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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 99-03-15Cyprus 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. 44/99 -- 13-14-15.3.99[A] NEWS ITEMS
[A] NEWS ITEMS[01] Decisions of ``Joint Economic Council''According to illegal Bayrak radio (6:00 hours, 13.3.99), the so-called Turkish-Turkish Cypriot joint economic council meetings ended at the Dome Hotel in occupied Kyrenia last Friday. Important decisions were reached that will contribute to the economic and social development of the pseudostate. Some of these decisions concern the establishment of a joint economic area between the two sides, Turkey´s financing a joint social security system which will establish balances in the realm of labour, the purchase of new planes for the ``Turkish Cypriot Airlines'', a reduction of the costs of air transportation, and the procurement of funds for 1,000 units of social housing in the pseudostate.Ahmet Zeki Bulunc, ``cochairman'' of the ``joint economic council'' and ``deputy under secretary'' of the so-called state planning organization said that the Turkish delegates confirmed that a directive will be issued to establish a Cyprus desk at every ministry in Turkey in order to overcome the problems being faced in the development of bilateral relations and to speed up the efforts for a joint economic area. Bulunc also said: ``It was decided at the meeting that the Turkish Council of Ministers will assign TRT the task of helping to develop Bayrak Radio and Television''. Bulunc then disclosed that the two sides decided to work jointly to determine the factors that will reduce costs in maritime transportation in the pseudostate, in the procurement of planes for the ``Turkish Cypriot Airlines'', and in air transportation. Bulunc said: ``Turkey agreed to support infrastructure investments in the new tourism areas. The main feasibility study for carrying water to the TRNC in pipes has been completed, and the engineering work on the details continues''. Bulunc disclosed that the ``council'' decided that the Turkish State Planning Organization and the ``TRNC State Planning Organization'' should jointly conduct regional research to determined the potential position of the eastern Mediterranean in the next 20-30 years and to determined the position of the ``TRNC'' and Turkey in that region. He added: ``It was decided to work on a project that will enable TRNC citizens to enjoy the same economic and social rights as the citizens of the Turkish Republic. In conclusion, important decisions were adopted regarding various issues, and it was an extremely useful meeting''. [02] Turkey protests Azeri soccer team trip to CyprusAccording to HURRIYET (Internet version, 14.3.99), Turkey has been dealt an unexpected blow by a friendly and fraternal country, Azerbaijan. The decision to send Azerbaijan´s national soccer team to a training camp in the free areas plunged Turkish-Azeri relations into an ``unpleasant period''.Acting on this unexpected development, Azeri President Haydar Aliyev and Minister of Sports Saim Karayev intervened immediately and instructed the Azeri national team to leave the free areas last Saturday. It has been learned that an inquiry will begin about the soccer federation officials who brought the team to the free areas of Cyprus. Turkey sharply rebuked Azerbaijan for allowing its national team to go to a training camp in the free areas of Cyprus. Foreign Minister Ismail Cem reportedly described this development as ``the heaviest blow Turkish diplomacy has been dealt by a friendly country in recent years''. The Azeri Ambassador in Ankara, Mehmet Nevruzoglu, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and was explicitly told about Turkey´s dismay over this development. Ankara also stated that Turkey is prepared to provide all necessary training camp facilities to the Azeri national team if the Azeri soccer federation requests them. Speaking to HURRIYET, Ambassador Nevruzoglu said he was also dismayed by this development and that steps were immediately taken to recall the Azeri national team. [03] Occupied church turned into sheep-penKIBRIS (15.3.99) reports that the church in the occupied village in Strongylos has been turned into a sheep-pen.KIBRIS adds that Strongylos, which is one of the smallest villages of the Mesaoria plain, has been filled with animal shelters. It says that people in the village are complaining of being forced to live under filthy and unhealthy conditions. KIBRIS claims that villagers have reacted against the turning of the village church into a sheep-pen. ``No place of worship can be used in this way, we cannot tolerate this'', they said. (MY) [04] Pseudo-minister to attend Turkic states conference in TurkeyAccording to HALKIN SESI, (15.3.99) the so-called minister of finance and economy, Mehmet Bayram, left the occupied area yesterday for Kyseri, Central Turkey, to attend a conference on developing economic cooperation between the Turkic states.Speaking at the occupied Tymbou airport prior to his departure, Bayram said that the conference is being organized by the Erciyes University in Kayseri and he has been invited to attend. Bayram termed the meeting an important event for the occupied area. Bayram said that he will be having separate meetings with other people who will attend the conference. The meeting will take part between 15-18 March. Officials from Azerbaijan, Turkenistan, Kyrgyzistan, Khazakhistan and Uzbekistan will take part in the meeting. (MY) [05] Turkish Cypriots act against Cyprus PoundAccording to HURRIYET (Internet version, 13.3.99), the so-called Central Bank of the pseudostate stopped the payment of interest on the Cyprus pound, which is the official currency of the Republic of Cyprus according to its 1960 Constitution. This move burned another bridge between Greek and Turkish Cypriots on the island.The abolition of interest on the Cyprus pound, which is exchanged at the rate of 655,000 Turkish lira in the pseudostate, is expected to drive depositors to other currencies and steadily reduce the demand for the Cyprus pound. This situation is expected to reduce the value of the Cyprus pound relative to other currencies, the paper says. In remarks to a newspaper published in the pseudostate, Mehmet Turgud, ``under secretary'' of the so-called ministry of economy and finance, said that the new measure does not mean intervention in the Cyprus pound. Turgud said: ``The TRNC Central Bank has no branches or accounts in south Cyprus. We did not derive any income from that currency.'' Observers said that ``the decision carries political rather than economic significance''. Of the $800 million in deposits in the pseudostate, $500 million are held in foreign currency. Thousands of residents of the pseudostate who retired before 1974 still receive their pension in Cyprus pounds from the government of the Republic of Cyprus. [06] Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot among suspects of a 1997 murder in LondonKIBRIS´s (15.3.99) London correspondent Serhat Incirli reports that the three people who were caught by the British police regarding a murder committed in January 1997 are Greek Cypriot Charalambos Constantinou (26), Turkish Cypriot Huseyin Abdullah (50) and Mario Pereira (25) of the Mauritious Islands.The trial of the three suspects will start on Thursday, 18 March. They are being accused of killing Michael Menson (30). (MY) 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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