Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-06-30

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] EU road map for Turkey approved. Reactions in Turkey.

[02] Turkish Penal Code previously vetoed by President has been re-adopted by parliament.

[03] Serdar Denktas promotes the policies of partition and enmity towards the Greek Cypriots in the Islamic Conference.

[04] While the excavations continue in Kyrenia Alpay Durduran accuses the Turkish side of not having good will on the issue of the missing persons.

[05] Izcan: The two sides in Cyprus have moved away from the vision of solution.

[06] HURRIYET writes that Azerbaijan will allow the holders of the TRNC passports to enter the country.

[07] The Turks are jubilant because the British presidency of the EU means six nightmarish months for President Papadopoulos.

[08] Gul is continuing his contacts in Sanaa.

[09] Natural gas pipeline project signed in Vienna.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] EU road map for Turkey approved. Reactions in Turkey

European Commission approved the negotiating road-map for entry talks with Turkey on Wednesday.

According to sources, the document says, ''the negotiations will be based on Turkey's own merits and the pace will depend on Turkey's progress in meeting the requirements for membership.''

The document said that the shared objective of the negotiations was accession, but negotiations for Turkey´s EU membership could only be concluded after 2014.

A Commission spokeswoman said the document was adopted with only minor changes.

Istanbul NTV television (29.06.05) broadcast that the Commission endorsed the Negotiation Document, which would determine the framework of Turkey's full membership talks. The EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn announced that the [membership] talks will start on 3 October. Noting that Turkey's membership is not envisaged before 2014, Rehn said this [the negotiation] is an open-ended process and as such the result is not guaranteed.

In his news conference, Olli Rehn made a statement regarding the document. He underlined that there isn't any surprise or change as regards Turkey. He said that the talks will be held for full membership, but they will be open-ended. In other words, he said that it is hard to predict from now when and under which conditions Turkey would become an EU member.

The news conference was held with a two-hour delay. The most important reason for the delay was the debate regarding Turkey. He said that a very animated debate took place inside, but he refrained from giving too much information about the nature of the debate. He merely said that all had the chance to express their views on Turkey.

He said that in case of serious violations of human rights or of the democratization process in Turkey in the course of talks, the talks could be suspended on the advice of the EU Commission or at the initiative of nine countries.

He reminded that already the criteria for Turkey are quite tough, stressing that the EU Commission has learned its lesson from the previous enlargement process and for that reason the negotiating techniques with Turkey are quite tough and uncompromising.

Olli Rehn also announced the measures that Turkey has to implement before the start of the talks. He said that among them the signing of the additional protocol is of particular importance, and he expects Turkey to sign it in the next few weeks.

As regards the legal process, he said that the Turkish Penal Code has gone into effect on 1 June.

He then went on to emphasize that the [membership] talks will stat on 3 October.

He also touched on the issue of good-neighborly relations. He pointed out to the importance of Turkey normalizing relations with its neighbours and all the EU members in particular, including Cyprus.

On the same issue Ankara Anatolia (29.06.05) reported from Ankara that the European Commission's approval of the negotiation road-map for entry talks with Turkey indicates that the European Union (EU) membership process goes on within the frame set during the Brussels summit held on December 17th, 2004, Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

In today's meeting, the European Commission approved the negotiating roadmap setting the principles and conditions of full membership talks with Turkey, and presented it to the member states for consent, the Ministry stated.

The Ministry noted that the document once more confirmed that the shared objective of the negotiations was accession, and stressed that it (the document) was based on the recommendatory resolution of the Commission released on October 6th, 2004 and the Brussels summit resolutions made public on December 17th, 2004.

Stating that the document was being assessed, the Ministry added, ''we will continue to share Turkey's views and positions with the European Commission, acting presidency and the member states in coming days.''

Finally, Ankara Anatolia (29.06.05) reported from Sanaa that the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Wednesday, commenting on European Commission's approval of the negotiating road-map with Turkey, said that there might be different views regarding the negotiating road-map made public by the European Commission today, but there was nothing unexpected in this document.

''Today, the EU has reiterated its decision to open negotiations with Turkey on time. We will notify our views about this frame document to the member states. This is the Commission's position. It will be submitted to the Council. And, the Council should ratify it as a political authority. Then, everything will become more definite.

Negotiations will be opened as decided. Our position is known. We do not think anything other than full membership,'' added Gul.

Mr Gul, who is in Yemeni capital of Sanaa for the 32nd Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Foreign Ministers' Conference, noted that Turkey and the EU had showed their determination, and underlined the importance of carrying out negotiations in the healthiest and best way.

[02] Turkish Penal Code previously vetoed by President has been re-adopted by parliament

This law was vetoed by the Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and sent to the parliament for reconsideration.

Under the new penal code, those who open and run educational institutions against the laws will face up to one year in prison, or fined. If child abuse and harassment crimes are committed more than once, those who commit these crimes can be sentenced to more than one punishment.

In accordance with an amendment to the TCK's chapter on "statute of limitations", this period will start as of the date the court accepts this demand.

The new TCK erases the provision envisaging that punishment shall be increased by one-third in case the insult is made through press organs.

Under an amendment to the article 302 of the TCK, life imprisonment is foreseen for persons who try to deteriorate the unity and integrity of the state, and separate whole or a part of the territory from the state.

[03] Serdar Denktas promotes the policies of partition and enmity towards the Greek Cypriots in the Islamic Conference

Representatives of Sudan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Guinea and Libya gave the messages of support to the `TRNC´.

Sudan and Azerbaijan said that economic and commercial relations with the `TRNC´ should be increased.

Diplomatic sources noted that Sudan explained its belief that all kinds of political and commercial relations with the `TRNC´ should be improved.

No country explained any views in favor of the Greek Cypriot side for the first time in the history of the OIC meetings. On the contrary, they pledged to support the Turkish Cypriots in their rightful cause.

Meanwhile, `TRNC Foreign Minister´ Serdar Denktas told reporters that they were pleased with those messages of support.

Recalling that he would deliver a speech at the conference later in the day, Denktas said that he would underline the importance of lifting of isolation of Turkish Cypriots and the `TRNC's´ full membership to the OIC.

Moreover, illegal BRT television broadcast that speaking in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, at the Islamic Conference Organisations Foreign Ministers meeting, Pakistani and Azeri foreign ministers backed the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Guls earlier call on Islamic nations to provide support to the Turkish Cypriot people to help remove its international isolation.

On the second day of the 32nd meeting of the Islamic Conference organisation, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Memmedyarov said the Cyprus problem failed to be resolved after the Greek Cypriot side rejected the UN plan last year.

Critisizing the international community for not keeping its promises to the Turkish Cypriot people and ignoring the problem, Mr. Memmedyarov said that the European Union had failed to put the free trade and financial assistance regulations in force both, promised by and prepared with the orders of the EU Council after the Turkish side approved the Annan Plan with a great majority.

Mr Memmedyarov added that a solution to the Cyprus problem should be found under the aegis of the United Nations.

Also speaking at the plenary session, the Pakistani Foreign Minister Mr Abdul Settar pledged continued support for the economic integration of the Turkish Cypriot people with the rest of the world.

He also said that a solution to the Cyprus problem should be based on bi-zonality, bi-communality and the political equality of the two sides on the island.

Meanwhile a draft resolution on Cyprus is today being discussed at the conference.

The draft, under the heading The situation in Cyprus envisages immediate steps to be taken towards the removal of the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people.

It was approved at committee level, untouched, despite Greek Cypriot attempts to introduce changes in its wording.

The draft resolution refers to an earlier decision adopted by the OIC foreign ministers in Istanbul last year which approved a change in the name of Northern Cyprus from the Muslim Community of Cyprus into the Turkish Cypriot State.

Following todays endorsement at committee level, the draft resolution is expected to be put to the foreign ministers approval at tomorrows plenary, concludes Bayrak.

[04] While the excavations continue in Kyrenia Alpay Durduran accuses the Turkish side of not having good will on the issue of the missing persons

In a written statement issued yesterday, Mr Durduran notes that finding under a tree in occupied Karavas village remains of Greek Cypriots, who are missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, is a step forward.

Mr Durduran adds the following:

The continuation of this and the solution of the issue of the missing persons could be an important step on the way towards the solution. Asking for other investments and experts from Turkey and hospital in the name of equality means nothing else but creating difficulties to the issue at a time when the hospital which was financed by the UN in order to be bi-communal and which is said that it is still seized by the Greek Cypriot administration is there. Putting observers at the hospital in Cyprus is more than enough. Therefore, it is obvious that good will is still lacking.

Meanwhile, KIBRIS reports that the excavations conducted by the bi-communal Investigatory Committee for Missing Persons in the presence of foreign observers continued yesterday in the occupied Kyrenia area. The paper writes that a Greek Cypriot representative was also present at the excavations yesterday. The excavations will urgently continue within the next few days because of the growth of the construction sector in the occupied areas, points out KIBRIS.

Mr Ahmet Erdengiz, so-called Director of the political planning and political affairs of the foreign ministry and member of the Investigatory Committee on Missing Persons, noted that the excavations are conducted in the area of Kyrenia where the construction works are intensive and added that saying anything about the number of the persons found is difficult at this stage.

He said also that the remains will be kept under the observation of the experts until the anthropological and DNA laboratory is established. At this stage giving remains to the Greek Cypriot side is out of the question, he noted and added that the same excavations might take place in the free areas of Cyprus as well, if this is necessary.

[05] Izcan: The two sides in Cyprus have moved away from the vision of solution

Mr Izcan also stated that the policy followed after the referendum by the so-called coalition government of the Republican Turkish Party and the Democratic Party and the ruling Justice and Development Party of Turkey has been confined to the lifting of the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and does not carry a vision of solution.

The General Secretary of the United Cyprus Party also accused the so-called government of the pseudostate that instead of putting efforts towards the beginning of the negotiations, it continues to criticize the President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Tassos Papadopoulos and noted that this attitude resembles a lot with Mr Denktas way of behaving.

[06] HURRIYET writes that Azerbaijan will allow the holders of the TRNC passports to enter the country

According to the paper, during the first visit of the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to Azerbaijan, a historical step was taken as regards Cyprus and Azerbaijan is openings its doors to the Turkish Cypriots.

The paper, which notes that the intensive policy followed by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has finally gave results, writes that Turkey in return will double the time that the citizens of Azerbaijan are allowed to stay in Turkey after receiving a visa, from one to two months.

The paper also notes that the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul has travelled to Yemen with his Azeri counterpart in order to participate in the 32nd Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Foreign Ministers' Conference, and notes that this development was the outcome of the contacts that Mr Gul held.

[07] The Turks are jubilant because the British presidency of the EU means six nightmarish months for President Papadopoulos

The paper reports the following:

According to a statement issued by the Presidency Press Office, the above proposal was submitted yesterday to the representatives of the state-members at a working meeting held yesterday in Brussels. Britain, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal refused Luxemburgs proposal, acting towards the positions of the Turkish Cypriot side.

Mr Mehmet Ali Talat said that the Turkish Cypriot side made the necessary efforts for an agreement. Mr Talat, in a letter sent to Nicholas Schmitt who was in the EU-term presidency, conveyed the desire of the Turkish Cypriot side that they are against the separation of the direct trade regulation from the financial aid, and at least to connect the application of the financial aid with the approval of the direct trade regulation.

Mr Talat thanked also the EU term-presidency for bringing together the Turkish Cypriot and the Greek Cypriot delegations for negotiations and noted that this (meeting) was really important because it was the reason for the two sides to come along for the first time after the referendums on 24 April 2004.

On the same issue, Hasan Ozuslu, a columnist in YENIDUZEN (30.06.05), under the title Six months of Papadopoulos nightmare, wrote that the nightmare for Papadopoulos starts tomorrow when Britain takes over the EU-term presidency.

[08] Gul is continuing his contacts in Sanaa

According to information received by the A.A, the issue of Cyprus and OIC's Youth Forums were discussed by Gul and Faysal.

Faysal remarked that Saudi Arabia supports the UN Secretary-General's solution process vis-a-vis Cyprus.

Gul also met the Indonesian Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda in Sanaa.

Foreign ministers of Iraq's neighboring countries met in breakfast meeting hosted by Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul in Sanaa, Yemen --where OIC meeting is held--on Wednesday.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Mahmud Zebari informed the other foreign ministers about developments in Iraq at the meeting.

Speaking to reporters, Gul said that the meeting was very useful and Zebari asked for their support in all areas.

[09] Natural gas pipeline project signed in Vienna

Releasing a statement on Wednesday, Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources said that the agreement was signed during the general assembly meeting of the Nabucco Company in Vienna yesterday.

The five partners of the project BOTAS (Turkey), BulgarGas (Bulgaria), TransGas (Romania), MOL (Hungary) and OMV Gas (Austria) signed the agreement regulating all legal dimensions of cooperation among the companies.

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