Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-04-23

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 70/98 -- 23.4.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Paper says the American assured Denktash over the sovereignty issue on exchange for his accepting Dayton-type negotiations.

[02] Turkey says quadripartite conference on Cyprus is not on the agenda.

[03] TGNA holds session on Cyprus issue.

[04] Gurel meets Thomas Miller.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[05] Columnist on US view of Cyprus impact on Turkey.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Paper says the American assured Denktash over the sovereignty issue on exchange for his accepting Dayton-type negotiations

Denktash, who asked for confidentiality, told the leaders that while the Americans gave him this assurance, in turn they asked him to accept the "Dayton-type negotiations process".

AVRUPA reports that Denktash had asked the party leaders not to break loose what he was telling them, to keep it secret and not make a "fuss".

The paper also says that Denktash further claimed that, the promise that in case of an agreement the Turkish side's concerns shall be solved, demonstrates that at last the Turkish side is being understood. Following these safeguards, added Denktash, he might go to the negotiations. AVRUPA notes that party leaders, in line with Denktash's call for confidentiality, did not make any statement.

However, adds the paper, despite this call, information regarding the meeting has started to leak.

(MY)

[02] Turkey says quadripartite conference on Cyprus is not on the agenda

Responding to a question about the claims saying that Thomas Miller, the US Special Coordinator to Cyprus brought a letter to Ankara, Necati Utkan, the Foreign Ministry Spokesman told a weekly press briefing, "William Cohen, the US Secretary of Defense has brought the letter. That letter asked Turkey to support Richard Holbrooke's initiatives concerning the Cyprus question".

Noting that the visit of Thomas Miller is not secret, Utkan pointed out that the contacts of Rauf Denktash in Ankara on Thursday are important. Utkan stressed that a "joint declaration" can be adopted during the visit of Denktash, who will address the Parliament.

Utkan said that a Foreign Ministry delegation will visit the "TRNC" on Saturday to put into effect the "Partnership Council", which was signed between Turkey and "TRNC".

"We have to wait for the results of the contacts of Richard Holbrooke, the US President's Special Representative to Cyprus, on the island. Holbrooke will spend the first week of May on the island, however, his visit to Ankara is not yet on the agenda," he said.

Stressing that the US is seeking a solution on the island and this solution can only come true if the negotiations between the two sides start, Utkan added that the conditions on which the negotiations will be held are also necessary.

Responding to a question, Necati Utkan said that the efforts of the Greek Cypriot side to become an associate member of the Western European -nion (WEU) are not new and Turkey, which wants the issue to be examined from the viewpoint of international law, closely monitors the developments.

[03] TGNA holds session on Cyprus issue

Pointing out that the 55th government is doing all in its power to secure the economic development of Cyprus, Gurel said that a loan of $250 million was activated for that purpose in the second half of 1997. Noting that incentives that are in effect in Turkey will be applicable to investments in the occupied area as well, Gurel said that the conditions for loans to be extended by the Ziraat and Halk Banks will be the same as those in Turkey.

After Gurel briefed the TGNA on the Cyprus developments, Deputy Assembly speaker Yasin Hatipoglu granted the party spokesmen the right of speech.

Kamran Inan, Motherland Party (ANAP) deputy from Bitlis, said that the first reply to be given to the commencement of the Greek Cypriot-EU accession negotiations will be to open Varosha to settlement and added: "We are not late in taking a step on this issue. Varosha should be opened to settlement, and the EU should receive the reply it deserves."

Explaining the ANAP views on the issue, Inan said that the party supports the determined stand of the government on the Cyprus issue and hopes that it will continue.

Expressing the views of the Republican People's Party, Samsun Deputy Murat Karayalcin said that the project of transporting water to the "TRNC" in balloons will, unfortunately, not be realized by 23 April, adding that the promises made should be kept. Charging that the differences of views on the Cyprus issue between the prime minister and the deputy prime minister became evident during their recent news conference, Karayalcin said: "We have entered a very critical stage in the Cyprus problem. We do not share all the assessments made by the government on the issue."

Alleging that the Turkish theses on the Cyprus issue are correct, Karayalcin said that Turkey should not become the side that avoids the Cyprus talks.

Speaking on behalf of the Virtue Party (FP), Istanbul Deputy Azmi Ates said the FP supports "the just TRNC cause" and is grateful to Rauf Denktash for the stand he has adopted against the "injustices". .../..

Expressing his party's views, Erdogan Toprak, Turkish Democracy Party deputy from Istanbul, said that the "TRNC" will never accept a minority status and that Turkey will never allow such a thing to happen.

[04] Gurel meets Thomas Miller

In a statement prior to the meeting, Gurel expressed the wish that the realistic approach adopted by the United States toward the problem will continue in the future as well. He added that his meeting with Miller will be extremely constructive and positive just as the previous ones had been.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[05] Columnist on US view of Cyprus impact on Turkey

"For Washington, Cyprus is the key to Turkey's relations with the West in the 2000s.

The level of sensitivity is incredibly high. They take this issue very seriously, and they have no intention of giving up on it easily.

Contrary to rumours in some Turkish circles that `Richard Holbrooke is disillusioned' and that `he will withdraw from this effort to save his reputation', there is an adamant determination in Washington.

Holbrooke's team is furious at the EU: They believe that the EU made the Cyprus problem more intractable by its Luxembourg decisions and that, even, they botched it up.

Still they have no intention of giving up their efforts to find a solution in Cyprus any time soon.

On the contrary, intensive activity will get under way in the coming weeks. This effort, however, will most probably be the last attempt by Holbrooke's team. Either things will get on track or they will become more intractable.

Parallel efforts will be made `to persuade' the EU and Turkey.

For the Turkish side, `being persuaded' does not mean accepting everything and making concession after concession.

The current picture is as follows:

The Turkish side has cut off all negotiations. The TRNC has declared that it will not participate in any negotiations related to either (Cyprus') full membership in the EU or the UN-sponsored bicommunal talks as long as it is not recognized as a state.

Its goal is to gain recognition for the existence of two states (one Turkish, one Greek) in Cyprus.

However, no one seems ready to accept the formula of two separate states.

In contrast, the Greek Cypriot side has invited the Turkish Cypriots to all negotiations with open arms and appears to the international community as being earnest about a compromise.

Their goal is to be recognized as the true owners of Cyprus and to be admitted into the EU regardless of whether the Turkish Cypriots join them.

Meanwhile, there is a growing tendency within the EU to make the Greek Cypriots wait at the gates if the Turkish Cypriots do not join them. The EU does not want to be blamed for dividing Cyprus irreversibly.

Therein lies the crux of the problem.

The Greek Cypriots would win if Cyprus is admitted as a full member into the EU. They would thus abandon the 30 percent of the island which they know they will never recover in exchange for all the political and economic advantages of being part of the EU. They would get richer, and, with their status as a EU member, they would make Turkey suffer by labeling it `occupationist'.

The only way the Turkish side can block these Greek Cypriot maneuvers and stop or at least delay their full membership in the EU is to play the game without straying from its goals.

In other words, it must not avoid the UN-sponsored talks.

At present, the image seen from the outside is that the TRNC is the side that is avoiding the talks.

Only Clerides can win if the TRNC persists in its present course and is branded as `the side that does not want to compromise'. In such circumstances the EU may approve the full membership of the Greek Cypriots on the pretext of `Turkish fanaticism' and put the blame for the division of Cyprus on Denktash.

In Washington this scenario is described as `Turkey putting the (hangman's) noose on its neck with its own hands'.

At this stage there is benefit in reconsidering our position of `not participating in any negotiations' related to Cyprus.

No solution that may bring back the status quo in Cyprus prior to 1974 or that may lead to Greek Cypriot control over the TRNC can be acceptable; the two communities have parted ways.

The Greeks must pay the price of their attempts to achieve enosis and the mistakes they have made in the last 30 years.

However, it is hard not to concur with a substantial portion of the concerns expressed about the methods we have adopted to achieve this goal.

The argument `we can annex the TRNC, and that ends everything' is too simplistic and is fraught with major perils.

The slightest mistake may make the 2000s miserable for Turkey.

Of course it is not enough for just the TRNC to change its position.

The EU must also change its stance.

The EU must reconsider its stance. For example, Greece must step back from its strange veto.

If a new approach will be launched on Cyprus, we must do it all together.

Washington must persuade not only Ankara, but also Nicosia, Athens, and Brussels.".

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

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article