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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-06-21

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

TURKISH PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA No.115/04 19-20-21.06.04

[A] NEWS ITEMS

  • [01] Turkey aspires a more central role in the framework of the re-deployment of US forces in Europe
  • [02] US says no military action on PKK soon.
  • [03] One year extension for applications by Greek Cypriots to get compensation for their properties.
  • [04] Turkish Cypriot contacts with the EU.
  • [05] In spite of their declarations that they want a united Cyprus, the Turkish Cypriots continue their separatist policy.
  • [06] KIBRIS says that the stone quarries in the occupied part of Cyprus "destroy the environment".
  • [07] The foundation for sport cooperation was laid between the occupation regime and Kyrgyzstan.
  • [08] Rules and Regulations for trade with the free areas published.
  • [09] Syrians destined for Italy were abandoned at occupied Rizokarpasso.
  • [B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

  • [10] How Cyprus was involved in the bargaining between Turkey and the USA.
  • [11] Turkey´s rhythmic diplomacy is explained by adviser to the government.
  • [12] After securing what it wanted in Cyprus exploiting the war in Iraq, Turkey is now turning to solving other problems to its favor.
  • [13] AFRIKA describes Talat´s behavior worse than Eroglu´s and Rauf Denktas´

  • [A] NEWS ITEMS

    [01] Turkey aspires a more central role in the framework of the re-deployment of US forces in Europe

    Under the title: "Military bases bargaining between US and Turkey", NTV television (18.06.04) broadcast that Washington has made no requests of Ankara for increased access to Turkish military bases, a senior US official has said.

    Deputy Secretary of State Lincoln Bloomfield said that he had briefed the Turkish Foreign Minister Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, Deputy Chief of the Turkish General Staff General Ilker Basbug and other Foreign Ministry officials on US global defence strategies. However, he said that the US had not sought permission to re-deploy forces on Turkish soil.

    There are reports that the US is considering closing many of its bases in Europe, established during the Cold War, and re-deploying forces to bases in Poland, Albania and Bulgaria. According to reports, the US also envisages a more central role for Turkey.

    [02] US says no military action on PKK soon

    Under the above title Turkish Daily News (19.06.04) publishes the following report:

    "Facing an increasingly daunting challenge in Iraq, the United States is not planning direct military action against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, said a U.S. official in Ankara on Friday, ahead of a key visit by President George W. Bush to Ankara that is expected to tackle the sensitive issue.

    President Bush is due in Ankara on June 26 for talks with the Turkish president and prime minister ahead of NATO's two-day summit in Istanbul on June 28-29. The presence of some 4,500-5,000 militants of the PKK, which also goes by the name Kongra-Gel, in a mountainous area in northern Iraq is expected to be on the agenda of his talks.

    Turkey has pressed the United States to take practical steps to root out the PKK/Kongra-Gel presence and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated Turkey's expectation to that effect at a meeting with Bush last week on the sidelines of the G-8 summit in Sea Island, Georgia.

    "Our military forces in Iraq have a very daunting challenge on the security side and that challenge is increasing in the run up to the June 30 handover," said U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman on Friday at a press conference, referring to escalated violence ahead of the transfer of authority from the U.S.-led administration to the Iraqi interim government.

    "So, I do not anticipate any direct military action against the PKK in the immediate future," said Edelman but added that the issue did not necessarily have to be dealt with by direct military action. He said the United States was working with European and Turkish allies to "make life more difficult for the PKK members in terms of recruitment and raising money."

    The U.S. ambassador said the Iraqi government would also have a responsibility to deal with the issue after it formally takes over sovereignty on June 30 and added that he was pleased with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari's remarks that there was no place for the PKK in the future Iraq.

    The PKK recently announced that it had ended a five-year-old unilateral ceasefire and increasing attacks on Turkish military targets in recent days.

    "We take the increased activity in the southeast very seriously. We do work with our colleagues both in Turkey and Iraq to prevent infiltration," Edelman said and added that the issue would be on the agenda during Bush's talks in Ankara.

    Responding to questions on U.S.-Turkish talks on a planned realignment of U.S. troops across the world, Edelman said the idea was still under discussion in Washington and dismissed press reports that the United States had requested to set up new bases in Turkey.

    Assistant Secretary of State Lincoln Bloomfield held talks with Turkish Foreign Ministry and General Staff officials on Thursday in Ankara on the issue.

    A New York Times report earlier this month said the Pentagon was planning to shift some 72 F-16 jet fighters based in Germany to Incirlik base in southern Turkey. Edelman, in comments over the reports, said the issue might be discussed during Bush's visit but added that there was nothing certain yet, as the planes might or might not be shifted to Turkey."

    [03] The occupation regime extends by one year the period for applications by Greek Cypriots to get compensation for their properties occupied by Turkish troops since 1974

    Ankara Anatolia news agency (18.06.04) reports the following from occupied Nicosia: "TRNC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said on Friday that period of application to Compensation Commission was extended for one year starting as of June 30.

    One year had been given to real and legal bodies claiming rights on immovables for application to the Compensation Commission.

    Talat said: ''In order to integrate with the world, first of all we should talk the same language with the world. We wish the property problem to be solved just like the steps we have taken on human rights, missing persons, democracy and adjustment laws. We want solutions, not problems.''

    Talat said 65 percent of Turkish Cypriot people voted ''yes'' in the referendum on April 24, and that this proved that Turkish Cypriot people wanted solution and integrate with the European Union and the world."

    [04] Turkish Cypriot contacts with the EU

    Turkish Cypriot daily HALKIN SESI newspaper (21.06.04) reports that Mehmet Ali Talat, so-called Prime Minister of the occupation regime, has said that the Turkish Cypriots continue their harmonization efforts as if they could any minute join the EU.

    In a written statement issued yesterday by the "Prime Minister's" office, Mr Talat supports that the Turkish Cypriots "should be ready to unite with the world as if the isolation ended" and they are about to join the EU any minute.

    Mr Talat noted that the so-called "EU coordination committee of the Prime Minister's office" is continuing to work intensively for the harmonization with the EU until the end of July 2004 and that it organizes a meeting or a seminar almost every day.

    Mr Talat said that Turkish Cypriot delegations are going to Brussels and at the same time EU experts will be visiting the occupied areas in July in order to give various seminars.

    "Only harmonizing the laws is not enough. The personnel that will be applying these laws should come to the level of being able to apply the EU laws", noted Mr Talat.

    Meanwhile, the Turkish Cypriot so-called EU coordinator, Mr Erhan Ercin has said that within the framework of the efforts of the technical committees that started on 8 June 2004, their members, which have been chosen from various "ministries", are or will be getting assistance from EU experts in Brussels on issues such as the fruits and vegetables, potatoes, environment, veterinary, postal services, public auctions, mutual recognition of professional skills, the health of the plants, contagious diseases, agricultural and rural development, general safety of the products, statistics and small and medium sized enterprises.

    Mr Ercin noted also that experts from the EU will be visiting the occupied areas in order to give seminars on the following issues in July: Environment (1-7 July 2004), EU Single Market (5-6 July 2004), Copyright (5-7 July 2004), Certificates for the Health of the Plants (12-14 July 2004), The Public Auctions Law (12-13 July 2004) Organized Crime (12-14 July 2004) and Fruits and vegetables (19-23 July 2004).

    Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily CUMHURIYET newspaper (21.06.04) reports that Rasit Pertev, so-called Minister of agriculture and forests of the occupation regime, will be visiting Brussels today in order to discuss the agricultural reform which has began in the occupied areas.

    Mr Pertev, who will be accompanied by Mr Ercin, will be meeting with high ranking EU officials during his two-day visit in Brussels, writes the paper.

    [05] In spite of their declarations that they want a united Cyprus, the Turkish Cypriots continue their separatist policy

    Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (21.06.04) reports that a delegation of three Turkish Cypriot "MP's" will be visiting Strasbourg between 21 and 26 June in order to participate in the meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Today the PACE will be discussing the status of the representation of the Turkish Cypriots at the organization.

    In statements on the issue, Mrs Fatma Ekenoglu, so-called MP from the Republican Turkish Party of Mehmet Ali Talat and "Speaker" of the Assembly of the occupation regime, said that the Turkish Cypriot parliamentarians are trying to ensure their representation at the PACE "without being integrated to the Republic of Cyprus".

    "The Greek Cypriot administration does not accept us as elected (representatives). They are trying to prevent the representation of the parliamentarians elected in the TRNC", alleged Mrs Ekenoglu ignoring the fact that according to the international law no state named "TRNC" exists and that the recognition of such a state would mean the division of Cyprus.

    Mrs Ekenoglu noted that in case the Turkish Cypriots achieve a result which is regarded positive for them, the so-called Prime Minister of the occupation regime, Mehmet Ali Talat might address the PACE.

    [06] KIBRIS says that the stone quarries in the occupied part of Cyprus "destroy the environment"

    Noting that the Turkish Cypriots could get a yearly income of about two million Cyprus pounds after the recent decision of the occupation regime to give permission to selling sand, gravel and stones from the occupied areas to the free areas of Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (21.06.04) reports that the stone quarries in the occupied part of Cyprus function under primitive conditions and cause great damage to the environment.

    The owners of the stone quarries are waiting for the occupation regime to invest money in order to decrease the damage caused to the environment, writes KIBRIS noting that 58 out of 68 licensed stone quarries function today in the occupied areas. Their daily production within the past few months was 5 tons, whereas today it increased to 11 tons.

    [07] The foundation for sport cooperation was laid between the occupation regime and Kyrgyzstan

    Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (20.06.04) reports that the occupation regime has laid the foundation for cooperation with Kyrgyzstan in sports.

    The so-called Olympic committee of the pseudostate as well as some 'sport federations' of the occupation regime signed a "protocol" for cooperation with the Olympic committee of Kyrgyzstan and some of its sport federations, as regards football, wrestling, tennis, taekwondo, judo, karate, aikido, fencing, basketball and volleyball. The protocol was signed on Saturday at Bishkek, in Kyrgyzstan.

    Speaking after the protocol was signed, Mr Esim Kutmanaliyev, the president of Kyrgyzstan's Olympic committee stated that the sports must not be mixed with politics and added that that is the reason why his country decided to proceed with this cooperation with the pseudostate.

    In addition, under the title "New attack for the 'TRNC' at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC)", KIBRISLI newspaper (21.06.04) reports that following the development in the OIC Summit in Istanbul, where the pseudostate was named "Turkish Cypriot state", some countries are attempting to lift the 'embargo' against the pseudostate and to make new arrangements towards the occupation regime. In addition the Turkic republics decided to become more active and to display more cooperation with the occupation regime.

    [08] Rules and Regulations for trade with the free areas published

    According to local daily KIBRIS newspaper (19.06.04), the so-called rules and regulations that regulate trade with the free areas, have been published in the so- called Official Gazette of the occupation regime and put into force.

    The so-called Rules and Regulations allow export of all the goods except those forbidden to the free areas but curtail the import of goods.

    The goods, the export of which needs special permission from the pseudostate are: livestock, hides of all kinds, precious metals (Silver, gold, platinum, palladium, radium, osmium, iridium and ruthenium). Precious stones such as diamond, sapphire, emerald, ruby and similar stones. Antique goods, construction material, sand stone, limestone, crushed stone pebbles, sand from sea and river beds, all kind of material from quarries.

    On the other hand the so-called Rules and Regulations curtail all the imports to the occupied area from the free areas.

    The Maronites who hold dual nationality and are of minority status and live in the occupied area are allowed to carry to the occupied areas building machinery not more than 10 years old and their car not more than five years old.

    [09] The occupied areas of Cyprus are used by human traffickers. Syrians destined for Italy were abandoned at occupied Rizokarpasso

    Local KIBRIS newspaper (19.06.04) reports that 45 Syrians, who were promised by traffickers to be transported to Italy, were abandoned on the shores of occupied Rizokarpasso, which since July 1974 is under the control of the Turkish military forces.

    The paper publishes a photograph of some of the 39 arrested Syrians and stresses that a search is going on to arrest the rest who remain at large while the citizens in the area are in a stage of fear because rather often traffickers cheat people seeking for a better future in Europe abandoning them in their area.

    "They paid one thousand dollars per head in the hope of arriving in Italy by way of Larnaca, but the adventure of the Syrians ended when they were abandoned at Cape Apostolos Andreas", writes KIBRIS.


    [B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

    [10] Column in CUMHURIYET sheds light to how Cyprus is the victim of the bargaining between Turkey and the USA

    Istanbul CUMHURIYET newspaper (19.06.04) publishes the following commentary by Mustafa Balbay under the title: "The hidden expectations of the United States":

    "As the NATO summit and [US President George W.] Bush's Ankara visit get closer, reports on what the United States wants from Turkey are also heating up.

    When one takes as a basis the statement that Eric Edelman, the United States Ambassador in Ankara, made to journalists yesterday, the United States' agenda vis-à-vis Turkey consists of two basic items:

    1 -- The things that we [referring to the United States] want from Turkey, and

    2 -- The things that we want Turkey not to ask of us.

    First, the things they want...

    It is clear that the central thrust of the US desires, which we summarized in the 18 and 24 May editions of Cumhuriyet, is not going to change, and that new items could also be tacked onto it. When one looks at the "identity card" of our relations with the United States, the following is written at the top:

    Strategic partnership.

    But the name of the path on which the United States insists is:

    Unlimited partnership...

    The US administration, which wants to put the 21st century into life as the "New American Century", is once again, in this context, testing its strength throughout the world. But instead of unwieldy bases that offer only limited capability for immediate action, it wants to form new structures that will allow it to reach "hot areas" instantly.

    The reports being leaked out prior to the NATO summit indicate that Turkey is in the center of the areas the United States is targeting. The Bush administration, which is planning to utilize Turkey as a central base, has a small request:

    Let there be no restrictions, and let the permission of the civil authorities not be required...

    In short, the United States, in just the same way that it acts in terms of its own states, also wants to attain the same right in countries like Turkey.

    It is clear that the JDP [Justice and Development Party] government has said 'yes' to this, but that it is seeking certain things to make it easier to explain this to the public!

    When you look at the matter, the duo of the United States and the JDP is presenting us with a scenario like the following:

    A portion of the United States' requests are decisively rejected as "absolutely unacceptable". The United States laments "What a setback; the Turks are resolute." It then softens some of its requests. And the government says "All right". Thus the government ends up having brought the United States to its knees, as well as us!

    In the compromise that is being worked out, everything is based on previously made agreements. It is stated that information cannot be revealed to the public, since all of these are secret.

    In my view, this appears to be the scenario that is being worked out...

    It is thus clear that, in the earlier agreements, there were empty portions marked "to be filled in later"!

    Bush's packages

    Heading the list of things that the United States does not want Turkey to ask for is the struggle against the terrorist organization [referring to the Workers' Party of Kurdistan -- PKK]. Edelman went before journalists yesterday and spoke as follows:

    "Do not expect action from us on the PKK. We are not going to take military action. But we do consider the PKK and all of its successor organizations to be terrorist groups. We will not bargain with them..."

    That's about all you're not doing!

    After the United States invaded Iraq, it had given way to the enthusiasm that "We can use all of this territory as a natural American base." But then when the United States, which planned everything but neglected to take the people into account, was received with bombs rather than flowers, it was forced to change its regional plans. According to information from behind the scenes, Kirkuk was at the head of the list of basing areas that the United States planned in the north. And to be used for all sorts of purposes!

    But when the general security situation in Iraq became inadequate for even remaining there, let along establishing bases, they began to ask "What else might there be in the neighborhood?" And there was Turkey, already in hand...

    When Bush arrives in Ankara and puts his "bases package" onto the table, there will be another package as well. One possibility is that this package will contain various examples indicating that the embargo on Cyprus is in the process of being lifted.

    What else might be in it?

    The fact that the government, in addition to keeping relationships of this sort secret, proceeds by misleading the public, only increases the number of question marks. Let us hope that the essence of the affair is not as follows:

    `You take Cyprus and give us the motherland´!"

    [11] Turkey´s new rhythmic diplomacy is explained by adviser to the Turkish government

    Istanbul MILLIYET newspaper (18.06.04) publishes the following commentary by Meral Tamer under the title: "Davutoglu: We have no Plan B for the EU; The GME is an overdue Project":

    "We had a deep and extensive tour d'horizon on foreign policy yesterday with Professor Ahmet Davutoglu, Ph.D., the chief foreign affairs advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister and an expert on international strategic relations. We were not surprised when Davutoglu, answering questions following his 45-minute presentation, said: "If the European Union does not give Turkey a negotiations date at the end of the year, there is no 'Plan B' that can be put into action." Because he had earlier explained to us that the JDP [Justice and Development Party] government, from the very outset, has taken as the basis of its foreign policy to be in a position that "shapes Turkey's own strategic picture, revises this picture when necessary, but does not depart from the strategic, overall picture."

    The Cyprus issue had been dealt with in terms of this point of view, and the Iraq issue and relations with the Islamic countries had also been approached in the same way. The goal has been, on the one hand, to resolve the problems with those countries in which there are difficulties in the relationships, while on the other to end the situation of places where Turks live such as Western Thrace, or Nakhchivan, creating problems between us and Greece or Georgia and to make them a positive element that strengthens our relations.

    According to Davutoglu, the foreign policy was also to avoid causing problems with neighbours, while making no concessions; to resolve the problems that already existed; and to minimize the damage caused by problems that they created.

    Rhythmic diplomacy

    During this tour d'horizon, which we had yesterday morning along with members of the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD) in MUSIAD's headquarters in Mecidiyekoy [section of Istanbul], Davutoglu said that "Armenia's turn is coming up" and added that:

    "You will see in the period ahead that Africa as well is not at all far away from us! The final example is that of our relations with Russia. Six months ago, Russia was very harsh toward us on the Cyprus question. But the day before yesterday, the Russian Foreign Minister [Sergei Lavrov], at the meeting of the Islamic Organization, signed the final communiqué which referred to Mehmet Ali Talat as the Prime Minister of the Cyprus Turkish State. Furthermore, we are now discussing the official visit that Russian Head of State [Vladimir] Putin will make to Turkey six months from now. A Russian Head of State will thus come to Turkey for the first time in thirty years."

    Davutoglu said in summary that: "Henceforth, wherever there is a problem in the world, Turkey will have a stance on that issue, and will actively have something to say." Within the new strategy, which Davutoglu characterized as rhythmic diplomacy, "There must be no such approach as 'If we are unable to get support from the European Union, we will shift toward this other direction.' No Plan B can be crafted that involves slipping away from one orientation to seek refuge someplace else!"

    "GME is long overdue"

    In response to another question, Davutoglu had the following to say regarding the GME [Greater Middle East] initiative:

    "The GME is a long overdue project. Because the Middle East (1) has not been able to achieve economic prosperity despite having the greatest wealth in natural resources, (2) has been unable to present an alternative culture to the West, despite being the possessor of the most-deeply-rooted heritage of history in terms of culture, and (3) has flunked from the standpoint of its political regimes, despite having very old, well-established, and serious political traditions.

    "We should long ago have asked, as a voice coming from within this region, the following question: W H Y ? For us to ask "why?" would be very different from the question "why?" that the Americans or the Europeans ask..."

    With 280 billion Dollars in debt?

    Davutoglu summarized our new strategy in foreign policy, which he termed rhythmic diplomacy, under two main headings:

    1) Turkey is not a peripheral country, but a central country. It is neither on the periphery of the EU nor of the Middle East.

    2) Today, Turkey can no longer be defined, using the discourse of the Cold War period, as a "regional power". It is a central country, and it is advancing on the path to becoming a global power.

    Well, fine, but is it really possible for a country with a total of 280 billion dollars in domestic and foreign debt to have such ambitions?

    The answer that Davutoglu gave to this question was: "Even if a heavy burden has been loaded onto us, we still have to set out on the marathon. To do otherwise would only increase the load on us further, and leave us at the starting line."

    [12] After securing what it wanted in Cyprus exploiting the war in Iraq, Turkey is now turning to solving the Kurdish and Kirkuk-Mosul problems to its favour

    Under the title "Ocalan-Kirkuk-northern Iraq bargains", Turkish Daily News (19.06.04) publishes the following commentary by Mete Belovacikli:

    "The Kurdish debate has resumed following the release from prison of the former Democracy Party (DEP) deputies and Iraq coming to the brink of civil war. Subsequently, a new dialogue has been triggered between the United States and Turkey on these subjects, over which Washington and Ankara will never establish common ground.

    The Kurdish issue is mainly concentrated on the extent that Washington will live up to its pledges to Ankara in fighting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK-Kongra-Gel) presence in northern Iraq, and how it will deal with the Mousul-Kirkuk problem.

    A synopsis of the situation is thus: As a result of the American occupation of Iraq, Turkey has lost the opportunity of staging an operation in northern Iraq regarding the PKK-Kongra-Gel presence there. Partly because of this, and in the scope of its strategical partnership with Washington, Ankara has been persistently demanding that the Bush Administration spell out whether it intends to stage an operation on the PKK strongholds on Mt. Kandil in northern Iraq. Turkey's most authoritative voices have been insistently reminding the U.S. administration of the pledges made personally by President George W. Bush. However, they have received no substantive answer from Washington.

    On the other hand, ever since the Iraq problem came to the forefront of the agenda, Turkey's demands voiced by top Ankara executives regarding Mosul and Kirkuk -- to put it in diplomatic jargon -- are being totally ignored by their counterparts.

    Now, the two sides have resumed feeling the pulse of one another over these two issues and in a manner that begins to lay the groundwork for a new deal.

    The fundamental U.S. problem is to establish what Turkey's reaction to the creation of a Kurdish state proclaimed in northern Iraq would be. Relative to this, what would be the reaction in Ankara to the leaving of Mosul and Kirkuk within the boundaries of such a Kurdish state?

    Turkey's fundamental problem, conversely, is how to secure American support in its fight against the separatist PKK-Kongra-Gel, and overcome the Mosul-Kirkuk problem with the least possible harm to Turkey's interests.

    At the heart of all this are two names: Osman Ocalan and Nizamettin Tas.

    After they were expelled following the PKK-Kongra-Gel's last meeting on Mt. Kandil in northern Iraq, Osman Ocalan and Nizamettin Tas sought refuge from the American forces in Mousul. Now the United States and Turkey have separate plans for both of them.

    Turkey, in anticipation of a gesture from Washington ahead of the Istanbul NATO summit, has been demanding extradition of Ocalan and his men, who, after their expulsion by the PKK-Kongra-Gel took refuge in the U.S. base at Mosul, but who are at present, according to the latest information, being "hosted" at a secret location in Baghdad. Responding to Turkey's demands, the Americans initially denied ever having Ocalan and his men. Turkey countered by saying it knew their exact location in Mosul (before they were taken to Baghdad) and asked whether the Turkish Special Forces could stage a simple operation and capture them.

    In such appeals, Turkey was basing its demands on a pledge Washington made to Ankara earlier that it would not allow the PKK-Kongra-Gel into the region. The response Turks received, however, was quite a displeasing one because their American counterparts reminded the Turkish officials of the recent Turkish statement against the Israeli administration, as well as plans by the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan to visit Iran, a country considered by the Bush administration as within the so-called "evil-axis."

    The visit of Erdogan to Tehran was originally planned for September last year, then postponed to June, then later to July and then indefinitely. That was not all. The Office of the Chief of General Staff planned to open military contact with Iran's regular army by hosting Commander General Mohammed Salimi in Ankara. After the foreign ministry's warning that Washington "may misunderstand" such a development, the visit of Salimi to Ankara was consequently shelved.

    Despite these developments, however, the United States has not taken any steps toward extraditing to Turkey the PKK-Kongra-Gel members. News coming to Ankara from the region indicate things could develop for the worse. According to one evaluation, two of the four consulates that the United States has been planning to open in Iraq will be opened in Mosul and Kirkuk. After a census in October the United States will leave Kirkuk and Mosul to the Kurds. At that moment, in order to counter the reaction that would explode in Ankara, the United States would offer extradition of Ocalan and his men to Turkey. Military sources have said such a development would be "totally unacceptable" to Ankara.

    According to diplomatic sources, this situation must be interpreted along the lines of: If within the next few months Ocalan and his men were not given to Turkey, ties between Ankara and Washington would become very tense. Such a development would be considered by Turkey as a demonstration of a "hostile" approach to Turkey.

    Let's wait and see what the next few days will bring about."

    [13] AFRIKA describes Talat´s behaviour against the Turkish Cypriots who object to the occupation of Cyprus by Turkey worse than Eroglu´s and Rauf Denktas´

    AFRIKA newspaper (18.06.04) publishes the following editorial under the title: "Row over 'provocateur' in Parliament":

    "Turkey is creating a NUP [National Unity Party] far worse than the former NUP. It is turning the RTP [Republican Turkish Party] into a NUP. This is happening very fast.

    Ankara does not need political parties that advocate independence and democratization in order to keep up its control in North Cyprus. It has no need at all for those who aspire to undertake initiatives outside its own initiative. Those who undertake the duty of government should be well-behaving and obedient children. They should act in the way that the NUP acted in the past.

    Assigning the role of the former NUP to a party that was known to be leftist was indeed more beneficial for Ankara. A pro-motherland left was more acceptable than a pro-motherland right. The rage of a leftist leader against the Greek Cypriots was more important than that of the rightist leader. As a matter of fact, the NUP's span of life was over. It had lost its credibility. The language that the NUP used was not compatible with the diplomatic language used in the international arena. It sounded heroic.

    What Turkey needed was a party that continuously spoke about peace and solution, and knew how to persistently console the people in that direction. The purpose would be served if the leftist was dressed up like the rightist. It would, thus, be possible to console the people who were kept in the barn.

    A heated debate on "AFRIKA" took place in the parliament yesterday. The RTP deputies could not tolerate even the reference made to our newspaper and [owner and chief editor] Sener Levent. Addressing the parliament, UCP [United Cyprus Party] deputy Izzet Izcan asked the prime minister [Mehmet Ali Talat] why he described us as "provocateurs." The RTP deputies almost lynched Izcan.

    RTP deputy Omer Kalyoncu jumped to the podium and cried out: "Sener Levent is a provocateur." This was certainly a way to win Turkey's favor. The aim was to reproach those who called Turkey the invader, and to win a big "well done" from Ankara.

    Many people in our country have acquired fortunes and careers by insulting the newspaper "AVRUPA-AFRIKA."

    At one time, Rauf Denktas got angry at the NUP for failing to the silence the newspaper "AVRUPA." The RTP has now rolled up its sleeves to fulfill this mission.

    The PDM [Peace and Democracy Movement] deputies were not present when Izzet Izcan spoke. They evidently did not want to be a part of the row and to weaken their hopes to join the coalition. Those who prepare to tag themselves to the RTP's tail were, thus, afraid of being hurt by the tail's blow.

    As a matter of act, if the government, which has run out of power, still survives, this has been possible with Akinci's help. Those who voted for the PDM regret having done so when they look at this picture.

    What has been the most significant thing in our community after the public referendum?

    The RTP has assumed the role of the NUP. Talat too has assumed the role of Denktas."

    /SK


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