Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-03-24

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] TRT reports from Brussels on Turkey´s demands to make EU primary law the restrictions imposed on the Greek Cypriots since the military occupation of 1974.

[02] The NUP organized a demonstration in favour of the status quo imposed and maintained through the Turkish occupation troops.

[03] The Turkish Foreign Minister confirms that the Turkish Cypriot leader will boycott the second round of the talks for a solution to the problems created by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

[04] Ring granting citizenship of the occupation regime was uncovered.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[05] Columnist in CUMHURIYET sees the Greater Middle East Project as a US plan to besiege China and India and as a threat to the existing character of the Turkish state.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] TRT reports from Brussels on Turkey´s demands to make EU primary law the restrictions imposed on the Greek Cypriots since the military occupation of 1974

"Prior to the historic Cyprus talks to be held in Switzerland, the EU is issuing negative signals. The EU is opposed to the lasting restrictions which the Turkish side is insisting upon. The EU, which is opposed to perpetuating the restrictions in areas such as settlement and freedom of movement, does not want to incorporate these derogations into the Primary Law. The matter is also expected to be raised during Prime Minister Erdogan's contacts in Brussels. TRT Brussels correspondent Can Izbul reports on the details:

According to high-level sources close to the negotiating process, the EU is reluctant to render permanent the restrictions that will ensure the continuity of bizonality, especially with regard to the issues of settlement and property. EU sources who responded to TRT's questions said, when they were reminded about the permanent restrictions pertaining to Finland's Aaland Island: This island constitutes 1-2 percent of Finnish territory. In Cyprus, however, the territories of the Turkish side are close to two-thirds of the island. Therefore, a permanent derogation is unacceptable.

The EU, which wants the derogations to be temporary, also claims that it is sufficient for these derogations to be recognized by a council decision. The sources are also opposed to the procedures that will incorporate the derogations into the Primary Law on the grounds that this will take a long time and lead to a different interpretation of the EU law.

Incorporating these exceptions into Primary Law with the approval of all the countries is very important in terms of the viability of a possible agreement in Cyprus. The agreement faces the danger of gradually disintegrating given the individual right to petition the European Court of Justice with regard to any arrangement that is not included in the Primary Law. The matter is expected to be discussed in detail at the meeting to be held between EU Commissioner Verheugen and Prime Minister Erdogan, who will hold contacts in Brussels during the summit on 25-26 March."

[02] The NUP organized a demonstration in favour of the status quo imposed and maintained through the Turkish occupation troops

"The opposition National Unity Party [NUP] district organizations organized a march today under the slogan: Let us support our State and rights. The march, in which the NUP district organizations from Famagusta, Kyrenia, Nicosia, and Morphou participated, began at the Nicosia central bus station. The participants placed a wreath at the Ataturk monument and sang the Turkish national anthem. They later marched to the NUP central headquarters and submitted a letter to NUP leader Dervis Eroglu to inform him on their views on the Annan Plan. It was signed by the NUP district party leaders, deputies, and mayors. It outlined their uneasiness caused by the present stage in the Cyprus problem.

The letter claimed that an initiative has been made to deprive the Turkish Cypriots of their State, property, and security through a so-called formula for a solution and argued that the Annan Plan disregarded internal law. Noting that the NUP district organizations are determined to resist against pressure regardless of where it might come from, the letter said that the NUP will neither support the Annan Plan in its present form nor be misled by the cosmetic changes that might be made to it. It also said that the party will make a strenuous effort to have the document rejected.

Speaking to the marchers, Dervis Eroglu said that there can be nothing more wonderful than the people supporting their State, territory, property, and flag. He asserted: `I am confident that as our people in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus continue to study the Annan Plan and the comments made on it, they will better realize what they stand to lose.´

Dervis Eroglu later addressed the marchers from the balcony of the party headquarters."

[03] The Turkish Foreign Minister confirms that the Turkish Cypriot leader will boycott the second round of the talks for a solution to the problems created by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

"No doubt, an agreement to be reached on the island must become an unchangeable part of the European law. Any agreement to be reached on the island must be a lasting one. There should definitely not be a way to change such an agreement in the future through any means, through the European law."

After the meeting Mr Gul went to the airport accompanied by bureaucrats. In statements at the airport, Gul explained that he will hold contacts during the EU summit to ensure that an agreement to be attained in Cyprus is a lasting one. Everyone is aware of our sensitivities, the foreign minister said, adding that the developments in Kosovo increase Turkey's concerns.

"We definitely do not subscribe to the view of reaching a solution at all costs. I want this to be known. I hope that all this will be taken into consideration. I hope that it will be taken into consideration by the Secretary-General, and the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot peoples will be given the opportunity to hold a referendum on a plan they can accept," he said.

Pointing out that there is no change in the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Rauf Denktas' position not to go to Switzerland, Gul refrained from commenting on President Sezer's approach not to become involved in the Cyprus process.

"That is up to the honorable president. I have nothing to say on the matter," he said.

Reporting on Gul´s departure Ankara TRT 2 Television (23.03.04) broadcast that the Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has left for Switzerland. Prior to his departure he replied to reporters' questions. He said: Primarily, we aim at reaching a lasting agreement that will be accepted by the parties. The Turkish side will do all it can to achieve that. We will make the most of this opportunity.

Prior to his departure, Gul expressed the hope that the quadripartite talks to be held in Switzerland will end with an agreement. He said: If a result is not achieved, then in the light of the discussions held, the UN Secretary-General will make various amendments to the plan and a referendum will be held.

Gul called on National Assembly Speaker Bulent Arinc prior to his departure for Switzerland and briefed him on the latest situation reached in the Cyprus talks. He drew attention to the fact that an agreement could not be reached at the talks held between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides on the island.

"Consequently, Turkey and Greece are getting involved. First we, the foreign ministers, will begin. Later the honorable prime ministers will join in. We hope that a quadripartite agreement will be reached and that we will conclude the issue without leaving much to the UN Secretary-General. If, however, a result is not attained in these quadripartite talks, then the UN Secretary-General will make amendments to the plan in the light of the discussions held and the views put forth. We will go to the referendum in that manner," he said.

Gul said that great importance is attached to ensuring that the agreement reached becomes an unalterable part of the EU law.

"Fundamentally an agreement that is reached on the island as a result of all the efforts being exerted should be lasting. In the future there should definitely not be a way to change this agreement through the EU law. Then there is no point in reaching an agreement by exerting all these efforts," he added.

Arinc, in turn, said that the second round of the talks are about to begin within the framework of the agreement reached in New York and wished Gul success.

[04] Ring granting citizenship of the occupation regime was uncovered

The so-called Minister of Interior of the pseudo state Ozkan Murat confirmed the press reports regarding the forged official papers.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[05] Columnist in CUMHURIYET sees the Greater Middle East Project as a US plan to besiege China and India and as a threat to the existing character of the Turkish state

"The first year of the Bush administration's staging a big lie, by looking directly into the eyes of the entire world, has ended and we have entered the second year.

The big lie is the occupation of Iraq by President George Bush.

All of us know that the plans of the occupation were prepared during the Clinton period by the "Neo-Cons", before President Bush came to power.

The 11 September attacks are not the cause for preparing this plan, but it is a factor facilitating its implementation. This should be known as such!

Every sensible person knows that the "fight against terrorism" is not the real justification for the occupation and the Greater Middle East Project [GMEP], which came after that. The occupation of Iraq, setting aside preventing terrorism, has not even decreased terrorism, it has increased it.

Melih Asik in his "Open Window" column on Sunday [21 March] was setting forth extraordinarily clearly and expertly the image of the "anniversary of the war".

One element of the Big Lie was the "chemical, biological and weapons of mass destruction of Iraq". The experts of the United States, who worked at the UN and Hans Blix himself, were also clearly saying that Saddam did not have these weapons.

In fact, not even one of these types of weapons has been encountered during the past year. The entire world was deceived. The entire world and, in the meantime, especially Turkey is still being deceived.

With the GMEP, the United States wants to take all of the energy regions in the world and the roads going there under its supervision and thus to strengthen the domination of its own empire, to besiege China and India, which are the world giants of the future, and to take everything in its own hands on the subject of energy.

The temporary constitution of Iraq clearly sets forth what kind of a formation is being attempted to be created in this country.

It is also easily understood that it is impossible to continue the image drawn in this constitution with the present-day structure of Iraq. Very soon, unavoidably, we will be confronted with an Iraq, which is divided.

The greatest trump card of the GMEP plan of the United States in this region would be the Kurdish state, which would be newly established.

Everyone sees that the civil turmoils that occurred recently in Syria, which is continuously taken as the target of Washington, D.C., were prepared in advance and there was the existence of a plot far beyond the incidents, which erupted all on their own during a soccer game. Those who are concerned about Turkey's future are following these events with great concern. Those who have great concerns on the subject of Turkey's independence, territorial integrity and future are not able to forget the incident of our Turkish military having sacks put over their heads and are laughing loudly at the expression of "strategic partnership".

The arguments that the GMEP would bring democracy to the region are not correct and those who claim these are not ignorant enough to believe their own statements. The Middle East has become a less stable region, not more stable, compared to one year ago. Iraq and Turkey are in the lead of the countries, which are directly threatened by this instability. Other regional countries follow them in degrees.

Turkey is also under threat, not only through the change of the borders in the region, but at the same time, due to the change in the character of its existing order and Republic. The United States foresees the new Turkey, with its moderate Islamic regime from now on, as a model country for the GMEP.

How would secular Turkey become a moderate Islamic regime? How would the moderate version of an Islamic regime be? Would the Americans decide, not the Turks, what type of a regime is needed in Turkey?

Imagine what those who are determined not to leave the solution on Cyprus to the Cypriot people, and who express this resoluteness with great clarity, could do in other places when the time comes. I leave this up to your own discretion.

All right, when all of these things are happening, how is it that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is able to say that Diyarbakir will be the star of the GMEP?

Is Prime Minister Erdogan this naïve and this incapable that he cannot comprehend these developments? You may or may not like Prime Minister Erdogan, but no one can say that he is unintelligent. Those who call him "unintelligent" are stupid. All right then what is happening?"

/SK

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