Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-06-09

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat says that delegations from the "ministries" of the pseudostate will be trained in Brussels during summer and stay there until the funds are directly given to the Turkish Cypriots.

[02] Talat sends a letter to the UN Secretary - General promising to take measures in favor of the Greek Cypriot and the Maronites living in occupied Cyprus.

[03] Foreign Minister of Malaysia: The Cyprus problem will be taken up in a detailed manner in the Istanbul meeting.

[04] Talat, Serdar and Akinci are meeting today for a three-party "coalition government" formula. Akinci to be "Minister for European Affairs".

[05] A new party has been established in occupied Cyprus.

[06] Four conditions by the occupation regime regarding the guides who will accompany tourists to the occupied areas.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Commentary in VATAN assesses the results of by-elections held in Turkey last Sunday.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat says that delegations from the "ministries" of the pseudostate will be trained in Brussels during summer and stay there until the funds are directly given to the Turkish Cypriots

In statements yesterday at a press conference, Mr Talat noted that at the moment there is a group from the "ministries", which is being trained in Brussels and added: "Especially during the summer months, officials from the public sector from various ministerial units and organizations will go to Brussels for training. This is the first group. The training will continue during July. A part of the training will be taking place in Cyprus".

Mr Talat said that all this work will continue until direct funds begin to be given to the Turkish Cypriots.

Mr Talat, who left today for Brussels, will be having a meeting with the EU Commissioner for the Enlargement, Gunter Verheugen. He said that he will also have other "technical meetings". On 11 June Mr Talat will be meeting in Strasbourg with the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). As he said he will be discussing with him "the new situation created after not having a solution" in Cyprus.

"All issues will be on the agenda", said Mr Talat claiming that he will explain to the President of the ECHR the issues which would be solved according to the Annan Plan and the steps made regarding the efforts for lifting the elements of (Turkey's) conviction in 2001.

"We shall express to him our determination on the issue of creating the environment where the Turkish Cypriots will not be accused of violations of human rights", noted Mr Talat pointing out that he will tell his interlocutors that the Turkish Cypriots are making some serious steps regarding the issue of opening a gymnasium for the enclaved Greek Cypriots in occupied Karpass peninsula and the Maronites living in the occupied areas. He will also express their readiness for negotiations in order to activate the UN committee for the missing persons.

Furthermore, referring to the internal affairs of the Turkish Cypriots, Mr Talat said that his preference was early "elections", but before this the most logical formula is the "coalition" between his party, the Democratic Party of Serdar Denktas and the Peace and Democracy Movement of Mustafa Akinci.

Mr Talat said also that they have discussed with the military authorities and prepared a "draft - law", which provides for the civilians to be tried at the military courts only in case they have committed an offense regarding the army.

[02] Talat sends a letter to the UN Secretary - General promising to take measures in favour of the Greek Cypriot and the Maronites living in occupied Cyprus

According to the paper, in his letter Mr Talat expressed also the readiness of the Turkish Cypriot side to contribute for the solution of the issue of the missing persons of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

In an effort to paint a good picture of the conditions under which the enclaved Greek Cypriots live in occupied Karpass peninsula, Mr Talat said that the enclaved Greek Cypriot children have their own primary school and are taught by Greek Cypriot teachers from the books that the children in the free areas of Cyprus are taught.

Pointing out that the Maronite children have also the right of education in their mother language, Mr Talat said that his regime decided to undertake the necessary "legal" measures for permitting the establishment of private Greek and Moronite schools in the occupied areas and that the so-called Ministry of Education is authorized to begin and complete all the necessary arrangements for opening a fully organized Greek Cypriot gymnasium in occupied Karpass peninsula for the academic year 2004 - 2005. He also expressed the hope that the government of the Republic of Cyprus will positively respond to this gesture and establish schools for giving education in the Turkish language to the Turkish Cypriot children living in the free areas of the island.

[03] Foreign Minister of Malaysia: The Cyprus problem will be taken up in a detailed manner in the Istanbul meeting

He went on and said: "We wanted the continuation of the dialogue between the parties on the island and we hope that the sides will reach an agreement on an administration that will be mutually beneficial to both sides".

Hamid Albar went on and said that recently both the Greek Cypriots as well as the Turkish Cypriots conveyed their views on the Cyprus problem, however, he said before reaching a final conclusion they have to take up the Cyprus issue in detail with the other ICO members in Istanbul.

"Until now Cyprus was attending the ICO meetings not as a country but as Turkish Cypriot Community, with the status of observer. For us the best solution, in maintaining the unity of the Cyprus state was the solution presented by the UN .But at present it is obvious that this solution does not function. At the ICO meeting we will take up this issue in detail. At this stage we do not want to express our views. However, we want the continuation of the dialogue on the island", Hamid Albar said.

[04] Talat, Serdar and Akinci are meeting today for a three-party "coalition government" formula. Akinci to be "Minister for European Affairs"

The cooperation with the Peace and Democracy Movement became essential after the RTP-DP coalition "government" fell in a state of minority in the pseudoparliament, after some "deputies" of both the parties resigned. If the cooperation between the three parties works out, the new "government" will be represented with 27 so-called deputies in the pseudo assembly, since the Republican Turkish Party has 18 seats, the Democratic Party has 5 seats and the Peace and Democracy Movement has 4 seats.

According to AFRIKA Serdar Denktas is insisting on keeping the so-called Ministry of Foreign Affairs for himself and the pseudogovernment will assign Mustafa Akinci in a new "Ministry" that will be established, the "Ministry Responsible for European Affairs".

[05] A new party has been established in occupied Cyprus

The party, of which the founding members are mainly illegal settlers, is the 16th party in occupied Cyprus and the 6th party founded by settlers, since 1975, when the settlers were brought in the pseudostate. Among its founding members is Mr Nuri Cevikel, a settler who was 'elected' so-called deputy with the Republican Turkish Party (RTP) of Mehmet Ali Talat and who resigned recently from RTP, declaring that he did not agree his the party's policy.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, the founding members of the NP stated that the party has no concrete ideology. They said that the NP aims at the recognition of the occupation regime and that it will work hard in order for a solution to be found to the Cyprus problem, which will safeguard Turkey's and the pseudostate's rights, interests and security. Speaking during the press conference Mr Cevikel stated that the NP is open to all the Turkish Cypriots, not only the settlers.

After this development, the deputies' seats in the so-called "assembly" is as follows: Republican Turkish Party 18 seats, National Unity Party 18, Democratic Party 5 seats, Peace and Democracy Movement 4 seats, Communal Liberation Party 1 seat, United Cyprus Party 1 seat, independent 2 seats ( these are the two deputies of the Democratic Party that resigned recently).

[06] Four conditions by the occupation regime regarding the guides who will accompany tourists to the occupied areas

With this circular the following four conditions are set for Greek Cypriot guides carrying tourists from the free to the occupied areas of the Republic.

"1. Turkish tourist guides should also be present.

2. The duty for conveying information about our country to the visitors belongs to the Turkish Cypriot guides who have successfully completed training courses carried out according to EU standards.

3. The Greek Cypriot tour guides in the buses will help the Turkish Cypriot guides as interpreters when the need arises.

4. The Greek Cypriot guides should not use provocative expressions about our country, as reported in the press to be happening. This was communicated to all interested institutions".

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Commentary in VATAN assesses the results of by-elections held in Turkey last Sunday

"It is true that it was a mini-election, by the elections which were held on Sunday [6 June]. But a small election is always more credible than a large public opinion poll.

Public opinion polls in which two thousand persons participate create excitement. Whereas, on Sunday close to 50 thousand electors cast their votes in 16 locations. The truth itself, not estimates, emerged from the ballot boxes.

The TPP [True Path Party] was the winner and the JDP [Justice and Development Party] was the loser of the election.

Because the TPP won two of the three districts and got 28.8 percent of the 47,512 valid votes and the JDP government party remained at 26.5 percent.

The local by-elections are considered to be "a sure thing" for the government. The government loads all of the resources of the state in a small number of election centers, drags the people to the lightheadedness of lucky persons in a lottery and wins a crushing victory at the ballot box.

The picture on Sunday is a serious warning for the JDP. No one should say that their Cyprus policy explains the loss of votes for the JDP.

The election slogan of the JDP was fighting against corruption and poverty. Unemployment did not decrease. It increased. No one would believe the claim of being clean by a government, which enveloped itself like a lifejacket with MP political immunity.

The first answer to the question of what did the TPP do that it became successful, is the reaction against the JDP.

The quarrels it entered into with the institutions due to the Imam-Hatip high schools damaged the claim of the JDP being a center party, set forth the image that it oriented towards the WP [defunct Welfare Party] line and those who were uneasy showed reactions.

It can be asked, "Why did this group orient to the TPP when there is the RPP [Republican People's Party]?"

Those who rule the RPP should actually seek an answer to this question rather than scolding those who made a call for change in the party by saying, "lower your flag of rebellion". The RPP obtained 7.94 percent of the votes on Sunday. Even Necmettin Erbakan's party, the FP [Felicity Party], with 9.14 percent, came out ahead.

There is always a cheap and effective anesthetic for those who do not want to leave the position until the party is in ruins. They can say that: "It is wrong to produce big results from these small elections. In local elections, the candidates rather than the parties influence the results."

That could be correct. But why did the strong candidates, who had a chance to win, not come to you? Because good candidates also choose the party, which would win."

/SK

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