Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-02-21

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktas attacks Mr Alvaro de Soto, while the Turkish Cypriot press says that the conflict between Ankara and Denktas ``is blazing up//.

[02] The Turkish Cypriot leader explains his approach to a possible submission of a revised plan on Cyprus.

[03] Plan prepared by Turkey to change the demographic and cultural structure of the occupied areas completely.

[04] Akinci: " By demanding the impossible, Denktas managed to avoid even what was feasible".

[05] Denktas insists that the citizenship he provides is legal, although the European Court of Human Rights has decided that everything is illegal in the occupied areas.

[06] Mehmet Ali Talat: "Denktas never wanted solution for Cyprus".

[07] Abdulatif Sener is the new Turkish State Minister responsible for Cyprus.

[08] Turkish Cypriot has won his case against Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] A Turkish Cypriot journalist accuses the inhabitants of the occupied area of not looking after the Greek Cypriot houses they live in.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktas attacks Mr Alvaro de Soto, while the Turkish Cypriot press says that the conflict between Ankara and Denktas "is blazing up"

Mr Denktas said that in spite of the fact that he asked Mr de Soto to inform him, the UN official did not do so and added:

"Yes, I have asked him and he said: 'Information has surely come to you from Turkey'. I said: 'It has not come yet'. Then he said: 'I do not want to be a go-between./ This is a most unexpected answer, because he should have discussed with us too everything that he discussed with Turkey. He must be able to talk. Pushing us aside, making bargaining with Turkey and exerting pressure on us saying that 'Turkey has accepted these things', is an unacceptable method. The Cyprus issue should be discussed with us and Turkey will be helping. It has always been like this. Now, as far as I understood Mr de Soto cooked something in Ankara and planned a plot in order to submit it to us. Of course we know in summary the answers given to him in Turkey. It means that this game had no effect. However, I have to know in details what he had discussed and suggested".

Meanwhile, under the banner front-page title "Plot" AFRIKA (21.02.03) argues that the conflict between Ankara and Denktas is blazing up and adds that the Turkish Cypriot leader made an "indirect uprising" against Ankara and says to Mr de Soto everything he cannot say to Ankara. The paper claims that "the Turkish government is hiding from Denktas what it had discussed during the 6.5-hours meeting with de Soto". "Avoiding to directly accuse Ankara, Denktas is accusing de Soto of plotting against him saying that he had not informed him", notes AFRIKA.

Furthermore, KIBRISLI (21.02.03) refers to the issue under the banner front-page title "I have gotten suspicious". The paper writes that Mr Denktas said that he had gotten suspicious because of two things: a) Mr de Soto not informing him about the content of his discussions in Ankara and b) Ankara not informing him in time about the issue.

Wondering whether or not there is a wish for Denktas to be left inactive, the paper argues that the fact that no information was given to Denktas regarding the discussions in Ankara, delayed the negotiations. "Political tension has been caused because together with Ankara, de Soto as well had not informed Denktas", adds KIBRISLI.

[02] The Turkish Cypriot leader explains his approach to a possible submission of a revised plan on Cyprus

In his opening speech, HEB Chairman Prof. Dr. Kemal Guruz said that though they have held many other meetings in the occupied areas in the past, the purpose of today's gathering is to express full support for Denktas and to convey the message to the world that attempts to threaten the Turkish existence on the island by imposing conditions on Denktas would elicit an appropriate response.

He added: "Standing humbly in the presence of your Excellency, we declare our full backing for your every initiative on these lands that have been transformed into a homeland by being soaked every inch in the blood of the martyrs over the last 500 years, and express our profound respect, love, appreciation, and thanks to you. I beseech you on behalf of the Turkish higher education society to accept our thanks.

I also convey my thanks, on behalf of my colleagues, to you personally, the honourable speaker, prime minister, and the ministers for honouring our meeting with your presence."

On his part, after noting that the illegal universities have advanced thanks to the assistance of Prof. Dr. Guruz and the Turkish universities, Rauf Denktas expressed the hope that this contribution and help would continue, and added:

"We have realized the value of the universities better since the submission of the Annan plan. The university deans and scholars are examining this plan in depth and are submitting us reports. We have been benefiting from them during our many committee meetings. As such, we regard the universities not as a mere place for educating the young but also as institutions making scientific contributions to every aspect of life. We are pleased with that.

Naturally, when I take the podium or the microphone, I cannot but broach the Cyprus problem. I therefore want to talk about the Cyprus problem. In the coming few days, we will pass yet another major test. We have learned that esteemed UN Secretary-General -- who is a great friend of ours and in whom we have confidence -- is going to bring the third version of the second plan, of course if he does not change his mind and indeed visits Cyprus. This shows the following: When the first plan was placed before us, there were those who having hardly read the first few pages of it wanted us to sign it immediately. Yet, a second plan emerged after we actually read the plan and demanded changes. Again, those who read only the first page of the second plan and immediately declared that every demand of the Turkish side has been met so I should endorse it or resign not to obstruct the people's path and Turkey's EU membership, later on brought to me their oral and written amendments to the plan. Yet, they did not mention these objections to the people and the young whom they had gathered in the streets under the slogans of peace, EU, welfare, comfort, and globalization. Whereas, during the contacts with me they particularly noted the need to amend the plan. Its third version is now on the way simply because we stood firm and insisted that we cannot sign even the second plan. This means that certain changes may occur when we choose to defend our rights.

But it is not yet clear if these new changes in the plan would be in our favor or not. Yet, without having seen these changes, the same old choir is again singing the refrain that the third plan includes everything, that it is excellent and it must be signed immediately. Whereas, we are approaching it with a coolheaded manner. Before deciding on it, we should first see the plan, discuss and examine the Cyprus problem once more in depth with the UN Secretary-General, exchange views between ourselves, and debate the issue at our Republican Assembly. For, our fate is in question, a fate that has remained in suspension for the last 40 years."

[03] Plan prepared by Turkey to change the demographic and cultural structure of the occupied areas completely

HURRIYET/s occupied area correspondent Huseyin Alkan reports that once the package, which was sent to Turkey for review, takes its final form then it will be announced to the Turkish Cypriots during Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul's arrival to the occupied area.

Huseyin Alkan reports that the package will alter the socio -economic structure of the occupied area from its foundations. According to Alkan the package includes the following measures:

· Marriages between the Turkish Cypriots and Turkish youth from Turkey shall be encouraged.

· Courses to study Islamic religion shall be opened for the Turkish Cypriot youth (Tr.note Koran courses).Mosques shall be built in villages. To this end 150 thousand dollars shall be allocated for each mosque that shall be built. Construction of the mosques shall take one year.

· With a view to removing the sports embargo imposed on the "TRNC" sports competitions will be held with Turkish national teams. The Turkish Football Federation will allocate the minimum of 500 billion TL to the teams in the "TRNC".

· The scientists will study the socio-economic and psychological reasons that created the division between Turkish Cypriots and the mainland Turks. They will then develop and propose solutions.

· The military service will be reduced from two years to one month.

· The whole of the "TRNC" will be declared free port area. Only on few imported items Customs and excise duty will be charged, the rest will be allowed to be imported freely.

· Credit to the amount of not more than 10 billion TL will be given to small business people and craftsmen.

· Interest free loans up to 10 billion TL will be provided to young people who want to start a business.

· If they apply Turkish Citizenship will be granted to all "TRNC" citizens.

· Turkish Cypriots will be permitted to take examinations that will allow them to be civil servants in Turkey.

· Financial support will be provided to tourist installations that are under construction. And the debts of the tourist operators will be restructured. Land will be provided for new investments in tourism.

· Price of the air ticket fees between Turkey and the "TRNC" will be reduced.

· A promotion campaign will start to encourage people in Turkey to visit Cyprus with the slogan: "Everybody to Cyprus".

Moreover, local Turkish Cypriot newspaper YENIDUZEN (21/02/03) strongly criticizes the said package and brands it: "Here it is the integration mentality" and reports that this package created uproar within the Turkish Cypriot community. It says that the package will destroy the cultural values of the Turkish Cypriots.

The paper also quotes the leader of the Democratic Party and the so-called Minister of Tourism of the pseudo state, Serdar Denktas, saying that "this is not the package that we prepared".

A similar criticism has been directed to the Denktas regime by the leader of the Communal Liberation Party (CLP), Huseyin Angolemli. He said that the package is the "Expression of inaptness" of the Denktas regime.

Local ORTAM newspaper (21/02/03) brands it: "A plan to assimilate the Turkish Cypriots".

[04] Akinci: " By demanding the impossible, Denktas managed to avoid even what was feasible".

Addressing a panel meeting which was organized by the Women/s Association for Supporting Life and the University Women/s Association at the Mustafa Cagatay Conference Centre of the Chamber of Commerce with the topic "Annan Plan and the important period which will come", Mustafa Akinci said that Mr Denktas, "by demanding the impossible, he managed to avoid even what was feasible".

Mr Akinci also supported that the two leaders in Cyprus should work towards the direction that their people wish to go and not to the opposite direction. Furthermore, he wondered how the two communities could reach an agreement without giving land.

[05] Denktas insists that the citizenship he provides is legal, although the European Court of Human Rights has decided that everything is illegal in the occupied areas

The paper publishes the so-called identity card of Mr Aygun, in which it is written that Mr Aygun lives in Selcuklu Street where the "Ministries" are located in occupied Nicosia, a place where there are no houses. "Who knows, he could sleep curled up into a corner", stresses the paper ironically. YENI DUZEN also writes that Mr Aygun on the same day that he was provided with the identity card (5th of February 2003), he was also given a birth certificate with the number 460436 for which he paid 100 thousand Turkish Lira.

However, the Turkish Cypriot leader defended in his statement the right of his puppet regime to provide citizenships. Mr Denktas was speaking to a delegation from the occupied village of Makrasyka that visited him in his office. As KIBRIS (21/02/03) reports, Rauf Denktas stated that the citizenships provided by the pseudostate cannot consider to be invalid. Mr Denktas also stated that one cannot say "Go away" to the persons who came from Turkey and know Cyprus as their country for the last 30 years.

Rauf Denktas also alleged that Turkey had no policy of changing the demographic character of the island and stressed that if Turkey had this kind of policy, the Turkish population of the island would have been increased up to 500 thousand persons.

[06] Mehmet Ali Talat: "Denktas never wanted solution for Cyprus"

According to the paper Mr Talat said that Denktas never wanted solution for the Cyprus problem. "He says that he will not sign the UN Plan. He does not want Kofi Annan to visit the island. However he does not even know what the plan contains. This means that he does not reject particular points of the Plan but the whole of it. This means that he has never wanted a solution", he stressed.

Moreover, as the same paper reports, the chairman of the RTP made a written statement commenting on Mr Denktas/ assertion that the philosophy of the UN Plan is wrong. Mr Talat said that the only philosophy that exists is the philosophy of Rauf Denktas and added that the UN Plan was not the result of Denktas/ efforts but of the persons that love their country and their people.

Mr Talat further criticized Mr Denktas by saying that "he turned his nose up at the new UN Plan even before it was presented to him" without waiting to see the necessary revisions made in it. He also accused the Turkish Cypriot leader for trying to present the revisions made in the plan as his own success.

Mr Talat described Mr Denktas "as an unsuccessful actor of the political stage" and stressed that the Turkish Cypriot leader "in order not to be drowned in the sea of non-solution that he has fallen into, he tries to embrace Tassos Papadopoulos with him".

[07] Abdulatif Sener is the new Turkish State Minister responsible for Cyprus

The paper writes that Prime Minister Gul published yesterday a circular defining the duties of the State Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers.

[08] Turkish Cypriot has won his case against Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights

The decision of the ECHR says that "because of the large number of Turkish troops in the North, the residents of North Cyprus are being controlled by Ankara".

Ahmet Cavit An, who is a doctor, in 1989 established the Association "Forward for a Federal and Independent Cypriot State", to the Court in 1992 and this ended only yesterday. The ECHR convicted Turkey to pay Cavit An 15 thousand euro as moral distress, 4 thousand and 715 euro as expenses of the Court, and 19 thousand and 715 euro as punishment.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] A Turkish Cypriot journalist accuses the inhabitants of the occupied area of not looking after the Greek Cypriot houses they live in

All our villages, without any exception, are full of rubbish and scrap metals. Our people play cards at the coffee shops. I do not know what you will say, if I prove to you that there are some of our people who have not yet cleaned the walls of the house they live in from the writings in Greek. You my brother who live in the house for 30 years and did not even bother to clean the writings in Greek from the wall, how could you claim rights on this country?

I continue to walk around the villages. In almost all of them there are scrap metals from automobiles left there since the 1974 war and they are still polluting the environment. It is a shame gentlemen. .

Again, there is another wound I have noticed in the villages. Some wise guys, who returned to their mixed villages after the war, have not settled in their own houses, but in the Greek houses trying to make them their own property. They have abandoned their own houses and created in the villages places with ruins. Is this the way of loving the country? Is this the way of being a state? .".

/SK

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