Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-03-19

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[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktas has reportedly prepared a plan aiming at bringing the Turkish Cypriots face to face with the government of the Republic of Cyprus.

[02] Talat says that the Annan plan has been prepared in line with proposals made by Turkey's Foreign Affairs Ministry.

[03] Talat accuses Denktas and Eroglu of using public money in the campaign against the Annan plan.

[04] Erdogan is reportedly going to bring Cyprus onto the agenda after the war in Iraq.

[05] Extract on Cyprus from the government programme read out by Erdogan at the TGNA Plenary Session.

[06] Chief prosecutor demands closure of seven Turkish small political parties.

[07] Turkey and Iraqi Kurds clear misunderstandings.

[08] The Turkish Government will resubmit the motion for US troop deployment.

[09] The pseudoassembly passes so-called laws that promote integration.

[10] Ali Erel denied the accusation that he has received money from the EU.

[11] The Turkish Cypriot Secondary Education Teachers' Trade Union called a strike in four schools in the occupied area of Nicosia. The so-called "minister of education" says that he will take measures against them.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[12] Columnist in SABAH says the Cyprus problem will be in Turkey's new EU road map.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktas has reportedly prepared a plan aiming at bringing the Turkish Cypriots face to face with the government of the Republic of Cyprus

Invoking reliable sources, the paper writes that the plan consists of seven main points:

a. Abolishing the military service.

b. Opening all the doors for the Turkish Cypriots.

c. Permitting the Turkish Cypriots to cross over completely freely to the free areas of the island.

d. Not only lighting the green light to the Turkish Cypriots becoming EU citizens, but at the same time encouraging this.

e. Letting the Turkish Cypriots free to travel via harbours and airports controlled by the Republic of Cyprus.

f. All doors for the Turkish Cypriots, who wish to benefit from any kind of social rights as EU citizens, will be opened.

g. Conducting trade via the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus will be free.

According to the paper, the details of the plan are expected to be discussed today at the meeting of the "ministerial council" of the puppet regime. The sources of KIBRISLI noted that the proposals would be submitted to the "council" by Mr Denktas' son, Serdar, who had already taken the approval of his father to do this. With this plan, argues the paper, Mr Denktas will be de facto dictating to the EU the solution he wants. It is expected, supports KIBRISLI, that there will be many reactions following this plan because it provides that only one section of the Turkish Cypriots could take the EU citizenship and that all the settlers who have been brought into Cyprus after the 1974 Turkish invasion are excluded from this.

The paper writes the following:

"With this plan Denktas is aiming at breaking the embargo applied on the Turkish Cypriots and at bringing the Turkish Cypriots face to face with the Greek Cypriot administration. Denktas thinks that the Greek Cypriot government will oppose to the application of this plan, it will violate the citizenship rights of the Turkish Cypriots by behaving in a prohibitive way and this will in the end put the EU into a difficult situation.

The Greek Cypriot administration which has not yet realized the meaning of this plan, is still discussing measures to be taken, thinking that the EU citizenship will force the Turkish Cypriots to abandon the island.

The possibility of the EU and the Greek Cypriots opposing this plan, in case it is applied, seems to be very small. With this plan it is considered that Denktas will be applying a solution on all issues except on the issues he does not wish to give concessions. That is, while the Turkish Cypriots will obtain all their rights, the Greek Cypriots will not be able to do so. The issues of the territory and the settlement, as well as the military issues will remain as they are today and the status quo will continue.

This maneuver the greatest political maneuver of Denktas during the last years.

Denktas will be offering the Greek Cypriots two options: to oppose this plan or not to oppose it. In both cases the situation will be developed against them. The policy of the Greek Cypriots to acknowledge the Turkish Cypriots as their citizens and not as a people or a state will turn into a boomerang. The Turkish Cypriots, who demand social rights from the Greek Cypriot administration, will become source of big problems to the Greek Cypriot administration, which will not be able to solve them".

[02] Talat says that the Annan plan has been prepared in line with proposals made by Turkey's Foreign Affairs Ministry

Noting that "a great disinformation campaign" had been conducted regarding the plan, Mr Talat reiterated his demand for a referendum on the Annan plan and accused the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Rauf Denktas of showing "his most intransigent behaviour of the last three years in the Hague".

Mr Talat pointed out that Mr Denktas "rejected everything in the Hague" and noted that as it is understood the Annan plan will be annexed to the report on Cyprus to be submitted by the Secretary - General to the UN Security Council and that it could be shelved for a period, but afterwards it is going to be brought onto the negotiating table once more.

[03] Talat accuses Denktas and Eroglu of using public money in the campaign against the Annan plan

In a statement issued yesterday, Mr Talat wondered for what purposes had the puppet regime spent the 169 billion and 557 million Turkish liras for which reference is being made in the so-called budget for "unexpected expenses" of the pseudostate for the period January - February 2003 under the title "invitations for journeys and hosting guests". The same question was asked about the amount of 184 billion Turkish liras shown in the same so-called "budget" for "representation and hosting" expenses. Mr Talat also asked for explanations for the 143 billion Turkish liras and other four billion liras spent for "buying other services" and "buying clothes" respectively.

[04] Erdogan is reportedly going to bring Cyprus onto the agenda after the war in Iraq

Mr Duzgun expresses the opinion that all the efforts should be based on the Annan plan and therefore this plan should be turned into a UN document and be accepted by the EU.

"Wanting to burry the plan today could mean dynamiting an agreement to be reached in the future", supports Mr Duzgun accusing those who do not want a solution on the basis of the above-mentioned plan.

[05] Extract on Cyprus from the government programme read out by Erdogan at the TGNA Plenary Session

Following is the extract on Cyprus from Mr Erdogan's programme:

"Our Government believes in the necessity of finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. In this solution, it would not be permitted to endanger, in future, the Turkish existence in the Island.

We continue to maintain our sensitivity in not allowing the point reached in the Hague to be turned into a bottleneck and in searching for new communication channels and solution models. We mainly call upon the EU countries and Greece and all the political centers to be sensitive to the basis of the solution, to dialogue and lasting peace. Within this framework, our government has noted the statement made by the UN Secretary-General that the plan he has prepared is on the negotiation table, that if the sides desire he is ready to assist for the solution process and the statement made by the president of the TRNC Mr Denktas for calling the Greek Cypriot side to negotiation."

[06] Chief prosecutor demands closure of seven Turkish small political parties

Prosecutor Kanadoglu sent his indictments to the top court for the closure of Revolutionary Socialist Workers' Party, Turkey is Happy With Its Disabled Party, Turkey Justice Party, Justice Party, Grand Justice Party, Main Path Party and Turkey Socialist Workers' Party on grounds that they did not take part in the past two general elections.

According to the Political Parties Law's Article 105, the prosecutor may demand the closure of those parties which did not attend the past two elections.

Kanadoglu said in his indictment that these seven parties did not attend April 18, 1999, and November 3, 2002, elections despite the official notification and that he filed closure suits "obligatorily" against these parties.

[07] Turkey and Iraqi Kurds clear misunderstandings

An attack on Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani by a group of Turkish Public Workers' Labor Union (Kamu-Sen) members demonstrated the public resentment in Turkey to remarks by the Iraqi Kurdish leaders against a Turkish invasion of northern Iraq.

Talabani and Barzani escaped the attack unhurt and were whisked into the historic State Guest House by security guards. The group, waving Turkish flags and shouting "Turks-Kurds are brothers, Peshmerges are fickle", protested the burning of Turkish flags in recent demonstrations in northern Iraq by supporters of the KDP.

According to well-placed diplomatic sources, the Ankara meeting has helped Turkey and the Iraqi Kurdish factions eradicate "misunderstandings" and clear most of the concerns of both sides.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, President George Bush's special envoy to the Iraqi opposition Zalmay Khalilzad, said participants of the meeting agreed to have "full cooperation" and the Iraqi factions have agreed to make available all their powers to the coalition forces.

Khalilzad said "civilian movements" towards Kirkuk would be prevented by the American forces. A mass migration of Kurds into Kirkuk was a major concern of Turkey which considers the city as a Turkoman area.

An Iraq war appeared to be looming closer after U.S. President George W. Bush on Sunday declared a "moment of truth" on Iraq. Washington is urging Turkey not to unilaterally send its forces across the border if the United States were to attack.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said the U.S. was concerned that Turkish military activity in northern Iraq could lead to possible conflict with the Kurds. Iraqi Kurdish officials had warned that a Turkish incursion separate from the American-led campaign on the Saddam Hussein regime of Iraq could lead to clashes with their forces in northern Iraq.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Ali Tuygan, President George Bush's special envoy to the Iraqi opposition Zalmay Khalilzad, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani, Nechirvan Barzani, a top official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Iraqi Turcoman Front (ITC) leader Sanan Ahmad Aga attended the meeting.

KDP and PUK representatives met with Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal Monday and following the meeting sources stated that most of the concerns were solved for both sides.

PUK leader Talabani commented that the meeting was friendly and productive. He underlined that issues related to both sides were revealed. Talabani declared that consultations with Turkey would continue. He said, "Because Turkey is an ally for our people and we are grateful of what Turkey has done for us."

Barzani stated that he agrees with Talabani and that the meeting was an open- minded one. Barzani stated that both sides have concerns and doubts about the future of Iraq and that all concerns were discussed.

According to information gathered from diplomatic sources, most of the issues between Turkey and Kurds were solved. Turkey and Kurds experienced tension about Turkish troops' intervention to northern Iraq during the Iraqi opposition meeting in the northern Iraq city of Salahaddin in February.

The Supreme Court of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), Iraq National Congress, (INC) Iraq Constitutional Monarchy Movement (CMM) and Iraq National Accord (INA) representatives are expected to join the second day of the meeting today.

Despite the atmosphere of optimism in Ankara, however, a top commander of the Iraqi Kurdish forces in northern Iraq warned that his troops "won't welcome" a Turkish occupation of northern Iraq.

The warning by Cmdr. Feridoun Janrowey, one of the main Kurdish military planners, came as Turkey raced to reconsider a U.S. request to allow troops into the Western-protected Kurdish enclave of Iraq.

The Turkish Parliament, which rebuffed the Pentagon earlier this month, could reopen debate on the issue with U.S.-led forces in final preparations for an attack against Iraq from the south.

But Janrowey said Kurdish militiamen "would not welcome" Turkish forces that were not directly under U.S. command as part of the alliance against Saddam Hussein.

"There is no way we will allow independent Turkish forces. If needed, we would challenge them," said Janrowey, whose militia unit covers the oil-rich region of Kirkuk that looms large in the friction between Turkey and Iraqi Kurds.

Kurds consider Kirkuk -- now under Baghdad's control -- an integral part of their territory. Turkey also claims historical ties to the area. Turkey also fears that a stronger Iraqi Kurdish region -- bolstered by the wealth and power of the oil fields in Kirkuk and Mosul -- could inflame a 15-year-old separatist terrorist campaign by Turkish Kurds that has claimed at least 37,000 lives.

Kurds, meanwhile, worry that a Turkish military presence could prompt similar cross-border incursions by neighbors Iran and Syria -- which also have Kurdish populations.

"We are opposed to any neighboring military in our territory," Janrowey was quoted as saying Tuesday by the Associated Press.

Janrowey repeated assurances by other Kurdish leaders that they will not send forces into Kirkuk and Mosul when the war begins. But he said Kurdish militias "were always ready" to join the fight if needed.

Berham Salih, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan regional government, claimed last week that Iraqi forces had booby-trapped the oil fields in Kirkuk and probably elsewhere. Janrowey could not confirm the suspicions, but said intelligence reports showed Iraqi troops digging in near the oil complexes.

With war almost certain, many Iraqi Kurds have fled cities for mountain villages in fear of missile or poisonous gas attacks. Janrowey said Kurdish forces had no special precautions against a chemical or biological strike.

"We don't have gas masks like the rich armies," he said. "We have always been willing to die for our land. We are prepared to do that now."

[08] The Turkish Government will resubmit the motion for US troop deployment Turkish Daily News (19.03.09) publishes the following report:

Voting on the motion in Parliament will take place on Thursday the latest, said Salih Kapusuz, a senior official of the ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP).

JDP officials said no major change was planned in the text of the motion, dismissing reports that the government might ask only for overflight rights for the United States jet fighters and missiles this time. Earlier this month, Parliament voted with a narrow margin against a motion requesting authorization for deployment of some 62,000 combat troops, 255 warplanes and 65 helicopters.

That authorization, under the rejected motion, was set to be valid for six months. The motion was also seeking permission to dispatch Turkish troops to northern Iraq, where Turkey fears autonomous Kurdish groups de facto controlling the region since 1991 could grab the opportunity and declare their own state.

The Cabinet decision to resubmit the motion came after a meeting of the president, chief of the General Staff and the prime minister late Monday ended with a call for the government to take urgent steps towards asking Parliament to allow in U.S. troops and send troops abroad.

Kapusuz, speaking after an JDP meeting earlier Tuesday, said there were no plans to make a party decision, binding on deputies, to vote for the motion.

A surprisingly high number of deputies voted against the motion on March 1, sparking worries that this was the first case of division within the 365-deputy JDP.

Economy Minister Ali Babacan said he was this time optimistic that the government would obtain the permission for providing military cooperation with the United States.

"At the moment the general feeling is positive on finalizing the motion in a positive way. I think that on this subject we will be working closely with the United States," Babacan said in an interview on CNN Turk television channel.

Earlier, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the motion could not be brought to Parliament before next week. He formed his government on Friday and Parliament convened Tuesday for the presentation of the new government's program. A vote of confidence for the government was scheduled for Saturday.

Erdogan's plans to resubmit the motion after the vote of confidence had to be revised after President George W. Bush gave 48 hours for Saddam Hussein to flee the country or face attack and the Secretary of State Colin Powell warned the "time is out."

The delays in reintroducing of the motion have prompted the U.S. war planners to ponder other options available and in a sign of growing impatience with the Turkish government, Pentagon ordered last week 10 of its Navy ships out of the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, where they could launch their Tomahawk missiles to Iraq over a path that does not go over Turkey.

Gathering for an emergency meeting late Monday, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Chief of Staff Hilmi Ozkok and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to push for the U.S. requests.

"A unanimous decision was reached ... that there is a need to move urgently according to the National Security Council advisory taken on January 31, 2003," presidential spokesman Tacan Ildem said.

When asked when Parliament would submit a new resolution, Ildem said: "Our government will make the necessary evaluation urgently."

Prime Minister Erdogan held talks after midnight about a possible deployment with top members of his Cabinet and Foreign Ministry officials.

U.S. officials also said an aid package designed to cushion the Turkish economy from negative impacts of a war in Iraq was not on the table, given the lack of timely response from Turkey to U.S. demands for military cooperation.

The prospect of war starting without Ankara's involvement caused alarm on Turkish financial markets on Monday amid fears Ankara may forfeit the U.S. financial package of up to $30 billion.

Babacan said the previous aid agreements with the United States were still valid, adding that this involved the provision of $6 billion in grants.

Anticipation of a deal triggered a sharp recovery in financial markets on Tuesday, with shares surging 10 percent.

Any motion would also allow Turkish troops to cross into northern Iraq.

The United States recently urged Turkey not to unilaterally send its soldiers into northern Iraq. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, Monday to discuss the U.S. concerns.

An earlier U.S.-Turkish memorandum would have coordinated U.S. and Turkish actions in northern Iraq, but that agreement was linked to the earlier resolution that would have let in U.S. troops.

Turkey is worried that a war could lead to the disintegration of Iraq, with Kurds in the north declaring independence.

[09] The pseudoassembly passes so-called laws that promote integration

As YENI DUZEN (19.03.03) reports, during a meeting held yesterday the two parties of the coalition "government", the Democratic Party (DP) and the National Unity Party (NUP), took advantage of the fact that the opposition parties, the Republican Turkish Party (RTP) and the Communal Liberation Party (CLP), refused to attend the meetings of the "assembly" and passed laws that promote the integration. RTP and CLP decided to boycott the works of the "assembly" till the 30th of March, after the failure of the pseudoparliament to make a decision regarding the issue of the referendum for the UN Plan.

Commenting on the subject, Ferdi Sabit Soyer, the general secretary of the RTP stressed that the two parties will appeal to a so-called constitutional court in order to abrogate the laws.

As the paper reports these laws, which were prepared by the previous Turkish government, referred to the following subjects and provide for cooperation between the pseudostate and the Turkish government: Approval of the agreement for the establishment of a joint parliamentary Committee, agreement for cooperation in the field of civilian aviation, agreement of cooperation in the field of search and rescue in civil aviation and agreement in the field of maritime.

[10] Ali Erel denied the accusation that he has received money from the EU

In a press conference yesterday Mr Erel presented to the Mass Media two letters of the European Bank and the Post Bank, which deny that they had issued a cheque to Mr Erel. In the letters the banks also stressed that the signatures appearing on the cheque do not belong to the Bank officials to whom they claim to be.

Asked about the elections of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, that will take place on the 16th of April, Mr Erel said that he will not be a candidate in the elections if a solution of the Cyprus problem is found by this date.

Subtitle: Erel called on Denktas and the pseudogovernment to resign

Moreover as the paper reports, Mr Erel called on the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas and the speudogovernment to resign because they did not submit a referendum for the acceptance or not of the UN Plan. He also said that the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce would continue to support EU accession and solution for the Cyprus problem.

[11] The Turkish Cypriot Secondary Education Teachers' Trade Union called a strike in four schools in the occupied area of Nicosia. The so-called "minister of education" says that he will take measures against them

The leader of KTOEOS Ahmet Barcin, who spoke to the 60 striking teachers, said that Denktas and the so-called UBP-DP government, do not represent the Turkish Cypriots and he accused them that they are an obstacle to the referandum.

He also said that, with the cooperation of the Turkish Cypriot Civil Organizations' "Joint Vision" Action Committee and the Platform "This country is ours", they will continue their struggle in order to achieve Peace , Solution, Accession to the European Union and acceptance of the Annan Plan.

Furthermore, KIBRIS reports that the so-called Minister of Education and Culture Ilkay Kamil said that he will take "legal measures" against them.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[12] Columnist in SABAH says the Cyprus problem will be in Turkey's new EU road map

Do you remember the clock that the Europeans placed before the Turkish parliament in Ankara? The clock was set at the 12-13 Copenhagen Summit. This clock was then transferred to north Cyprus and was placed in a public square after having it set at the date on the last day of the talks on the Annan plan on Cyprus. What a pity that these two deadlines failed to serve their purpose! The clock under discussion now rests at a forgotten corner in north Cyprus in the same way that the Turkish people forgot about the EU membership toward which their excitement has died out and their hopes diminished...

Well, the EU membership that we used to feel disappointed every time it came to our minds (it is not easy not to be disappointed given that an opinion poll conducted before the 12 December Copenhagen summit showed that 75 percent of the Turkish people had their minds set on the EU membership target) will be raised on the agenda once again in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the Association Partnership Document that will take Turkey to full EU membership--something about which most of us have lost hopes--has been prepared. In parallel to the work conducted in Brussels with regard to this document, Turkey's National Program is being drawn up in Ankara. Both these documents will take their final shape at the end of March or early April and will be disclosed to the public. At present contacts are continuing between Brussels and Ankara with regard to the harmonization work on the aforementioned two documents.

However, very interesting messages are coming from Brussels; the section of Turkey's expectations in the Association Partnership Document will reportedly be tuned in accordance with the Turkish government's policies on Iraq! What does this mean? Let me explain.

The Turkey-EU relations that had already lost their former warmth began deteriorating further after the unsuccessful conclusion of the Cyprus talks and the burying of the Annan plan during the Hague summit. The decision of the European Court of Human Rights to the effect that [PKK, Workers Party of Kurdistan, leader Abdullah] Ocalan had an "unfair" trial dealt the final blow to the relations between Turkey and the EU. Ankara, for its part, closed down HADEP [People's Democracy Party] and filed a closure lawsuit against DEHAP [Democratic People's Party] proceeding from the understanding that these relations "should be severed at their weakest point." As expected, the EU began taking measures aimed at intimidating Turkey.

Looking at the point that we have presently reached, it is not difficult to guess the new road map that the EU will give to Turkey: The introduction of measures such as the solving of the Cyprus problem, bringing an end to the closure of political parties, and the retrial of Ocalan... Naturally, in addition to the above measures, the EU will not forget to touch on classical issues such as the political weight of the army, torture, and freedom of thought and expression in Turkey.

However, as I mentioned earlier, the atmosphere prevailing in Brussels is as follows: A more appropriate document may be prepared if Turkey "does something" with regard to its policies on Iraq. In short, the EU is saying: "We will think of something good if you refrain from passing from the parliament the second motion on US troop deployment on Turkish soil and if you obstruct the process of opening a northern front against Iraq..."

What do you think; has this message conveyed to Turkey by the EU played any role in the delaying tactics implemented by Turkey with regard to the passing from the parliament of the motion on US troop deployment on Turkish soil? Have the promises that have reportedly been conveyed to Turkey by EU circles to the effect that "Turkey's full EU accession process would be accelerated and that the EU would extend a total amount of aid worth five billion euros if Turkey resists the US demands" heartened the Turkish government?

If these messages have truly been conveyed to Turkey, then let me recall the following: These messages and promises are coming from the EU's French-German axis, which has defied the United States with regard to war on Iraq. Turkey's road map, on the other hand, is being drawn up in the Belgian capital, which supports the aforementioned axis.

However, the EU also includes countries that are supporting the US war on Iraq. Britain and Greece, which currently presides over the EU term presidency, are among the countries supporting the US war on Iraq. Moreover, Britain and Greece are guarantor countries in Cyprus.

Beware; we may create a storm if we move into action by relying on the French-German axis!

/SK

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