4/1/17

TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW

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


No. 03/17                                                                                                                   04.01.17

1. Akinci to meet with Erdogan tomorrow
2. Obama condemned Istanbul nightclub attack, discussed Cyprus talks with Erdogan
3. Cavusoglu to meet new UN chief Guterres for Syria and Cyprus talks
4. Ertugruloglu accused Anastasiades of trying to change the format of the Geneva summit
5. CTP leader went to Ankara for talks on the Cyprus problem
6. Members of the negotiation team of Eroglu will be part of the UBP’s delegation which will attend the Geneva talks
7. Reactions to the “deportation” of Turkish fashion designer Barbaros Sansal
8. A protest against KTOS took place yesterday in the occupied area of Cyprus
9. Reports say that the three members of CTP who resigned from the party will join the TKP
10. Turkey identifies Daesh terrorist who carried out the Istanbul nightclub attack
11. Yildirim called on Trump to end ‘shameful’ Obama policy on PYD
12. Another pro-Kurdish HDP Deputy detained
13. Turkish Lira at new low record due to inflation, security concerns

1. Akinci to meet with Erdogan tomorrow
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 04.01.17), the Turkish Cypriot side is intensifying preparations ahead of the Geneva meetings between the two sides, in the context of the UN-sponsored peace talks for a Cyprus settlement.

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci will be travelling to Ankara tomorrow where he will be meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The upcoming conference on Cyprus will be discussed at the working meeting.

Akinci and his accompanying delegation will be departing from the occupied airport of Tymbou at 10am tomorrow morning.

2. Obama condemned Istanbul nightclub attack, discussed Cyprus talks with Erdogan
According to Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (online, 04.01.17), U.S. President Barack Obama extended his condolences to Turkey over recent terror attacks in the country, while reaffirming that the U.S. will continue to cooperate with the country in the fight against terror.

In a phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Obama condemned the Daesh terror attack on a popular nightclub in Istanbul on New Year's Eve as well as the PKK terror attack in Kayseri on Dec 17.

Conveying his condolences to the families of the victims killed in the attacks, the U.S. President wished a speedy recovery those injured and said that the U.S. will continue working alongside its NATO ally in the fight against terror.

Obama also praised Turkey's efforts to extend the ceasefire in Syria to the whole country as well as its efforts to start political dialogue and negotiations between the opposition and the Assad regime.

The two leaders also discussed the latest advances made in Iraq and Syria in the fight against Daesh, and agreed that Turkey and the U.S. should maintain close cooperation on the issue.

The two also touched upon the upcoming Cyprus reunification talks, expressing hope for a unified, bizonal and bicommunal solution. The Cyprus meeting will take place in Geneva on January 12.

3. Cavusoglu to meet new UN chief Guterres for Syria and Cyprus talks
According to Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (online, 03.01.17), Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will travel to New York for a meeting with the newly appointed United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres. In the meeting, the civil war in Syria and the negotiations in Cyprus will be high on the agenda.

In a statement released from the Foreign Ministry, it was said that Cavusoglu will travel to the US on Jan. 5 to meet the new Secretary General. Guterres took over the duty from Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1.

The Ministry said in the statement that Cavusoglu will also discuss other regional issues and developments with the new UN leader.

4. Ertugruloglu accused Anastasiades of trying to change the format of the Geneva summit
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 04.01.17), the self-styled foreign minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu has accused the Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades of trying to change the format of the talks set to take place in Geneva next week, adding that such an attempt is unacceptable.

In a written statement issued yesterday, Ertugruloglu said that Anastasiades insisted that the conference on Cyprus will not be a five party conference but a four party conference to be attended by the Republic of Cyprus and the three guarantor countries, Turkey, Greece and the UK.

Claiming that Anastasiades chose to ignore the official agreement reached and instead tried to change the meeting’s format to suit his own interpretation and preference, Ertugruloglu alleged: “This is in direct contradiction with the Bürgenstock format and the Good Offices Mission of the UN Secretary General”.

Ertugruloglu further claimed that such an attempt, made intentionally only days before the Geneva talks, aimed at preventing any chances of reaching a successful conclusion from the summit. “The agreement reached between the two leaders on December 1st and announced by the UN clearly states which parties or countries will be taking part in the 5-party conference”, he alleged.

Ertugruloglu also claimed that the current negotiations process held under the auspices of the Secretary General’s Good Office’s Mission are held on the basis of equality and did not envisage any preconditions.

He concluded by alleging that the UN should not remain silent over such attempts to derail the upcoming Geneva talks.

5. CTP leader went to Ankara for talks on the Cyprus problem
Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (04.01.17) reports that the chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhurman went to Ankara yesterday.
According to the paper, Erhurman will hold meetings with officials of the Turkish Government and of the main opposition party regarding the Cyprus talks.
He is escorted by “Morphou deputies” Mehmet Caglar and Armagan Candan.
(CS)

6. Members of the negotiation team of Eroglu will be part of the UBP’s delegation which will attend the Geneva talks
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (04.01.17) reports that besides so-called minister of foreign affairs Tahsin Ertugruloglu, and the “deputy foreign minister” Mustafa Lakatamyali, Osman Ertug, Ergun Olgun, and Oguzhan Hasipoglu will also go to Geneva for the new phase of the Cyprus talks starting on January 9.

Ertug, Olgun and Hasipoglu participated in the negotiation team of the former Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu and will be part of the National Unity Party’s (UBP) delegation which will attend the Geneva talks. As the paper notes the UBP delegation will consist of 15 persons, including the above mentioned politicians.
(CS)

7. Reactions to the “deportation” of Turkish fashion designer Barbaros Sansal
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (04.01.17) reports that Turkish well-known fashion designer Barbaros Sansal, who had been “deported” from the occupied area of Cyprus because of a video he shared on the Internet after the recent attack in the Reina Night Club in Istanbul, was taken to court yesterday in Turkey accused of inciting hatred and enmity to the people and insulting the people. The court ordered Sansal’s arrest. 

Meanwhile, in a statement regarding Sansal’s “deportation”, self-styled interior minister, Kutlu Evren argued that they implemented the “law” and did what was required. He said that they “deported” Sansal, because he had “insulted Turkey using excessive expressions”.   

Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, the chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Tufan Erhurman, the chairman of the Social Democracy Party (TDP), Cemal Ozyigit, the chairman of the People’s Party (HP), Kudret Ozersay, the New Cyprus Party (YKP) and the Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP) issued statements commenting on the issue.

Akinci said that they should not allow hatred, enmity and the lynching culture and added that in spite of the fact that he cannot approve Sansal’s words which caused reactions, they should be puzzled by the fact that the “deportation” implemented by the “ministry of interior” based on a past decision led to lynching at the airport.  
Erhurman noted that he watched Sansal’s video and he does not approve of what he had said, but the “government” cannot act without having the “law” as legal ground.

Ozyigit said that they do not approve the attacks against Sansal and criticized the “government”.

Ozersay pointed out that the culture of lynching has no place in a “state of rule of law” and wondered whether Sansal was “deported” or “extradited” upon a request of his state, i.e. Turkey. 

The YKP expressed its support to Sansal and to Turkish Cypriot primary school teachers’ trade union (KTOS) for the attacks they suffer and called on everyone to common action against “reactionary movements” and “fascism” in order to protect peace, democracy and human rights and freedoms.

The KSP criticized the “government” and called on the political parties and organizations to convene and take urgent measures, noting that it plans on visiting parties and organizations to this end. 

Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (04.01.17) reports that Serdar Denktas, “deputy prime minister” of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, said yesterday that it is not the “council of ministers” which decided to “deport” Sansal and added that he was informed about the decision from television. He noted that he will ask to be briefed during a meeting of the “cabinet” and expressed the view that it is not right for anyone to suffer this kind of attacks for any reason.
(I/Ts.) 

8. A protest against KTOS took place yesterday in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (04.01.17) reports that the so-called initiative “Say stop” has organized yesterday a march and a protest  in front of the “primary school teacher’s trade union” (KTOS) offices, protesting for the calendar of the union for 2017.

The protesters were shouting slogans such as “Sener do not be confused, do not exhaust our patience”, “Cyprus is Turkish and will remain Turkish”, “trade union resign”, “traitors shall go to the south”, “we are the descendants of Arpaslan Turkes” and other.

In a written statement, the teacher Naziye Beyoglu on behalf of the “initiative” condemned strongly KTOS for the calendar, alleging that it has unilaterally misinterpreted the Turkish Cypriot history.

Beyoglu called also the teachers in the occupied area of Cyprus to protect their “union”, stating the following: “Τhe trade union is yours. It is a union belonging to the teachers, and not a political one. So, protect it”.
(AK)

9. Reports say that the three members of CTP who resigned from the party will join the TKP
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (04.01.17) writes that it is reportedly said that Sonay Adem, Ali Gulle and Ibrahim Korhan who have been resigned recently from the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) will join the Communal Liberation Party (TKP).

Sonay Adem was (former “deputy”), Ali Gulle was (former “deputy” and chairman of Dev-Is trade union) and Ibrahim Korhan (leading CTP member).

In statements to the paper, Ibrahim Korhan said: “We have not resigned from CTP with the aim to join TKP” and added that they have not had any contacts with other parties yet. In spite of Korhan’ statements, the paper writes that Mehmet Davulcu, one of the founding members of the TKP has stated the opposite.
Davulcu explained that the founding member of TKP, Mehmet Cakici met with Adem, Gulle and Korhan for dinner the night before yesterday and stated that the party’s door is open for all three former members of CTP.
(AK)

10. Turkey identifies Daesh terrorist who carried out the Istanbul nightclub attack
According to Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (online, 04.01.17), the Turkish authorities have identified the Istanbul nightclub attacker, who ruthlessly killed 39 people on New Year's Day, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.

Speaking on Anadolu Agency's Editor's Desk, Cavusoglu said that the identity of the terrorist has been established, but did not name him or give more details and added that works conducted to reveal more details on the attack are continuing.

11. Yildirim called on Trump to end ‘shameful’ Obama policy on PYD
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 03.01.17),Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has called on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to end the Obama administration’s “shameful” policy toward Turkey over the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) forces.

“The world talks about Daesh [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – ISIL] but it does not fight [against it]. It is only Turkey that fights against Daesh. The United States and others do nothing. They just supply the PYD with weapons”, said Yildirim on Jan. 3, in a weekly parliamentary address to his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) members.

“What we expect from the new administration is to bring an end to this shame,” Yildirim said, referring to Trump, who will assume the presidency from President Barack Obama on Jan. 20.

“We do not hold the new administration responsible for this situation, because it was the achievement of the Obama administration,” he added.

Turkey and the U.S. are at odds over the designation of the PYD and its military wing, the People’s Protection Unit (YPG). While Turkey sees them as terror organizations due to their ties with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the U.S. designates the PKK as a terror organization but does not regard the PYD and YPG the same, seeing them instead as partners in the fight against ISIL.

On Dec. 29, 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the U.S. of directly supplying the PYD with weapons.

12. Another pro-Kurdish HDP Deputy detained
Turkish daily Milliyet (04.01.17) reports that a lawmaker from the Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly “insulting a public officer”, a public prosecutor said.

According to Diyarbakir Chief Public Prosecutor’s office, Ziya Pir had also been sought for failing to answer a summons linked to a counter-terrorism investigation.

Turkish lawmakers have long enjoyed legal immunity, but that was reconsidered after five HDP Deputies made an alleged “declaration of autonomy” during a meeting of a terror group affiliated with the party in the Kurdish region in southeastern Turkey.
(…)
Thousands of officials from the HDP have been detained since 2015. Turkey detained 200 HDP members following the December 10 attack in Istanbul.

The government accuses the HDP of having links to the PKK, a charge that the HDP denies.
13. Turkish Lira at new low record due to inflation, security concerns
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 04.01.17), the Turkish Lira hit a fresh low record on Jan. 3.

The Lira traded almost at 3.6 per dollar, down 1.4%, after sharp rises in food and drink prices pushed Turkish inflation to 1.64% in December for an annualized 8.53%.

That further soured sentiment towards Turkish assets, already battered by a series of terror attacks in recent months, including a New Year’s Day mass shooting.

Worries about a slowdown in the economy and plans for an executive presidency have also undermined confidence. The security situation also makes it unlikely that tourism, a key part of the economy, will recover in 2017.


---------------------------------------------------
TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs / AM)