Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 02-07-04

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Cypriot leader alleges that foreign diplomats conveyed to him a text accepting his illegal puppet regime.

[02] Turkey/s coalition leaders agreed that Cyprus will be the main obstacle in Turkey/s EU course.

[03] Deputy Prime Minister from Ecevit/s party discussed developments in Turkey over lunch with Kivrikoglu.

[04] A Turkish company wants to clean the CMC area and to invest there. The Turkish Cypriot leader wants a promise on the issue from the American Ambassador.

[05] The so-called Turkish ambassador to Nicosia reminds that the Turkish army protects the "borders" of the pseudosate.

[06] Denktas meets the commander of Turkey/s Airforce Academy.

[07] New excavations resumed in the occupied Salamis ruins.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] Fikret Bila assesses the results of the coalition leaders/ summit.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Cypriot leader alleges that foreign diplomats conveyed to him a text accepting his illegal puppet regime

Mr Denktas reiterated that he will not negotiate over the pseudostate and alleged that a text that was conveyed to him by foreign diplomats accepted the existence of the pseudostate and the equal sovereignty of the Turkish Cypriot "people".

A delegation of the Struggle Platform for the National Goal visited Denktas and the Illegal Turkish Ambassador to occupied Nicosia Hayati Guven today within the framework of the gratitude to Turkey activities. The delegation headed by Faik Koyuncuoglu handed over to Denktas a letter incorporating their views on the Cyprus problem and economic issues.

Denktas furthermore alleged that in order to eliminate the principle of bizonality, which was included in the Set of Ideas and the 1977 summit agreements, the Greek Cypriots embraced the EU formula. According to EU norms, Denktas explained, bizonality is accepted, but this is possible from an administrative viewpoint, not politically. He said: "The separation of the people and the restriction of the three freedoms are unacceptable. Therefore, in Clerides' term, all the refugees will have the right to return to their previous places and Hellenism will be victorious."

Calling on the people not to be deceived by the Greek Cypriots' solution proposals, Denktas explained that everyone knows what the Turkish Cypriots' predicament will be if they become a minority. Commenting on the Greek Cypriots' interpretation of the principle of bizonality, Denktas said that separate geographical regions are accepted, but the Greek Cypriots want their refugees to return to their homes and properties, and they see this as a nonnegotiable legal right. Denktas stated that to reach an agreement, the Greek Cypriots want one-third of the territories held by the occupation troops and propose to give apartments to the 50-60,000 Turkish Cypriots living in these areas.

Denktas said: "They want to conduct the negotiations over these principles. These are being discussed, and we are saying `no/ to them. We are in favour of partnership, sovereignty and equality. We are people who established a state because we were left without one. We cannot act as though we never established this state."

Denktas remarked that he cannot accept the right of return included in the Set of Ideas, because it is not possible for the Turkish Cypriots to exercise this right in the south. According to the jurists as well, Denktas went on, this is not tantamount to denying the right to property, it is merely the rearranging of the right to property for political reasons. Denktas added that the United Nations had also accepted this formula in the past.

Responding to the Greek Cypriot view that the EU has not accepted this formula, Denktas said: "The EU would accept this, as long as the Greek Cypriots reach an agreement with us."

[02] Turkey/s coalition leaders agreed that Cyprus will be the main obstacle in Turkey/s EU course

The coalition leaders also took the decision to have Cabinet meetings and other Government work go ahead as normal without any hold ups even if Prime Minister Ecevit might be absent due to sickness. A statement issued after the summit pointed out that the future of the country was more important for the Government than any party political schemes and added: "EU membership is our national goal. However, the parties that make up the coalition are definitely not going to let the work to be done on the EU adversely affect the future of the 57th Government."

The outcome of the summit, which took place on Monday afternoon at the Prime Ministry Residence and lasted two and three quarter hours seems to be the following:

Work Without Ecevit

The Government will work even without Ecevit. The Cabinet will convene every Wednesday. The Supreme Planning Board [SPB], which has not convened for two months now due to the Prime Minister's illness, plus the Monetary Loans Board and the Supreme Board for Privatization are going to hold meetings. This decision was published in HURRIYET two days before the summit.

Main Problem for EU is Cyprus

At the summit, at which Prime Minister Ecevit gave a 10-minute opening speech concerning the EU before leaving the floor to his coalition partners, all three leaders agreed that the main problem within the EU process was going to be Cyprus. Motherland Party [MP] leader Mesut Yilmaz stressed that the Cyprus issue had to be resolved by September and maintained that the Turkish Cypriot side needed to get a move on here. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ecevit maintained that the Turkish Cypriot Rauf Denktas had given all the concessions he could over Cyprus and that one should not expect any more climb-downs.

Capital Punishment to be Resolved

A solution to the capital punishment issue, which has led to arguments between the Nationalist Action Party [NAP] and the other coalition partners regarding the EU, will be found by working with the opposition. While stating he had no objections in the capital punishment issue, Bahceli failed to approve of work to be done concerning cultural rights and noted that the Government was not going to do any preparations to that end. Bahceli also said that EU officials had spoken with him and that resolving the capital punishment and mother tongue issues had not been presented as an indispensable prerequisite for getting a start date for accession talks.

Overtime for EU

Yilmaz for his part gave a brief summary of the EU process and pointed out how difficult it would be to secure a start date for accession talks without fulfilling all the Copenhagen Criteria. Yilmaz recalled that under the Copenhagen Criteria the abolition of the death penalty plus broadcasting-education rights in the mother tongue were indispensable prerequisites for the start of accession talks. Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan stressed that a solution to the capital punishment issue could be found via the opposition and suggested working long overtime hours to get the other issues resolved. The other leaders accepted this proposal of Ozkan's.

[03] Deputy Prime Minister from Ecevit/s party discussed developments in Turkey over lunch with Kivrikoglu

"While the disputes started with the Prime Minister's illness have been continuing, the luncheon bringing together the Chief of General Staff, General Huseyin Kivrikoglu and Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan, created curiosity in the political backstages. The close relations of the Deputy Prime Minister Ozkan with the Turkish General Staff were known in any case. However, the meeting, which occurred about ten days ago and coincided with the political uncertainties, drew attention because of its timing. To the question of the MILLIYET newspaper relating to the luncheon meeting, Ozkan gave the following answer: "It is true that we came together with the Chief of General Staff at a luncheon. However, there is nothing special or unusual about it. From time to time, we get together with the commanders. We talk about everything".

Ozkan constitutes the "contact" point for the military, especially following the bureaucratic procedures connected to the government, ever since the establishment of the tripartite coalition government. People are curious whether or not the recent luncheon meeting passed within the same framework.

According to the information reflected behind the scenes, the political uncertainty, the disputes about the EU and these being transformed in conflicts within the coalition, make the military uneasy, as well as everyone else. However, the General Staff does not consider it correct to be involved in the disputes developing in a democratic platform.

A politician close to the General Staff says: "Just as everyone else who follows the government closely, the military is also aware of the cohesive function of Husamettin Ozkan. They know that he has a great role in overcoming this turbulent political process with less damage. The same source draws attention to the fact that the military, which participated in the EU debates in the NSC [National Security Council] platform, is disturbed about the disputes within the government on critical subjects, such as abolishment of the death penalty and Cyprus.

According to another information reflected behind the scenes, the military wants the Prime Minister Ecevit to attend the Supreme Military Council meeting to convene in August. They want Ecevit to take his place at this meeting that will coincide with the changes in the command ranks.

[04] A Turkish company wants to clean the CMC area and to invest there. The Turkish Cypriot leader wants a promise on the issue from the American Ambassador

Afterwards, added Mr Denktas, this company will build a shipyard in Karavostassi, in which about two thousand people could find job. The interested company is the Turkish "Doba Trading", which applied for cleaning both Karavostassi and the Famagusta harbour, with the aim of investing in those regions.

The paper writes that the so-called "ministerial council" approved yesterday the application for the "privatization" of the Karavostassi and Famagusta harbours.

Furthermore, Mr Denktas told KIBRIS that he has discussed the issue of CMC with the American ambassador to Nicosia, who told him that he had sent a letter to the USA regarding the issue and got an answer, adding that he had also sent a letter to some lawyers, from whom he was expecting a response.

Addressing members of the Association for the Environment and Advertising Lefka, Mr Denktas noted:

"We have to secure a promise regarding the CMC from the American ambassador, who is leaving the island these days. We have to know the report, which the person who will come is going to see. We are working on it. We have said nothing on the issue until today. We saw and supported your efforts. You are doing a good work, but we trying to clean and solve this problem by compensations through the American channel. This activity is being continued from our side.We are going to help the Association any way we can. We are going to do everything needed in the diplomatic field".

[05] The so-called Turkish ambassador to Nicosia reminds that the Turkish army protects the "borders" of the pseudostate

Speaking during a meeting with a delegation of some Turkish Cypriot organizations, which visited him within the framework of the activities organized in the occupied areas to express gratitude to Turkey for the 1974 invasion, Mr Guven said that the bonds between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots started in 1571 and since then have been preserved "fresh".

Furthermore, he claimed that Turkey does today everything it can for the security, happiness and prosperity of the Turkish Cypriots, its army protects their "borders" and efforts are exerted for overcoming the difficulties in the field of economy.

Among the organizations, which visited Mr Guven were the Platform for Struggle for the "National Cause", the Association of the Turkish Cypriot "Fighters" etc.

[06] Denktas meets the commander of Turkey's Airforce Academy

Talking to the Press Mr Denktas said that Cyprus is a vital issue for Turkey and reminded that Anatolia is only 40 miles away from Cyprus' coasts and repeated that the continuation of the rights given to Turkey by the 1960 agreements is essential.

[07] New excavations resumed in the occupied Salamis ruins

The excavations are being carried out in cooperation with the Ankara University and the so-called East Mediterranean University in the occupied area. The excavation work was resumed on 17 June and will last until the 4th of August.

Sixteen persons are taking part in the excavation works.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] Fikret Bila assesses the results of the coalition leaders/ summit

"We can say that important results came out of the leaders' summit, realized at the Prime Ministry residence, after a long interval.

It appears that the summit clarified many subjects, which have been defined as "uncertainties" by the public.

The first result coming out of the summit was that the existing government will continue and that the three coalition partners have renewed their determination on this subject. It appears that the three leaders have decided to put into the background the subjects that had been causing disputes and tension among the coalition partners and to give priority for continuing with the subjects already agreed upon.

With this approach, Ecevit, Bahceli and Yilmaz have decided at yesterday's summit to set aside for the present the subjects on which a complete agreement among the coalition partners could not yet be reached, such as "abolishment of the death penalty, providing for broadcasts and education in Kurdish, and Cyprus". Another decision reached was to conclude other subjects included among the medium-term commitments, instead of these three subjects, with the summer activities. At the summit, it was stressed that the EU should give more time to Turkey for the disputed subjects. The continuation of the government was taken as the basis and a consensus of opinion was reached for not upsetting the coalition because of the differences of opinion on subjects related to the EU.

The fact that the meetings of the Council of Ministers, Supreme Planning Board and similar meetings could not be convened regularly due to the illness of Prime Minister Ecevit were in the lead of the criticisms directed at the government recently. Yesterday, the leader's summit also brought a solution to this subject. Prime Minister Ecevit proposed that all such meetings should be held at regular times and if he could not attend any of the meetings due to his illness, then the meetings should convene at regular times under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli. This proposal of Ecevit was also adopted by his deputies. Upon Ecevit's proposal, it was decided that the Council of Ministers, Supreme Planning Board and other meetings will be convened whether or not Ecevit attends. It can be said that this decision was taken with the objective of instilling confidence in the markets and of putting an end to the speculations based on Prime Minister Ecevit's health. In other words, in cases where the physicians do not permit Ecevit to attend such meetings, then the meetings will still be held in order not to cause any disruption in the affairs of the government and state, but under the chairmanship of Devlet Bahceli. The criticisms and the atmosphere of uncertainty will be eliminated by this method of operation. In case Ecevit himself would not be able to attend such meetings because his physicians would not permit him to, then the "Bahceli formula" will be applied. It can be said that all three leaders are of the opinion that the carrying out of the affairs of the government and state by Bahceli, when necessary, is in conformity with the coalition protocol.

Another decision taken at the leaders' summit was to convene a summit meeting on the economy. The Prime Minister and his deputies will attend this meeting as well as State Minister Kemal Dervis, Undersecretary of the Treasury Faik Oztrak, the Chairman of the Central Bank Sureyya Serdengecti, and BRAB [Banking Regulation and Auditing Board] Chairman Engin Akcakoca. Another conclusion reached by the leaders was the elimination of the early election expectation by the public. With this objective, the leaders reached a consensus for announcing to the public with strong statements that the elections will be held in due time [April 2004], the coalition will not be disintegrated for any reason including the EU, and the Council of Ministers will convene every Wednesday, whether or not Ecevit will be able to attend. After the leaders' summit realized at the Prime Ministry residence yesterday, we can say that the government will enter into a new operating system that is not dependent on the health of the Prime Minister."

KV/SK

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article