Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-01-27

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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. 15/98 -- 27.1.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Foreign Ministry says Lefkoniko one option against Paphos.

[02] Eroglu threatens with measures at occupied Lefkoniko.

[03] Denktash meets Feissel.

[04] Sezgin says Lefkoniko not measure against Paphos base.

[05] Demirel warns against use of arms to solve Cyprus issue.

[06] Sezgin: "The base is not important".

[07] Sezgin says whatever necessary to be done on Paphos, S-300.

[08] `Grey Wolves' hitman arrested while on his way to the occupied area.

[09] Susurluk report blames the Turkish state for remaining silent.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Foreign Ministry says Lefkoniko one option against Paphos

Ambassador Necati Utkan, Foreign Ministry spokesman, replying to questions at his weekly news conference organized for the foreign press, said: "The necessary measures to be taken by TRNC and Turkey, as the guarantor state, will not be limited to Lefkoniko. Whatever other measures are needed will be taken when the time comes."

[02] Eroglu threatens with measures at occupied Lefkoniko

In a statement to the press after his weekly routine meeting with Rauf Denktash, Eroglu claimed that the Cyprus Government with the intent of raising the morale of its people, is expecting to benefit from its armament efforts, threatening that this mentality might create trouble for the Greek Cypriots.

Eroglu said that "one cannot oppose Turkey by purchasing three missiles and opening a military base". He said: "We are determined. We will reciprocate every step taken by the Greek Cypriots. At the moment; we also have the Lefkoniko airport. We plan to take certain measures at this airport."

[03] Denktash meets Feissel

KIBRIS reports that Denktash had a meeting yesterday with the UN Secretary General's Deputy Special Representative in Cyprus, Gustave Feissel.

After the meeting, which lasted an hour, Denktash told the reporters that following the press reports that the UN Secretary General is preparing a report, that Mr. Cordovez will be coming to Cyprus with documents, that the talks will resume from where they were left off, that President Clerides has agreed on the constitutional issues, that the problem will be settled and that the Turkish Cypriots will also be admitted into the EU, he wanted to clarify these rumours and for this reason he had a meeting with Feissel.

Denktash further said in no uncertain terms that he has told Feissel that the new situation created in Cyprus made it imperative to review the Cyprus problem.

He reiterated that they are ready to resume negotiations on the "two state basis." "We have put a `stop' to this. We are determined and firm. If there are people who will start negotiations on a two state basis , then let them think it over", Denktash claimed.

(MY)

[04] Sezgin says Lefkoniko not measure against Paphos base

[05] Demirel warns against use of arms to solve Cyprus issue

[06] Sezgin: "The base is not important"

Sezgin recalled that the airport in occupied Lefkoniko can be converted into an air base as a measure against the one in Paphos and said that other measures can also be taken. However, he refrained from giving details on the matter.

Military circles are convinced that the establishment of a base in Paphos is not very important from a tactical viewpoint.

Defense circles have said that the base may create a number of problems, regardless of the fact that it is unimportant from the military viewpoint, as they claim. According to Turkey's defense concepts, an attack was expected from Greece over the Aegean Sea. The base in Paphos has created the possibility of an air attack over the Mediterranean. However, the most serious danger is the possibility of Greece allowing foreign planes to land at the base, the sources claim.

[07] Sezgin says whatever necessary to be done on Paphos, S-300

In a news conference in Ankara yesterday, Sezgin said that the deployment of the S-300 missiles and the opening of the Paphos air base are not very important. He added: "If this is being done for Cyprus, it is too much; if it is directed against Turkey, it is too little and it is a mad project."

In his news conference, Sezgin announced that the construction of an international airport in Kurtkoy in Istanbul's Pendik District will begin next month. Noting that the airport will become operational in 2000, Sezgin said that two tenders to the tune of 18 trillion Turkish lira for ground services will be finalized in the first stage. He continued: "The cornerstone of the project, which has been submitted to a tender, will be laid in two stages during the course of February, with the participation of the president and the prime minister. The construction will be completed in 1999."

[08] `Grey Wolves' hitman arrested while on his way to the occupied area

The report says that Oral Celik, former hitman for the right-wing idealist terrorist organization "Grey Wolves" and the brain behind several assassinations including the attempt against Pope Paul, was arrested in Adana yesterday while boarding a plane due to fly to the occupied area.

YUZYIL says that Celik, a close associate of Abdullah Catli who died in the Susurluk accident and commander in arms in the hey days of the Grey Wolves, was coming to the occupied area to buy and operate a hotel and a casino.

(MY)

[09] Susurluk report blames the Turkish state for remaining silent

Yilmaz made the excerpts public on Kanal D's live "Arena" program hosted by Ugur Dundar. The report was prepared by the head of the Prime Ministry Inspection Board, Kutlu Savas, upon Yilmaz's instructions. The alleged state-mafia links were revealed after a fatal car crash in the western Anatolian town of Susurluk in late 1996. It involved a politician, a senior police official and a right-wing terrorist who were all travelling in the same vehicle.

Although Yilmaz declined to describe the most confidential sections regarding the state, the repot still shocked the Turkish nation as it exposed the extent that corrupt elements had infiltrated the state. The report criticizes the state for failing to implement adequate control mechanisms over its institutions. Below are some of the critical points noted by the report.

Struggle against terrorism

The report noted the public's concern over the discovery of illegal activities that focused attention on the alleged relationship between politicians and the underworld. The purpose of these activities is to gain money, influence and power, the report said. "It is also disturbing that these illegal activities are covered up as being actions in the struggle against terrorism", it added.

Meanwhile the report stressed that "all institutions" of the state were aware of these illegal activities. The lack of control over the state institutions was revealed to the public after the Susurluk accident. "Issues that were considered state secrets began to appear in newspapers. This was the most important indicator of the lack of dedication within state institutions".

Murder triangle

Concerning the chain of murders which took place in the area between the province of Izmit, Adapazari and Bolu, the report said that security officials, including the police and gendarmerie officers, along with former admitted members of terrorist organizations - who were allegedly involved in the murders - were all still concentrated in that area. "Those who committed these murders did not even bother to move other places, and the horror they created became the biggest proof of their strength."

`The state was silent'

The report also accused the Turkish state of keeping silent regarding its infiltration by illegal gangs. Most of the blame was bestowed upon the National Intelligence Organization ..end (MIT) and the Security Department, which between them employ more than 150, 000 police officers. It held these organizations responsible for failing to cope with a few rogues who had acquired influence.

The report warned that there is a possibility that the illegal gangs may get out of control unless the state makes comprehensive reforms. It blamed the state institutions again for the inability to carry out their tasks in a professional manner.

"The existence of so many opposing elements within the same body is because of the emergence of fields of illegal activities created by this chaos. The officials concerned were unable to prevent the development of these activities so they supported them instead. These incidents remained hidden until the Susurluk accident."

Topal murder carried out by gangs

The Susurluk report links the 1996 murder of the so-called casino king, Omer Lutfu Topal, to the elite police forces. "Topal served a prison sentence from 1979-84 for smuggling drugs and later, in 1990, he began to carry out business with Israeli partners", the report said, without specifying the type of the "business". The report underlined that the yearly profit of Topal's chain of companies was $1.1 billion. It was also noted that Topal carried out various business activities in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

The report said that Topal took an active role in helping the True Path Party in an attempt to prevent the reelection of Mesut Yilmaz, the current prime minister, as the deputy from the eastern Anatolian city of Rize. Topal also gave financial assistance to Yilmaz's rival.

The report said the first information about the Topal murder case's links with the elite police teams was obtained from a special note sent by MIT's Istanbul branch to the city's security directorate. It also underlines special links between Topal and Mehmet Agar. "According to the earlier claims, Agar had had Topal investigated on his possible links with the Kurdish nationalists. After learning that he was being targeted, Topal asked for more protection from the police. He was said to have sent Orhan Tasanlar, the former Istanbul police chief, a gift worth TL 250 billion, but his request was turned down by Tasanlar, causing him to panic."

Kutlu Savas stated in the Susurluk report that Topal was killed in July 1997 when suspicions against him were at their peak. It said Topal had been forced to pay $17 million to his alleged murderers, but he was told that the money never reached its intended destination, even though the payment was made.

Right-wing terrorist suspect Abdullah Catli's fingerprints were recovered at the site of Topal's murder.

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

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