5/9/13




TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW

C O N T E N T S



No.168/13                                                                                                       5/9/2013

1. Eroglu: territory will be discussed at the last stage of the Cyprus talks; He will convey to UN a letter by Turkish Cypriot physicians on Cyprus’ hydrocarbon resources  
2. Ozgurgun: expecting an agreement on the Cyprus problem is a “very naïve expectation”  
3. Columnist assesses why the territory issue is a headache for the Turkish side in the negotiations
4. BKP: recent promotions in the “police” showed the existence of a militarist regime in occupied Cyprus    
5. International Conference on New Directions in Business to be held in occupied Cyprus
6. European Association of Plastic Surgeons chairman  to participate in Turkish Cypriot Plastic Reconstruction Surgical congress
7. Turkish PM Erdogan arrives in Russia; he slams Putin over Syria ahead of G-20 talks
8. Turkey sends military reinforcements to Syrian border
9. Turkish FM calls for more international support for Syrian refugees who reached half a million in Turkey
10. Turkey sends envoy back to Egypt
11. Main Order of Ecumenical Patriarchate criticizing the possible reconversion of the Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque

1. Eroglu: territory will be discussed at the last stage of the Cyprus talks; He will convey to UN a letter by Turkish Cypriot physicians on Cyprus’ hydrocarbon resources  
Turkish Cypriot daily Haberdar newspaper (05.09.13) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu has said that the territory is the chapter which will be discussed at the last stage of the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. Responding to a question yesterday during a meeting with the Turkish Cypriot Physicians’ Union, Eroglu alleged: “We have persuaded the UN Secretary-General and we have managed to include in the registers of the United Nations that the issue of the territory will be discussed at the very last stage, after an agreement is reached on the other issues”.

Eroglu said that a step on this issue was taken at the Geneva meeting [between the community leaders and the UN Secretary-General] where criteria had been put. He alleged that the discussion of the territory before the other issues are solved, would worry the people and cause many difficulties.

Alleging that in this case the existing economic difficulties could increase, Eroglu claimed that during the negotiations on the territory issue “a path which will satisfy the Turkish Cypriots as well and not only the Greek Cypriots should be followed”. 

Eroglu alleged that the statements by President Anastasiades on the territory were made in an effort to “get rid of the ‘yes’ vote to the Annan Plan”. He went on and reiterated the allegation that the discussion of the territory after an agreement is reached on the other issues and before a four-party or a five-party summit, was a proposal accepted by the UN Secretary-General. 

Eroglu said that the issue of energy is one of the important subjects in Eastern Mediterranean and “sensitivity should be shown” on this issue.

Arguing that most of the times the wars in the Middle East happened because of the oil, Eroglu alleged that he does not wish this to happen and claimed that the matter could be settled without a problem in case the Greek Cypriots “act in harmony with the sensitivities which have been put forward”.

Eroglu reiterated that the Turkish side had proposed through the UN Secretary-General that Cyprus’ hydrocarbon resources should be marketed over Turkey, even without finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, but the Greek Cypriots rejected this proposal. Eroglu argued that he worries that the “waters in the Mediterranean will be warmed up” because of the dialogue and the military maneuvers of the Greek Cypriots with Israel. 

Noting that former President Christofias had stated that the Turkish Cypriots have also rights on the Cypriot natural gas, Eroglu alleged that if President Anastasiades continues to have the same mentality there will be no problem.

Eroglu said that a chapter on Cyprus’ natural resources will exist in the negotiations which will resume in October after their visit to New York.
Meanwhile, the Physicians’ Union gave a letter to Eroglu on Cyprus’ hydrocarbon resources asking from him to convey it to the UN.  Eroglu promised that he would convey the letter the soonest.
(I/Ts.) 

2. Ozgurgun: expecting an agreement on the Cyprus problem is a “very naïve expectation”  
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (05.09.13) reports that the Huseyin Ozgurgun, leader of the National Unity Party (UBP), has alleged that expecting an agreement on the Cyprus problem is “a very naïve expectation”. In statements to Turkish Anatolia news agency yesterday, Ozgurgun recalled that he had worked on the Cyprus problem both as self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus and as a member of the Council of Europe.

Describing as “figment of the imagination” the expectation for an agreement of “two founding states with equal status”, Ozgurgun alleged that the Greek Cypriots say it clearly that “the Republic of Cyprus exists” and that they could give “one or two minority rights” to the Turkish Cypriots. “Neither the Turkish Cypriots nor Turkey could accept such agreement”, he said and added, inter alia, the following: “I know that the south [Translator’s note: this is how he describes the Republic of Cyprus] will not go further than this point. For which agreement we are taking about in such environment? The Cyprus problem is not on the world’s agenda…”

Referring to the newly established so-called “coalition government”, Ozgurgun argued that the Republican Turkish Party – United Forces (CTP- BG) and the Democratic Party – National Forces (DP-UG) “have established a government only for the sake of establishing a government”. Noting that the Turkish Cypriots have “serious problems”, Ozgurgun argued that the new “government” started its term of duty with a “very dangerous game” by saying that “if we fail, this will happen because Turkey does not want us”. He went on and said: “However, they have already been in the government for four months. Did Turkey not help? Therefore this government is a government which is born dead”. 

Ozgurgun argued also that the self-styled deputy prime minister and chairman of the DP-UG, Serdar Denktas has never accepted that the strongest and most fundamental party of the right is the UBP and added that if Denktas had accepted this there would have been a unification of his party with the UBP. “His worry is to become leader of the right and leader of the country”, he said referring to Denktas adding that “a leader occurs spontaneously, not in this manner”.

Ozgurgun said that the UBP has entered into a period of restructuring after the “elections” of the 28th of July, that they are a strong party and that their door is open to everyone.

Referring to the Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu, he noted that those who say that Eroglu is not an UBP member are distorting reality. Expressing their respect to Eroglu, he said that as the “main opposition” party they will be positively consulting and cooperating with Eroglu. 
(I/Ts.) 

3. Columnist assesses why the territory issue is a headache for the Turkish side in the negotiations
Writing in Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (05.09.13), Esref Cetinel refers to the information that the Greek Cypriot side wants the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem to resume with the territory issue in October and reports, inter alia, the following:

“…There is no handicap, but after that there will be no reason which will necessitate the negotiations, because when the territory issue is discussed the Greek Cypriot properties’ in the north and the Turkish Cypriot properties’ in the south ‘exchange, compensation, and return to their first owner and the redetermination of the north-south borders will come onto the agenda…”

Cetinel argues that these issues will require work which will take years and because the constitutional issues will be postponed, the Greek Cypriots will use the fact that they are internationally recognized and “continue being the only state on the island”.

“…Moreover, because the ‘territory’ issue will be at the table, both Nicosia’s and Ankara’s field of making political maneuvers will become totally narrow”, he says adding: “However, let us accept that we will have a very big headache with the negotiations on the territory which we will not be able to avoid one day”. 

According to Cetinel, deadlocks will be created, because since 1974 the occupied Greek Cypriot properties have been distributed and passed from the one hand to the other. He goes on and says, inter alia, the following:

“…While on the one hand the looting of properties of the Greek Cypriots in the north, which was and should have been considered ‘illegal’, was continuing, on the other hand these illegalities have been legalized in time with title deeds given by the state!

The sacredness and the justice of the 1974 peace operation [Translator’s note: this is how he describes the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus] was greatly shadowed by this ‘indecency and looting’ which included those who seized Greek Cypriot property by saying that they were holders of right in spite of the fact that they had sold their property in the south and those who came from Turkey who had been thoughtlessly given houses and land…

We have written this many times after 1974. When you distribute, as if it is an auction, Greek Cypriot properties to citizens except for our refugees from the south, who were holders of right, at least put the following legal restriction: ‘for any reason it cannot be sold, transferred, and allotted to others without permission’. Why we were thinking like that? Because the Greek Cypriot properties obtained after 1974 belonged to the state…”

Explaining how they secured unjust profits from the occupied Greek Cypriot properties, Cetinel says: “…They invented the points! They gave title deeds! They allotted villages, lands to people dislocated from Turkey and afterwards they issued title deeds for them. And they [Translator’s note: the Turkish settlers] sold them and transferred them for few money. Have the properties of the Greek Cypriots become unearned income? …

And let us ask now: who has the right to sell whose property? Moreover, how these title deeds have been given to people who have not shed even a single drop of sweat on this land? It is known that during the past few months, more than 70 thousand citizens from Turkey left the TRNC. When they left, what have they done with these properties for which they had title deeds? If they sold them and transferred them, could it not be asked with what right they did this?  Because some people transfer to Turkey what they have been earning for 40 years here, they have negatively influenced the accumulation of capital in the country…”
(I/Ts.)  

4. BKP: recent promotions in the “police” showed the existence of a militarist regime in occupied Cyprus    
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (05.09.13) reports that Izzet Izcan, chairman of the United Cyprus party (BKP), has said that the developments as regards the recent promotions in the “police” “are an indication of the irregularity in the country and militarist regime” which is dominated by the army. In a written statement issued yesterday, Izcan noted that the promotions were made in an “unjust and arbitrary manner” and that the self-styled government had no say in these. “The developments regarding the promotions in police show who possesses power in the country”, he added, noting that the “government” has no power to impose sanctions on the “police”.

Recalling that the “police” are bound to the “security forces command”, Izcan expressed the view that it is absolutely necessary for the “police” to be bound to civilian “authority” and described as “inability” the statement made by self-styled prime minister Yorganciolu who said that those who feel that have been unjustly treated should apply to “court”. He said that the “government” should make the necessary amendments in the “constitution” and remove the director of the “police” from his duties.

Kibris (05.09.13) reports also that referring to the same issue, Cemal Ozyigit, general secretary of the Social Democracy Party (TDP), said that the developments showed once more that it is absolutely necessary to secure the transfer of power to the civilians and democratization in the “country”. In a statement issued yesterday, Ozyigit noted that the “police” is bound to the “prime minister’s office” only on paper and described as unacceptable the fact that the “prime minister” was not aware of the promotions.
(I/Ts.)       

5. International Conference on New Directions in Business to be held in occupied Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (05.09.13) reports that the Communication and Economic Faculty of the illegal Eastern Mediterranean University (DAU) is organizing the 2013 International Conference on New Directions in Business, Management, Finance and Economics.

The conference will take place between 12-14 of September in occupied Cyprus.

According to the paper 111 participants from the following countries will participate in the conference: Turkey, Iran, North Africa, Albania, Check Republic, Jordan, Leetonia, Libya, Malaysia, Slovakia and Thailand.

6. European Association of Plastic Surgeons chairman  to participate in Turkish Cypriot Plastic Reconstruction Surgical congress
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (05.09.13) reports that the 11th Congress of the Turkish Cypriot Plastic Reconstruction Surgical Union will be held in Acapulco Hotel in occupied Keryneia between 12-15 of September.

According to the paper, the chairman of the European Association of Plastic Surgeons will participate in the congress. His name is not mentioned.

7. Turkish PM Erdogan arrives in Russia; he slams Putin over Syria ahead of G-20 talks
Ankara Anatolia news agency (05.09.13) reports that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Saint Petersburg, Russia on Wednesday to participate in G20 meetings scheduled to begin on Thursday.

Turkish PM Erdogan is welcomed by Turkey's Russia Ambassador Aydin Sezgin and other officials. Deputy PM Ali Babacan, Treasury Minister Mehmet Simsek, AK Party Deputy Chairman Mevlut Cavusoglu, and Prime Ministry Undersecretary Efkan Ala accompany Turkish PM Erdogan.

World leaders from most developed 20 countries will participate in meetings to discuss the economic outlook on Thursday, but the real agenda is expected to focus on the probable intervention in Syria. During the meetings, The Turkish premier is expected to hold talks with US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the latest developments in Syria. Turkey is in favor of punitive strike against the Syrian regime for its use of chemical gas against civilians.

In addition, Turkish daily Zaman newspaper (05.09.13) reports that Erdogan has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to rule out military action against the Syrian regime if it is proved to be responsible for a chemical attack as too little, too late in the face of the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

When reporters questioned him on the latest Syrian developments, Erdogan said he has been having difficulty understanding Putin's statement that Russia could act with the West if presented with convincing evidence that the Assad regime carried out a chemical attack that killed over 1,300 people.

“You will kill people with planes and this won't be a crime. But when you kill with chemicals, then this is a crime. First we should decide if killing is a crime or not. … You won't call the killing of 100,000 people a crime, but when 1,300 or 130 people are killed, you say you will stand by the UN if the use of chemical weapons is proven. This strikes me as odd,” Erdogan said, stressing that the Syrian civil war drew the attention of the international community only after the chemical attack.

Reiterating that Turkey has no doubt that chemical weapons were used in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Erdogan said that the whole world had seen the footage of little children's dead bodies. “If you watch the footage [of the children] carefully, you can see that there is no blood or bullet wound and realize they were killed by chemical bombs. The Syrian regime approved the use of chemicals but put the blame on the opposition,” Erdogan said, arguing that there is no need to debate whether chemical weapons were used in Syria.

The Turkish Prime Minister said that US President Barack Obama's decision to request congressional approval for military action in Syria could be seen as an “internal policy decision” and a sign of Obama's confidence.

Several Turkish dailies, citing statements from Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, reported on Tuesday that the meeting between Putin and Erdogan will be a “brief talk.”

Erdogan also addressed Syria's threat of armed retaliation against Turkey. Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister, Faisal Miqdad, said recently that if the intervention goes ahead, Syria would strike not only Israel but also Jordan and Turkey.

Erdogan said: “Syria is suffering from a serious management problem. I have no idea what the Assad [regime] relies on while making such statements. Turkey is ready for a possible attack. Is Syria ready for such a thing? I don't know.”

8. Turkey sends military reinforcements to Syrian border
Turkish daily Today's Zaman newspaper (05.09.13) reports that the Turkish military dispatched additional troops and weapons to the Syrian border on Wednesday as international powers are set to gather at the G-20 summit over the weekend to discuss a possible Syria intervention.

Reinforcement units were sent from a military command in the southern province of Gaziantep to Kilis province, bordering Syria. The military convoy, which was escorted by the police, arrived in Kilis on Wednesday afternoon.

The decision to send additional troops to the border is believed to be related to a consignment of live ammunition that exploded as it was being smuggled into Turkey on Tuesday, killing six people along the border with Syria.

The Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) has built a field hospital and decontamination unit near the Oncupınar border gate on Syrian border in the southern province of Kilis to handle with possible chemical threats from Syria, which is known to have a large arsenal of chemical weapons.

A group of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) specialists, who work within AFAD, have been deployed in the region with necessary technical equipment, writes the paper.

9. Turkish FM calls for more international support for Syrian refugees who reached half a million in Turkey
Ankara Anatolia news agency (04.09.13) reports that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and foreign ministers of Syrian neighboring countries called for 'more international support' for Syrian refugees.

Foreign ministers of Syrian neighboring countries, which shelter Syrian refugees, held a press conference at UN Geneva Office after they had convened at UN Refugee Agency.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that hundred percent of the Syrian refugees escaped from attacks of Assad regime and the UN's investigation committee waited for four days so as to enter the region where chemical weapons were used, and the Assad regime continued to bomb to destroy the evidences in the region.

In addition, Turkish daily Zaman newspaper (05.09.13) reports that the total number of Syrian, refugees who have entered Turkey since the start of the conflict in Syria has climbed to over 500,000, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

 “The number of Syrian refugees in Turkey has exceeded 500,000. Over 200,000 Syrians are currently being hosted in the 20 temporary sheltering centers located in 20 provinces,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, via its official Twitter account Sept. 4.

The Foreign Ministry also said that 45,000 Syrian students were going to school in Turkey according to official data. “A total of 5,638 Syrian babies were born in our sheltering centers,” the ministry also said.

10. Turkey sends envoy back to Egypt
Ankara Anatolia news agency (04.09.13) reports that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey had recalled its ambassador to Egypt, Huseyin Avni Botsali, to discuss the Egyptian crisis, adding that Botsali would currently return to Egypt, "but if anything unexpected comes up in Egypt, we will assess his recalling again."

Before departing for Russia's St. Petersburg to attend the G-20 Summit meeting, Turkish PM Erdogan held a press conference at Esenboga Airport in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Turkey's ambassador to Egypt had previously been recalled to Ankara to discuss recent developments in the Egyptian crisis following the military coup on July 3 which ousted Egypt's first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi.

Responding to the question "Is there any normalization in relations between Egypt and Turkey?," Erdogan stressed that they had recalled Turkish Ambassador in Cairo Botsali to negotiate the recent status of the Egyptian crisis.

"We did not take a step to close our embassy in Cairo, but only to discuss what has been going on, what has been done and what will happen in Egypt," he said.

Erdogan also highlighted that if anything unexpected comes up in Egypt, they would assess recalling the ambassador again.

 Touching on the upcoming Egypt visit of a delegation from Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Turkish Premier Erdogan said, "there is nothing CHP could do, either in Iraq or Egypt."

Turkish Premier Erdogan noted that the CHP delegation could merely share its experiences with Egyptian officials by saying "we made a military coup like this before, we backed such coups" and by speculating on the distinction between military coups and civilian ones.

11. Main Order of Ecumenical Patriarchate criticizing the possible reconversion of the Hagia Sophia Museum into a mosque
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (05.09.13) reports that the Order of St. Andreas the Apostle Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate released a statement criticizing the possible reconversion of the Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul into a mosque.

The statement said that there was a possibility of the “church-turned-mosque-turned-museum” in Istanbul being reconverted into a mosque, as two previous cases of Hagia Sophia churches that were recently in İznik and Trabzon.

“There are now indications that certain factions are endeavoring to cultivate in popular opinion the notion that Haghia Sophia of Istanbul, the symbol of Christian faith, should be turned into a mosque,” said the statement released by the Order of St. Andreas, written by Nikolaos Manginas.

The statement recalled that a Turkish citizen had submitted an application a few months ago to the National Assembly for the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate also criticized an article published in the official magazine of Turkish Airlines, Skylife, in August 2013, which was titled, “Hagia Sophia: The Sultans’ Mosque,” and which mentioned the return of the museum into its former “spiritual aura,” referring to its days of serving as a mosque. The statement further said that the article presented the history from a one-sided point of view and that it was not acceptable.
                                  
“The selective presentation of the Church’s true history, a history that transformed nations and cultures, is unacceptable,” the Ecumenical Patriarchate added.







 TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION