Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 01-01-22

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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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Britain's Hannay: Arms Embargo May Be Placed on Ankara if Proximity Talks on Cyprus Fail To Resume

[02] Denktash Tells Recruits of 'Traitors' That Try To Cause Rift With Turkey

[03] Denktash claims French Assembly Seeking To Put New Obstacles for Turkey EU Membership

[04] Denktash Says Cyprus Not Obstacle to Turkey's EU Membership

[05] Turkish Cypriot "Delegation" Leaves for Council of Europe Meetings in Strasbourg

[06] Separate talks instead of proximity talks

[07] Akinci - Frech senator Le Pensec meeting

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] Columnist Claims Turkey is to Blame for Passage of Armenian Resolution

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Britain's Hannay: Arms Embargo May Be Placed on Ankara if Proximity Talks on Cyprus Fail To Resume

British envoy on Cyprus Sir David Hannay has warned Turkey that its ties with the EU and the United States would suffer and that an arms embargo may be placed on Ankara if the Turkish Cypriot side refuses to return to the proximity talks on Cyprus.

Sir David Hannay, who held contacts with Turkish officials in Ankara a few days ago, has drawn catastrophic scenarios with respect to the developments that may emerge if Rauf Denktash fails to revise his decision. Rauf Denktash has earlier decided to withdraw from the proximity talks. Turkey, for its part, supports Denktash/s decision regarding the matter.

Meanwhile, Sir David Hannay has warned that the Greek Cypriot side will enter the EU and that Turkey will be obliged to carry the burden of "TRNC" on its shoulders if the process of talks on the Cyprus issue is halted.

Reminding him that he may not talk on behalf of the EU or the United States, Ankara has told Sir David Hannay that the talks cannot resume unless the present conditions are changed.

[02] Denktash Tells Recruits of 'Traitors' That Try To Cause Rift With Turkey Illegal Bayrak Radio 1 (1130 hours, 20/1/01) reports that Turkish Cypriot

Denktash said that the reason for this silence may be the confidence felt in the people. However, he added, "like a little worm that causes the apple to rot, these circles write and do things everyday without fearing God and without feeling any shame, things that darken our souls."

He added: "If the existing laws are not sufficient to prevent the efforts of those who have started to cause the apple to rot, new laws must be enacted and new rules established."

Denktash claimed: "This country belongs to us. It does not belong to those who consider it nonexistent. It does not belong to those who swear at Turkey."

On the EU issue, Denktash said that certain circles are in favor of the EU, but the EU may be dangerous if Turkey does not join it and it becomes a Hellenistic body. He asserted that every Turkish Cypriot is aware of that, realizes that the Turks and the Turkish Cypriots are inseparable, and has been walking with his head up for years.

He claimed that the EU is the victory and goal of Hellenism, adding: "That is what Clerides said, and that is what he said they are running toward."

Denktash said that the EU may be a good organization but it is an organization of sovereign states. "Unless we have our state and sovereignty recognized", he said, "and unless we join the EU simultaneously with Turkey, the EU will be a place of suffering for us, a place we will have been invited to in order to witness the Greek Cypriots' Hellenistic victory."

Addressing the soldiers who were sworn in, he advised them not to believe in everything they hear. "This land will not be given away and we will not allow anybody to give it away", he added.

He warned that certain circles use the people's suffering in order to separate the Turkish Cypriots from the motherland. "The answer to these traitors was given with this ceremony", he said.

[03] Denktash claims French Assembly Seeking To Put New Obstacles for Turkey EU Membership

"Europe can't be without Turkey, and there can be no stability in the region without Turkey," said Denktash and noted that" the animosity against Turks in Europe also affects us," he said.

Denktash had a meeting with Umberto Ranieri, the Italian Foreign Ministry's Undersecretary and the Director of the EU Department, in the presence of Italian ambassador, Francesco Bascone.

Speaking in the meeting, Denktash said that Italy is naturally interested in the Cyprus issue as a Mediterranean country.

"We are very sorry about the adoption of the resolution against Turkey in France and a similar one in Italy, we think that the real aim of these is to find new obstacles to Turkey's membership to the EU," said Denktash.

Umberto Ranieri said in his part that he wants to take up the problems with Rauf Denktash about the future of Cyprus issue, adding that he will be pleased about learning the evaluations of Denktash about the situation.

[04] Denktash Says Cyprus Not Obstacle to Turkey's EU Membership

Speaking in a meeting, Denktash claimed that such news stories make themselves and Turkey uneasy and that such news are used as a propaganda by being spread to Europe by the Greek Cypriots.

Denktash noted that he will go to Istanbul on January 25, adding that he will discuss these news stories with the journalists who wrote these news stories.

[05] Turkish Cypriot "Delegation" Leaves for Council of Europe Meetings in Strasbourg

A delegation composed of Hasipoglu and other "deputies" left the island (21/1/01) in order to attend the PACE meeting in Strasbourg. In a statement at illegal Tymbou airport, Hasipoglu described the latest decision adopted by the French parliament as "very regrettable and thought-provoking." He added: "This decision is the clearest proof that political interests always overpower facts. In that respect, very important tasks fall on us in the field of propaganda. I believe that we should cover much greater distance in making our voice heard more and promoting ourselves."

Claiming out that in reality there is no such thing as the Armenian issue, Hasipoglu said that "France is the most suspect and disgraceful country on this subject." France is the place where the greatest number of Turkish diplomats were killed, Hasipoglu noted, adding that France is not acting in a realistic manner in this regard.

He added: "The desire of the people of the TRNC to establish an independent and free state is a right compatible with international law. We are going to Strasbourg in order to conduct work to this end."

[06] SEPARATE TALKS INSTEAD OF PROXIMITY TALKS

According to information given to KIBRIS/s correspondent by the UN diplomats close to the negotiations, the UN will not press for the quick resumption of the proximity talks. The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will rather wait and take into consideration the views of both sides and then will decide how to carry on the process.

The same circles draw the attention to the fact that the talks could continue with de Soto/s separate meetings, in separate venues, with President Clerides and Turkish Cypriot community leader Rauf Denktash.

Emiroglu further reports that for the same circles, giving a number to the round of talks has no importance and that giving a number to the rounds was an invention of the press, therefore what is important is the continuation of the negotiation process as declared repeatedly by de Soto.

KIBRIS/s New York correspondent goes on and reports that the starting point for the UN Secretary General regarding the talks is the UN Security Council/s resolution 1250 and the four points included in this resolution. She adds that the Turkish side/s stance that unless recognition is realized the Turkish side will not return to the negotiation table is considered a precondition which is contranary to resolution 1250, and that the Greek Cypriot side will never accept this as a precondition to resume talks.

[07] Akinci - Frech senator Le Pensec meeting KIBRIS (20.01.01) reports that the French Senator Louis Le Pensec who is the

French Ambassador to Cyprus Jean B. De Vaivre was also present at the meeting.

In a statement after the meeting, Akinci said that he had a fruitful meeting on the Cyprus-EU issue and he also expressed his bitterness at the approval of the Armenian genocide bill by the French National Assembly.

Akinci said that in case the Greek Cypriots proceed alone on the road to the EU, then too many reactions will be created. He repeated that the best formula for everybody is first the solution and then the accession to the EU.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] Columnist Claims Turkey is to Blame for Passage of Armenian Resolution Columnist Cengiz Candar, writing in Yeni Safak (19/01/01) under the title

Although the French Parliament's decision was made by less than ten percent of the deputies forming the parliament and although it will not be enacted if some 60 deputies object to it or French President Jacques Chirac refers it to the Constitutional Court, what the situation boils down to is that a bill has been passed. For the first time in a western country which happens to be an ally of Turkey, "the so-called Armenian genocide" has been made into a law.

The law, which says that France recognizes that acts of genocide were committed against Armenians in 1915, is of the same order as the Gayssot Law, under which the denial of the Holocaust is forbidden and subject to punishment. In other words, it will from now on be a crime in France to use the phrase "so-called Armenian genocide." Such laws are applied strictly in France, which is why famous thinker Roger Garaudy stood trial in this country for objecting to the term "Jewish genocide."

In an effort to appease Turkey, certain French ministers and deputies who have not given up trying to stick up for Turkey are saying that the passage of the resolution has only symbolic value and that it will not entail any sanctions against Turkey. Such efforts, however, cannot be expected to calm Turkey down. Anger and all the reactions attendant upon anger will, as always, be inevitable. Nationwide anger and reactions will prevent the public from perceiving the inefficiency of Turkish foreign policy for some more time to come. The fact that the failure of Turkish foreign policy is but a result of Ankara's sterile policies at home will once more go unnoticed.

Regardless of how many deputies were present at the sitting at which the Armenian resolution was passed, the why and how of the passage of the resolution are more important and instructive than the fact of the passage itself. It would not be correct to see the Parliament's decision as a gesture towards French voters of Armenian origin at a time when elections are nearing.

To be sure, such factors have played a role in the passage of the resolution. Yet French citizens of Armenian origin have been living in France for decades and God only knows how many general and local elections have been held in France so far. Why, then, was this resolution not approved in the past? Why did the French Government make a great effort to prevent the resolution from being placed on the parliament's agenda two years ago and why did it not spend as much effort this time?

The answer to these questions will bring to light exactly what has been responsible for this debacle of Turkish foreign policy. It will also suggest what kind of pressures will be brought to bear on Turkey in the days to come.

The situation cannot be explained in terms of conspiracy theories. It is one that requires a look at certain circles' efforts to prevent Turkey from achieving its aim of becoming an EU member-state.

For months Turkey has given the impression that it is a country desirous of starting a quarrel with the EU rather than "a partner to be" that is taking confident steps toward membership on a road opened by Helsinki. Certain military circles and their civilian sidekicks in the Government have for weeks been creating the image of a Turkey hostile to Europe by asserting that the EU is after breaking Turkey up through resuscitating the Sevres Treaty. Irrational steps that fly in the face of the basic rules of diplomacy are being taken in connection with Cyprus. The Copenhagen Criteria, the adoption of which is a prerequisite for being "European" and is essential to Turkey's democratization, are being represented as a treacherous plan to damage Turkey's unitary structure. Those who want to obstruct Turkey's democratization and its accession to the EU are trying to present national unity and EU membership as irreconcilable.

Such a Turkey will come under fire from Europe. It already has come under fire and from France, at that, which happens to be the Turkish Armed Force's closest economic partner by virtue of the relationship established through the OYAK [Army Mutual Aid Association]. In other words, boycotting France will not quite do.

As long as the Turkish people continue to be an ailing society made up of despondent individuals hamstrung by pressures and chauvinist slogans instead of a transparent democratic community of free individuals, Turkey will inevitably experience such setbacks.

We cannot end the siege laid to Turkey by continually engaging in a self- aggrandizing propaganda whose catchphrase is "the so-called Armenian genocide." We cannot end Turkey's loneliness in the international arena, either. However angry we get at Paris for passing the said resolution, we must not lose our focus: "A Copenhagen democracy at home and EU membership abroad."

As long as we move in this direction, we can not only remove the siege laid to our country but also prevent other countries from approving the resolution passed by France."

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

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