Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-08-01

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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 European Court of Human Rights has given its verdict on two recourses by Greek Cypriots against Turkey.

[02] Deputies of Kurdish origin resign from the Republican People´s Party.

[03] The deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism of Kazakhstan met with Rauf Denktas.

[04] The administration of Vakif demands 500 billion dollars for compensation.

[05] The Supreme Military Council to convene today.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] Turkish Cypriot columnist criticizes Prime Minister Erdogan accusing Turkey of not wanting peace in Cyprus.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The European Court of Human Rights has given its verdict on two recourses by Greek Cypriots against Turkey

The ECHR concluded that Turkey had violated article 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, dealing with the defense of property [rights], as well as article 8, which deals with the inviolability of private residences.

While the Strasbourg court has not yet ruled against Turkey for the payment of damages, it did rule Turkey must pay court costs of 8,480 euros to Michael Tymvio, 55 years old, and 2,875 euros to John Demades, 73 years old.

It is expected that the court will hand down its ruling on the request for damages at a later date.

The ruling's mention of the law, recently passed in the ^ÓTRNC^Ô which provides for Greek Cypriots to apply to courts in the occupied areas regarding their assets and properties in the occupied part of the island, was noteworthy.

In his law suit, John Demades had charged that he has since 1974 been prevented from going to his house in the north of the island by the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), and that Turkey has violated his human rights.

Michael Tymvio, who is the owner of the Eugenia Michaelidou company, had also filed a similar complaint.

The ruling that the ECHR would give in these cases, which resemble the case of the Greek Cypriot Titina Loizidou, the results of which have been controversial, had been of particular interest in light of the recent openings regarding Cyprus by both the ^ÓTRNC^Ô and Turkey.

Turkey had announced that it will carry out, as of October, the requirements of the ECHR's verdict in the Loizidou case, which has long created difficulties between Strasbourg and Ankara, but had called for this case not to constitute a precedent for further law suits by Greek Cypriots.

It is expected that Turkey will pay Loizidou approximately 900 thousand dollars, including interest, in compensation, concludes A.A.

[02] Deputies of Kurdish origin resign from the Republican People´s Party

Nezir Nasiroglu, who represents the eastern Turkish province of Batman in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, (TGNA) tendered his resignation on Thursday, a day after Cemal Kaya, who sits in the parliament representing the province of Agri, also walked out.

Nasiroglu has yet to indicate whether he will be joining another of the parties in the parliament or remain as an independent.

With the second resignation in 24 hours, the RPP^Òs seats in the parliament have been reduced to 175. The ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP) holds 366 seats, with the True Path Party (TPP) holding three seats, the Motherland Party (MP) one, with another five seats, including Nasiroglu and Kaya, held by independents.

Meanwhile, SABAH newspaper (31.07.03) reports that the reason behind the resignation of the deputies from the Republic People´s Party is the stand adopted by the Party towards the ^ÓReturn Home Law^Ô, approved by the TGNA on 29 July, 2003.

Under the new law, which has yet to be ratified by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, those members of armed groups who have not taken part in armed attacks will be pardoned after surrendering to the authorities.

SABAH newspaper reports that 240 members of the PKK have already applied, of whom 27 from abroad, and adds:

^ÓRPP Agri Deputy Cemal Kaya, tendered his resignation from his party, because he did not approve of the Chairman and the administrative Council of his party´s opposition to the Return Home Law^Ô.

[03] The deputy Minister of Sports and Tourism of Kazakhstan met with Rauf Denktas

Speaking during the meeting, Mr Rauf Denktas said that he is pleased to hear that the pseudostate will co-operate with Kazakhstan in the area of sports. On his part, Mr Tukiev stated that Mr Denktas is a ^Ólegend^Ô of the history of Cyprus. ^ÓYou are like our father and our mother inside the ´Turkish states´^Ô, he told Mr Denktas.

[04] The administration of Vakif demands 500 billion dollars for compensation

Mr Taner Dervis, in a statement he made yesterday to the illegal Turkish Cypriot News Agency (TAK), claimed that during the period 1878-1960 of the British colony and the period of 1960-1974, the real estates of Vakif were looted, so their right for compensation has exceeded the 500 billion dollars.

Mr Taner Dervis also said that there are plans to open the closed-area of Varosha within the framework of a Master plan. With the opening of the closed-area of Varosha, 20 thousand extra hotel beds will be made available and this will create 15 thousand new jobs in 5 thousands new work places. This will increase the national income by 100%.

[05] The Supreme Military Council to convene today

Of the 15 top generals and admirals forming the command backbone of the Turkish Armed Forces, one-third of them, or five of them, will retire with the SMC meeting.

The SMC meeting is expected to change the commanders of the Turkish Naval and Air forces, and strengthen the prospect for Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit to succeed Gen. Hilmi Ozkok in 2006 as the chief of general staff, or the top commander, of the country.

Besides the naval and air forces commanders, SMC, which will meet for the first time under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will also decide to dispatch to retirement the head of the National Security Council (NSC -- the powerful council of top military and civilian officials) Gen. Tuncer Kilinc, First Army Commander Cetin Dogan and Third Army Commander Tamer Akbas as well as scores of other generals and colonels who have completed their waiting periods but could not receive promotion because of insufficient posts. Retirements and new promotions will be effective as of the end of August.

While five of the seven lieutenant generals who have completed their waiting period in that rank will be appointed to full general posts vacated by the retiring generals, top commanders are also planning to open a new general post at the Training and Doctrine Command in place of the secretary general of NSC post. This appointment might be the last by the SMC as the NSC post will soon be opened for civilian appointment also in line with the seventh reform package legislated in Parliament on Wednesay.

Naval Forces Commander Bulent Alpkaya will retire with the SMC meeting and Navy Commander Ozden Ornek is expected to replace him, and Air Forces Commander Cumhur Asparuk is expected to be replaced by War Academies Commander Halil Ibrahim Firtina.

This year's SMC will shape the future command structure of the Turkish Armed Forces. If seniority will be considered in the appointment to the post of the Second Chief of Staff, the strongest candidate is Aegean Army Commandeer Gen. Hursit Tolon. However, there is a tradition in the Turkish military which gives the right to the chief of staff to choose his right hand man. If Ozkok decides to use that privilege of the chief of general staff, he may prefer a name he would like for the key post.

Apart from Gen. Tolon, the names of Gen. Ilker Basbug, the current chief of staff of the Land Forces and Gen. Koksal Karabay, the current head of the Operations Department of the General Staff are mentioned in Ankara corridors as possible successors of Gen. Buyukanit as deputy chief of general staff.

According to the most possible scenario, Turkish Land Forces Commander Aytac Yalman will remain in his post for the next year, Buyukanit will become the First Army commander and become the strongest candidate for the post of Land Forces commander next year and for the post of chief of general staff in 2006, when Gen. Hilmi Ozkok completes his tenure. Gen. Basbug, who played a significant role in the negotiations between Turkey and the United States before and after the Iraq war, will be appointed in place of Buyukanit as deputy chief of staff while Gen. Karabay will be appointed as Third Army commander. According to this scenario, Basbug would succeed Buyukanit as chief of general staff in 2009 or 2010.

Apart from appointments and retirements, the SMC will also decide on the files of officers and non-commissioned officers to be expelled from the military for poor discipline record or for "fundamentalist" activities. The expulsion decisions, that cannot be appealed, will be signed by Prime Minister Erdogan as the chairman of SMC.

The SMC meeting will be atttended by Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Land Forces Commander Gen. Aytac Yalman, Sea Forces Commander Adm. Bulent Alpkaya, Air Forces Commander Gen. Cumhur Asparuk, Gendarmarie General Commander Gen. Sener Eruygur, the Commander of First Army gen Cetin Dogan, Second Army Commander Gen Fevzi Turkeri, Third Army Commander Gen. Tamer Akbas, Aegean Army Commander Hursit Tolon, Chief of Land Forces Gen. Ilker Basbug, Commander of War Academies Gen. Ibrahim Firtina, Second Chief of Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, NATO South European Joint Forces Commander Gen Oktar Ataman, Navy Commander Adm. Ozden Ornek, and National Security Council General Secretary Gen. Tuncer Kilinc.

The decisions taken in the SMC meeting will be announced after the approval of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] Turkish Cypriot columnist criticizes Prime Minister Erdogan accusing Turkey of not wanting peace in Cyprus

^ÓSo things are as you have described them Mr Erdogan. ^ÑThe mentality, which takes one kilo of cheese from the hands of the man who bought this cheese from northern Cyprus, is not in favour of peace^Ò. What you said is very good and very nice. However, please answer the following questions so that we stop being confused!

Is Denktas, who says that ^Ñthe Annan Plan is dead and cannot be revived again^Ò, in favour of peace? Is the mentality, which says that ^ÑAnnan has deceived us^Ò, in favour of peace? Is the mentality, which puts the condition to the Greek Cypriots who want to travel to Turkey to go via the TRNC, in favour of peace? Is celebrating the 20th of July in a more pompous manner than ever and making speeches saying that the TRNC will live forever and that we are like the flesh and nail with Turkey, in favour of peace? Is doing all these in favour of peace in spite of the positive climate created after the controlled opening of the gates? Are the TRNC authorities, which by setting forward ridiculous and inhuman justifications have prevented the gathering in the memory of those who lost their life in the war, in favour of peace? Are the authorities of the Republic of Turkey, which do not interfere against this mentality but on the contrary support these authorities, in favour of peace? Are the authorities of the Republic of Turkey, which do not criticize but on the contrary cheer for those who are barbarously insulting the Greek Cypriot victims of the war calling them ^Ñcarrions^Ò, in favour of peace? Is the mentality, which prevented such a human and peaceful gathering saying that ^Ñwe shall not defile our martyrs with the soil of the Greek Cypriot carrions^Ò, in favour of peace?

It is said that you are a sincerely religious man. In that case, please explain to us. According to which religion, faith, humanity and peace, you insult the people of a nation who died in the war calling them ^Ñcarrions and filthy^Ò? Show the same sensitivity you have shown for a kilo of cheese, for the mentality of those who insult the Greek Cypriots who died in the war calling them ^Ñcarrions^Ò. This should be the appropriate thing for a sincerely religious man to do. This is the appropriate thing for a mentality, which is in favour of peace to do. The appropriate thing is not remaining silent before these inhuman insults, which remind a barbarian yell, because your silence means that you approve of this barbarity.

You have not taken seriously the demand of the Turkish Cypriots for peace, solution and accession to the EU! You have not considered it important! You were not concerned at all even about the fact that more and more of these people began ]leaving their country and emigrating in order to be saved from the clutches of the non-solution, the occupation and the status quo! ^ÑLet them go^Ò, you said! ^ÑWe have a lot of Turks here to send there^Ò, you said! You have made fun of the feelings and the half-century honorable struggle of the Turkish Cypriots to survive on this land! Using now as an excuse the confiscation of a kilo of cheese, which is of course something to be condemned, you are seeing the chippings instead of seeing the rafter in your own eyes. This is not appropriate at all for an honest and objective politician, who is furthermore a sincerely religious man. Let me tell you something Mr Erdogan. This mentality is also not in favour of peace!^Ô

/SK

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