Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-05-25

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Details on the regulations for the Greek Cypriots and Europeans who visit the occupied areas in the framework of the partial lifting of restrictions.

[02] Erel: "We shall achieve the economic integration with Turkey after the solution"

[03] A new political alliance was formed in the occupation regime aiming at the establishment of a pseudogovernment without Serdar Denktas

[04] The occupation regime will open a secondary school for Greek Cypriot and Maronite children in occupied Karpass peninsula

[05] The ministers of transport of Turkey and USA discussed measures for the Turkish Cypriots

[06] Erdogan to visit Britain this week

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] The lawless request was turned back.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Details on the regulations for the Greek Cypriots and Europeans who visit the occupied areas in the framework of the partial lifting of restrictions

According to the decision of the regime, tourist agents could organize tours from the free to the occupied areas of Cyprus, provided that they obtain the "authority" to do so by the so-called ministry of tourism, which would inform the "police" about the "authorized agents". The "authorized" Turkish tourist agents should submit to the "ministry of tourism" a list of the persons whom they plan to take to the occupied areas of Cyprus. It is "suggested" that this is done two days before the visit. The name, the date and place of birth, the nationality, the identity card number or the passport number, the length of stay in the occupied areas and the place from where the visitor would enter and exit should be mentioned in the list, which will be controlled and approved by the "ministry of tourism" which will be sending it to the "police" and the "authorized" tourist agent.

According to the paper, the approved lists for the visits during the weekends or official holidays should be submitted by the "ministry of tourism" to the "police" and the tourist agents on Friday or the working day before the holiday. After the submission of the list by the "ministry of tourism" the entrance of the group to the occupied areas will be allowed. There is no limit for the hour of the entrance or exit of the tourists, but during the crossing the authorities of the occupation regime will be conducting a control in the bus for the identity card of the EU citizens and the passport of the citizens of the other non-EU countries. The guide of the tour should show the approved list by the "ministry" to the "police" upon the entrance of the group. The list will be controlled and stamped by the "police". The tourists who come to the free areas of Cyprus or the Greek Cypriots who want to visit the occupied areas could cross over after the identity card or passport control is conducted and they get a visa. These tourists could enter the occupied areas between 06.00 and 24.00 hours.

Meanwhile, referring to the issue, Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRISLI newspaper (25.05.04) wonders whether or not northern Cyprus is a military camp and writes, inter alia, the following:

"The visits of the Greek Cypriots to northern Cyprus with identity cards has been decided and finalized after painful discussions conducted between the coalition partners and Turkey. Making reforms and changes with the Democratic Party, which supports the status quo, is very difficult! The obstacle with the passports is overcome. Now all the EU citizens, including the Greek Cypriots, will be able to cross over to the north with identity card. However, this time there is an effort to prevent crossing with identity card by applying 'military barrack regulations' prepared by the ministry of tourism. It is noted that the difficulties created with the barrack regulations do not exist with the crossings with passports. If the issue is not causing difficulties and continuing the isolation policies of Denktas, then why are the conditions put on the crossings with identity card not put on the visits with passports? According to information we acquired from a reliable source, (Rauf) Denktas, through the Democratic Party, tried to prevent the Greek Cypriots crossing over with identity cards. The partners in the government tried to find a solution to the problem by discussing it first between themselves and afterwards with Turkey. In the end Denktas, who from the very beginning was against the visits with identity card, succeeded to put them under strict control, invoking some security pretexts. The regulations regarding the crossings of tourists, which have been prepared by the minister of tourism Ayse Donmezer, include unreasonable and illogical antidemocratic and despotic conditions which no European could accept. Whatever their pretext, in this form they fully bring to mind 'military barrack regulations'. '".

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily HALKIN SESI (25.05.04) refers to the issue under the banner front-page title "Government comedy". The paper writes that "the council of ministers is applying the decision it had announced on Friday regarding the crossings from the south to the TRNC and which afterwards it denied".

[02] Erel: "We shall achieve the economic integration with Turkey after the solution"

In statements yesterday during a meeting with a delegation of Turkish businessmen under Ibrahim Yamak, chairman of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of the Turkish city of Giresun, Mr Erel noted that the economic integration between Turkey and the occupied areas of Cyprus has not been effected, in spite of the will of both the officials and the businessmen from Turkey and the occupied areas. The reason for this, he added, is Turkey's customs union agreement with the European Union.

Mr Erel said: "We can ensure the economic integration with Turkey only after the solution. The realization of the integration is possible by finding a solution and applying the acquis communautaire of the EU in the whole island. '".

[03] A new political alliance was formed in the occupation regime aiming at the establishment of a pseudogovernment without Serdar Denktas

The new alliance is established under the name Communal Liberation Party-United Freedom Alliance and it is formed by Mr Huseyin Angolemli, the "deputy" of the Communal Liberation Party, Mr Izzet Izcan, the "deputy" of the United Cyprus Party, and Mr Ahmet Kasif and Unal Ustel, who are now independent "deputies" but who resigned recently from the DP.

Speaking about the aims of the new alliance, Mr Angolemli stated that among its goals are the reaching of a permanent and just solution to the Cyprus problem and the establishment of a new "coalition government", which will be in favour of peace. Mr Angolemli stated that before holding early "elections" in the pseudostate, there is an alternative that must be examined. This is forming a "coalition government" with those in the pseudo assembly that support the peace, and who number 26 "deputies", the number of "deputies" required for forming a majority government. He also said that this model does not include Denktas.

"The model I have described is a model without Denktas. We have not even gone to other models, because this is our priority, our wish", he said.

[04] The occupation regime will open a secondary school for Greek Cypriot and Maronite children in occupied Karpass peninsula

As Mr Erdogan Sorakin, the so-called undersecretary of the ministry of national education and culture stated, the secondary school will be for the Greek Cypriot and Maronite children and it will be opened in a very short time.

Mr Sorakin said that according to a decision by the "Council of Ministers" on Friday, a secondary school would be opened at the beginning of the new school term if the necessary "legal procedures" are completed.

Reminding that there is already a primary school in Karpass, he said that there is no reason now for these pupils to attend schools in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus, for those of the children reaching secondary school age, as the practice is, today.

[05] The ministers of transport of Turkey and USA discussed measures for the Turkish Cypriots

Speaking at a press conference after his meeting with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman F. Mineta, Yildirim said: "Our negotiations on the issue of direct flights to Tymbou Airport are continuing within a joint program. U.S. officials are positive on the matter."

Yildirim added however he could not give a specific date concerning the issue for the time being. The illegal Tymbou Airport, the main airport in the occupied areas was reopened two weeks ago after two-years of modernization and with this renewal, the services at the airport are brought up to international standards. Turkish Cypriots and Turkey are on a campaign to lift the 'embargoes' on the pseudostate, after the 24 April referenda results.

Meanwhile, NTV television reported that the U.S. administration is expected to announce a set of measures to help end the Turkish Cypriots' 'isolation'.

Among the measures, is the enlargement of the U.S. representative office in occupied Nicosia. The American aid organization, USAID, is also expected to open such an office in the occupation regime. The U.S. administration is expected to channel the financial aid it promised prior to the Cyprus referendum through USAID, the NTV report said.

In addition, visa applications of Turkish Cypriots are planned to be made in the north, added the report.

[06] Erdogan to visit Britain this week

Scheduled to start his official program on Friday, the Turkish prime minister and his accompanying delegation will first attend a meeting hosted by the Turkish-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry and meet with businessmen from the two countries. Heading to Oxford after the meeting, Erdogan is going to meet with academics and address students at Oxford University.

He will hold a meeting on Saturday with Turkish citizens living in Britain and meet with the manager of the Royal Academy of the Arts before his return to Turkey.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] The lawless request was turned back

"After the 65% in favour of `yes´ vote which came after the referendum' everything will be better from now on some were saying. However much they hide the realities, however much they try to cover them up it is impossible for them to succeed.

It is obvious who is standing behind the curtain and clear who has the ruling power. With the view of opening Turkey´s prospects the Turkish Cypriots were asked to say `yes´. This was an order'

One could not expect from the NUP (National Unity Party of Dervis Eroglu) and Denktas to say ´yes´. This would both come contrary to what Denktas has been supporting and the political stance could have been contradicted with the direction that the issue known as `cause´ would have taken.

The correct way was to bring forward the RTP (Republican Turkish Party of Mehmet Ali Talat) which could successfully agitate the masses, which passed the American political teachings. New cadres were selected who were obviously ready to deny their past. They said that the status quo would change. EU and solution, it was said.

In the meantime those who were promoting Cyprus and Cypriotism would be appeased.

As a matter of fact the RTP has been branded by Ankara and Denktas as traitor whereas in July 2000 with the `spying ploy´ the Turkish Cypriots were saying: - We are spies and traitors

These were fully exploited. In addition to this with the order of Ankara, the settlers who act upon instructions from Ankara either in the elections or in the referenda, with their votes they weaken the will of the Turkish Cypriots. They created the impression that Turkey has changed, the army has been contained and the interests of the Turkish Cypriots were maintained.

As I wrote previously the people were inclined to be deceived, they started to chant that the status quo has been crashed.

Mr Talat has lost himself to the point of saying that the National Co-ordination Council (presided over by the Turkish occupation army), in which he participates, exists in all the other countries and the governments resort to its advice.

After declaring that he is against the Greek Cypriots crossing to the North, yesterday the Council of Ministers announced that the Greek Cypriots too could cross without passport.

Before 24 hours passed since then Talat came up and declared that the Greek Cypriots could not cross into the North and that the decision was wrongly interpreted.

Last night the `TRNC´ took another decision' It declared that it has accepted that Greek Cypriots may cross to the North with identity card.

It seems that in this process the negotiations with the EU have failed.

Ankara and its satellite Talat government here were unable to succeed to safeguard certain rights to the settlers in Cyprus as for the Turkish Cypriots.

In other words Talat was obliged to retreat'

The demand for arbitrary and lawless actions on the part of Ankara and Talat´s government was returned by the EU."

/SK

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