Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 00-07-14

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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. 133/00 -- 14.7.00

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ecevit explains Yilmaz/s duty as internal coordination for EU membership work.

[02] Promotions within Turkish Armed Forces.

[03] Leaked Turkish plan for Cyprus, British envoy prime suspect.

[04] Denktash back from Geneva, comments on spy scandal, ties with Turkey.

[05] Ecevit not to comment on "spy case".

[06] Talat meets State Department official.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ecevit explains Yilmaz/s duty as internal coordination for EU membership work

Ecevit said the aim of the Secretariat General is to secure internal coordination and harmony in the preparations and activities to be undertaken by public organizations and institutions within the framework of the work preparing Turkey for EU membership. External relations concerning the EU will be conducted by the Foreign Ministry, and the General Secretariat will conduct the internal harmonization work in the membership process. Ambassador Volkan Vural, Turkish envoy to the United Nations, has been appointed EU Secretary General.

[02] Promotions within Turkish Armed Forces

Meanwhile, 1st Army Commander General Hilmi Ozkok, who is set to replace General Huseyin Kivrikoglu as Chief of the General Staff after Kivrikoglu retires in 2002, will be appointed as Land forces Commander this year.

The successor of General Ozkok, who will occupy the post of Chief of the General Staff in 2002-2006, will be selected from among the lieutenant- generals who will be promoted to full generals this year. Soldiers such as Brigadier-General Veli Kucuk, Brigadier-General Nihat Ozeyranli, and Brigadier-General Hayri Kivrikoglu, whom the public recognizes closely due to their involvement in a number of incidents, are also among the list of names that are up for promotion.

The most important changes this year will occur at the Land Forces Command and the Gendarmerie General command. Land Forces Commander General Atilla Ates and Gendarmerie Commander Rasim Betir will retire.

Meanwhile, Necdet Timur, who is the most senior general within the TSK ranks, is expected to become 1st Army Commander after the latter position becomes vacated by General Hilmi Ozkok. The 2nd Army Commander/s position vacated by General Aytac Yalman and the Land Forces Commander/s position vacated by General Necdet Timur will be occupied by two lieutenant-general who will be promoted to a higher rank this year.

The names of individuals closely recognized by the public due to their involvement in a number of incidents will also be raised on the Supreme Military Council/s agenda. Brigadier-General Veli Kucuk - whose name was raised on the agenda following the discovery of relations between mafia members, on the one hand, and politicians and the police, on the other in the wake of the Susurluk incident - is also on the list of names who will be promoted to a higher rank. It has been claimed that Kucuk will be promoted to a higher rank and that even if he is not promoted, his term in office will be extended for another year.

Turkish Cypriot "Security Forces" Commander Brigadier-General Nihat Ozeyranli, whose name was raised on the agenda after his involvement in the recent incidents in the occupied area, is also on the list of individuals who will be promoted to a higher rank.

Finally, Hayri Kivrikoglu, who is the cousin of Chief of the General Staff Huseyin Kivrikoglu, will also be promoted to a higher rank this year.

[03] Leaked Turkish plan for Cyprus, British envoy prime suspect

"When he met with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan/s Special Representative to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto in July 7 at 11:00 a.m., Denktash gave him the document containing the details of the confederation model the Turks were proposing for Cyprus and which had been worked on for months and which stated that the architect was Turkey/s Ambassador to Great Britain Korkmaz Haktanir.

How Did All Hell Break Loose?

De Soto asked Denktash whether or not he can give the document highlighting the Turkish proposals to the British Special Representative Hannay, attending the proximity talks in Geneva together with the United States foreign Department Special Representative for Cyprus Thomas Weston. Denktash told him he could. Following the meeting with Denktash but before lunch, de Soto hands the Turkish proposals over to Weston. A Greek journalist said he obtained the Turkish proposals that afternoon between 3.00 and 3:30 p.m.

In his meeting with de Soto, Denktash points out this is the not the first time information has been leaked and says that either the US or the British representative did it.

Diplomatic sources say the finger of suspicion points more at the British representative than the US one in that the American diplomat pursues more righteous policies and that they believe he would not stoop so low as to do such a thing."

[04] Denktash back from Geneva, comments on spy scandal, ties with Turkey

"When you look at that, you see that a framework is being drawn up. We can and will put our own views within that framework. Probably, the Greek Cypriot side too will try to place its own views and the things it wants to do within that framework".

Denktash pointed out that after the two sides do that, the real negotiations will begin either at the end of the next meeting in Geneva or at the meeting in New York.

Denktash said that what disturbed him in Geneva were the incidents that occurred in the "TRNC". He stressed: "While we were trying to defend our state in Geneva, explain that it is impossible to relinquish it, and pursue an insistent policy that our state will absolutely continue to exist, part of the Turkish press began to say as a result of the incidents that occurred in the TRNC that the TRNC is a pseudostate or that it is entirely ruled by Turkey. These articles saddened us greatly and they played into the hands of the Greek Cypriots".

Referring to the persons arrested on charges of spying, Denktash said that he cannot say much in this regard since the issue is now in the hands of the "judiciary".

Denktash asserted that persons who want the Turkish soldiers to leave the island are not serving their "country". He said: "These persons want the Turkish soldiers out. The Greek Cypriot press is saying let us help these people. Concerts are being organized and money collected for this purpose. This is money given to them out in the open; only they know how much money they are given secretly", he claimed.

Denktash alleged that the articles and reports appearing in the Turkish press are not based on any research. He added that efforts are being made to separate the Turkish Cypriots from Turkey and that the people should realize this. He stressed that he was under pressure in Geneva due to these developments, and that he would have been much more relaxed otherwise. Denktash said that he believes as he declared in Geneva that the "security forces" command did not make any mistakes.

Referring to the proposal that the "police force" be attached to the "civilian authority", Denktash said that he used to agree with that in the past but that he disagrees now. He said: "After we saw the partisanly behaviour of the civilian authority during the recent elections, and after we saw the partisanly effect of that authority on the under secretaries and civil servants, we concluded that the time has not come to attach the police force to the civilian authority. Our police force is our only pride, the only administration we trust".

Noting the Turkish press articles that say that the "TRNC" is ruled by Turkey, Denktash alleged that this is false. He said the Turkish press members should come to the "TRNC" and see the "realities". He said: "Had Turkey ruled the TRNC, our economy would not have collapsed, our people would not have faced all these difficulties, and all the sectors would not have reached rock bottom."

[05] Ecevit not to comment on "spy case"

[06] Talat meets State Department official

In a statement prior to the meeting Talat said that they will exchange views on the latest developments. Tim Brown, on the other hand, said that he came to listen rather than to speak.

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

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