Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-02-13

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Serdar and Rauf Denktas disclose the content of the New York talks on Cyprus.

[02] Rauf Denktas explains what is going on in the New York talks on Cyprus.

[03] Details given by NTV on the New York talks and an averted Denktas-Erdogan crisis.

[04] How the Turkish Cypriot press covers the talks on Cyprus under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General in New York.

[05] Statements by Ugur Ziyal on the current state of the talks on Cyprus in New York.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Serdar and Rauf Denktas disclose the content of the New York talks on Cyprus

He said: "We submitted a proposal at today's meeting based on a concept presented by the UN Secretary-General to the sides. This new process, which will be launched in a bid to find a lasting and viable solution to the Cyprus issue, is a proposal to set up a mechanism on how to resolve possible deadlocks and disagreements that can emerge. The UN Secretary-General found our proposal extremely positive."

Mr Serdar Denktas further said that the Greek Cypriot side will reply to the proposal today.

NTV further reported that the UN officials may meet with the Greek Cypriot side today before the meeting in order to listen to their proposals and views. According to the observers, the United Nations will, in this way, have a chance to form a synthesis after studying the proposals of both sides and put forward a document to the sides at the tripartite meeting with the condition for their affirmative or negative response.

The details of the proposal submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side at the New York meetings are slowly unfolding. It was learned that the solution proposal of the Turkish Cypriot side has three stages. If the Greek Cypriot side accepts the proposal, at the first stage, the Turkish Cypriot and the Greek Cypriot sides will try to reach a conciliation between themselves by engaging in talks, which will continue until mid-March. In the event that the sides do not reach an agreement, the second stage of the plan will be put into action and Athens and Ankara will get involved for approximately one week and put the pressure on the sides to dispel the points of disagreement. If the points of disagreement are still there, it will then be accepted for the UN Secretary-General to act together with Turkey and Greece to fill in the blanks and make the plan ready by 31 March.

In a statement he issued with regard to the proposal, Mr Rauf Denktas said that the plan was prepared by Turkey, adding that Annan is not the sole arbitrator in the plan.

Meanwhile the semi-official Ankara Anatolia news agency reported that Rauf Denktas shared his views on the plan with the press after the details of the Turkish Cypriot proposal were leaked. Denktas said: 'This formula was prepared by Turkey. It is a good and nice formula.' Noting that Turkey and Greece should participate in the process,' Denktas added: 'The guarantor states should also assume responsibility.' Explaining that the fact that Annan is not the sole authority on filling in the blanks with regard to the disagreements, Denktas added: 'This is sort of a valve for us.'

A diplomatic source, who assessed the Turkish Cypriot plan to AA, said that 'the Greek Cypriots found themselves in great difficulty after the Turkish proposal.' The source, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'The Greek Cypriot side was completely baffled and found itself in difficulty after having totally based their strategy on Rauf Denktas' intransigent attitude.

In the meantime, Greek Cypriot sources say that the Greek Cypriots are thinking of replying to the Turkish side's proposal by involving the EU. Accordingly, the Greek Cypriots want the EU to be included in the solution process together with the United Nations, reported A.A.

[02] Rauf Denktas explains what is going on in the New York talks on Cyprus

In reply to a correspondent's question on whether he is comfortable with the stage reached, Denktas said: "Today, we are covering a route with Turkey. We will eventually reach a crossroad. Only then will we say whether the lines, which we Turkish Cypriots describe as red lines and which are necessary for Turkey's security, are successful. Only then will we see and say that we are at ease."

Denktas continued: "The plan had an important article. It said that the Annan plan will remain on the table in the event that the sides are in disagreement and no accord is reached. This was unacceptable for both sides. Kofi Annan asked to express our views in this regard as the UN Secretary-General thought that this issue should be resolved for the talks to continue."

Noting that the proposal presented by the Turkish Cypriot side meets with the approval of Turkey and that an interim formula was found, Denktas added: "Our proposal was accepted and the UN Secretary-General thought it was very wise."

Denktas further said that they were waiting for the reply of the Greek Cypriot side, which was discussing the proposal with Greece.

In the early hours of 13.02.04 Ankara Anatolia reported from New York that the third session of the Cyprus talks sponsored by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan started after two hours and ten minutes delay.

During this period, Annan, his special envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto and Assistant Secretary General Sir Kieran Prendergast held shuttle diplomacy between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides which were staying in separate rooms.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos shook their hands for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Cypriot delegation missed the Turkish Airlines plane which would carry them to Turkey due to the delay of the meeting so they will spend the night in New York.

Talking to reporters who asked about the reason for the delay, Rauf Denktas said that the Greek Cypriot side was seeking for the impossible.

Meanwhile, the proposals put forward by the Greek Cypriot side have started to become clear on the third day of the Cyprus talks in New York.

Greek Cypriots do not want the Annan's plan to be the ''starting point'' as it is wanted by the Turkish side but they want it to be taken as the ''basis of negotiations''.

The Greek Cypriot side also proposes the inclusion of the European Union in the process.

Greek Cypriots also propose for the U.N. Security Council to make a decision which stresses that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan ''is the only authority to fill the gaps''.

Greek Cypriot sources told the A.A correspondent on Thursday that although he does not want Annan to be the only authority, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos has made this latest proposal because he thinks that ''in this way, he can easily explain it to his people''.

[03] Details given by NTV on the New York talks and an averted Denktas-Erdogan crisis

On 10 August, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had asked the two sides to posit their proposals and had extended the talks to 11 February with the hope that an agreement could be reached. An unexpected problem occurred in the meantime, and Prime Minister Erdogan's remarks on the stand of Rauf Denktas during the talks were reported in the media. Erdogan said on his way back from South Korea: We gave him a road map. If he does not remain loyal to it, the "TRNC" will pay a price. Think what the "TRNC" will gain and what it will lose after 1 May. That is what we must think about."

After hearing these remarks, Denktas decided not to go on with the talks and to return to Cyprus. Turkish diplomats got involved, however, and called Ankara. Prime Minister Erdogan called Denktas on the telephone in order to eliminate this deadlock and persuaded him to go on with the talks.

On 11 February, when the two sides were supposed to extend their proposals, Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said -- in order to put pressure on the Turkish side -- that he wanted to hear the Turkish Cypriot proposal first. The Turkish side submitted its proposals written in one page to the Greek Cypriot side and to the United Nations. Papadopoulos read the proposals, after which he called Greece on the telephone from the negotiating table and conferred with Prime Minister Simitis.

The meeting which everybody thought lasted one hour and a half lasted only 15 minutes, and was limited to the presentation of the Turkish Cypriot proposals, because following his telephone conversation, Papadopoulos asked for a break. The Greek Cypriot team went into a room on the 37th floor -- the floor on which the talks are being held -- and assessed the situation. Secretary-General Annan went to his office and conducted his talks and routine affairs. The Turkish delegation heard Rauf Denktas' anecdotes and memories. When the sides convened again, the Greek Cypriot side proposed that the EU take part in the talks as well. The teams then left the meeting in order to resume it today.

In a letter to the UN Secretary-General, the Turkish side lists as follows the four changes it wants made in the agreement: adding the sentence "Cyprus is founded by two different nations with Turkish and Greek sovereignty," noting that parliamentary decisions must be made without trampling on the Turkish Cypriot sector; even if symbolic, allowing a certain number of Turkish soldiers on the island indefinitely; having a straight border in the map on land concessions; limiting the number of Greek Cypriots who will settle in the Turkish Cypriot sector by 10 percent of the Turkish Cypriot population; and allowing for guarantees that will restrict Greek Cypriots' recourse to international courts for property they have in north Cyprus.

When the Greek Cypriot side proposed that the EU take part in the Cyprus talks, Turkey retaliated by contacting Washington and asking it to get involved in the talks. NTV has learned from sources close to the United Nations, that Turkey will not convey this demand directly to Annan because it does not want to undermine the United States' impartial position. Together with the EU, Washington will attend the talks within the framework of Annan's efforts to maintain a balance.

[04] How the Turkish Cypriot press covers the talks on Cyprus under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General in New York

In alphabetical order the papers carry the news to their readers as follows:

AFRIKA: In its front page the paper uses the title "The third round which was thought to be the shortest became the longest. Proposal to the proposal". The paper cites the third day of talks minute to minute also in the first page and in the inside pages the statements made by Serdar and Rauf Denktas the day before.

BIRLIK: The paper covers the events in New York in four frames under the titles: "The words of Erdogan angered Denktas", "The leader of NUP Eroglu said that he does not believe changes are possible to the Annan plan", "Explaining the three-stage plan prepared by Turkey Denktas stressed: `I do not let Annan to be the sole arbitratorī" and "A proposal not approached positively by Turkey is coming. The Greek Cypriot side will propose the participation of the EU in the negotiations at the second stage". In its inside pages the paper gives details on the items projected in its front page.

HALKIN SESI: Under a full front page leader with one title: "In the place of a reply a proposal came from the Greek Cypriots", the paper gives highlights of the developments and detailed news in the inside pages.

ORTAM: Under the title "Vicious circle "the paper writes that the third day was a crisis day and evolved into a war of tactics by the sides.

KIBRIS: The paper dedicates its front page to the talks with a photograph with President Papadopoulos and the Turkish Cypriot leader shaking hands and title: "The longest night in the Cyprus talks. Marathon in New York".

In its front page the paper coves the events minute to minute.

KIBRISLI: The paper devotes the whole of its front page on the talks with a photograph with Mr Annan and Mr Denktas shaking hands and the banner headlines: "War of tactics. After the Turkish side started a tactics war against the Greek Cypriots, they too turned to counter attack" The paper covers the news in its inside pages as well.

VATAN: "The longest night in the process which started for the destiny of Cyprus", is the title of VATAN in its front page. In its second page the paper publishes photographs of Erdogan and Gul and two separate news items under the titles: "Gul: Mr Rauf, you will go down in history", and "Erdogan: Thanks Denktas". The paper reports that Mr Gul called Denktas on the phone and congratulated him for his proposal regarding the arbitrator which put the Greek side in the corner.

The paper also reports that Mr Erdogan called Mr Denktas on the phone and expressed his satisfaction for Denktasī efforts.

VOLKAN: On top of its logo the paper publishes Erogluīs statements under the title: "The Annan document cannot be accepted". In its front page leader the paper bears the title: "In front of history and the great Turkish nation responsibility is with the Erdogan-Gul duo". In a small frame in its front page with the title "This is a step back", the paper publishes statements by the deputy Chairman of the opposition party in Turkey, the Republican Peopleīs Party, Mr Onur Oymen, who said that Mr Denktas was forced to accept the filling up of the gaps by the UN Secretary-General and that this was contrary to the decisions of the National Security Council and the Ankara summit.

YENIDUZEN: Finally, YENIDUZEN newspaper covers the events in New York under the title: "Again till daybreak Tough bargaining". The paper stresses that the negotiations were still continuing when the paper went to the printing house and cites the developments minute by minute.

[05] Statements by Ugur Ziyal on the current state of the talks on Cyprus in New York

Ugur Ziyal went on and said that Greece still insists on this point. Ziyal expressed satisfaction as regards the course of the negotiations and said that he hoped these developments will come to a conclusion in the coming hours. Ziyal added that the last word would be the formula to be presented by the UN Secretary-General and the answer to be given to this by Greece. Birand said that Ziyal had time and again underlined that "the Turkish side has accepted everything on the negotiation table. Now there is only one detail remaining and the ball is on Greece's court".

SK/

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