Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-05-06

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Reference to Cyprus by Presidents Bush and Sezer during a telephone conversation.

[02] Sener Levent is prevented from crossing over to the free areas of Cyprus.

[03] Denktas asks his "police" to prepare a "black list" and describes as "speculations" the information regarding returning Varosha to its legal owners.

[04] Hotel built on Greek Cypriot land was sold to Ismet Kotak on 03.04.03.

[05] Illegal BRT programme producer resigned because he could not stand the pressure of the puppet regime.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] Erdogan's illegal visit to occupied Cyprus was imposed by the military during the latest NSC meeting.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Reference to Cyprus by Presidents Bush and Sezer during a telephone conversation

The Turkish Presidential Press Center said that U.S. President Bush conveyed the condolences of the American administration and the people due to the earthquake disaster in Bingol, Turkey.

U.S. President Bush also referred to Cyprus and said that he was pleased with the recent developments in Cyprus, expressing his hope for finding a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem.

Bush also told Sezer that the U.S. knew the sensitivity of Turkey regarding the protection of Iraq's territorial integrity and that the U.S. would insistently continue implementing its policy within this line. President Sezer thanked U.S. President Bush who expressed condolences for the earthquake.

Noting that Turkey attributed great importance to cooperation with its friend and ally the U.S., President Sezer said that the Turkish-American partnership had to be further strengthened. Sezer stated that the two countries could also cooperate regarding the Iraqi issue.

President Sezer said that the recent developments about Cyprus were pleasing, adding that he sincerely hoped for a solution on the island. President Sezer stressed that both sides had to approach the problem with the same understanding for finding a solution.

[02] Sener Levent is prevented from crossing over to the free areas of Cyprus

According to the paper, "a policeman working under cover who was in charge of the officers in uniform at the Turkish barricade" told Sener Levent that he was not allowed to go outside the so-celled borders of the pseudostate. When asked to say his name the above-mentioned person said that he did not have to do this and went away.

The paper writes that it had contacted Taner Erginel, so-called "president of the supreme court" of the puppet regime, who said that he did not know any accusation forbidding Sener Levent from going outside the occupied areas.

Meanwhile according to AFRIKA, Akin Sait as well, the so-called "attorney general" of the puppet regime, said he did not know of any "court decision" forbidding Sener Levent to leave the pseudostate.

[03] Denktas asks his "police" to prepare a "black list" and describes as "speculations" the information regarding returning Varosha to its legal owners

During a meeting with the National Women's Movement, Mr Denktas referred to the incident which took place two days ago at Agia Irini village in the area of occupied Kyrenia, where some Turkish Cypriots attacked a Greek Cypriot whom they considered responsible for the murder of their relatives back in the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

Mr Denktas said that yesterday he had a meeting on the issue with the so-called "director" of his "police" and added:

"Until the police were informed the Greek Cypriot had gone away. Let a black list be prepared and such people to be on it. Let those names be defined from the documents of the past and let this 'black list' be in front of every policeman. Thus this kind of people will not be passing. Something might happen to them and troubles might be caused. We have to prevent such things. We had said in the past that we should give to each other 'black lists' in order for freedom of movement to exist. Now the time for it has come".

Furthermore, speaking during another meeting Mr Denktas described as "speculations" the information published in the Greek Cypriot press regarding some moves by Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan among which there is also the return of the closed Varosha area to its legitimate owners. Mr Denktas noted that he had suggested the return of the above-mentioned area to the Greek Cypriots, provided that the so-called "embargoes", applied as a result of the implementation of the international law and the UN decisions after the illegal Turkish invasion of 1974 in the occupied areas, are lifted.

Mr Denktas alleged the following: "70 - 80 % of Varosha is Vakif land which in the past was sold or given to the church, the schools and to some persons in an illegal manner. This has been done without the approval of Evkaf and the issue is at the court. Therefore, these are speculations. Do not give importance to the speculations created by the Greek Cypriots if you do not hear something from the authorities of the TRNC".

[04] Hotel built on Greek Cypriot land was sold to Ismet Kotak on 03.04.03

Under the title "The wealth of a sinking boat" and head subtitle "Dream Land Holiday Village of Karavas, worth 1.5 million pound sterlings was sold to Ismet Kotak for 600,000 Sterlings", the paper writes that the hotel has 48 villas, swimming pool, restaurant and extra land of 15 donums and it was built on land which belongs to Greek Cypriots.

The paper publishes a photocopy of a sale-contract baring the date of April 3, 2003, according to which Ismet Kotak is the buyer of the immovable property of title deeds with numbers 7794, 3316, 3312 and 7793, with all the buildings and trees in them at Karavas of Kyrenia.

In the meantime 7-8 villas were sold to individual buyers.

The paper gives details of who built the hotel, how it was bought by Kotak and then, with the approval of Salih Cosar, so-called Minister of Finance, it was sold to a partnership of Celal Beyar and Mustafa Uzun.

The buyers of the villas in the holiday village recoursed to so-called court objecting the sale by Kotak, on grounds that it was illegal and immoral.

The paper concludes by posing questions as to how within a year the hotel village worth 1.5 million sterlings was built, why it was sold for 600,000 sterlings and what the source of the buyers was. It is said that in this tripartite partnership there is an international company, writes the paper.

It is noted that Mr Ismet Kotak is the leader of the Turkish Cypriot Free Democratic Party.

[05] Illegal BRT programme producer resigned because he could not stand the pressure of the puppet regime

The paper says that Mr Atabek decided to resign because of the pressure from the "state" and wants to share with the public the days he lived under the pressure and for this reason he makes public his letter.

Mr Atabek describes how he was forced to invite only politicians and persons against the Annan Plan in his programmes, and always he got a reply that the "state" was against inviting politicians from the opposition parties who supported the Annan Plan.

"For three months the `state' specified both the issues of my programme and the guests to my programmes", writes Mr Atabek.

After the limited relaxing of the crossings to and from the occupied areas "the state" was not pleased and despite the openings it tried to continue its broadcasts into directions that things will get worse", goes on Mr Atabek and adds:

"On May 1st, 2003, we prepared reportages with Greek and Turkish Cypriots from the Lapithos area to be broadcast on "Habermetre", but the man in charge said `No'. When I asked for the reason, I got the reply that `the state' does not want this".

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] Erdogan's illegal visit to occupied Cyprus was imposed by the military during the latest NSC meeting

When I was thinking about considering in detail the fault lines formed in the foundation after the National Security Council (NSC) meeting in Ankara the day before yesterday [Wednesday, 30 April], towards morning the earthquake news came from Bingol.

The greatest damages were once again in the public sector buildings!

Let us hope that this vicious circle going and coming between hollowing out the bottom and robbing the top of the state will come to an end and let us come to the breakings in Ankara.

First of all, let us stress the following that we would very much like to be making interpretations in parallel with the following news, announced by a great part of the media:

A major harmony... A joint text... Mutual agreement...

The reality is not like this!

The JDP [Justice and Development Party] appears to have assumed a policy like this:

To realize step by step what it wants and to announce those who oppose it as those "making the environment tense"!

It is really a tense situation!

It draws attention to the fact that an important part of the NSC meeting, which lasted for 7.5 hours, brought to the surface different viewpoints. Setting everything aside, the fact that after the NSC meeting, Prime Minister Erdogan organized a separate meeting at the Foreign Ministry with the members of the Council of Ministers who had attended the NSC meeting and that the military organized a separate meeting at the headquarters of the regiment guarding the Presidential Residence, set forth the depth of the fault line. The media ignoring this or claiming that there is no tension resembles destroying the fault line under a settlement area by making news one after another and with the decision of the municipal assembly!

Let us emphasize once again, we would have liked very much that the JDP would really feel respect for Turkey's basic values and that the meeting would have passed within the framework of mutual dialogue and a search for solutions in the NSC foundation. But the situation is the opposite.

For example, the conversations on the subject of partisan appointments to the cadres passed as follows in the meeting:

Military - Care is not shown for qualification in appointments. The party members are carried to the state administration.

Erdogan - We want to work with our own team.

Military - The persons on duty are also the citizens of this country.

Erdogan - When you are appointed to a command position do you also not establish your own team?

Military - Yes, we do, but those coming to the position and leaving the position have common characteristics. All of them are persons who are Kemalist, secular and have adopted the values of this country. They are persons who know their duty. Among those you have appointed there are people who have problems with the regime or people who are unfamiliar with the position to which they have been appointed.

Erdogan - In your opinion, it could be like that, but in our opinion it is not!

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the discussions on every subject passed in a similar atmosphere. We had emphasized that sub-paragraph "a" of the NSC declaration was secularism, but it would also be useful to make a reference to sub-paragraphs "b", "c" and "d". When the dispute remains only on the line of secularism, then the unsuccessfulness of the government on many subjects is also pushed to the background.

The "b" sub-paragraph in the NSC declaration was Iraq. What the military and the government should do is written here. Presently, the news coming from Iraq is indefinite. The summary of the picture is as follows:

We are even having difficulty in sending Red Crescent [Kizilay] aid to the Turkomans!

The "c" sub-paragraph is about Cyprus. The steps taken with the initiatives of Rauf Denktas provided a sigh of relief, that is all. After the Greek Prime Minister Simitis' visit to the island, the Prime Minister of Turkey should also have gone there as a response to this. Prime Minister Erdogan will go, even if reluctantly, but he is thinking whether he should go at a later date or an earlier date!

The "d" sub-paragraph is related to the pipelines. The JDP is extremely interested in this! But only with the part of how to change the administrators of these institutions and to appoint its own team. For example, Prime Minister Erdogan is unaware of the developments related to the Blue Stream, which must be because he is engaged in other currents!

Let us summarize once again the general course:

The JDP is crossing out the subjects, which have been underlined by the military. How far can these "crossing outs" go? What will happen if it exceeds the limits?

Those who think about the next generations more than the upcoming elections are obliged to think about this!

/SK

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