Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 00-06-12

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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. 110/00 -- 10-11-12

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] ``Court'' sentences Greek Cypriot soldier to 20 days.

[02] Water shortage.

[03] Plague hits sheep in occupied area.

[04] Akbulut to pay illegal visit.

[05] Eroglu in Ankara hospital for check-up.

[06] Forged dollars mailed from pseudostate.

[07] Turkish President to illegally visit occupied area.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] CTP Secretary Soyer says economic crisis is Turkey/s design.

[10] `Unhealthy/ Turkey-pseudostate ties seen by figures.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] ``Court'' sentences Greek Cypriot soldier to 20 days

When announcing the ``sentence'', ``judge'' Ilker Sertbay noted that the ``court'' could give up to two years in prison for this ``crime''. He said that any incident which could have occurred because of this ``border'' violation would have destroyed the positive atmosphere reigning between the two communities. Sertbay also claimed that he wanted to deter other youths serving in the Greek Cypriot National Guard from committing the same ``crime''.

[02] Water shortage

So-called minister of interior and village affairs Ilkay Kamil has said that firms will be invited in Ankara in the coming days to a tender on the transport of water in tankers.

Reminding that the water installations in occupied Syrianokhori will be refurbished in order to render them suitable to accept water from tankers, Ilkay Kamil has said: ``Pipes with a length of 400 meters are being extended between the installations and the seashore. This work will be completed within a period of 10-15 days. The same procedure will thereafter be conducted at the Anamur Soguk Su installations in Turkey. Firms will be invited in Ankara to a tender on the transport of water to the TRNC after the completion of work at these two water installations''.

He added: ``The water that is being transported in balloons as well as the water that will be transported in tankers from Turkey to the TRNC will raise the level and quality of water in the country. Work is continuing on solving the shortage of drinking and irrigation water throughout the TRNC. This work encompasses a project to transport water from Turkey to the TRNC via a water pipeline that will be laid under the surface of the sea.

Transporting water from Anamur aims at solving the water problems within the shortest period possible. The Council of Ministers in Turkey has approved the project to transport water to the TRNC via a pipeline. This work will take time to complete. However, work will be started on carrying out the project after giving the plan its final shape''.

So-called water works department director Mustafa Can has said that underground water resources have dried up due to the inadequate rainfall this year and that consequently, they have signalled the alarm bells with respect to the underground water resources and water dams.

Can has said that despite the recent rainfall, the water dams have begun to dry up, adding that the project on transporting water in tankers will be beneficial. According to Can, measurements taken at the dams in May have shown that the water level has not changed and that there is nothing that they can do about the matter.

Noting that rain water has not properly flown into the water pools, Can has said that only the water pool in occupied Kythrea has benefited from the rain that fell in May. Can has added that measurements taken in May have shown that water has completely dried up in the Kanli, Vasilia, Akanthou , Chatos, and Temblos water pools.

Noting that 18 water pools exist in the ``TRNC'' since 1974, Can said that some of these pools have been constructed to feed the underground water resources while the rest are used as water resources.

Reminding that the existing 18 water pools have a capacity to hold 15 million cubic meters of water, Can has said: ``The 21 pools of various sizes that existed before 1974 used to hold 20 million cubic meters of water''.

Mustafa Can has said that the water level has dropped from 100 percent to 16.4 percent in some pools that have received no rain. Noting that 83.6 percent of the water has dried up in the pools, Can has said: ``We will encounter severe problems due to the drying up of our pools. Our country is gradually turning into a desert. The underground water resources are also diminishing''.

[03] Plague hits sheep in occupied area

KIBRIS reports that tens of sheep have died of PPR Antibody. The report says that this disease is only seen in poor African countries.

According to blood and pathological analysis carried out at the Veterinary Faculty of the Ankara University and at Turkey/s Central Veterinary Control and Research Institute of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ministry on the occupied area/s sheep, the results showed that 10% of the sheep are carriers of PPR Antibody (plague).

The chairman of the so-called Turkish Cypriot Veterinarians Union, Ersan Korudag has said that they knew there were problems in the Morphou area, however, they were not informed about them. He said that the problems were withheld from them. He stressed this disease was not contagious for humans.

The experts said that this was a serious disease and those animals found to be carriers of the disease should be put to death immediately.

[04] Akbulut to pay illegal visit

Upon arrival at the occupied Tymbou airport Akbulut will hold a press conference. Tomorrow, Akbulut will address the pseudo-assembly. He will leave for Ankara on Wednesday.

[05] Eroglu in Ankara hospital for check-up

He will be examined by the Head of the Cardiology Department at the Ibni Sina Hospital, Dr. Dervish Oral.

NTV informed that Eroglu will stay for a few days in the hospital.

[06] Forged dollars mailed from pseudostate

The forged dollars were uncovered by Ankara/s customs officials. The paper gives only the initials of the sender and the addressee and says that Turkish police and customs officials started an in-depth inquiry.

[07] Turkish President to illegally visit occupied area

CUMHURIYET reports that Sezer first will visit the occupied area and then will go to Azerbaidjan.

The paper declares that Sezer/s first visit abroad will be the occupied area.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] CTP Secretary Soyer says economic crisis is Turkey/s design

This is quite interesting in that it shows that the solution to even the simplest economic issues has escaped the grasp of Lefkosia (Nicosia). No one sees the solution resting in Lefkosia. Even the government, and its partners UBP (National Unity Party) and TKP (Communal Liberation Party), as well as the organizations have all turned their attention to Ankara.

Turkish Cypriots/ ties with Ankara would of course be of special nature at this stage of the Cyprus problem. But I wonder how at this most critical moment for the Cyprus problem would Denktash and Ankara manoeuvre in the labyrinthine corridors of exacting international politics with a community that has been forced to lose self-confidence and initiative to tackle any minor or major problems.

I now want to ask: Why did the economic crisis and the banking crisis explode so suddenly just after the Helsinki decision? Yes, the mismanagement and defects in the system were a factor, and the fall of interest rates on Turkish Lira had an effect on the political developments. That is true, but the spread of this crisis could still have been checked quickly by the end of December 1999. Was it not what was done in Turkey? This would not have been difficult here too given the fact that the TRNC Central Bank has close links with Turkey and the UBP and Denktash are morally and politically loyal to Turkey. Yet, the banking system collapsed like a house of cards.

And this coincided with the time when in the aftermath of the Helsinki decision the international community took a radical turn toward the solution of the Cyprus problem. You might have thought that in such a situation there would have arisen a concern in Turkey and Cyprus `not to weaken the Turkish Cypriots on the eve of the negotiations/. But that is not what happened.

As if they hoped and waited for this crisis to happen. Were has that crisis led us now?

The Turkish Cypriot community/s economic dependence (on Turkey) has increased further. Its say in its own economy weakened further. Its capital fled abroad. The Turkish Cypriot community/s administrative weight inside the country now has declined to 1974 level. Yes, the political dimension of this economic crisis that exploded after the Helsinki decision is just showing itself. It seems the conditions are being created to establish a control over the Turkish Cypriots even in case of solution.''

[59] `Unhealthy/ Turkey-pseudostate ties seen by figures

The editorial adds that the political dimension of these ties has already been substantially eroded ``because of the degeneration inflicted on it by Denktash-UBP (National Unity Party)-DP (Democratic Party) trio/s panegyric and sloganeering about Motherland-Daughterland to gain points against the leftist opposition''.

Similarly, it says, the economic ties put in place to buttress this political dimension has borne no fruits. ``All these unhealthy ties have damaged the relations between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot people.

Superficially, this has engendered the perception (in Turkey) that the aid and support provided by Turkey to Cyprus is just an undeserved charity doled out to an unfaithful and insatiable people. Ordinary people, and even the press (from Turkey), have been openly saying, ``you disloyal and lazy people, we pay you even your salaries''. Whereas, broad masses of Turkish Cypriots perceive this as Turkey/s attempt to humiliate them and deprive them of their bread, political future, productivity, and dynamism.

Given this, even the pettiest debate in the TRNC starts revolving around Turkey. This is inevitable. The Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Industry, Farmers Union, and similar other organizations have been complaining the TRNC government to the visiting Turkish Cypriot State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel or are asking him to tell the TRNC government to satisfy their demands. This by itself is enough to show the warped structuring the relations have assumed over the years.

This fact in itself is a manifestation of the unhealthy nature of the Turkish Republic TRNC relations. The TRNC budget has now reached the point of demanding more and more money from the Turkish Republic.

BOT

Turkish Republic Contributions to TRNC Budget Years 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

In Million Dollars (estimate) 18.7 26.7 21.6 26.3 20.8 28.3 75.8 78.0 130 150 - EOT

As could be seen, the TRNC budget has been asking for more and more money from the Turkish Republic. This figure is expected to be quite high due to the economic crisis in 2000.

There is yet another unhealthy development in the economic ties with the Turkish Republic.

BOT

Turkish Republic - TRNC Import-Export figures (in Dollars)

Years Imports Exports 1997 202 million 27.1 million 1998 231 million 27.0 million 1999 235 million 27.0 million

(so-called finance ministry and state planning organization data) EOT

As could be seen the imports from the Turkish Republic rose by $33 million between 1997 and 1999, but exports remained the same. Only the increase in imports is equal to our total exports.

This economic structure alone belies the expressed intention to help the Turkish Cypriot people to stand on their own feet and achieve self- sufficiency and productivity. It rather demonstrates an increased relationship of dependence. Presently, therefore, the trend is for Turkey to give more assistance and the Turkish Cypriots to lose their dynamism even further.

The need has therefore arisen to bring a new and fresh approach to these relations to make them healthy, to help bring about a solution in Cyprus, and to impart a new start to the EU-Turkey ties.'' /SK ---------------------

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

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