Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-09-13

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish generals expect the EU to legitimize their crimes against Cyprus.

[02] Serdar Denktas tries to blame the international community for the calamities caused to the Greek and Turkish Cypriots by the barbaric Turkish invasion and the continuing brutal occupation of Cyprus.

[03] Talat says that British diplomats are exerting efforts to change the provision for the protection of the occupied Greek Cypriot properties included in the regulation for the financial aid that the EU will give to the Turkish Cypriots.

[04] Turkish colonizers create tension at Ayios Dhometios barricade.

[05] Serdar Denktas says that they rejected three teachers from the list that the Ministry of Education submitted to the occupation regime for the gymnasium in occupied Rizokarpasso.

[06] The Turkish Cypriots are no longer "isolated".

[07] The persons who live in occupied Cyprus trust mostly the army and consider the Cyprus problem the most important among their problems, according to a public survey.

[08] Despite allegations of embargoes and isolation of the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus exports and imports are on the upward trend.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish generals expect the EU to legitimize their crimes against Cyprus

"The NSC [National Security Council] General Secretariat, in its September bulletin, stated publicly its worries related to the removal of the restrictions against the `TRNC´. The bulletin noted with the following words the fact that the promises made to Turkey and the `TRNC´ on the Cyprus issue have not been kept:

"None of the assurances that the UN, the United States, the EU and the Organization of the Islamic Conference gave in the aftermath of the public referendum to extricate the Turkish Cypriot side from the isolation, to which it has been unjustly subjected, has been turned into concrete gains at the stage reached."

Subtitle: Strategy for the Green Line regulation

The bulletin also argued that the Green Line Regulation, which regulates direct trade between the EU and the `TRNC´, will instead create a negative effect. Pointing out that South Cyprus and Greece are trying to develop a common strategy to render ineffective the regulation on which the EU works with the aim of providing the Turkish Cypriots with the possibility of direct trade, the bulletin says: "It should be ruled that the regulation will make the Turkish Cypriot side all the more subject to the Greek Cypriot administration."

The NSC bulletin described as only for show the measures for the Turkish Cypriots that the South Cyprus administration announced with the purpose of appeasing the atmosphere created against it in the aftermath of the public referendum. It added: "The Greek Cypriots may find an opportunity to impose a new solution proposal that would contain more demands. Efforts will be made to force Turkey to accept such demands in light of the possibility of exercising the veto right [by the Republic of Cyprus] in the course of giving a negotiating date to Turkey in December 2004."

[02] Serdar Denktas tries to blame the international community for the calamities caused to the Greek and Turkish Cypriots by the barbaric Turkish invasion and the continuing brutal occupation of Cyprus

"Otherwise -- and the president's forecast is coming true lately -- the island will be faced with the danger of being evacuated by the Turkish Cypriots, of becoming another Crete."

In an effort to present as good will the re-opening of a school kept closed for 30 years by the Turkish occupation troops, Serdar Denktas said: "The `TRNC´ opened a school for the Greek Cypriot community in Rizokarpasso, but even that gesture, was turned by the Greek Cypriots into a tool for political intrigue. We will take some more steps to show our goodwill, but I do not know what will happen after that."

In connection with the recent threefold and fourfold increase in the amount of stolen Greek Cypriot properties bought by the British in occupied Cyprus, Serdar Denktas pointed out that new regulations have now gone into force.

"It was a situation that had to stop. Nevertheless, stopping that would have meant freezing the economy completely, because there is no activity in any other sector. Instead of selling the property to a foreigners, the property is now sold to the state, and the foreigner in question gains the right to lease the property for 125 years. That is the new arrangement," he explained.

Serdar Denktas further said that when he looks at the situation today, he thinks: "I wish we, too, had said no at the referendum."

Mr Serdar Denktas issued a call to the Turkish businessmen to trade with the occupation regime, saying:

"The trade they will conduct in Cyprus must be done over the `TRNC´. They must conduct their trade by means of partnerships or contracts with the businessmen in the `TRNC´. The minute they start to have trade directly with the Greek Cypriot side, they should know that we will lose the Turkish Cypriot community completely in the intermediate term."

[03] Talat says that British diplomats are exerting efforts to change the provision for the protection of the occupied Greek Cypriot properties included in the regulation for the financial aid that the EU will give to the Turkish Cypriots

Mr Talat noted that the approval of this regulation seemed more possible than the approval of the free trade regulation, which is more important for the Turkish Cypriots.

Asked to comment on the Annan Plan, Mr Talat said: "The Annan plan is there and it will be revived again. It is in the freezer for the moment. I believe that re-negotiating the Annan Plan as a package is not necessary. I say let us not re-negotiate this plan. However, some peripheral factors which will influence it should be enforced. I am exerting efforts to this direction. This is the reason why we are trying to lift the isolation. We want to develop the relations of the Turkish Cypriots with the world. In case this happens the Greek Cypriots could say YES to the Annan Plan, with some guarantees, perhaps, that they will get not from us. Perhaps with some guarantees that they will get by the United Nations or with the guarantee of Turkey's EU process. However, if the Annan Plan comes again onto the table, I personally will discuss it, but I will do this so that the changes which will be brought about are in favour of the Turkish Cypriots. ".

Asked about the measures they will take in order to force the Greek Cypriots to accept the Annan Plan and whether or not Turkey's waiting a date for launching accession negotiations with the EU is a factor that causes delay to the realization of these measures, Mr Talat said:

"There is nothing concrete on this issue. I have only said my personal opinion. I have made an effort on this. However, I can say nothing because this effort had no result. 'Of course do not forget that the cadres that apply the new police are still the old ones. Therefore, the sensitivities, the fears and the tendencies of the past still exist. From this point of view, they still are an obstacle. However, we have to overcome these obstacles in order to have successful results. Otherwise, at least let us try to protect the Annan Plan. '".

Referring to the forthcoming "presidential elections" in the occupied areas, Mr Talat expressed his wish to be a candidate for the "post" in case the Cyprus problem is not solved until then.

[04] Turkish colonizers create tension at Ayios Dhometios barricade

The paper writes that NJP has given announcements to the papers and used the minarets of the mosques of some villages to call on the people to go to Hala Sultan, in spite of the fact that it knows that the illegal Turkish settlers are not allowed to cross over to the free areas of Cyprus.

When the police of the Republic of Cyprus did not permit them to pass as it was expected, continues KIBRIS, the 750 persons, the majority of whom were Turkish settlers, were provoked by the NJP officials and created tension at the barricade.

After the settlers blocked the road the chairman of NJP Ata Tepe said to the "police officer" of the occupation regime who told him to call on them to get into the buses: "I can not stop these people now. I can do nothing". Mr Tepe allged that the so-called ministry of interior of the occupation regime had sent them a letter informing them that all citizens of the pseudostate, including the illegal Turkish settlers, could cross over to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

The paper writes that "mobile striking force" of the occupation regime interfered and the settlers abandoned the barricade, which was closed for a while.

[05] Serdar Denktas says that they rejected three teachers from the list that the Ministry of Education submitted to the occupation regime for the gymnasium in occupied Rizokarpasso

The names of the three teachers are on a list of twenty persons which the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Cyprus has submitted to the United Nations for approval so that they are able to teach at the gymnasium at Rizokarpasso which is expected to reopen its gates today after being closed for 30 years due to the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

Mr Denktas said that they asked for the documents of the rest seventeen teachers and after they examine them they will choose the teachers that will teach at the school.

According to KIBRIS twelve students will go to the gymnasium at Rizokarpasso.

[06] The Turkish Cypriots are no longer "isolated"

Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRISLI newspaper (12.09.04) reports that the Kyrenia Rotary Club and the Nicosia Sarayonu Rotary club in occupied Cyprus received a certificate that made them members of the international Rotary club. Members of the Italian and Turkish Rotary club, along with Mr Rauf Denktas were invited in the reception for the receiving of the certificate, which took place in the Dome Hotel in occupied Kyrenia.

In addition, according to Turkish Cypriot daily HALKIN SESI newspaper (13.09.04) Mr Sumer Aygin, so-called Mayor of occupied Kyrenia visited, after receiving an invitation, the Portuguese town of Santarem, where he held contacts with the town's Mayor Mr Rui Pedro de Sousa Barreiro. Mr Aygin, who visited Santarem in the framework of an international dance festival which was held in the town on the 1-7 September, stated that he will continue his efforts for the international recognition of occupied Kyrenia.

[07] The persons who live in occupied Cyprus trust mostly the army and consider the Cyprus problem the most important among their problems, according to a public survey

The survey was conducted in occupied Famagusta district, between 18-22 August, with the method 'face to face', and 791 persons participated in it. The persons were asked to answer various questions evaluating what they trust the most.

Level of trust to persons and institutions %
Army                                      80
Universities                              76
Police                                    66
Law Courts                                63
President                                 54
Civil Society Organisations               50
Municipalities                            46
Bayrak                                    45
Trade Unions                              45
Prime Minister                            44
Government                                42
Parliament                                39
Newspapers                                37
Private Televisions                       35
Political Parties                         24
People's majority                         24
Newspaper preference %
KIBRIS               57
HALKIN SESI          18
AFRIKA               17
KIBRISLI             14
YENIDUZEN            12
VOLKAN                8
VATAN                 4
ORTAM                 3
TV channel preference %
BAYRAK                54
GENC TV               20
ART                   16
KANAL T               14
KIBRIS TV              9
AKDENIZ                2
Issues pre-occupying the Turkish Cypriots %
Cyprus Problem                            84
Government's Problem                      52
Cost of Living                            45
Unemployment                              41
Education Problems                        26
Health Problems                           19
Infrastructure Problems                   11
Traffic Problems                           7
Environmental Problems                     5

In addition, the persons who participated in the survey were asked to answer to the question "Do you believe that the Cyprus problem will be solved in the year ahead of us?". As the paper writes the persons were very pessimistic as regards this question, since, only 9% said "yes", 14% said "to some extend", 35% answered "not a lot", and 31% answered "not at all".

[08] Despite allegations of embargoes and isolation of the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus exports and imports are on the upward trend

According to statistical information published by local KIBRIS on 11 September 2004, data were given by the so-called Director of the Department of Trade of Ankara´s occupation regime in northern Cyprus, Mr Huseyin Meneoglu.

During the period January-June 2004 imports marked a record 54.9% increase while exports an increase of 28.1%.

Mr Meneoglu stated that the foreign exchange stability and the decrease of the effects of the 2001 economic crisis as well as the relaxation of the movement to and from the occupied areas had a positive effect on imports. In the month of June 2003 imports from Turkey were 25.3 million dollars while in June 2004 this number increased by 57.9% reaching 39.9 million dollars.

As regards imports from third countries in June 2003 imports were 16.3 million dollars while in June 2004 they increased by 50.5% reaching 24.6 million dollars.

In terms of value, first in imports were the means of transport which from 21.4 million dollars they increased by 159% in 2004, reaching 55.4 million dollars. Following are fuel with 18.1 million dollars and building iron with 17.9 million dollars in 2004. In fourth position of imports come cigarettes with 11 million dollars.

From the point of view of percentage increase, imports of building iron recorded the highest rise scoring an upsurge of 323% reaching 17.9 million in 2004 from 4.2 million dollars in 2003, followed by industrial machinery with 274% increase, cement 273% and timber and wood with an increase of 188%.

(Tr. Note: No further details were published on the exports).

/SK

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