Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-01-13

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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. 5/98 -- 13.1.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash: "Turks to meet if status as state accepted".

[02] Two Greek Cypriots still held by the occupation regime.

[03] Conditional participation in intercommunal talks denied by Denktash.

[04] Akinci meets Italian ambassador.

[05] New "protocol" between Turkey and the occupied area.

[06] Turkish jets violate Cyprus airspace.

[07] "State" enterprises going bankrupt in the occupied area.

[08] Haktamir: This will be the year when the Cyprus problem will come to an end.

[09] Turkey decides to buy 40 F-15s.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash: "Turks to meet if status as state accepted"

"If this is displayed with determination it will be possible to reach an agreement with the Greek Cypriots, because they are waiting for us to be divided from within and to collapse in this way", he claimed.

On the occasion of the new year, Denktash met with the "1st Infantry Regiment", the Nicosia "border" units connected to the regiment, and the "6th Infantry Battalion".

Denktash said that during his visits to the military units on the occasion of the new year, his morale was raised, his confidence increased, and he was happy to see that the youths are being trained in the best possible way and they are carrying out their "national" duties with love and enthusiasm.

Replying to a question on the resumption of the intercommunal talks in Switzerland in April, Denktash said: "We have already announced the conditions under which we are ready to hold contacts with the Greek Cypriot leadership. Contacts can be held only between two states."

Denktash claimed that the report was a deliberate attempt to see the reaction of the Turkish Cypriot side. He said: "We have shown our reaction. We said what we are going to do. In line with the wishes of the Greek Cypriots, the EU eliminated all the parameters that we thought were on the negotiating table. It killed the intercommunal talks. From now on, contacts can be held only between two states. If they accept our status as a state, we can meet with them."

[02] Two Greek Cypriots still held by the occupation regime

Liles had entered by mistake on 21 December and was arrested in occupied Yerolakkos. His "trial" will start today and a verdict will most probably be given on the same day.

[03] Conditional participation in intercommunal talks denied by Denktash

A written statement issued by Denktash's office claims that the intercommunal talks died following the decision reached by the EU, and reiterates that from now on, contacts can be held between two "states". The statement says: "There have been no changes in our view and position. We have received no information that a meeting will be held in Switzerland. The report that we will conditionally participate in that meeting is unfounded. If a meeting is to be held, its time, venue, and conditions must be agreed upon following separate talks between the officials of the two states and UN officials. Naturally, decisions to be reached in our absence in connection with meetings are not binding on us."

[04] Akinci meets Italian ambassador

After the meeting it was announced that during the meeting the latest developments in the Cyprus problem were discussed.

(MY)

[05] New "protocol" between Turkey and the occupied area

(MY)

[06] Turkish jets violate Cyprus airspace

KIBRIS further reports that the F-16 flew over the occupied area without prior notice. The paper then quotes unnamed intelligence sources in Ankara and Nicosia that the Turkish Chief of the General Staff is working on three important projects on the occupied area's soil. Two of these projects envisage the construction of two big naval bases, one at the occupied Karavostasi and the other at the Boghazi of Famagusta.

The third project is to turn the occupied Lefkoniko air base into the largest air base in the Middle East and deploy weapons there. The same sources state that these three projects will be completely financed by Turkey.

On the other hand, Turkey's State Minister Responsible for Cyprus Affairs, Prof. Sukru Sina Gurel, has said that Turkey will take all the necessary measures to safeguard the occupied area's security. He said: "We note that recently the Greek Cypriot side is making efforts to mass up arms and bring in foreign troops in Cyprus. We will not remain without any reaction against such efforts".

He stressed that the occupied area's security carries vital importance for Turkey. Gurel declared that measures towards safeguarding the occupied area's security will be discussed during the Turkish National Security Council's 22 January meeting.

(MY)

[07] "State" enterprises going bankrupt in the occupied area

Because of disagreements between the ruling National Unity Party and the Democratic Party over privatization, operations in the partly "state-owned" enterprises put on sale have been suspended. There are signs that some 250 employees at the "Turkish Cypriot Industrial Holding" would join the army of unemployed after getting severance pay.

The "Turkish Cypriot Airlines" (TCA) and the "Turkish Cypriot Electricity Company" are regarded as the two establishments with the most uncertain future. The new so-called administrative board of "TCA", which was installed after the removal of the board headed by Umit Utkun, asked Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz to liquidate the company.

A meeting held in Ankara under Bulent Ecevit produced decisions concerning the future of the "TCA". The meeting, at which no pseudostate "official" was present, decided that the "TCA" should return two MD-90 planes it had acquired from the United States under a long-term purchase plan and one Airbus it had leased from France and also fire 540 of its 750 employees.

It is reported that, faced with a debt of hundreds of billions Turkish Lira to the Turkish petroleum company, the "TCA" is having difficulty fueling up its planes because it is unable to repay the debt. The supply of fuel, after a four-hour delay, to a "TCA" plane to make the Istanbul-Tymbou flight last week came only after Dervis Eroglu's intercession with Ankara. This was seen as the so-called airline's "last breath".

The "TCA" is not in a position to pay the wages of its employees, let alone pay its fuel debt and maintenance fees to Turkish Airlines (THY).

In their turn, the workers at the partly "state-owned Turkish Cypriot Electricity Company" managed to get their January salaries with a 10-day delay. It is being reported that there may be power cuts and the pseudostate might again plunge into darkness because the financially strapped company is having difficulty procuring fuel. "Prime Minister" Dervis Eroglu has already said that the occupied area might plunge into darkness in March at the latest. Still, he could not reach agreement on privatization with his "coalition" partner Serdar Denktash.

In the meantime, the so-called Social Security Institution, already a bleeding wound for many years now, has also gone bankrupt. It is unable to get new credits from the banks because it has failed to pay back even the interest on earlier loans. Nearly 13,000 pensioners have been getting their benefits at least a week's delay for many months now. For instance, in the first month of the year the pensioners got their benefits with a two weeks' delay because the checks distributed to them earlier bounced.

[08] Haktamir: This will be the year when the Cyprus problem will come to an end

Speaking at the banquet Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Korkmaz Haktanir said that a detailed assessment will be made about the stand to be adopted in the next stage, adding: "We can say that this will be the year when the Cyprus problem will come to an end. We will strive for this purpose."

Drawing attention to the fact that the parameters that have been valid until now will be removed during the next stage, Korkmaz Haktanir said that as a result both the language used and the basic concepts will change significantly.

Explaining that together with the "TRNC", they will strive during the next period to make an effort to put an end to the Cyprus problem by relying on new concepts, Ambassador Haktanir claimed: "For us, the way to do this is to have the two states and the two peoples reach a state where they can live together by solving some of the basic problems that exist between the two states on the island. It is very difficult today to set a target beyond this because, looking at the other side, we can see that the same mentality that gave rise to the 1963 events still exists within the present government and that there is no opposition to this mentality."

[09] Turkey decides to buy 40 F-15s

The request was also sent to the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) in Ankara. This unexpected decision by the military is part of a new move to further modernize the air forces which already have more than 200 F-16s on their books.

Turkey's possible purchase of the aircraft is expected to rock international circles. Analysts said that, following Greek efforts to buy F- 15s, it had become necessary to purchase this aircraft as a countermeasure for maintaining the balance of power in the Aegean and in Cyprus.

"We don't think that we will face any difficulty from the US administration with regard to obtaining permission for this sale, because the US Congress earlier gave approval for a US firm to compete in a tender to sell this aircraft to the Greek air force. We believe that the United States will not reveal any double standards when it comes to dealing with Turkey", said the senior generals.

Turkey co-produces F-16 Fighting Falcons under a US Lockheed license at a facility near Ankara. However, the two-engine F-15 built by McDonnel Douglas, which is twice as expensive, is considered to be far superior to the single-engine F-16 built by General Dynamics.

Ankara, which was earlier annoyed after hearing reports that Washington had indicated the possibility of a sale of R-15 EAgle jet fighters to Greece, claimed that such an eventuation would harm balances in the region. Washington is continuing its delivery of $0 F-16s to Athens.

The necessary marketing license was issued by the US State Department in December, which authorized the manufacturer of the F-15 fighters to conduct demonstration flights in Greece as a part of its efforts to compete for a proposed Greek Air Force purchase of advanced fighter aircraft. The US State Department had previously issued a similar license to the manufacturer of the F-16. Greece has been considering buying any kind of fighter jet and the F-15s are appearing as a front-runner in the Greek competition.

The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. The F-15 has electronic systems and weaponry to detect, acquire, track and attack enemy aircraft while operating in friendly or enemy-controlled airspace.

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

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