TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No. 142/15 30.07.2015
1.Bilgic: “A comprehensive solution to be found in
Cyprus will also settle any issues related to natural resources in the island”
2. Burcu: “The media is misleading the public”
3.
Reports that the Independent Property Committee is already established and
secretly operates
4.Ozgurgun:
Removing the guarantees altogether is out of the question
5. Tatar calls Akinci to brief the public about the
negotiation talks
6.
Talat said that his aim is not to be a “deputy”
7. Akıncı met with the Portuguese Ambassador
8. Birikim Ozgur: “Turkey is our guest in Cyprus”
9.
The Turkish Cypriot side is satisfied with the halloumi/hellim application
10. FIFA
ruled that the illegal YDU basketball team cannot play its home matches in the
breakaway regime
11. Arınc to a female HDP Deputy: “Shut up as a woman”
1.Bilgic: “A comprehensive solution to be found in
Cyprus will also settle any issues related to natural resources in the island”
According to illegal Bayrak television (30.07.15) the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said that
a comprehensive solution to be found in Cyprus will also settle any issues
related to natural resources in and around the island.
Speaking
at a daily press briefing, the Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Tanju Bilgic
responded to a question regarding the agreement reached between the “Greek
Cypriot Administration”, as the Republic of Cyprus is called and Israel on the
issue of hydrocarbons.
Stating
that a comprehensive solution to be found to the Cyprus problem will also bring
about a solution to the hydrocarbon crisis, Bilgic said: “Any formula to be
reached on the exploitation of natural resources before a settlement is reached,
must take into account the equal and fundamental rights of the Turkish
Cypriots.”
2.Burcu: “The media is misleading the public”
According to illegal Bayrak (29.07.15) the so-called
presidential spokesman Barıs Burcu has answered claims in the media against the
Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı that he had remained quiet as regards to
the issue of compensation, exchange and reinstatement on the property issue at
the last leaders’ meeting on Monday.
“Wrong evaluations are taking place in the media. The
statement read out by the UN Envoy at the end of the leaders meeting is not his
own but a joint statement agreed upon by Akıncı and the leader of the Greek
Cypriot Administration Nicos Anastasiades”, said Burcu.
He added that to create an impression that Akıncı
remained quiet was misleading. “It was agreed upon by the two sides that
information regarding the leaders meeting would be presented to the public by
the UN. We are trying to stay true to this agreement”, Burcu said and added
that not everything that comes out in the Greek Cypriot press is true.
Burcu pointed out that Akıncı gave great importance to
transparency, candour and information sharing.
He further noted that the “president” will show the
necessary sensitivity towards this issue and that no one should doubt this.
3.Reports
that the Independent Property Committee is already established and secretly
operates
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper
(30.07.75) writes that the Property
Committee the establishment of which was announced during the last meeting
between the two Cypriots leaders in Cyprus, has been already established and
has been operating secretly for the last month.
The paper writes that the establishment of the
committee was announced by Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Espen
Barth Eidewho said that an Independent Property Commission comprised of an
equal number of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot members will be mandated to
resolve property claims based on mutually agreed criteria.
Citing information by trusted sources, the paper
writes that the Turkish Cypriot members are Layik Mesutoglu, Ayla Gurel, Ayten
Erkmen, Sulen Karabacak, Mete Hatay and Romans Mapolar while the name of the
former Minister of Foreign Affair of the Republic of Cyprus, Erato Kozakou
Markoullis is said to be one of the members of the Greek Cypriot team.
(CS)
4.Ozgurgun:
Removing the guarantees altogether is out of the question
According
to illegal BRT television (online, 30.07.15), the leader of the National Unity
Party Huseyin Ozgurgun has said that they want to be informed about
developments in the Cyprus negotiations process on a daily basis.
Speaking
on “BRT’s morning show”, the UBP leader said that they want to be informed
first hand on the current developments because failure to do so results in the
emergence of speculative reports on both sides.
Touching upon the issue of
property which has been at the centre of debate over the past few days,
Ozgurgun said that in principle they are against the watering down of the
property criteria. He noted that reinstating
too much property to former owners will remove the bi-zonal structure of a
settlement which in return will be against the spirit of the agreement to be
reached. “It would be best to settle
most cases through compensation and exchange and to limit the choice of
reinstatement or restitution”, Ozgurgun claimed.
He
also stressed that the issue of property cannot be discussed independently of
Governance and Power Sharing or the issue of territory.
On the issue of guarantees,
Ozgurgun said that it is the Turkish Cypriot “people” that need Turkey’s
security guarantees. “I’m not saying that the issue cannot be opened to debate
but removing the guarantees altogether is out of the question”, he said.
The
UBP leader, however, pointed out that the guarantees system can be scrapped one
day once a settlement is reached if the new partnership state matures and the
new conditions allow it.
“It
is out of the question for the UBP to accept an agreement that waters down the
bi-zonal structure of the new state and which does not recognize the political
equality of the two people and Turkey’s effective guarantee” Ozgurgun
concluded.
On
the issue of the new coalition government, the UBP leader said that the first
principle in the coalition government protocol is that both parties will have
an equal say and responsibility in the administration of the “country”. He said
that both parties needed to agree, support and implement the decisions taken by
the “cabinet”.
5.Tatar calls Akinci to brief the public about the
negotiation talks
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (29.07.15)
reported that the “deputy” with the National Unity Party (UBP) Ersin Tatar has
said that recent statements by the UNSG Special Advisor Espen Barth Eide and the “presidential spokesman” Baris Burcu are
paving the way for worries that developments may be against the interests of
the Turkish Cypriots.
Tatar stressed that is important Turkish Cypriot
leader Mustfa Akinci to briefthe “government” and more importantly the Turkish
Cypriot public about the latest developments on the Cyprus negotiation talks.
Tatar said it is important to know that the
bi-zonality is not watered down, that the agreement to be reached is in the
framework of the EU primary law and that Turkey’s effective guarantees would
continue.
6.
Talat said that his aim is not to be a “deputy”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Havadis (30.07.15) reports that the leader of the Republican
Turkish Party and former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, in an
interview to the paper, said that he has two goals. He wants to contribute to
the reconstruction of the “country” and CTP. He explained that his aim is not
to be a “deputy”, but to work in a serious way for the development of the
“country” and his party.
Asked
to comment on his relations with Turkey, Talat said that since he was elected
as a CTP leader he has not met with any official from Turkey. However, he said
that from September they will start the protocol meetings.
Asked
to comment if he is scared for his political future because of the cooperation
with the National Unity Party (UBP) to establish a “coalition government”,
Talat said that his political future is not important, the future of the
“country” is important. He also said that he has not had any problem until now
with the UBP.
(DPs)
7.Akıncı met with the Portuguese Ambassador
According to illegal Bayrak (29.07.15) the Turkish
Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı met on Thursday with the Portuguese Ambassador to
Cyprus Dr. Joao Perestrello who has been serving on the island since September
2013.
Amongst other things, the latest developments in the
Cyprus negotiations process were discussed at the meeting which was closed to
the press.
No statement was issued before or after the meeting.
Under the front-page title: “Turkey is our guest in Cyprus”, Turkish daily Haberal Kibrisli (30.07.15) publishes an exclusive
interview by Birikim Ozgurn “deputy” with the Republican Turkish Party-United
Forces, who has stated, inter alia,
that Turkey is their guest in Cyprus.“This is not permanent, it is something
temporary. We will continue to have them as a guest, in order for the Turkish
Cypriots to gain political equality in case of a solution, in order to observe
the Turkish-Greece balance in a possible solution and also to secure that the
solution formula to be found will not be contrary to Turkey’s strategic
interest. We should carry out politics by taking into consideration these
realities”, he stated.
(AK)
9.
The Turkish Cypriot side is satisfied with the halloumi/hellim application
Turkish
daily Milliyet (online, 30.07.15), under the title “The peace of
halloumi/hellim”, refers to the announcement published by the EU on Tuesday
regarding the application for registering the names halloumi and hellim to be
produced in the whole territory of Cyprus.
The
paper also reports that the halloumi/hellim issue was one of the main issues of
the meeting between the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude
Juncker and the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, in his recent visit to
Brussels.
According
to the paper, the export of halloumi/hellim product from the occupied area of
the Republic of Cyprus is 5 thousand tons per year; while the exports from the
government controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus is 20 thousand tons per
year. While the halloumi/hellim is sold 5 dollars per kg in “North Cyprus”, it
is sold 6.50 euro per kilo in the “South Cyprus”. With the registration of the
product, the selling prices will be equalized.
The
“chairman” of the “Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry” (“KTSO”) Ali Cirali,
speaking to the paper, said that EU Commission’s decision is a very positive
step for the Turkish Cypriot economy. He added that the Turkish Cypriot side is
very satisfied and explained that after this decision, the halloumi/hellim
product will only be produced in Cyprus and not in Germany, Britain or Turkey.
Speaking
also to the paper, the Turkish Cypriot economist Necdet Ergun said that with
the registration of halloumi/hellim the price will also be increased. Noting
that the halloumi/hellim is a secret treasure, Ergun said that sheep and goat
breeding should be increased in “North Cyprus”, adding that the halloumi/hellim
will be a brand as the parmezan cheese is in Italy. He concluded by saying that
the halloumi/hellim registration will be a huge economy gain.
(DPs)
10. FIFA
ruled that the illegal YDU basketball team cannot play its home matches in the
breakaway regime
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (30.07.15)
reports that Harun Erdenay, the chairman of the Basketball Federation of Turkey
stated that for this year it is not possible for the basketball team of illegal
Near East University (YDU) to have its “home matches” taking place in the
breakaway regime. The basketball team of YDU is participating in the university
basketball league of Turkey.
Erdenay, who made these statements during an illegal
visit in the occupied area of Cyprus, stated that the decision for this
development was taken by FIFA, adding that as
long as the “TRNC” is not recognized, it is not possible for matches to take
place in the occupied area of Cyprus. He also stressed that FIFA decisions
cannot be revised.
(CS)
11.Arınc to a female HDP Deputy: “Shut up as a
woman”
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (29.07.15-online in
English) reported that Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arınc has told a female Deputy
from the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), who heckled him during a speech in
Parliament, to “shut up as a woman” in remarks that drew protest from women.
“Lady shut up,” Arınc told HDP’s Nursel Aydogan, who
responded to the Deputy Prime Minister as he was delivering a speech on
Wednesday during an extraordinary session held to discuss a proposal related
with the recent terror incidents. After Aydogan continued her reaction, Arınc
told her to “shut up as a woman.”
His remarks drew strong criticism from female
lawmakers in Parliament with HDP deputy Pervin Buldan calling on Arınc to
apologize to Aydogan as well as to all other female Deputies.
“It’s the expression of his subconscious. Arınc told a
Deputy to ‘shut up as a woman’. She could have spoken if she had been a man,”
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Aylin Nazlıaka said on Twitter.
A group of female Deputies from the CHP also held a
press conference calling on Arınc to apologize over his "sexist"
remarks.
Arinc clarified his remarks later in the day on
Twitter, saying his statements were “uttered as a requirement of parliamentary
discipline.”
Arınc also drew criticism from women last year when he
urged women not to laugh in public to "protect moral values."
(…)
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(AK/ AM)
