Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 02-07-01

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] RTP celebrates its victory in the "municipal elections" as it succeeded to have its candidates elected in the three out of five occupied cities.

[02] Turkish Cypriot political party leaders comment on the results of the "municipal elections".

[03] Statements by the Turkish Cypriot leader before and after meeting President Clerides.

[04] Former Flight Commander of the 56th Squadron of RAF Akrotiri is owner of a house in occupied Karmi village.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[05] Ilter Turkmen supports that Turkey has done its best to make the Cyprus problem an obstacle to its EU path.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] ATP celebrates its victory in the "municipal elections" as it succeeded to have its candidates elected in the three out of five occupied cities

As far as the results are concerned, KIBRIS writes that RTP celebrates a victory because its candidates in the three out of five occupied cities, Nicosia, Famagusta and Kyrenia were elected. In the 1998 "elections" the "municipalities" of Nicosia and Kyrenia had been won by the candidates of NUP. Furthermore, RTP, which in the pre-election campaign had the slogan "solution of the Cyprus problem and accession to the European Union", increased its percentages almost everywhere.

According to the results, the elected "mayors" are the following:

1) Nicosia, Kutlay Erk (RTP), 2) Famagusta, Oktay Kayalp (RTP), 3) Kyrenia, Sumer Aygin (RTP), 4) Morphou, Mahmut Ozcinar (NUP), 5) Lefka, Mehmet Zafer (NUP), 6) Karavas, Yucel Atakara (NUP), 7) Trikomo, Halil Ugrun (NUP), 8) Kythrea, Huseyin Pasa (NUP), 9) Louroudjina, Alkan Cannur (RTP), 10) Lapithos, Fuat Namsoy (NUP), 11) Gonyeli, Ali Cetin Amcaoglu (NUP), 12) Ayios Amvrosios, Erdal Barut (NJP), 13) Ayios Epiktitos, Necdet Numan (NUP), 14) Dhikomo, Yasar Gucsal (NUP), 15) Lefkoniko, Huseyin Baybora (NUP), 16) Asha, Habil Tulucu (NJP), 17) Akanthou, Ahmet Hayri Orcan (DP), 18) Ayios Sergios, Katip Demir (independent), 19) Galatia, Ahmet Beyazit Adalier (DP), 20) Sinda, Hasan Basri Beycanli (NUP), 21) Yialousa, Kemal Gundes (NUP), 22) Rizokarpasso, Arif Ozbayrak (DP), 23) Pergamos, Huseyin Beyar (NUP), 24) Lyssi Adem Ademgil (NUP), 25) Chatos, Erdin Sutcuogullari (RTP), 26) Vatili, Erbay Kanatli (NUP) 27) Komi Kebir, Rahit Mindik (NUP) and 28) Yerolakkos, Huseyin Kaya (DP).

According to KIBRIS the Communal Liberation Party/s (CLP) votes were significantly decreased. The percentages of the parties in the five cities in both the 2002 and 1998 "elections" are the following:

Nicosia                  1998    2002
NUP                     33.73 % 30.66 %
DP                      23.36 % 16.39 %
RTP                     13.50 % 32.92 %
CLP                     19.65 %  6.09 %
National Revival Party   4.35 %  4.56 %
NJP                     ------   1.31 %
Nilgun Orhon (indep.)   ------   6.94 %
Other Independent       ------   0.61 %
Famagusta                1998    2002
RTP                     40.97 % 44.42 %
NUP                     38.14 % 23.90 %
DP                      15.92 % 25.06 %
CLP                      4.95 %  2.80 %
NJP                     -----    3.14 %
Kyrenia                  1998    2002
NUP                     39.79 % 37.77 %
RTP                     34.66 % 38.95 %
CLP                     12.80 %  6.45 %
DP                      11.60 %  9.94 %
NJP                     ------   1.43 %
Onder Konuloglu (Indep.) ----    6.99 %
Morphou                  1998    2002
NUP                     32.90 % 47.35 %
CLP                     32.51 % 14.87 %
RTP                     17.36 % 20.04 %
DP                      15.97 % 15.85 %
NJP                     ------   0.00 %
Independent             -----    1.90 %
Trikomo                  1998    2002
NUP                     49.84 % 47.71 %
DP                      23.63 % 33.29 %
RTP                     20.31 %  5.95 %
CLP                      6.20 %  6.22 %
NJP                     -----    5.95 %

[02] Turkish Cypriot political party leaders comment on the results of the "municipal elections"

National Unity Party leader, Dervish Eroglu said he was surprised by the results, especially in Nicosia and Kyrenia.

Democratic Party leader, Salih Cosar argued that the economic problems were reflected in the election results and reminded that the Republican Turkish Party based its campaign on the slogan "solution of the Cyprus problem and accession to the EU".

RTP leader, Mehmet Ali Talat said that "the winner of the elections were the people" and added that they would fulfil their promises given during the pre-election campaign.

Communal Liberation Party leader, Huseyin Angolemli said the "voters" expressed their reaction against the party and not its candidates and added that it is too early to estimate which are the reasons for the decrease of CLP/s power.

Nationalist Justice Party (NJP) leader, Kenan Akin said that they wanted to have the same success in the general elections as well.

[03] Statements by the Turkish Cypriot leader before and after meeting President Clerides

In a statement to reporters prior to the meeting, Denktas recalled that the Greek Cypriot side favoured the discussion of the Belgian model in its entirety. He said: "They wanted this as though we would recoil from it. When we proposed that we discuss it, they said: We did not propose it to change the foundation. We will discuss it, we shall see. Sections concerning the EU accession are as follows. They are doing it this way. This is the way the issue was solved in a country with two legs. We proposed that we be inspired from it. Then we began from the point of either accepting the whole model or rejecting it. Now, it seems, we will conduct a mental exercise and come back."

In reply to a question on whether the territorial issue will be discussed at today's meeting, Denktas said that it will not. Noting that the Greek Cypriot side supplied many statistical information on the territorial issue but that most of this information was erroneous, Denktas said that the reality will emerge. He added that for the territorial issue to be resolved, the Turkish Cypriot side is insistent that its sovereignty be accepted over the territory to be left to it, stressing that bargaining on the issue is out of the question.

Denktas' meeting with President Clerides lasted for about two hours. In a statement after the meeting, Denktas said that at the meeting the Turkish Cypriot side dwelt on how the EU membership is viewed from the Belgian model and how relations with the EU will be arranged. He continued: "Based on this model, we tried to give a direction to how a future Cypriot administration with two legs and two peoples will establish relations with the EU. The Greek Cypriots then tried to make us abandon this model by asking us whether we would accept the Belgian model as a whole." Denktas added that they, in turn said that they want this model to be brought to the negotiating table by the Greek Cypriots.

Denktas said that at today's meeting he expressed the views of the Turkish Cypriot side and that among these views there are sections that might be more appropriate than the Belgian model. When the Greek Cypriot side said that it was not ready to discuss only certain sections of the Belgian model, the Turkish Cypriot side asked the Greeks whether they would be ready to accept this model in its entirety to which the Greek Cypriots responded in the negative. Noting that the Greek Cypriots will give a more comprehensive response with regards to the proposals submitted by the Turkish Cypriots, Denktas said that the Turkish Cypriot side submitted its own model with regards to the EU and that now they are waiting to see what model the Greek Cypriots prefer. He continued: "Let us suppose that an agreement is reached on a model proposed by the Turks, the Greeks, or on a middle path. How will the Cyprus we have agreed upon conduct its relations with the EU? What is their model? We have submitted our model, and now we are waiting for theirs." He said that today's session was based on studying the model. Denktas said that the Greek Cypriots did not like the model proposed by the Turkish Cypriots and that the Turkish Cypriot side is now waiting for the Greek Cypriots to propose a model. He continued: "I hope that they will submit their proposal on Tuesday".

Recalling that Alvaro de Soto, the special UN envoy, will be going to New York on 3 July, Denktas said that he will be returning to the island on 12 or 13 July. Noting that both sides need to rest in July, Denktas concluded by saying that a decision will be made on the length of the break after de Soto returns to the island.

[04] Former Flight Commander of the 56th Squadron of RAF Akrotiri is owner of a house in occupied Karmi village

According to the paper Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon recently retired from the British Royal Air Force as Chief of Air Staff. This is the story of a career military couple who dedicated their lives to serving their country.

Michael Graydon was born in Kew, Surrey, in 1938. During the war his father was with the British Army in Palestine and Egypt, but it was an exciting time for a boy and memories such as V-1 Doodle Bugs, the blackout and "watching an aircraft caught like a moth in the searchlights" are still vivid.

Referring to Sir Michael/s wife the paper writes: "The future Lady Graydon was born in Lancashire, educated in Lincolnshire and worked in London for a few years. She met her husband at a tennis party while he was a cadet, and several years later they married, embarking on life as a career military couple.

Air force life began easily for Elizabeth, who fondly remembers amusing Fleet Air Arm parties. Their first posting after marrying was to 56 Squadron Air Defence. "At the height of the Cold War the Squadron was on 10 minutes/ readiness alert 24 hours a day," she recounts. "He (Michael) was away a lot and it was all very serious. And there was so much to learn - different ranks, the hierarchy of the station - all rather alien to me".

On Sir Michael/s career the paper writes the following:

The squadron flew Lightnings, the fastest aircraft in the world at the time with an astonishing rate of climb. Sir Michael/s childhood dream became a reality when he became the RAF single-seat display pilot from 1965 to 1967, flying in air shows around the country and abroad, for which he was awarded the Queen/s Commendation for valuable service in the air.

In 1976, he returned to 56 Squadron as Flight Commander, moving with the squadron to RAF Akrotiri southern Cyprus.

"We loved our time here", Lady Graydon recalls. "We often spent weekends in Kyrenia and bought a small dilapidated house in Karmi"

"We had close friends in the British Army attached to the United Nations and saw quite a lot of what went on in those days", says her husband. "You won/t find a serviceman in Cyprus during the `60s who wouldn/t recognise that the security of Turkish Cypriots is fundamental to their position today.

"It is understandable why today/s leadership feels strongly about certain guarantees and conditions in the current talks between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leadership".

Now retired, the couple/s main home is in Lincolnshire. Sir Michael remains "usefully busy" and spends a lot of time in London. He is a company director and involved in charitable and trust activities. Among others, he is president of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust; a governor of Charterhouse; a Member of the Air Cadet Council; and a director of the Church Schools Company that runs eight schools.

His wife enjoys county life and supports local voluntary organizations. In 2001 she was made a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Lincolnshire.

Despite their involved home life, however, the Graydons enjoy frequent visits to their Karmi cottage.

Lady Graydon paints and writes. The first of many exhibitions took place in 1967 in Cyprus, and she says: "Painting has been my relaxation and my delight, and now I have more time".

Her watercolour landscapes sell in the Archway Gallery, Karmi and at Kyrenia/s Aitken Gallery.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[05] Ilter Turkmen supports that Turkey has done its best to make the Cyprus problem an obstacle to its EU path

The full text of the commentary is as follows:

"Sometimes we must look upon developments realistically no matter how pathetic and saddening they may be. I have been defending in this column for ages now how we can only achieve the things we long for such as a liberal democracy, welfare, market economy with a sociable face, a state that is more into making order than intervening and that is directed at the individual, plus a contemporary understanding of law and a political mentality together with social peace and accord once we join the EU. I once believed that the Helsinki Summit of December 1999 was an historical date for Turkey. Now, I believe we need to come to terms with the fact that we have missed that opportunity. Moreover, the Foreign Minister was unable to verify the extremely optimistic news that emerged immediately after Seville concerning a positive decision over the giving of a date for accession talks. On the contrary, he all but admitted that with this government there was no other choice but to put off the talks. Is putting them off really a solution? I think not. I reckon now that perpetuation of our candidacy status will actually do more harm than good. We must take a final decision and close the book.

There are many reasons for my arriving at such a radical conclusion. I will touch on only a few of them here. First and foremost, there has never been a government with the political will to bring to life such a great project as EU membership. There is no going forward with today's paralyzed government. If anything just shuffling backwards and forwards. Furthermore, even if there were to be elections held, there does not seem, at least at this juncture, any possibility that Turkey is going to gain a more optimistic political picture.

One of the greatest mistakes committed by this Government was not to make best use of the outcome of the Helsinki Summit. It was reckoned that the Copenhagen Criteria could be glossed over with a few meaningful and a few cosmetic changes to the laws but with no importance given to their implementation. It has consoled itself for weeks on end now with the illusion that if the EU could be satisfied one way or another over topics such as the abolition of capital punishment and education and broadcasting in the mother tongue then a date for accession talks at the Copenhagen Summit could be obtained. Let us assume that such a result was achieved, would this still not have meant fulfilling the criteria in order to switch to accession talks on the specified date? Would that still not be a case of one step forward then one step backwards for us?

Besides, as far as the Copenhagen Criteria are concerned the issue has never been made up of these three topics we have been circling around all this time. Freedom of expression and freedom to organize are issues the EU has always attached great importance to and over which we have never made any promises. In addition, the EU is monitoring not only the contents of the laws but also how they are put into practice. Look how the report issued by the British Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee last April, and which was largely positive when it came to Turkey's EU membership, summarized the problem of application of laws:

"We reached the conclusion that Turkey would not be able to fulfill the Copenhagen Criteria on freedom of expression and freedom to organise unless fundamental change occurred in the mentality and behaviour of the Turkish judiciary and those who apply the law." EU Commissioner for Enlargement Verheugen said the same thing last week. This all means that we set ourselves a false target by setting out on a false assumption.

What about the Cyprus issue? The argument as to whether accession talks could begin without a solution on Cyprus is unnecessary because the problem is whether Cyprus is going to be accepted into the EU at the end of the year even without a solution. If it is, is there anybody who doubts that this would adversely affect Turkey's accession talks? We have been entirely unable to correctly diagnose this problem, which has existed since 1990. Rather than making a solution on Cyprus an ace up our sleeves, we have done our level best to make it an obstacle. And we continue to do so. Just recently one of our state ministers, famed for his anti-EU stance, was sent to the European Parliament. He carried out his duty and gave a wonderful speech completely in contrast to the negotiation position adopted by Rauf Denktas. I am sure he managed to leave the European Parliamentarians horrified. Are we going to enter the EU with such inconsistency?

Yes, the time has come to close the book on the EU. Let us not waste our energy on this cause. If nothing else we shall continue what we have been doing for the past 10 years: continuing to undermine the economy, crawl from one political crisis to another and corrupt democracy. Think of the future generations! Apres nous le deluge!"

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