TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
210/16
02.11.2016
1.
Akinci held a meeting with Ozgurgun and Denktas
2.
Cavusoglu discussed Cyprus with Kotzias
3.
Turkish military dispatches tanks near to Iraqi border
4.
Eroglu: “Defending the state does not mean not wanting a
solution”
5.
“Guarantees” were discussed at the “assembly”; Ertugruloglu alleges that Turkey
should have the right to unilaterally intervene in Cyprus
6.
Former Turkish Cypriot negotiators on the Cyprus talks
7.
The Greek Cypriot side is accused of “exploiting” the issue of the missing
persons
8.
The Turkish Cypriot Journalist Union and Basin Sen condemned the operation
against Cumhuriyet newspaper
9.
Research shows decrease of optimism for a solution to the Cyprus problem
10.
Great interest for buying real estate in the breakaway regime from Turkish
investors
11.
The so-called ministerial council cancelled the “granting of 16
citizenships”
12.
Yildirim downplays Europe’s ‘red line’ on press freedom after
detentions
13.
Russian and Turkish chief of staff talked over Syria and
Mosul
14.
Commentaries argue that reinforced nationalist and conservative politics will
dominate Turkey in the near future
15.
Columnist Kohen comments on the possibility of the reinstatement of capital
punishment
16.
Kilicdaroglu met with Harms
17.
AKP and MHP to work on limited measure to reinstate death penalty in
Turkey
18.
Turkey appoints new Mayor for Diyarbakir
19.
Self-styled minister in Istanbul for an OIC meeting
1.
Akinci held a meeting with Ozgurgun and Denktas
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (02.11.16) reports that Turkish Cypriot leader
Mustafa Akinci held a meeting yesterday with the self-styled prime minister
Huseyin Ozgurgun and the self-styled deputy of the “government”, Serdar
Denktas.
According
to the paper, the progress of the Cyprus negotiations and the forthcoming
meeting in Switzerland were discussed during the meeting. Akinci also informed
Ozgurgun and Denktas about the model that will be followed on the scheduled
meetings. Internal issues were also discussed, the paper
reports.
(CS)
2.
Cavusoglu discussed Cyprus with Kotzias
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (02.11.16) reports that Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held a telephone conversation yesterday
with his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias. According to diplomatic sources
cited by Anatolia news agency, during the conversation held upon an initiative
by the Greek Foreign Minister, views were exchanged on the bilateral
relations and the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.
(I/Ts.)
3.
Turkish military dispatches tanks near to Iraqi border
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (01.11.16), Turkey’s army dispatched tanks to
southeastern Sirnak province's Silopi district near the border with Iraq, a
military source and a Turkish Minister said on
Tuesday.
According
to the source, who asked to remain anonymous due to restrictions on talking to
the media, a large number of tanks from the 28th Mechanized Infantry Brigade
were seen leaving Ankara for Silop.
About
the movement of tanks, Defense Minister Fikri Isik told reporters in Ankara: "We
are right now in a serious fight against terrorist groups, both inside Turkey
and just outside our border. This dispatch is part of preparation against those
threats."
Isik
also said that Turkey "needs to be prepared for every
possibility”.
4.
Eroglu: “Defending the state does not mean not wanting a
solution”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (02.11.16) reports that the former Turkish Cypriot
leader Dervis Eroglu, stated that defending the “state” does not mean not
wanting the solution of the Cyprus problem. He made these statements during a
meeting he held with the new administrative council τo the “Memur Sen Trade
Union”.
Eroglu
stated that all the opinions expressed actually help the negotiators and added
that he does not believe that any statements can cause any problem.
Referring
to the forthcoming meeting in Switzerland, Eroglu claimed that during the time
he was “president” it was agreed that the discussion of the territory issue and
of the map would be launched a week before a five-party meeting was held.
Eroglu
further said that the statements made by various Greek Cypriot political parties
that will not vote in favor of a solution in which the conditions they set for
the solution, are not, included, strengthen Greek Cypriot leader Nicos
Anastasiades.
“When
you have a state, you are evaluated differently at the negotiation table”, he
said adding that they can defend their “state” and negotiate for a solution at
the same time.
(CS)
5.
“Guarantees” were discussed at the “assembly”; Ertugruloglu alleges that
Turkey should have the right to unilaterally intervene in Cyprus
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (02.11.16) reports that Tahsin
Ertugruloglu, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has alleged that they do not say
that the 1960 system of guarantees in Cyprus should continue as it is, but the
only characteristic which they want in the guarantees is Turkey’s right to
unilaterally intervene. Addressing the “assembly” yesterday, Ertugruloglu
responded to a reference on this issue by Zeki Celer, “deputy” with the Social
Democracy Party (TDP), and claimed that they could not accept any system
which does not have this “characteristic”. He further claimed that a
system depended on a resolution by the UN Security Council is also not
acceptable.
Ertugruloglu
alleged that the system of guarantees could be revised according to the
existing conditions, but Turkey’s right to unilaterally intervene when this is
necessary must definitely exist.
Noting
that the Greek Cypriot side claims that it is afraid of the Turkish [occupation]
army, Ertugruloglu argued that the Greek Cypriots were the reason for which the
Turkish army invaded Cyprus in 1974. He also claimed that if the Greek Cypriots
are still annoyed by Turkey’s guarantees, this might show that they are aiming
at acting like in 1963 again.
On
his part, Celer argued that not only what Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci says
on the issue of the guarantees must be taken into consideration, but also the
statements made by the Turkish Foreign Minister. He said that some circles
should not speak as if Akinci and his spokesman wish to extinguish the Turkish
Cypriots.
Referring
to the countries which are intervening in Syria at the moment, Celer wondered:
“Are these countries guarantor powers and they are intervening?”
Furthermore,
he said that everybody has the duty to work so that the bitter incidents of
the past are not repeated and added that no one gains by speaking as if the
incidents of the past will definitely be repeated.
Celer
argued that an agreement by which both sides will feel safe on the points where
they are sensitive should be made because otherwise there will be no agreement.
Referring
to the territory issue, Celer described as “wrong” the reference to a map
when such a thing does not exist at the negotiating table and alleged that we
are living a different period than the Annan Plan period.
(I/Ts.)
6.
Former Turkish Cypriot negotiators on the Cyprus
talks
Turkish
Cypriot daily Demokrat Bakis newspaper (02.11.16), under the title “Ertug and
Olgun: ‘The process is full with risks”, reports that the former Turkish
Cypriot negotiators Osman Ertug and Ergun Olgun, in a joint statement, argued
that under uncertain and complicated situation, the Turkish Cypriot side will
make a unilateral and unnecessary concession to the Greek Cypriot side, in case
of opening its hand on a map and figures in Switzerland and will open the door
to a setting full with extreme imbalance and risks.
In
a joint statement, Ergun and Olgun said that they saw the need to share with the
public some of their thoughts and evaluations on the Cyprus talks on the eve of
both leaders’ meeting in Mont Pelerin between November 7 and 11 under the
auspices of the UN Secretary General.
Stressing
that it was announced that the meeting will focus on the territory chapter and
for the first time, maps and figures will be discussed, Ertug and Olgun recalled
Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci’s statement that the meeting in
Switzerland will be “the next to the last step” and his spokesman Burcu’s
statement that talks will not be held on a map and figures before an agreement
is reached on the five-party meeting on Security and Guarantees chapter. They
added that however, the Greek Cypriot side insists that they do not accept a
five-party meeting.
The
joint statement further reads: “From the beginning, since the 1977 high level
agreements, the issues of territory and security have always been interrelated.
Besides, it is pointed in the joint declaration on February 11, 2014 that all
the issues will be discussed like they are linked altogether. As a matter of
fact, the Greek Cypriot side insisted that the property chapter to be discussed
with the territorial adjustments. In a last week statement by the Greek Cypriot
spokesman Christodoulides, it is said: ‘talks on the property issue cannot be
closed before discussing the territory’. The stance of the Greek Cypriot side,
which rejects the relations between the territory issue and the
political/economic/physical security issues, should be contradicted with
determination.”
Referring
to the publication of different maps, percentages and village names in the
international media and the Greek Cypriot press, Ertug and Olgun argued that
they are trying to create various perceptions on this issue prior to
Switzerland. They also said that the assumption that these “speculative news”
are not linked with Greek Cypriot side’s official sources is not possible. Ertug
and Olgun expressed concern that the Turkish Cypriot side may have decided to
return occupied Morphou and Karpasia and agreed to place various other areas
under the federal administration’s control and added: “If that is the case, then
this is an extreme undesirable situation and contradicts the bizonality
principle, which is one of the most fundamental
principles”.
Furthermore,
referring to the return of Greek Cypriots to the north under the “right of
habitation” and “the lawful residence”, the joint statement argued the
importance of the Turkish Cypriots to be the majority community in their
founding state and added: “It is common knowledge that the parameter on clear
majority also applies to ownership. Otherwise, talking about the principle of
bizonality will be impossible”.
Ertug
and Olgun, in their joint statement, described also the political equality as
one of the fundamental parameters of a possible agreement, stressing the
importance Mustafa Akinci attaches to the system of rotating presidency and the
effective participation of the two partners in the decision-making
process.
(DPs)
7.
The Greek Cypriot side is accused of “exploiting” the issue of the missing
persons
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (02.11.16) reports that Ali
Pilli, self-styled deputy with the National Unity Party (UBP), has
alleged that the Greek Cypriots are exploiting the issue of the missing
persons. Addressing yesterday the “assembly” of the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, Pilli pointed to information published
in the Greek Cypriot press on this issue and said that the Greek Cypriot
officials argue that Turkey hides information regarding the missing persons and
commits a crime. He alleged that the Greek Cypriots’ “psychology of guilt”
lies behind the exploitation of such a humanitarian issue by the Greek Cypriot
side and the accusations against Turkey.
Pilli
further alleged that Turkey is the country which helped the most the Committee
on the Missing Persons, to which it gave 763 thousand dollars during the last
eight years. He also noted that permission had been given for excavations in
military zones in the occupied area of Cyprus where missing persons are believed
to be buried and added that these facts are included in UN reports.
(I/Ts.)
8.
The Turkish Cypriot Journalist Union and Basin Sen condemned the operation
against Cumhuriyet newspaper
Turkish
Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (02.11.16) reports that the Turkish Cypriot
Journalist’s Union (“KTGB”) and Basin-Sen trade union in the occupied area of
Cyprus criticized strongly the operation against the Cumburiyet newspaper in
Turkey and the arrestment of Turkish journalists.
Under
the title: “It is not a party it’s a mafia”, the paper points out that although
the international community monitors very closely the incidents in Turkey and
expresses worries about them, in the “TRNC”, everybody remains silent except
from the two journalist organizations and wonders: “Where are we going with the
AKP, which is not a party but a mafia?”.
Meanwhile,
referring to the issue, the chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Journalist Union,
Sami Ozuslu condemned strongly the recent attack against Cumhuriyet newspaper
and its journalists and expressed the union’s solidarity.
Underlining
out that there is an orchestrated attempt in Turkey to silence those who have
different views and opinions from the government, Ozuslu pointed out that 170
media organizations closed down in Turkey during the past few months, 105
journalists were detained, 777 journalist’s press cards were cancelled, 2,500
journalists were dismissed from their post and generally no democratic
regulations are implemented in Turkey.
(AK)
9.
Research shows decrease of optimism for a solution to the Cyprus problem
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (02.11.16) reports that according
to the results of a research conducted every three months by the Centre for
Migration, Identity and Rights Studies (CMIRS) in the occupied area of the
Republic of Cyprus, the happiness percentage of the Turkish Cypriots was
decreased in October 2016 comparing to July 2016. The survey was conducted
through the phone with the participation of 500 persons.
The
chairperson of the Centre, Mine Yucel said that an increase of optimism and
expectation was observed in April 2016 and recalled that a new “government”
had been established in that period and indications for “serious developments”
in the Cyprus problem were existing. “However, during the two surveys that
followed this period, especially the fact that the expected developments in the
Cyprus problem did not happen caused a decrease of the percentages of optimism
and happiness of the community”, she noted pointing out that the Cyprus
problem, the economic difficulties and unemployment are presented as the most
important problems of the Turkish Cypriots.
According
to Yucel, during the last periods a decrease of the optimistic expectations in
the Cyprus problem was observed and the possibility of a “yes” vote in a
possible referendum became weaker.
As
regards the percentages of the Turkish Cypriot political parties, the survey
showed that an increase in the percentages of the National Unity Party and the
People’s Party and a decrease in the percentages of the other parties.
The People’s Party comes to the second place in case of “elections”.
Furthermore, a decrease was observed in the percentage of those who state that
they are undecided or they will not vote in the “elections”.
(I/Ts.)
10.
Great interest for buying real estate in the breakaway regime from Turkish
investors
Under
the tıtle: “Golden period for real estate”, Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan
newspaper (02.11.16) reports that investors from Turkey are moving on to make
their “secondary investments” in the occupied area of Cyprus where, as the paper
reports, the demand for buying building plots and residences has increased.
The
paper writes that the five-star hotels that are constructed in the breakaway
regime as well as the increased number of the illegal universities established,
are influenced the “population” living in the area. The increased number of
Turkish students and workers increased the demand for residences and university
halls. According to Havadis, investors from Turkey are competing about investing
in the breakaway regime and notes that their greatest demand is about building
plots and residences. There is a great demand for villas and luxury apartments
from members of wealthy Turkish families who come to the occupied area of Cyprus
from Turkey to study at the illegal universities.
Speaking
to Havadis, the chairman of the “Turkish Cypriot Real Estate Agensts”, Hasan
Sungur confirmed that there is a great interest from Turkish investors; however
he noted that these businessmen continue to make important investments in
Turkey as well.
(CS)
11.
The so-called ministerial council cancelled the “granting of 16 citizenships”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (02.11.16) reports that the so-called council
of ministers has cancelled its previous “decision” dated October 25 regarding
the illegal granting of the “TRNC’s citizenship” to 16 persons. The above
mentioned “decision” was also published in the “official gazette” of the
occupation regime.
Meanwhile,
the same paper in its front page and under the title: “10 more personnel at
the interior ministry for the citizenship”, reports that as it was made known,
the “ministry of interior” has employed quietly 10 more personnel in order to
ease and speed up the “citizenship procedures”. Five out of them undertook
duties in the “identity department” and the others at the “immigration
department”.
(AK)
12.
Yildirim downplays Europe’s ‘red line’ on press freedom after
detentions
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News newspaper (online, 01.11.16), Turkey’s
Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has downplayed Europe’s “red line” on press
freedom and rejected remarks by the head of the European Parliament over the
detention of the top staff of daily Cumhuriyet on terror charges.
“Brother,
we don’t care about your red line. It’s the people who draw the red line. What
importance does your line have?” Yıldırım told members of his ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) in a speech in Parliament on Nov. 1.
“Turkey
is not a country to be brought in line with salvoes and threats. Turkey gets its
power from the people and will be held accountable by the people,” Yıldırım
added.
The
United States and European Union both voiced concern about the move in Turkey,
while European Parliament President Martin Schulz wrote on Twitter that the
detentions marked the crossing of “yet another red line” against freedom of
expression in the country. “The detention of [editor] Murat Sabuncu and
other Cumhuriyet journalists is yet another red-line crossed against freedom of
expression in Turkey”, Schulz said.
Yıldırım
also accused the Europeans of applying double standards on freedoms, saying they
allowed propaganda by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the
European Parliament. “We
have no problem with press freedom. This is what we can’t agree with our
European friends. They always bring up press freedom when we take steps in our
fight against terrorism”, he said, adding that they should allow the judiciary
to perform its duty without interference.
Police
detained the editors and top staff of daily Cumhuriyet, a pillar of the
country’s secularist establishment, on Oct. 31, on accusations that the
newspaper’s coverage had helped precipitate a failed military coup in
July.
Journalists
at the paper were suspected of seeking to precipitate the coup through
“subliminal messages” in their columns before it happened, the state-run Anadolu
Agency said. The suspects were charged with “committing crimes on behalf of the
Fethullah Terrorist Organization [FETÖ] and the PKK.”
13.
Russian and Turkish chief of staff talked over Syria and
Mosul
Turkish
daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 02.11.16), the Russian and Turkish chiefs
of staff have discussed finding a solution to the Syrian conflict in Moscow,
including normalizing the situation in Aleppo, while also discussing the ongoing
operation to liberate Iraq’s Mosul from jihadists, the Russian Defence Ministry
said on Nov. 1.
Turkish
Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and his Russian counterpart, Valery
Gerasimov, held talks on Nov. 1 over military cooperation and regional issues
regarding Syria and Iraq.
“The
question of settling the Syrian conflict, including the normalization of the
situation in Aleppo, was discussed during this meeting,” the Russian Defence
Ministry said in a statement on Nov. 1, adding that it was an “open” to an
exchange of views.
14.
Commentaries argue that reinforced nationalist and conservative politics will
dominate Turkey in the near future
Columnist
Murat Yetkin and columnist Serkan Demirtas, both writing in Turkish daily
Hurriyet Daily News (online, 02.11.16), write on the political stage of Turkey
and how it will be restored by an alliance between AKP and
MHP.
Yetkin,
under the title “Is the AKP using MHP as leverage to corner CHP?”, argues that
the obvious implication is an AKP-MHP cooperation for shifting from a
parliamentary to an executive presidential regime, as targeted by President
Tayyip Erdoğan. However, the sine qua non condition for MHP leader Bahçeli is to
bring back the death penalty to the constitution that could finally cut off
Turkey’s already weakened links with the European Union, and sever its ties with
the Council of Europe.
According
to Yetkin: “This would be least of Bahçeli’s concerns. Indeed, he might
even be in favour of such a result, as he is a staunch isolationist.
Bahçeli’s main aim is to reinstate the death penalty as a deterrent factor in
the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). PKK leader
Abdullah Öcalan had escaped execution after he was arrested and sentenced to
death back in 1999, when Bahçeli was a coalition partner. As capital
punishment was abolished when Bahçeli was in government, it has ever since
turned into a constant political trauma for him.”
Yetkin
writes that the AKP is actually trying to do is to force the CHP to cooperate
for a presidential constitution (which the CHP is against), or be regarded
as being in the same ranks as the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic
Party (HDP), a legal extension of the PKK. The CHP is apparently aware of the
AKP’s attempts to corner it into a binary choice: Either cooperation on the
presidency or be denounced together with the HDP. He concludes by writing that
this dynamic is just one more factor in the steady escalation of tension in
Turkish politics.
On
the same issue, columnist Serkan Demirtas, under the title “AKP-MHP alliance to
dominate Turkey’s near future”, writes that the AKP increased its votes nearly
10 points in less than five months in 2015 amid a growing terrorist campaign by
the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Islamic State of Iraq and
the Levant (ISIL). These five months constituted an important period in which
Turkey moved to extraordinary conditions from ordinary ones.
As
a matter of fact, since then, Turkey has been in extraordinary conditions that
brought about a bloody coup attempt with serious consequences, the dismissal of
a prime minister, cross-border military operations, a declaration of a state of
emergency, the revival of a debate on a presidential system as well as the
possible reinstatement of capital punishment. Only under extraordinary
conditions could all such developments take place in less than a year.
Yet,
there are no indications that Turkey will soon normalize.
The government extended the state of emergency for another three months
and issued a number of new decree laws that are irrelevant to the coup, like
the one giving power to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to directly appoint
university rectors.
Serkan
Demirtas argues that tight after this, the kingmaker of the Turkish politics,
MHP leader Bahçeli, surprisingly revived a debate on a shift to a presidential
system by signalling support to AKP in its bid to find at least 330 votes in
parliament.
What
makes this rapprochement even more interesting is that it will also make
reinstating capital punishment possible at the expense of killing Turkey’s
long-standing aspirations to join the European Union.
For
worse, such a move would also isolate Turkey form contemporary global and
universal values.
To
top it all, more pressure has been imposed on independent and dissident media as
the editor-in-chief and prominent writers of daily Cumhuriyet were detained only
a day after additional 15 news outlets were shut down through a decree law. The
deterioration of freedom of expression has come to another level with these
moves coming just a week before the release of a Progress Report by the European
Commission.
A
year after the Nov. 1, 2015 elections, some public opinion surveys indicate that
the votes of both the AKP and MHP are on the rise while the CHP and the HDP have
lost a significant amount of votes.
Surveys suggest the AKP would get 53 or 54% if polls would take place this
Sunday, with the MHP increasing its vote from 12 to 14%. The CHP is around 22%,
three points less than a year ago while the HDP is seen around 8%, two points
below the national threshold.
The
sum of AKP-MHP votes is seemingly around 65%, which could suffice for the
approval of a referendum that would likely be introduced next spring. It’s
obvious that reinforced nationalist and conservative politics will dominate
Turkey in the near future at the expense of distancing Turkey from
normalcy.
15.
Columnist Kohen comments on the possibility of the reinstatement of capital
punishment
In
a commentary entitled: “We are going far from the EU” in Turkish daily Milliyet
newspaper (02.11.16), columnist Sami Kohen, commenting on the possibility of
re-setting into force the capital punishment in the country after yesterday’s
discussion of the issue in the Parliament, warned that if this happens, it would
mean the isolation of AKP from the EU organizations and the further blackening
of Turkey’s EU bid.
[…]“If
Turkey follows this stance, this would mean that is moving far more away from
the vision of the EU physically and practically. And it should make a good cost
calculation for this”, Kohen warned in his article.
(AK)
16.
Kilicdaroglu met with Harms
Turkish
daily Milliyet newspaper (02.11.16) reports that the chairman of the main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu met at the Grand
National Assembly with Rebecca Harms, President of European Parliament’s
Greens-European Free Alliance group.
Speaking
during the meeting, Kilicdaroglu expressed the view that the EU’s
effectiveness over Turkey has been lost. He added that even though there is an
agreement between the government and the EU on the visa-free travel, nothing was
made to connect this issue with the people. He proposed the opening of new
chapters for Turkey in order to contribute to Turkey’s EU bid.
Harms
in her turn referred to the operation against Cumhuriyet newspaper and expressed
her worries over this development.
(AK)
17.
AKP and MHP to work on limited measure to reinstate death penalty in
Turkey
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News newspaper (online, 01.11.16), the ruling
Justice and Development Party (AKP) has said it is working on reinstating a
“limited version” of capital punishment, which will not be applied
retroactively, as the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has expressed its
readiness to support any move to this end.
“[Reinstating]
capital punishment is a matter of the Constitution and a matter of compromise.
If there is an agreement with other political parties on this general demand of
the people, than a limited measure [on the death penalty] can be drafted,” Prime
Minister Binali Yıldırım told his parliamentary group on Nov. 1.
While
recalling that the death penalty debate resurfaced after Turkey’s failed July 15
military coup attempt, Yıldırım stressed that any reintroduction of capital
punishment would “not be applied retroactively”.
His
words came a few hours after MHP head Devlet Bahçeli voiced his party’s
readiness and support for reinstating capital punishment, if the AKP puts
forward a constitutional amendment.
“The
people want the death penalty. If the AKP is ready, the MHP has always been
ready,” Bahçeli told his party’s lawmakers on Nov. 1. “Come
and let’s resolve this issue,” Bahçeli said.
The
statements from the two leaders came after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said
he believed the government would soon introduce a constitutional amendment on
reinstating capital punishment, which was abolished in Turkey in 2004 in line
with Ankara’s European Union accession process.
The
AKP has 316 seats in Parliament and needs an extra 14 seats to take a
constitutional amendment to a referendum. The MHP is the fourth largest party in
the Turkish Parliament, with 40 seats.
18.
Turkey appoints new Mayor for Diyarbakir
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (01.11.16), a District Governor in Ankara was
appointed Tuesday as Diyarbakir Mayor after the elected Mayor of the
southeastern province was remanded Sunday as part of a terrorism probe.
Ankara's
Etimesgut District Governor Cumali Atilla was appointed as Diyarbakir
metropolitan Mayor, a source from the Interior Ministry said.
Meanwhile,
in September, Turkey appointed 28 trustees to oversee local administrations
following the suspension of Mayors accused of links to
terrorism.
19.
Self-styled minister in Istanbul for an OIC meeting
Turkish
Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (02.11.16) reports that Hamza
Ersan Saner, self-styled minister of labor and social insurance of the breakaway
regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, departed yesterday for
Istanbul to participate in a meeting under the title “The Role of Women in the
Development of the Member States of the Organization for Islamic
Cooperation”. According to a statement issued by his “ministry”, Saner was
invited to the meeting by the General Secretary of the OIC Dr. Iyad Ameen
Madeni.
(I/Ts.)
---------------------------------------------------
TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
