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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-09-23Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIANo. 175/98 -- 23.9.98[A] NEWS ITEMS
[A] NEWS ITEMS[01] Denktash proposes setting up ``property exchange committee''According to illegal Bayrak radio (10:30 hours, 22.9.98), Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has proposed to the Cyprus Government to set up an independent and autonomous committee to deal with the exchange of property and compensation. Yesterday, Denktash met Ann Hercus, the UN Secretary General´s assistant special envoy, and conferred with her for about one hour. They discussed Denktash´s upcoming visit to New York and the meeting he will hold with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. During the meeting , Denktash informed the United Nations of his proposal to set up an autonomous committee that will deal with the exchange of property.In a statement after the meeting, Denktash said that Hercus will attend the meeting he will hold with Kofi Annan, and that they discussed this issue in detail. Denktash pointed out that he informed Hercus of the views he would like conveyed to the UN Secretary General. He noted that they discussed once again the reasons for the confederation proposal and the reasons for the elimination of the federation proposal. Denktash claimed that the confederation proposal has been effective in that the world has started to think of what the real reason is behind the Cyprus problem. ``In the long run,'' he said, ``what we must do in the TRNC is to develop the internal order and the economy''. Denktash affirmed that Turkey is extending more aid with each passing day, that every sector is benefiting from the aid, and that infrastructure projects are advancing speedily. He added: ``The stronger we are and the more we are confident of our future, the sooner the Greek Cypriot leadership will realize that Cyprus does not belong to them only''. Dentkash called on the UN Security Council ``to act in connection with the basic issue of property exchange so that the Cyprus problem can be resolved''. He said: ``If the Greek Cypriots think of sharing authority with us in the future, we must resolve this basic problem quickly. We are in favour of establishing a common committee regarding this issue and of globally discussing the issue of property exchange and compensation.'' Denktash said that once this is done, ``the Greek Cypriot refugees will realize that the Greek Cypriot leadership is lying to them when it promises to them that they will return to their lands.'' He added that the Greek Cypriots will also realize that an agreement can be reached only with a property exchange. He alleged: ``We do not want to deprive anyone from his property. On the contrary, we want everyone to have rights to his property through the property exchange process.'' He said that a committee similar to the independent and autonomous missing persons committee can be set up to deal with the property exchange issue. The criteria for that, he said, can be determined by the two sides. Denktash said that he discussed this issue at his meeting with Ann Hercus, adding: ``If the Greek Cypriots intend to resolve the Cyprus problem, they should immediately accept this formula''. Replying to a question, Denktash said that he will not meet with President Clerides in New York. Denktash also said that he gave a file to Ann Hercus made up of ``evidence proving that the Greek Cypriots do not want a federation.'' In a statement after the meeting, Ann Hercus said that it was held in connection with Denktash´s upcoming visit to New York. She added that the UN Secretary General invited her to the meeting and that she will attend. Replying to a question on the issue of the confederation, she said: ``I have nothing to add to what the secretary general has said on the issue.'' [02] German academicians in the occupied areaAccording to KIBRIS (23.9.98), fifteen German academicians from Munich University, who are currently in Turkey to discuss the recent tension in Turco-German relations and ways to relax this tension, will be visiting the occupied area.KIBRIS reports that the German academicians will meet with Denktash. Speaking to reporters, the Chairman of the Turkish Democracy foundation (MP), Bulent Akarcak, has said that the visit of the German academicians to the occupied area ``demonstrates the way they look into the Cyprus problem''. (MY) [03] Value of underworld economy in Turkey viewedA report in daily YENI YUZYIL (17.9.98) deals with the issue of the underworld or crime economy in Turkey and says: Laundered money is the most important part of the unregistered economy. Usury, trade in drugs, arms smuggling, bribery, and prostitution are the most important elements of the illegal economy. The extent of the underworld economy, also known as the ``crime economy'', is so great that it makes up half of Turkey´s $200- billion national income, or $100 billion. Some $7 billion of this comes from racketeering. According to the Security Directorate, the underground economy employs 23,000 people. Assuming that each one of them gets $1,000 per month, the underground economy spends $23 million per month. This means that the ``godfathers'' pay $276 million to their employees every year. Considering that the godfathers give 20 percent of their earnings to their employees, they earn $1.380 billion a year. According to tradition, the mafia clients, for their part, give one fifth of their earnings to the godfathers. This means that the clients´ earnings reach $7 billion. This shows the extent of the underground economy.Usury Source of Income (subhead) Usury is one of the most important elements of illegal economic activities. The operation volume of usury has reportedly dropped due to the various new dimensions introduced in money movement. According to some experts, usury is 20 percent of the total volume of the banking sector´s credits. That is, it is $7.5 billion against the banks 10quadrillion Turkish lira credit business. The drug trade is another important source of income for the underworld economy. Specialists say that the profits made from trade in drugs is $25 billion, including money in transit. Although there are various estimates regarding arms smuggling, experts agree that the volume of arms trading is at least $15 billion. Bribery is also one of the important elements of the crime economy. This economic crime, committed in the government offices, come to notice during the tenders and customs transactions. There are also cases of embezzlement, misappropriation, fraud, and pilfering. The estimated value of bribery stands at $15 billion. Every Type of Mafia (subhead) This illegal sector of the economy could be divided into three parts. The first is incidental mafia. Every citizen who caries out unregistered business is included in this class. This is the most startling aspect of the whole matter. The second is the mafia involving politics. One of the most important activities of this mafia, which is also called the calling card mafia, involves finding a job for the voter for free or in return for money, providing incentives, or showing partiality in granting a tender. The bribing of the squatters in shanty-towns is one of the services offered by this group. Some 11 amnesties have been granted to squatters in the last 40 years. This is seen as a sort of political bribe given to the 1.5 million squatters. The mafia involving money is the third and last type of its organizations. This mafia carries out activities in various spheres. Specialists say that the first thing to do is to look for the financiers of the politicians. BOT Volume of Underworld Economy (subhead) Activity Estimated volume Usury $ 7.5 billion Trade in drugs $ 25.5 billion Arms smuggling $ 15 billion Bribery $ 5. billion Racketeering $ 7. billion Prostitution $ 5. billion Other $ 35 billion Total $100 billion Criminal Activities have basic prices too (subhead) Crime Price Threat and intimidation 25-50 million lira Collecting promissory notes 50 percent commission Firing on workplace and home 100-500 million lira Firing on the feet 150-600 million lira Securing a tender 50 percent commission Kidnapping 400 million - 1 billion lira Killing by firing 750 million - 3 billion lira Killing after kidnapping and questioning 1-10 billion lira EOT Forty-One Mafia Activities (subhead)
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 |
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