TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA (96-07-08)

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

Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Directory

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No.121/96 6-7-8.7.96

NEWS ITEMS

[01] Monthly, overall inflation figures in Turkey.

[02] Eroglu authorized to start negotiations on "coalition".

[03] Turkish Cypriot journalist and commentator Kutlu Adali assassinated.

NEWS ITEMS

[01] Monthly, overall inflation figures in Turkey

The State Institute of Statistics (DIE) said that consumer prices in June went up by 2.5 percent, down from 4.5 percent in May and 2.6 percent in June 1995. The monthly retail rate has seen an unsteady decline this year; 8.3 percent in January, 4.5 percent in February, 5.6 percent in March, 6.7 percent in April and 4.5 percent in May.

The DIE said wholesale price inflation in June was 2.7 percent, the lowest since 2.3 percent last August. It dropped from 9.8. percent in January to 5.8 percent in February, climbed back to 7 percent in March and 8.1. percent in April but fell to 4.1. percent in May. It was 1.3 percent in June 1995.

The statistics agency said that annual cumulative retail inflation remained unchanged at 82.9 percent from May to June. This is the highest annualized rate since 84.1 percent last October.

It also said the annualized wholesale price inflation was 76.2 percent in June, up from 73.7 percent in May and 69.9 percent in April. This is the highest annual rate since the 76.5 percent inflation rate in September 1995.

Turkish retail and wholesale inflation rates during the first half of the year, as computed by the DIE, are 43.7 percent and 36.7 percent respectively. Annualized average rates in June were 81 percent and 70.5 percent.

The price statistics disclosed that the pubic sector's (wholesale) inflation rate was 3.1 percent, compared with a lower 2.7 percent inflation rate in the private sector.

Electricity, gas and water prices in June rose by an average 6.3 percent, the fastest among all sectors. Mining industry prices went up by 6.2 percent and manufacturing industry prices 3.7 percent. Farm prices, on the other hand, dropped by an average of 0.3 percent.

[02] Eroglu authorized to start negotiations on "coalition"

[03] Turkish Cypriot journalist and commentator Kutlu Adali assassinated

KIBRIS (8.7.96) reports that an unknown person telephoned the paper and claimed that the Turkish Revenge Brigade (TIT), an underground terrorist organization of Turkey's right wing facist Grey wolves grouping assassinated Adali.

TIT had earlier sent threatening letters to people, parties, and newspapers saying that it will start executing those who are against the occupation regime's policies.

Commenting on the assassination Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, whose policies were strongly criticized by the victim, said that the first thing that comes to people's mind is that this is a political assassination. He went on and said that finding out whether this was a political assassination or not is an equally important issue. "If there are people in this country who are eager to start political terrorism and assassination they should know that they are backing the wrong horse, and that they will lose this game and will be destroyed", stressed Denktash.

Hakki Atun in his turn branded it a planned provocation directed against the national unity of the Turks.

The Central Executive Committee of the Republican Turkish Party (RTP) in a written statement strongly condemned Adali's assassination and called on all those people who say "I want to exist in this country as a free and democratic person and as a Turkish Cypriot to condemn and react against Adali's assassination.

The statement says that the main reasons behind this attack are the issues of the illegal workers from Turkey, the uncontrolled entry to the occupied area from mainland Turkey, and the uncontrolled immigration from Turkey that has shaken the social existence and security of the Turkish Cypriots.

The Democratic Party (DP), the National Unity Party (NUP) and the Communal Liberation Party (CLP) have strongly condemned the assassination and have urged the "police" to find the killers and the reasons behind the assassination.

The CLP party has stressed that Kutlu Adali was assassinated because of his views and principles. CLP leader Akinci said: "It is not possible in this small country to have killers who remain at large. Common murders committed for money have started preceding the ideological killings. The way to stop this course of killings is to expose and bring to light the perpetrators of this crime. Unless this is done, it is impossible to stop the escalation of the events".

The former chairman of the RTP Ozker Ozgur has declared that the assassination is a challenge to those who defend the existence and the identity of the Turkish Cypriots". He called on everybody to raise their voice against the killing.

"The issue has over stepped party politics. Demanding an end to emigration, demanding the maintenance of the Turkish Cypriots' existence and identity, demanding a solution to the illegal workers' issue, the democratization of the community, are considered by certain people, at this stage, as a crime that should be punished by death", declared Ozgur.

The Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers Union (KTOEOS) also condemned Adali's assassination and branded it a "black stain against democracy and freedom of thought."

The Union's General Secretary Ahmet Barcin in a written statement said: "We strongly condemn this abhorrent crime, and we would like to remind these forces of the enemies of peace that time has come for the Turkish Cypriot community to break its silence and say `enough is enough'."

He strongly criticized the policy of uncontrolled entry from Turkey to the occupied area saying that "the TRNC has become a place for everybody."

He concluded by saying that because of this uncontrolled entries "the Turkish Cypriots' life is not safe any more."

KTAMS, the Human Rights Association, the Turkish Cypriot Journalists Union, the Peace Association, the Artists and Writers Union and various other professional and social and cultural associations have condemned the assassination.

KIBRIS says that President Glafcos Clerides has also condemned the assassination.

Turkish Cypriot newspapers report on Kutlu Adali's association YENIDUZEN, in full scap: "We will not be silenced", "Ideas cannot be assassinated."

ORTAM - "IT IS ENOUGH"

VATAN - "DAWN IT"

KIBRIS - "Political Murder"

Short biography note

Born on 3 January, 1935 in Nicosia, he completed his primary, middle junior and secondary education in Antalya, south Turkey.

He published his first poems in 1955. In 1963 he wrote a book, where he included the Turkish Cypriot traditions, customs and habits.

In 1968 he published "Soylesi" (Interview), in 1969 "Cirkin Politikaci Pof" (The Ugly Politician Pof), in 1970 "Sago" and in 1971 "Cyprus and Nasreddin Hoca".

For a time he worked as a civil servant. First as "Special Presidential Advisor", then as Director of the so-called Identity Cards and Registration Office. Since 1987 he was a columnist in YENIDUZEN writing under the column of "Blue Cyprus Notes".

He was one of the founding members of the Cyprus Peace Association as well as the Association of Contemporary Artists.

He was married with three children.