Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-09-02

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Early so-called elections may be held on the 6th of November in occupied Cyprus.

[02] The Greek Cypriot refugees of Morphou attended mass at Ayios Mamas church. How the press covered the event.

[03] Omer Adal: "We have the chance to play with the Turkish football teams".

[04] Salih Cosar calls for the establishment of a National Council in the occupied areas.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[05] Turkish Cypriot columnist says that the Turkish Cypriots have been forced by TMT to abandon their villages.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Early so-called elections may be held on the 6th of November in occupied Cyprus

The "bill" was backed by the members of the committees of the Republican Turkish Party of Mehmet Ali Talat and the Democrat Party of Serdar Denktas while it was rejected by the National Unity Party of Dervis Eroglu.

The draft "bill" will now go to the "parliament" for final approval in its first meeting to be held after the summer holidays.

[02] The Greek Cypriot refugees of Morphou attended mass at Ayios Mamas church. How the press covered the event

The report is as follows:

"The `TRNC government´ had given permission for the service to be held in the church, abandoned since 1974, when Turkish forces had to intervene on the island to stop attacks against Turkish Cypriot civilians in the wake of an attempted coup by Greek officers and Greek Cypriot nationalists seeking to have the island become part of Greece.

Many hundreds of the 1,700 Greek Cypriots who crossed into the `TRNC´ from the southern sector of the island attended the mass Wednesday evening to commemorate the town's patron saint. Nearly one third of the Turkish Cypriot police force was on duty around the church to prevent any disturbances. Last week, unknown attackers detonated a bomb in the building and hurled Molotov cocktails, causing damage to the Church's doors, roof and windows.

During the service Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat visited the church, in what he described as an effort to promote peace.

"I came only to say hello," Talat said at the church. "I wish Turkish and Greek Cypriots succeed in their efforts for peace."

Moreover, the Turkish Cypriot papers cover the religious ceremony and other events organized by Turkish Cypriots in occupied Morphou in their front page leaders as follows:

KIBRIS under the banner headline "A peace lesson from Morphou", writes that despite the various provocations made by fanatic groups in the previous days and despite the bomb that was put in the church of Ayios Mamas, the religious ceremony as well as the rally organised by the Platform This Country Is Ours, were held without any unpleasant events.

AFRIKA, under the headline "The religious ceremony was protected by the army", writes that a large number of the security forces of the pseudostate was used in order for the religious ceremony to be held without any problems. It also writes that about 650 "policemen" were used for security reasons while a military helicopter was flying over the church to provide air security.

Under the headline "The humanity won", KIBRISLI writes that another ring of the prohibition chain against the peoples was broken and notes that both the Turkish and Greek Cypriots won last night. It also writes that in general it was the humanity that won, while the status quo in both sides of the island has lost.

VATAN under the title "The mass and the memorial service side-by-side" writes that the Turkish and Greek Cypriots knowing that they are the co-owners of this island gave another important exam in the name of the coexistence.

YENI DUZEN covers the events in the first page with a big picture and the banner headline "This was appropriate for the Turkish Cypriot".

Under the banner headline "The mass and the feast took place without any unpleasant events", HALKIN SESI notes that the religious ceremony in Ayios Mamas church, the peace feast and the memorial service were held without problems.

ORTAM, publishing pictures of last night´s events writes: "Here is the religious ceremony, Here is the memorial service, Here is the feast", and adds, that this is the peace picture of Morphou. It also writes that the feelings of understanding, love, friendship and brotherhood were the winners.

VOLKAN, under the headline "The bells rung, the (Muslim) call to prayer was silenced" writes that Mehmet Ali Talat preferred to visit the Ayios Mamas church where the religious ceremony of the Greek Cypriots was taking place instead of participating in the memorial service of the Turkish Cypriots, which took place only 100 metres away.

Only GUNES paper does not cover the events in its first page, and covers them only in the inside pages.

[03] Omer Adal: "We have the chance to play with the Turkish football teams"

[04] Salih Cosar calls for the establishment of a National Council in the occupied areas

In his statement Mr Cosar said that the party differences after the referendum were turned into confusions and there is a need to create a common realistic vision on all issues.

Mr Cosar called on Mr Talat to take the lead on this issue.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[05] Turkish Cypriot columnist says that the Turkish Cypriots have been forced by TMT to abandon their villages

"The people from Vroisha village have been forced to move to Limnitis when the fight between the communities began! Who forced them to move? We have to investigate and write the truth on this issue! Why the villagers from Vroisha have been forced to emigrate to Limnitis?

However, we have to note this first. The chairman of the association which claims the Vroisha village and compensation about it is Esat Mustafa, a friend whom I know very well and lives in London. He is a person who exerted a lot of efforts so that the Turkish schools become better and for more students to have higher quality education. He raised very talented children who took their share of arts, sports and education. He is a man who looks after his wife because she is ill, who is devoted to the environmental problems, health and sports and loves Cyprus like a 'nationalist'.

We have different views on the issue of who burned Vroisha village. According to Esat Mustafa, the Republic of Cyprus is responsible for the burning of the village. True, the responsibility belongs to the Republic, but the 'administration', that is the Greek Cypriot administrators have never 'officially' accepted it! They say that the 'paramilitary groups burned it'.

However, who is responsible for the emigration that took place before the village was burned? Has everybody not abandoned the village before it was burned? Have they not emigrated? They certainly have. There was no one at Vroisha when it was burned. Why? This issue is important, because the reason for the emigration of many Turkish villages was the decision of the Flag-bearer (Translator's note: Flag-bearer is the head of the TMT team sent from Turkey)! Everybody who investigated the issue knows this. Our commanders have ordered us to gather in one center alleging that the defense would be easier there than in small scattered places.

I am sad mostly because of the emigration of the Turkish Cypriots of Lefkara village, because I believe that Lefkara is one of the most beautiful villages of the world, one of the most beautiful settlements. Why have the villagers from Lefkara emigrated? This is something that they know, but the emigration of the people from Lefkara was effected upon 'an order'. This is definite. It was the same situation like Vroisha.

Vroisha has also a very important past. The place on which Vroisha was built, with the magnificent view, the unbelievably beautiful weather and water, years ago belonged to the Monastery of Kykkos. Afterwards, six shepherds from Pafos came with their herds and settled here. In time their number increased. There were often fights between the priests of the church and the farmers who began coming here. This fight ended after the Ottoman Qadi (judge) of Lefka found a solution to the issue. The legal owners of Vroisha became the grandfathers of 'Esat Mustafa' and his friends who want this village now! The old Greek fanaticism could have something to do with burning and destroying the village.

Let us now come to the situation that the villagers from Vroisha are in today. This issue is also very important. A large part of the villagers from Vroisha live now in England. The rest are scattered in Australia, Potamos tou Kampou village and other villages of Cyprus. Those in England and Australia are the majority. After them the bigger group is the one which lives at Potamos! What will happen if the Greek Cypriot side says to the people from Vroisha 'come, we shall rebuild for you your village, but you have to return Potamos to me'? I am very curious about this!

Does Esat Mustafa not have to look for his rights? He certainly has. I fully respect this. He has to look for his rights just like Loizidou did and the other Greek Cypriot lady who will ask for her rights today at the ECHR. However, there is something I do not understand. Why someone who looks for his rights visits the Prime Minister or the President? What relation could Talat have with this issue? They had visited Denktas before as well. What was the aim of these visits? These are questions the answers of which I am curious to find out.

Will the villagers from Vroisha also file charges against TMT officials, because it forced them to emigrate? I wonder about this as well. Will this issue go all the way until the Cyprus problem is solved? For example, if the Greek Cypriot side says 'ok, let everybody return to his village', could the administrators of the Association of the Vroisha villagers take the people who live at Kampos back to Vroisha? Who would go? No one. Now the villagers from Vroisa want compensation. However, what happens with the villages which we destroyed or the villages which the Greek Cypriots destroyed? Are they too going to be compensated? If they also go to court, will everybody get his money? Or will the court decide that everybody should return back to the places they lived 30 years ago? If it takes such a decision, what will happen then?

The Cyprus problem became very complicated. And it has been turned into a problem from which no one can get out. The Annan Plan was the only solution we had in our hands. The Greek Cypriots did not accept it. Very well, what happens now? Will Turkey withdraw its troops, will everybody return to his houses, will the order of things existing before 1974 be reestablished? Someone must be something more than a dreamer to expect this. Let us talk honestly. We have to apply the Annan Plan or an alternative of this plan as soon as possible, without any further delay and complicating things more".

/SK

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