Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 02-07-25

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Mr Rauf Denktas calls on the Turkish Cypriots to support his intransigent positions.

[02] Sukru Sina Gurel: No progress was made on any issue in Cyprus.

[03] The antiquities of Salamis to be exhibited in a museum at illegal EMU.

[04] Mumtaz Soysal has established a new political party.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[05] Columnist in AFRIKA calls on the international community to put an end to the Turkish military power in Cyprus.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Mr Rauf Denktas calls on the Turkish Cypriots to support his intransigent positions

Denktas alleged that the train is a Greek Cypriot train, not a Cypriot train. He reiterated that the Greek Cypriots took this course for political reasons. The Greek Cypriots want to eliminate Turkey's rights in Cyprus in time, he alleged, through the EU membership, and to usurp the rights gained by the Turkish Cypriots. Denktas went on to say that the Greek Cypriots do not accept the Turkish Cypriots' sovereignty or state. According to Denktas, this is what the Greek Cypriots are offering: "There exists a Cyprus Republic. That is the sovereign republic. We can change the constitution of this sovereign republic. We can give you administration rights in your region. However, the official owners of the property in that region have the right to go there. You must accept that. Also, you must return one third of your land to the Greek Cypriot Administration. Turkey may maintain its guarantor rights over Cyprus, but the UN soldiers must have guarantor rights that are equal or even more extensive than Turkey's."

He further stated that reaching an agreement under these conditions would be surrender, not a compromise. He added: "One percent of our population is blindly saying yes to such an accord. However, 99 percent of our people are saying that we should protect our rights. To protect our rights, we must protect our state and our sovereignty."

Finally, he said that he is trying to have the Turkish Cypriots' equal status recognized and that everyone must announce that to the world. He said everyone should support the cause by declaring the truth and the facts. He added: "The cause is not Denktas' cause. It is the cause of us all, of the nation, of Turkey. That is why I say these things at every opportunity."

[02] Sukru Sina Gurel: No progress was made on any issue in Cyprus

Sezgin starts off by asking Gurel if he thinks the elections will be held on 3 November, after all. Gurel replies that this seems to be the case.

To a question on the 13-item package of EU adjustment bills submitted by Mesut Yilmaz, leader of the Motherland Party, (MP), Gurel replies that "the package is not MP's or Mr Yilmaz's. It was prepared by the Justice Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, and the EU Secretariat General." Gurel points out that MP's views on when this package should be enacted differ from those of the Democratic Left Party, (DLP), and the Nationalist Action Party, (NAP). He explains that the DLP believes that these bills should be enacted but not within a time limit. There should be no time pressure, he says. Sezgin asks why the DSP feels that these bills should be debated after the elections. In answer, Gurel notes "practical difficulties." Sezgin insists: "Assuming that after it votes to hold early elections on 3 November, the Assembly manages to work until 3 November, will the DLP support a significant number of these EU bills then?" Gurel replies simply: "We shall see."

On the issue of changing the Election Laws, Gurel says he does not think it is possible to amend them before the elections.

Asked if the government performance is negatively affected by the fact that it is now an election administration, Gurel stresses that this is not the case. Even so, he says, it is impossible to launch new projects or take major steps.

Sezgin asks him if he discussed the issue of the DHKC, Revolutionary People's Liberation Front, and the Greek connection at his meeting with President Sezer on 23 July. Sezgin also asks if the government contacted the Greek Government regarding this matter.

Gurel says that at his meeting with Sezer, he mostly discussed the Cyprus issue. He adds: "However, the Turkish Republic's Government and the Foreign Ministry are dwelling on the issue you mention. As you know, in the past, we have had not only doubts but also evidence to the effect that certain countries known as friends or even allies allowed certain terrorist organizations -- that were trying to divide us and that were active against us -- to be based in their territory. Greece is one such country. This latest report appeared in a Greek daily. We asked Greece to verify this story. We also informed Greece that if this person is in that country, he should be caught and extradited to Turkey immediately. We shall see. Greece will do its part. I hope that we will have the opportunity to discuss these issues both during our bilateral talks with Greece and during my upcoming meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Papandreou."

In reply to a question, Gurel says the date of this meeting has not been set yet. He notes that Papandreou was the first foreign minister to congratulate him on his appointment. He adds that Papandreou expressed the wish to meet with him and that he agreed with pleasure.

Sezgin asks if this issue is not a trump card for Turkey. Gurel replies that it is but that there is no need for such trump cards. "If the EU members are really sincere when they say that they share Turkey's aims and views in connection with terrorism, then they will heed our warnings," he adds.

On the Cyprus issue, Gurel asserts: "Even though the EU-Turkey relations are not linked to the solution of the Cyprus issue, Turkey's EU membership and the whole of Cyprus' membership are closely linked."

Sezgin asks if Denktas is engaging in delaying tactics, as certain circles say. Gurel replies: "Contrary to the impressions being created outside, it is Mr. Denktas who is making the most positive and constructive proposals." He goes on to say: "However, the Greek Cypriot side is not responding in kind to these overtures, to these goodwill steps, and to the creative and positive moves. Why? Because the EU has been encouraging the Greek Cypriots all the time. The EU has been promising to admit them regardless of whether or not they reach an accord at the Cyprus talks."

Asked if Denktas cannot promise to solve this problem, Guler answers: "No, he cannot. How can he? No progress has been made in any of the basic issues yet."

[03] The antiquities of Salamis to be exhibited in a museum at illegal EMU

Talking to the Press, Prof Oztoprak noted also that during the excavations the "Roman Road" was found. This road had been used during the 1st and 2nd century B.C as well as during the Roman and Byzantine period of the history of Cyprus, he added.

The excavations at the ancient city of Salamis had started in 1963 but they were stopped in 1974 because of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The occupation regime decided to start the works again in 1998.

Meanwhile, Prof Dr Coskun Ozgunel, chairman of the Classical Archaeology Department of Languages, History and Geography Faculty of Ankara University, and member of the Administrative Council of UNESCO National Committee of Turkey, said that the aim of the excavations was to get the "cultural heritage of the TRNC", known and contribute to the world's culture.

[04] Mumtaz Soysal has established a new political party

The paper writes that the application for the establishment of the new party was submitted yesterday to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Founding Committee of the party consists of 67 persons and its organs will be elected in meetings, which are planned to take place at the end of this week.

In a written statement issued by the new party, its goals are described to be "unification of the national independence with the modern globalization, unification of the Kemalist Republicanism with the liberal democracy and bringing the initiative of the public sector side by side with the dynamism of the private sector".

In addition to Prof Soysal, founding members of the new party are reported to be Prof Ismail Sina Aksin and Prof Cevat Ismail Geray.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[05] Columnist in AFRIKA calls on the international community to put an end to the Turkish military power in Cyprus

"Columnist Ali Osman said the following in an article published in AFRIKA newspaper on 21 July 2002, that is, on the day following the 28th anniversary of the Turkish military intervention in Cyprus: "Look what [former] Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem has said during the Foreign Ministers' meeting at the European Parliament: 'The Turkish Cypriots are very close to you. They have misunderstandings with us. We are asking you to accept these Turkish Cypriots within you. As a matter of fact, how many Turkish Cypriots have remained in Cyprus? The Cyprus problem would be solved in this way."

Ali Osman thereafter touches on the remarks made by Lord David Hannay, but I will focus on the remarks that Cem made during this meeting. The things that they have done in Cyprus or the things that they have said regarding Cyprus are clearly obvious. However, is not this too much?

As a matter of fact, it was obvious that they were seeking to eliminate the Turkish Cypriots from Cyprus. Yet, one should think twice before reaching a conclusion lest one makes a mistake of judgment. Consequently, I decided to consult Ali Osman about the matter and I called him on the telephone.

Ali Osman said to me that [Cem's remarks] were not leaked to the press but that he learned about the matter from the source. Osman said that he has also written about the issue in the past. This means that the issue has slipped our attention. However, I did not stop at that point.

All these mean that [former] Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem is seeking to expel the Turkish Cypriots from their lands in Cyprus. Consequently, Cem made the aforementioned proposition during the meeting of the European Foreign Ministers' meeting at the European Parliament.

However, did Cem truly make this proposition? I decided to follow up the issue. After exerting efforts lasting for a full day, I learned the following from well-informed sources: "There is no such thing as Denktas-Clerides talks. These are all stories. The bargaining over Cyprus is made by the European Ministers of Foreign Affairs at the European Parliament.

"[Former] Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ismail Cem made the following proposition at the European Parliament recently: 'The Turkish Cypriots are very close to you. They have misunderstandings with us. We are asking you to accept these Turkish Cypriots within you. As a matter of fact, only 60,000 Turkish Cypriots have remained in Cyprus. You would thereafter accept south Cyprus as an EU member, and we continue staying in north Cyprus. The Cyprus problem would be solved in this way.'"

However, the European Ministers of Foreign Affairs rejected the offer made by the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs by saying that RTP [Republican Turkish Party], CLP [Communal Liberation Party], and PUM [Patriotic Unity Movement] are against this offer.

In response, a decision was made for making a new proposition. According to this proposition, north Cyprus would be recognized as a state. Meanwhile, a decision was made on taking the necessary measures in order to reduce the objections of the Turkish Cypriots to the minimum and in order not to receive identical responses from the Turkish Cypriots in this regard.

For this reason, a meeting was held at the `Presidential Palace/ [in north Cyprus] in the presence of a representative from Turkey. The participants in the meeting decided to convey to Europe that most of the Turkish Cypriots want a solution to the Cyprus problem based on two states. Our capital owners in north Cyprus decided to assume the responsibility for conveying this message to Europe.

According to this project, the former leftists from the Chamber of Commerce would carry out this plan. NPM [National People/s Movement], for its part, would raise its voice against this project. What would happen then? Well, seeing that NPM is objecting against this project, the leftists would sign on this project by saying: "Since NPM is objecting to this project, then it means that this project is okay!" Is this possible? Well, we will see.

Well, they call this "playing with the fate of a community." However, the United States, Britain, the UN Security Council, the European Parliament, and the EU must know this: The rights of the Turkish Cypriots are guaranteed in the 1960 agreements, which are considered international agreements and under whose basis the Republic of Cyprus was established. Therefore, as Turkish Cypriots, we will not accept any attempt at revoking these rights.

Turkey is a guarantor. The rights of the guarantor have been determined in the aforementioned Cyprus agreements. According to this agreement, Turkey's present position in Cyprus is illegal. Therefore, Turkey does not have any right or authority to act on behalf of the Turkish Cypriots outside the aspects envisaged by these agreements.

Like other Turkish Cypriots, Denktas is a hostage in north Cyprus. None of the things that hostages say outside the bounds of the agreements have any authority or power. The international community must take note of this serious situation very carefully and must try to eliminate this problem on a priority basis.

The will of the Turkish Cypriots has been usurped. The Turkish Cypriots are under the heavy pressure of Turkey's military power and population transfers and their institutions have been taken under Turkey's control, which is a shame to the man of the 21st century. An end must be put to this situation.

The world must understand that an end cannot be put to terrorism by turning a blind eye to the usurping of the weak people's rights or by describing the struggle that the weak people wage as "terrorism." "

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