Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 01-03-05

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash complains about the number of Cyprus co-ordinators.

[02] Ismail Cem: The Cyprus problem will be re-examined after May or June.

[03] Half of the reservations for holidays during Bayram have been cancelled.

[04] Mustafa Akinci in Berlin for the Tourism Fair.

[05] So-called Foreign Affairs and Defence Minister back from London.

[06] Turkish Cypriot Organizations continue their protest. They demand a federal solution to the Cyprus problem.

[07] Turkish Cypriot newspaper claims that Greek Cypriot hotel owners have proposed to Turkish Cypriot businessmen in London to operate the hotels in occupied Famagusta.

[08] Efforts to overthrow the leaderships of KTOS and KTOEOS.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[09] Sami Cohen: Adjusting Foreign Policy to the crisis.

[11] Erol Manisali: Balances that changed after 1990 and Turkey.

[13] AVRUPA newspaper says that the real victims of the Kurban Bayram are the Turkish Cypriots.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash complains about the number of Cyprus co-ordinators According to KIBRIS, (3.3.01) the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr. Rauf Denktash

Asked by a journalist to comment on the subject during a meeting with the Working Chamber of Commerce group, Denktash said that certain countries have ceased appointing special envoys for Cyprus. If the United States is also doing the same, it is their own business, Denktash remarked.

Complaining about the large number of coordinators, Denktash said: We no longer know who we are negotiating with. We spend days discussing the same things with our negotiators. After these tiring talks, the coordinators also wait in line. We are then forced to meet with them and explain our situation to them one after the other. We view these talks conducted via the coordinators as unnecessary intervention.

Noting that he is not in a position to object to the US decision on the matter or to reach a conclusion in this regard, Denktash said: We are ready to conduct the negotiations with the negotiating side. For this, the necessary foundation must be prepared, because the side in question is the Greek Cypriot side.

[02] Ismail Cem: The Cyprus problem will be re-examined after May or June The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr. Ismail Cem was interviewed by Mehmet Ali

Asked if he discussed the economic situation with the US Secretary of State, Mr. Colin Powell, Cem replied in the negative, that the Secretary of state raised the European Security and Defense Identity [ESDI] and the issue of Iraq, while he, Cem, raised the Cyprus question.

Asked if EU's Verheugen and Colin Powell pressured him in connection with Cyprus, and if so, who did that most, Cem replied: "When they speak to me, none of them can pressure me. We speak seriously, both we and the other side. We discussed Cyprus with Mr. Verheugen too but I attached particular importance to our talk with Mr. Powell. I said the United States, the EU, and the United Nations are all interested in the Cyprus question, but they do not use this interest well. I told Mr. Powell that we expect a different approach from the United States. I explained the logical reasons. That does not mean that he accepted it and that he will act on that immediately. If the United States wants to be effective and beneficial -- and I believe that the US influence would be beneficial in this regard -- then it should not try to persuade me or Mr. Denktash that the Greek Cypriot stand is right. If someone wants to be useful, he should find the justified and right stand between the two different stands, and help us. That was my basic message. The same is valid for the EU too. I also point to a very important issue: If the EU decides to admit as a member the Greek Cypriot Administration as the only sovereign element in Cyprus, this will create a great incident. Everybody will inevitably be hurt, maybe Turkey will be hurt more than others, but only temporarily. I explained this to Mr. Powell, to Mr. Verheugen, and to almost everybody. I believe that this is being taken into consideration to a certain extent. "

Cem stressed that "the Cyprus issue should not be viewed only as the ``TRNC'', that it concerns the security of eastern Mediterranean and of Turkey. How can I trust these people? You remember they deployed or almost deployed the S-300 missiles at an arm's length from us. We stopped that by adopting a very serious stand. We rejected all offers to negotiate. We said that if the missiles are deployed we are not responsible for the consequences. They may do this again. We cannot trust them. We do not trust them, frankly. Therefore, it is extremely important to reach a solution that will be acceptable to both. This is what the United Nations says too. I have started to issue my warnings from now."

He pointed out that the proximity talks have been suspended for the moment not only because the ``TRNC'' and Turkey are saying that the current parameters will not work, but also because elections will be held in south Cyprus at the end of spring. "The issue will be re-examined in May or June, " Cem said.

Birand asked Cem if he feels that the Bush administration is being more flexible and more pro-Turkey in connection with Cyprus, as was alleged before Bush came to power. Cem replied that he did not agree with the allegations from the beginning. He noted that the United States did not change their stand in connection with the ESDI either, adding: "The US interest lies in an agreement between Turkey and the EU within NATO. To achieve that, the United States will recommend both the EU and Turkey to reach a consensus. The previous US Administration did that too."

[03] Half of the reservations for holidays during Bayram have been cancelled According to KIBRIS (3.3.01), the number of tourists who will visit the

KIBRIS refers to a statement by the president of the Union of the Turkish Cypriot Tourist Agents, Hasim Rahvancioglu, who said that a total of about 6,500 reservations had been cancelled so far.

[04] Mustafa Akinci in Berlin for the Tourism Fair According to ORTAM (4.3.01) the so-called State Minister and Deputy Prime

[05] So-called Foreign Affairs and Defence Minister back from London KIBRISLI (3.3.01) reports that the so-called Foreign Affairs and Defence

[06] Turkish Cypriot Organizations continue their protest. They demand a federal solution to the Cyprus problem

The newspapers report that the protesters marched to the offices of Mr. Rauf Denktash and Mr. Dervish Eroglu, where they placed a placard bearing the slogan ``Our salvation is neither the package nor the Turkish Lira, but peace and a federal solution''.

[07] Turkish Cypriot newspaper claims that Greek Cypriot hotel owners have proposed to Turkish Cypriot businessmen in London to operate the hotels in

It is reported that Greek Cypriot hotel owners from Famagusta have proposed to Turkish Cypriot businessmen who live in London to operate together the hotels which are located in the occupied areas.

According to confidential sources, after the proposal was conveyed to the Turkish Cypriot businessmen, contacts were held where the issue was examined in detail and some serious developments took place.

Moreover, it was confirmed from the pseudostate/s representative in London, that the Turkish Cypriot businessmen of London carried out a research whether the pseudostate would give them a permission for this partnership.

[08] Efforts to overthrow the leaderships of KTOS and KTOEOS According to AVRUPA (4.3.01) the regime in the occupied areas of Cyprus is

Under the title ``Coup'' the newspaper reports that supporters of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, ``could not swallow'' the political attitude of the teachers/ Unions which is considered ``very dangerous'', especially their statements against Ankara.

The paper says that the general assembly of the two organizations is to take place this month.

According to AVRUPA, the last straw for the ruling powers had been KTOS/ declaration saying to Ankara that the Turkish Cypriots do not want her money, her package or her employees.

KTOS and KTOEOS are members of the platform ``This country is ours'' which for over a year now organizes protests against the political and the economic situation in the occupied areas demanding a federal solution to the Cyprus problem.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[09] Sami Cohen: Adjusting Foreign Policy to the crisis Writing in his regular column ``Commentary'' in MILLIYET (2.3.01) with the

Referring to occupied Cyprus, Sami Kohen says: ``As always this crisis reflected on the TRNC, but the crisis there is more serious than ours. The `Treasury/ is unable to pay the salaries. Many people are forced to say a solution to the Cyprus problem should be found as soon as possible''.

[22] Erol Manisali: Balances that changed after 1990 and Turkey The Turkish professor Erol Manisali, in an article in the column ``Opinion''

``Starting in the second half of the 1990-2000 period, the EU giants and the Asian giants began slowly putting into effect the policy they wanted of a ``multi-polar world''.

It was Russia, China and France that said this aloud. Those that remained silent or merely whispered were the second and third largest giants of Japan and Germany. These two giants, who were the vanquished in the Second World War, did not yet want to unfurl their banners.

Both countries preferred to run silent and deep in their respective continents using a policy of ``economic priorities''.

So what about Turkey?

Turkey stayed in the arms of the West after the Cold War. Starting with the 1990s, it was stuck, if not physically then emotionally.

However, the United States and the EU had begun to ``turn on Turkey''. The Cyprus and Aegean issues and finally the Armenian issue began to become ``official policy'' in both the United States and the EU.

Turks were confused. Should it be happy with staying ``bound to the West'' as it had been during the Cold War and finding itself being plucked and having its wings clipped, or should it try to balance Western demands with Asia in the new multi-polar structure emerging there?

Just look. Both Japan and France were looking warmly at a multi-polar structure. The only ones that were directly opposing this were Britain and the United States. The winds of ``separatism'' in the West had begun to blow against the mono-polar concept.

There will not even be a single, unified West tomorrow. Politicians, business circles and thinkers in Turkey that calculate on a day by day basis have not yet been able to shake off the ``Cold War mentality''.

Once again they want to pass the buck onto somebody else. However, the new era is ``too merciless to afford Turkey that luxury''. It was inevitable that Turkey was going to have to cut its own umbilical cord.

The following years will show whether Turkey has the will to do this or not. It will either exhibit the political will to survive or it will be dragged into the Yugoslavia scenario that exists in the books being written for Turkey in Europe these days.

The knife has already cut through to the bone.''

[76] AVRUPA newspaper says that the real victims of the Kurban Bayram are the Turkish Cypriots

[84] Those who have lost everything at the bankrupt banks.

[86] Those who have foreign exchange loans at the banks.

[88] Those who pay with foreign exchange the rents of their houses and shops.

[90] The hotel owners because after the economic crisis the tourism was reduced by 50%.

[93] The public workers because their February salaries was 40% less.

[95] The university students who pay their expenses with foreign exchange.

[97] Those who follow the fluctuation of the exchange rate.

[99] The small shop owners who do not have any work.

[104] Those who were unemployed before the crisis and they have lost all their hopes for finding a job after the crisis.

[107] Those who are suffering from the confiscation of their properties.

[109] Those who have no way out than to emigrate.

[111] The farmers, the citrus fruit producers and the flower collectors.

[113] After the last blow, the pensions of the old people shrinked.

[115] Those who are still after getting equal property, those who do not know what to do with the points they received for taking part in the war.

[118] Those who feel very heavy the increases that will be applied after the bayram.

[121] And finally the Turkish Cypriot people who cannot say ``This is our country'' and even if they say it they are accused of being traitors and they

are a minority in their own land in the last 27 years.''

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