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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 02-10-24
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
TURKISH PRESS
AND OTHER MEDIA
No.203/02
24.10.02
[A] NEWS ITEMS
[01] The Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly says Cyprus,
Dodacanese, Mosul and Kirkuk are within Turkey/s national borders.
[02] Sukru Sina Gurel continues to threaten the EU.
[03] Chief prosecutor moves to close the Justice and Development Party.
[04] New distribution of seats in the so-called Assembly as independent joins
the Democratic Party.
[05] Ertugruloglu off to Istanbul to participate in the ICO committee meeting.
[06] President Bush calls on Turkish President Sezer. They discussed Cyprus
and regional affairs.
[07] Nationalist Justice Party congratulated the pseudostate for the expelling
of the Spanish journalists.
[08] Mehmet Ali Talat: Civilian organizations and people related to the EU
come under attack.
[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS
[09] Cyprus package being prepared.
[01] The Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly says Cyprus,
Dodacanese, Mosul and Kirkuk are within Turkey/s national borders
Ankara Anatolia (23.10.02) reported from Konya that the Turkish Parliament
Speaker Omer Izgi said on Wednesday that the United States and Europe had
been trying to draw a new geography in the Middle East by acting together.
Responding to questions of journalists during his visit to the central
province of Konya, Izgi underlined the importance of the general elections
in a period in which significant developments have been occurring both in
Turkey and abroad.
``The United States and Europe had been trying to draw a new geography in
the Middle East by acting together. Why do they want to establish a state in
this region instead of another place? They even announced the capital city
of this state they wanted to establish near oil reserves. Turkey needs a
sensitive and determined government during such a period,`` he said.
The Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly went on: ``Why do they
want to establish a state in Northern Iraq where 1.5-2 million Kurdish
people are living? This is an eastern policy which has been planned against
Turkey for a long time. We are opposed to a puppet state in the region. In
fact, these regions are our inheritance from the Ottoman Empire. People
living in this region are basic element of the Ottoman. If someone
intervenes in this geography, Turkey will take the region that it already
had until 1926 and on which a solution could not be reached in Lausanne
under its protection. It is a state policy, and this policy caused the
United States to take a back step on the issue of a possible operation
against Iraq.``
Responding to a question, Izgi said the National Borders were drawn by
Mustafa Kemal in 1907. ``These borders include the Dodecanese Islands, the
whole of Cyprus, Mosul, Kirkuk, and Suleymaniyah. We can say that Mosul and
Kirkuk belong to us, but we do not say it. We only say that `a Turkoman
state will also be established if a Kurdish state is founded in Northern
Iraq`. But our priority is to maintain the territorial integrity of Iraq.``
[02] Sukru Sina Gurel continues to threaten the EU
Istanbul NTV television (23.10.02) carried a 20-minute recorded interview
with Sukru Sina Gurel, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, by Murat
Akgun conducted in Ankara.
Referring to the National Security Council meeting held on 22 October, Akgun
asked whether the Turkish state has a plan-B in the event a date for the
commencement of the membership negotiations are not set at the Copenhagen
summit and whether this plan includes an immediate integration with occupied
Cyprus. In reply, Gurel said: "We make a differentiation between the
Cyprus issue and our EU membership process. These two issues do have a
connecting point, which is the following: As stipulated by international
agreements, Cyprus cannot accede to the EU before Turkey becomes an EU
member. If, however, the EU disregards international agreements and takes
steps concerning Cyprus, then it will have to suffer the consequences.
Naturally, they will not have taken a positive step, because they will thus
create a new point of conflict in the eastern Mediterranean, finalize the
separation in Cyprus, and disrupt the Turkish-Greek balance. The best
part, of course, is that they will, in a way, cause the Turkish Republic and
the `TRNC/ to be freer than ever to advance together, hand-in-hand, towards
the future."
[03] Chief prosecutor moves to close the Justice and Development Party
NTV television (23.10.02) broadcast that Turkey's chief prosecutor has
launched a case to close Justice and Development Party (JDP), which has been
leading most opinion polls in the lead up to the November 3 general
election.
Chief prosecutor Sabih Kanadoglu applied to the Constitutional Court for a
ruling to close the JDP on Wednesday. Kanadoglu asked the court to close the
party and to prevent JDP's chairman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, from acting in
that position. Last week, Erdogan had to stand down as a member of the
party's founding council as a court has ruled that he is not eligible to
stand as a candidate in the November 3 poll. According to Kanadoglu, his
continuing to act as the leader of the JDP is in breach of article 104 of
the Political Parties Laws.
Erdogan's resignation from the founding council of the party was an attempt
to deceive justice as the leader of a party was its natural founder and
should retain the chairmanship of the party, Kanadoglu said.
Erdogan, who was previously found guilty of inciting hatred and enmity
between different religious and ethnic groups under article 312 of the
Turkish Penal Code, is still under a court imposed ban preventing him from
involvement in political activity.
[04] New distribution of seats in the so-called Assembly as independent joins
the Democratic Party
Illegal Bayrak Radio (23.10.02) broadcast that independent so-called Deputy
Kemal Havali joined the Democratic Party [DP] today. Havali announced that
he joined the DP in a ceremony held at the party headquarters today in the
presence of DP Chairman Salih Cosar.
The distribution of seats in the so-called Republican Assembly following
Havali's move is as follows: National Unity Party, 20 seats; DP, 13;
Communal Liberation Party, six; Republican Turkish Party, five; Nationalist
Justice Party, one; independents, three; and vacant, two.
[05] Ertugruloglu off to Istanbul to participate in the ICO committee meeting
According to KIBRIS (24.10.02), the so-called Foreign Minister of the
pseudostate Tahsin Ertugruloglu left the occupied area last night for
Istanbul to attend the Islamic Conference Organization, Economic and Trade
Permanent Committee meetings to be opened today. The deliberations of the
Committee will continue and end tomorrow. Ertugruloglu will return to the
occupied area tomorrow evening.
[06] President Bush calls on Turkish President Sezer. They discussed Cyprus
and regional affairs
According to KIBRIS (24.10.02), the US President George W. Bush had a
telephone conversation with the Turkish President Ahmet Sezer. KIBRIS,
quoting White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, reports that President Bush
discussed a range of issues with Sezer among them the Cyprus problem, the
Iraqi issue, the Balkans, Caucasus and Afghanistan.
[07] Nationalist Justice Party congratulated the pseudostate for the expelling
of the Spanish journalists
VOLKAN (24.10.02) reports that the Nationalist Justice Party (NJP)
congratulated the pseudostate for the expelling of the Spanish journalists
on the 15th of October. The journalists were expelled from the pseudostate
with the pretext that they participated in a meeting without permission.
According to the paper, in a press conference given yesterday, the vice
president of NJP, Cetin Atalay, said that until today a large number of
journalists visited the pseudostate using the Ledra Palace checkpoint and he
stressed that these people visited certain persons and centres and then
declared to the world public opinion that the Turkish Cypriots think in a
certain manner. He stressed that no organisation is authorised to speak
about the national line.
Mr Atalay also condemned the Chamber of Commerce for criticising the
so-called Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its action and added that the
Chamber of Commerce sacrificed the pseudostate for the EU.
[08] Mehmet Ali Talat: Civilian organizations and people related to the EU
come under attack
KIBRISLI (24.10.02) reports that the chairman of the Republican Turkish
Party (RTP), Mehmet Ali Talat, made accusations that civiliian organizations
and Turkish Cypriots related to the EU are faced with attacks.
In a written statement released yesterday, Mr Talat said that the
psychological warfare against civilian organizations and their leaders take
place due to the fact that they are maintaining relations with European
Institutions and support EU membership. He added that these attacks are
observed with great anxiety. Mr Talat said that these attacks are
ineffective and stressed that "they will be thrown into the litter-bin of
history".
Mr Talat concluded that these attacks take place because with the European
Union civilian groups and individuals will not be under control by the
so-called government but, on the contrary, they will be able to express
themselves and tell their opinion freely.
[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS
[09] Cyprus package being prepared
Under the above title in his regular column OPINION of Turkish Daily News
(24.10.02) Mahmet Ali Birand writes the following:
"The first gift package that will be put before us in the aftermath of the
election will involve the Cyprus issue. The UN Secretary-General will
suggest a solution and all hell will break loose.
If you have a problem and if the two sides that are parties to this problem
cannot reach a solution, in the end somebody else comes up and produces a
solution.
This is exactly the situation in Cyprus.
Unfortunately, the package to be put before you will satisfy neither you nor
the other party. However, you would have no choice. You would have to accept
it.
The leaders of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities in Cyprus
have been having talks for months. Despite all the efforts they have not
been able to find a solution. In the end, the worst fears of both sides are
going to materialize.
The United Nations Secretary-General is preparing a package, taking as his
starting point those proposals put forth in the past and accepted by the two
sides.
At this stage the content of the package is not exactly clear. One thing is
certain, though. It will contain items that will make the Turkish side angry
as well as items that will please them.
The Greek Cypriots will be angered by those items that please the Turkish
side and the Turks will applaud those items that draw adverse reactions from
the Greek Cypriots.
At this stage the most important question mark involves the support the U.N.
Secretary-General will be getting from the Washington-London-European Union
trio.
If this trio strongly supports Kofi Annan's package, this will be an
entirely different story. Then the Turkish Cypriots' and the Greek Cypriots'
resistance will diminish.
If the opposite happens, just as his predecessors, Annan will go down in
history as a person "who has left behind himself yet another Cyprus
package."
There is yet another possibility. If he fails to get adequate support from
the United States and Britain, Annan may decide against presenting such a
package.
During the next two weeks it will be determined which of these possibilities
will be fulfilled.
Before the final stage is reached, I have a few words to tell all the
parties concerned in the Cyprus issue:
The Turkish side must calculate well. If Southern Cyprus gets admitted into
the EU as a full member before the Cyprus problem is solved, the `TRNC/ and
Turkey will be confronted with political problems much more seriously than
in the past. Both the EU and the U.N. will put pressure.
In the Aegean and on the island, tension will mount once again. There will
be a return to the "process of having fights" of the 1970s and 1980s.
Economy will suffer. An unwarranted friction will begin.
Furthermore, in the long-run, the possibility of losing the `TRNC/ will
further grow.
The Greek Cypriots and Greece too should do their calculations well. There
is no sense in failing to give the Turks a sovereign status even for 24
hours just for the sake of not having a new Cyprus founded, that is, just
for the sake of ensuring continuation of the old Cyprus.
A Southern Cyprus that joins the EU together with the northern part of the
island would be more at ease, managing in the long-run to overcome all of
the existing problems.
A Turkey that has been distanced from the EU, pushed into a corner and
rendered "harsh" inevitably would not give the region an easy time.
Greek Prime Minister Simitis and Clerides, who is at the end of his
political career,
must clear the path for a solution, thinking about the long-term interests
of their country, that is, thinking about the tranquillity and enrichment of
their country.
Meanwhile, if the EU and the United States want stability in the region they
can make it easier for both sides to reach a solution. Stability to be
achieved in the Cyprus-Turkey-Greece triangle is essential from the
standpoint of both the EU and U.S. interests.
Conclusion
Turkey, Greece and Cyprus have had a needless fight over the past five
decades at a cost of billions of dollars. When we look back now, can you
tell me if any of them has won anything?
No one has won anything while the people in all these countries have
suffered.
Now there are two alternatives.
Either billions of dollars will be spent as in the past, living in a climate
of war or a new page will be turned and a new beginning will be made,
closing the door on the events of the past. The money that would otherwise
have gone into bullets and weapons, will be distributed to the people.
Which one would you choose?"
/SK
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