TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA (Cyprus PIO review) 96-04-05

From: Panayiotis Zaphiris <pzaphiri@Glue.umd.edu>

Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Directory

TURKISH PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 61/96 5/4/96

CONTENTS

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] "LATERAL BORDERS" OF "TERRITORIAL WATERS" OF THE PSEUDOSTATE MAPPED FOR FIRST TIME

[02] ANKARA, "TRNC" SHUN EU ENVOY

"He is either ignorant or deliberately arrogant", a top level Turkish official claimed, stressing that during the visit of Di Roberto to Ankara last month Turkish officials meeting him observed with amazement that the Italian diplomat was "totally alien" to the Cyprus problem or was trying intentionally to create such an image.

A senior Turkish Cypriot "official", joining in the comments of his Turkish colleague, said that when the news broke out that a veteran Italian diplomat, who had served as an ambassador to Mos- cow, was becoming the EU term presidency envoy for Cyprus "we were relieved that someone with wit would assume the post - a post we were against anyhow. Now, we observe that we were out- right wrong in our assessment. He is an arrogant alien to the Cyprus issue, particularly to the over 40 years of struggle by the Turkish Cypriot people for equality and a decent life on the island."

The sources said that appointment of a term presidency envoy for Cyprus was a compromise formula which received Turkish and Turkish Cypriot approval on the condition that the mission of the envoy would be confined to fact finding, and would report only to the term presidency. They alleged, however, that from the first day, Di Roberto acted in a manner way ahead of his mission, refused to treat the two sides on the basis of equality called for in U.N. resolutions, and tried to make the EU get directly involved in the Cyprus problem, despite the fact that he was repeatedly told by the Turkish side that such a development was unacceptable under any conditions as long as Greece was a member of the European club and Ankara a bystander.

Commenting on whether the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot reac- tions to Di Robero's recent report to the EU Council was a "little bit over the top", the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot sources said no energy was spared in preparing the texts of reaction to make it a "diplomatic document."

A Turkish source claimed "When the so-called report was eval- uated, we concluded that it was a biased one, ignoring the reali- ties on the island and totally turning a blind eye to the part- nership rights of the Turkish people."

The Turkish Cypriot "official" again claimed that Rauf Denktash has been explaining the procession of the Greek Cypriot bid to become a member of the European Union as an end of the efforts to achieve a Cyprus solution because "what the Greek Cypriots failed to achieve with bloodshed and barbarism, will be served to them on a silver plate, and they will de-facto achieve enosis (union with Greece)."

"In Europe, ignoring our calls of `Don't do this harm to Cyprus!' goes along this path, there won't be any other alterna- tive for Turkish Cypriots but to integrate with Turkey. The more Europe integrates with the Greek Cypriot side of the island, the more we shall integrate with Turkey", he stressed.

[03] ATUN: THE CYPRUS PROBLEM IS A GRECO-TURKISH PROBLEM

Speaking to the students of the Mimar Siran University in Turkey on "TRNC Problems", Atun, contrary to Turkish President Suleyman Demirel's claim, declared that the "Cyprus problem is in essence a Greco-Turkish problem".

Approving the Turkish invasion and the occupation of part of the island, Atun said that the present situation is the basis for the future settlement.

He went on and said that if the Cyprus government is admitted to the EU prior a settlement then "against such a fait accompli, we will be forced to take up our the independence and sovereignty issues with Turkey; do not take this as meaning annexation. We will exercise our right to live, our right to independence and our right to sovereignty."

Atun further added that as "TRNC" they were not against to the entry in the EU, however, he added, this should be realized after the political settlement with the decision of both commu- nities, including resorting to a referendum. (MY)

[04] TURKISH CYPRIOTS OWE 100 BILLION TL TO BRITAIN

The case was brought to court and the trial was won by the Tax Department, which is now ready to demand taxes in arrears for the last six years, plus interest.

KIBRIS says this debt amounts to one million sterling pounds (approx. 100 billion TL).

The paper also reports that the pseudostate also owes 600,000 sterling pounds to English hospitals for the treatment of persons sent there by the pseudostate.

[05] TALAT MEETS BRITISH OFFICIALS IN LONDON

KIBRIS reports that Talat had a meeting with British Foreign Office senior official, Warren Gash, and David Clark, political advisor to Robin Cook, Labour Party's shadow cabinet Foreign Sec- retary. (MY)