TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No. 209/15 04.11.2015
1.
The breakaway regime starts granting a “white card” to foreigners in the
occupied area of Cyprus
2. A conference on economic
bridges between Turkey and the “TRNC”
3.
UBP leadership candidates formed an alliance against Ozgurgun
4.
The water stopped flowing into the occupied Panagra village dam; Officials say
that there is no problem
5. Sucuoglu: “At the moment
the tourists reach 3 million, we will be a self-sufficient state”
6. Inflation
rate reached 7.39% in the occupied area of Cyprus
7.
Occupied Trikomo “mayor” off to Brussels for contacts
8.
Nokta editors before a İstanbul court over post-election cover
9. AKP is willing to take
the peace process “out of the freezer” if the PKK buries its weapons; HDP calls
for resuming of the peace process at Parliament
10.
AKP drafts timeline to form government in late November
1. The
breakaway regime starts granting a “white card” to foreigners in the occupied
area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (04.11.15)
reports that the “assembly” of the
breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus has approved the “permanent
residence permit law” and the period during which the regime will start
granting “white card” to foreigners living in the occupied area of the
island has started.
According to the paper, the “white card” will be given to the following persons:
- Foreigners,
who live continuously for six years in the occupied area of Cyrus with “work
permit” or a “permit to establish a business” or having both of these
“permits” for the same period.
- Foreigners, who have purchased a residence in the
occupied area of Cyprus the worth of which is at least 125 thousand euro and
have been granted at least a continuous six year residence “permit”.
- Foreigners, who have a guaranteed monthly income
that exceeds at least three times the minimum wage and have been granted at
least a continuous six year residence “permit”.
- The condition for a three year “permit” will be
valid for persons who have purchased a house in the occupied area of Cyprus or
have a guaranteed income and have completed the 60th year of age.
- Persons, who do not suffer from any “dangerous
disease”, have not been condemned due to a “shameful crime” and have a “healthy
life”.
- Foreign
citizens, who are born in the occupied area of Cyprus or have come to the
occupied area before becoming adults, will be granted “permanent residence
permit” in case they apply within two years from the date they have become
adults and fulfill the necessary conditions.
- The fee for the “permanent residence permit” will be
2.000 Turkish liras (TL) and the “control fee” which will be taken every two
years is 250 TL.
Referring to the
rights which those who will be granted the “white card” will have, the
paper notes that they will not be
obliged to take “work permit” every year and they will not face any problem when they exit from the occupied area of
Cyprus or when they enter into the “country”.
Every two years a control will be held as to whether
these persons work in the occupied area of Cyprus and pay “social insurances”. A “white card” holder will not have the
right to “vote and be elected”. Furthermore, a “white card” will not give
the right to its holder to establish a business in the fields of shop keeping
and craftsmanship.
Finally, the “white card” holders will have the right
to receive an “unemployment insurance wage” for six months.
Former so-called interior minister, Teberruken Ulucay
told the paper that those who will come to the island from now on will stop
expecting to take the “citizenship”. He noted that those who are already in the
island will have an easier life with taking a “white card” and in case the
necessary conditions are fulfilled after a certain period they could be granted
the “citizenship”. He said that those
who have completed living for continuous twelve years in the occupied area of
the island with a “work permit” or a “permit to establish a business” will be
able to become “citizens”.
(I/Ts.)
2. A conference on
economic bridges between Turkey and the “TRNC”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan (04.11.15) reports that a programme entitled “An economy
bridge from Turkey to the ‘TRNC’” jointly organised by the Eurasia Economic
Relations Association (EkoAvrasya), the Entire Black Sea Industrialists and
Businessmen’s Association (TUKSIAD) and the “North Cyprus Young Businessmen's
Association” (GIAD) aiming to increase the bilateral cooperation opportunities
from the economic point of view and to provide added value to the existence
economic relations between Turkey and the “TRNC” (translator’s note: the
breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) will be held
between November 4 and November 7 in the occupied area of the Republic of
Cyprus.
A
delegation with businessmen coming from Turkey will also have bilateral
meetings with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, the self-styled
assembly speaker of the breakaway regime Sibel Siber, the self-styled economy
minister Sunat Atun, the self-styled finance minister
Birikim Ozgur, the Chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO)
Fikri Toros and the chairman of the “Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry”
(KTSO) Ali Cirali.
Ceyhun
Tunali, the chairman of “GIAD”, said that he feels honour to host the
industrialists and businessmen from Turkey, adding that their efforts for a
close cooperation with Turkey, which is an important economic power in the
region, are being showed in every field.
The
founding chairman of the EkoAvrasya Hikmet Eren claimed that their most
important obstacle in their economy derives from the non-recognition in the
international platform. Eren argued that despite the reportedly embargoes and
restrictions imposed to the “TRNC” (translator’s note: the breakaway regime in the
occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus), the foreign trade volume between
Turkey and the “TRNC” reached the level of 1.3 billion dollar.
Nurettin
Aslanturk, the chairman of TUKSIAD, noted that the economic bridges that will
be established from Gebze, which is Eurasia’s industrial base, to “TRNC” will
obtain great contributions to Turkey and the “TRNC”. He added that these
economic bridges will stable more the solid foundations between Turkey and the
“TRNC”.
(DPs)
3. UBP
leadership candidates formed an alliance against Ozgurgun
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (04.11.15)
reports that the second round for the election of the National Unity Party
(UBP) leader will be held on November 7 between the current leader Huseyin
Ozgurgun and Ersin Tatar who passed in the second round after gathering the
majority of the votes during the election congress of UBP held last
Sunday. There were six candidates for
the position.
The paper writes that the four candidates who failed
to pass to the second round stated that they will support Tatar at the
election. According to Havadis, Ozgurgun will face a very difficult race since
all his opponents formed an alliance against him.
(CS)
4. The
water stopped flowing into the occupied Panagra village dam; Officials say that
there is no problem
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (04.11.15)
reports that the flow of the water which
is being transferred from Turkey to occupied Panagra village’s dam has stopped
as of last Saturday. Some “citizens” visited the area to see the water, but
were concerned when they saw that no water was flowing into the dam.
Birol
Cinar, director of the project for transferring water to the occupied area of Cyprus
at the Turkish Water Affairs Department, told Kibris that there is no problem
in the system and that they will start giving water to the dam as of today. He noted that the water flows 24 hours a day and
added that some works are being held to control the system.
(I/Ts.)
6. Inflation
rate reached 7.39% in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (04.11.15)
reports that the so-called state planning organization (“DPO”) has announced
that the inflation rate for October 2015was
1.52% and the cost of living increased by 7.39% in the first ten months of this
year.
Odul Muhtaroglu, director of “DPO”, said that the
price of 271 products that are included in the consumer price index went up
while the price of 130 products went down.
Clothing, shoes, food, non-alcoholic drinks, health
services, houses, water, electricity and gas are among the goods and services
the price of which increased. The car prices decreased due to the fall of the
exchange rate. Decrease was also observed in the fields of education,
entertainment and culture.
(I/Ts.)
7. Occupied
Trikomo “mayor” off to Brussels for
contacts
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (04.11.15)
reports that the so-called mayor of occupied Trikomo Hasan Sadikoglu
went to Brussels for a three-day visit where he will hold various
contacts.
According to a statement by the “Trikomo municipality”
Sadikoglu will hold contacts with
officials from the European Commission and the European Parliament. He will
also meet with the “permanent representative of the TRNC” in Brussels Gizem
Alpman and the Turkish Ambassador to Brussels Mehmet Hakan.
(CS)
8. Nokta
editors before an İstanbul court over post-election cover
Turkish Today’s Zaman (04.11.15) reports that Nokta
magazine Editor-in-Chief Cevheri Guven and Managing Editor Murat Capan, who
were detained at the İstanbul Police Department after the latest issue of the
publication was pulled from the shelves on Monday, were arrested by order of
the İstanbul 8th Penal Court of Peace on Tuesday under Article 313 of the
Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for inciting the public to armed conflict.
After the İstanbul public prosecutor Umut Tepe
referred Capan and Guven to the İstanbul 8th Penal Court of Peace on Tuesday on
charges of violating Article 214, which deals with the crimes of disrupting
society and inciting one group of people to commit violence against another,
demanding their arrest, Judge Atilla Ozturk ruled for the arrest of the Nokta
editors while awaiting trial.
Tepe has in the past initiated several investigations
into journalists over their tweets. He was also responsible for the detention
of Today's Zaman Editor-in-Chief Bulent Kenes on Oct. 10 by referring him to
court for arrest over tweets which the prosecutor alleged insulted President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Kenes was released on Oct. 14 pending trial.
A day after the parliamentary election on Sunday that
gave the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) enough votes to once again
form a single-party government, police notified the magazine of a decision by
İstanbul 5th Penal Court of Peace judge Cevdet Ozcan to pull the publication
from the shelves. Ozcan also ordered the detention of the two Nokta editors and
banned access to the Nokta website.
In addition, the paper also reports that 71 journalists were dismissed early Tuesday from
the İpek Media Group, which was unlawfully seized in a government-led police
operation in late October with the assignment of a number of trustees to the
organization, a move drawing the ire of the dismissed journalists and civil
society groups.
Millet daily news desk editor Bulent Ceyhan, who is
also among the journalists fired, along with reporter Kamil Maman, who was
assaulted by the police and then detained during the police raid on the group's
headquarters, announced on Tuesday morning that they were forced to go on
compulsory leave for several days after the trustees were assigned but are now
not allowed to enter the media group's building.
9. AKP is willing to take
the peace process “out of the freezer” if the PKK buries its weapons; HDP calls
for resuming of the peace process at Parliament
According
to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online, 03.11.15), after the Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) won an unexpected landslide election on Sunday, the future of settlement process that was
abruptly stopped in July after the AKP lost its 13-year single-party majority
remains uncertain.
Omer Celik, the spokesperson
for AKP, in a press conference on Monday, said that the AKP is willing to take
the settlement process “out of the freezer” if the PKK is willing to “bury its
weapons”. “When public order is fully restored, the
frozen issue will be on the agenda again”, he said, adding that the AKP is “not
taking seriously any calls to reinstate the settlement process” before public
order is reinstated.
However
on Tuesday, a 22-year-old was killed during clashes between security forces and
the youth wing of the PKK after a curfew was declared in three neighbourhoods
of the Silvan district of Diyarbakir.
Also a military statement on
Tuesday said that Turkish jets hit PKK shelters, underground bunkers and weapon
emplacements in six locations in northern Iraq, including Kandil Mountains,
where the PKK leadership is based. The military strikes suggest that there will
be no let-up in the military campaign against the PKK in the wake of Sunday's
vote.
Ayhan
Bilgen, the spokesperson for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP),
rebuffed Celik's statement on Tuesday, telling Today's Zaman that the AKP is
not acting in a sincere or consistent manner. “A new page can be opened in the settlement process if the search for a
new Constitution is not sacrificed to the desire for a presidential system,” he
said, referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's desire to switch from
the current parliamentary system to a presidential governing system.
Bilgen
said that the AKP claims it will not seek revenge in the new term but the on-going
detention of magazine editors and municipal mayors demonstrates otherwise.
“This shows the sincerity and consistency of the messages after the election”.
On
the same issue, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 03.11.15) reported
that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)
and a number of other Kurdish groups have called on the government to establish
a joint commission at Parliament to resume the stalled peace process.
“The
new term of Parliament should take an initiative based on a solution,
negotiation and dialogue particularly for the Kurdish problem. The peace
process cannot be left to the mercy of the AKP,” said a joint Nov. 3 statement
by the HDP leaders, the co-leaders of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the
sister party of the HDP, the co-leaders of the Democratic Society Congress
(DTK), a multi-party based group inspired by the PKK, and the People’s
Democratic Congress (HDK) block.
A joint commission at
Parliament should stand as the official interlocutor of the peace process and
“respond to society’s demand for peace with a democracy program”, read the
statement. “We’ll respect this approach if the AKP
accepts a return to the peace process, respects the will for this kind of
solution, and brings the peace process to the floor of parliament with new
mechanisms,” said the block.
10. AKP
drafts timeline to form government in late November
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (04.11.15) reports that
the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has drafted a timeline for its next
steps - taking the upcoming G20 summit in southern Turkey into consideration.
Accordingly, members of the new Parliament will take
their oath on Nov. 17, after the Supreme Election Board (YSK) announces the final
official results of the Nov. 1 snap election on Nov. 12. The Deputies will be
therefore taking their oaths after Turkey hosts the G20 leaders’ meeting in
Antalya on Nov. 15-16.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to
commission Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu for forming a new government on Nov.
18. Unlike previously, Erdogan will not wait for the election of the new
Parliament Speaker, which will take place on Nov. 22. The new cabinet is
planned to be formed on Nov. 28.
According to the Constitution, the first session of
the new Parliament will be held on the fifth day after the announcement of the
results by the YSK, thus starting the procedure for forming the new government.
The timeline drafted by the AKP upon consultation with
President Erdogan’s office does not require waiting for the election of the Parliament
Speaker.
After the June 7 election, Erdogan commissioned Davutoglu,
whose party had won the largest share of the vote despite falling short of a
single-party majority, to form a government only after members of the
parliament speaker’s office were elected. Opposition parties had criticized the
president for deliberately delaying the process.
As is custom, members of the Parliament Speaker’s
office will be elected in parallel to the procedure for forming the government.
The AKP’s caretaker interim government has apparently
chosen not to lose any time, based on Article 114 of the Constitution, which
says “The provisional Council of Ministers shall remain in office for the
duration of the elections and until the new Assembly convenes.” Accordingly,
the procedure for forming of the new government is expected to be completed on
Nov. 28.
Meanwhile, Deniz Baykal, the former leader of the main
opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), will again serve as acting Parliamentary
Speaker as the eldest Deputy.
Among potential nominees for the Parliament Speaker
post from the AKP, the names of İsmet Yilmaz, who was elected after the June 7
election, former Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek, and İsmail Kahraman, who
returned to active politics upon President Erdogan’s appeal, are being
mentioned.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(CS/ AM)
