Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-10-15

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Rauf Denktas resorts to a book by Greek Cypriot to justify the crimes committed by Turkey against the Republic of Cyprus.

[02] Former occupation regime so-called Minister and a Peace and Democracy Movement so-called MP accuse each other for the murder of Solomos Solomou.

[03] New formula being sought for a coalition "government" in the occupied areas.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[04] Poor, isolated Turkish Cypriot businessmen from occupied Cyprus offer 110 million sterling to buy Fulham football club.

[05] Columnist in VOLKAN accuses Mr Talat of telling lies and distributing properties at occupied Ayios Epiktitos beach and EVKAF to his party´s supporters.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Rauf Denktas resorts to a book by Greek Cypriot to justify the crimes committed by Turkey against the Republic of Cyprus

Mr Denktas criticised Mr Papadopoulos interpreting his statements as threats against Turkey and branded the President of the Republic of Cyprus "shameless, impudent and insolent".

Referring to Mr Papadopoulos' statement that the Republic of Cyprus expects Turkey to behave like a European nation, Mr Denktas goes back to 1963 when he establishes the terrorist TMT organization to destroy the Republic and create animosities between the two communities.

He also criticized the European Union for accepting the Republic of Cyprus as the sole legitimate government of the whole island and asked when the EU will examine what he called "the nappies of the baby they took in their arms" under the name Cyprus.

The paper also writes that Rauf Denktas quoted in his statements paragraphs from the book of a Greek Cypriot named Antonis Angastiniotis, in which he allegedly argues that the Greek Cypriots too carried out atrocities.

[02] Former occupation regime so-called Minister and a Peace and Democracy Movement so-called MP accuse each other for the murder of Solomos Solomou

Commenting on Mr Akin's statements, Mr Sadrazam denied the accusations and said that Akin was "talking nonsense". He also added that responsible for the operation of that day was the Commander of the Turkish Cypriot Occupation Forces Corps Commander Hasan Kundakci. Both Hasan Kundakci and Kenan Akin are included in the red list of Interpol, the paper reports.

Meanwhile, local newspaper KIBRISLI reports that the so-called Deputy Halil Sadrazam will made more statements on the issue today.

[03] New formula being sought for a coalition "government" in the occupied areas

A new attempt is made for establishing a new "government" now, with the participation of the "single deputy" parties, which are the Communal Liberation Party (CLP), the United Cyprus Party (UCP) and the Free Though Party (FTP). In case such a coalition is formed, the DP and the Republican Turkish Party, which is the major partner of the current "government", will be the backbone of the new formation.

According to the paper, the three small parties see positively a possible cooperation. In case the parties come to an agreement, the decision as regards the forming of a new "government" will be announced before next Wednesday, 20th of October, which is the date that the so-called budget of the pseudostate will be brought in front of the "assembly" for approval. It is a critical date for the "government" which is currently under a state of minority, since the so-called prime minister Mehmet Ali Talat stated that he will resign in case the "parliament" will not give a positive "vote" as regards the "budget".

Besides, as Turkish Cypriot daily ORTAM newspaper (15.10.04) reports, the leader of the Communal Liberation Party Huseyin Angolemli stated that his party will not vote in favour of the "budget", in the 20 October session of the pseudoparliament, in case no absolute majority is secured.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[04] Poor, isolated Turkish Cypriot businessmen from occupied Cyprus offer 110 million sterling to buy Fulham football club

After stressing that in England football is the biggest business and describing the stories of Chelsea, which is owned by Russian businessman, Mr Abramowitz and Fulham, which is owned by Egyptian businessman, Mr Muhammed Al Fayed, Mr Incirli writes:

"For about a month now, rumours had it that Fulham will be bought by a Turkish Cypriot businessman and that soon I would be a relative of the persons in the press office of the club.

While preparing today´s front page leader of TOPLUM POSTASI newspaper yesterday morning, I noticed that Fulham was the leading article in the back page of one of the national papers, the DAILY MIRROR'.

That "Turkish businessmen" are buying Fulham' And Asil Nadir is in the job.

An entirely different news item.

One of our friends working at TOPLUM POSTASI newspaper is in Cyprus since a few weeks. He is looking for the Cypriot businessman who allegedly will buy Fulham.

I called DAILY MIRROR newspaper. I asked to speak with the reporter of this particular news item. I am trying to collect information on the issue. Then I refer to our friend in Cyprus.

Before DAILY MIRROR reported the news, on Tuesday the following allegation reached us. The claim was: Cypriot businessman named Halil Falyali and his brother Husnu Falyali in London at 13:00 hours will sign at Fulham Club and buy the club at the price of 110 million sterling.

On Tuesday I called the press office of Fulham club asking about the signing ceremony but they made fun of me. If DAILY MIRROR wrote it yesterday, that is on Wednesday "it can´t be a lie", I thought.

I spoke with Halil Falyali on the phone. I spoke with his London lawyer as well.

"We bought, we are buying, we are about to, we are completing", were the words I heard.

I am calling on Fulham Club again. "Dear Friend, it´s me again, what happened with the club? Has Al Fayed sold it?" I ask.

I get a very clear answer. "Look Turkish journalist friend, Al Fayed did not sell the Club, the club is not for sale!"

We continue the friendly chat and I ask again: "What about the reports in DAILY MIRROR".

The answer crystal clear: Speculation!

There is no smoke without a fire. Falyali brothers want to buy the club for 110 million pounds. The value of Fulham is much higher".

Mr Incirli then gives more details about his conversation with Halil Falyali during which he told him at Mr Asil Nadir is just a friend of his and adds:

"According to the MIRROR newspaper Halil Falyali has hotels, casinos and gambling sites on internet".

Mr Incirli goes on describing the extent of the coverage given to this news by DAILY MIRROR in the other press and electronic media of Britain and that Mr Halil Falyali´s name became the second best known after Asil Nadir´s and that Northern Cyprus received publicity as a gambling place for which millions of pounds would be spent.

[05] Columnist in VOLKAN accuses Mr Talat of telling lies and distributing properties at occupied Ayios Epiktitos beach and EVKAF to his party´s supporters

"I watch with surprise Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat when he talks on the television about his achievements. Twice, I watched the program that was broadcast through the cooperation of the BRT [Bayrak-Radio Television network] and the [Turkish mainland] Haber Turk television network.

Talat talked about democratization, adopting democracy as a lifestyle, being transparent, never engaging in partisan practices, supporting tolerance and equality, and being the government of not only the RTP [Republican Turkish Party] supporters, but of the entire population irrespective of their views.

I laughed as I listened, and wondered how a person can tell lies with such an ease before tens of thousands of spectators. If Talat is not a professional liar that momentarily tells lies with ease, I have no doubt that he is a taleteller who treats the people as naïve and recites to them "The Thousand and One Nights."

The documents that we published in the newspaper VOLKAN in the last four to five months are enough to foil Talat's arguments in no time. The documents were about the partisan appointments; the sum of 300 billion Turkish Lira that the pro-RTP municipalities distributed in two years to the party organs and supporters; the advertisement embargo they applied against VOLKAN with the aim of silencing and suppressing it; and the banning of the BRT television network primarily to our Chief Editor Sabahattin Ismail and other journalists that defend the national cause.

I would like to expose once again Talat's lies to that effect:

-- Exploiting the three-signature [appointments] system and the removal from duty mechanism, which he originally opposed, Talat removed the senior grade administrators from duty, and appointed party militants in their place. What does the imposing on the state of an adviser´s burden in the amount of 235 billion Turkish Lira has to do with supporting the people and democracy, being democrat, and avoiding of partisan practices?

-- Some 1,660 youths were removed from duty, just because they were not RTP supporters, despite the Attorney General's ruling, "It is a violation of the law." Some 3,000 were deprived of their citizenship. What does this have to do with supporting democracy and the law? Is there any worse partisanship than this one?

-- Moreover, the BRT television network has imposed a ban on our Chief Editor Sabahattin Ismail because of his and his paper's articles that criticize the RTP's performance. Did the RTP promise the people that it would silence the opposition voices and ban the BRT television to them? Does this not amount to a policy of pressure and silencing? Does this performance have anything to do with defending coexistence, democracy and the EU norms?

-- Acting with unprecedented pressure, and an anti-democratic mentality and grudge, pro-RTP mayors Oktay Kayalp [Famagusta], Sumer Aygin [Kyrenia] and Kutlay Erk [occupied Nicosia], stopped all the municipal advertisements to Volkan newspaper. For instance, while advertisements totaling 300 billion Turkish Lira were placed in two years in their party newspaper, YENIDUZEN, and pro-RTP newspapers, KIBRIS and KIBRISLI, only VOLKAN newspaper was left out. To give one last example, the announcements of the festivals organized by the Famagusta, Kyrenia and Nicosia municipalities were published in primarily YENIDUZEN, KIBRISLI and KIBRIS. They were also published in AFRIKA, HALKIN SESI, ORTAM, CUMHURI YET and Vatan. Of the 10 daily newspapers, only VOLKAN and Gunes were excluded.

All the banks and institutions, primarily the EVKAF [Religious Foundations Administration], to which pro-RTP directors and executive committee members have been appointed, have also been boycotting Volkan for the last nine months through the same process, and have been trying to suppress and silence it.

If this is not an attempt to suppress, punish and silence the VOLKAN, which levels serious criticism and publishes opposition articles against the RTP, what is it?

Did the RTP promise the people and the EU officials to silence the opposition press and to serve as the government of only the RTP and its municipalities?

Is this the understanding of equality, honesty and justice of the RTP and its mayors? Is this the way to defend the EU norms? In light of these realities, how is it that Talat can still talk about EU norms and equal treatment for all? Is he not telling a lie when he says, "We uphold democracy, we are not engaged in partisanship, we are the government of the entire people, not only the RTP supporters?"

-- What about the money paid to Sevket Rado, Zehra Kebapcioglu and many other RTP militants and the taking of the YENIDUZEN and KIBRIS correspondents on visits abroad with state funds, the effort to appoint to Brussels with a salary of $4,000, without announcing a vacancy, the daughter of Ahmet Derya, a party leader, at a time when thousands of youths seek employment? What about the appointment with astronomic salaries of persons with no expertise and your propaganda advisers as "EU experts?" Is this the way to achieve equality and avoid partisanship?

-- Does the FAVORITISM law, which aims at granting illicit profit to those that failed to pay their electricity bills and, thus, treating as idiots those who paid, have anything to do with equality and justice? A law that the Attorney General ruled as "A violation of the principle of equality of the constitution," and which the president refused to sign and sent back, was signed into law in the president's absence. How is this compatible with the law?

-- VOLKAN published for several days many stories, with documents, based on the Council of Ministers decisions. It asked questions. These publications attracted great interest and reaction among the people. However, in the face of the questions we asked before the public, for which we expected responses, a "Keep silent until the danger is over" tactic has been applied with the hope that the documented publications would be forgotten. Is it so difficult to tell the people whether these publications are right or wrong, and to explain the reasons for the decisions made? Is this the kind of openness, transparency and accountability that Talat referred to and promised to the people in his speeches?

Neither has there been any statement on the following that we published in our leading stories: The statements made by the Koloni Advertising Services Director Kagan Ismen, the company that carried out the RTP's public referendum campaign; the publications related to the use of the funds and facilities of the BRT and the EVKAF in these campaigns; and the thousands of dollars paid to Sertac Ergin, the propaganda campaign adviser. The people expect responses, though. Is the "Keep silent until the danger is over" tactic democratic and transparent and is it compatible with the EU norms? You do not refer to these issues at all, Mr Talat.

-- We also published many documents about the Ayios Epiktitos beach and many other Evkaf properties that have been offered to your supporters. You did not speak about these issues either.

Mr Talat, stop talking unchallenged on the television and fulfill the promises you made when you were in the opposition and during the elections. Remain loyal to your word, since you uphold the EU norms and you say you will act in line with them. The Turkish Cypriots would like to see you, your government, the bureaucrats you have appointed, and your mayors treat everyone equally, fairly, honestly, openly and transparently, and not to engage in partisanship and discrimination. They want you not to follow a policy in favor of your supporters and of the kind that would serve their interests. You will, otherwise, not be able to deceive anyone with what you say on the television."

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