Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 97-10-15

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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

No. 191/97 -- 15.10.97

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] ECEVIT: IT IS POSSIBLE OUR PLANES WENT AS WELL

[02] TURKEY, TURKISH CYPRIOTS PREPARE FOR TOROS 97-2 EXERCISES

[03] SERDAR DENKTASH ON GREEN'S REMARKS

[04] THE SPLIT BETWEEN THE DP AND UDP

[05] ATUN MEETS SWEDISH COORDINATOR SINCE DENKTASH 'INDISPOSED'

[06] ATUN CRITICIZES PAULINE GREEN

[07] MEHMET ALI TALAT COMMENTS ON NIKIFOROS EXERCISES

[08] EROGLU HEALTH IMPROVING, TO RESUME DUTIES NEXT WEEK

[09] ETKIN RETURNS FROM U.S., BRITAIN, COMMENTS ON CONTACTS

[10] CUREL: GREEKS ARE PLAYING WITH FIRE

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[11] COLUMNIST: ANKARA, NOT DENKTASH IS RULING US

[12] HOLBROOKE'S PROPOSALS ON CYPRUS SAID REJECTED BY TURKEY

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] ECEVIT: IT IS POSSIBLE OUR PLANES WENT AS WELL

[02] TURKEY, TURKISH CYPRIOTS PREPARE FOR TOROS 97-2 EXERCISES

The Turkish Armed Forces will hold their Toros 97-2 exercises in the "TRNC" and the Eastern Mediterranean region from 1 to 8 November. Their exercises will be reaction to the joint Greek-Greek Cypriot exercises codenamed Nikiforos 97.

Many naval ships, military aircraft, and units affiliated with the so- called Peace Force Command in Cyprus and the "TRNC Security Forces Command" will participate in them.

[03] SERDAR DENKTASH ON GREEN'S REMARKS

Although the opposition is an inalienable component of contemporary democracies, Denktash said, it is the voice of the minority that has failed to obtain the necessary majority to come to power in a political climate where opposition has any meaning.

Serdar Denktash reported Green as having said: Rauf Denktash is the obstacle to a solution in Cyprus. The obstacle is a reflection of his wrong stand and his propaganda campaign.

[04] THE SPLIT BETWEEN THE DP AND UDP

In a news conference in the former headquarters of the UDP, Enver Emin said the DP should have withdrawn its support of the "government" long ago, adding: "A party does not have to remain in power at all costs."

Enver Emin had already resigned from his post as secretary general of the DP on 8 September. Despite it being reported in the press, the DP officials, including DP leader Serdar Denktash, persistently denied the reports. A group led by Enver Emin had resigned from the National Unity Party (UBP) and established the UDP with the aim of "uniting the right," and then decided to merge it with the DP on 7 October 1996.

As this new step is taken to revive the UDP with new resignations (from the DP), the following "parliamentary" distribution has emerged with the resignation of the DP "deputy" from occupied Kyrenia Unal Ustel: UBP 17 seats, DP 13, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) 13, Communal Liberation Party (TKP) five, and independents two.

Once the UDP is formally reestablished and Unal Ustel joins it, the number of independents in the Assembly will fall to one, and the number of political parties in the pseudostate will rise to nine.

[05] ATUN MEETS SWEDISH COORDINATOR SINCE DENKTASH 'INDISPOSED'

Hakki Atun met with the Swedish official on behalf of Rauf Denktash, who is indisposed.

[06] ATUN CRITICIZES PAULINE GREEN

[07] MEHMET ALI TALAT COMMENTS ON NIKIFOROS EXERCISES

In a written statement he issued CTP leader Mehmet Ali Talat said that the dangers the party has been repeatedly talking about have escalated under the current critical conditions, and that the Nikiforos exercises are proof of that. He stressed that these exercises are significant not only in terms of their military and strategic aspect, but also in terms of their political meaning. Greece must realize that they are inviting countermeasures on the part of the Turkish Armed Forces, he added.

[08] EROGLU HEALTH IMPROVING, TO RESUME DUTIES NEXT WEEK

[09] ETKIN RETURNS FROM U.S., BRITAIN, COMMENTS ON CONTACTS

Explaining that he held contacts with British Foreign Office officials, Etkin added that these beneficial visits were aimed at enlightening the said countries and presenting the Turkish Cypriot stand.

Etkin declared that during his contacts, he firmly asserted that if in its December meeting, the EU Council of Ministers decides to proceed with the application of the Greek Cypriot side, the relevant measures will be taken in a timely manner and without hesitation in conjunction with Turkey. He added that he also stressed that the "TRNC" must be seen by the world as a "sovereign and independent country" and, given the existing facts, the "TRNC" must be recognized. He also said the Turkish Cypriot side will adopt a stand, take the necessary countermeasures, act in line with the existence of the "TRNC", and say that if talks are to be held they can be held between two "states."

[10] CUREL: GREEKS ARE PLAYING WITH FIRE

``We still see the tendency to link the development of Turkey´s relations with the EU and the Cyprus issue. We tell those who are interested in this matter that there should be no link. It is our aim to develop our relations with the EU, but nobody should expect us to take certain steps regarding Cyprus in order to develop those relations,'' Gurel said.

Gurel stressed that any agreement in Cyprus must be based on the equality of the two communities. Replying to a question, Gurel said that Turkey will take all the additional military measures against the deployment of the S- 300 missiles in the island,and that it will not allow the issue to be used as a bargaining tool.

``The policy of creating tension is an extremely dangerous policy. They are playing with fire. They are doing something very dangerous,'' he claimed.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[11] COLUMNIST: ANKARA, NOT DENKTASH IS RULING US

However, if one establishes this fact, this in no way means that one will be acquitted from having any responsibility. That is nobody can get away with it by saying: 'the sole responsible for this state of affairs is Ankara or Denktash.' All of us are guilty. No one should think that I have come to this conclusion because there are no convicts put in jail because of their ideas. Unless we get rid of the illness of always putting the blame on others for the difficulties we face, we will not be able to notice the injustice we are committing.

In this country this is how they rocked the opposition.

How?

Let me tell you.

Not blaming oneself maybe is an intellectual's illness. However, saying that the one who does not exactly share your own views is on the opposite camp, is nothing but having an inquisition mentality.

In fact, there is no difference between Denktash and the opposition regarding their behaviour.

Denktash brands those he does not like as 'traitors', and in turn the opposition brands those they do not like as Denktashists. This illness was more visible at a time when leftist ideas were first being introduced in our country. They were roaring and accusing everybody.

- Maoist! - Agent! - Trotskist! Who were roating to whom?

Leftists to leftists ....

Nothing has changed today. They have a fixed idea in their heads - Denktash is quilty. And for this reason they think that if Denktash goes, everything will become normal. This way they are unable to see that it is not Denktash who is ruling us but Ankara.

Just look at our opposition. If not all, at least its majority. Do they blame Denktash or Ankara? They say, Denktash and only Denktash. This stance does nothing but to alleviate the responsibilities of the Ankara governments in bringing our country to this situation.

Also the stance taken against Denktash by the opposition is not a sound and healthy stance. Because they made it their principle to oppose whatever Denktash says. Thus they have lost their credibility before the people. They are not aware of the fact that nothing will change in this country after Denktash's death if other things are not changed.

This way they have rocked and destroyed the opposition in this country. Even those who were their supporters. Since they are unable to stand against Ankara, they attack Denktash.

Although among themselves they complain that 'they are under Turkey's occupation', they are not courageous enough to write this in their newspapers. Instead of blaming themselves, they consider it a big deal to severely criticize the old leftist friends of ours, who are not with them anymore.

Let them do so ...

How many people extended a helping hand to these friends of ours who have for years struggled in the opposition front with great sacrifice and who were then condemned to destitution and hunger?

A respected leftist friend of mine, who has citrus groves in Morfu and a good pension as well as a good salary from a rightist 'establishment' that he is curently working at, asked me the following when, after seven years of exile, I returned home and met him in the street:

- You have come back?

- Yes, I have .

- Why did you come back?

- This is my country ....

- You should have stayed.

You should have stayed there, with those who took you there ..... It seems that this friend of mine was thinking that I have come back here to be accounted for.

How could he know that I have come back here to settle accounts?

Did he not think that he, too, had his share of responsibility while the country was being destroyed?

Holding Denktash the sole responsible for everything that is being done here is tantamount to accepting him as the president of an independent state. Whereas, I am sure, we are being ruled by the forty thousand troops on the island and Ankara".

[12] HOLBROOKE'S PROPOSALS ON CYPRUS SAID REJECTED BY TURKEY

Richard Holbrooke held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, President Suleyman Demirel, Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, General Cevik Bir, second in command of the General Staff, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem, and Minister of State Sukru Sina Gurel yesterday. Prior to his meeting with Yilmaz, he said: "This is not a negotiation trip because I will not visit Athens and Nicosia. I have arrived in Ankara to establish the Turkish Government's views. I have not arrived to submit a plan."

However, the Turkish diplomatic circles have not confirmed his statement and disclosed that talks have been held on a number of proposals. According to the diplomatic sources, the paper adds, he discussed the following:

Ban of flights: Overlooking the recent developments in Cyprus, Holbrooke proposed "an indefinite ban on flights over the island." It has been ascertained that the high-ranking Turkish Government officials informed him that "Turkey will definitely not agree to such a ban and that only Turkey has heeded the moratorium on flights during the military exercises thus far." The officials informed him that the ban will threaten the Turkish Cypriots' existence in Cyprus, the paper says.

S-300 missiles: It has been ascertained that Holbrooke tried to use the S- 300 missiles problem as a bargaining chip. He was informed that "all the necessary measures will be taken to obstruct the installment of missiles on the island."

Demilitarization in Cyprus: It also has been ascertained that Holbrooke defended the view that "the Turkish military presence in Cyprus has to end and an international peace force has to be deployed on the island for the sake of a peaceful solution." However, he was informed as follows: "The Turkish military presence guarantees the existence of the TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). It is aimed only at safeguarding the existence of the Turkish Cypriots on the island."

Kardak: Holbrooke reportedly focused on matters related to the Aegean Sea and stressed that Turkey should appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Kardak problem. He was informed that Turkey will not appeal to the ICJ and that "Greece should take action on the matter instead."

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

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