Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 01-05-16

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

[B] TOYÑÊÉÊA ÊAÉ TÏÕÑÊÏÊÕÐÑÉAÊA Ì.Ì.Å. TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER

No. 91/01 -- 16.5.01

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Cyprus problem on the Agenda of Turkey/s National Security Council.

[02] Turkish State Minister is asking for new parameters for the resumption of talks on Cyprus.

[03] Denktash repeats his intransigent views in a written statement.

[04] Mehmet Ali Talat: The ECHR decision is the result of Denktash/s withdrawal from the talks.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

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[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash sends letter to Sami Cohen for his article ``Not Going Well''.

[03] EU said to be trying to remove Turkey/s fears over European Security and Defence.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Cyprus problem on the Agenda of Turkey/s National Security Council In its front page leader HALKIN SESI (16.5.01) writes that the National

The paper writes that on this issue CNN reported that Cyprus will be the only issue on the NSC/s agenda and every aspect of it will be discussed.

Political circles in Ankara stated that the State Minister Responsible for Cyprus, Sukru Sina Gurel, has been invited to the meeting and that important decisions are to be taken.

The same political circles also stated that the unease felt against Eroglu/s ``government'' might come up on the agenda and the inconsistency in the ``coalition government'' might be discussed.

Also the ``presidential'' system might be on the agenda, said the same circles, writes the paper.

[02] Turkish State Minister is asking for new parameters for the resumption of talks on Cyprus

In his speech Gurel, inter alia, said: ``The Greek Cypriot side/s membership application has been taken into consideration by the EU as if the Greek Cypriot side was the only representative of the island. United Nations Secretary General Annan has been seeking for a solution to Cyprus question within the framework of Greek Cypriot side/s views. Annan cannot reach any solution this way. Annan tried to adapt his efforts to find a solution to Cyprus question with efforts of the EU. But parameters have changed. As Rauf Denktash said before, if the parameters of proximity talks are not re-determined and equality of the sides is not recongized, any success cannot be achieved in the proximity talks process. Now, everyone is waiting for elections in the Greek Cypriot side in May. We expect United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to create the necessary ground by re-determining parameters in Cyprus and to resume proximity talks''.

When asked what Turkey/s attitude will be if the Greek Cypriot side is accepted as a full member of the EU, Gurel said: ``We will be ready to launch any initiative then. In that case, the EU will finalize its efforts to divide Cyprus. According to the international agreements, Cyprus cannot be a member to an international organization which both Turkey and Greece are not members. Turkey and Cyprus should be accepted as members of the EU at the same time''.

Asked whether some foreign policy concessions were made to get funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to overcome the economic crisis, Gurel said: ``No one can dare to ask Turkey to make such a concession''.

Responding to a question about rapprochement between Turkey and Greece, Gurel said: ``We have recorded a rapprochement on secondary issues. Main problems between the two countries should be solved. Both countries should have the political will to resolve these problems. I do not believe that Greece has this will''.

[03] Denktash repeats his intransigent views in a written statement According to KIBRISLI (16.5.01) the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr. Rauf

In a written statement Denktash claimed that the application of Cyprus for full EU membership under the title of Cyprus government, is the continuation of the armed aggression started in 1963 in the form of ``political aggression''.

Denktash said the goal of Greek Cypriots in making Cyprus an EU member is turning Cyprus into a land of Europe, and removing Turkish soldiers from the island, and downgrading the status of Turkish Cypriots into a minority, and returning back to the North by using EU norms; and thus, possessing the whole Cyprus.

Stating that he tried to reveal this Byzantine intrigue for his people, Denktash said: ``Those who blamed me for being intransigent in and out of the country just because I am determined to resist to those who want to turn my people into slaves by using the talks with the power I am taking from my people and the guarantorship of Motherland, now seemed to be half awaken with the decision taken by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Now, it is not time to play on different grounds due to domestic policy concerns. It is time to cry out loud altogether to the World that we will not submit to this ugly game, and we will not make these an issue of bargaining''.

Alleging that the Greek Cypriots created the Cyprus problem in 1963 in a planned way to get the result they wanted to take today, Denktash said that Turkish Cypriots lived without knowing their future till 1974, yet they didn/t submit to be colonized. Turkish Cypriots were saved from total annihilation by the Peace Operation launched in 1974 and they got the right to live in an humane way.

``The exchange of population in 1975 is a political result and a decision which can/t be changed as it is accepted by the sides and approved by the UN Peace Keeping Force. It is a realistic result in which the sides accepted their people/s living in their own regions and in which they govern themselves. The sides also accepted limitation of their three rights in order to prevent conflicts between the two peoples. Global exchange of property and compensations are an issue of rearrangement for the sake of right to own property, for a lasting peace and safety of persons. It is not the denial of rights. These were also accepted by the UN Secretary-General and positive reports were submitted to the UN Security Council about them'', Denktash went on.

Denktash said that the opportunity to deny all of these was given to the Greek Cypriot side by the intervention of the EU, adding that the Greek Cypriots will try to get the Northern Cyprus which it could not get by arms earlier, by hiding under the cliches of single Cyprus, legitimate government, EU norms and human rights. ``Nobody will be able to make us be a tool of this Megali Idea'', Denktash further alleged.

Calling on the Turkish Cypriot people not to worry, Denktash said. ``You should know that nobody has the right to deprive us of our sovereign rights, our separate democracy, the guarantorship of the Motherland and our territories. Please embrace your rights, state, each other, motherland, rights and freedoms. The wrong path taken and the injustice will only be understood in this way. The whole world will appreciate sooner or later the societies which try to protect their rights, freedoms, sovereignty and state. Everybody will see the rightness of our fight against colonial administration which continues for 38 years''.

Denktash finally said that the recent developments, the decision of the European Court of Human Rights and the Greek Cypriots/ welcoming the decision should not demoralize the Turkish Cypriots.

[04] Mehmet Ali Talat: The ECHR decision is the result of Denktash/s withdrawal from the talks

Talat said that the decision taken by the ECHR is the result of Denktash/s evading the negotiating table and urged the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to return to the negotiating table on the basis of the federation proposal and the High Level Agreements.

Talat accused Denktash of not being able to defend the ``legitimate interests of the Turkish Cypriots in the international fora with his chauvenistic logic''. He urged Denktash to give up the ``indifference'' exhibited against the decision and comply with the rule of law.

He stressed that the decision is the result of the wrong policies followed by the Denktash-NUP duo. The RTP leader also blamed Turkey for having responsibility in charting these policies.

Talat demanded that measures be taken to conform with the ECHR decisions.

He also called on the Greek Cypriot side to put aside and come out of the ``climate of victory''.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[01] Denktash sends letter to Sami Cohen for his article ``Not Going Well'' In a commentary under the title ``In order to go better'', MILLIYET columnist

In his letter Denktash puts forward his known views and conveys the message in a clear manner that the chances of the talks being resumed have been lost.

Cohen goes on and says: ``Another striking message in Denktash/s letter is the sentences in the last paragraph. `It is possible that the Cyprus problem is not going well. However, it is not going in the direction that the Greek Cypriots want! Division is being strengthened! We are faced with the situation where either we will have two separate states or return to the situation existing prior to 1974!/

It is obvious that division is strengthened and that there is drifting away from the settlement plan envisaged for years. Denktash considers this as a negative development for the Greek Cypriot side, which we do not share. Yes: it is true that if there is no solution and division of the island becomes permanent, the Greek Cypriot administration will not talk for the whole of Cyprus. It will lose the North. That is, it will limit itself to the south and will become smaller. However, what will it lose with getting smaller?

Maybe it will lose the chance of some Greek Cypriot refugees returning to the North and acquiring their property. But against this, the Greek Cypriots will take their seat among the International Community as the Cyprus state and will continue their high standard of living. They will further develop their political and economic ties with the world and most probably will become EU members.

The latest developments are towards this direction. Therefore one cannot claim that the situation is not going well for the Greek Cypriot side. It is possible that with the present policies the Cyprus problem, as expressed in Denktash/s letter, will reach a point where `division will be strengthened/ and as a natural conclusion - `there will be two states/.

However, the whole issue is how the TRNC will maintain its existence as separate state. The prevailing view is that this is possible only if the TRNC fully integrates with Turkey. If such an integration will not be at the point of `annexation/, then it is necessary to make an objective assessment of how the TRNC will impose to the world its existence as an `independent state/. In this assessment the Turkish Cypriots/ expectations and inclinations (with thorough calculations of its pros and cons) should be taken into consideration. Especially, not only from the point of view of the developments that will take place on the island with the accession of the South to the EU, but the assessment should be made as well in a realistic manner from the point of Turkey/s EU relations and Ankara/s foreign policy priorities and objectives.''

Sami Cohen then reproduces part of one of the letters sent to him by readers in the occupied area regarding his article ``Not Going Well''. In the readers/ letters they express their anxiety regarding the present situation in the occupied area.

[60] EU said to be trying to remove Turkey/s fears over European Security and Defence

Britain, in an effort to understand Turkey/s concerns, although not as entirely as the Netherlands, seems to be preparing a new formula before the NATO Council of Ministers meeting in Bucharest in May. However, solving the problem will not be so easy because Britain mostly focuses only on one aspect of the matter.

The EU is trying to exclude Turkey from the security system it plans to establish. However, Turkey must participate in all the stages of the operations the new structure will carry out with or without using NATO resources. That is because Turkey has always been one of the most reliable bastions of European security in the recent past. We now understand that the British formula can be outlined as `non-interference in bilateral disputes among the EU countries/.

According to the formula, the EU force will not intervene in a dispute between Turkey and Greece in Cyprus and the Aegean Sea. However, it does not seem to be a solution that can meet Turkey/s expectations because most of the scenarios on possible threats in the region show that Turkey will be directly affected by the developments, regardless of whether or not they are in Cyprus and the Aegean Sea.

In view of that, Turkey must definitely achieve its targets on the ESDI structure.

However, a positive development in that regard does not seem to be a strong possibility.

Britain, which is closely concerned with the issue, believes that Turkey/s lack of confidence in the ESDI is exaggerated and different from Norway/s anxiety. Norway is a NATO member but not a part of the EU. However, it has not complained about being excluded from the ESDI.

A Norwegian state minister recently disclosed his country/s stand on the issue during a NATO conference in Antalya. British Ambassador David Logan replied to him by saying: ``When I asked one of my Turkish colleagues to explain the reason for the discrepancy between the stands of Turkey and Norway, he told me that it was a problem of confidence. Norway has confidence but Turkey does not. I respect what he said. We have to gain Turkey/s confidence''.

Britain is looking for a formula for that purpose.

The EU plan to establish a special military force and leave out the non-EU NATO members has made Turkey very uneasy. And, the circles that have always defended the view of the Western countries without being informed on the details of the problem reacted to Turkey/s approach. They said: ``Turkey is not an EU member. Why should it be a part of the ESDI decision-making mechanism? It will be included in the ESDI when it joins the organization''.

They believed that they would be able to motivate Turkey to quickly comply with the EU demands in a `very reasonable/ way.

Thanks to God that Gen. Huseyin Kivrikoglu, Chief of the General Staff, put his weight down on the matter. He adopted a diplomatic approach and refrained from openly mentioning his fears. However, the circles that are concerned with security have begun to realize the kind of threats Turkey might encounter if it is left outside the ESDI structure.

Meanwhile, the serious nature of the problem was better understood when Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash clearly outlined the possible threat against Cyprus.

I believe that Turkey will not be satisfied with makeshift formulas. Ecevit/s rejection of a NATO request for an increase in the number of Turkish troops in Kosovo was an indication of Ankara/s approach''.

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

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