Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media 96-08-22

From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" <dist@hri.org>

Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Directory

TURKISH PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

150/96 22.8.96

CONTENTS

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

No.150/96 22.8.96

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Soysal speaks of the "obvious solution"

Mumtaz Soysal, former Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Denktash's advisor, writing in HURRIYET (13.8.96) under the title "Obvious situation and solution" once more makes clear the Turkish side's intentions regarding the solution of the Cyprus problem. He says:

"The action that has been taken by the motorcyclists has confirmed the view that the island's future must be based on strong foundations. Instead of saying "amen" to an unrealistic prayer, the realities have to be seen in Cyprus. They are as follows:

1. The Greek Cypriot community regards the island as its own `homeland' and plans to recognize the Turkish Cypriots only as a minority community.
2. Turkey's military presence in Cyprus is the only guarantee for the maintenance of peace in the island. The latest incidents have clearly showed that the UN organization is ineffective.
3. The Turkish Cypriots only want to live in freedom and manage their own affairs in their territory. That is all they want.
4. It is a fact that the TRNC's recognition by foreign countries is still a remote possibility. It is also a fact that the TRNC's annexation by Turkey is out of the question."

"Considering all that, he says, "officializing the `special relations' that have existed between Turkey and the TRNC is the only alternative. Many of the existing problems will be resolved if Ankara and Northern Nicosia sign an `international treaty,' which will clearly authorize the Turkish military forces to defend the TRNC's territory and place the management of its foreign affairs under Turkey's responsibility. What should be done next will depend on whether or not friendly relations are established between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides. That is the most difficult aspect of the problem. It is so because Britain, Greece, and the Greek Cypriots do not want to agree to the realities in Cyprus, regardless of the fact that they are fully responsible for the present situation".

And he concludes: "Considering all that, Turkey cannot be expected to agree to abandon the Turkish Cypriot community and have Cyprus, which is a strategically important island on maritime routes, placed under a foreign country's sovereignty.

The EU has continued to ignore the realities. It has maintained its contacts with the Greek Cypriot Administration on Cyprus' accession to the organization. Meanwhile, Britain has tried to draw up new plans to secure military guarantees. All that will further complicate the Cyprus problem.

The problem in Cyprus and the way it should be resolved have become crystal clear."

[02] Turkey supports idea of joint communique

According to TRT (13:00 hours, 21.8.96) Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ambassador Omer Akbel, speaking at his weekly news conference, said that Turkey welcomes the attempt made by UN officials to bring the leaders of the two communities together and make them issue a joint statement aimed at reducing the tension created by the recent incidents.

[03] Turkish Cypriots react to National Council decisions

According to illegal Bayrak radio (10:30 hours, 21.8.96) commenting on the National Council decision, Denktash alleged that it is clear from the responses of the Greek Cypriots to the calls for negotiations that they are trying to "entrap" the Turkish Cypriots.

He added that "the Turkish Cypriots, the motherland, and the Turkic world should learn the necessary lessons from the Greek Cypriot National Council's reply to the calls for peace."

In a written statement, Taner Akin, "Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence", also claimed that the Greek Cypriot side is trying to continue and even escalate the intercommunal tension and insecurity created by the recent incidents. He also claimed that the Archbishop financed the incidents and is instigating the Greek Cypriot people to further bloody incidents.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[04] Turkish journalist says "two states" reality must be accepted

Metin Toker, (MILLIYET 21.8.96) writes under the title "A new hope of light for Cyprus" and says:

No reasonable Turk shares what Erbakan has said about the Greeks, including Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Ismet Inonu who fought against them. They had always harboured respect for the Greeks. The Greek is a patriot, a warrior, and a hero, he is a good soldier. The Italians, in particular, tasted this during the Second World War. Not only ancient Greeks but contemporary Greeks as well have made a great contribution to civilization. They have Nobel laureates, diplomats who have become a school in themselves. As regards trade, particularly maritime trade, they have put their seal. Artists of Greek origin have gained great international fame.

The Greek is not a neighbour that needs medical treatment either. To tell the truth, we have tormented them for almost five hundred years. May be as a nation - I am not saying as individuals or as people - this is the reason for their complex against the Turkish nation. Otherwise, in all international relations, during the day a Greek and a Turk will accuse each other on the table - this is done usually by the Greeks - and in the evening they will sit down and drink together and dance. The Greek who needs medical treatment is the `Greek politician' and the latest typical example is late Papandreou, as well as his father. Their priests as well. Like Makarios and Chrysostomos. They have created such an atmosphere in Greece that they challenge sensible people like Karamanlis, Markezinis and Mitsotakis, and render them unable to bring peace to both shores of the Aegean. The Karamanlis - Averof duo had brought about the most advantageous settlement for Greece in Cyprus. However, the `demagogues who need medical treatment' almost excommunicated these two people and made their life miserable.

We will see whether the present Greek Prime Minister Simitis will be able to overcome this with a `Venizelos's type common sense'. Unfortunately, it is a handicap that at this moment people who are in power in Turkey, are the ones who need medical treatment. When in Athens there was Venizelos, in turn in Ankara there were Ataturk and Ismet Pasha.

The first thing Simitis has to do is to stop the transferring of Cyprus events to Komotini. Sometimes crises bring about a settlement (subhead)

If you consider the reasons of the recent crisis in Cyprus, it is impossible not to laugh at `The Show of Entering into the Green Line on Motorcycles'. Most probably it is the 1996 innovation for a classic trick on the part of the Greek press which, in August, faces low circulation. In Greece circulation of newspapers drops in August. These are dangerous tricks but in the past they never lasted after September. The noise this time was louder because on our side we have a media which is after sensations and the Erbakan-Ciller duo who are in difficulty.

In Turkey everybody knows that what these two say lacks seriousness and has no value. The `special situation' in the Aegean safeguards calmness. The armed forces of both sides are against a war, they are really anti-war.

Because they are the ones who really know the meaning of war...

The `third parties', that is the USA and the EU, should stop hashing up old formulae, whose application has become impossible, and should speedily accept the `two state' realities. The Greeks, who demonstrated the luxury of refusing the cantonal system, the federation and the confederation proposal, have in fact proved themselves that it is impossible to have the Greek and Turkish Cypriots living in a melting pot.

However, it is still possible to have two states on an island living side by side in peace as friendly neighbours. Haiti and the Dominican Republic are in the back yard of the USA." (MY) EF/SK ------------------------