Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 02-05-24

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Statements by the Turkish Cypriot leader during a meeting with the Ambassador of Italy.

[02] Sukru Sina Gurel addressed a meeting on EU, customs and investment in the occupied areas.

[03] Mehmet Ali Talat and Izzet Izcan criticize Sukru Sina Gurel/s statements.

[04] Denktas replies to opposition criticisms.

[05] RADIKAL newspaper reports that Devlet Bahceli has blocked Turkey/s EU path.

[06] Deputy Prime Minister Ylmaz met with the President of the European Parliament.

[07] Inan strongly criticizes Solana and Verheugen.

[08] SISMIK-1 Research vessel has started its researches.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Statements by the Turkish Cypriot leader during a meeting with the Ambassador of Italy

Speaking at the meeting, Rauf Denktas said: ``We have been working on a single formula for the European Union (EU) membership in which both sidies would have equal conditions. We cannot reach such a formula yet because the Greek Cypriot side considers itself legal government of the whole island and does not recognize sovereignty of Turkish Cypriot side. A right that is not based on sovereignty cannot be accepted as right.

As long as the EU says that Cyprus would become a full member whether or not an agreement is reached, the Greek Cypriot side will continue to think that they do not need to reach an agreement with us.``

Calling on everyone to protect the sovereignty, Mr Denktas noted: ``It is meaningless to say that we accepted this or that formula before our sovereignty is recognized. Because, they will try to force us to sign an agreement like the one we signed in 1960. That agreement had never been put into practice.

Everybody has experienced the security and confidence by being sovereign. If we lose this, we cannot have such an opportunity again. To this end, everybody should protect `TRNC`s/ sovereign existence.``

When he was reminded that June was set as the date of conclusion of talks, Denktas said that United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced that this might not happen and left the door open. Denktas noted that it was meaningless to say that an issue of 39 years would end till that day and that such a thing would mean giving opportunities to one of the sides.

Asked if the United States could intervene in the talks with a new approach about the sovereignty issue, Denktas said: ``Our sovereignty cannot be evaluated with the point of view of others. Nobody could expect us to say `we are not sovereign. We did not found `TRNC/. If we founded it, we are sorry, and we are the minority of the Greek Cypriots, or we are a minority taken under protection and they are giving us security` just because others see us differently. We are sovereign. We will continue to defend this until others start to see us. We are carrying out a realistic and practical fight together with Turkey. We hope it will be approved.``

[02] Sukru Sina Gurel addressed a meeting on EU, customs and investment in the occupied areas

Speaking at a meeting on the EU, Customs and Investment in occupied Cyprus on Thursday, Gurel said that the EU didn`t yet offer Turkey a clear perspective, therefore it wasn`t certain whether the EU was ready for Turkey even if Turkey was ready to join the EU.

Gurel said that Turkey`s foreign trade deficit with the EU was 57 billion USD in five years and added that the EU did most of its foreign trade with Turkey during this time. ``It`s apparent that there`s an unbalanced situation, we should think how we can balance it,`` he said.

``If the EU still acts reluctant to give us a clear perspective, we`ll have the right to say we should reconsider the Customs Union,`` he commented.

Gurel also said that the EU failed to give Turkey the 3 billion USD which it promised to pay to meet Turkey`s losses caused by the Customs Union. State Minister Sukru Sina Gurel also alleged on Thursday that the European Union (EU) had chosen a bad position regarding the Cyprus issue because it sided with the Greek Cypriot side.

Speaking at the same meeting Gurel said that the EU should not put forward unnecessary conditions which were actually not connected with the EU in front of Turkey for full membership.

``For example, the EU should not raise the Cyprus obstacle in front of us,`` Gurel said and added that the EU had mentioned while putting forward the Cyprus issue that countries which had problems with the candidate countries could not be member.

However, such a thing was not said to Ireland. Since the EU does not want problems, why did it not ask Greece to solve its problems with Turkey and why did it accept the Greek Cypriot side`s candidacy before a solution to the Cyprus issue and why did it set a date for full membership by showing the Greek Cypriot side as if it were the representative of whole island? If it has done all of these, why does it chose raising these obstacles in front of Turkey? So our doubts and concerns also stem from this attitude of the EU. First of all, the EU should make its attitude clear so we will have the opportunity of carrying out our relations with the EU on a more specific basis,`` he said.

Stressing that the EU should not include issues like Cyprus into Turkey`s full membership, Gurel said: ``No other community in the world suffers from the same heavy embargo as the Turkish Cypriots, so Turkey`s support to them is very natural.

Unfortunately, the EU has chosen a bad position regarding the Cyprus issue because it sided with the Greek Cypriots and it has cornered itself despite our warnings. It will either accept Greek Cypriot side`s membership as the so-called`Cyprus Republic` and this will make the division definite, taking a step which will make Turkey and the `TRNC/ more free. Besides, this will cause serious problems in the NATO because it will destroy the Turkish-Greek balance and cause possibility of a clash in the Eastern Mediterranean because this will incite Greek Cypriots for a clash,`` he said.

[03] Mehmet Ali Talat and Izzet Izcan criticize Sukru Sina Gurel's statements

Moreover, the leader of the Patriotic Unity Movement (PUM) Izzet Izcan reacted to the latest statement of Gurel. In a written statement Izzet Izcan pointed out that Gurel with his statement does not count the political will and existence of the Turkish Cypriot community. He also criticised Denktas by adding that on the negotiation table Denktas represents only the sovereign hawks of Turkey and not the Turkish Cypriot community.

[04] Denktas replies to opposition criticisms

Denktas said in a speech here that certain circles are making noises that disturb everyone and he feels the need to respond. He noted that an impression is being deliberately created as if these circles are the voice of the people and that he is trying to silence them because he is afraid of them. He said: "Actually our response should be to ignore them. However, when we tried that we saw that the world misconstrued our silence and thought that these circles represent all the Turkish Cypriots Organizations having ulterior motives hold contacts with these circles and support them in order to divide the Turkish Cypriots. That is why responses are being made to these circles."

Denktas said that the responses are being made by the Turkish Cypriot resistance fighters, and by the people. The more the people respond, Denktas said, the more these circles become angry and aggressive. He stressed that he will continue to tell the truth to the Turkish Cypriots and to the world.

He stressed that if the Turkish Cypriots give up their "state and sovereignty", and if they join the EU as a minority behind the Greek Cypriots when Turkey is not an EU member, their end will not be bright at all. He pointed out that the people are beginning to understand these facts, adding that rights not based on sovereignty are not real rights. The Turkish Cypriots saw, he said, how the 1960 republic condemned them, because they were shareholders in that republic but had no sovereignty. That is why, he added, when we establish a new partnership with the same people, we naturally want a sounder agreement than the 1960 one, an agreement where our sovereignty is registered. We deserve that, given the struggle the Turkish Cypriots shed and the lives they lost, he said.

Denktas charged that a solution of the Cyprus problem is being prevented by means of time limits and the contention that Cyprus will join the EU regardless of a solution. If the Greek Cypriots are admitted to the EU as representatives of the whole island before a solution is reached, Denktas said, they will take the Cyprus problem with them.

Denktas emphasized that neither Turkish Cypriots nor Turkey will give up their rights, adding that he is ready to shake the hand of anyone who is ready to reach an agreement within the framework of these rights. Everyone should realize, he said, how determined the Turkish Cypriots are to reach an agreement.

[05] RADIKAL newspaper reports that Devlet Bahceli has blocked Turkey/s EU path

Quoting statements by senior NAP members as well as Bahceli/s stance about the EU reform demands and holding early elections, RADIKAL columnist Murat Yetkin writes: ``It seems that the NAP, which blocked the EU reforms, including early elections, will create burning developments".

RADIKAL further discloses that during the "Hospital Summit" the other day between Ecevit, Bahceli and ANAP/s Yilmaz, Bahceli refused to discuss the contents of a note that listed the steps to be taken for EU membership. He said: "These cannot be realized".

The paper says that Ecevit and Yilmaz supported the contents of the note, which was compiled by the Turkish Foreign Ministry and Turkey/s EU General Secretariat.

Bahceli told Ecevit and Yilmaz about capital punishment and education in mother tongue that they are things impossible to realize and said: "You solve this without including us".

RADIKAL reports that at the "Summit" Turkish Foreign Minister Cem and Ministry's Bureaucrats as well were present.

[06] Deputy Prime Minister Yilmaz met with the President of the European Parliament

Yilmaz was in Brussels to take part in meetings of the European Convention.

Yilmaz referred to meetings previously held between Cox and the leaders of the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots.

"I reiterated once more the priorities of the Turkish Cypriots and told him that if these were not met, it would be difficult to reach a final solution," Yilmaz said.

Yilmaz evaluated the political remarks given by several German politicians, saying that statements made in an election atmosphere should not be taken seriously.

[07] Inan strongly criticizes Solana and Verheugen

Addressing a committee meeting, Inan criticized EU commissioner for enlargement Gunther Verheugen's and EU Joint Defense and Foreign Police High Representative Javier Solana's statements on Cyprus's EU membership.

Recalling that some EU officials, especially Solana and Verheugen, insistently stressed that full membership negotiations would start with Cyprus, Inan claimed that the Turkish government kept silent against these statements.

"Ankara has no open attitude toward these statements. These incidents mean the practice of Enosis in a hidden way. Officials should voice these opinions," Inan stated.

Inan claimed that this silence would mean to have accepted Cyprus as a precondition for the EU negotiations. According to him, Cyprus' accession to the EU before Turkey had drawbacks.

[08] SISMIK-1: Research vessel has started its researches

The paper writes that the general director of Turkey's Mineral Explorations and Research Institute (MTA), Kemal Isiker said that until today they have no information regarding the region between Turkey and Cyprus and the continental shelf of Cyprus in the southern part of Karpass Peninsula.

"However, defining the geopolitical structure of this region is very important", he added noting that Sismik-1 will start its work from the eastern part of the Antalia Gulf and heading to the east will reach the Gulf of Alexandretta and come down to the southern region of the occupied Karpass Peninsula.

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