Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 01-12-14

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Sezer Ecevit and Denktas discussed the Cyprus problem in Ankara.

[02] Rauf Denktas: Every nation that wants to control the Mediterranean has its eyes on Cyprus.

[03] Denktas claims that he met President Clerides in order to prevent an accident.

[04] Ismail Cem speaks about two states in Cyprus.

[05] The Turkish Prime Minister alleged that there is no Cyprus problem for Turkey.

[06] Kivrikoglu explains the gains Turkey secured during talks with Britain and the USA on the European Army.

[07] Turk - Is views on Turkey/s membership of the European Union.

[08] Former Commander of the Occupation Forces: "Greek Cypriots are mean people".

[09] Turkish Cypriots believe that the oppression has increased; the strike continues at the school of Nilgun Orhon.

[10] The pseudostate is to go bankrupt; it can pay only the half of the salaries of its employees.

[11] Illegal university signs agreements with Derby University.

[12] The confiscation procedure against AVRUPA continues.

[13] Turkish journalists condemn the attitude of the occupation regime.

[14] Soyer: "Issue of `Occupation/".

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[15] Columnist of KIBRIS says that there are people who want to ruin the procedure for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Sezer, Ecevit and Denktas discussed the Cyprus problem in Ankara

The meeting, which started soon after the weekly routine meeting held between Sezer and Ecevit, lasted about an hour.

No statement was issued after the meeting. The new process initiated in the aftermath of the face-to-face talks held between Denktas and President Clerides was discussed at the meeting.

[02] Rauf Denktas: Every nation that wants to control the Mediterranean has its eyes on Cyprus

Denktas also stated that every nation that wants to control the Mediterranean has its eyes on Cyprus, adding that this is the reason for the arrival of the British in Cyprus. Alleging that accepting Cyprus into the EU before Turkey's membership is tantamount to rubbing salt into an open wound, Denktas continued: "We are submitting all the evidence. The decision, however, has been made. If it continues this way, then they will make Cyprus a EU member by force".

Noting that the Cyprus issue is heading toward a big crisis, Denktas said that he proposed to hold a face-to-face meeting with President Clerides knowing that the Turkish nation will rise against the injustice the EU has committed. Pointing out that Cyprus is speedily advancing on the EU path, Denktas said that a stop should be put to it.

In reply to a question, Denktas said that the EU and the Greek Cypriots should not ignore Turkey's guarantor rights. He continued: "There will be a crisis. This crisis depends on the course the EU and the Greek Cypriots will pursue. It might be a small one or a big one. This depends entirely on the course they will follow".

In reply to another question on whether annexation to Turkey might be considered, Denktas said: "When the time comes everything will be considered. Only handing Cyprus to the Greeks cannot be considered".

[03] Denktas claims that he met President Clerides in order to prevent an accident

For the Greek Cypriots, Denktas said, the Cyprus problem meant realizing Enosis despite all international agreements.

``This is not a Cyprus train, it`s a Greek Cypriot train,`` he continued. ``We have rights that were given to us by our constitution and international agreements. As an answer, they tell us that the Cyprus matter is not a legal issue but a political one. They deny the existence of international law and they ignore the constitution. They are not even interested in who the Turkish Cypriots are or what their status is. They think that they have finished the Cyprus issue.``

Denktas stated that the Turkish Cypriots would not become a minority like the Turks in Western Thrace and they were fighting in order not to live under the Greek flag and that they gained their power from Turkey.

Denktas finally said the Cyprus problem has today turned into a Greek problem. ``Why did they apply to the EU? This is an activity carried out to realize Enosis in Cyprus secretly. The Cyprus train started going faster and there might be an accident. It`s our responsibility to prevent this disaster. Therefore I took an initiative and met with Clerides,`` he said and added that he was hopeful of the talks.

[04] Ismail Cem speaks about two states in Cyprus

"Three big NATO countries reached an agreement over a text. Britain is also a member of the EU. This compromise text was greatly welcomed by practically all EU and NATO members. Relevant statements were made, and the text was included in the NATO protocols during the last meeting I attended. In other words, as far as we are concerned, this matter has been concluded", said Cem.

The foreign minister also remarked that the Cyprus problem will be resolved through an agreement to be reached between two equal states.

"What we cannot renounce is the issue of states, namely the existence of two equal states, two equal sovereign units, and the creation of a single legal entity and a common state through a conciliation to be reached between these two states", be concluded.

[05] The Turkish Prime Minister alleged that there is no Cyprus problem for Turkey

Referring to the Cyprus problem Ecevit said that Cyprus was not a problem for Turkey although it is regarded as a problem by certain states. He said he could understand the behaviours of Greeks and Greek Cypriots but he had difficulty in understanding why other countries are so much interested in Cyprus. He alleged that peace was maintained in Cyprus after Turkey`s invasion in 1974.

Prior to 1974, the island was poor but Greek Cypriots developed their economy through foreign investments after this date and Turkish Cypriots also improved their economies significantly despite heavy economic sanctions, Ecevit said.

``No satisfactory solution could be brought to Cyprus unless the existence of two separate states is recognized,`` he asserted and said that the meeting of Denktas and Clerides was a pleasing development.

[06] Kivrikoglu explains the gains Turkey secured during talks with Britain and the USA on the European Army

Kivrikoglu replied to reporters' questions after the inauguration of the 5th Gendarme Training Battalion Command in Bilecik's Dortpazar District. Asked by a journalist to comment on Greece's stand regarding the ESDP, Kivrikoglu said: Turkey must be right if Greece is raising objections. Turkey is on the right path".

In reply to the question on what attitude Turkey will adopt if the EU accepts Greece's demands, Kivrikoglu noted:

"Turkey outlined this in the agreement it reached, an agreement that was approved by the EU. As you know, talks were conducted between Turkey and Britain, and the United States was a witness. We reached a decision at the end of three meetings. Turkey tried to protect its interests as much as possible in this regard, and did its utmost. This subject has been under discussion for approximately three years. We reached this conclusion after three years. Now, Greece is opposing this. This objection shows that Turkey did the right thing and reached a good result. Greece is raising objections, fearing that its interests may be damaged. The matter has now been resolved between Turkey and the EU. It is now an issue that must be resolved between the EU and Greece. Turkey can never consent to the use of the European army, or the ESDP, against Turkey, in conjunction with Greece. This could happen with regard to the Aegean issue, in Cyprus, or in other areas. We tried to introduce guarantees against this."

Kivrikoglu remarked that Turkey has registered other gains as well. When a conflict arises in Kosovo, for example, NATO or the EU can intervene, with the EU utilizing NATO capabilities. Recalling that Turkey will be part of each phase in this process and will have the right to veto, Kivrikoglu said that if the EU wants to intervene without resorting to NATO means, this will not be easy.

"This is why the EU wants NATO support. This involves large sums of money. Turkey has acquired the following advantage: If the incident is in Turkey's region and if it is liable to affect Turkey, then these matters will be discussed with Turkey, and Turkey in turn will express its concerns. Turkey will participate if it wishes to do so. The decision will be made by the EU, but any incident in the vicinity of Turkey will definitely require Turkey's support. The EU would have difficulty without Turkey. It might have a need to use airports, the airspace, the territorial waters, or the ports. In that respect, the EU will not find it possible to act alone. It must also spend money in order to acquire certain means. Given that NATO has these capabilities, it does not seem very sensible for the EU to spend money to acquire them", Kivrikoglu said.

[07] Turk - Is views on Turkey's membership of the European Union

"The Confederation of Turkish Employees and Employers Unions [Turk-Is] maintains that should all the EU's demands be met, Turkey will break up. Turk-Is also states that membership talks will never start as long as the economic crisis continues. "We are seeing a mentality here that wishes to resurrect the Treaty of Sevres in the name of human rights and democracy," it says.

Turk-Is wrote a report into the EU's demands of Turkey. The report, bearing the title "What the EU wants from Turkey" was submitted to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. It pointed out that the Union's demands eroded independence and sovereignty. "Under these conditions, we cannot talk of a genuine demand for democratization," noted the report and added that just what the EU wanted from Turkey had not been explained to the public.

The report contains the following views and findings based on official EU reports:

Cyprus and the Armenian Genocide Allegations: The EU has accused Turkey of occupying Cyprus and has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Turkish Armed Forces from the island. The European Parliament declared the 1915-17 incidents as genocide and wanted the Turkish Government to accept this. It announced that Turkey's failure to accept this constituted a definite obstacle to membership.

Minorities Problem and Separatism: The EU is striving to break up the Turkish nation into its constituent ethnic groups. This move, being carried out in the name of human rights and democracy, got as far as inciting terrorist organizations and partition. The European Parliament's audacity is so great that it refers to Southeast Anatolia as "Kurdistan".

Aegean Problem: The EU supports Greece's theses on the Aegean and is adopting a standpoint that threatens Turkey.

Patriarchate and the Clerical School: The European Parliament wants the Ecumenical Patriarchate to take on a universal quality. The European Parliament has on its agenda the reopening of the Clerical School, which is a "War College for Pan-Hellenism".

IMF: The EU wants the IMF program to be applied because EU countries constitute 29.88 percent of the IMF management. Of these countries, Germany has a 6.02 percent voting right, France and Britain have 4.97 percent each.

[08] Former Commander of the Occupation Forces: ''Greek Cypriots are mean people''

The paper reports that at the conference, in which Denktas also was a guest speaker, the retired general said: "I have served seven years in Cyprus. Based on my experiences I do say that the Greek and the Turkish Cypriots cannot live together. When the Greek army landed in Smyrna on 15 May, 1919, the Greeks in Istanbul raised the Greek flag in Pera (Beyoglou). When bumped to a woman on the street, they shouted at her ''dirty Turk''. This Greek nation is the meanest nation that I have ever seen in the world. In Limassol the PKK has an office whose owner is a Greek.

How could you admit these terrorists to the EU?"

Regarding Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, the retired general said: '' Our Foreign Minister extends olive branch and dances Sirtaki.Did you solve anything?

Looks what Greece did on the ESDP? She exercised her veto rights.

As for the Turkish Businessmen and Industrialist Association TUSIAD Ozgen said: "Since 1964 I have not heard any criticism against the South Cyprus by the Greek Cypriots or Greeks. However in our case everybody talks whether they know the subject or not. Oh! TUSIAD what do you know about the strategic importance of Cyprus?"

When at the end of the conference, he was asked whether he has used a tough language against the Greeks which might hurt the feelings of the Greeks living in Istanbul, he replied and said that he had witnessed what the Greek Cypriots did when he was serving in Cyprus. Ozgen stressed that these views were his own views and not the Turkish Armed Forces'.

[09] Turkish Cypriots believe that the oppression has increased; the strike continues at the school of Nilgun Orhon According to KIBRIS (14.12.01) Ali Gulle, chairman of the trade union Dev - Is, said yesterday that the oppression exerted by the occupation regime has been increased these days, when there is "a lot of traffic" towards achieving peace in Cyprus.

Furthermore, Mr Gulle strongly criticized the confiscation of Avrupa's equipment and the so-called "law", which provides for punishment of those who posses passports of the Republic of Cyprus.

Meanwhile, the strike declared by the Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers Trade Union (KTOEOS) in the "20 July Lyceum of Applied Sciences" regarding the Nilgun Orhon isuue, is to be continued today.

[10] The pseudostate is to go bankrupt; it can pay only the half of the salaries of its employees

Mr Cosar admitted also that the pseudostate couldn't make any investments for the development of the occupied areas.

In the face of these disasters, what could the administration of this country do? Either take aid from abroad or go bankrupt", he noted.

[11] Illegal university signs agreements with Derby University According to KIBRIS (14.12.01), the illegal "East Mediterranean University" (EMU), has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with the state University of Derby, regarding organizing common educational programmes and granting common diplomas on some programmes of EMU.

The statement says also that the admission terms to these common programmes, the types of educational-teaching tests and the graduation criteria would be decided during meetings between officials of EMU and Derby university. The final approval of the result of the discussions and the decision on the certificates of the programmes, which is to be the basis of the cooperation between EMU and the Derby University, will be taken by the administrations of the above-mentioned institutions.

According to the statement, students will be accepted to the programmes in Autumn 2002. The students, upon their graduation from these programmes, are to take two diplomas, one from EMU and another from Derby University.

EMU cooperates with 73 education institutions from 23 different countries of the world.

[12] The confiscation procedure against AVRUPA continues According to "Avrupa" (14.12.01), employees of the occupation regime confiscated yesterday one of the printing machines of the paper, whereas today the other machines are expected to be confiscated.

Meanwhile, another 90 charges have been filed against "Avrupa" and its journalists. According to the paper among the accused journalists are Sener Levent, Ali Osman and Susan Karaman. The "trials" are to begin on 3 January 2002 and the sentences demanded vary between three and ten years imprisonment.

[13] Turkish journalists condemn the attitude of the occupation regime "Ortam" (14.12.01) reports that Turkey's Association of Modern Journalists (TAMJ) issued yesterday a statement noting that the confiscation of the equipment of "Avrupa" "is an extremely worrying event, from the point of view of the freedom of the Press and expression".

[14] Soyer;''Issue of 'Occupation' ''

He then tries to pinpoint the insincerity of those circles that attack Mrs Orhon. By giving examples, Soyer asks why those people stood silent when a Democratic Left Party deputy in Turkey suggested to annex Cyprus to Turkey like they did in case of Alexandretta (Hatay).''Why this fuss for a word mentioned by teacher Nilgun".

He criticises this stance and says that in time President Clinton, German foreign minister Fisher and others stood up against their governments but they were never accused of being traitor.

He concludes by accusing those people who act in a hypocritical manner.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[15] Columnist of KIBRIS says that there are people who want to ruin the procedure for a solution to the Cyprus problem

"Those who are pleased because of the peace process in Cyprus are definitely the majority. It would be a serious mistake, however, to consider non-existent those who are seriously disturbed by the peace process, even though their number and percentage is small.

There is a serious sensation about the fact that those who want to dynamite the recent efforts exerted in the kitchen of the UN towards finding lasting and balanced peace, which will preserve the interests of the sides, are making intensive preparations. .

The following evaluation, made yesterday by circles, which follow very closely the government and the things taking place behind the scene in Ankara regarding the Cyprus problem, is giving a warning and it is worth to be mentioned:

'Even if the recent step made by Denktas is in general accepted and supported in Ankara, both in circles of the government and the army there are some different approaches and different opinions which could be considered important. The economic difficulties, which Turkey is facing, have unavoidably and rabidly brought the Cyprus problem to a reconciliation point. Those who consider natural to make a policy connected with the economy support more easily the developments and consider the proposals for a solution to be near to the Turkish thesis. Those who oppose this are those who want Turkey to stop being the Republic of Turkey. Some forces, which do not like the bright environment and act behind the scene using Cyprus for various purposes, support the same group. Without being clearly seen, it is sensed that they are being prepared and intend to sabotage the peace process by using very dangerous means'. .

The field for applying almost all the scenarios is Northern Cyprus. .While TRNC is heading towards the 16 of January, ruining the internal peace by using several ways, is on the agenda. There is the serious wish to divide the society into camps, by creating tension. According to some people, wanting peace in the biggest crime these days. Only pronouncing the name of peace, friendship and humanity, is enough to call you 'traitor'. .

We can achieve absolutely nothing with swearing and threatening. We are receiving various e-mails. There are such messages, that we could not share their content with you in this column. They are full of coarse, threats and swearing. .".

KV/SK

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