Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 01-02-23

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] So-called Assembly delegation to visit Ankara.

[02] Visitors to the occupied areas during January.

[03] Floating Turkish Lira Affects the occupied areas.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[04] The problem is Ecevit/s health.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] So-called Assembly delegation to visit Ankara According to KIBRIS (23.2.01) a delegation from the so-called TRNC Assembly,

The delegation consists of Onder Senneroglu (UBP), Dervis Akter (TKP), Mustafa Arabacioglu (DP) and Kadri Fellahoglu (CTP). They will return to the occupied areas on the 28th of February.

[02] Visitors to the occupied areas during January KIBRIS (23.2.01) reports that during last January 27,501 travellers arrived

According to the illegal Civil Aviation Department during the same period the number of flights to the occupied areas were 255 and the number of departures 256.

[03] Floating Turkish Lira Affects the occupied areas According to KIBRIS (23.2. 01) Turkey/s decision to switch to a floating

One US dollar was sold for 688,000-690,000 TL on Wednesday. On Thursday, purchasing and selling prices for US dollar became 750,000 TL and 1.1million TL in the occupied areas. German Mark also increased from 322, 000 TL to 420,000 TL.

Some exchange offices preferred waiting in the morning hours while others began selling and buying foreign currency at Turkey/s prices. However, the sales and purchases have slowed down to the point of stopping because there is no demand from people to buy or sell.

Despite the developments in Turkey, the so-called Central Bank issued official foreign currency rates on Thursday. The "Central Bank/s" foreign currency rates on Thursday are not any different than Wednesday/s. Therefore, it is not certain what will happen in the later hours of the day. It was stated that the "Central Bank" authorities had a meeting to evaluate the situation.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[04] The problem is Ecevit/s health In an article in Turkish Daily News, (22.2.01), with the title "The Problem

Turkey was shocked once again yesterday after the crisis between President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, which had shown signs of letting down the previous day, flared up after the statement of the prime minister.

The most recent statement by Ecevit plunged the markets into a new shock. The crisis, which had given signs of relenting, was exacerbated with Ecevit/s remarks which not only influenced the markets but received great reaction from the public. Journalists were surprised by the prime minister/s statements and said, "this event now falls in the field of medicine rather than politics." Psychiatrist Ozcan Koknel said it was not correct for people in top-level positions to act emotionally.

One of the journalists who watched with surprise the prime minister/s statement and was in difficulty to interpret it was Cengiz Candar. Noting that the issue was no longer political and that it fell into the jurisdiction of medical experts, Candar said: "It seems like the brain motor of the prime minister is out of order. It is clear from his gait". Noting that it was forbidden to make public the happenings at the National Security Council (MGK), Candar said that Ecevit had acted against this tradition and a grave situation had ensued.

Noting that Ecevit displayed an attitude that would exacerbate the crisis, just as it seemed to let down, Candar said: "This situation cannot be explained politically. It has to be explained with the mental and spiritual health of the prime minister".

Candar noted that Prime Minister Ecevit/s attitude during the last three days may also be tied to his relation with the president and said: "If the goal is to tarnish the reputation of the president, it is both grave and ridiculous that this should be done through such methods. The response of the public to the crisis is clear. The prime minister is receiving a lot of reaction".

Journalist-writer Cuneyt Ulsever commented on prime minister Ecevit/s last statement with the words "Irrational things are happening in Turkey". He said that Ecevit/s "mental balances" did not suffice to govern the country and maintained that he behaved "with the psychosis of old people." He said that the prime minister/s greatest error had been to make public what took place at the MGK.

Ulsever said that even if the president had insulted the prime minister, the prime minister should have gone to another room and reflected for a while as his deputies sought to talk to the president and reduce tension and noted that Ecevit was doing just the opposite. Ulsever gave the example of Necmettin Erbakan: "Necmettin Erbakan got close to being hit during the MGK meetings when he was prime minister but he did not tell journalists even once that they had acted toward him in such and such a manner. This has to do with statesmanship and state traditions".

Recalling that Turkey had entered a major economic depression because of the political crisis and arguing that not the president but the prime minister was responsible for this state of affairs, Ulsever said the following about the attitude displayed by the prime minister during the last three days:

"Perhaps the prime minister lost his mental functions and is not receiving enough oxygen, but there is the entire DSP group. There are DSP deputies who are professors of psychology. Why do they not interfere, why do they not see that the country can be governed only through reason?"

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

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