Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-10-27

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Eroglu is continuing his contacts to form a so-called government. Rauf Denktas thinks early elections are an obligation.

[02] Press report that European officials also conducted inspections at the illegal Tymbou Airport.

[03] The Turkish army is making clear who rules in the occupied areas. Pergamos closed by order of the military commander.

[04] NET Holding company issued a statement regarding its joined investments with Israelis in the occupied areas of Cyprus.

[05] A team from UK university is searching for the Mediterranean Monk Seal in the occupied peninsula of Karpassia.

[06] Human Rights Associations insist that systematic torture is still going on in Turkey.

[07] Local Turkish Cypriot meat products were found to be adulterated and decayed.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[08] Columnist in AFRIKA stresses that the power derives from justice and not vice versa.

[09] Mehmet Ali Birand calls on the Turkish leadership to change mentality if accession negotiations are to proceed.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Eroglu is continuing his contacts to form a so-called government. Rauf Denktas thinks early elections are an obligation

Following their meeting, Denktas replied questions of reporters.

When asked whether there was a possibility of early so-called elections in the occupied areas, Mr Rauf Denktas said: "It is not a possibility. It is an obligation. If government cannot be formed within two months, there should be elections in January 2005."

When reporters recalled that the Cyprus issue was presented as an obstacle in front of Turkey's EU membership process, Denktas said: "I suppose it means presenting Cyprus to Greek Cypriots as a gift by giving up the fight that we have been exerting together with Turkey for the last 40 years."

"Some countries say that 'diplomats who visit us tell us that Turkey has to recognize Greek Cypriot government and it cannot recognize a state called TRNC.' Thus, those countries have started to threaten us. We are in a difficult situation," added Denktas.

Meanwhile Ankara Anatolia news agency (26.04.04) reported from occupied Nicosia that the Republican Turkish Party [RTP] rejected the offer of the National Unity Party [NUP] to set up a coalition "government".

Mehmet Ali Talat, RTP chairman and so-called prime minister, has said that a "government" headed by the NUP would greatly damage the struggle being waged by the Turkish Cypriot "people". He pointed out that the RTP party assembly decided last night not to set up a joint "government" with the NUP and that the NUP was informed of this decision today.

NUP Chairman, Dr Dervis Eroglu said, in turn, that the RTP does not intend to set up a "government" with the NUP. He added that "the RTP decision was based on prejudice."

The NUP had offered to the RTP rotational posts of "prime minister" and "deputy prime minister".

Finally, illegal Bayrak television (26.10.04) broadcast a statement by Mr Unal Ustel, Free Thought Party "deputy" from occupied Kyrenia, who joined the National Unity Party [NUP].

In his statement Mr Ustel said that in line with his personal views and those of his grassroots, and so as not to get involved in negotiations for the new "government", he will continue with his political life in the NUP, where he started his political career, and in this way, prevent speculations. Noting that a stable government is needed in the present political situation of the occupied areas, Ustel added that the "country" embarked on a period, in which the distribution of seats in the "Assembly" paves the path for speculations and the honor of the "deputies" are being trampled upon.

[02] Press report that European officials also conducted inspections at the illegal Tymbou Airport

In addition, commenting on the inspection that the two officials from the US Transportation and Safety Unit conducted, Mr Kalyoncu stated that the two US officials found the illegal Tympou airport to be "excellent" in many respects and they stated that it is adequate as regards the conducting of direct flight.

[03] The Turkish army is making clear who rules in the occupied areas. Pergamos closed by order of the military commander

The paper reports that since this morning the two roads, which the farmers of the occupied village of Pergamos used to go to their fields and farms after obtaining permission, are closed with the directions of the military Commander of the area.

The farmers of the village complained about this new implementation and said that they are using these roads since 1974 with no problem.

According to paper's sources, the Commander said that the reason of this new regulation is to prevent the illegal trafficking. This reason could be sensible if it was expressed before 23 April 2003, but now this explanation is not convincing at a time that thousands of people are crossing to and from the government controlled areas of Cyprus, the paper added.

[04] NET Holding company issued a statement regarding its joined investments with Israelis in the occupied areas of Cyprus

We have not reached any agreement or signed anything yet, but the negotiations are continuing in the form of exchanging views in parallel with the political developments in the island".

[05] A team from UK university is searching for the Mediterranean Monk Seal in the occupied peninsula of Karpassia

Within their research, they asked first the local fishermen if they had seen seals at the coast or in the sea. Most of them saw seals in the open sea at the Cape of Apostolos Andreas. Then, the researchers examined fifty sea caves from the occupied village of Yiallousa up to the occupied village of Rizokarpasso. Although, they did not find or see any Mediterranean Monk Seal during their search, they came to the conclusion that the sea caves in the area are suitable environmentally for the seals to live.

The team is preparing a report that they will submit to the so-called Department of Environmental Protection of the Economy and Tourism Ministry, concluding that the sea caves can be used by the Mediterranean Monk Seals to live.

Making a statement to TAK's reporter, the Port Pilot Coastal Region Administrator and marine environmental specialist Michael A. Haig, who will promote the project, said that they made interesting discoveries from the point of view that these sea caves are a natural habitat for the seals. For this reason, he said that he will prepare a long and broad scientific project that will determine later.

The so-called Director of the Environmental Protection Department, Mr Bulent Arkin, said that the Mediterranean Monk Seal is under the protection of the IUCN, the World Conservation Union, and added that the research work of the team was conducted after obtaining the necessary permission from his "department".

Mr Arkin also added that they will evaluate together with the team the outcome of their work and will promote a scientific project based on their findings.

[06] Human Rights Associations insist that systematic torture is still going on in Turkey

"A leading Turkish human rights organization and Turkey's pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) have insisted that torture is still systematic in Turkey, despite a European Commission report which found that this was no longer the case in the European Union candidate.

Representatives from DEHAP and the Human Rights Association (IHD) told a session of a European Parliament human rights sub-committee that systematic torture persisted, although they still called for a European Union decision to open accession talks with Turkey.

The EU Commission concluded in its October 6 report that torture was no longer systematic in Turkey, although it said ill-treatment continued to be a problem. The report reflected the findings of an EU official during an investigation in Turkey prior to the release of the report. That investigation was prompted by statements made by some human rights organizations during talks with EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenther Verheugen last month alleging that torture was still systematic in Turkey.

"The IHD bases its description of 'systematic torture' on the criteria put forward in the United Nations' Convention Against Torture," IHD Chairman Husnu Ondul told the Turkish Daily News yesterday.

Referrring to reports handed over to EU officials by the IHD, the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV) and Mazlum-Der, Ondul said statistics and witnesses demonstrated that three conditions of "systematic torture" cited in the U.N. document -- namely it being "widespread, continuous and deliberate" -- showed that torture in Turkey was still systematic.

He emphasized that the IHD was not accusing the government of deliberately promoting torture. "We are not calling the government a 'torturer'," he said.

IHD Diyarbakir branch Chairman Selahattin Demirtas and DEHAP Chairman Tuncer Bakirhan said in the European Parliament session late on Monday that systematic torture was still being practiced in Turkey, contrary to what the EU Commission said in its recommendation to the European Council.

Bakirhan and Demirtas both emphasized the importance of the starting of the negotiations for the implementation of human rights reforms in Turkey and urged the EU to give a date to Turkey at a December 17 summit.

Ondul praised the government for its policy of "zero tolerance for torture"; however, he said the will to follow up on implementation was more important. "Torture has been forbidden in this country since 1876. If legislation was enough to prevent torture, it would not exist in the world," he said.

A senior representative from DEHAP, the party's deputy chairman, Hamit Geylani, told the TDN that there had been no serious improvement in eliminating torture in Turkey, insisting that systematic torture remained.

He emphasized that torture might not necessarily be physical: "If people are still not able to express themselves with their own identity in a country and if their freedom is limited, it means pressure and denial, which is also a kind of torture."

Both Ondul and Geylani voiced their support for Turkey's EU quest, saying that the December summit should result in a starting date for Turkey's entry talks. Both of them considered the EU process a first step for Turkey for harmonization with the basic principles of international law and the Copenhagen criteria.

The Foreign Relations Committee of the European Parliament was set to discuss a report drafted by Turkey Rapporteur Camiel Eurlings on the human rights situation in Turkey later yesterday.

Armenian participants addressing Monday's discussion on the report at the human rights sub-committee said Turkey should recognize an alleged genocide against Armenians in order to join the EU".

[07] Local Turkish Cypriot meat products were found to be adulterated and decayed

As the paper writes sausages and salami products made by the Celebi, AK-ET and Gungor companies were found to be adulterated and decayed.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[08] Columnist in AFRIKA stresses that the power derives from justice and not vice versa

"The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) refers to the Greek Cypriot administration as the "Republic of Cyprus" for 40 years now. Every decision it takes on Cyprus is associated with the Cyprus government.

On the other hand, Turkey and North Cyprus opposing this have been stressing that this is "unacceptable". This chorus did not change at all.

And the UNSC, in its latest decision for the extension of the mandate of UNFICYP, referred to the Greek Cypriot side as government of Cyprus.

The TRNC, however, reading the tune we learned, said this cannot be accepted.

Even though the Turkish side said `yes´ in the referendum and the Greek Cypriot side `no´, nothing has changed. Whether you accept it or not is not at all important.

What is important is that the whole world accepts them as the legal government of Cyprus. And this will go on as long as there is no solution to the Cyprus problem signed by both sides!

The UN will speak about the Cyprus government and we will continue saying `This is unacceptable´. The Greek Cypriots will take whatever they can from what the international recognition offers.

Whereas we shall stay there watching!

As mentioned in the poem' "I stay watching the passing boat from behind, because in the mind there is masculinity, I cannot cry. In addition Turkism was created in the mind' Is it possible to place the fez on the ground? Unless the heart is crying no tear will come out of your face!

However, I will say this emphatically, the law is not on our side.

Turkey occupied North Cyprus in 1974 with the pretext of restoring the constitutional order, but not only it has not re-instated the constitutional order of the Republic. Exactly the opposite. Since that day it helped to be established in the North a pirate and puppet state.

The law is not on our side. Because everything that was done remained out of the frame of the law. Unless we free ourselves from this illegality and join the legal framework it is not possible for us to get rid of this piracy and integrate with the world. In spite of the fact that the balance titled in favour of the Turkish side through Anglo-American plots, the 5th Annan plan was a comprehensive solution plan.

At least from the point of view of re-unifying Cyprus it was the less bad between two evils.

The Greek Cypriots chose, instead of sharing the administration of Cyprus, to share the territory. That is, they agreed with partition!

Because by acting in this way nothing happened to their legal status recognized by the world.

The strongest proof of this is the resolution adopted by the UNSC three days ago by which the Greek Cypriot side is mentioned as the Cyprus government.

Here it is, whether you accept it or not. Does anybody care?

Either you take steps which will turn the Greek `no´ into `yes´ and thus pave the way before the Annan plan or take the legal path and immediately demand all your partnership rights in the Republic of Cyprus on the basis of the High Level Agreements of 1977 and 1979.

As Kofi Annan said nothing is above the law justice does not derive from power, but the power from justice".

[09] Mehmet Ali Birand calls on the Turkish leadership to change mentality if accession negotiations are to proceed

The full text of the commentary is as follows:

"I have mentioned this before and I would like to repeat it. A statement made by Justice Minister Cemil CIcek alerted me to a fact when he said, "Before opening European Union negotiations, we need to debate whether we really want to accept European values."

It was a very accurate assessment. Later, Yalin Eralp also commented on the matter, saying, "With this frame of mind, we won't be able to handle the EU negotiations." We are truly faced with a quandary.

We are about to enter a very long negotiation period with the EU, but our way of thinking is still not up to it. We don't know what the EU means or what its values are. We, as a nation, seem to be living on a different planet. Let's just ignore the public for a while. Even our intellectuals don't know what they are doing or what they are talking about.

Let's just take a look at the debates going on in our universities. Let's take a look at what our instructors think about the matter. Let's listen to our journalists and commentators. And let us take a look at what our politicians are thinking.

The situation we face is very scary. The way the basis of our society -- scientists, journalists, authors and politicians -- thinks about Turkey and the EU's values are very different.

I guess we have no idea where we are going. We don't know about the values we need to respect. What is even worse is that we have no intention of learning it either.

Whatever we are, the EU is just the opposite: The concept of sovereignty in the EU is very different from the way we understand it. The era of Ankara ruling over the rest of the country is at an end. Ankara will no longer do as it pleases.

Territorial integrity, opposition to the concept of "minorities," pressure applied on the Alawites and being scared of religious fundamentalists will no longer be excuses to limit human rights or freedoms.

Ankara will not be able to make any economic decision it wants. It will not be able to spend as it deems appropriate. The black market economy will disappear.

In foreign policy, Turkey will have to adhere to certain rules. It will have to ask Brussels for its opinion before taking a decision. It will need to cooperate with 25 other countries.

The Kurdish issue will no longer be ignored. Even if we don't like it, we need to decrease the election threshold and allow the election of representatives of the Kurds. There will be an amnesty for the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK/Kongra-Gel) and Turkey will have to invest in the Southeast.

We need to implement an alternative foreign policy against the ridiculous "Armenian genocide" accusations and courageous steps will need to be taken.

Southern Cyprus will be officially recognized.

We, on the other hand, still believe that things will continue as they have over the last few decades.

When we are faced with requests from the EU calling on us to adhere to the Copenhagen criteria we cry out, "Our sovereignty is in danger!"

We are acting like we are not aware of the fact that we need to transfer an important portion of our sovereign rights to Brussels.

We live in a time capsule that is the Independence War.

We believe foreigners are formulating a conspiracy against our country and we are doing everything we can to resist this encroachment.

We should try to reach an agreement on these matters. We need not wait for the Dec. 17 summit. If not, our negotiations with the EU will be very hard."

/SK

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