Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 99-06-03

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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. 94/99 -- 3.6.99

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Dervis Eroglu interviewed on issues.

[02] Ertekun: G-8 initiative for solution bound to fail.

[03] Effort to retract statement on 49,000 new ``citizens''.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Dervis Eroglu interviewed on issues

Inter alia, Eroglu was asked about the issue of granting ``citizenship'' to Chinese. He replied: ``A decision has been taken to launch a parliamentary investigation into this issue. We should, therefore, refrain from polemicizing, but our former partner (DP) seems to be stoking this controversy.

When we formed a government with the DP there was already a decision by the Council of Ministers. There was already an ongoing procedure. When we entered the government, both the Finance Ministry and the leader of our coalition partner talked about the existence of a project formulated on the assumption that when Hong Kong joins the mainland certain Chinese businessmen would leave the territory, come to Cyprus, obtain Cypriot citizenship, pour in investments, deposit their money in local banks and thus contribute to the TRNC economy.

We have examined the decision adopted by the previous government. It was a decision asking the Finance Ministry to investigate this matter and report back. We said we were in favour of that decision, that the Finance Ministry should investigate the matter and report back, and that a final position should be adopted only after that. However, in the meantime two intermediaries instead of one cropped up. We took certain counter measures, worried that they might not be suitable for us, or that some other forces may lurk behind them. We finally concluded that the project would not be to our interest as it was too big for us to handle and that it might cause headaches. We, therefore, made it known that we have put an end to such investment projects.

In the meantime, a letter (letter of guarantee) - signed by a minister - to one of the intermediaries brought the matter to a head. At the time, that letter of guarantee was sent to the police for investigation. We learned recently that the police commanders have not taken the investigation forward, because they have not been instructed to do so. But, now the police department is working to push the investigation forward.

If you ask me, there is a Council of Ministers decision that allows a Chinese to become a citizen. The person in question could be Chinese, Japanese, or Turkish. The important thing here is not the Council of Minister´s decision on granting citizenship. The question is whether certain persons have made personal gains out of it. That is what needs to be investigated. What needs to be investigated is whether certain interest groups have made personal gains by manipulating this issue. We are not investigating the fact of a Chinese physicist obtaining citizenship. After all, the Council of Ministers has the authority to grant citizenship, and its decisions are taken unanimously. This is the case in coalitions and single-party governments.

Therefore, there is not need to denounce each other on this issue. The Assembly will make its own investigation and expose ill - intentioned people if any. The police are looking into certain tips and documents. Once the police department completes its investigation and draws up a report, the issue would be referred to the chief prosecutor if the outcome of the investigation warrants it.

(DP leader) Serdar Denktash held a news conference with a guilty conscience. This was clear on account of the accusations he levelled against me when others should have been implicated. David Yi Zhong Qi was appointed TRNC honorary representative when Atay Ahmet Rasid was the foreign minister.''

To a question on the new government in Turkey Eroglu replied: ``The election results and certain developments in Turkey had already presaged the formation of DSP- MHP - ANAP government. These three parties have now agreed. This would be a positive coalition government for Turkey. It would be an extremely good coalition for us as well, for all the three parties have extremely warm feelings and sensitivity toward the TRNC and demand a lasting and secure existence for the TRNC statehood''.

Asked whether during Ecevit´s recent short visit to the occupied area, when rumours circulated to the effect that `Ecevit came to dissuade Eroglu from running for the presidency´, such a thing really happened, Eroglu said:

``No such suggestion has come from either esteemed Ecevit or from any other Turkish official. And, I do not think that it will ever come, because when Ecevit was here he once again congratulated me for our success at the elections. That was in addition to his previous written congratulations. He also praised the TRNC democracy. A person that praises democracy in a country could in no way have advised me against becoming a candidate. I am a party leader like him. Esteemed Ecevit knows that the absence of a party from any election influences its future. The National Unity Party (UBP) will take part in every election. It will take part in the presidential elections in 2000 as well. Everyone knows this.''

To a question on the Cyprus problem, Eroglu replied: ``We have already put forward a policy. The Greek Cypriots, too, would endorse it eventually. For years we have been the side that sat at the table to achieve an agreement on the most important problem facing the country. The first talks opened in 1968, but broke off with the 1974 peace operation. They resumed in 1977 and continued until December 1997, when the EU decided to commence full membership talks with the Greek Cypriots. Now we have put forward a policy of perpetuating the TRNC. It has been passed through the Assembly. When our Council of Ministers adopted its two-state policy on 14 December, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a simultaneous statement supporting and endorsing the TRNC´s decision. That policy has been on the table since then.

The US promises on the Cyprus question could only satisfy the Greek lobby. The United States has from time to time tried to be involved in the Cyprus problem through the presidential reports. We now hear statements to the effect that its aim behind taking the issue to the G-8 is to draft a constitution for Cyprus. I do not think that would be productive, for no matter what decision the G-8 takes, we are in the final analysis the ones that would accept or reject it.

It has long been known that we are opposed to the discussion of the Cyprus problem on a multinational platform. Before the United States, it was Russia in the past that wanted to drag the Cyprus problem to the international platform. We had rejected those plans. I think the G-8 involvement in this affair would be extremely wrong, for the UN Security Council and UN Secretary General have been able to provide their good offices for the talks. It is another matter that 99 percent of their resolutions were against us, and we therefore rejected them. There have been cases when the Secretary General deviated from the good offices framework and put forward certain proposals. Anything outside the good offices mission is equally unacceptable. Given this, the Cyprus problem could be brought to a conclusion only with the acknowledgement of the existing situation in Cyprus. The TRNC´s existence could be acknowledged. The possibility of whether the two states could coexist as good neighbours could be investigated. First, agreements could be concluded in this direction, and then other steps could be considered if necessary.

However, I think it would be a great mistake for them to expect us to sit at the table before our present status is recognized and then consent for minority rights. We have been at the table for years in vain. It is no more possible to satisfy us by giving certain constitutional rights to the TRNC, for we know that the constitutions would eventually be shelved as well. The important thing is the acceptance of our status. Once our status is accepted, taking further steps would be much easier.''

[02] Ertekun: G-8 initiative for solution bound to fail

In a written statement he issued, Ertekun assessed the Cyprus problem and the G-8 initiative. He said that the pseudostate has learned that the G-8 which is composed of seven industrialized countries and Russia is getting ready to propose an initiative for the solution of the Cyprus problem. He noted that the fact that this is being covered by the Greek and Greek Cypriot press reinforces the belief that the Greeks and Greek Cypriots were previously informed about the preparations regarding the said initiative.

Ertekun said that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo´s calls for an international conference coincide with the G-8 initiative. He claimed that this justifiably increases the suspicions in connection with the G-8 initiative.

Ertekun alleged that by not informing the ``TRNC'' and Turkey of the initiative earlier, the G-8 have shown that they do not act with impartiality or in line with the principle of equality. He added claiming that it is obvious that any G-8 initiative that might be considered an intervention in the UN Secretary general´s goodwill mission would make the solution of the Cyprus problem more complicated, let alone advance it.

[03] Effort to retract statement on 49,000 new ``citizens''

In a statement to KIBRIS, the so-called prime minister of the pseudostate Dervis Eroglu and the so-called interior minister Ilhay Kamil have declared that Miralay´s statement to the press the other day was wrong.

On the other hand the so-called state minister and deputy prime minister Mustafa Akinci has confessed: ``We knew that a lot of people were made citizens, but we were unaware that the figure was 49 thousand.''

In his turn Republican Turkish Party leader, Ali Talat, declared that they do not believe in Miralay´s statement that he had made a mistake the other day.

Talat said that they believe that the number of those made ``citizens'' is not 49 thousand but even bigger than that.

(MY)

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

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