Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-03-26

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Cypriot leader repeats that unless his conditions are accepted the U.N. plan will not be considered to be on the negotiating table

[02] Alvaro De Soto's legal Advisor Didier Pfirter spoke to KIBRIS

[03] Durduran blamed Denktas and Ankara for the current dead end of the Cyprus talks

[04] Two Turkish Cypriots put up their kidneys for sale

[05] The occupation regime arrests six leaders of Turkish Cypriot trade unions and political parties

[06] Statement by the Turkish Cypriot leader on the events at occupied Elia Morphou

[07] Amid criticisms of its Iraq policies the ruling JDP scored a landslide victory in municipal by-elections

[08] Huseyin Angolemli has met with the Czech ambassador

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Columnist in Milliyet says Turkey lost its strategic importance

[10] Professor Erol Manisali calls on Turkey to chart new policies in view of developments in Iraq

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Cypriot leader repeats that unless his conditions are accepted the U.N. plan will not be considered to be on the negotiating table

In reply to a journalist's question whether his statements contradict the statements made by U.N. and EU officials as will as by the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that the Annan plan is still on the negotiating table, Mr Denktas said:

"There is no contradiction. These officials too say that the plan has not been accepted in the form that it is on the table. We too say that it is not accepted in its present form. It is on the table and it is not on the table.. If it is not accepted why do you put it on the table? In order for it to be brought to an acceptable form there are our sine qua non conditions, will they accept them, will they not? Turkey agrees with these sine qua non conditions and does not accept the map, exactly like we do. Consequently, instead of saying that someone said this, somebody else said that, let us look at what we say and agree on this: Without our sine qua non conditions even if the plan is on the table, it is not on the table."

[02] Alvaro De Soto's legal Advisor Didier Pfirter gave an interview to KIBRIS

When asked whether the Annan Plan was on the negotiation table following the failure in the Hague, Pfirter said: "Yes, the Secretary-General has said in the Hague that if the sides are willing, the Plan is on the negotiation table. The Secretary -General also expressed the readiness to help the sides once the full support of the motherlands are secured".

When asked whether the common state is the continuation of the Republic of Cyprus or a new entity, Pfirter said: "This plan has brought a new approach to this very complex issue which we called 'virgin birth' (Tr. note this term is used by Mr.Pfirter). This approach has rendered agreement on the earlier existing order null and void. The agreement in itself will be the source of everything, which will be related to the future developments. This plan, has continuity for the two sides for the application of regulations of the past as well as for the regulations that are binding on the United Cyprus Republic".

When asked to mention the percentage of the territory to be left to the Turkish Cypriots, Mr.Pfirter said:" A little bit more than 29%"

When asked how many people would be displaced if the plan was put into practice, the UN expert said:"We have done our calculations according to the 1996 Turkish Cypriot census results. We have tried to keep the number of displaced persons as low as possible. As a result of this the map was not a straight line but it was in a zigzag. During the territorial arrangements we have tried to decide on those villages where the Turkish Cypriots, prior to 1974, were less than the Greek Cypriots. We also tried to avoid giving the traditional Turkish Cypriot villages and in the map annexed to the Second plan we have succeeded in this 100%. In the new version some Turkish Cypriot villages were affected but they would have special status. In the map annexed to the Second plan only 42 thousand Turkish Cypriots were being affected. In the revised map annexed to the Third plan 47 thousand persons were affected.

When asked what kind of a state the plan envisages, Mr. Pfirter said: " The Plan envisages a country where the Greek and Turkish Cypriots live side by side and not together. They say it for Switzerland that 'we live well because we live not face to face but back to back'. They will live as good neighbors in their states."

When asked to comment on the sides' stands and the positions they maintained in the Hague, Mr. Didier Pfirter said: "I prefer not to enter in this issue .The statement made by the Secretary- General on this issue is very clear. The one side said "no" to the proposal that envisaged to complete the talks until 25 March and on 30 March to hold a referendum. And the other side said "yes" if enough time is given and if the plan is completed. We did not pay much attention to these conditions since one side had said "no"."

[03] Durduran blamed Denktas and Ankara for the current impasse of the Cyprus talks

As the paper reports, Mr Durduran blamed Denktas and Ankara for the current dead end of the Cyprus talks in the Hague, stressing that those who insisted with the support of Turkey against the will of the Turkish Cypriots, led the Cyprus problem into the swamp. He also said that these persons were hiding behind the excuse that firstly the Turkish Cypriots had to accept the UN Plan, but then, they refused to present the suggestions for a solution in front of the Turkish Cypriots in order to prevent them from making a decision.

Mr Durduran also accused Turkey for the current impasse of the Cyprus problem and said that in the end Turkey started to prevent the referendum that would reveal the wishes of Cypriot Turkish community, whom Turkey claims to be protecting, and rejected their demands.

He also said that the Turkish Cypriots would continue to want the solution of the Cyprus problem, even after the 16th of April and expressed the hope that after that date the "sharp points" of the Annan plan will be removed and a solution will be found for the Cyprus problem.

[04] Two Turkish Cypriots put their kidneys up for sale due to the economic crisis in the pseudostate

As the paper reports, the two persons visited yesterday its offices and informed the paper about their intentions. According to the paper, Nurhayat Ahmet wants to sell her kidney in order to pay a loan she made for her daughter's treatment. On his part Erol Kadak, who has two children and tries to make a living by filling lighters, stated that he has no other income and even considers committing suicide as a solution for his problems. The two Turkish Cypriots said that if they find a buyer they would sell their kidneys.

AFRIKA blames both Denktas and Ankara for the situation the two Turkish Cypriots are in because they do not want solution for the Cyprus problem.

[05] The occupation regime arrests six leaders of Turkish Cypriot trade unions and political parties

The paper writes that a great number of so-called "policemen" attacked with sticks Turkish Cypriots who gathered last night at Elia village in order to conduct a symbolic referendum to express their will for solution of the Cyprus problem and accession of a united Cyprus to the EU. The fully equipped "police" forces, continues KIBRIS, had surrounded the village since yesterday morning, as they knew that the platform "This country is our's" and other civilian organizations would have launched their "register people' s will" activity from Elia.

A lot of "policemen" in uniform or working under cover, attacked Ferdi Sabit Soyer, so-called "MP" and general secretary of RTP and grabbed from his hands the ballot -box where the participants in the activity would have voted, responding with a "yes" or a "no" to the question "do you support a solution on the basis of the Annan plan and accession to the EU?". The paper notes that the "policemen" hit so-called "MP's", journalists and ordinary people who were there. Furthermore, the entry to the village was prohibited. During the incident Mr Soyer was shouting slogans such as "peace in Cyprus cannot be prevented", "let us struggle side-by-side against fascism" and "Denktas resign". Mehmet Ali Talat and Huseyin Angolemli, leaders of RTP and Communal Liberation Party respectively, were among the participants in the activity.

Meanwhile, according to KIBRIS, the six persons who had been arrested were led to the "police" station in occupied Morphou. As a result of the behaviour of the puppet regime, KTOEOS, KTOS and DEV-IS decided to go on strike today all over the occupied areas. Other trade unions, such as KTAMS, EL-SEN, TIP-IS, EMEK- IS, CAG-SEN and BES have expressed their support to the strike.

Despite the oppression of the regime, the "register people's will" activities will continue on 28 March 2003 in occupied Kyrenia.

Mr Soyer said the following at the meeting before the ballot box was taken away from him: "Here is a ballot box. It shows the will of the people in every way. Today at Elia the state terrorism exerted efforts to prevent the will of the people. We shall definitely not bring our people against our police as these aggressive powers want. .".

Addressing the participants in the meeting Mr Angolemli said that no one could stop the Turkish Cypriots from struggling for a solution and added that "fascism", as he described the authorities of the puppet regime, would not be able to do this as well. Mr Angolemli noted that the Turkish Cypriots were not alone in this struggle, as the eyes of the whole world are on them.

Furthermore, Mr Talat argued that stopping the struggle of the Turkish Cypriots by using the "police" would not be possible and added that Mr Rauf Denktas and the ruling parties in the occupied areas "are trying to create a police state". "We shall be an obstacle to those who try to create a police state", said Mr Talat adding: "We shall complain about what happened to the whole world, to the European Council, to the EU and to all the democratic institutions of the world".

The Turkish Cypriot press (26.03.03) covers as follows the incident in Elia:

KIBRIS: Under the front - page banner title "(Response with) Police sticks to the will of the people", the paper publishes a three-page reportage with pictures.

AFRIKA, under the front - page banner title "The general has gone beyond the limits", describes the incidents in Elia as "night of horror" and notes that the so-called "police" and its special forces, which are under the command of the so-called "Security Forces", have hit those who had gathered last night in Elia Morphou in order to conduct a referendum, without taking into consideration that among them were women, children and old people.

YENI DUZEN covers the incident under the front-page banner title "The referendum under the shadow of the police" and adds that the six people had been arrested with the accusation that they organized an activity without having permission.

ORTAM under the front-page banner title "Fascism has risen from grave" writes that the Turkish Cypriots are living the most difficult days of their history and accuses Mr Rauf Denktas and Mr Dervis Eroglu of trying to oppress the Turkish Cypriots by using the "police".

KIBRISLI, under the banner front-page title "Democracy with sticks", notes that "the status quo has shown its ugly face" and adds that "before this status quo is changed there will be no peace and solution in this country". "We shall not permit the oppression, the state terrorism and despotism to prevail", notes KIBRISLI.

HALKIN SESI writes on its front page that "The activity in Elia ended unpleasantly", while it had started peacefully.

VOLKAN, under the banner front-page title "We stand by our police!", writes that those "provocateurs", who were preparing to commit "an illegal action" by conducting a referendum, realized their plans despite the fact that the so-called "director" of the "police" had warned them not to do so.

VATAN gives only a little space to the incident, while BIRLIK, mouthpiece of Dervis Eroglu's National Unity Party (NUP), does not make any reference to the issue.

Meanwhile, in the opposition papers journalists like Sener Levent (AFRIKA), Basaran Duzgun and Hasan hasturer (KIBRIS) and Hasan Kahvecioglu (ORTAM) comment today on the issue. Mr Levet says that "the occupation regime has shown its teeth once more", Mr Duzgun notes that the incident in Elia shows "that we live in a disgraceful status quo", Mr Hasturer describes the situation in the occupied areas as "democracy with the stick" and Mr Kahvecioglu argues that the incident shows that "we are under the yoke of a police state".

[06] Statement by the Turkish Cypriot leader on the events at occupied Elia Morphou

"Those involved were warned that the necessary measures would be taken. Collecting signatures, organizing gatherings and marches is possible in the framework of the existing laws and they take place. But the holding of a referendum is a serious, official task, and it cannot be held all of a sudden. The necessary preparations must be made, like in the elections. It is possible to 'sell' to the world a false referundum as serious. As a political leader stated yesterday, the Czech Ambassador said that such an action will be in the interest of the international community and in this way he encouraged this illegal activity. There is no reason to recourse to such an action in Cyprus.

Those who say that the status quo must change, who dream of getting rich by acceding to the EU must say how this status quo must change. Do they want to change the parliamentary system, to return to the presidential system or return to a different system, do they refer to deficiencies in the legal system when they refer to the change of the status quo?

It is not an acceptable behaviour to mislead the people with the carrot of the EU, without stating these things clearly. It is especially said that the suggestions by Mrs Karen Fog, the former EU representative to Turkey, are showing the way and are behind these actions.

The road map charted by Mr Fog is being followed by her friends and supporters here for months now.

The people are fed up with these actions and the number of those asking the 'government' why it is not taking the necessary measures is increasing. What is needed is the implementation of the 'laws' and at Elia this is what happened.

You who carry out these actions may express your views for a better Cyprus through dialogue and you can reach nowhere by acting counter to the 'law' and presenting our 'state' to the world as a fascist organization.

If in Cyprus, in Northern Cyprus, there is something bad, this is extreme tolerance and use of the rights without limits. This may lead to anarchy and no government may allow it."

[07] Amid criticisms of its Iraq policies the ruling JDP scored a landslide victory in municipal by-elections

JDP candidates running for membership in Corum Municipality Assembly received 50.7 percent of the total votes in Sunday's elections.

The closest rival Republican People's Party (RPP), the sole opposition party in Parliament, secured 31 percent of the votes.

The Youth Party (YP), once a favorite of the election, was largely disappointed, as it was ranked as the fourth, with 4.9 percent.

The party could send no representative to the municipality assembly because it failed to pass a 10-percent election threshold.

The Nationalist Action Party (NAP), a coalition partner in the previous government, was ranked third in Sunday's election.

The JDP government has been receiving flak as its months-long talks with the United States to deploy tens of thousands of combat troops were terminated abruptly, when the United States opened war on Iraq and said the Turkish option was no longer on the table.

Turkey lost a linked multi-billion package after the United States gave up on the northern front option and came at odds with Washington over its plans to send troops to northern Iraq.

Earlier this month, the JDP scored a wide margin election victory in by-elections in the southeastern province of Siirt and party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected as a deputy, which paved the way for him to become prime minister.

[08] Huseyin Angolemli has met with the Czech ambassador

Mr Vavra stated that his country would like to see a united Cyprus to enter the European Union and that his country is optimistic that this will happen.

On his part, Mr Angolemli said that the process should start from where it stopped in The Hague. He also said that for this reason he sent a letter to the United Nations and to the European Union asking from them to help for the solution of the Cyprus problem. Moreover, Mr Angolemli stated that the United Nations should return so that a process for the solution of the Cyprus problem is started under their auspices.

The leader of CLP also said that the Turkish Cypriots should prove their willingness and determination for solution and accession to the European Union. Therefore, they should organize a series of events including a big rally. Mr Angolemli also empasised that the 16th of April is of crucial importance.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Columnist in Milliyet says Turkey lost its strategic importance

Because of the Justice and Development Party [JDP] administration's bad management, Turkey is no more an important strategic country. That was a trump card that strengthened Turkey's position after World War II. We had confidence in our strategic position and so did the United States. It was believed that "the United States cannot do anything in the Middle East without Turkey's support and Turkey is a US bastion in the area." That was why Washington supported Turkey. It transferred funds, defended Turkey against the EU, supported Ankara's effort to obstruct terrorism and capture Workers Party of Kurdistan leader Abdullah Ocalan, and winked at Denktas in Cyprus. However, the United States established now that Turkey is not a strategically important country. It has realized that it can wage a war against Iraq without Turkey's support and it can bomb that country without having its military planes take off from the Incirlik air base in Adana.

Let us be realistic. The United States will remain in Iraq and several other parts of the Middle East after the war ends. No one will think about Turkey's strategic importance anymore. The United States will not adopt a hostile approach towards Turkey but it will no longer attach importance to it as much as it did in the past. Nor will it support our country as much as it did until now. Turkey's relations with the EU are sour. The EU countries reluctantly maintained relations with Turkey because of the pressure Washington put on them to force them to do so. Meanwhile, Turkey is the only country that continues to be hostile to Russia. The Arab countries do not like Turkey. Considering all that, we can say that we are isolated in the world. What are we going to do?

First of all, Turkey must adopt a new foreign policy. It must establish a place for itself in the world and try not to break away.

Regarding economic issues, we must not waste time with stories about heroic achievements in the past. We must no longer ask "How did Ataturk wage our national struggle?" and "What did Ismet Inonu do during World War II?" Foreign economic relations must not be viewed only from the point of view of foreign credits. We must buy and sell to be able to live. Turkey cannot stand on its feet without revenues from tourism and exports. Undoubtedly, the war against Iraq will negatively affect Turkey's tourism and exports. Our country will not be able to borrow from foreign markets if it fails to maintain favorable relations with the IMF and the World Bank. However, the JDP administration, believing that the credit the United States would extend to Ankara because of the war would solve all the problems, disrupted Turkey's relations with the IMF and the World Bank. That state of affairs must be rectified. The unfounded statements and incompetence of the JDP minister of state who is supposedly responsible for the economy undermined the confidence in Turkey both in the country and abroad. A government that is not trusted cannot obstruct the increasing value of foreign currencies, soaring interest rates, and rising inflation.

I have not been able to mention the problem of food and employment yet. That is the main problem that makes the people uneasy. Turkey will never be able to solve it if it becomes isolated in the world and if its economic relations with foreign countries are cut.

The JDP administration believes that it will achieve success by selling bonds and following the parity of foreign currencies and the value of shares (believing that the showroom market is the foundation of our economy). That is wrong. A serious problem is at our doorstep.

[10] Professor Erol Manisali calls on Turkey to chart new policies in view of developments in Iraq

--The United States is opposed to Turkey's entry into northern Iraq. It says that Turkey can only take limited measures related to humanitarian causes.

--Germany (and the EU) are opposed to Turkey crossing the Iraqi border for any reason. They are even prepared to impose "sanctions" over this matter.

The truth is that there is no longer any Iraq in northern Iraq. Northern Iraq has been broken away from Baghdad for the last 11 years. In northern Iraq there is a puppet state that the United States and Britain have been slowly building since the Gulf crisis. There is a puppet state that, in the words of Prime Minister Ecevit last year, "has only not been declared."

--The United States (and Britain) will soon control Iraq and its northern part with their soldiers and bases. They will establish a new system there. Then they will declare the puppet state. They will do that in two or at most three years. In any event when they do it is not important.

Will Turkey declare war against the United States and Britain? We have not reacted in any concrete way to the formation of a puppet state for 11 years. Do we have any chance of showing any concrete reaction after U.S. and British soldiers are fully established in northern Iraq?

Subtitle: Why is the EU on the U.S. Side?

How can Germany and France oppose the U.S. attack on Iraq and refuse to stand beside Washington but join the United States to form a united front on the issue of not allowing Turkey to enter northern Iraq?

The EU did not oppose the formation of a puppet state in northern Iraq by the United States and Britain. That is because the EU always supported the Kurdistan project started by the U.S.-UK duo.

They preferred a Kurdistan and a divided regional structure with the full custodianship of the United States and Britain to a strong and influential Turkey in the region.

Behind the scenes are Israel and Armenia, which support this project, and their lobbies in the United States and Europe. We must of course not forget EU member Greece and the influential Greek lobby in the United States.

This is why both the EU and the United States "oppose Turkey's attempts to prevent the desired formation of a puppet state in northern Iraq." This is why they do not want the entry of Turkish soldiers into northern Iraq, where there is a complete authority vacuum at present and which will soon come under U.S. and British control.

--The United States first threatened Turkey, but it does not want a confrontation with Ankara because it is at war. Instead, it has for now allowed a "limited and provisional" entry only for border security--that is until it "crosses the bridge" using the "air bridge" to finish its job.

After they are done and deploy their soldiers in northern Iraq they will tell Ankara: "Now we are here. You can go back. Otherwise you will have to confront us."

The EU and the United States have the gall to call Turkey "occupationist" for "exercising its guarantor state rights arising from international agreements and bringing peace to Cyprus" even as they annex the Greek Cypriot sector to the EU in violation of international agreements. So they can be expected to say anything to Turkey in Iraq in the future.

Subtitle: Problem Started in 1989

Turkey was ostracized from the West after the end of the Cold War. It was turned away from the gates of the EU in 1989. Then the "silent blow" was put in motion. Turkey would never be admitted in but it would be kept unilaterally dependent [on the EU]. It would be kept waiting at the EU's gates.

The Aegean, Cyprus, the Armenian resolutions, southeastern Anatolia, and today northern Iraq (Kurdistan) are all elements of the continuing silent blow.

Since 1993 the European Parliament has passed resolutions against Turkey on all the issues enumerated above (see "Silent Blow" by Erol Manisali, Derin, 2002-2003). Armenian resolutions have made significant advances in state legislatures and the Senate in the United States.

Turkey's main problem is our "persistent refusal to see" these developments in the West. As a result problems are continually put off and allowed to snowball.

"Established unilateral ties" are the principal cause of the zigzagging observed in the policies of the Justice and Development Party government on Cyprus and Iraq since the fall of the Ecevit government.

We have to generate new policies that will balance these unilateral ties. Otherwise it will be impossible for us to escape partition and foreign guardianship through "dramatic developments triggered from northern Iraq and Cyprus."

EG/

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