Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-06-10

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] KIBRIS: Kofi Annan will take action.

[02] HSBC deal? Not true, says the bank.

[03] VATAN claims that a PKK camp exist in the Republic of Cyprus.

[04] The Union of the Turkish Cypriot Teachers said that the economic protocol directs to their dependence on Turkey.

[05]The occupied areas of Cyprus are still being used by illegal immigrants as a door to EU countries.

[06] Erdogan to address the 11th Arab Economic Forum in Beirut.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Columnist in RADIKAL assesses the Bush-Erdogan meeting.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] KIBRIS: Kofi Annan will take action

KIBRIS , reports under the banner headlines: Kofi Annan will take action and says that, during the meeting, Mr Annan and Mr Erdogan focused on the latest developments in the Cyprus problem.

During the meeting, reports the paper, Erdogan demanded form the Secretary-General to take action aimed at removing the so-called embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriots. Erdogan also demanded that the decision regarding the pending UN report prepared last year by the Secretary-General and submitted to the Security Council on 28 May 2004, should be finalized. He said that they expect a positive outcome.

As for the so-called isolations, Mr Kofi Annan said that in the light of the latest developments, he will inform the Security Council again. Regarding his good offices mission, the Secretary-General said that he maintains the good offices mission and that in the light of Sir Kieran Prendergast´s recent visit to the region he will decide accordingly.

YENIDUZEN newspaper reports under banner headlines: Looking for a basis and refers to the joint press conference held by Erdogan and Annan after their meeting at the UN Headquarters.

GUNES the mouthpiece of the opposition NUP does not mention anything about the meeting between Mr Erdogan and Mr Annan.

HALKIN SESI reports under banner headlines Erdogan is concerned because Annan does take steps. The rest of the report is just the same as other newspaper.

[02] HSBC deal? Not true, says the bank

The global bank HSBC yesterday denied reports in a Greek Cypriot newspaper that it is suing for peace over a claim for rent for its Girne (occupied Kyrenia) branch. The bank was said to be willing to reach an out-of-court settlement with the Greek Cypriot who formerly owned the property and pay him compensation a move which was said to be a breakthrough in making claims against international companies in the North.

However, the bank´s headquarters in London said the press report was unfounded. There is no agreement and no negotiations, said a spokesman. The story is simply not true.

The bank has three branches in Northern Cyprus the others being in Lefkosia and Gazimagusa (occupied Famagusta) and its regional head office is in Istanbul. There are also HSBC operations in the south which are part of the same global organization, but with a separate structure to those in the North.

Lawyers in the North believe that HSBC has been deliberately targeted by the Greek Cypriot government because it fears that other high-profile international banks might follow suit, and set up their own branches in the North.

Eupro also takes this view as to motive. Their aim is really to intimidate the bank in the hope that it will shut up shop and go away. That is what they really want. Second-best would be to trumpet a deal between the former owner and the bank. They are flying that kite in the press, but it is just another con´, said a spokesman.

[03] VATAN claims that a PKK camp exist in the Republic of Cyprus

The paper alleges that the support the South Cyprus Administration, as it called the Republic of Cyprus, gives to terrorism has increased. It also claims that on the 28th off May, 320 persons were present in the new PKK Kongra Gel camp in north Cyprus.

According to the papers allegations, the camp is located inside Lefkosia district, between the mountains, west of the Moutoulas and Pedoulas villages and before 1974 it was used by the EOKA organisation. The paper claims that it has received this information from diplomatic sources in the south.

[04] The Union of the Turkish Cypriot Teachers said that the economic protocol directs to their dependence on Turkey

The General Secretary of KTOS, Mr Sener Elcil, in a written statement yesterday, said that these relations, which lead to the increase of the dependence of the political regime of the pseudostate to Turkey, cannot be accepted.

[05] The occupied areas of Cyprus are still being used by illegal immigrants as a door to EU countries

According to information given by the so-called police of Ankara´s regime in occupied Cyprus, the illegal immigrants were transported from the Mersin port of southern Turkey on board the Sezi fishing boat after paying money to human smugglers to carry them to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

The 21 illegal immigrants together with four suspects, two Turks members of the crew of the fishing boat and one Syrian and one Bangaldeshi, who were arrested on their way to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus, were taken to a so-called court in occupied Famagusta yesterday. The paper publishes only the initials of the four suspects.

[06] Erdogan to address the 11th Arab Economic Forum in Beirut

Turkish Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan will also deliver a speech on "economic progress and reforms" in the first session of the forum.

Except Arab countries, only Turkey will attend the forum as honorary guest for its being a peace model due to its economic progress and stability in monetary arrangements.

Members of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) as well as many businessmen from Turkey will attend the forum.

The Forum will be the most important summit of the Arab world which will bring together prime ministers, ministers, leaders of banking sector, high-ranking businessmen and investors.

More than 1200 participants from 30 countries are expected to attend the Forum.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Columnist in RADIKAL assesses the Bush-Erdogan meeting

The message that emerged from yesterday's President Bush-Prime Minister Erdogan Summit was: "Carry on down the road together."

After waiting for over an hour in Washington's oppressive heat we went from the White House's rose garden into the air conditioned cool of the Oval Office, where the relaxed expression on the faces of both leaders was striking.

The summit, said by officials to be scheduled to last half an hour, had lasted over one hour. Bush started by talking about the United States strategic relationship with Turkey, and he emphasized the importance of the "leadership" of Turkish democracy in the region. When Erdogan said similar things as he began to speak this revealed the main axis of the summit.

It was understood that the emphasis at yesterday's summit was on closer cooperation not only in the Greater Middle East Initiative but also in policy concerning Turkey's immediate surrounds, and in security matters. It appears that many topics ranging from US President Bush's demands for international isolation of Syria including UN measures and Prime Minister Erdogan's demands for a more active [US] intervention against the PKK [Workers Party of Kurdistan] in Iraq to cooperation in replacing oppressive regimes across Central Asia with democratic ones and Erdogan's request for the formation of a Turkish-led development project in Afghanistan (PRT) (starting preferably with the capital Kabul) were discussed within these parentheses.

For instance, Bush believes that leverage and international isolation will be more effective than a change of understanding in order to stop Syria being an export center for terrorism. Erdogan on the other hand thinks that by emphasizing Turkey's influence in getting Bashar al-Asad to pull his forces out of Lebanon, Syria can be gently brought into line. However, both leaders did agree that Syria has to undergo change.

The fact that both leaders see the Greater Middle East Initiative as an opportunity to disperse the clouds darkening Turkish-US relations and get relations back on track stems from them both being able to announce the same goals.

It is clear from the closing speech at the Turkish-American Council meeting the other night when Prime Minister Erdogan spoke of the United States in glowing terms that he had had to sit through a short tirade concerning American hatred in Turkey from Bush at the Oval Office. In diplomatic language this is expressed as: "The need for Erdogan's leadership in order to bring American hatred in Turkey into balance." Consequently, as far as Bush is concerned Erodgan's visit did not end yesterday, it has perhaps begun again.

It is evident that as indicated before the summit Erdogan broached the subject of Cyprus and that this topic was discussed in comparative detail. The pleasure felt by Turkey at the visit the other week to the `TRNC´ by US Congressmen and that these congressmen landed at Ercan Airport was made known to the American side.

Erdogan expressed his demands for direct flights from the United States to the `TRNC´ and for American investment, to which Bush replied that they supported the ending of the `TRNC's isolation´. He reportedly instructed Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to work on this.

Bush also said that he welcomed the resumption of talks at the UN Security Council over UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Cyprus. Both Erdogan's remarks plus Turkish and American sources present at the summit corroborate this.

One source from the Turkish delegation at the summit said: "It was a meeting aimed at renewing confidence in the future. The aim was achieved." Meanwhile, an American source commented: "There is a need to breathe new life into relations. It was a constructive meeting."

One point that the Americans emphasized in particular was that this "constructive" meeting was not a social one but "businesslike". When you ask what that means we would say that the previous Bush-Erdogan summit included an itinerary for their respective wives as well as dinner plans, whereas this time it was kept within a businesslike context observing the high value given to Turkey's prestige and importance.

As for a definition of strategic relations or partnership; no doubt this is not the kind of partnership that the United States has with the United Kingdom or with Israel to a certain degree. They talk about a relationship where emphasis is placed on strategic elements, and elements concerning regional security and stability. A relationship where military cooperation is one indispensable factor, whereas in the past the relationship was one based solely on military cooperation.

It will also be a new experience for Turkey. We shall see whether or not this kind of relationship has any impact on domestic policy.

/SK

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