Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 00-09-13

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 175/00 -- 13.9.00

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash pleased with Annan document but says not enough for direct talks.

[02] Cem meets Albright, notes rapprochement with Greece.

[03] Patriotic Unity Movement criticizes Denktash, calls for Federation.

[04] COMAR poll results.

[05] Turkish Cypriot businessman flees to free areas.

[06] Cem tells Albright of concern over UN, US efforts to persuade Turks on Cyprus.

[07] German tourist found dead.

[08] Gurel: Time for "TRNC" to be recognized.

[09] Students to visit occupied area.

[10] Denktash demands to know Greek Cypriot positions.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash pleased with Annan document but says not enough for direct talks

An Anatolia correspondent asked Denktash to comment on Secretary General Kofi Annan/s latest statement. Denktash replied: "The statement tells Clerides to give up his claim that his is the Cyprus government and that he is the president of the whole of Cyprus".

Denktash added: "Clerides/ acceptance of the fact that his is not our government has become a condition for direct negotiations. Now this has been told to Clerides/ face".

Denktash then said: "This document constitutes the foundation stones of the solution we defend. In other words, it stresses several facts that we have always insisted on. What we foresee is a confederal Cyprus state based on two states and one where none of the sides represent each other".

Denktash stated that the document read by Annan to the leaders "is not enough for the start of direct negotiations". He added: "We must wait and see how the Greek Cypriot side will react. We hope that the Greek Cypriots will agree to the points cited in the document and make progress possible".

Denktash pointed out that "Annan did not put a name to the new partnership to be established and left that to the two sides". Denktash added: "The secretary General underlined the fact that the equal status of the two sides should be cited in the agreement. We hope that the Greek Cypriots will assess the situation similarly and that the talks will gain momentum".

According to the Anatolia report, following Annan/s statement, rumours were heard in the UN corridors and in the hotels that President Clerides would withdraw from the talks. Asked to comment, Denktash replied: "What is there in this statement to make Clerides flee? The statement does not hurt the Greek Cypriots. It is a sound assessment".

Diplomatic circles say that the fourth round of talks will continue till the end of September, that there will be a break in October, and that the fifth round may begin in November.

[02] Cem meets Albright, notes rapprochement with Greece Anatolia Agency (20:23 hours, 12.9.00) reports that Turkish Foreign Minister

Turkish Foreign Ministry sources pointed out that Turkey expressed its concerns to the US side about the draft bill on the genocide on Armenians.

Sources said Albright pointed out that they would help the efforts of Turkey, and will continue their existing attitude.

The US side said it attributed importance to the Turkish-EU rapprochement, and appreciated the steps taken by the Turkish government during the accession partnership document process with the EU.

Sources said the meeting took place in a positive atmosphere.

Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, speaking about Turkish-Greek relations, stressed the rapprochement carried out between the peoples and the non- governmental organizations. Cem also pointed out the ongoing potential of the rapprochement like the increase in the number of tourists, activity in the private sector, and joint projects. Albright said they welcomed this, and wished the rapprochement to continue.

As Albright wished advancement on Cyprus, Cem pointed out that he shared her wish for advancement, and stressed the importance of equal status between the two sides.

[03] Patriotic Unity Movement criticizes Denktash, calls for Federation According to illegal Bayrak Radio 1 (10:30 hours, 12.9.00) the Patriotic

YBH Secretary General Izzet Izcan held a news conference where he aired his party/s views on the Cyprus problem and he discussed his recent contacts abroad. Other party officials were also present at the news conference.

Izcan criticized Denktash for saying that he was going to New York without any hopes. Izcan stressed that the YBH believes a centrally powerful federation should be established in Cyprus. He explained that a centrally powerful federation means that the Turkish Cypriots will have a right of say in the joint sovereignty over the whole of Cyprus.

Izcan said that the YBH calls on the sides to be constructive and to create solutions in New York, not pretexts. He also noted that the pseudostate is going through an economic and political crisis, and that the main reason for that is the status quo and the so-called government/s lack of influence and authority on basic problems.

Izcan criticized the circles that want early "elections" in order to solve the problems, adding that a federal solution will solve all the problems in Cyprus.

[04] COMAR poll results KIBRIS (10.9.00) continues the publication of the results of the COMAR poll

- What do you think about the presidential and the parliamentary system?

Aug.2000 poll Dec. 1999 poll

- We support the continuation of the current 54.2 55.0 system

- We prefer the presidential system 28.7 34.7

- Others 4.5 2.7

- No answer 13.1 7.7

The replies to the same question according to party affiliation were as follows:

Parties Continuation of the Move to presidential Others No answer

current system system

NUP 73.0 18.0 2.0 7.0 DP 26.7 58.3 1.7 13.3 CLP 62.0 30.0 2.0 6.0 RTP 66.7 16.1 3.4 12.6 PUM 65.8 10.5 15.8 7.9 NRP(National -

100.0 - - Revival Party) NJP(National 40.0 40.0 10.0 10.0 Justice Party) BP (Our Party 60.0

20.0 - - No participation in the "elections" 48.0 32.1 5.5 13.7

KIBRIS (12.9.00) publishes COMAR/s poll results on economy saying that 88.5% of the Turkish Cypriots believe that the pseudostate/s economic situation is becoming worse. On December 1999,a similar poll showed that the 62.5% shared the same opinion. The majority of Turkish Cypriots, an 80.3%, do not believe that the economic package will solve their problems.

- Do you believe that the economic package can solve your problems? Replies - Yes, I do 14.9 - No, I do not 21.0 - I strongly do not believe 59.3 - Others 1.5 - No answer 3.3

[05] Turkish Cypriot businessman flees to free areas KIBRIS (13.9.00) reports that the owner of the Everest Bank, Elmas

According to information gathered from various sources by the KIBRIS correspondents, the owner of the Everest Bank, Elmas Guzelyurtlu, has crossed into the free areas from an unknown point and asked for asylum.

Born in Limassol, Elmas Guzelyurtlu (48), in order to revive his bank, had submitted several formulae to the occupation regime but every time he was turned down.

Guzelyurtlu had said that the occupation regime confiscated his "passport" and placed him on the "stop list", thus curtailing his freedom of movement.

KIBRIS reports that the Turkish Cypriot businessman has said that he needed his "passport" so that he could travel to Britain to find financial resources to revive his bank.

KIBRIS further writes that Elmas Guzelyurtlu gave a detailed account of his financial situation to the Cyprus Republic/s Police and told them that he wants to travel to London via Larnaca.

When Turkish Cypriot journalists contacted Elmas/s wife, Zerin Cuzelyurtlu, to get information about her husband, she said "no comment".

[06] Cem tells Albright of concern over UN, US efforts to persuade Turks on Cyprus

At a news conference in New York, Cem said that he expressed this concern to US Secretary of State Albright and to Alvaro de Soto, the UN Secretary General/s Special Cyprus Representative. Cem noted that his remarks were taken into consideration.

In reply to a question on the fact that Greek Foreign Minister Papandreou links the progress in Turkish-Greek relations to the Cyprus problem, Cem said: "That is Papandreou/s view. As far as we are concerned, Cyprus is not an issue in the Turkish-Greek relations".

Cem stated that at their meeting, Albright did not voice a special demand regarding progress in Cyprus. "On the contrary", Cem said, "it was we who were demanding regarding the Cyprus question. I pointed out that the United Nations and the United States are trying to make the Turkish Cypriots accept the Greek Cypriot position just so that an agreement can be reached and that these efforts disturb me".

Asked to comment on the statement issued by Kofi Annan regarding the fourth round of the Cyprus proximity talks, Cem said that Rauf Denktash can comment on it, and added: "Compared to previous statements, it was more advanced".

A Turkish Foreign Ministry official said on the statement: "The Secretary General has shown that he is searching for a solution. We note his statement as a positive one".

Cem also noted that the Turkish-US relations are going well and that he told Albright that Turkey and the United States are countries that have extensive relations in large areas, and cannot view every issue in the same way because they have different priorities. Cem said he thanked Clinton and Albright for their contributions to the development of Turkish-American relations.

[07] German tourist found dead KIBRIS (13.9.00) reports that a 64 year-old German tourist, Norbert Buruno

According to the doctors, the German died 7 or 10 days ago probably of a heart attack.

The German has been regularly visiting the occupied areas, doing research on the Caretta Caretta turtles.

[08] Gurel: Time for "TRNC" to be recognized KIBRISLI (13.9.00) reports that Turkish State Minister responsible for

Gurel had a meeting there with the London-based Turkish Cypriot Associations. He said that the time has come for the pseudostate to be recognized internationally.

[09] Students to visit occupied area According to KIBRISLI (13.9.00) 40 students will visit the occupied area

The AIESEC "East Mediterranean Chapter" will organize a tour of the occupied areas to promote the pseudostate. The AIESEC "East Mediterranean" is based in the "East Mediterranean University" since 1992.

[10] Denktash demands to know Greek Cypriot positions Following are excerpts from an interview given by Rauf Denktash to KIBRIS/s

"Question: Could you tell us what point we have reached with the proximity talks? With what preparations have we come here? Could you give us an evaluation of the last rounds? Are you satisfied with the stage we have reached? What will happen now, what do you expect?

Denktash: We had given a detailed document to De Soto in Geneva that included our defence and our demands. The Greek Cypriots secured this document with their own methods. So, they know in every detail what we want and what we insist on. We do not know what the Greek Cypriots want. What we gather is through the press reports. We take them and comment on them, and we conclude that they do not intend reconciliation. We are of the impression that, as Clerides had said earlier, they are sitting around the negotiation table as a tactical move. They do not seriously consider reconciliation with us. Hiding behind the pseudo title of the Government of Cyprus, they want to get results.

Therefore we say, since the Greek Cypriots know our demands, De Soto should tell us what the Greek Cypriots want, so that we can see as well whether there is possibility of reconciliation or not. If this is not done, one of the sides will be at a disadvantage. Already the other side, as a legitimate government, is at an advantageous position. This is a major advantage.

We have to see what is being said at the negotiation table. Therefore we will demand this from De Soto. This is necessary in order for the negotiations to continue in a sound manner.

Question: By saying, `they know our (position)/ do you mean the leakage by the Greek Cypriot press?

Denktash: It is not a leakage, they openly stole the document. It is in Clerides/s hands. There is no question of leakage. Our document is in Clerides/s hands.

Question: Well, does the real reason that we do not know their views stem from the fact that they come to the negotiation table unprepared? They have nothing in their hands.

Denktash: We do not know whether they submitted something or not. They had discussions. Well, every now and then, De Soto, Sir David Hannay and others tell us: `Sir, you have the chance to reconcile. That is, you are not for apart/. Well, let us see, where are we not far apart?

It is meaningless to keep us around the negotiations table, just because the others say that we are not far apart. Because as we wait around the negotiations table the Greek Cypriot side openly declares that, whether the Turkish side accepts or not, and whether an agreement is reached with the Turks or not, we will make Cyprus as a whole a member of the EU. This is the last statement made by Clerides. Well, this does not augurs well for reconciliation. This is an indication of not wanting reconciliation. How come then they tell us `you are very close to each other on many issues/? Let us see. It is high time they tell us. Since they want comprehensive negotiations and since they want face to face negotiations on core issues, let us see what the Greek Cypriots say. Because we have given, as a document, what we think about the core issues. They know it. The Greek Cypriots as well have it.

Question: Sir, during his last press conference Clerides said: `If there is not progress in this round either, then the Security Council should intervene, because it resolutions are being thrown in the dustbin. It has to do something so that its decisions be applied/. Is this a threat directed at Turkey and the Turkish side?

Denktash: It is a threat. Naturally it is a threat, but a meaningless threat because we are not disgracing the Security Council.

We always said that any resolution that refers to the government of Cyprus is not binding on us".

When asked whether pressure is being exerted on the Turkish side, especially from the USA, Denktash said: "No, we do not feel any pressure. I think during the third round of talks America realized that the Greek Cypriots do not intend reconciliation. For this reason there is no question of exerting pressure."

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