Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-06-22

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish generals are holding a search and rescue exercise in the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus.

[02] Two months postponement for the discussion of the National Security Policy Document.

[03] Yemen to take over the presidency of the OIC Foreign Ministersī Conference.

[04] The Norwegian State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs reportedly said: We warned the Greek Cypriots.

[05] Soyer alleges that the Republic of Cyprus wants to do business with Turkey without the Turkish Cypriots in order to take advantage of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

[06] Reactions continue in Turkey as regards the signing of the Additional Protocol.

[07] Alevis in Turkey to file lawsuits against the Turkish Prime Ministry and the Education Ministry.

[08] Metin Kaplan was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Turkish court.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish generals are holding a search and rescue exercise in the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus

Sehit Tegmen Caner Gonyeli-2005 Exercise will be held in two stages with the participation of military and civilian units of search and rescue organizations of Turkey and `TRNCī 15 miles off Kokkina and three miles off Kyrenia.

General Tevfik Ozkilic, the Commander of the occupation forces told a briefing on Tuesday that the occupation regime had the power and was ready to perform all sorts of search and rescue operations in its sovereignty area and in East Mediterranean in cooperation with Turkey.

"The aim is to stress that the Greek Cypriot side which unilaterally announced the claim of performing search and rescue activities in Cyprus and in East Mediterranean is unacceptable. The targets of the exercise are to improve cooperation in search-rescue activities between Turkey and `TRNCī (occupied areas of Cyprus), to stress our authority in search-rescue, to determine needs in legal, technical and administrative levels between the two `countriesī and to improve navigation safety in Eastern Mediterranean," Gen. Ozkilic said.

[02] Two months postponement for the discussion of the National Security Policy Document

The National Security Council [NSC] postponed by two months the discussions on the National Security Policy Document.

The National Security Policy Document was the only special agenda item of the NSC meeting, which lasted three and a half hours. The document, whose preparation had been continuing for months, was expected to be finalized during the NSC meeting. The statement issued after the NSC meeting stressed that a decision was made to hold the discussion on the document in subsequent meetings. The statement did not mention any reason for the postponement.

The statement also underlined that comprehensive assessments were conducted on recent developments that concern order and security as well as issues of priority in foreign policy. According to the statement, the NSC also discussed the need for all the country's institutions and organizations to work effectively and in coordination for the implementation of the national science and technology strategy.

On the same issue Ankara TRT 1 Television (21.06.05) broadcast the following:

Responding to reportersī questions at the National Assembly today, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek explained that the National Security Council (NSC) members were not able to examine the National Security Policy Document because the document reached them late, and therefore the discussion on the document was deferred to the next NSC meeting.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, in turn, declared that the postponement of the discussion on the National Security Policy Document was decided at the beginning of the meeting at the request of the government, and there is no problem in this regard.

[03] Yemen to take over the presidency of the OIC Foreign Ministersī Conference

The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated today that Gul will attend the OIC meeting which will be held in Yemen between June 28th and 30th.

Turkey which holds the rotating presidency of the OIC Foreign Ministers Conference will hand over this mission to Yemen during the meeting.

[04] The Norwegian State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs reportedly said: We warned the Greek Cypriots

Commenting on the developments in Cyprus under the title We warned the Greek Cypriots, Mr Traavik said: In order to lift the isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriots, in addition to the meetings that we had in Turkey and with the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community, we wanted that the financial aid that we gave to the Greek Cypriots under the name Republic of Cyprus to be used for projects that the Turkish Cypriots could benefit from. I informed the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs on that and I will follow it.

[05] Soyer alleges that the Republic of Cyprus wants to do business with Turkey without the Turkish Cypriots in order to take advantage of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline

Speaking to illegal Bayrak television channel Mr Soyer alleged that the Republic of Cyprus flagged ships wanted to get a share from the economic potential that was going to come out when Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline started to function.

"That is why they insist on Turkey's opening its ports to Greek Cypriots," he asserted.

Mr Soyer also alleged that while Greek Cypriots wanted Turkey to open its ports to them, they wanted the occupied Famagusta port to remain closed to international trade.

"The Greek Cypriots don't want Turkish Cypriots to benefit from the economic potential of approximately 5 billion dollars that is going to come out because of their capital selfishness and they do this under the guise of nationalism," he claimed.

[06] Reactions continue in Turkey as regards the signing of the Additional Protocol

Mr Deniz Baykal, the chairman of the Republican Peoples Party repeated his call on the JDP government not to sign the Additional Protocol. Mr Baykal stated that in case the Additional protocol is signed Turkey will pay too high a price as regards Cyprus but will receive nothing concrete from the European Union. My recommendation is not to sign ever this Protocol, he noted.

In addition, in a meeting they had Mr Sinan Aygun, the chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, and Mr Muhsin Yazocioglu, the chairman of the Great Unity Party agreed that Turkey must not sign the Additional Protocol.

Mr Aygun stated that in case the Additional Protocol is signed by Turkey, this will mean that this issue will be finished. He also noted that in case the Republic of Cyprus is recognized by Turkey, the TRNC will be buried.

On his part, Mr Yazocioglu noted that the signing of the Additional Protocol will lead to the end of the existence of the TRNC. It means the Turkish Cypriots will become a minority and that Cyprus will be sacrificed, he noted.

[07] Alevis in Turkey to file lawsuits against the Turkish Prime Ministry and the Education Ministry

In a statement to Milliyet, Prof Dr Izzettin Dogan, chairman of the Cem Foundation, said: "With these suits, we have entered an era during which the management of the government is being put on trial in terms of democracy and human rights."

Explaining that individuals and the Alevi Foundations have separately taken legal action in order to file suits at the administrative court, Prof Dr Dogan stressed that they waited in order to avoid preventing the Justice and Development Party government from receiving a negotiation date from the EU on 17 December. Dogan emphasized that they also waited hoping that there would be improvements, but added that the waiting did not lead to any results.

Dogan said: "We are therefore carrying the issue to the judiciary. The number of those who file suits will increase. Tens of thousands of people will file suits."

The Prime Minister's Office permission is needed for filing the suit. The Prime Minister's Office is obliged to respond to the petition within two months. In their petition for lawsuit, 2,000 Alevis demanded that Alevis be granted the same freedoms of religion, freedom of conscience, and freedom of faith that the Sunnis are granted.

Among other demands, the petition also stressed that if the compulsory religion classes are not to be cancelled, the Alevi understanding should be included in the textbooks and this faith should be included in the state television channels and radio stations.

Furthermore the petitions stated that the Alevi community houses are not given lands or financial means and that progress has not been made in this regard during the term of this government either.

[08] Metin Kaplan was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Turkish court

The Istanbul Criminal Court ruled today that Kaplan be sentenced to life in prison in accordance with Article 146/1 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

Kaplan, who lived in Cologne, Germany, was extradited to Turkey on October 12th, 2004.

Earlier, Turkish court decided to arrest him in absentia on charges of masterminding a failed 1998 plot to crash an airplane into the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern and secular Republic of Turkey. The plot was foiled when Turkish police arrested 23 suspected members of Kaplan's group the day before the ceremony.

Kaplan had served a four-year prison sentence in Germany for calling for the killing of a rival Islamic leader in Berlin in 1997.

/SK

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article