Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-02-11

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat warns that the 40,000 Turkish troops are here to impose Ankara´s solution. Reply to statements made by Mr Anastasiades.

[02] Message by Erdogan to the Working Group on Turkey formed in the US Congress.

[03] The occupied Greek Cypriot properties have become an issue for dispute in the "election" campaign.

[04] Delegation of ten American companies will visit illegally the occupied areas of Cyprus through the occupied Tymbou airport.

[05] Turkey appoints ambassador to Jerusalem.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat warns that the 40,000 Turkish troops are here to impose Ankara´s solution. Reply to statements made by Mr Anastasiades

Calling on the Greek Cypriot side to solve the Cyprus problem, Talat said: "When the Cyprus issue is solved, the Turkish army presence will be limited to the agreed quantity and Varosha will be returned to its owners".

Talat also stressed that it is impossible to receive the advantages of a solution by rejecting the solution.

[02] Message by Erdogan to the Working Group on Turkey formed in the US Congress

A reception was hosted at the U.S. Congress on Wednesday night with the participation of the Parliamentary Turkey-United States Friendship Group Chairman Egemen Bagis, Besir Hamidi of the ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP) and Zeynep Damla Gurel of the Republican People's Party (RPP).

Sending a message to the reception, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: ''I believe that cooperation between Turkey and the United States of America will further deepen in the coming period under our common interests and targets.

The working group will make a valuable contribution to improvement of communication, dialogue and understanding between the U.S. Congress and the Turkish parliament.''

There has been sound and friendly relations between Turkey and the United States for more than 60 years. These friendly relations depend on our common values. As an ally and friend of the United States, Turkey extended full support to the United States in its fight against terrorism after the September 11th events, and expended great efforts to provide the United States with logistics support in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Democrat Robert Wexler and Republican Ed Whitfield are acting as the founder co-presidents of the working group. Turkey Economic and Political Studies Foundation (TEPAV) and German Marshall Fund will sponsor the new formation.

The working group will improve relations of U.S. congressmen with Turkish deputies, Turkish private sector, Turkish government officials, and Turkish civil society, and brief them on developments in the bilateral relations between Turkey and the United States.

[03] The occupied Greek Cypriot properties have become an issue for dispute in the "election" campaign

According to Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (11.02.05) an announcement published in some Turkish Cypriot newspapers has caused confusion in the occupied part of the island. The announcement argued that the title deeds given by the occupation regime to the settlers from Turkey will be annulled.

The announcement, signed by organizations which "directly or indirectly earn income from the construction sector", refers to some information regarding meetings conducted on the above-mentioned issue.

"Even these rumors and meetings have by themselves frozen the sector", note the organizations which criticize the Republican Turkish Party - Democratic Party pseudogovernment, because with its actions and especially with the so-called draft-law regarding the right of the foreigners to buy property in the occupied part of Cyprus, has forced the foreign investors to lose their interest and trust in the constructions sector of the occupied part of Cyprus.

The announcement notes, however, that the above-mentioned "draft-law", which provided for the right of the foreigners to lease property in the occupied areas for 125 years, has remained only a simple "draft-law" as it was not adopted by the "assembly". The organizations will hold a meeting on Sunday 13 February 2005 in order to discuss the issue.

AFRIKA notes that commenting on the issue, Ozkan Murat, the so-called Minister of Internal Affairs said that the allegation of the announcement that the title deeds given to the colonizers from Turkey will be taken back was "a whopping lie aiming at the elections". Mr Murat said that they have investigated who gave the announcement to the papers, but he refrained from giving any names.

Mr Murat noted that after the Annan Plan the construction sector has become the most vital sector of the economy of the occupied areas of Cyprus and that about 60 other sectors earn their living from the development in the constructions. He said that since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus 2.588 donums (one donum equals to about 1000 square meters) of occupied properties were sold to 2.700 foreigners. Mr Murat added that only in 2004 2.827 foreigners applied for acquiring property in occupied Cyprus.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily GUNES newspaper (11.02.05), mouthpiece of Dervis Eroglu's National Unity Party (NUP), refers to the issue under the banner front page title "RTP will take the title deeds back!"

[04] Delegation of ten American companies will visit illegally the occupied areas of Cyprus through the occupied Tymbou airport

As the paper writes, Mr Kayani and the delegation of the ten American companies will visit the pseudostate using the illegal Turkish Cypriot airlines and they will come to the island in a direct flight from the Istanbul Airport to occupied Tymbou airport.

The delegation, which will pay a one-day visit to occupied Cyprus, will hold contacts with the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Manufactures.

The ten American companies' names (as published) are the following: Shaw/Stone & Webster -infrastructure and energy, El Paso - energy, FedEX Express - mail and cargo, Cushman & Wakefield - immovable properties, Comsat - telecommunications, Oracle - software, GNC - vitamins and health products, World Trade Centre, small and medium-size companies support, Raymond James -investments, American Express Bank - banking.

[05] Turkey appoints ambassador to Jerusalem

Turkey had adopted a series of decisions to show its displeasure with the Sharon government when Israel harshened its policies against Palestine. One of the decisions was to appoint a diplomat at the level of ambassador to Jerusalem, but it had not been put into force to ward off an Israeli reaction.

The positive developments that took place in the Middle East after Mahmoud Abbas was elected Palestinian leader have made it easier for Ankara to take this step.

Taking the opportunity of the amelioration of the relations between Palestine and Israel, the JDP government decided to implement its decision to appoint an ambassador to the Consulate General in Jerusalem.

Ercan Ozer served as ambassador to Amman and the UAE in the past. He is one of the Foreign Ministry's senior experienced diplomats.

/SK

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