Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 01-05-25

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Cypriot newspapers on the bomb attack against AVRUPA.

[02] Akinci blames Denktash and Ankara for the collapse of the pseudo-government.

[03] Eroglu submits resignation to Denktash.

[04] Nine Iraqis were abandoned on the shores of occupied Karpass peninsula.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[05] Mehmet Ali Birand: Only Ankara and Athens can resolve Cyprus.

[06] Dangerous developments in the «TRNC».

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Cypriot newspapers on the bomb attack against AVRUPA

AVRUPA publishes its report under banner headlines «The Bomb of the Republic of Turkey» and says that this was the second bomb attack against the paper. It also reports that «police» found a second bomb ready to explode.

The titles of the other newspapers are as follows:

YENIDUZEN: «Of what number in a series is this bomb?»

KIBRISLI: «Thoughts were bombed»

YENIDUZEN: «AVRUPA/s Printing Office is bombed»

VATAN: «Bombs were placed from the inside of the building»

YENICAG: «They again bombed»

ORTAM: «AVRUPA/S Printing Office bombed again»

YENI DEMOKRAT: «Bomb at AVRUPA/s printing office»

BIRLIK (inside page): «Explosion at AVRUPA/s Printing Office»

HALKIN SESI: (inside page) «Explosion at AVRUPA/s Printing Office»

Reacting to the bombing Sener Levent, AVRUPA/s Editor in Chief, said: I hold the security units responsible for this incident. The Security units, Security Forces Command, the Civil Defence organization, and the Civilian Affairs Chairmanship in our country instead of safeguarding the security of our people, have become an element that threatens the security of our people. Our people, especially since last July, have lost their trust to these security units. Are these terrorist activities that we are going through, being organized here or are they directed by certain units from Turkey?

Republican Turkish Party General Secretary, Ferdi Sabit Soyer, paid a visit to AVRUPA and said that «since the bombs are exploding, and since no one is being caught, the commander of the Security Forces who is responsible for the law and order should resign».

The platform «This Country is Ours» in a statement declared that unaccounted killings and bombings recently occurring in the occupied area «are threatening communal life of the Turkish Cypriots».

The statement further declared that «this was a provocation carried out by forces supported by the state».

The bombing was condemned by DEV-IS, Basin-Sen, Cag-Sen and other 41 trade unions and organizations.

The Chairman of the Journalists/ Union Ozer Hatay in a written statement said: «In no democratic country do people resort to brutal force to intimidate people who think differently». He went on and said that under no circumstances could such undemocratic action be condoned.

The Turkish Cypriot Journalists/ Association also condemned the bombing incident. The general secretary Levent Ozadam, in a written statement, said that «such actions will seriously hurt democracy in the country». He urged people to defend their views not through terrorism but through intellectual means and at intellectual platforms».

According to YENI DEMOKRAT, the Chairman of the Democratic Party (DP) and so-called Deputy speaker of the pseudo-Assembly Salih Cosar, has branded the bombing «a grave and dangerous action». He said: «Unaccounted actions and activities are grave and dangerous actions that cannot be explained. In this small country there are security forces and the Security Forces Command. These things should not be happening here. I do believe that they will find the culprits as soon as possible».

[02] Akinci Blames Denktash and Ankara for the collapse of the pseudo-government

At a news conference in his office in occupied Nicosia yesterday Akinci said that he knew a long time ago of the decision that was to be reached at the NUP party council meeting to disband the «government». He said that the decision was reached not following negotiations at the party council but earlier and elsewhere. He said: "The government was finished off within the framework of a collaboration established with Mr. Denktash by that wing of the Turkish Republic that is not interested in a solution in Cyprus, that is opposed to the EU membership, and that disapproves of democratization."

Akinci further said that the difference between the NUP and the CLP is not personal but ideological. He noted that the «coalition» was in power for two years and during that time there were no serious misunderstandings except for two cases. One of them concerned the affiliation of the «police force to the Interior Ministry», he said, and the other concerned CLP/s view that the Turkish Cypriots should go on with the proximity talks.

Akinci also said that he finds a link between the recent establishment of the National People/s Movement and the move to replace the NUP-CLP «coalition» with a right-wing «coalition».

Akinci stated that before the «government» was disbanded, the NUP reached an agreement with the Democratic Party [DP] for the establishment of a new «coalition» and that Rauf Denktash played a role in the efforts to establish a right-wing «coalition».

Akinci pointed out that allegations were being made to the effect that the new «government» would be established to save Salih Boyaci's bank -- he is Rauf Denktash's in-law -- that was confiscated. "We will see if this is true or not according to the steps to be taken by the new government," Akinci said.

Asked what Dervish Eroglu told him about the reasons for the dissolution of the «government», Akinci replied that it would not be right to disclose what Eroglu did not disclose himself.

Mustafa Akinci noted that Dervish Eroglu told him he would submit the government's resignation to Rauf Denktash on Monday, 28 May.

[03] Eroglu Submits Resignation to Denktash

In its meeting yesterday, the NUP Party Assembly had decided that there is no benefit in continuing with the «coalition government». The NUP is expected to engage in negotiations with the Democratic Party [DP]. DP leader Salih Cosar announced that he is in favour of establishing a coalition and his party does not have a sine qua non condition regarding such a partnership. The most important differences of views in the NUP-CLP coalition, which came to power on 1 January 1999, consisted of the CLP demand to attach the police organization to the Interior Ministry and to continue the Cyprus talks.

[04] Nine Iraqis were abandoned on the shores of occupied Karpass peninsula

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[05] Mehmet Ali Birand: Only Ankara and Athens can resolve Cyprus

"I want to scream and shout again and again...

The entire world is going to be looking at the Cyprus question in the months ahead... A solution needs to be found within the next eight months... We are on the verge of losing this game... We may be forced to go our separate ways with Europe.

Can you imagine a more dangerous set of developments?

With the exception of a few people at the Foreign Ministry, the gentlemen in office in Ankara are unaware of the situation.

We walked through a one-way door with our eyes wide open and now we cannot get out. As long as we refuse to sit at the negotiating table, no matter how justified our reasons, we are going to be seen as the "guilty" party. In the end, the Greek Cypriots are going to become EU members and the Turkish side will remain outside. Turkey and the EU will go their separate ways and even more dramatically, the doors to the EU will be slammed shut.

Turkey should not allow itself to get dragged into such a dangerous process through such a bad scenario.

Forget the rhetoric of "Infant Turkey". We are not going to take as lightly as we are now a matter of such importance and that will affect the future of our grandchildren.

Everybody should spring into action and work flat out for a solution.

The policy of such rhetoric as: "We have said all we're going to say. The ball is in their court. Let them change their attitude and then we'll sit down and talk," is not going to work. This is considered "a threat" in international diplomacy.

Both Ankara and Denktash have to change their attitudes.

Both the EU and the United States should go knocking on the respective parties' doors and tell them they have to change the unmoving attitudes they have been displaying to date.

One key to a solution lies with the Turks, but the other lies with the Greek Cypriots and they insist they won't move an inch. Let's not fool ourselves, the solution lies with Ankara and Athens Let's get to the crux of the matter.

Let us accept the fact that the Cyprus issue is not going to be resolved by talks between Glafkos Clerides and Rauf Denktash under the auspices of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

To state the opposite means either "fooling ourselves" or "not wanting a solution".

That is how it has been throughout history.

The Cyprus issue has always been shaped by Ankara and Athens.

The first incidents were directed by both capital cities. The Republic of Cyprus was able to be formed in 1960 only through talks initiated after meetings between the Turkish and Greek foreign ministers Zorlu and Averof. Ankara supported the Turkish community in the 1960/s. It provided money and ammunition and ensured its survival; Athens did the same for the Greek Cypriot community... It was Athens that enabled Makarios to stage a coup in 1974. It was Ankara that intervened. In short, everything was started and ended by both capital cities.

The situation today is no different. We can say, "Denktash applies his own policies" or "The Greek Cypriots will never listen to Athens" until we're blue in the face but we are not convincing anybody. Furthermore, it is not even true.

Denktash will not move without Ankara. Even if he objects at first, he will always comply with Ankara's policies.

Despite his great experience at resisting, Clerides cannot wholly reject any decision Athens makes.

What I want to concentrate on begins at this point.

Seeing that this is the situation, then rather than act out amateur school plays, Ankara and Athens should now start bilateral talks and get a new suit tailored. These talks should not be under the gaze of the TV cameras. A third party can also be consulted if it will facilitate matters but in the spirit of secrecy and tact.

Once Ankara and Athens have worked out the main lines of the new suit, the leaders of the two communities can fill in the details.

We should not waste time.

If due to negligence a solution cannot be found then be sure that both Ankara and Athens alike will suffer greatly from this."

[06] Dangerous developments in the "TRNC"

"Who wants a sell out on Cyprus? No one in Turkey. Yet, it seems some people are doing their best to prevent a "sell out," and in the process they are doing everything that will help an outcome that may well amount to a de facto sell out.

The conservative establishment which has prevented democratization and an effective fight against corruption and irregularities in Turkey seems to have extended its influence in a very negative manner in Northern Cyprus.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has been a haven of democracy since it proclamation. The human rights record of the TRNC and respect for democratic values in Northern Cyprus was a model for mainland Turkey.

Yet, a series of negative political developments in the past year have led to serious questions indicating that this ideal situation is in jeopardy. The conservatives did their best to discredit the progressive forces on Cyprus and in the process have created turmoil which has been very unpopular with the Turkish Cypriot people.

The arrest of journalists on spying charges just because they were highly critical of the government, the attitude of some commanders and the fact that the police is controlled by the Turkish military have added a new dimension to the political turmoil in the TRNC.

The fact that the Greek Cypriots are edging towards full membership to the European Union while the Turkish Cypriots are left in the open has irked several Turkish Cypriots. The conservative establishment in Turkey and their supporters on Cyprus have decided the Europeans will push for the Turks to mellow on Cyprus and feel this will end up in a sell out. So to prevent this they have launched a campaign of militancy.

They have resurrected the famous resistance movement which has been circulating public letters. The bombing of opposition daily Avrupa is a new twist in the Cyprus puzzle. Those who know Cyprus also know that it is very hard for anyone to acquire "bombs" in view of the tight security situation.

But the bomb blast is nothing compared to the decision of the National Unity Party (NUP) to pull out of the coalition and abandon its progressive coalition partner who has been demanding democratic improvements. Now, a new highly conservative government will be set up in the TRNC which will become more militant on the Cyprus issue.

It is no secret that once the Greek Cypriot general election is over this Sunday, the West will start pressuring Turkey and thus the TRNC to become more open handed on Cyprus and work for a solution. Can Turkey, which has been bowing to Western pressures to legislate economic reforms to secure bail-out money, withstand political pressures on Cyprus?

We feel that instead of further complicating the Cyprus issue through promoting militancy it is time we started encouraging more progressive ideas on Cyprus that would bring peace on our own terms instead of imposed solutions.

After all, has anyone seen any benefit in the two-year-old "ohi" policies?"

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