steps on “handing over” the Turkish Cypriot criminals who escaped to “South Cyprus” (translator’s note: the government controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus).

Onen, speaking to the illegal TAK news agency, said that as of now they have requested the return of the 19 Turkish Cypriots, who had fled to “South Cyprus” after committing crimes in the “Turkish side” (translator’s note: the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) mainly on drugs issues, but the Greek Cypriot side is refusing to “hand them over” by saying “I cannot hand over my citizens”.

Noting that a figure of 3,391 cases of cooperation between the two sides on criminal matters as reported in the Greek Cypriot press is fairly accurate, Onen added that this figure does not include the verbal exchange of information between the two sides on emergency issues. Then he gave an example of a Greek Cypriot surfer who was lost in Protaras recently. The surfer entered the occupied area through a military zone and was “handed over” to the Cyprus Authorities.

Onen complained that despite the exchange of information, the Greek Cypriot side does not assist for “handing over” the criminals.
(DPs)

2. Denktas asks Akinci if he can trust Anastasiades and the Greek Cypriots
Turkish Cypriot daily Demokrat Bakis newspaper (06.09.16) reports that the self-styled deputy prime minister and minister of finance Serdar Denktas said that there is “information pollution” in the course of the ongoing negotiation process aiming to find a solution on the Cyprus problem.

Evaluating the Cyprus talks on his Facebook account, Denktas argued that the Turkish Cypriot “people” are worrying over the negotiation process considering the statements by President Anastasiades and some articles in the Greek Cypriot press, despite the statements of the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci “Do not worry”.

Denktas directed the following question to Akinci: “We trust you, but can you believe and trust Anastasiades and the majority of the Greek Cypriots?”

Denktas further said: “Our president tells us ‘do not believe Anastasiades’ statements and the reports in the Greek Cypriot media’.  Anastasiades says that the articles, which were rejected in the Annan plan, are corrected, there are improvements in the 1960 Constitution and there will be no soldier in the island. We believe the statement of our own president and we do not believe or trust the reports in the Greek Cypriot media and their leaders’ statements.  (…)”

Serdar even wonders what it will happen if both communities vote yes to a plan and then they will have to face a harsh reality. He concluded: “As you know; when this moment comes, Turkey, in whom we make complain in every step, will not be able to be there”.
(DPs)

3. Denktas wonders about the distribution of EU funding in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (06.09.16) reports that “deputy prime minister and minister of finance” Serdar Denktas, has criticized the former Turkish Cypriot head of the EU Coordinator Center in the occupied area of Cyprus, Erhan Ercin, regarding the distribution of EU funding in the breakaway regime.

According to the paper, Denktas stated that the amount of 7,5 million Euro was given to non-governmental or civil society organizations and said that they have the right to know the reason why this amount was given to the organizations. He also said that a list of each organization that received the EU money as well as the exact amount of money every organization has received should be given to the press the soonest possible.
(CS)

4. Measures to revise the breakaway regime by the “ministry of tourism”
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (06.09.16) reports that Fikri Ataoglu, self-styled minister of tourism and environment stated that they will take steps in order to revive the winter tourism in the breakaway regime.

Ataoglu argued that for this reason they aim to bring tourists from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Denmark with the  co-operation of the Turkish Airlines. As he said the co-operation will include flights and advertisements and added that flights will start to be conducted very soon.

He went on adding that the recent improvement in Russia-Turkey relations will lead to the increase of Russian tourists to Turkey, and give them the chance to visit also the breakaway regime. Ataoglu also said that flights from Ukraine will also start to take place.

According to Ataoglu the breakaway regime is planning to participate in 21 tourism fairs in 2017 and will also start advertising in ten countries, among them  Germany, UK, Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan.
(CS)

5. Data by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce regarding potatoes trade on the framework of  the Green Line regulation
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (06.09.16) reports that according to data received by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, 1,292 tons of potatoes were sent to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus in the framework of the Green Line regulation between January 2016 until September 2017.

According to the data, potatoes worth 323,000 Euro were exported.

In addition, the paper writes that the self-styled minister of agriculture and natural resources Nazım Cavusoglu held a meeting with members of the board of the Potato Growers’ Association led by Ahmet Yesilada and stated that the rights of the Turkish Cypriots stemming from the Green Line Regulation should be implemented without any impediment.

The recent protest staged against a Greek Cypriot businessman by various Greek Cypriot groups for importing potatoes from the occupied area of Cyprus  was also taken up during the meeting.

Cavusoglu further said that they were doing all they could to protect potato production, mainly through subsidies and incentives.

6. The Turkish Cypriot side has not started yet the infrastructure work for the road of the Deryneia crossing point
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (06.09.16), the works for the road construction of the 2.7 km road in the occupied north side of the  Deryneia crossing point is launched. However, the works regarding the infrastructure of the road regarding electricity, water and computer, lines which has to be done by the Turkish Cypriot side with its own resources has not started yet and has become the reason for worries.

Dr Okan Dagli, spokesman of the Famagusta Initiative, stressed that it is not possible to construct the road without making first the necessary  infrastructure.
(DPs)

7. EU on diplomatic push to get migrant deal with Turkey into gear
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (06.09.16) reports that EU officials have begun to visit the Turkish capital of Ankara with increased frequency in an effort to repair the recent damage in ties, which became strained after the July 15 failed coup attempt and the process of visa liberalization for Turkish citizens to the bloc stalled.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is set to travel to Turkey on Sept. 9, as the EU pushes to keep its migrant deal with Ankara back on track. Mogherini and Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, will attend a High-Level Political Dialogue meeting between the EU and Turkey in Ankara.

The EU’s stance following the July 15 failed coup attempt, visa liberalization, negotiations between the union and Turkey for the latter’s EU membership and Cyprus talks will be on the agenda of the meeting, according to sources.

Brussels and Ankara are in talks to prevent putting the migrant deal in jeopardy, EU sources told Hurriyet Daily News.

Turkey reportedly accepted delaying the visa liberalization to the end of the year, instead of the previously announced Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will pay a visit to Strasbourg on Sept. 7 for the meeting of ministers’ Deputies aiming to hold an exchange of views.

Also NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit Ankara on Sept. 9.


8. Court orders HDP Deputies to be present at Kurdish Communities Union trials
Turkish daily Sabah (06.09.16) reports that Diyarbakır Second High Criminal Court has made the decision to forcefully bring eight Deputies from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) to court, including the party's group Deputy Chairman Caglar Demirel, as part of the trial against the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK), an umbrella organization that encompasses PKK.

A trial against the HDP Deputies, Osman Baydemir, Dirayet Tasdemir, Caglar Demirel, Selma Irmak, Ahmet Yildirim, Besime Konca, Alican Onlu, and Nadir Yildirim, began after the constitutional changes were made to lift the immunities of some Deputies in Parliament.

The court made the decision to forcefully bring the Deputies to court after the defendant Deputies' attorney attended the trial in the absence of the Deputies on Nov. 1, 2015. The court file also includes an arrest warrant against 21 others involved in KCK activities.

9. Yıldırım: 14,000 teachers to be suspended over suspected PKK links
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (06.09.16) reports that up to 14,000 teachers will be suspended over their suspected links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the east and south of Turkey, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has announced.

“It is estimated that a total of 14,000 teachers are on duty in the region who have had certain types of connections to terror,” Yıldırım told representatives of nongovernmental organizations and opinion leaders in the south eastern province of Diyarbakır late on Sept. 4, adding that they would be suspended as a “precaution.”

“Of the 14,000, how many of them have connections to terrorist organizations will be revealed with investigations and examinations. We’ve talked to our Education Ministry and all of the suspected teachers will be suspended and they won’t be assigned in the new term,” he added.

The Prime Minister also said the teachers who are going to be suspended over suspected links to the PKK will experience the same things as the ones suspended for alleged links to the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO), believed to have orchestrated the July 15 coup attempt.

Saying new teachers would be assigned to the region, Yıldırım added that the government would also crack down on public personnel linked to terror.


10. Pro-Erdogan daily argues that “90% of Turks doesn't count on the US”
Turkish daily  Yeni Safak (06.09.16) reports that a new research conducted by Turkish MAK Research Company has revealed that 90 % of Turkey doesn't count on the United States, which is supposed to be Turkey's strategic ally.

Conducted with 2,700 people, the research showed that 71 % of the participants are eager to vote for Recep Tayyip Erdogan as President again.

Also, 72 % of total participants consider the 65th government of Turkey successful, in its fight against the coupist Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) after the coup bid of July 15.

Only 10 % said that Turkey should fight against FETO terrorists more efficiently, while 18 % is undecided.

Almost all of the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) voters told the survey taker that they would vote for AK Party again, while 82 % of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), 34 % of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and 36 % of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) voters expressed their support to AK Party following the coup bid.

The majority of the participants also supported the Turkish government over the Euphrates Shield operation, as 78 % of the total participants said they support the Turkey-supported operation in Syria, while 8 % is undecided.

Turkey has been intensively fighting against the terrorist group in Turkey and Syria; particularly the FETO, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and its affiliated groups, and Daesh.

Since the July 15 coup bid, Turkey has been attempting to clear all the FETO terrorists from the many Turkish institutions they infiltrated.

Also, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) initiated the operation named "Euphrates Shield" against the terror group on August 24.

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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(CS /AM)