Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-11-23

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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 interviewed by mainland VATAN newspaper. The army and civilians in Ankara told him to wait until 17 December.

[02] Talat returned the mandate to Rauf Denktas.

[03] Turkey's population is expected to be 88 million in 2023.

[04] The Irish ambassador to Nicosia has reportedly supported the starting of direct flights to the illegal Tymbou airport.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Rauf Denktas interviewed by mainland VATAN newspaper. The army and civilians in Ankara told him to wait until 17 December

Following are the replies by Mr Denktas to VATANīs questions:

Question: In your opinion, has not the "Denktas charm" in the "TRNC" ["Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus"] been spoiled?

Answer: I am able to receive the echo I want wherever I go. There is no deficiency there. But they held rallies at the time of the referendum. When they gathered at the Inonu Square, which does not hold more than 25 thousand persons, the Turkish press wrote this by saying 70 thousand. In contrast to this, the meeting we held at the Ataturk Square with 50-60 thousand persons was given in the Turkish press by saying that it passed without enthousiasm.

Question: Then how is it that 65 percent of the Turkish Cypriots said "Yes"?

Answer: A tremendous amount of money was showered upon the civilian organizations. The squares were very blue with the EU flags. Those flags were given to the political parties from abroad and they distributed them to our people. The Turkish press wrote how wrong Rauf Denktas was and that Denktas did this and that. They did not suffice with these, the Turkish government said, 'If you would say "yes", then the "TRNC" would be recognized.' For us to get 35 percent of the votes is a miraculous, magnificent success.

Question: In other words, the meaning of 65 percent was 'No' to Denktas and his policies, was it not?

Answer: There were those who wanted to transform it into that form, but the votes were 'Yes' to the EU carrot and 'No' to Denktas who prevented this. It did not say 'No' to the personality of Denktas.

Question: All right, how are you going to win back 65 percent of the people after April 2005?

Answer: If a referendum would be held today, those who say 'No' would probably be around 50 percent, because none of the promises were kept. And I am also not against entering the EU. But I cannot tolerate the removal of the Turkish guarantee. I am saying to my people, 'We are not yet ready to enter the EU. Do not hurry. If you do what I say to you, then you will have a chance for negotiations. Now, you see an Annan house, how nice, let us enter. Those nice things are my work. Those rights have been obtained as the result of negotiations for many years. But as the person who provided this, I am saying that it is not yet over. It is half-finished. The iron of this building is missing and the sand is salty. If you would enter the building, then it would collapse on top of you.'

Question: It is as though only the Turkish people are on your side and only a part of them.

Answer: Anatolia. I call them the Anatolian people. The people who said, 'I am here', despite Istanbul, despite the governments during the war of independence. Wherever I go, I encounter them. If Ankara does not know this excitement in Anatolia, then it would be mistaken. In any case, their own grassroots are coming to me and expressing their sorrows. The Turkish public is livelier. Here they dispersed us too much. And they also dispersed the press in Turkey.

Question: In your opinion, what would come out if the 'Yes-No' referendum were held in Turkey?

Answer: Definitely, a 'No' result would come out.

Question: Are you thinking to enter into politics in Turkey?

Answer: God forbid! An 80-year old man does not have anything to do with politics anymore. We have entered into a struggle, not politics. The more lively the Turkish Cypriot people are, then Turkey's chances of bargaining would be that much higher.

Question: There is soreness against your own people in your talks.

Answer: You call this soreness, but I evaluate it as a reproach of a father to his child who has taken a wrong step without listening to him and by repeating the facts.

Question: All right, do you have soreness against the TAF [Turkish Armed Forces]?

Answer: I have no soreness at all.

Question: In your opinion, at what distance is the military remaining on Cyprus ? For instance, does it give the image as though it is squeezed between Cyprus and the EU?

Answer: Do you know what kind of a message Gen Hilmi Ozkok [Turkish Chief of General Staff] sent to me on 15 November [2004]? He says in his message, ' Cyprus is a [Turkish] national cause. Those who defined you by saying that you are irreconcilable with the referendum are coming close to your thoughts.' The Turkish press had misinterpreted what Gen Ozkok said during the referendum. They had asked questions with ill intentions. And only by exaggerating some responses, they made the interpretation by saying, 'The [Turkish] military also wants people to say yes.' How do I analyze the situation of the military? The EU is trying to reduce the strength of the military in Turkey to zero. The military is aware of this. Just as they made the propaganda, 'Denktas is an enemy of the EU', to reduce me to zero, if the military would come out and say something, then they would come out and say, 'Look, we were going to enter the EU, but the military prevented us.'

Question: Is the military remaining in the background?

Answer: In my opinion, it is not remaining in the background. On the contrary, it is alert and vigilant and is following the events with open eyes to see where it will go. And in my opinion, it is doing the right thing. But according to some people, it could be more active and could show reactions. Naturally, there are your internal issues. Personally, I have no complaint about the military.

Subtitle: No one would ask God to have mercy on someone who submitted to this

Question: What about the Turkish businessmen?

Answer: The known organizations of the Turkish businessmen consider Cyprus to be the hunchback of Turkey. And perhaps they are doing the right thing for their own interests.

Question: What about the intellectuals?

Answer: They are divided into two. One group is strongly supporting us. As for the other groups, which are in the minority, but whose voices are louder since the media is in their hands, are treating the thesis, 'The EU is important, not Cyprus '. But they are causing great damage.

Question: In your opinion, how much is the effect of that group, which you call the minority?

Answer: They play a major role. Influential writers came here at the time of the referendum. They visited Cyprus without coming to see us and they became very close to the opposition. They wrote articles. What articles they wrote! The people look at Turkey. I also look at Turkey. Turkey is composed of the following parts for me: the Turkish government, the TGNA [Turkish Grand National Assembly], the Presidency, the military wing, the NSC [National Security Council] and the people.

Question: As soon as you pick up the newspaper in the morning do you look at what they said today?

Answer: No, I do not. There are columnists I never read. I know with what purpose they are writing. They are writing to ruin my cause. They are writing to serve Turkey. But they are not even aware of how much damage they give to Turkey. I read the articles of those who respond to them. I console myself.

Question: In the end, also in Turkey the view, " Cyprus is a sacred lie and the time has come to separate from this lie. Otherwise, the EU would be missed", became predominant. In your opinion, can Turkey get rid of Cyprus ?

Answer: From what would getting rid of us save you? What would you have sacrificed? You would be saved from a Turkish fortress, which protects your southern shores. And when you get rid of this, you would cease to be a country, which is open to the seas. And like Crete, in time, Cyprus would become another Greek island. No one would ask God to have mercy on those who submitted to this. If Turkey would set forth the money it spent, then it would have bought every inch of Cyprus . Would it give up on this?

Subtitle: Who are we afraid of?

Question: Please give a sincere answer: If you had been at the head of the decision-making mechanisms in Turkey, what would you do in the EU process?

Answer: Since Turkey continues to say, 'I am a guarantor', the moment the Greek Cypriot side applied to the EU as the legitimate Cyprus government, Turkey would do whatever it did when the Greek Cypriots brought missiles onto the Island. It would pound its fist and raise its voice and would say, 'I will never accept it. I am not participating in any talks.' And today, this is still what it should do. Especially after the referendum, it is an opportunity seized in a concrete manner. Now Turkey is waiting to obtain a negotiation date from the EU. All right, it is in a very delicate situation. But what does it mean to say, 'We swear to God we will not ask for the "TRNC" to be recognized?' Who are we afraid of? This is what my government and the Turkish government are saying.

Question: What would happen if the EU would say, 'If you are insistent on the subject of Cyprus, then we are not starting the negotiations?'

Answer: Then you would first of all give away Cyprus in order to start the negotiations. Then you would also continue to give after doing this. If the first thing you give is your most powerful cause, then it means that it would also not be the last thing given.

Question: According to you, Ankara would lose no matter what it does. What is the final point?

Answer: I still believe that Ankara will not lose, because it is a national issue and whatever the people say, that is very important.

Question: What are you looking at? Which move of Ankara would be the last?

Answer: Everyone says the same thing at the moment.

Question: What sort of a message did you get?

Answer: Both the military and the civilians said the same thing to me: Wait until 17 December. I am waiting. We will speak again after that. They are welcome to come again and we will make an evaluation once again.

Question: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said to the EU in Luxembourg, 'There is no Cyprus subject until 17 December.'

Answer: What about after 17 December?

Question: Does Prime Minister Erdogan have a trump card in his hands?

Answer: Turkey's position.

Question: Do you have any cards left in your hands?

Answer: There are cards in my hands, such as the cause in which I believe is supported by the people who believe in Turkey and the "TRNC" and the cards that the TGNA decisions could not be changed to 'give up Cyprus '.

Question: Do you consider the JDP [Justice and Development Party] grassroots as a card in your hands?

Answer: I saw many people in the JDP grassroots who talked the same language I am talking.

Subtitle: We will establish a second TMT [Turkish Resistance Organization]

Answer: A struggle cannot be waged in this position I hold. I am bound by a protocol. I am bound with limited authorities. I am obliged to support the governments when I am in this position, etc. For that reason, it is necessary for me to be relieved from here and to get out of this position without authority.

It is necessary to establish a second TMT. This time, we would establish a structure without arms, but which makes use of the requirements of the communication age. We will do whatever we can to re-create its philosophy and resistance psychology".

[02] Talat returned the mandate to Rauf Denktas

Talat said: ''I could not find appropriate ground to form new government. Therefore, I decided to return my mission to President Denktas.''

Talat was designated to form new "government" on November 8th.

According to the occupation regimeīs constitution, the "President" will wait for a month before making a decision to hold early elections in the occupied area on the basis of the "chief prosecutor's" opinion.

[03] Turkey's population is expected to be 88 million in 2023

According to the 2003 Turkey Population and Health Research preliminary report, State Institute of Statistics (DIE), State Planning Organization (DPT) and Hacettepe University Population Studies Institute projections, 1,370,000 babies are expected to be born in 2004 and 456,000 persons expected to pass away in Turkey.

Experts estimate that Turkey's population in 2004 would be 71,813,000. Turkey will have a population of 72,774,000 in 2005.

''In 2023, the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, the population would be more than 88,000,000,'' experts predicted.

[04] The Irish ambassador to Nicosia has reportedly supported the starting of direct flights to the illegal Tymbou airport

In his statements published on 20.11.04, Mr Swift said, inter alia, the following: "The mechanism in the EU works slowly sometimes, but usually the given promises are kept. Do not lose your courage. In spite of the fact that the EU acquis communautaire is suspended in the north, the Turkish Cypriots are EU citizens and they must be treated as such. As the Republic of Ireland we want the end of the isolations as well as the approval and application of the direct trade regulation. '".

In his statements published on 21.11.04, Mr Swift said, inter alia, the following: "The event at Ayios Mamas has been important experience. The positive attitudes of the Turkish side have been appreciated. We fully support the political will behind the direct trade regulation. The direct flights are the key on the issue of lifting the isolations. All obstacles that limit the relations of the Turkish Cypriots with the world must be lifted. The EU officials too accept the fact that the Green Line Regulation does not work. The necessary changes to the regulation will be made. The Turkish Cypriots are EU citizens and must be treated as such. The Turkish Cypriot political arena is extremely interesting, live and colourful. '".

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