Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 02-08-29

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ugur Ziyal in Washington. The Turkish side wants the United States to display greater understanding towards the stand of the Turkish Cypriot side and of Turkey.

[02] Kivrikoglu: Chaos if Parliament postpones polls.

[03] Outgoing Turkish Chief of Staff General Kivrikoglu: Cyprus is very important for Turkey.

[04] The appeal by Sener Levent and Memduh Ener was postponed to the 2nd of September.

[05] Angolemli criticizes Denktas.

[06] Cyprus Summit in Ankara.

[07] Ozgur, Izcan and five PUM members dismissed from the movement.

[08] Turkey/s January-June foreign trade deficit $5.59 bln.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Columnist in HURRIYET writes that Lord David Hannay/s statements of 12 June are very close to the requests of the Turkish Cypriots.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ugur Ziyal in Washington. The Turkish side wants the United States to display greater understanding towards the stand of the Turkish Cypriot side and of Turkey

US Under Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz was present throughout Ziyal's meeting with Grossman, the number three man in the US State Department, while Secretary of State Colin Powell attended part of the meeting.

According to information received from the Turkish and US sides, the question of Iraq, Cyprus, Turkish-EU relations, and the European Security and Defense Policy [ESDP] occupied the top of the agenda at the meeting. Turkish-US relations, including economic issues, were also discussed in all their aspects.

At some point, Powell participated in the meeting between the Turkish delegation and Wolfowitz and Grossman, and then he left after delivering a statement.

Ziyal will visit the Pentagon today and meet again with Wolfowitz. General Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, will also participate in this meeting.

Following the meeting held at the State Department, a high-level US State Department official stated that the United States thanked Turkey for its role in the struggle against terrorism.

The official said: "Turkey plays a very beneficial role in the global war against terrorism. Turkey's command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan is included in this effort. The sides discussed issues such as counterterrorism, Turkey's EU process, Cyprus, Iraq, and other topics."

The official added: "The United States fully supports Turkey's EU process and the development of Turkey's relations with other European countries. The reforms approved by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on 2 and 3 August constitute significant and advanced steps toward Turkey's accession to the EU."

Turkish sources described the talks at the US State Department as "very positive."

A Turkish source said: "We conveyed our attitude to date with regard to Iraq."

After the luncheon with Grossman, Ziyal and the Turkish delegation met with Alan Larson, under secretary of state in charge of economic relations; Elizabeth Jones, under secretary of state in charge of European affairs; and Robert Vratky, under secretary in charge of ESDP.

The meeting with Larson focused on qualified industrial zones and other economic relations.

Reporting on the same issue Istanbul NTV television (28.08.02) broadcast that Foreign Ministry Under Secretary Ugur Ziyal, whose welcome by the administration of President Bush extended beyond his official status, will visit the Pentagon today. At the Pentagon, Ziyal will meet for the second time with Under Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, who is known for his hawkish stand with regard to Iraq. General Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, is also expected to attend this meeting. Secretary of State Colin Powell had personally attended part of yesterday's meeting between Ziyal and Wolfowitz and Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman.

According to our information, during the meetings, the Turkish side is reiterating its negative stand regarding the plans to intervene in Iraq, underlining nonetheless Turkey's red lines if an intervention takes place despite this. These red lines include the fact that Turkey will definitely not allow the establishment of a Kurdish state in north Iraq, that Kirkuk should not be under Kurdish control, and that the rights of the Turkomans should be protected. Moreover, on the eve of the approaching critical days concerning Cyprus, the Turkish side wants the United States to display greater understanding toward the stand of the Turkish Cypriot side and of Turkey.

A US State Department official, in turn, listed the most important issues discussed yesterday as Iraq, counterterrorism, Cyprus, and Turkish-EU relations. In his statement to NTV, the official also stressed that the reforms adopted by the Assembly this month constitute very important steps toward Turkey's EU accession.

[02] Kivrikoglu: Chaos if Parliament postpones polls

"Parliament made a decision to hold polls on November 3. Implementing this decision is the right thing to do. No one wants the emergence of chaos," Kivrikoglu said during his farewell visit to Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi.

He told reporters that he would not run in the elections and stated that "people by listening to their common sense, would elect the government that they deserve." Kivrikoglu also said he was grateful to Parliament's support.

"The reforms that we have prompted were supported by the laws passed by Parliament," he added.

Efforts to postpone the elections carried out by the members of the junior coalition partner Motherland Party (MP) and New Turkey Party (NTP) which was founded by those who resigned from the Democratic Left Party, failed after two leaders of the center-right wing were involved in another dispute.

Motherland Party leader Mesut Yilmaz and True Path Party (TPP) leader Tansu Ciller mutually accused each other about who was the first person that offered the postponement. This caused the New Turkey to take a step back. But it is rumoured that after September 11, when political parties are supposed to present their list of deputy candidates to the Supreme Election Board (SEB), those who were not included in the list may start a new initiative to postpone the elections. Generally, 60 percent of deputies in Parliament changed in every election. And almost during all election periods, those who are not included on the list of deputy candidates and those who are known as dissidents joined forces with the parties fearing that they might not be able to pass the 10 percent national threshold, to start an attempt to postpone polls.

Before the 1999 elections, the dissident movement made up Virtue Party (FP) which was later banned by the Constitutional Court and the Republican People's Party (RPP) which was aware of the fact that they would not be able to pass the threshold, tried to postpone the elections. However, Kivrikoglu was again the person who prevented this attempt after he made announcements against postponing polls.

Meanwhile, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer announced that he was against the idea of postponing elections.

It is stated that New Turkey Party (NTP) and Saadet [happiness or contentment] Party (SP) might join forces with MP to postpone the elections. These three parties are facing the risk of not being able to pass the 10 percent threshold needed for a political party to enter Parliament. It is rumoured that these three parties are viewing the postponement as a way-out from the failure.

The DLP (Democratic Left Party) which was the only party that openly opposed holding the elections on November 3, said that it was not possible to postpone polls any more. It is stated that DLP would not support the attempt to postpone the elections as this plan includes a new government scenario.

According to a new government formula, the TPP, MP and the NTP would form a new government and the SP would support this government. But MP and TPP could not reach an agreement during bargainings to postpone elections. It is rumoured that NTP/s shadow leader Husamettin Ozkan played the role of go-between during the bargainings. But Ciller's previous statement: "I was offered to become the prime minister for my support to postpone the elections but I refused," caused the emergence of a fresh dispute.

Meanwhile, Ciller reiterated that Turkey should go to polls with a new government and she wanted to be the prime minister during the elections.

TPP deputy group chairman Turhan Guven, during a press conference held in Parliament, said that, "TPP would neither be the actor nor the author of postponing elections."

Guven stated that Turkey needed a new government for healthy elections but added that they had no intention to topple the current government which is a coalition between the DLP the Nationalist Action Party (NAP) and MP.

[03] Outgoing Turkish Chief of Staff General Kivrikoglu: Cyprus is very important for Turkey

Speaking at a hand over ceremony in Ankara at the Headquarters of the Turkish General Staff held yesterday, general Kivrikoglu, inter alia, referred to the Cyprus problem and said: "South Cyprus Greek Cypriot Administration's application for EU full membership, contrary to the agreements, has added a new dimension to the Cyprus problem.''

General Kivrikoglu went on and added: ''It is not possible to solve the Cyprus problem by undertakings that do not take into consideration the fait accompli created on the island and by supporting the Greek Cypriot side's aims of dominating the whole of the island. Otherwise, it will be inevitable to enter into a period of continuous crisis in the East Mediterranean, with the interested parties including the EU''.

[04] The appeal by Sener Levent and Memduh Ener was postponed to the 2nd of September

After hearing the so-called public prosecutor and the lawyer of the two journalists, the so-called court decided to postpone the case until Monday the 2nd of September.

[05] Angolemli criticizes Denktas

Angolemli further claimed that the key not to allow the Greek Cypriots to enter into the EU alone is in Denktas' hand. He said that the way to realize this is to work for a solution and demand that the Turkish Cypriots become EU members.

[06] Cyprus Summit in Ankara

There was no statement after the meeting, which lasted 45 minutes. Besides Ecevit and Denktas, from the Turkish Cypriot side Eroglu and from the Turkish side, Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel, State minister responsible for Cyprus Affairs Tayyibe Gulek and Turkish foreign ministry diplomats attended the meeting.

KIBRIS, quoting political circles in Ankara, reports that at the meeting the focal point was the 6th September meeting in Paris. The same circles said that at this stage the Turkish side will not be warm to new initiatives or possible plans on the Cyprus problem. Also they will not remain silent in the face of a new fait accompli.

During the meeting the developments regarding Cyprus' EU membership were evaluated and the next step that will be followed were discussed.

On his return to the occupied area Denktas told journalists that he had very useful contacts and discussions in Ankara.

[07] Ozgur, Izcan and five PUM members dismissed from the movement

[08] Turkey/s January-June foreign trade deficit $5.59 bln

[B] COMMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Columnist in HURRIYET writes that Lord David Hannnay/s statements of 12 June are very close to the requests of the Turkish Cypriots

The full text of the commentary is as follows:

"It appears that we have come to a point where a solution on Cyprus is unavoidable, because the promise Turkey gave to the EU or the EU saying, "solve this problem" before we accept Southern Cyprus as a "member" is insufficient. The Turkish and Greek Cypriot public on Cyprus are rather fed up with the continuation of the conflict.

In fact, it cannot be said that progress has not been made in the Denktas-Clerides talks that have been continuing since the New Year. They started their sixth round of talks yesterday. However, the insistence on "equal rights of sovereignty" of the Turkish Cypriots, who cannot forget what it means to live under the sovereignty of the Greek Cypriots, forms one of the important impasses.

In contrast to this, it is known that there are proposals on the negotiation table, which are very close to the requests of the Turkish Cypriot side.

For example, there is what Lord David Hanney, the British diplomat responsible for Cyprus, set forth in the interview he gave to Mehmet Ali Birand on 12 June 2002. In summary, Lord Hanney is saying the following:

"Let us forget the State of Cyprus formed with the London and Zurich agreements. Instead, let us establish two separate states, which transfer certain authorities to a partnership state established by themselves with their own free will. Let these states be a constituent or a component state. They will be masters in their own house. Moreover, let the name and flag of the new state be completely different. Let the Turkish and Greek Cypriots be represented in Brussels."

Furthermore, it is claimed that they have also reached a consensus of opinion on the subject of deploying Turkish forces in the North and Greek forces in the South, the size of which will be agreed upon, and that there should not be armed forces other than the security forces in the North and in the South. In other words, it appears that the problem of security has also been solved.

On the other hand, it is stated that these views have also been accepted by the circles close to the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In short, there is the impression that the international environment is more suitable now than it was in the past.

Actually, the concept of "sovereignty" on which Rauf Denktas has dwelled upon with insistence for a long time is not mentioned. Also, there is still no clarification on the subject of the territorial demands and the demands related to real estate properties. However, there is an image having the meaning that a situation, which would satisfy Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots to a great extent, has been created.

Bulent Ecevit had changed the destiny of the Turkish Cypriots in 1974. I wonder if Ecevit could not evaluate this second opportunity to change the destiny of Cyprus and Turkey, in connection with our relations with the EU?"

/SK

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