27/10/15

TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW





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


No. 204/15                                                                                        27.10.2015

1. Akinci met with UN official Ladsous
2. Burcu refers to the meeting between the negotiators and replies to statements by the Government Spokesman
3. Former Minister and AKP candidate alleges that Turkey is stronger in Cyprus after the transfer of water to the occupied area 
4. A survey shows that the inhabitants of occupied Yialousa village oppose to the solution of the Cyprus problem
5. The number of Turkish voters in the breakaway regime revealed
6. New ‘law” regarding the political parties in the occupied area of Cyprus
7. Gezici survey: The UBP congress will hold a second round of voting
8. Information about the number of students in the breakaway regime
9. Turkish Cypriot doctors: “You cannot find solutions appropriate for the country by following instructions coming from overseas”   
10. EmineDizdarli the new “ombudswoman”
11. Erdogan: Counterterrorism ops to run after election
12. Demirtas: PKK must abandon their arms
13. Assailants open fire in front of CHP headquarters in Ankara


1. Akinci met with UN official Ladsous
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 26.10.15), Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met yesterday with the UN-Under Secretary General for Peace Keeping Operations HerveLadsous and his accompanied delegation at Akinci’s office.

Speaking after the meeting, Ladsous said that the aim of his visit is to exchange views with the two leaders and their teams on the Cyprus talks.

He said that the UN through the UN Good Missions Office and the Peacekeeping Forces is working in coordination with the two sides on confidence building measures including the clearance of land mines. He added that they will continue to work with the same determination. The UN official also stressed that the UN will continue to strongly support the Cyprus talks.

The UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Lisa Buttenheim was also present at the meeting.

2. Burcu refers to the meeting between the negotiators and replies to statements by the Government Spokesman
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (27.10.15) reports that the Turkish Cypriot negotiator, OzdilNami and the Greek Cypriot negotiator, Andreas Mavroyiannis held a full day meeting yesterday within the framework of the Cyprus talks.

In statement to illegal TAK news agency, BarisBurcu, spokesman of the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, said that the negotiators held an “exercise” on the property issue and decided to share again this exercise after the evaluation to be made by each side separately.

Burcu noted that the property was not the only issue discussed. He said that ErhanErcin, “undersecretary” at the self-styled foreign ministry and head of the “EU working group”, held “fruitful discussions” on the issue of agriculture together with representatives of the EU.

According to Burcu, some members of the committee which will be created as regards the writing of the future federal laws also met yesterday and exchanged views on a working program. He said that this was a preparatory meeting on how the program of the above-mentioned committee will work in case the negotiating process advances and the turn of the writing of the federal laws comes in order.

Meanwhile, in statements to illegal Bayrak television (26.10.15), Burcu commented on statements made by the Government Spokesman, NicosChristodoulides, who had reportedly said that the Turkish Cypriot side wants permanent derogations from the EU laws and that more active participation of the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker’s Personal Representative to the Good Offices Mission of the United Nations in Cyprus, Pieter Van Nuffel in the talks will be decisive for overcoming existing problems.

Burcu said that the Joint Declaration of the 11th of February had outlined the basic framework and principles of the negotiating process and alleged: “The political equality, bizonality and bi-communality are the basic principles which need to be respected and protected”. Burcu argued that the EU laws will be implemented without harming these basic principles.

Referring to Van Nuffel’s more active participation in the meetings, Burcu claimed: “Van Nuffel is not a side at the negotiating table. He is only participating in the process to contribute to the ad-hoc committee established with the aim of preparing the Turkish Cypriot people for the EU as well as to provide technical support in the event the two sides need it”.
(I/Ts.)

3. Former Minister and AKP candidate alleges that Turkey is stronger in Cyprus after the transfer of water to the occupied area 
Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (27.10.15) reports that EfkanAla, Turkish former Minister of Interior and candidate with the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Bursa in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, has said that Turkey is stronger now in Cyprus.
In statements during one of his visits, Ala referred to the water transferred from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus and said: “[…] When Turkey achieved a climate of stability, it came to a position of solving big matters and proceeding its way. We have carried a river under the sea to Cyprus. This is the point to which our country reached today. Cyprus had always been a problem in the past and was put in front of us as such. Now we are stronger on the Cyprus issue. Now the trump cards in Cyprus passed into our hands, because we are the ones who have taken the river from Anatolia to Cyprus under the sea. Now they are condemned to us”.
(I/Ts.)

4. A survey shows that the inhabitants of occupied Yialousa village oppose to the solution of the Cyprus problem
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (27.10.15) reports that a survey held at occupied Yialousa village showed that the inhabitants do not want to abandon the area after a solution to the Cyprus problem is reached. According to the survey, which was held between 16 and 18 October 2015 by a researcher named KudretAkay using the method of face-to-face interview with 766 persons, 93% of the inhabitants do not want to move from Yialousa.

Asked to what extent they believe that achieving the solution of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal Cyprus is possible, 53% of the participants in the survey replied negatively and 33% positively.

83% said that the house in which they live was built after 1974, 83% that they “own” the house and 48% that they live in a rented house. 67% stated that they own property in the government-controlled area of the Republic and 80% that they were given an “equivalent property” in the occupied area in return of the above-mentioned property.   

47% of the respondents said that either they or their relatives of first degree had been forced to move from the places they had been living. They said that 39% come from occupied Bogazi, 29% from Alefka, 14% from Mansura, 8% from SeladitouApi and 7% from occupied Kokkina.  

86% of the participants in the survey said that they oppose to Karpasia peninsula, including Yialousa, becoming an area open for settlement for the Greek Cypriots after the solution of the Cyprus problem. 87% want the continuation of Turkey’s guarantees and 85% are in favour of the “Turkish army staying on the island in a strong manner”.

92% opposed to the return of Morfou to its legal owners for the sake of finding a solution and 96% said that they are against the return of villages in Karpasia peninsula to the Greek Cypriots.

73% of the respondents said that “the Greek Cypriots should definitely not be settled in the Turkish Cypriot area”, while 26% think that a limited number of Greek Cypriots could live in the Turkish Cypriot area.

51% of the participants in the survey said that they had voted “no” to the Annan plan and 84% noted that if the plan is submitted to a referendum with the form it had in 2004 they would vote “no”.

60% of the respondents stated that they are in favour of the rotating presidency in a federal Cyprus.

57% of the respondents described themselves as “Turkish Cypriots”, 26% as “Cypriots”, 8% as “Turks” and 7% as “Moslem Turks”.

50% said that their “country” is the “TRNC”, 29% that is Turkey and the “TRNC” and 18% that is the entire Cyprus.

60% of the participants in the survey responded that they see Turkey as their “motherland”, 20% as “guarantor power” and 7% as “brother and friendly country”. 
54% see the Greek Cypriots as “historic enemies”, 29% as “neighbors” and 14% as “Cypriots speaking a different language”.

In statements to Kibris, OzayOykun, former mayor of occupied Yialousa, said that one of the reasons for which they had conducted the survey was the information published in the Greek Cypriot press that after the solution a “special status” will be given to Yialousa. The second reason, he noted, was the fact that the Greek Cypriot refugees from Karpasia had allegedly informed the Government of the Republic that they want to return to their occupied houses, even if they do not want to do so, as a result of pressure allegedly exerted on them by the Church.

Oykun said that 1,100 “voters” live in the village and that they have collected 750 signatures saying that they do not want to return to Kokkina, Mansura and SelaitouApi.  He argued that in the UN reports it is noted that the inhabitants of Yialousa want to return to the villages which they abandoned, but this is not true. He claimed: “We do not want to leave Karpasia. We have taken roots here. We are living freely and we do not want for our tranquility to be spoiled”.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (27.10.15) reports that the inhabitants of Yialousa have sent the results of the survey and a letter with their signatures saying that they do not want to leave Karpasia to the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, the self-styled prime minister, the self-styled foreign minister, the so-called ambassador of Turkey to the occupied part of Nicosia, to the commander of the Turkish occupation forces, to the commander of the so-called security forces and to the Turkish Cypriot political parties.     
(I/Ts.)

5. The number of Turkish voters in the breakaway regime revealed
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (27.10.15) reports about the Turkish citizens who live abroad and have  the right to cast a votein their current place of residence for the forthcoming General Election to be held in Turkey on November 1 and gives information about the number of Turkish citizens who live in the occupied area of Cyprus.

According to the paper, there are 93,374 persons who have a right to vote and live in the breakaway regime but only 35,058 of them (40%) voted for the elections.
(CS)

6. New ‘law” regarding the political parties in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen newspaper (27.10.15) reports that the “law” regarding the political parties operating in the breakaway regime has been unanimously approved by the “assembly”.

According to the provisions of the new “law”, a party must secure at least 3% of votes in order to get financial aid by the “government”. The threshold for a party to enter the “assembly” remains to 5%. Under the new “law”, it will also be very difficult for a “deputy” to be transferred from one party to another. Also there must be a 30% quota for female “deputies”.  In addition at least 30 persons are needed for a party to be established. Finally, closing down a party for any reason becomes extremely difficult under the new “law”.
(CS)

7. Gezici survey: The UBP congress will hold a second round of voting
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi Daily News (online, 27.10.15) reports that according to an opinion poll conducted by the survey company Gezici, the National Unity Party (UBP) congress scheduled for this weekend will hold a second round of voting.

This weekend, there will be 7 candidates running for the leadership of the party; the congress is scheduled to span over two days – Saturday and Sunday because the party has close to 9,000 members.

The survey stresses that it is uncertain how the outcome of the congress will affect the “coalition government” of the CTP-UBP (Republican Turkish Party – National Unity Party).

In the question for whom the respondents plan to support on the 31st of October, the 36.2% replied to Huseyin Ozgurgun, the 29.1% said UnalUstel and the 21.0% responded with Ersin Tatar. The table below shows the result of the survey.

Candidates
 %
Huseyin Ozgurgun
36.2
UnalUstel
29.1
Ersin Tatar
21.0
Nazim Cavusoglu
7.3
HamzaErsan Saner
4.6
Zorlu Tore
1.8
Total
100

According to the poll, there will be a second round, because no one candidate will get 50%+ in the first round. This will mean the second round of voting will be held on the weekend of the 7th of November.

According to the conclusion of the survey, Gezici said that the attendance to the congress will be low – around 55-60%. There are around 8,500 members of the party; however 2,000 of them are not even aware that they are members and have claimed that they were registered as members without their knowledge and would not even go to vote.

According to the survey, Ozgurgun and Ustel are likely to be contesting the leadership in the second round of voting. Gezici announced that they will be holding a second survey on this and will announce the results on the 28th of October.

8.Information about the number of students in the breakaway regime
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (27.10.15) reports that the illegal Lefka University is organizing a workshop on “Democracy and Terrorism” and writes that around 40 academicians from more than 15 countries will participate in the conference.

Speaking in the conference, the chairman of the “Higher education planning evaluation accreditation and coordination council” (YODAK) HuseyinGokcekus, stated that currently 80,000 students study at the “universities” of the breakaway regime and added that 55% of them come from Turkey, 28% from 127 foreign countries and the rest are “TRNC citizens”.
(CS)

9. Turkish Cypriot doctors: “You cannot find solutions appropriate for the country by following instructions coming from overseas”   
Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (27.10.15) reports that the trade union of the Turkish Cypriot doctors (Tip-Is) went on a warning strike yesterday in all “public” hospitals and health centers in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus in order to draw attention to the problems in their health system. Tip-Is held also a protest in front of the “assembly”. Other trade unions have also expressed support to the protest, during which the participants held placards saying: “Doctors are jobless, patients are doctorless”, “Austerity in the emergency [department] kills people” and “Equal health system for all”.   

Speaking during the protest, the chairman of Tip-Is, SilaUsarIncirli said that the problems of their health system are “as old as the Cyprus problem” and accused the “officials” of not attaching importance to the “laws’ regarding the health system.  She noted that the “general health insurance” alone will not solve the problems in the “country”, as the officials are saying, and added: “You cannot find solutions appropriate for this country with instructions coming from overseas. You must find solutions in harmony to the realities of this country”.
(I/Ts.)
10. EmineDizdarli the new “ombudswoman”
According to illegal Bayrak television (online, 27.10.15), EmineDizdarlı has been approved by the so-called parliament of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus as the new “ombudswoman”.

Dizdarli had been appointed to the post by Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci earlier this year but required the approval of the so-called assembly for it to become official. Her appointment was approved by two rounds of voting.

11. Erdogan: Counterterrorism ops to run after election
According to Ankara Anatolia news agency (26.10.15), counterterrorism operations will continue after the Nov.1 general election, Turkey’s President said on Monday. “No one should expect sloppiness,” RecepTayyip Erdogan said in a speech to village leaders at the presidential palace in Ankara.

He said that Turkey equally sees the PKK, Daesh, the Syrian-Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing the People’s Protection Units (YPG) as well as the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) as terror groups.

It was the 13th meeting with village chiefs since Erdogan was elected President in August last year. He has referred to these local leaders, known as muhktars, as having “key roles in ensuring stability and safety in Turkey”.He called for the muhktars to ensure people turn out to vote on Sunday’s poll. “Voting is an honour and a virtue,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan further alleged that the country had re-established an environment of stability and safety that was “harmed after June 7”.

12. Demirtas: PKK must abandon their arms
Turkish daily Zaman newspaper (27.10.15) publishes an interview by the co-leader of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party Selahhatin Demirtas who stated that the PKK must abandon their arms.
Referring to the forthcoming general election in Turkey, Demirtas stated that his party will increase its supporters, will secure 14-15% of the votes and will elect 100 Deputies. On the June elections the party received 13% and elected 80 Deputies.

On the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Demirtas stated that it is very possible to be divided after the elections and a new party to be emerged out of it.
(CS)

13. Assailants open fire in front of CHP headquarters in Ankara
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily  News (online, 27.10.15), unknown assailants opened fire late on Oct. 26 at the Republican People’s Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara, the party’s deputy head has said.

CHP deputy head TekinBingol said that an unknown assailant sitting in the backseat of a black car opened fire five times at around 7:15 p.m. after the vehicle slowed down at the entrance door of the party’s headquarters. The car immediately left the scene following the assault, Bingol said.

Bingolfuther said that such incidents would not discourage the party from conducting its pre-election campaigning.

The Ankara Governor’s Office said an investigation to reveal the perpetrators of the incident is continuing with diligence.

Meanwhile, Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Omer Celik also condemned the incident on his Twitter account, demanding that the perpetrators be found immediately.

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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/ AM)