Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 97-09-12

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash says time has come to boycott EU activities.

[02] Germany's Kinkel on Turkey's and Cyprus' EU membership.

[03] Yilmaz comments on Cyprus, relations with Greece, EU.

[04] Missiles, passage through straits discussed in Moscow talks.

[05] Denktash accuses EU for humiliating Turkish Cypriots.

[06] Holbrooke reportedly favours forcing "NATO model" for Cyprus.

[07] Turkey's "Red and Yellow Lists".

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] "Missile Crisis" viewed.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash says time has come to boycott EU activities

Replying to questions by illegal TAK (Turkish Cypriot News Agency) correspondents on various issues, Denktash claimed that the EU has been preparing files against the Turkish Cypriots after holding contacts with circles that it prefers and chooses.

He also claimed that the EU has been shunning "elected "authorities" and has even been discrediting those "authorities" and the Turkish Cypriots. Noting that the issue of the missiles and the bases granted to Greece should not be discussed daily, Denktash said: "Let our people rest assured. These issues are being followed up daily. There is no need for words. I am still hopeful that the Greek-Greek Cypriot pair will renounce this lunacy; if they act on it, however, they will have much to lose.

They should calculate the consequences carefully. Cyprus is the darling of 60 million people."

Denktash added that "TRNC" will not be renounced, and that the world should be given to understand that acts Greece undertakes in Cyprus through the Greek Cypriots will be reciprocated by the Turkish Cypriots in conjunction with Turkey.

[02] Germany's Kinkel on Turkey's and Cyprus' EU membership

"Turkey is a passenger who has reserved a place on the European train since 1963. But, it is impossible for it to get onboard this train in the near future. Because, it is not doing its chores at home. It must first do these chores. Foremost of these chores are human rights, the Kurdish problem, and the economic problems. I feel pain about the fact that the EU did not fulfill its responsibilities towards Turkey. But what can I do?

Greece is obstructing us. However, even if Greece does not obstruct us, Turkey cannot be a full member with its current disposition. Yes, I know very well that Turkey has always had strategic importance, and that this importance has even increased to an extraordinary amount in recent years. Turkey's importance is great, in particular in relation to the Islamic world, but also in relation to Central Asia and the Caucasus region. Beside these, the Black Sea and the Balkans have been added to this importance. On top of all this, Turkey is a NATO member. It has been a partner of great importance for Germany. For this reason, we want Turkey to turn its inclination towards the west, or, more precisely, towards Ataturk, as it has done up to this time. Not that we do not know that Ankara has other choices, but we want Turkey not to move in those directions."

Kinkel added that it is a natural fact that Turkey's place is in the EU and the other members have the same opinion.

"But I want to repeat that, due to the reasons I have just mentioned, Turkey's full membership cannot be the subject of discussion in the near future. The point we are focusing on now is a `Customs Union plus' formula. That is, exploring the thing or things that may be added to the Customs Union agreement."

Atsiz says he asked the German Foreign Minister if he wants the Greek Cypriot side to be an EU member on its own. He also asked his views on the deployment of S-300 missiles in Cyprus.

"Kinkel said the following: The Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister was here last week. I told him the following on the missiles issue: I would not do this if I were you," Atsiz says.

Touching on EU membership, Kinkel said that "we do not want to accept countries that have problems, especially ethnic problems. Let them first agree amongst themselves, and then let them come to us together."

[03] Yilmaz comments on Cyprus, relations with Greece, EU

On his way back from Kazakhstan, Yilmaz conveyed significant messages on Turkey's foreign policies. Replying to reporters' questions on domestic and foreign problems. Yilmaz underlined the fact that Turkey wants to be friends with Greece, adding that such friendship will free both countries from making unnecessary defense expenditures. Noting that Turkey has no expansionist designs regarding Greece, Yilmaz claimed that the Cyprus problem can be solved if Greece renounces its goals over Cyprus and the Aegean. He alleged that Greece cannot solve anything by hiding behind the EU or by inviting Russia to Cyprus, adding that given such a situation, "the current status on the island will become finalized."

Yilmaz claimed that the move involving the S-300 missiles was wrong, adding that this move constitutes a security problem not only for the Turkish Cypriots but for Turkey as well, and that whatever is necessary will be done to ensure Turkey's security.

Stressing that Russia is a world state, Yilmaz said that while taking such a step Russia should consider not the few hundred millions in revenue but its strategic interests in the region.

[04] Missiles, passage through straits discussed in Moscow talks

At the talks held yesterday Turkey informed Moscow that it reserves the right to take the measures needed to ensure its security as well as that of the TRNC". Ali Tuygan, Foreign Ministry deputy under secretary for political affairs, met with Russian deputy foreign ministers Pasovalyuk and Pastukov separately. Tuygan gave a briefing on the talks, saying that he approached the S-300 issue in terms of the "damage" it causes to the Cyprus solution process. He said that the Russian side dwelt on the issue of free passage through the straits. According to the information supplied by Tuygan, both sides conveyed their known views on the issue.

"During the talks we voiced our mutual sensitivities on the issue. Naturally, an exchange of views was held on the issue of the missiles within this framework. We approached the issue from the standpoint of the Cyprus problem and the importance we attach to the peaceful solution of that problem through negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary General.

Within this framework, we expressed the view that developments on the Greek Cypriot Administration's EU accession and the agreement on the purchase of the missiles in question do not contribute to the solution process. The Russian side approached the issue from the viewpoint of passages through the straits. We told them that our approach to the issue is different from theirs and that the issue in question is not about passages through the straits but about the sale of arms at a time when attempts are being made to resume the negotiation process on a sensitive issue such as the Cyprus question. This sale is neither compatible with the negotiation process, nor does it encourage it," Tuygan claimed.

[05] Denktash accuses EU for humiliating Turkish Cypriots

He noted that meetings are being held in European capitals and persons outside the "government" are being invited to those meetings. "I do not know if these people are aware of the ploys being thatched", he claimed, "but I issue statements so that they realize the truth and do not hurt the interests of the people."

Asked to comment on the contacts held by the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) with EU officials, and to say if he thinks it is a good idea for the other parties to hold contacts with the EU, Denktash said that the EU circles invite those organizations they think will help promote their views. "At this stage", Denktash claimed, "everybody must realize that it is harmful for anyone and everyone to hold contacts with the EU. The EU is holding these contacts in order to clear its conscience, so that it can say in the future that it contacted the Turkish Cypriot side as well."

Denktash alleged that the EU holds talks with those circles it likes and picks itself and then draws up reports against Turkish Cypriot interests. "The EU ignores the circles the Turkish Cypriot people brought to power", he claimed, "and humiliates them and the Turkish Cypriot people".

[06] Holbrooke reportedly favours forcing "NATO model" for Cyprus

After speaking on Tuesday at the Meridian House on NATO expansion, Holbrooke reportedly responded to a journalist's inquiry on the Cyprus issue by invoking the positive contributions NATO has made to keeping the Turkish-Greek conflict in check.

"I'd simply like to stress how critically important it was to bring Greece and Turkey into NATO, and it is that model which I think should be forced today," Holbrooke reportedly said. Some commentators in Washington took Holbrooke's reported words as the expression of an intention to make both Turkish and Greek Cypriots eventual members of NATO as parts of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.

Holbrooke still has not committed himself to visiting the region. No US Secretary of State in recent memory has visited the island, despite the identification of the Cyprus issue by the Clinton administration as a major problem with a high agenda priority, the paper says.

[07] Turkey's "Red and Yellow Lists"

Top ministry sources say Turkey wants improved ties with the countries listed, but cannot remain indifferent to actions and behaviours that are against its interests.

Recently, a Turkish Daily News report about the Turkish military's Red and Yellow Lists resulted in heavy diplomatic traffic both in the Turkish Foreign Ministry and in diplomatic circles. The military's lists were actually based on Turkish Foreign Ministry's earlier lists prepared in 1993 and are being upgraded upon negative or positive developments in European countries. (South Africa is the only non-European country to appear on the lists.)

The Red List (denoting countries from which Turkey will not purchase arms or accept tenders for military equipment) includes Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria and South Africa, and the Yellow List (denoting countries with which Turkey will carefully monitor its relations) includes the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and Finland.

Confirming the Red and Yellow Lists that include some European countries and South Africa, senior officials from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, who asked to remained anonymous, said that the Red and Yellow lists do not mean that Turkey is aiming to cut its relations with those countries or aiming to punish them.

They said that the Turkish Foreign Ministry would continue to build good relations with those European countries on the lists adding however, that the Foreign Ministry will remain cautious about such countries.

However, they pointed out that the lists would help to avoid future crises from occurring.

The senior officials added that Turkey sends messages to those European countries through such lists saying that if they don't sell anything especially in the defense field, from now on, Turkey will never buy anything from such countries, that is all.

They pointed out that when Turkey decides to buy any weapon from any country, Ankara will never choose such countries to buy weapons or to invite defense tenders until these European countries present documents showing their policy change against Turkey. They assured that such countries will be removed from the lists if such documentation is forthcoming.

Referring to the Yellow List, which includes the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and Finland, top Foreign Ministry officials said that those countries will be under close scrutiny but the Turkish Foreign Ministry is still optimistic that relations will be further improved with those countries.

Earlier, senior military officials told the paper that from now on, these lists will be referred to in the matter of defense relations between Turkey and these countries.

The paper said in its report that following the negative attitude of some European countries toward Ankara, both in diplomatic and defense fields, the Turkish General Staff has decided to reconsider its military and defense ties with some European countries on the Red and Yellow Lists.

The report also said Turkey's defense industry and military cooperation agreements with the countries on the Red List will be suspended until such a time that those countries change their negative attitude toward Turkey and start to support Turkey in the international arena including its efforts to enter the European Union.

Turkish military attaches abroad also will be restricted in their contacts with those countries' defense bodies and in their official and social contacts in those countries. In fact this boycotting of social events is extended to the attendance by military officials of receptions held by embassies and consulates within Turkey, the report said.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] "Missile Crisis" viewed

"The latest information received from the General Staff shed light on the issue. According to this information, the cargo of the Egyptian ship has no relation whatsoever with S-300 missiles. The soldiers speculate that the Egyptian ship was carrying SA-2 missiles. It is a known fact that Egypt, 60 percent of whose armed forces' structure is Soviet made, is continuing to buy weapons from Russia. It is thought that the ship was carrying SA-2 missiles to Egypt, in line with that country's desire to purchase new weapons or modernize existing ones.

The `missile briefing' the General Staff intends to give to the government is another issue related to this. The briefing was planned for Thursday (11 September). However, in response to Deputy Prime Minister Ecevit's request, the briefing has been postponed till next week."

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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