Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-12-08

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Erdogan, Gul destined to Brussels for pre-summit talks.

[02] Turkey demands from the EU the commencement of accession negotiations without conditions.

[03] Ilter Turkmen on the Annan Plan.

[04] Talat to inform the leaders of the political parties about the outcome of the summit regarding Cyprus held in Turkey last Friday.

[05] Reaction in Ankara to the second draft document of the EU presidency to the 17 December summit.

[06] Thirty Turkish Cypriot organizations which support a solution to the Cyprus problem based on the Annan plan formed 'The Northern Civilian Initiative' group.

[07] STAR newspaper argues that Ankara is concerned that Greek Cypriots evicted by the Turkish army from occupied Cyprus might claim their properties.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Erdogan, Gul destined to Brussels for pre-summit talks

"Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is heading to Brussels today to attend a foreign ministerial meeting of NATO countries with Turkey's European Union bid expected to dominate talks on the sidelines of the gathering. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also scheduled to visit the Belgian capital later in the week.

The visits by the government leaders come days before the EU's highly critical summit on December 16-17, which will decide whether, when and how to open accession talks with Turkey.

A draft summit statement prepared by the Dutch presidency of the EU frustrated Ankara, as it presupposes recognition by Turkey of the Greek Cypriot administration and highlights the necessity to move forward with reform efforts to eliminate ill-treatment and torture.

The presidency prepared a new draft this week but Dutch Minister for European Affairs Atzo Nicolai, who held talks with Gul in Ankara yesterday, said that reference to the Cyprus issue was kept in the new text.

He said the presidency was constantly working on the summit conclusions and preparing draft statements when asked if he had brought any new draft to Ankara. Work on the summit conclusions will continue until the last minute, he indicated. "This is a critical period," Nicolai said.

Gul is expected to express Turkish expectations from the summit when he meets with his EU counterparts in Brussels on the sidelines of the NATO meeting. Erdogan is scheduled to hold talks with EU counterparts, including Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the term president the Netherlands. Talks with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and the EU's new Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn are also scheduled.

Ankara said it was not planning any step for the Cyprus issue before the December 17 summit, emphasizing that it was the EU's turn to act now that Turkey has already done enough to contribute to a settlement on the island.

Turkish leaders have also made it clear that the EU should give a certain date for the start of talks and leave no doubt that the talks are aimed at full membership and nothing else. European conservatives have pushed for "privileged partnership" that falls short of membership for Turkey and France, backed by Austria and Denmark, wants the summit conclusions to spell out an alternative for membership if Turkey's efforts for membership fail."

[02] Turkey demands from the EU the commencement of accession negotiations without conditions

According to the paper, "the just expectation of the Turkish people" for Turkey starting negotiations "in 2005 without delay was mentioned in the statement" issued after the meeting where "the EU and Cyprus" were discussed.

The meeting took place with the participation of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul, Chief of Staff General Hilmi Ozkok and bureaucrats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[03] Ilter Turkmen on the Annan Plan

According to Mr Yucel, Mr Turkmen said the following on the Annan Plan: "'Was the Annan Plan good or bad? I do not know this. 'I wish the Annan Plan were applied. If it did not work, there were two regions in the Plan in any case. In case of nonsuccess it would bring to light two independent states (taking for basis the border separating the two regions). It would be good in case it was successful and it would be good if it was unsuccessful from the point of view of the option that it would have opened. ...".

Then Mr Yucel writes, inter alia, the following:

"'I do not blame Ilter Turkmen. 'Even those who had campaigned against the plan are realizing now that the Annan Plan was not really bad. Even they support the Annan Plan's being brought out from the grave and its revival, because if Turkey gets a date under suitable conditions on 17 December, the Cyprus problem must definitely be solved but within the measures of justice, so that Turkey continues its EU course without a road accident. '".

[04] Talat to inform the leaders of the political parties about the outcome of the summit regarding Cyprus held in Turkey last Friday

[05] Reaction in Ankara to the second draft document of the EU presidency to the 17 December summit

annoying conditions might come up. However, we are resisting". Subtitle: Chirac wants this way

The new draft brought by Dutch Atzo Nicolai to Ankara has created crisis.

In the draft, following, France´s pressure, apart from "full membership" the term other alternatives as well were included. Also, there is a new condition regarding Greece´s demand for settling the Aegean issue at the Court of Justice in the Hague.

Subtitle: These could not be accepted

Foreign Minister Gul has described his meeting with Atzo Nicolai as follows: "We had a very tense meeting. In the new draft text there are articles that Turkey could never accept. More annoying articles might come up until 17 December, we have expressed the view that Turkey will never accept the new conditions". Gul told Atzo Nicolai that Ankara also objects to the paragraph concerning Cyprus and that "one should not expect from Ankara a step toward recognition of the Greek Cypriot Administration prior to settling the Cyprus problem".

Further, Turkey clearly wants from the term presidency, that in the draft it should be clearly mentioned that accession negotiations will start in 2005 and the objective of the negotiations should be "full membership".

Furthermore, MILLIYET (08.12.04) reports that EU term president and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, prior to visiting Lefkosia, had a meeting with his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis, in Athens. After the meeting, the Dutch Prime Minister told the Dutch Journalists that he is expecting, from Turkey, prior to the 17 December summit, to take steps towards recognition of the Republic of Cyprus. He said that in order to give the green light for the accession negotiations this recognition is necessary. "There could be no other way than recognition, he stressed.

[06] Thirty Turkish Cypriot organizations which support a solution to the Cyprus problem based on the Annan plan formed 'The Northern Civilian Initiative' group

'The Northern Civilian Initiative' group was established after an initiative taken by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce which called on both the Turkish and Greek Cypriot civil society organizations for the formation of a bi-communal group which will put pressure for a solution based on the Annan Plan. The Greek Cypriot organizations refused to enter because they wanted to wait for the developments after the 17th December EU Summit.

As the paper writes in the "Document of Common Positions" that was approved by the 'The Northern Civilian Initiative' group, it was mentioned that it is the Cypriots who will solve the Cyprus problem and that there is a need for active policy for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

Speaking on behalf of the Initiative, Mr Mustafa Damdelen announced that the new grouping's main goal is to create a joint future for the Turkish and the Greek Cypriots in a United and EU member Cyprus.

On his part Mr Ali Erel, the chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce stated that the issue of the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey has created a "false agenda". Stating that the demand for the recognition by Turkey of Cyprus under the name "The Republic of Cyprus" does not exist in a written document. Mr Erel supported that the non-recognition of the members of one group with which negotiations will be started is absurd and that the aim should be to normalize relations between the two countries.

[07] STAR newspaper argues that Ankara is concerned that Greek Cypriots evicted by the Turkish army from occupied Cyprus might claim their properties

"A historic decision will be made in the aftermath of the 17 December summit on the Cyprus issue, one of the most basic unchanging cases of Turkish foreign policy.

In case the expected result is achieved at the Brussels summit, Turkey will, at some stage of the negotiations process, come face to face with the obligation to recognize the Greek Cypriots as the "Republic of Cyprus." Having decided that the government should not undertake this historic initiative alone, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold a summit meeting with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Chief of the General Staff Hilmi Ozkok on this issue in case a negotiating date is given at the 17 December summit.

The fact that the `TRNC´ [`Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´] would, in practice, cease to exist once the Greek Cypriots are recognized poses the most critical issue for Ankara.

Ankara will launch a foreign policy offensive aimed at strengthening the existence of the Turkish Cypriots prior to the decision.

Subtitle: Ankara's concern

Turkey will demand the launching, ahead of that date, of a new initiative that would include the repetition of the voting by the Greek Cypriots on a solution proposal similar to the Annan Plan. Ankara takes into regard the fact that a decision in favour of recognition ahead of the formation of a "United Cyprus," which solely depends on persuading the Greek Cypriots, would lead to political and social confusion in the island. The reason is that a demand for the withdrawal of the Turkish troops would follow the recognition decision. The social confusion that would come about once the Greek Cypriots move to claim their properties in the North also worries Ankara".

/SK

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