Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-07-29

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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 Foreign Minister stated that Turkey links the Cyprus problem to its receiving a date for EU accession talks.

[02] An economic summit for the Karpass peninsula took place at the pseudostate.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[03] Turkish Cypriot columnist criticizes the positions of Mehmet Ali Talat on the issue of the Turkish settlers.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Foreign Minister stated that Turkey links the Cyprus problem to its receiving a date for EU accession talks

Stressing that the United States demanded troops from Turkey because it knows well the region, Gul noted that he did not make any promises to the Americans and added:

"Turkey cannot remain indifferent to this issue. That is, Turkey cannot say that it will not interfere in Iraq regardless of what happens there. This issue will be taken up by the government. Undoubtedly, the government will assess this issue. We have on the one hand real politik, and on the other, Turkey's needs. I also think that a risk analysis will be conducted. The views of the General Staff are also very important and I believe that they will be taken into consideration. Turkey, however, cannot say that it is not interested in Iraq. We have a close interest in all that is going on in Iraq. It is completely different to the previous time. Beforehand, there was a war under way. The issue beforehand was whether we should take an active or passive role in this war. This time it is, undoubtedly, different. The issue this time is to bring normalization, put some order in the lives of the people and Iraq. This will be assessed in those terms and will, undoubtedly, take a reasonable period of time. We also want to bring this issue to a conclusion during a reasonable period of time."

Question: A couple of weeks? A couple of months?

Answer: I do not think a couple of weeks because there is no such expectation.

Question: Is fall more probable?

Answer: As I said, let us first assess this issue with the government.

Noting that the US officials assured that the PKK [Workers Party of Kurdistan] camps in northern Iraq will most definitely be closed, Gul added: "Otherwise, the credibility of the United States in fighting terrorism will be seriously undermined."

Mr Gul went on: "We are a country that attaches great importance to Iraq's territorial integrity. Why would we, therefore, want to have a continuous military presence in somebody else's territory? In case of urgency, however, we will not listen to anybody."

Explaining that Turkey links the issues of Cyprus to receiving a date from EU to each other and that this should not be considered a blackmail, Gul noted that, in this way, the lack of security felt by the Turkish Cypriots will be dissipated and the way to a solution facilitated. Gul continued: "Under these circumstances, our position on the Cyprus issue will also change."

[02] An economic summit for the Karpass peninsula took place at the pseudostate

As the paper reports the summit was under the "chairmanship" of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktas and many so-called "officials" and members of the pseudogovernment participated in it. Among them were Mr Hayati Guven, the so-called Ambassador of Turkey in the pseudostate, Mr Dervis Eroglu, the pseudoprime-minister, Mr Necmettin Baykul, the Brigadier General of the occupation Turkish army in the pseudostate and Mr Salih Cosar, the "Minister" of Finance of the pseudogovernment.

During the summit the financial and social problems of the Karpass peninsula were examined. Moreover the measures taken so far for the area, as well as the steps that will be taken in the future, were discussed. Speaking at the meeting Mr Denktas stated that a lot of things are happening now and will happen at the peninsula and stressed that some of them are known but some others are not known. He also said that the meeting was carried out with the though to give hope to the persons who live in the area.

In addition, some of the papers of the opposition criticized the event. Turkish Cypriot daily newspaper ORTAM (29.07.03) writes that the meeting was held because of the so-called "elections" of the pseudostate and it is an effort made by Denktas and his followers "to deceive once more" the persons who live in the Karpass peninsula. The paper also stresses that it is not accidental that along with Mr Denktas the so-called Ambassador of Turkey in the pseudostate and the Brigadier General of the Turkish occupation army escorted Mr Denktas. Moreover, Turkish Cypriot daily newspaper YENI DUZEN (29.07.03) accuses Mr Denktas of not inviting to the meeting the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce or the civil societies that criticize him. The paper also writes that a tense discussion started when Mr Denktas criticized some members of the "government" who expressed different views than his regarding the Cyprus problem.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[03] Turkish Cypriot columnist criticizes the positions of Mehmet Ali Talat on the issue of the Turkish settlers

"In his interview with POLITIS Mehmet Ali Talat made important statements. First of all it was very good that he has clarified the way the RTP looks at the 'TRNC' citizens from Turkey. To the question of POLITIS 'you have begun to support the settlers, why have you changed your policy?' Talat responded that they have never had a negative stance against the settlers, that a lot of (the settlers) live in the island for more than 20 years, that being against the settlers was not just and humane, that the provisions of the Annan Plan regarding the settlers were just and that in case the Greek Cypriot administration insisted on reducing the number of the 'settlers' he would feel ashamed to discuss this issue because it is a humane issue.

Thank you Mehmet Ali, because you have expressed in such a clear manner the views of RTP regarding the population brought from Turkey. However, you made things worse while trying to be helpful. When setting forward the human aspect of the issue, you 'skipped over' its dimension regarding the international law. This is the first. The second is that you ignored the violation of the 'right of the Turkish Cypriots to determine their own future'. Third, you did not consider at all the situation of the demographic structure of northern Cyprus if a solution to the Cyprus problem is not reached in the near future. Fourth, you seem to forget that the population from Turkey is under a great pressure before every election and they do not vote with their own free will. And fifth, you did not tell us what will the fate of the Turkish Cypriots be in case you loose the December elections because of the population from Turkey.

Not only on this issue, but also in every issue you are in trouble if you do not bother about the law and put the humane aspect before the law. If now I take 3-5 friends and go to Mehmet Ali's house for a visit and if afterwards I stay for the night and if I extend my visit living on what he earns, if I take my family also into Mehmet Ali's house, if Mehmet Ali accepts this situation being afraid of the humanitarian aspect, if 29 years go by and a voting should be held in the house in order to determine its future, if the population of Mehmet Ali's family is 8 persons and our population is 12 persons, will Mehmet Ali look at the issue only as a humanitarian issue and accept the results of such a voting or will he go to the court and defend the rights of his family until the end within the framework of the law?

The international law says that you cannot take population into any piece of land you had acquired by the use of military force. You can never colonize that place. The decision taken by the Council of Europe is in the same direction. You could ask: Very well, does this issue not have a humanitarian aspect? Of course it has. However, the humanitarian aspect comes after the law.

I liked the fact that Mehmet Ali has heroically defended the rights of the population from Turkey, knowing that this would be against his own community. How many people have left to say 'first humanism'?" Get ready Mehmet Ali. Tomorrow night we are coming to visit you. Do not be afraid! I am not going to stay for the night, but I do not know whether or not the other friend will stay".

/SK

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