TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No.
225/16
23.11.2016
1.
Akinci: “We did not go to Switzerland in order to hand over the rights of the
Turkish Cypriot people”
2.
Turkish MFA said important chance missed with Swiss
talks
3.
Tsipras to visit Turkey over the Cyprus issue
4.
Denktas and Ozgurgun evaluate the results of the Mont Pelerin
talks
5.
First evaluation of the Mont Pelerin talks by Turkish Cypriot political parties
and organizations
6.
Eroglu: “It is necessary to declare to the world that the Cyprus problem cannot
remain unsolved forever”
7.
Turkish Cypriot columnist emphasizes that Turkey forced the Turkish Cypriot side
to lead the process into a collapse
8.
President Erdogan: EP vote on Turkey's membership has no
value
9.
NATO chief recalls Turkey’s commitment to Article 5 amid calls to join Shanghai
5
10.
MHP head Bahceli: AKP’s charter offer ‘reasonable’
11.
Commentary: “Freezing Turkey-EU talks will benefit no
one”
1.
Akinci: “We did not go to Switzerland in order to hand over the rights of the
Turkish Cypriot people”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (23.11.16) reports that Akinci expressed
during the press conference he held at the illegal Tumpou airport that the
search for an agreement will continue as long as a problem exists and noted that
the importance attached to the summit meeting in Mont Pelerin urged Turkey and
Greece to hold talks.
Noting
that the date of a five-party conference was included in the summit agenda in
Mont Pelerin for the first time, he asserted: "New convergences were achieved in
the talks that were held from 7 to 11 November. One of the most important of
those convergences was the agreement that the council of ministers of the
federal structure that would be established in the future would be made up of 7
Greek Cypriot and 4 Turkish Cypriot ministers and that the approval of at least
one Turkish Cypriot minister would be sought for any decision to be
made."
Asserting
that the Greek Cypriot side requested a break in the talks in the light of an
important step the Turkish Cypriot side took on the criteria on land, he
alleged: "However, we observed that illogical and unrealistic statements
increased in Greece and the Greek Cypriot side during the
recess."
Regarding
the failure to reach an agreement on the land criteria and establish the date of
the five-party conference on security and guarantees, Akinci noted:
"Unfortunately, our adversary moved to nullify the Turkish Cypriot side's
bargaining power in the talks by trying to achieve a result in its favor on the
land problem, which would be simultaneously finalized at different desks when
the five-party conference is held. Instead of focusing on an initial map, which
would be taken up during the five-party conference, the Greek Cypriot side
planned to solve the land problem in its favor using the number of the displaced
people who might return to the north as a factor."
Akinci
further accused the Greek Cypriot side of "adopting an unjust approach" and
stressed that it wants to use the issues that are very important for the Turkish
Cypriots as a trump card, solve the land problem in its favor, reject the
adoption of the rotating presidential system and the principle of equal and
effective participation in the decision-making mechanism, which would guarantee
the political equality of the Turkish Cypriots, and leave various issues related
to ownership unclarified. Noting that "such a negotiation process cannot be
maintained," he claimed that the Greek Cypriot side carefully selected various
provisions in the Annan Plan, which existed in 2004, but rejects those related
to security, guarantees, and the rotating presidential system. He said: “The
Greek Cypriot side created a deadlock by wanting to achieve a result on
territorial arrangements before fully agreeing to the rotating presidential
system, effective participation in the decision-making mechanism, and the
political equality of the Turkish Cypriots.
Describing
the territorial issue as one of the most difficult problems, Akinci stressed
that he and his team went to Switzerland and took important steps with good will
but noted that the initiatives he made were not reciprocated. "We went to hold
talks. We did not travel to Switzerland to surrender the Turkish Cypriot
people's rights. We always kept in mind that a solution can only be found on the
basis of equality, freedom, and security. While respecting the Greek Cypriot
community's rights, we expected the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people to be
respected”, he stated.
Akinci
also claimed that the Greek Cypriot effort to finalize the land problem to be
able to bring the Turkish Cypriot side to a point where it would not be able to
hold talks was unacceptable and drew attention to the fragmentation in many
countries in the world, noting: "Living in a divided island is unreasonable.
Sharing prosperity together is logical."
Recalling
the effort that has been made to solve the Cyprus problem by the end of 2016,
Akinci drew attention to the election campaigns that will begin next year for
the elections on the Greek Cypriot side in 2018 and the work that will be
carried on the extraction of natural gas in south Cyprus and wondered whether
the solution of the problem would be possible before 2017. That, he said "will
come to light during the next few days."
Akinci
urged the Greek Cypriot side to change the approach it maintained in Mont
Pelerin and asserted that he will urge the “republican assembly” to hold an
extraordinary meeting on Thursday.
Asked
to comment on the return of displaced Greek Cypriots to the north, he asserted
that an agreement was reached in the past for the return of 100,000 Greek
Cypriots to the lands that would be given back and the return of another 60,000
Greek Cypriots to the north and says: “However, 60,000 of those people have
passed away. So the actual figure might be a little more than
111,000”.
Recalling
the talks President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will
hold during the first half of December, Akinci asserted: "The initial steps
will contribute to the solution process if they pave the way for the adoption of
a logical approach." Stressing that a five-party conference might be held from
17 to 19 December, he noted: "However, starting all over again as if nothing has
happened is impossible."
Akinci
concluded by saying that the Turkish Cypriot side will assess the situation and
noted: "We will not avoid the talks. That is out of the question. If fair
conditions exist for the talks, the Turkish Cypriot side will not adopt a
position that will undermine the goal of solving the problem and make it
responsible for the no-solution on the island."
2.
Turkish MFA said important chance missed with Swiss
talks
According
to Ankara Anatolia news agency (online, 23.11.16), Turkey is determined to
find a solution to the long-divided Cyprus problem, a Foreign Ministry Spokesman
late Tuesday after UN-mediated reunification talks failed the previous
day.
“Turkey’s
determination to find a viable solution to Cyprus continues”, said Huseyin
Muftuoglu. “We think that a very important opportunity has been missed in this
critical phase of the process,” he added.
It
is important to continue talks, he said, and immediately decide a date for a
final summit that will be attended by the guarantors of the island: Turkey,
Greece and the United Kingdom.
3.
Tsipras to visit Turkey over the Cyprus issue
According
to Turkish daily Yeni Safak newspaper (online, 22.11.16), Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held a telephone
conversation, in which they discussed the Cyprus negotiations, on
Nov.18.
On
the phone, as the paper claims, they both decided to come together as two
guarantor countries before the upcoming UN summit which will convene with 5
countries over that matter.
The
information, received from international sources, emphasized that after the
telephone call, both sides have converged on arranging a face-to-face meeting
via diplomatic efforts.
According
to the article, even though it is yet to be officially announced, Tsipras is
scheduled to visit Ankara to meet with President Erdogan on December
4.
4.
Denktas and Ozgurgun evaluate the results of the Mont Pelerin
talks
According
to illegal Bayrak television (online, 22.11.16), self-styled deputy prime
minister Serdar Denktaş made statements regarding the Cyprus issue and the
ongoing Cyprus negotiation process.
He
said that the road map drawn on the Cyprus issue by former Turkish Cypriot
leader Rauf Raif Denktas had been thrown to the corner and added that a brand
new map is trying to be brought forward.
Evaluating
the news from Switzerland, Denktas said that they are trying to set a date for a
five party conference and that this would mean that together with the issue of
security and guarantees a map would also be discussed.
Explaining
that up until now the information received showed that the new agreement to
emerge was not in the benefit of the Turkish Cypriot “people”,
Denktas alleged that there was an approach that would lead the Turkish Cypriot
people to become economically poorer while the Greek Cypriots would become
richer.
He
further claimed that for years there had been a propaganda campaign within the
younger generation bidding against Turkey but that this campaign had no effect
on the “people”.
“The
military leaving the island and moving away from Turkey will lead to the end of
the Turkish Cypriot people. To be rid of the Turkish presence in Cyprus will
also work against Turkey. Turkey’s power in the eastern Mediterranean will cease
and more importantly the stability on the island will also be removed”, Denktas
alleged.
Referring
to the reportedly unfulfilled promises made by the European Union during the
2004 Annan Plan era, Denktas argued that in a short period of time similar
promises will be made to the Turkish Cypriot “people” once
again.
On
the same issue, self-styled prime minister Huseyin Ozgurgun, evaluating the
result of the Mont Pèlerin talks to “BRT”, claimed that the negative outcome of
the summit was neither the Turkish Cypriot side’s nor Turkey’s
fault.
Alleging
that the Turkish Cypriot leader had shown a more flexible
stance than expected, he asked as to how much more could the Greek Cypriot
side’s attitude which demanded everything be
tolerated.
Asked
how he could evaluate the result of the Mont Pèlerin summit, Ozgurgun alleged
that neither the Turkish Cypriot side nor Turkey could be blamed at this stage.
He also claimed that the current situation resulted from the Greek Cypriot side
and Greece.
5.
First evaluation of the Mont Pelerin talks by Turkish Cypriot political
parties and organizations
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (23.11.16) reports on the first reaction
statements by several Turkish Cypriot parties and organizations in the Turkish
Cypriot side on the outcome of the talks in Switzerland.
According
to the paper, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) in a written statement,
expressed sorrow over the outcome of the Mont Pelerin talks, adding at the
same time, that it does not find it right to make further statements on the
issue before having an informal briefing by the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa
Akinci regarding the context of the negotiations and the stance of the sides.
The
statement added the following: “A remarkable progress was achieved by the
sides on the negotiation process until so far, and what should be done, is to
take into account this element and exert efforts to continue working. We call
all the involved parties to show an encouraging and constructive stance in order
not to become distant from the perspective of the solution and we would like to
announce that we are ready to do all the necessary towards this direction”, said
the statement.
Meanwhile,
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Bakis (23.11.16) reports that Asim Akansoy,
“deputy” with CTP, commenting on his personal account on social media the
outcome of the talks in Switzerland, expressed sorrow over the statements by the
“presidential spokesman” Baris Burcu after the collapse of the talks in Mont
Pelerin, who referred to a “maximalist stance by the Greek Cypriot side”.
Describing as “unfortunate” the statement made by Burcu, Akansoy stated that
these statements were to the direction of legitimizing the non-solution on the
island.
Also,
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (23.11.16) reports that the deputy
chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) Mustafa Genc,
expressed disappointment over the negative outcome of the talks. He however,
stressed the need not to lose their hopes and added that they have the need to
exert efforts all together and with common sense, after evaluating the process,
in order to help the process move forward.
Moreover,
Okan Dagli on behalf of the “Solution and Peace Platform”, called the two
leaders and the UN to protect and continue the process. “We call the leaders
instead of entering into a blame game, to continue the constructive dialogue
with the aim to reach to a solution. “The delay of the process and the creation
of fake crises is not to the benefit of the people in Cyprus”, the statement
said.
Furthermore,
Huseyin Angolemli, “deputy” with the Social Democracy Party (TDP), stated
that there is no other way than the two sides to continue the process with a new
format. “We will wait and make further statements afterwards”, he added.
Also,
Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (23.11.16) reports that Tozun
Tunali, chairman the Social Democrat Party (SDP) stated that although the Cyprus
reunification talks ended without any result in Switzerland, they still have
hopes concerning the five-party meeting. Tunali stressed the need for the UN to
realize that the responsibility for the negative outcome of the talks belongs to
the Greek Cypriot side.
Also,
the People’s Party (HP) in a written statement said that it would be better
to make a general and healthy evaluation of the situation, instead of entering
into a blame game.
Moreover,
the “deputy chairman” of the newly established Revival Party (YDP) Sunalp
Dervis Sencer, congratulated the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci for
protecting the “rights and profits” of the Turkish Cypriot “people” at the
negotiating table until the end. Expressing disappointment over the negative
outcome of the talks, Sencer stated that they will make further statements after
having a detailed briefing.
(AK)
6.
Eroglu: “It is necessary to declare to the world that the Cyprus problem
cannot remain unsolved forever”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper (23.11.16) under the title: “There is no point in
waiting the Greek Cypriots at the negotiating table”, reports that the former
Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, evaluated yesterday during a
meeting he held with Turkey’s KAMU-SEN Federation, the outcome of the talks in
Switzerland and claimed that there is no point in waiting the Greek Cypriot
side to return to the negotiating table.
Accusing
the Greek Cypriot side of showing an intransigent attitude at the talks in Mont
Pelerin in spite of the Turkish Cypriot side’s flexible stance, he alleged that
the Greek Cypriot side wants all its demands to be met without giving anything
on the territory issue, claiming also that it accepted none of the Turkish
Cypriot side’s red lines. “It is necessary to declared to the world that the
Cyprus problem cannot remain unsolved forever”, Eroglu added.
Stressing
also to the importance of the continuation of Turkey’s guarantees, Eroglu
recalled that the “assembly” has approved a “decision” envisaging that Turkey
cannot give up from its guarantees in Cyprus.
Referring
to the bi-communal event organized on Monday night at the buffer zone, Eroglu
claimed that it was not crowded, alleging that this is an indicator that the
Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots are not interested any more on the
negotiation process.
(AK)
7.
Turkish Cypriot columnist emphasizes that Turkey forced the Turkish Cypriot
side to lead the process into a collapse
Turkish
Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (23.11.16) under the title: “Crucial
question in Mont Pelerin”, publishes a commentary by columnist Sami Ozuslu, who
examines in its column the reasons which lead the process into a deadlock and
underlines that the reasons given for this cannot be only these: “[…] The
real answer in the question ‘What happened in Mont Pelerin and the process
collapsed?’ cannot be only those given. There was an “inside” question [meaning
behind the doors] to Baris Burcu. And as I realize, there was the ‘crux’ of the
matter.
A
journalist from the Turkish media asked Baris Burcu the following: “You decided
to come to the 2nd round in Mont Pelerin without having the UN’s
assurance concerning Greece’s stance. Was not this a mistake?
I
would make an estimation on this: This question was a question directed from the
Turkish Foreign Ministry! However, there were some details about the context of
this question that we were not able to learn.
And
my comment is the following: Ankara did not give its approval for the second
Mont Pelerin summit. We went there by ourselves, we sad there, but Turkey pushed
the Turkish Cypriot delegation to the wall prompting to ‘ruin the table’.
‘Finally they found an excuse, and they decided to leave the table. They found
and used as an excuse the Greek Cypriots that would return to the north.
Obviously the Greek Cypriots stepped back on this. This is what Burcu says.
And
this situation pushed the Turkish Cypriot leadership to the position of ‘being
the side which ruin the table’.
Though,
except from the short statement, the UN kept silent, so there is a possibility
for the process to be revived”, writes Ozuslu.
8.
President Erdogan: EP vote on Turkey's membership has no
value
Turkish
daily Sabah newspaper (online, 23.11.16) reports that Turkey’s President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at the meeting of the Standing Committee for
Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
in Istanbul, criticized the bloc for failing to take concrete action against
terrorists.
"Whatever
the result, this vote has no value for us" the President said,
adding that the EU is taking sides with terrorist organizations by criticizing
Turkey's fight against terrorist organizations, especially the Gülenist Terror
Group (FETÖ) following the July 15 failed coup attempt.
"We
have made it clear time and time again that we take care of European values more
than many EU countries, but we could not see concrete support from Western
friends ... None of the promises were kept", Erdogan said.
On
Tuesday, the European Parliament's main groups said they will vote this week to
freeze membership talks with Turkey, while EU foreign policy chief warned
against such a move, saying that it would not benefit the
bloc.
President
Erdogan warned the EU last week to make a decision by year's end on Turkey's
membership or he would call a referendum on the matter.
9.
NATO chief recalls Turkey’s commitment to Article 5 amid calls to join
Shanghai 5
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 23.11.16), Turkey would never
take steps to undermine NATO’s collective defence and unity as spelled out in
Article 5, the alliance’s chief has said, recalling President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s commitment to NATO membership amid the revival of a discussion on
Turkish participation in the Russian-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization,
known as the Shanghai Five.
“I
am absolutely certain that Turkey will never do anything which undermines this
collective defence, Article 5, and the unity in NATO,” Secretary-General Jens
Stoltenberg told the Hürriyet Daily News in Istanbul on the side-lines of the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly meetings late on Nov 21.
Erdogan
resurrected his long-standing ambition to join the Shanghai Five as Turkey’s
ties with the European Union have deteriorated in the aftermath of the July 15
coup attempt.
But
Stoltenberg, who had a lengthy meeting before the interview took place, remains
sure Turkey will remain committed to its NATO membership. “President Erdogan
stated very clearly that he is strongly committed to NATO and to our collective
defence rules”.
This
is essential for Turkish security and all of Europe, the Secretary-General
stated. “The strength and the success of NATO are based on the fact that an
attack on one NATO ally will trigger a response from all allies. And I am
absolutely certain that Turkey will never do anything which undermines this
collective defence, Article 5, and the unity in NATO.”
Although
Turkey has been pursuing positive dialogue with Russia after ties began to
normalize following a jet crisis one year ago, it has not objected to NATO’s
plans to increase its presence in the Black Sea region.
The
Montreux Conventions grants Turkey control of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles
while restricting the passage of naval ships from countries that are not on the
Black Sea.
On
the ongoing disagreement between Turkey and the EU that prompted calls for the
suspension of accession talks with Ankara, Stoltenberg chose not to
comment,
saying: “I am, and NATO is not, part of the dialogue, part of the talks between
the European Union and Turkey. And these talks will only become more complicated
if I started to become involved and comment on them”.
10.
MHP head Bahceli: AKP’s charter offer
‘reasonable’
According
to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 22.11.16), Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) head Devlet Bahceli has said that his party has completed its study
of a constitutional change draft submitted by the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AKP) and found it “generally reasonable”.
“There
are some [items] in the draft that we approve and some that we object to. First
of all, we hope it will be useful to keep the constitutional amendment narrow.
We think the AKP’s amendment proposals are generally reasonable. We will
hopefully reach a consensus in mutual talks,” Bahçeli said at his party’s
parliamentary group meeting in Ankara on Nov. 22.
The
MHP first received the draft legislation from the AKP on Nov. 15, with the
latter seeking to introduce a presidential system to replace the current
parliamentary model since Recep Tayyip Erdogan became Turkey’s first head of
state elected by popular vote in August 2014.
Bahceli
again hinted at a potential alliance between the MHP and the AKP in the near
future, saying his party does “not have any other choice … considering Turkey’s
worsening domestic issues”.
Any
new constitutional draft needs to secure 330 votes in Parliament in order to go
to a referendum. The AKP has 316 seats and the MHP has 40 seats at
Parliament.
If
the draft constitution is able to secure more than 367 votes, it can pass
directly without the need for a referendum. However, the AKP has said it will
take the new Constitution to a referendum even if it exceeds the 367-seat
threshold at Parliament.
11.
Commentary: “Freezing Turkey-EU talks will benefit no
one”
Columnist
Serkan Demirtas, writing in Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online,
23.11.16), publishes the following commentary with the above
title:
“The
European Parliament will vote on a resolution on Thursday that suggests
temporarily freezing Turkey’s accession talks in the light of an increase in the
violations of human rights and the deterioration in the use of fundamental
freedoms in the aftermath of July 15 coup attempt. The EP’s Turkey
Rapporteur, Kati Piri, clearly stated the mood of European lawmakers in a
comprehensive interview with daily Hürriyet’s Cansu Çamlıbel on Nov. 21.
‘Week
after week things have been going in a worse direction... Turkey is declining in
all of the rule of law indexes and freedom of media indexes … Until we see a
reversal of this decline it is not credible to talk about opening new chapters
or taking new initiatives,’ Piri said, calling for cutting only accession talks
and not the whole dialogue.
It’s
pretty sure that the [European] Parliament will vote in favour of freezing talks
but it requires the EU Council’s unanimous decision before going into effect.
It’s therefore not going to be easy for the Parliament to convince all
governments to support their point.
However,
the lawmakers’ vote will sure have serious consequences. It will constitute a
first in enlargement history in which the parliament will call on the EU to
suspend talks with a candidate country, demonstrating the poor prospect of a
potential Turkish membership in the union for the foreseeable future.
Second,
it will also lay bare the real intention of political parties across Europe and
how they differ with their respective governments when it comes to giving a
decision on Turkey’s continued accession process.
This should be seen as a very significant move when considering that prominent
European countries will go to elections in 2017 when populist political
movements will likely prevail.
Third,
it could turn into a death blow for the negotiations on the implementation of
the readmission agreement in return for the granting of visa liberalization to
Turkish nationals.
More worrying, it could also result in the entire migrant collapsing – a
development that could irreparably damage Ankara-Brussels dialogue.
It’s
true that things are not going in the right direction in Turkey, and those who
read this column are quite aware of the critical situation in terms of the
deterioration of democratic norms, fundamental freedoms, human rights and the
rule of law. These are key criteria for a country aspiring to be among the
respected nations in the world, if not a member of the EU.
However,
the EU, the European Parliament and other European institutions should also
engage in some self-criticism over the double standards they have been imposing
on Turkey since full membership talks began in 2005. Or they should better
inquire into their too-weak and too-late response to the July 15 coup attempt,
which caused deep frustration in Turkey, even among pro-EU circles. Forgetting
all these and focusing on just one aspect of this issue would be a very big
mistake.
European
lawmakers should give a chance to the efforts of the Council of Europe which
preferred to engage with Turkey in the aftermath of July 15 while all European
institutions opted to criticize the Turkish government.
At
this stage, the vote of European parliamentarians to freeze talks will have no
leverage whatsoever on Turkey, except for further fuelling populist,
discriminatory and radical political moves in Europe.”
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
