Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-10-05

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Cypriots will be represented in PACE. Euphoria by Gul and Talat, who accuses President Papadopoulos for the problems created in Cyprus by the occupation troops.

[02] How the Turkish Cypriot press covers the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

[03] Ankara signed a credit agreement with the occupation regime.

[04] Reactions to the Customs Union agreement of Turkey with the Republic of Cyprus continue; Talat: "There is still boycott on the ships under the flag of Cyprus".

[05] The "representative" of the pseudostate in Pakistan called on the Pakistani businessmen to invest in occupied Cyprus.

[06] The Foreign Minister of Sweden to visit Ankara tomorrow.

[07] The New Turkey Party of Ismail Cem to merge with the Republican People's Party.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[08] American report suggests that Turkey should start withdrawing its troops from occupied Cyprus.

[09] Turkey blamed for the annulment of the EU-OIC summit because the Turkish Foreign Ministry attempted to impose the occupation regime on the EU in the same process as with the OIC.

[10] They still continue to insist "we are not under occupation".

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Cypriots will be represented in PACE. Euphoria by Gul and Talat, who accuses President Papadopoulos for the problems created in Cyprus by the occupation troops

"The parliamentarians of the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' (TRNC) will be able to attend works of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) directly and actively in line with a new decision, diplomatic sources told the A.A on Monday.

PACE accepted earlier in the day a memorandum of implementation about a decision taken in April.

Under the memorandum, Turkish Cypriot parliamentarians will be able to attend all sessions at the PACE including sessions of the general assembly and commissions.

Parliamentarians will be able to explain their views, but they cannot vote.

Cyprus has three members at the PACE. Two posts have been used by Greek Cypriot parliamentarians while the third membership has been vacant for years.

Under a decision taken in 1997, a Turkish Cypriot parliamentarian was accepted as the third member to attend only commission meetings and to explain views about Cyprus. Following the referenda in Cyprus in April, PACE took another decision on April 29 to enable Turkish parliamentarians to attend all sessions under the condition that the Turkish Cypriot representative should be integrated to the Greek Cypriot delegation. Turkish Cypriot parliamentarians expressed their disappointment with the condition.

The memorandum which was accepted by PACE earlier in the day, lifted the condition."

Ankara Anatolia later reported also from Ankara the following:

"Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Abdullah Gul said on Monday that the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) in favor of 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' (TRNC) was an important step, helping Turkish Cypriot people defend their rights in international platforms in a better way.

After meeting Alcee Hastings, the president of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE-PA), Gul told reporters that Turkish Cypriot parliamentarians would represent themselves separately at the PACE from now on, and they would not be integrated to the Greek Cypriot delegation.

Gul said: ''By this decision, everybody sees that it is right to acknowledge and recognize elected representatives of the 'TRNC' from now on.''

Answering a question on inclusion of the Greek Cypriot administration in the Customs Union, Gul said that economic and special relations between Turkey and the 'TRNC' would continue without any change." On the same issue Ankara Anatolia (04/10/04) reported from occupied Nicosia the following:

"'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' (TRNC) 'Prime Minister' Mehmet Ali Talat said on Monday that the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) in favor of the 'TRNC' was an important step, noting, ''the world started to understand the Turkish Cypriots. It is the first step.''

Speaking to the A.A correspondent, Talat said that the peaceful attitude that was put forth by the Turkish Cypriots in referenda held in Cyprus on April 24 was supported by this decision. Talat stated that Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos should give up the mentality that ''he would punish Turkish Cypriots''.

Recalling that the issue had been discussed and been on the agenda for a long time, Talat noted that Greek Cypriot parliament speaker Dimitris Christofias sent a letter to the Council's secretary general asking time to discuss the issue and said that he would debate the issue with him (Talat).

Talat added that the secretary general noted that the issue would be taken up during the meeting at the beginning of October.

Noting that Greek Cypriot parliament did not make a concrete proposal, Talat said, ''Council Chairmanship convened and started to work to put into force this draft which was earlier prepared. It will be put to vote in the General Assembly today. But I received information that all groups support this decision. Turkish Cypriots will be represented in the Council of Europe with one associate member and one alternate member. They will have observer status in the General Assembly and they can explain their views. They will not be accredited with Greek Cypriots. It is very important. They will attend meetings as representatives of Turkish Cypriot community under the title of Cyprus. It is a very important step.''

Talat said: ''It is impossible for Papadopoulos administration to isolate Turkish Cypriots from the world and it won't happen.''

Stating that Turkish Cypriots hoped that the Cyprus issue would be resolved, he said: 'If its is not resolved, Turkish Cypriots are not responsible for it.''

[02] How the Turkish Cypriot press covers the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)

According to the decision Turkish Cypriots will be able to attend all sessions at the PACE including sessions of the general assembly and commissions.

KIBRIS under the headline "We are represented in the PACE", writes about the decision and stresses that for the first time in Turkish Cypriot history the Turkish Cypriots won the right of representation in the PACE.

AFRIKA, under the title "Representation for the Turkish Cypriots" writes that finally the Turkish Cypriot "deputies" will fill the empty seats at the PACE, after they have abandoned the Assembly of the Cyprus Republic and after their seats remained empty for years.

Under the title "Two 'TRNC' deputies were called at the PACE", VATAN writes about the decision and stresses that the PACE gave to deputies of the 'TRNC' the right of representation in the PACE.

Under the title "The Council of Europe slapped the Greek Cypriots", HALKIN SESI writes that according to the decision of the PACE it was ensured that two Turkish Cypriot 'deputies' will participate in a proper and active way in the works of the PACE.

Local CUMHURIYET under the title "Up to here with great effort", reports that with the new decision of PACE, the condition that the "TRNC deputies" will be included in the Greek Cypriot delegation was lifted and the two "TRNC deputies" were called to represent the pseudostate in the PACE.

YENI DUZEN, which uses the banner headline "YES my friend!", writes that with the PACE's decision it was secured that from now on the Turkish Cypriot "deputies" will participate in the PACE meetings without the approval of the Greek Cypriots.

KIBRISLI, under the banner headline "YES, mother, YES!", writes that this decision is the first real outcome that the Turkish Cypriots receive after the "yes" policy.

CUNES, ORTAM and VOLKAN newspapers, cover the issue in their inner pages.

[03] Ankara signed a credit agreement with the occupation regime

It was signed in Ankara on 23 September by Memduh Aslan Akcay, the Deputy Director of the Foreign Economic Relations Department at the Treasury Undersecretariat, on behalf of Turkey and by Zeren Mungan, the so-called Undersecretary at the Finance Ministry, on behalf Ankara's occupation regime.

[04] Reactions to the Customs Union agreement of Turkey with the Republic of Cyprus continue; Talat: "There is still boycott on the ships under the flag of Cyprus"

In statements to a Turkish TV channel and to illegal "Bayrak" television, Mr Talat reiterated his opinion that the regulations of the EU regarding the financial aid to the Turkish Cypriots and the direct trade with the occupied part of Cyprus should not be separated from each other and added: "The direct trade is something that must be evaluated with steps that Turkey will be making within the next few days in the direction of the European Union, because Turkey included the 'Republic of Cyprus' in its Customs Union, but not everything is over. The ships under the flag of the Republic of Cyprus cannot still enter the Turkish ports. There is a boycott".

Mr Talat said that it was not a surprise for him the decision of Turkey to include the Republic of Cyprus in its Customs Union Agreement with the EU and argued that this was the result of the wrong policies of the past, which had no vision for reaching a solution on the island.

Mr. Talat said that they are preparing a new strategy with Turkey and added that in case the UN Security Council decides the end of the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, the EU countries will link their relations with the Turkish Cypriots to the (international) law.

Referring to Turkey's getting a date to launch its accession negotiations with the EU, he claimed that this will be possible because of the "yes" vote of the Turkish Cypriots at the 24 April referendum on the Annan Plan. After this the Cyprus problem is not in Turkey's way, he alleged.

Meanwhile, commenting on the issue of Turkey's Customs Union Agreement with the Republic of Cyprus, National Unity Party (NUP) noted that they were "following with concern the recent developments on the Cyprus problem". The party was also referring to the postponement of the joint forum between the EU and the Islamic Conference Organization.

Commenting on the same issue, Communal Liberation Party (CLP) leader Huseyin Angolemli expressed the opinion that the Turkish Cypriots were paying the price for the wrong policies of the past. In a statement on the same issue, the General Secretary of the United Cyprus Party (UCP), Izzet Izcan said that the Customs Union Agreement will be followed by the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey. Mr Izcan expressed also the following position: "The prime minister links the solution of the Cyprus problem to the condition of the ending of the isolation and the beginning of direct trade. This approach will bring no other result than freezing the Cyprus problem until Turkey's full membership to the EU and the consolidation of the division".

[05] The "representative" of the pseudostate in Pakistan called on the Pakistani businessmen to invest in occupied Cyprus

In an interview he gave at the Pakistani Observer newspaper, which is published in English, on the 2nd of October, Mr Topukcu stated that Pakistan is the second big country which supports the pseudostate after Turkey and thanked Pakistan for its support. He also said that there are potentials to increase the economic relations between the pseudostate and Pakistan and added that in order for the Pakistani businessmen to export goods in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, "they can use the 'TRNC' as a free port", as he said.

[06] The Foreign Minister of Sweden to visit Ankara tomorrow

[07] The New Turkey Party of Ismail Cem to merge with the Republican People's Party

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[08] American report suggests that Turkey should start withdrawing its troops from occupied Cyprus

"Intelligent Americans who support Turkey's EU membership propose to withdraw troops from Cyprus.

Abdullah Akyuz, TUSIAD's [Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association] representative in Washington, informed us of an important report yesterday. The title of the report that was prepared by a committee that is co-chaired by Morton Abramowitz, former US ambassador to Turkey, and Richard Burt, former US ambassador to Germany, is quite interesting: "Turkey on the Threshold: Europe's Decision and US Interests."

During a meeting that was held in Washington the day before yesterday it was announced that the study aims to find out how Turkey's EU membership will affect US interests and Turkey's relations with the United States and what the United States should do regarding this issue.

Intelligent Americans listed what the United States should and should not do for supporting Turkey's EU membership as follows:

-- If the United States openly conducts activities in Turkey's favor in countries such as France and Germany, this may backfire. Instead, efforts that encourage opinion leaders, who to look at the issue favorably, should be preferred.

-- The United States and Turkey should reach human rights defenders and other political pressure groups in Europe and they should convey the message to the effect that Turkey's EU membership is the most secure way to achieve their goals.

-- Instead of focusing on the internal operation of the EU, the United States should further focus on general issues. For example, it should focus on the effect of this decision (the decision on Turkey) on the relations of the European-Atlantic alliance with the Muslim world.

-- The United States and the EU should make efforts in order to ensure that a solution is found in Cyprus. The fact that a solution has not yet been found should not constitute an obstacle before Turkey's accession to the EU now. The United States may assist in this regard by encouraging Turkey to decrease its military existence in Cyprus -- maybe as an indicator of the continuation of its good intentions. The United States and the EU should properly explain to the Greek Cypriots that they are also expected to take serious and constructive steps.

The report includes the following views:

"The decision that will be reached in December regarding Turkey's accession to the EU will create a series of problems for the United States. This will have an impact on the relations between Turkey and the United States and the impact may not be positive in all the fields. Given that Turkey will try to remain close to the joint European stand, the United States may find Turkey in the opposite ranks where certain transatlantic issues of key importance are concerned. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the International Criminal Court as well as Iran and the great Middle East reform process may be among these issues. With Turkey's accession, the EU will gain further influence in NATO's decision making mechanisms and this will change the United States' approach with regard to NATO issues."

After listing these negativities, intelligent Americans note that despite all this, they believe that Turkey's EU membership will serve the strengthening of the Western alliance in the region. The United States proposes the following to Turkey and the EU in order to overcome the difficulties:

-- Turkey's EU membership should not be viewed as if the United States "is losing Turkey" or as if "the EU is winning Turkey." Rather, this should be viewed as a game where everyone wins.

-- It is necessary to admit the difficulties of Turkey's EU membership. It is also necessary to admit, however, that Turkey's EU membership will serve not only the United States, the EU, and Turkey, but that it will also serve the interest of the Middle East.

-- It is necessary to establish a three-party political counseling mechanism that will hold regular meetings regarding the efforts that will be made for NATO and the Great Middle East Project in particular.

As it can be seen, Turkey's EU membership does not merely mean that the EU accepts the membership of another country. Its meaning has a wider scope and therefore it is necessary to act with the awareness of this load."

[09] Turkey blamed for the annulment of the EU-OIC summit because the Turkish Foreign Ministry attempted to impose the occupation regime on the EU in the same process as with the OIC

After referring to a similar forum held in 2002, Mr. Yetkin writes: "While the Europeans create trouble for us, we too engage in activities of the kind that continuously put new burdens on us and obstruct our progress.

The move to criminalize adultery was an example.

The government's endangering the progress report, scheduled to be released on 6 October, for the sake of enforcing this article in the law that was not an integral part of the EU principles, all of a sudden blurred the picture in the European minds as to what the government intended to do.

Furthermore, the European-Islam rendezvous was cancelled.

Without referring to the Cyprus issue, one would necessarily dwell on the reason why this summit meeting, planned for 4-5 October, was not held and wonder as to the kind of planning that led to the preparation of this timetable. Once Istanbul played host earlier to an OIC summit and later to a NATO summit, what kind of benefit did the foreign ministry expect from this effort immediately ahead of the release of the progress report and at a time when all the efforts should have been focused on the 17 December summit?

One might have thought as follows: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would receive in Berlin on 3 October, the national day of Germany, the "Quadriga" award that is presented to leaders that work for the European ideals. Returning to Istanbul, he would play host to Europe and the Islamic world that would embrace each other. Immediately after this summit, the European Commission's recommendation, "Let the negotiations with Turkey begin," would be released on 6 October. This would have been a kind of "from Turk to Turk" propaganda. It did not work out.

The OIC was made to accept the 'TRNC' [Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus] with observer status as the "Turkish Cypriot State." Trouble developed when an effort was made to have the EU accept this status through the same process. The Turkish Foreign Ministry had to cancel the meeting when the EU, with the effective role of term president Holland that exaggerated the issue, announced that it would not accept this.

The government put on the agenda, as a result of the most ridiculous timing possible, its justifiable political effort related to Europe's unfulfilled promises on the Cyprus issue and has, thus, managed to have its justified position questioned.

This is what President Ahmet Necdet Sezer implied when he said during the opening of the National Assembly yesterday, "This amounts to strengthening the hand of those that oppose Turkey's EU membership."

It may be that at the point reached this was the way out with the least harm, because it had become apparent that half of the member countries were to go along with Holland's call to boycott the meeting, and some of the countries coming to Istanbul were to lower their level of representation.

Who is the winner? Time will show, but it can already be seen that it is not Ankara.

The refusal of some of the strong EU members, like Britain, Italy and Spain, to support Holland's call for boycott may be interpreted in two ways. The first may give hope that time will begin to work in favor of Turkey as a result of the optimistic assumption that "Cyprus has enraged the EU." The second interpretation is that more serious obstacles will be put before us from now on. Yes, this development could increase the political pressures on the Greek Cypriots, but Turkey too will get more than its share of the demands.

These will range from withdrawing troops from Cyprus to officially recognizing the Greek Cypriots."

[10] They still continue to insist "we are not under occupation"

Incirli then says that he had never believed in the "TRNC" and always considered it a small "pirate's ship" where "through plundering and usurpation millionaires were created". He goes on and says: "They say that Turkey recognizes the 'TRNC!'

Turkey never recognized the 'TRNC!' It could not do so. Everybody knew this and Turkey exploited the Cyprus problem for its own interest. The 'TRNC' is nothing but an occupation regime imposed on the Turkish Cypriots by the Turkish armed forces and by the Turkish nationalists. The realities are as bright as a day light. At present Turkey's EU interests and the illegal regime that they have fooled us for thirty years under the disguise of 'cause' is in conflict", Incirli says and adds that Denktas and his followers were fooled and in turn they have fooled the Turkish Cypriots. They have no guts to protest against Turkey.

"Even the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul urges the Turkish Cypriots to have 'patience'. What patience? We are finished. There is no need to resort to lies and illusions. Turkey's occupation in the north Cyprus will come to an end. And what will happen to us? Thanks to Denktas and his supporters in Turkey we will be condemned to a minority life worse than the Maronites. Do you still continue to claim that you are not under occupation and Turkey has 'saved' you? If Turkey has really saved you why then are you still awaiting for a savior?" Incirli concludes.

X.CHR.

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