Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-08-26

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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. 155/98 -- 26.8.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Gurel on S-300´s.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[02] Columnist opposes Denktash, Turkish policies on Cyprus.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Gurel on S-300´s Ankara TRT Television Network (17:00 hours, 24.8.98) broadcast a studio

Asked about the S-300 missiles Gurel claimed, inter alia: ``Even if the possibility of the deployment of these missiles is eliminated, Greece has clearly manifested that it wants to settle on the island and threaten Turkey from there. Greece is constructing an air base and attempting to land and deploy planes there. It has also attempted to construct a naval base there. Therefore, all these issues should be viewed as a whole and this is exactly what we are doing. Actually I have difficulty understanding the meaning of an indefinite postponement. The best thing is to renounce these missiles. That is what they should be announcing. In this way, they will have rescinded the step they have taken against stability in Cyprus and the region. As for how they intended to use or whether they still intend to use this chip in their relations with the EU, that issue is entirely their business. As a matter of fact, the EU has also made the wrong calculations with regards to Cyprus. The EU has rendered the problem more difficult.''

Reminded that Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos has called on the United Nations to ensure that the US-made weapons are withdrawn from the occupied areas of Cyprus, adding that in the event the US-made weapons are removed from the island then the presence of the Turkish military presence on the island will no longer have a meaning, Gurel replied:

``Actually, just as the other countries within the Western alliance, we use weapons of a certain standard. We are continuing on our path while trying to raise this standard in harmony with all the other members of the alliance. There are no US weapons there. The weapons of the Turkish army are stationed there. Therefore, Mr. Pangalos has once again made one of his (word indistinct) comparisons.''

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[02] Columnist opposes Denktash, Turkish policies on Cyprus

1. The Independent Cyprus Republic, set up and administered jointly by the Turkish and Greek Cypriots with the assistance of Turkey, Greece, Britain, and the United States, passed into the sole control of the Greek side after the clashes that began on 23 December 1963 and ended by the cease-fire on 24 December 1964. The Turks were either expelled or themselves withdrew (both are correct) from Cyprus Republic state mechanism.

2. Since then, the Cyprus Republic, which has been maintaining its existence on the basis of international law, is recognized by the world as the Greek Cypriots´ Government with rights of sovereignty all over the island.

3. Since then, therefore, the Turkish Cypriots have been leading a life devoid of any legal foundation and isolated from the world.

4. The situation into which the Turkish Cypriots were pushed, or dragged, on 23 December 1963 called for an intervention within the framework of the Guarantee Agreement because that situation was incongruent with the 1960 Cyprus Constitution. It, therefore, gave rise to the right of intervention by Turkey, Britain, and Greece jointly or separately.

5. But, the military intervention in Cyprus was made by Turkey alone on 20 July 1974 following Makarios´ deposition by the Greek Junta on 15 July 1974. And for some reason, the Turkish Cypriots´ rights usurped under the disrupted constitutional order were not restored, as they should have been as stipulated by the Guarantee Agreement, simply because no attempt was made to restore the constitutional order.

And,

6. Instead, a bi-zonal situation was created.

And later,

7. The Turkish Cypriots´ political will was eliminated by ensuring that they emigrate in large numbers under the pressure from the population brought in from Turkey.

8. The Turkish Cypriots right for self-administration was also eliminated as a result of Denktash´s collusion with some Turkish officials.

9. The Turkish Cypriots are now on the verge of being dealt another blow by the Partnership Council.

And under the pretext of `we will do with Turkey exactly the same thing that the Greek Cypriots are doing with Europe,´ a rapid move is being made toward creating a territory that would be nothing more than a mere `military base´ devoid of any legal foundation, isolated from the world, and a place for the destruction of the Turkish Cypriots.

10. And in contrast to this situation being brought about in the north of Cyprus far from any international legitimacy and looking more like the emergence of a `military base´, in the rest of Cyprus, the Cyprus Republic, purely run by the Greek Cypriots and with de facto control over its region and de jure rights over the area under Turkey´s control, will continue to exist as a second Hellenic state with international personality and veto rights in the EU. And with the permission of that state, Greece will come and establish itself in Cyprus and consequently in the eastern Mediterranean, thus surrounding Turkey from the south as well.

What is more, Russia, which has been the Greeks´ protector throughout the history has already established itself in southern Cyprus with its 30-40-thousand citizens whose number might rise at any moment.

In short, Turkey, which is dreaming of bringing the Caucasian oil to the eastern Mediterranean, has come across the presence of Russia and Greece instead of oil.

This means that,

11. In the same way that Greece was brought into the Aegean, Turkey this time around is bringing Greece to Cyprus with the help and guidance of Denktash.

Faced with these facts, the first thing that the Turkish Cypriots should be doing is to oppose Denktash´s policy, which is based on their annihilation.

And the way to do that would be to ask back their right of self- administration. That is, the Turkish Cypriots should leave everything aside and take action by saying `this country belongs to us´ and ask Turkey to restore their right to self-administration.

And then explain, within appropriate limits, the falsity of Denktash´s policy to the Turkish officials, press, writers, and scholars.

The elections should be starting point for that. All the political parties must unite around this point without any distinction between the right and left. For a community that has reached the point of `to be or not to be´ , the priority should be given to `to be´.

The question is now will North Cyprus, after all, be a territory with Turkish Cypriots exercising a right of say over it or not?

It is a fine thing to ask for peace and agreement, but how could we make peace and agreement without obtaining the right to do them?

But, who would grant such rights out of the blue if no efforts are exerted in that direction?

It is also time for Turkey to see the realities.

The policy drawn up by Denktash and endorsed by Turkey is not a correct Cyprus policy. It could be, at most, dubbed the Serpent island policy. A policy stuck on the´ Island of Serpents´ will be to the benefit of neither the Turkish Cypriot nor the Turkish nation.

All those voting for UBP (National Unity Party), CTP (Republican Turkish Party), TKP (Communal Liberation Party), YKP (New Cyprus Party), and DP (Democratic Party) should know that had the sensitivity over the Motherland- Daughterland links, a sensitivity shaped in minds over the years, not formed the essence of relations that Denktash had forged between the north Cyprus and Turkey, it would not have taken so much time to bring about the realization that the forging of such relations is a treasonable activity.

According to the international law, neither the whole or part of Cyprus could be annexed to another country.

Besides, Cyprus´ history will preclude such a thing.

And a friend of mine reminded me yesterday that Cyprus remains outside the national borders drawn up by Ataturk.

Therefore?

Therefore, it means that such actions could be considered `treason´ not only where they concern the Turkish Cypriots but also because they are actions that have been misleading Turkey.

Our women, who want a quota in the Republican Assembly, should also think about what we have been saying here.

First of all, let us all secure our right of self-administration, and then seek power, for a community deprived of rights of self-administration cannot have its own administration.

This is important: do not entrust this vitally important struggle to the men alone. Join in, and even take the lead so that you could have a say in the future-free administration of the Turkish Cypriot community. Once we reach there, you would not even feel the need to plead men for quotas.

Existence and self-administration is possible only by renouncing the Serpent Island Policy.''

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

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