Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 99-01-29

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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. 16/99 -- 29.1.99

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Pseudostate´s ``delegation'' has contacts in Strasbourg.

[02] Greek Cypriot illegally arrested.

[03] Union leader on confederation.

[04] Ertugruloglu meets Ann Hercus.

[05] Turkey may forfeit CE membership for interests in Cyprus.

[06] Barsony suggests NATO guarantorship for Cyprus.

[07] Germany´s UN representative sees Cyprus´ EU accession ``difficult''.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Pseudostate´s ``delegation'' has contacts in Strasbourg

The so-called delelgation on Monday met with Dutch parliamentarians Blaum and Timmerman.

KIBRIS reports that Timmerman and Blaum had planned to visit Cyprus and meet with the pseudostate´s so-called assembly speaker. However, adds the paper, when the Cyprus govenrment objected to this meeting the two Dutch parliamentarians decided to cancel their visit.

On Tuesday the delegation had a meeting with the head of the Dannish delegation Hennig Gjellerud and the chairman of the CEPA´s political affairs commission and the Cyprus rapporteur Andras Barsony. The so-called delegation spoke about the negative effects created by the non-solution of the question of the Turkish Cypriot representation at the CEPA meetings.

The ``delegation'' yesterday met with British MP Lord Russel who was elected to the CEPA chairmanship. (MY)

[02] Greek Cypriot illegally arrested

KIBRIS alleges that Ioannou violated the ``TRNC borders'' and says he is being interrogated. (MY)

[03] Union leader on confederation

He said that in order to chart the right policies it is necessary for democracy to debate policies which are directly related to the future of the community. (MY)

[04] Ertugruloglu meets Ann Hercus

Present at the meeting was Osman Ertug, so-called ministry under secretary. (MY)

[05] Turkey may forfeit CE membership for interests in Cyprus

The controversy erupted last July, when the Court, the Council of Europe´s judicial body, ordered that Turkey pay compensation for depriving Titina of her property rights in occupied Kyrenia and provide her with free access to the property in question.

Oct. 28 was the deadline for Turkey to comply with the ruling and since then a monthly interest rate of 8 percent is being added to the some $700, 000 which Turkey was ordered to pay.

Ankara maintains that the case is not a human rights issue, but a part of the political problem of Cyprus. Ankara claims that with the ruling in question the European Court of Human Rights had intervened in a problem which is a part of the United Nations initiative for solution on the island.

If a Council of Europe country does not comply with the ruling of the Court, it may face either suspension of its membership or expulsion from the organization.

To date, the Delegates Committee of the Council of Europe, which is assigned to scrutinize the implementations of the rulings of the court, has gathered three times to discuss the situation. The next meeting is scheduled for February 8.

``We insist on our position that the ruling of the court is inapplicable. The issue is directly related to the solution process on Cyprus… Even if the Council of Europe decided to suspend Turkey´s membership or expel it from the organization, we are ready to face this in the name of defending Turkey´s positions and interests on Cyprus'', a high-level Turkish Foreign Ministry official speaking on the condition of anonymity told the Turkish Daily News.

Diplomats from other Council of Europe countries acknowledge that the ruling was very much politically loaded, but say that Turkey should comply with the ruling in order to preserve the authority and esteem of the court. Following the expiration of the time in which Turkey was supposed to pay the compensation, the organs of the court stepped up pressure on Turkey.

Commenting on possible ways out of this complicated dispute, legal experts say that the best option for the Delegates Committee is to freeze the case for a certain time. According to the rules of the Council of Europe, the Delegates Committee is assigned with scrutinizing the implementations of the court´s rulings. The committee has the authority to determine a specific period of time in which the country in question has to implement the rulings.

Instead of determining such a schedule, experts say, the committee can decide to freeze the case and shelve it until progress is recorded on property isues in the UN sponsored shuttle diplomacy talks between the two sides in Cyprus.

Turkish officials believe that the Council of Europe cannot easily opt to expel Turkey, a founding member of the organization.

``Suspension or expulsion are sanctions foreseen for grave violations of democracy. I do not think that the Loizidou case can be included into this classificaiton'', a high-level Turkish official said.

The official said, however, the Council of Europe members may use the Loizidou case to corner Turkey on the Cyprus issue and force it to give concessions. The Loizidou case constitutes a precedent and a flow of other similar applications from Greek Cypriots may flood the court.

In other decisions brought down by the European Court of Human Rights, particularly on violations in Southeast Anatolia, in which Turkey was ordered to pay compensation, the Turkish authorities have quieitly paid up even though they continued to blast the decisions as being overtly political in nature or legally unsound. The Loizidou case is the first time that Turkey has refused to accept a ruling of the court.

The fact that the increased pressure on Ankara in connection with the Loizidou case coincided with a report by two Council of Europe parliamentarians harshly criticizing Turkey raised question on whether Europe is trying to alienate Turkey.

``I do not think that this is a mere coincidence. They are trying to corner Turkey from all fronts'', ''the high-level diplomat claimed.

The report, which was debated last Monday, called on Turkey to conduct reforms aimed at improving, in particular, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the rights of detainees. It urged Turkey to cooperate with the ``Venice Commission'' in conducting constitutional reforms.

The Venice Commission, whose official name is the European Commission for Democracy Through Law, was established with the aim of supporting the development of democracy in the new democratic states of Central and East European countries by helping them in legal and constitutional work aimed at reforming their legal systems.

The fact that the report calls on Turkey, a Council of Europe member since 1949, to cooperate with the Venice Commission, rendered Turkey to the position of a newly-admitted country.

[06] Barsony suggests NATO guarantorship for Cyprus

Stating that in April he will be preparing a report on the Cyprus problem, Barsony criticized Britain for not effectively excecuting its guarantorship duty in the past. ``The British left big unsolvable problems in the places from where they withdrew'', he said.

When asked to comment on Turkey´s refusal to pay compensation to Greek Cypriot Titina Loizidou despite the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, Barsony said that it is absolutely necessary to abide by the Court´s decisions otherwise, he warned, Turkey will face very serious problems.

Barsony also said that Turkey´s refusal to comply with the Court´s decision will shake the trust towards Ankara and will create problems for its Council of Europe membership and its application for EU accession.

Diplomatic sources report that Turkey´s refusal to pay compensation despite the Court´s ruling has created serious problems between Turkey and the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe which is the decision- making organ of the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe has the right to suspend the membership of a member country which refuses to comply with the court´s decisions. (MY)

[07] Germany´s UN representative sees Cyprus´ EU accession ``difficult''

He said that on this issue there was no clear stance within the EU body. Ambassador Dietrich Kastrup said: ``However, I could say this much, that unless the problem is solved politically, it is difficult to imagine Cyprus´s full membership to the EU''. (MY)

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

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