Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-11-17

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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 building of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce was broken into

[02] Angolemli and Talat meet with a delegation of the German Green Party

[03] Cevikel strongly criticises now the RTP which is the Party that led him to be elected so-called "deputy" of the pseudoparliament

[04] Ozkok: "The Turkish Armed Forces are the strongest guarantee for the Turkish Cypriots"

[05] Statements by the Turkish Prime Minister during a visit to Luxembourg

[06] Fifty eight per cent of the JDP MP´s are in favour of EU

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Editorial in Cumhuriyet criticizes the U.S.A. for the war in Iraq

[08] Murat Yetkin: Ankara made use of the NATO trump card for Cyprus

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The building of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce was broken into

According to the paper, the burglars raided in particular the office of the EU Information Centre and the accounts office. The drawers, the cupboards and the doors were found broken and the documents were scattered on the floor.

The burglars stole from the office of the General Secretary of TCCC, 500 million TL, 650 Cyprus pounds and 500 Euro.

The Press Spokesman of TCCC, Mr Sami Tasarkan, said that the burglars used force to enter and caused a lot of damages to the building. He also added that it is not possible to detect the burglars from their fingerprints, because they were wearing gloves. The burglars broke in the building by violating the aluminium door of the Mustafa Cagatay Conference Centre, which is at the first floor of the building.

Noting that the so-called police made the necessary investigations and that they will continue their search, Mr Tasarkan said: "The intention of this ugly attack is not known whether it was a burglary or it had another purpose. The 'police' is searching in depth the incident". He concluded that the security measures at the Chamber would be increased.

[02] Angolemli and Talat meet with a delegation of the German Green Party

In his statements Mr Angolemli alleged that the European Union ignored the rights of the Turkish Cypriots deriving from the 1960 agreements. Mr Angolemli claimed that the Turkish Cypriots were unjustly treated when Cyprus was accepted as member of the EU while the current situation on the island still continues. Mr Angolemli argued that the EU should re-examine its stance on Cyprus so that the reunification of the island is achieved.

Meanwhile, Ozcan Mutlu, member of the delegation of the German Green Party, said that they would prepare a report and submit it to their party and added that they could invite representatives of Turkish Cypriot pro-solution political parties to Germany.

Furthermore, according to KIBRIS (17.11.04) the four-member German delegation met also with Mehmet Ali Talat, so-called prime minister of the occupation regime, at the "Prime Minister's office". Mr Talat argued that the world has seen the realities in Cyprus and that the Greens in Europe generally support the Turkish Cypriots.

Mr Talat said that the Greens have for a long time been against the "isolation and the violation of the human rights" of the Turkish Cypriots and described as "an important opportunity" the fact that Germany has a Green Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[03] Cevikel strongly criticises now the RTP which is the Party that led him to be elected so-called "deputy" of the pseudoparliament

Speaking to GUNES newspaper, Mr Cevikel stated that the leadership of the RTP is against the presence of Turkey in the island. "The real intention of the RTP regarding the solution is the demilitarization and the unification with the Greek Cypriots. This is not a statement I make. It is a statement made by the General Secretary of the RTP, Mr Ferdi Sabit Soyer", said Mr Cevikel.

[04] Ozkok: "The Turkish Armed Forces are the strongest guarantee for the Turkish Cypriots"

Mr Ozkok made these statements in the message he sent to Mr Denktas for the celebration of the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the occupation regime.

Mr Ozkok said that the Turkish Armed Forces have the determination, the ability and the strength to carry out their duties in the best way. He alleged in his massage that with the referendums that took place on the 24 of April, the idea that there are two different people which do not represent each other and which have their own administration was strengthened. He added that according to his own evaluation, a positive answer will be given to the demand of the Turkish Cypriots to unite with the world and that the time came for the end of what he called "unfair isolation faced for years by the Turkish Cypriots".

Referring to the Turkish Cypriot leader Denktas, Mr Ozkok sated that he feels today the need to share the views and the proposals of Mr Denktas who was presented as an obstacle of the solution during the negotiations of the Annan Plan.

[05] Statements by the Turkish Prime Minister during a visit to Luxembourg

Talking with journalists in his hotel in Luxembourg, Erdogan stated that his government is exerting efforts to ensure that the negotiations with the EU begin in the first six months of 2005. The prime minister reported that Luxembourg, which will take over the EU presidency in January, is in favor of starting the accession negotiations in March or April. Referring to the EU Progress Report, Erdogan said that the articles in the report pertaining to core issues are much more important, and added: "The others are matters that can be resolved within the negotiation process. There is no need to focus on them."

Asked if the preparations for the negotiations have begun, the prime minister said: "We are not a tribe. We are the state of the Turkish Republic." Erdogan said that the name of the chief negotiator will be revealed after December.

Erdogan was asked to comment on Chirac's remarks: "If Turkey joins the EU, we will become stronger. In any case, we are all the children of Byzantium."

Erdogan reacted to Chirac's remarks by saying: "There are those among historians who refer to the Ottomans as Byzantines."

Semi-official news agency Ankara Anatolia also reported that during a press conference in Luxembourg Prime Minister Erdogan said: ''As you know, Luxembourg will hold rotating EU presidency as of January 1st, 2005. We aim to start entry talks with the EU in the first half of 2005.''

"When asked, "can the Greek Cypriot side create difficulties after the EU sets a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey?" Prime Minister Erdogan said: "After getting a date for opening of the entry talks with the EU, we will see what kind of difficulties are waiting for us. I do not think that we will face serious obstacles. We are determined to overcome all difficulties through dialogue.'"

[06] Fifty eight per cent of the JDP MP´s are in favour of EU

Other than Turkish, Kurdish was in second place among the mother tongues at 14.6 percent. The rate of those whose mother tongue is Turkish is 74.3 percent. A total of 19.2 percent of the MPs do not know a foreign language. A total of 78 percent of the MPs look positively on the liberalization of Kurdish broadcasts on private television channels and radio stations and 14.5 percent are opposed to it.

The profile of the pro-EU JDP was set forth in the opinion poll conducted. Everything related to the JDP group was determined in the opinion poll conducted by the TGNA with the objective of establishing the social and political profile of the TGNA. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his 23 ministers did not take part and only the 212 JDP MPs participated in the opinion poll, in which the RPP MPs boycotted by protesting some of the questions.

The opinion poll, which was made in 2003 and completed in five months by the POLLMARK Public Opinion Poll Company on behalf of the TGNA, directed questions to the MPs, from their families to their political tendencies and from their preferences to Turkey 's EU membership. The opinion poll is of interest from the aspect of determining the joint picture of the JDP group.

A total of 58.1 percent of the JDP MPs informed that they have a "very positive" opinion of the EU and 37.4 percent informed that they were "somewhat positive" and those who informed that they were "negative" were 2.5 percent. If a referendum were to be held for Turkey 's EU membership, then 95.6 percent would use a "yes" vote and 3.9 percent would use a "no" vote.

A total of 24 percent of the MPs feel themselves close politically to the Welfare Party [RP], which was closed. The rate of those who feel themselves close to the National Salvation Party (MSP), which was closed prior to 12 September [1980], and to the MP [Motherland Party] is 11 percent. A total of 7 percent of the MPs feel themselves close to the Virtue Party (FP), which was closed down and a 6 percent group feel themselves close to the NAP [Nationalist Action Party]. The rate of those who are close to the lines of the AP [closed Justice Party] and the DYP [True Path Party] is around 12 percent.

A total of 6.4 percent worked previously at the JDP General Headquarters, 30 percent served as the chairmen of the provincial and district chairmanships, 13 percent were on duty in the party organization, 6 percent are JDP members and 26 percent are only supporters. A total of 73.5 percent of the members of Parliament voted for the FP, 6.6 percent for the DYP, 6.1 percent for the NAP and 5 percent for the MP in the 18 April 1999 elections.

A total of 68.2 percent of the MPs are opposed to the restriction of the political immunities of the MPs. A total of 87.4 percent are in favor of privatization and 63.4 percent are in favor of the sale of the MP housing. A total of 52.5 percent of the MPs believe that it was necessary to send soldiers to Iraq before the war and 44.6 percent believe that it is still necessary not to send soldiers.

Other than Turkish, Kurdish is in second place among the mother tongues at 14.6 percent. The rate of those whose mother tongue is Turkish is 74.3 percent. A total of 19.2 percent of the MPs do not know a foreign language. A total of 57.1 percent of the MPs know English, 9 percent Arabic, 7.5 percent French, 6.1 percent German and 1.3 percent other languages. A total of 78 percent of the MPs are positive on the liberalization of Kurdish broadcasts on private television channels and radio stations and 14.5 percent of the MPs are opposed to it."

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Editorial in Cumhuriyet criticizes the U.S.A. for the war in Iraq Istanbul Cumhuriyet (15/11/04) publishes the following editorial under the title: "It is sad, but it is true":

In his last book entitled "Who Are We," renowned writer Samuel P. Huntington includes several lines from one of Kavafis' poems: The old Alexandria city is waiting for "the barbarians' attack"; however, "the enemy" does not come; as a matter of fact, certain people note that "there are no longer barbarians in the region"; as a result one resident of Alexandria asks: "Yes but what shall we do now without the barbarians?"

The EU has figured out what to do.

The "communism threat" no longer exists, but the "fundamentalist Islam" has now replaced the vacuum of the enemy that is needed for threatening the West. After all, are Muslims not "the barbarians" that threaten the civilized West? This way, the pretext that enabled the Bush administration to do whatever it wants in Asia has been created.

There is no doubt that everyone believes that the term "fundamentalist Islam" is a very good pretext and that it "legitimizes" the wars that are being waged in the Middle East. Given that such pretexts appear on the agenda, there is no need for talking about oil primarily and the other natural resources in the region.

The West, however, had caused two "world wars" in the 20th century and had "wasted" 50 million people for the sake of sharing the natural resources in the world.

Is it possible to say that humanity did not wage a war in the second of the 21st century just because there was only the Cold War? Even during that period the United States had succeeded to shed blood with the Vietnam War.

For one reason or another, our great ally cannot stop waging a war. Is there any reason behind this fact?

There are rumors to the effect that 100,000 people -- women, children, and elderly -- have died in Iraq. We are not merely talking about loss of lives. Historical treasures are also being destroyed. Humanity, however, is watching this drama without moving a finger. The Muslim world is keeping silent.

In the beginning of the 21st century the greatest power in the world cannot stop displaying its primitivism and ambition in the geography of another religion.

Who would have ever thought that those who control Iraq today would make us long for Saddam?"

[08] Murat Yetkin: Ankara made use of the NATO trump card for Cyprus

He reports that on that day, an allied EU military force among them 500 strong Turkish troops, will take over the command in Bosnia Herzegovina from NATO lead SFOR forces. He says that the code name of this force is ALTHEA. He then gives a brief history of ALTHEA and about its formation, its command and the preparation and decision making stages.

Yetkin claims that 2 December operation is the biggest military operation taken up by the EU. RADIKAL columnist reports that Turkey being a NATO as well as ESDP member attended all the ALTHEA meetings. However, he reports, because of Turkey´s refusal "Greek Cypriot Republic" did not attend these meetings despite the fact that since 1 May it became an EU member.

"A non-EU member, has blocked the way of an EU member," Yetkin writes. He further writes that Turkey, not only blocked Cyprus from the "ALTHEA" operations, but from other NATO related operations as well, since Cyprus is neither a NATO member nor she takes part in the Partnership for Peace Operations (PPO). Yetkin goes on and says: "However, Turkey is playing its political trump card on this legal ground. And while using its trump card it says that it has no problem with Malta, and assures Malta that if she applies to both NATO and PPO it will not veto the application.

However, the case is totally different as regards the Greek Cypriot Republic (GCR). If the GCR applies to NATO and PPO in order not to face Turkish veto again Turkey will block the GCR´s application.

Ankara´s stance, is seen in the European capitals, as a bargaining chip for the 17 December EU summit. The article in 11 November issue of the "Herald Tribune" demonstrates this.

However, our contacts with the officials in Ankara, demonstrate that taking a date on the 17 December summit is only a part of the problem. The real issue for Ankara is the non-implementation of the promises given to Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots prior to the 24 April referenda.

A source, who wanted anonymity said to RADIKAL: ´The EU gave full support to the Annan plan. During the referendum, the Turkish side accepted the plan while the Greek Cypriot side rejected it. On 1 May 2004 the Greek Cypriot government became EU member, and it started using its veto power on measures - considered by us as limited - aimed at removing isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriots. The EU should fulfill its pledges given to Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots, so both legally and politically we are justified.´ It seems the dimensions of the issue have surpassed the 17 December summit. It will come to a stage when Turkey will need in its negotiations with the EU first the South Cyprus approval".

EG/

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