12/5/15

TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW



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


No. 86/15                                                                                                       12.05.15
1. The dinner between the two leaders in Cyprus held last night at Ledra Palace
2. Nami resigned from his post as “foreign minister”
3. Cavusoglu: Turkey will always be a step ahead as regards the Cyprus problem
4. Columnist for Davutoglu’s statement: Every road they connect from Anatolia to Keryneia leads to new tragedies in Cyprus  
5. The Committee for Missing Persons met with the UNSG
6. Turkey and EU to renew Customs Union agreement
7. Political parties represented in Turkey’s Parliament won’t attend Evren’s funeral

1.The dinner between the two leaders in Cyprus held last night at Ledra Palace
Under the title “A good beginning”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (12.05.15) reports about the dinner between the two Cypriot leaders NicosAnastasiades and Mustafa Akinci which took place yesterday at Ledra Palace Hotel and was hosted by UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser for Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide. Anastasiades and Akinci were accompanied by their negotiators, Mavroyiannis and Nami and according to the paper it was conducted in a very positive atmosphere.

The dinner lasted for 2 hours and 15 minutes and the two leaders decided for the re-launching of the Cyprus negotiations on May 15.

The paper writes that commenting on the dinner, Eide stated that the two leaders developed and shared the vision for the future of Cyprus and that in the spirit of the Joint Declaration of the 11th of February 2014, they agreed that it was important to use the momentum created and this new opportunity to move forward without delay.

The paper also writes that Akinci twitted about the dinner noting: “I think that we had a good meeting with Anastasiades and we made a good start”.
(CS)

2. Nami resigned from his post as “foreign minister”
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 11.05.15), OzdilNami has resigned from his position as “foreign minister”. Nami handed to the self-styled prime ministerOzkanYorgancioglu his letter of resignation on Monday afternoon.

In a statement to “BRT”, Nami said: “After accepting the duty of the negotiator, I’ve announced that I will resign from the ministry. Within the framework of my last duties as a foreign minister, I paid a visit to Germany”.  He also thanked all the personnel at the “ministry” for their contribution and work, adding that he will focus in the negotiations in order to be successful. 
(DPs)

3.Cavusoglu: Turkey will always be a step ahead as regards the Cyprus problem
Turkish Cypriot daily Dialog newspaper (12.05.15) reports that the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that Cyprus will always be a step ahead from everyone as regards the Cyprus problem and added that Turkey wants a permanent two-state solution.Cavusglu made these statements speaking to TRT.

Evaluating the agreement signed by Cyprus, Egypt and Greece, during the summit taken place in the end of April, Cavusoglu claimed that it does not make sense from the geographical, physical and legal point of view and added that an agreement signed in Eastern Mediterranean in which Turkey does not take part is not valid. “Because we criticize the Egypt government, we consider this act by Greece and the Greek administration to be a childish action”, he said.
(CS)

4. Columnist for Davutoglu’s statement: Every road they connect from Anatolia to Keryneia leads to new tragedies in Cyprus  
Turkish Cypriot columnist Mehmet Levent assesses in Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper today (12.05.15) the statement made by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutogluwho referring to the project of carrying water from Turkey to the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus has said that“we are connecting another road from Anatolia to Keryneia”.

Under the title “Look those who will make peace”, Levent notes that “now they are connecting another road as if the road they had connected in 1974 and the chain of tragedies it wrapped around Cyprus and the Cypriots were few”. The columnist adds, inter alia, the following:

“[…] They say that they will bring water here. Do you know what will happen if they succeed in doing this? The water that they will bring will poison every one of us. Just like they always insult and humiliate us saying ‘we have rescued you, we cut off from Anatolia people’s bread and nourish you’. This time they will say: ‘We are the ones who provide you even with water and you are being ungrateful without being ashamed?’

They say that they will connect another road from Mersin to Keryneia! Every road which they connected and which they will connect is nothing else than a jet black and rusty dagger sunk into the chest of peace and the solution!

And on the other side, they, without being ashamed, expect [good] will and steps from the Greek Cypriots for a solution! […] They say that they want a solution, but the Greek Cypriots should also want this… Do you know what their solution is? The legalization of all the illegal fait accompli they have created in North Cyprus, which they keep under military and civilian occupation for forty years, by disregarding the international law and the human rights. That is, the approval of the occupation law and conditions with new international agreements!

Look at those who will make peace and solution in Cyprus. They are connecting another road from Keryneia to Anatolia! Every road which they connect leads to new tragedies in this island! Let no one doubt about it […]
(I/Ts.)

5. The Committee for Missing Persons met with the UNSG
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 11.05.15), members of the Committee for Missing Persons in Cyprus have met with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The Turkish Cypriot member Gulden PlumerKucuk, the Greek Cypriot member NestorasNestoros and the third member of the Committee met with the UN Chief in New York.

The Secretary General was briefed on the activities and work carried out by the Committee.

An agreement was reached for the preface of a book to be published by the Committee later this year to be written by the UN Secretary General and for the book to be promoted at the UN headquarters in New York. The book is being written by British author Rory Maclean.

As part of its contacts in New York, the delegation also met with the UN Secretary General’s Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffery Feltman and the Director of the UN Department of Political Affairs’ Europe Division, Elizabeth Spehar.

Speaking to the TAK news agency Mrs Kucuk said that the Committee has become a model for other countries in the Middle East. She said that work had been launched to share their experiences with Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and countries in the Balkans.

6. Turkey and EU to renew Customs Union agreement
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency (12.05.15), Turkish Economy Minister NihatZeybekci said on Monday that Turkey and the EU will sign a comprehensive agreement on Tuesday for the renewal of the Customs Union Agreement.

Zeybekci said: "As Turkish Government, we clearly conveyed to the EU that the Customs Union Agreement will be unsustainable if the agreement is not be updated or the demands of the Turkish government will not be satisfied. The negotiations have started since then."

According to Zeybekci, the four items that both EU and Turkish sides have agreed to are:

1. Turkey will take part in any decision making mechanism.

2. Turkey will be automatically part of any free trade agreement signed between the EU and third countries.

3. The EU will remove all obstacles and tariffs that obstruct the free movement of the Turkish goods in the EU market within the scope of the Customs Union Agreement.

4. The EU will include the agriculture, the service sector and public procurement which were excluded in 1996.

"This will be the first step of the most comprehensive renewal of the agreement", Zeybekci added.

Turkey has been a candidate country to join the EU since 1999. According to the European Commission website, the EU is Turkey's number one import and export partner while Turkey ranks seventh and fifth in the EU's top import and export markets, respectively. Turkey's exports to the EU stood at $68.5 billion and its imports from the bloc at $88.7 billion in 2014.

7. Political parties represented in Turkey’s Parliament won’t attend Evren’s funeral
Under the title “Turkey’s convicted coup leader to have state funeral: Turkish military”, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 11.05.15) reported that Turkey’s General Staff has announced that a state funeral for KenanEvren, the country’s former coup leader and seventh President who died late on May 9, will be held at the “protocol mosque” of Ankara on May 12.

All four political parties represented in parliament, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), have already announced that they won’t join the funeral and the military ceremony.

Chief of General Staff Gen. NecdetOzel will be absent, too, as he is on sick leave, though the other four forces commanders are expected to be present at the ceremony.

The government has stayed largely silent so far with no official condolence messages released. Ministers, however, have taken conflicting positions.

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