Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 01-11-30

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktas Reproaches Turkish Press for Describing Cyprus as 'Obstacle'

[02] Denktas accuses the British and the Americans of making conspiracy to give Cyprus to Greece

[03] Ecevit Beat the Same Drum, Speak About "Genocide" and "Calamities"

[04] Bahceli Defends Denktas and his party/s stance on Cyprus

[05] Talat reacts against those who criticize TUSIAD

[06] Angolemli sees an opportunity for the solution of the Cyprus problem

[07] Turkey/s Yahnici: EU /Two-Faced/ Defends Government/s Policy

[08] YENIDUZEN reports "50,000 people were given 'citizenship'"

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[09] Turkish Columnist Accuses Turkey of Keeping the occupied areas in Cyprus, Underdeveloped

[10] Milliyet Columnist Demands "Liberating" the occupied area from Denktas

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktas Reproaches Turkish Press for Describing Cyprus as 'Obstacle'

Mr Denktas returned from Italy yesterday and held a press conference on his arrival at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. He claimed that the Greek Cypriot efforts to prevent his meetings in Italy boomeranged. "Everyone was interested in us, they all listened to us, and almost everyone thought we are right," he said.

Denktas said that he expounded on the legal aspect of the Cyprus problem at almost every meeting and added: "I hope that the Turkish press will show an interest in this aspect of the issue."

Denktas reiterated that the Cyprus problem has both a legal and moral aspect, adding that he "will not allow" the upsetting of the Turkish-Greek balance set in Cyprus since the Lausanne Treaty. He claimed that the existence of two equal sides on the island must be accepted.

Meanwhile, according to KIBRIS (30.11.01) the Turkish Cypriot leader said that in Italy he had explained to the Italian jurists the legal situation in Cyprus. He had delivered a speech at Rome's Bar under the title "the Cyprus problem between law and history".

According to the paper Mr Denktas attended a dinner given to his honour by the Italian deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Roberto Antonioni and had also meetings with Alfredo Biondi, deputy Speaker of the Italian Assembly and Marco Zucchera, deputy chairman of the Foreign Relations Parliamentary Committee. Today Mr Denktas is to return to the occupied areas.

[02] Denktas accuses the British and the Americans of making conspiracy to give Cyprus to Greece

Mr Denktas said: "For years, the Britons and the Americans considered giving Cyprus to Greece appropriate to their strategic interests. Meanwhile, because they did not want to loose Turkey, they tried to solve this issue by giving her bases or other things, which would meet her security needs. This is what I am trying to explain when I am talking of conspiracy. .The Britons and the Americans continued the talks both during the periods when bloodshed happened and when there was no blood, in order to realize this conspiracy behind the scene. Now we face with the same policy...".

The Turkish Cypriot leader said that an agreement with the Greek Cypriots regarding internal matters could be achieved only if Turkey signs a similar agreement with the EU and if the rights of the Turkish Cypriots derived from the 1960 agreements are accepted.

Referring to his 4 December meeting with President Clerides, Mr Denktas said: ".During the face to face meeting I will ask Clerides whether he intents to accept our equality and sovereignty and open the door for an agreement. Clerides is a clever man and I believe that he also sees the dangers I see...".

[03] Ecevit Beat the Same Drum, Speak About "Genocide" and "Calamities"

genocide of Turkish Cypriots, which was left half finished, will restart."

Pointing out that Cyprus was not only Denktas/s problem Ecevit said, ``Cyprus is at the same time the problem of Turkish

Cypriots and Turkey.``

Ecevit also referred to Cyprus/ EU membership, and demanded that EU should leave the sides alone. He alleged that EU was exerting pressure, and it would be difficult to reach an agreement under "pressure".

Ecevit repeated his known views that there are two separate states in Cyprus and his critical of Turkish Indurtrialists and Businessmen Associations stance regarding Cyprus.

[04] Bahceli Defends Denktas and his party/s stance on Cyprus

Bahceli strongly criticized those who want Turkey to do its homework as regards Cyprus and the EU; He branded this people "harbouring ill-intentions".

He claimed that his party is not against Turkey/s - EU membership.

[05] Talat reacts against those who criticize TUSIAD

Mr Talat said that the Cyprus problem in not an issue on which "Denktas, Ecevit and other circles which call themselves nationalists have the monopoly". "This is a problem of the whole of the people", he added.

Mr Talat characterized those who criticize TUSIAD's statement as "lobbies for achieving the non-solution" in the Cyprus problem and noted that they are leading Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots towards a disaster.

[06] Angolemli sees an opportunity for the solution of the Cyprus problem

Talking after a meeting with the Turkish Cypriot Businessmen Association, Mr Angolemli called on the Turkish Cypriots for consensus because the community is facing very serious problems such as the Cyprus problem and the economy, which demand the contribution of all parts of the society.

[07] Turkey/s Yahnici: EU /Two-Faced/ Defends Government/s Policy

DUZEL: Your party leader, Devlet Bahceli, called critics of the government's Cyprus policy "people with warped mentalities" and said their thoughts are parallel to those of the Greek media. Do you really think people, who do not think the same as you do, as traitors?

YAHNICI: No. Having a warped mentality and being a traitor are different things.

DUZEL: Did you ever consider that some people might blame the Nationalist Action Party [NAP] as having been "specially appointed" for the job of preventing Turkey's integration into the EU, to prevent it from getting richer, freer and stronger?

YAHNICI: Our words reflect our beliefs. Our actions are in line with the requirements of our beliefs.

DUZEL: Can you tell us about your Cyprus policy without using any legend-like words? Where does NAP see Turkish interests to be based?

YAHNICI: Cyprus is the UN's problem. The EU has no right to devise solutions to the Cyprus problem all by itself. According to international law, the EU has no right to say, "I accept Cyprus as an EU member", just as Cyprus cannot declare its EU membership on its own. Being guarantor states, Turkey, Greece and England, can veto the membership of Cyprus to international unions. However, the EU and UN have been disregarding Turkey's legitimate approach to the Cyprus issue. Besides that, we have other problems with the EU other than Cyprus.

DUZEL: What are they?

YAHNICI: First, the death penalty issue; second, human rights and freedom of thought; and third, minority rights, which encompass the issues of educational and broadcasting rights of minorities. Turkey lifted the death penalty with constitutional amendments -- except crimes of war and terror. The EU says, however, "Turkey has not lifted the death penalty."

DUZEL: If you were to take political criteria into consideration, would you accept Turkey as a member?

YAHNICI: We do measure up to political criteria. I said to the EU Secretary General Volkan Vural, "Why don't we use our National Program to explain to the EU the political criteria we cannot fulfill?" Vural said, "What we cannot do is not their problem, but ours. They do not accept any such thing as 'I cannot.'" They reject accepting this excuse, but accept Cyprus, whose conditions are far worse than mine as a member. Cyprus, which is considered to be the center of drug and weapons trade, where the laundering of dirty money is justified and passports are given to members of terrorist organizations. Does Cyprus comply to EU criteria more than I do?

DUZEL: In an interview we had held last year, you said that in Turkey, drugs moved from the east to the west with a police escort and also stated that Turkey is a part of this market. However, the EU accepted Turkey as a candidate for membership. How can you explain this?

YAHNICI: It is a fact that some people working for the state have a role in this, but Turkey is not in the drug trade due to official policy. None of this would have happened if certain people from the state had not gotten entangled in this business anyway. Dirty money is Cyprus's official policy though. The justification of the circulation of dirty money has increased per capita income in Cyprus to $17,000. The issue of "sovereignty," when speaking of EU membership is a problem for us. How will we react when they say, "Change Article 6 of the Constitution, transfer your sovereignty to the European Parliament and legal system, wipe off the words saying 'Sovereignty is in the hands of the people' from the wall of the Parliament"? We never thought of this. The EU did not either. The day in when the debated issue of 'sovereignty lying in the hands of the people' will come too.

DUZEL: With your permission, I would like to clarify the issue. The EU wants different identities to be recognized and desires cultural rights be given to people with different identities -- in the spheres of education and broadcasting. Will this lead to disintegration in Turkey?

YAHNICI: Of course it will. Turkey is not ready for such things at the moment. It is not a country that has a suitable environment for these. This is what we can do for the EU. This is all I can do. If the EU is not going to praise Turkey for what it accomplished under such hard circumstances, if it is not willing to understand us and if it is going to keep up its harsh attitude towards Turkey, then... The EU does not have good intentions. If the question is one of handing over Cyprus in the name of democratization and becoming an EU member by abandoning Cyprus..

DUZEL: Do you believe we will be richer and freer if we stay out of the EU?

YAHNICI: No. Turkey must become an EU member.

DUZEL: If it must become a member then must it not fulfill the requirements? The EU applies the same criteria to everyone. You, on the other hand, say Turkey, in certain ways, has conditions differing from those of other candidates. Are we the only ones to have exemptions? You are aware of the fact that Turkey cannot become an EU member by saying I have exemptions, don't you?

YAHNICI: All this will be discussed.

DUZEL: Has Turkey got the time for this?

YAHNICI: It has... There is no reason for Turkey to rush. Even if it was to hurry, the EU isn't doing so...

DUZEL: Shouldn't Turkey do all this for herself?

YAHNICI: Of course, of course...

[08] YENIDUZEN reports "50,000 people were given 'citizenship'"

The paper says that during the debate at the so-called Economic Finance Budget and Planning Committee regarding the budget of the so-called interior ministry and village affairs budget, the so-called Interior Minister Mehmet Albayrak said that since 1974 total of 50,000 people were given the so-called TRNC citizenship. He said that in year 2000, 181 people and in 2001, 150 people were given the so-called TRNC citizenship through the so-called Council of Ministers decisions. He further said that since 1993, 2732 people were given "citizenship" through a Council Ministers decision.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[09] Turkish Columnist Accuses Turkey of Keeping the occupied areas in Cyprus, Underdeveloped

"Let us not forget that a lot of time has been lost since the 1974 Peace Operation.

Why did the northern part of the island remain poor? Little progress was made even after the establishment of the /Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus./

We absolve ourselves of all the blame by constantly blaming others. After all, northern Cyprus is a very small place. Its population is approximately 150,000. This includes the 50,000 Turks who have arrived from Turkey, the Turkish Armed Forces 35, 000 and 40,000 Turkish Cypriots on the island.

The island has a comfortable climate. It has a naturally productive environment. The sea is clean. There is no pollution.

It would have been possible to turn it into a rich island if tourism had been developed. It would have possible to increase the income of the island in a considerable degree if fish farms had been established. We could have surmounted the island's terrible fate if we had cultivated plants in green houses. We could have turned Cyprus into a university center.

The levels of all the universities in Cyprus, except one, are very low. Famous universities in Turkey (Koc, Bosphorus, Middle East, Bilgi, Bilkent, etc) should have opened or should have been encouraged to open branches in Cyprus.

There is empty land along the coastline. There were tens of luxurious hotels in the Varoshia region in the past. Currently, these hotels are closed. Famagusta is near Varoshia. The same sea, the same shore, and the same coast... Unfortunately, this place has not been developed. Despite the fact that Turkey's shores are filled with tourists and while a great number of hotels -- from one star to five stars -- which are able to meet all the tourists' needs are being constructed in Turkey, such efforts are not made in Famagusta, which is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Why?

There is only one answer to this question: Investments are not being made because the future of the island is not guaranteed. Turkish entrepreneurs are not coming.

Lack of solution has become a solution in Cyprus. No serious steps have been taken for the development of Cyprus since 1974. The youth have deserted the island because they are concerned about their future.

The political system is very similar to the system in Turkey -- major degeneration and a lack of alternatives. The people no longer have confidence in the politicians.

Yes, we cannot desert Cyprus. What have we done, however, in the island since 1974 in order to avoid losing it? Even an appropriate migration policy has not been pursued. Turkey could have sent to Cyprus some of its educated and qualified labor force. We chose to send to Cyprus uneducated and underdeveloped citizens, however. It is true that we have sent Cyprus large amounts of money, but were these funds properly used?

When we take into consideration the fact that Cyprus has not yet been able to resolve its electricity and water problems, we wonder if the funds that were sent to the island have reached the intended places.

Turkey should pursue an active policy in order to accelerate its membership process in the EU on the one hand and to enable a solution in Cyprus on the other."

[10] Milliyet Columnist Demands "Liberating" the occupied area from Denktas

"Cyprus is indispensable for Turkey. The matter has become a national cause both for its strategic importance and for psychological reasons. Nothing will cause Turkey to renounce this cause: neither the United States' wishes nor those of the EU. It has been resisted, and will continue to be.

This is one side of the coin. Naturally it has another side. Cyprus has been used clumsily as a liberated island and region by Denktas and his men due to Turkey's policies, which are based on just one man. The island's northern part looks like a desert thanks to the Turks' faulty administration, economic policies and political decisions, while the southern Greek Cypriot part looks like an oasis. The cost for these errors has always been taken out on the Turkish Cypriots and then by them on Turkey. Yet, Denktas has never given account of his actions. This is why the Turkish Cypriots have grown to hate Turkey, to whom they owe their lives. Rauf Denktas was appointed candidate and forcibly elected through Turkish pressure and rules like a king. It is a pity, he uses crisis and policies of chaos to preserve his hide. The Cyprus government also knows very well how to exploit this fact.

The feeling that anybody other than Denktas and his colleagues would sell out the island to the Greek Cypriots or others is being created as if to say nobody else is responsible enough. Yet, this is not correct. A Cyprus liberated from Denktas and his men could grow and develop because this sticky sediment has stuck the island into a far different and mainly dark web of relations. The wounds opened up in the occupied areas are big enough and not able to be dressed.

If /TRNC/ is a state, and not the Denktas/ Republic, and if it has a people and an administrative structure, then let the voices of others on Cyprus be heard and listened to. If a new blood transfusion on Cyprus cannot be made, if the administration cannot be replaced and if Turkey cannot explain itself properly, then whether we like it or not, the Turkish people on the island are going to abandon us. Who do you think that would benefit?"

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