[01] Turkish Cypriots fight over Brussels visit.

[02] Eroglu and Tore against the Ledra Palace meetings among party leaders.

[03] Boutros-Ghali hopeful the UN will do something for Cyprus.

[04] Turkish Institute to conduct research in the occupied area.

[05] Karayalcin: The existing status cannot be considered as a solution.

NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Cypriots fight over Brussels visit

A rival weekly, Yeni Olusum, denounced the Forum last week in an article entitled "Traitors are on the way to Europe" which accused the Forum of "threatening the existence of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and its policies." The Forum members due to visit Brussels were denounced by Yeni Olusum as left-wingers.

According to Londra Toplum Postasi the Forum members who are to meet with EU officials include: Hasan Raif, head of the CTDA and leader of the Forum group; Mustafa Adioglu, retired "press counsellor of the TRNC" in London; Fikret Dervis, head of the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations; Ilker Kilic, Forum spokesman and head of the CTP's Solidarity Association; Kivanc Arif, board member of the Cypriot Turkish Cultural Association in Istanbul; and architect Mehmet Sarhen Gazioglu from the "TRNC". Yeni Olusum opposes the list and the Forum itself on the grounds that they do not represent Turkish Cypriots.

The newspaper also criticizes the fact that the Forum was set up after a meeting of some Turkish Cypriots with Pauline Green, leader of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament. London Turkish Radio organized a discussion of the issue on January 21 during which Hasan Raif explained that the idea to form a dialogue with the EU came after Serge Abou (the EU's special coordinator for Cyprus) proposed it to the Turkish Cypriots in London. Raif also said that the group hopes to create a forum for Turkish Cypriots in Europe and that the group could bring the Turkish position on the Cyprus question to the attention of the European Parliament.

When asked by the host of the program, Ovul Tezisler, why the Forum had chosen Pauline Green as their mediator, Raif replied that since she was the MEP for their region it was natural to approach her with their demands and problems. "After all, we have a vote for her election. We brought the issue to her.

We do not agree with people who say `do not enter into a dialogue with Green becuase she favours the Greek side'. We have to put forward our argument to people like Green to show that we have a case too," said Raif.

Meanwhile Tezel Azena, editor-in-cheif of Yeni Olusum, stated on the same program that associations like CTDA and the CTP's Solidarity Association did not represent Turkish Cypriots in the UK or in the "TRNC". "There is evidence that the Greek side has been trying to turn Turkish Cypriots living outside the TRNC into pro-Greek lobbies," claimed Asena.

Asena also claimed he considers those who plan to meet with the EU "as tools of the Greek side". However, Ilker Kilic, head of the London Solidarity Association dismissed the allegation and said it was an insult to the "TRNC's government". "Blaming me and my party, CTP, as a tool of the Greek side would mean to blame the legal authorities in the TRNC. CTP is the coalition partner of the government in TRNC," he added.

He also indicated that the official Turkish view of the Cyprus problem would be brought to Brussels by the Forum. "Under Turkey's guidance a federal Cyprus with two federal states, two societies, and two different territories based on political and social equality is our policy. We are saying that without such a resolution the membership of Cyprus in the EU would cause many problems for the Turkish side," Kilic pointed out.

Londra Toplum Postasi claimed that there was a consensus that Turkish Cypriots want access to the EU, provided that a just and fair solution to the problem in Cyprus is found. The weekly also said that the Forum wants to give the message that such solutions can be found and stressed that the meeting would help the cause of a federated Cyprus.

The Forum members who will be in Brussels on January 30 will meet with the Commission members in the morning and then with members of the European Parliament and European Commisison at a dinner the same night.

[02] Eroglu and Tore against the Ledra Palace meetings among party leaders

According to KIBRIS (24.1.96) the leaders of the National Unity Party (NUP) and the National Action Party (NAP), Dr Dervis Eroglu and Zorlu Tore, respectively, in a statement to Turkey's semi official Anatolia Agency explained the reasons why they have refused to take part in the Ledra Palace round table discussions organized by the Slovak Embassy between Greek and Turkish Cypriot party leaders. They said that nothing will come out of this kind of meetings.

NUP leader Zorlu Tore declared that such meetings "do nothing but to push the issue into confusion." He claimed that "as long as the Greek Cypriot party leaders continue to deny the TRNC, to brand the Turkish troops as occupation troops and put a difference between the Turks of Cyprus and Turkey, the NAP leadership will maintain its stance of refusing to attend this kind of meetings." (MY)

[03] Boutros-Ghali hopeful the UN will do something for Cyprus

KIBRIS (24.1.96) reports that the UN Secretary General is hopeful that they will be able to do something for Cyprus. Answering a question put to him by Turkey's semi-official Anatolia Agency correspondent in New York, Mr Ghali said that "negotiations on the Cyprus problem were continuing" and at this stage he does not want to elaborate further. "Our aim is to continue the negotiation process that we have started. I am working on the subject personally. However, I do not want to elaborate further on the issue. I only want to say this: That we are working on the issue and I have the hope that we will be able to do something", he said. (MY)

[04] Turkish Institute to conduct research in the occupied area

According to KIBRIS (24.1.96) a protocol has been initialled between Turkey's Research and Developing Mines Institute and the so-called Geology-Mines Department of the pseudostate.

The Turkish Institue will conduct research regarding ground water resources in the occupied area.

The Turkish institute will also try to map out the locations of the ground water resources and deposits of natural resources in general.

The whole project will be completed in a three year period. (MY)

[05] Karayalcin: The existing status cannot be considered as a solution

According to YENIDUZEN (24.1.96), within the framework of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Republican Turkish Party (RTP), a conference was organized in Istanbul during which former RTP leader Ozker Ozgur spoke on. The Cyprus problem and RTP and Cyprus; the Turkish Foreign Policy".

Turkey's former Foreign Minister Murat Karayalcin in his opening address said that the existing status on the island cannot be considered as a solution and that a mutually accepted bizonal, bicommunal federal settlement based on political equality should be speedily reached. (MY)