Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-07-13

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Karahan: Turkey will not establish political relations with any other entity on the island, except the TRNC.

[02] Illegal settlers sent back to Turkey are queuing to get a passport and return to the occupied areas.

[03] The Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce wants the issue of the free trade to be taken onto the agenda of the EU and the two regulations of the Union regarding the Turkish Cypriots to be separated from each other.

[04] Gul confident that Turkey will start accession negotiations while 40,000 Turkish troops are occupying EU territory and violating the human rights of EU citizens.

[05] Erdoganīs schedule for July. The country which bases its policy and relations with its neigbours on military superiority and casus belli is democratizing the Middle East and North Africa.

[06] The Turkish President and RPP disagree with laws approved by the Islamic JDP government.

[07] Bearing point wins economic task order contract.

[08] Rauf Denktas to participate in a demonstration in Switzerland for the anniversary of the Lausanne Treaty.

[09] Turkish court halts Kurdish association activities.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[10] The story of two Russians who abandoned a successful computer business to produce bricks for the usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Karahan: Turkey will not establish political relations with any other entity on the island, except the TRNC

In statements to the paper, Mr Karahan noted that these days working meetings are taking place in Ankara between representatives of Turkey and the pseudostate and that at the meetings the decision that Turkey would buy all products produced in the occupied areas of Cyprus will be taken.

Referring to the issue of the new migration law, Mr Karahan pointed out that their aim was to legalize or send away some persons that harm the public order. I have always been saying that if Turkey has some problems regarding employment this is not the place to solve them, he added.

Mr Karahan said that the additional protocol to the Ankara Agreement providing for the expansion of Turkeys Customs Union with the new EU member states will be signed, but this should not worry the Turkish Cypriots.

Mr Karahan said: I have said it many times and I am saying it again. The Republic of Turkey will not establish political relations with any other entity on the island except the TRNC. There could be trade, but this is a different issue. There is a well-known expression that says trade could be done even with the Devil. This is a different issue. Anything could be done except this. The Anatolian Turks will not and cannot abandon the Turks of Cyprus. And they have no intention of doing it. .

[02] Illegal settlers sent back to Turkey are queuing to get a passport and return to the occupied areas

The new regulations stipulate that in order for one to receive work permit in the occupied area and be registered one should enter into the occupied area from Turkey not with an Identity Card but with a valid passport.

The paper adds that those Turkish citizens who were working illegally in the occupied area, because they have entered in the occupied areas without passports, are now returning to Turkey and trying to acquire a passport and then return to the occupied areas.

As a result of these regulations, writes the paper, Turkish citizens, the majority of whom came and illegally entered to the occupied areas, from Hatay Alexandretta province and from south East Turkey, now returned to their towns and from there try to acquire passports in order to return to the occupied areas and get work permits.

[03] The Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce wants the issue of the free trade to be taken onto the agenda of the EU and the two regulations of the Union regarding the Turkish Cypriots to be separated from each other

The paper writes that in statements after a meeting yesterday at the headquarters of the TCCC with Mr Millet, the chairman of the organization, Mr Ali Erel, expressed the opinion that the free trade would be the best solution for all sides and that the issue must immediately be taken onto the agenda of the EU term presidency.

Mr Erel noted that they wanted the Direct Trade and the Financial Aid regulations to be separated and the 259 million euros to help for the development of the economy and the harmonization of the ports and airports to the EU norms.

[04] Gul confident that Turkey will start accession negotiations while 40,000 Turkish troops are occupying EU territory and violating the human rights of EU citizens

After having a breakfast with investors in British capital of London, Gul told a press conference that Turkey had adopted all required reform laws, and therefore, expected that the entry talks will start as scheduled.

Touching on terrorism, Gul said that fight against terrorism was the common responsibility of all countries, and stressed that a joint platform should be established to combat it.

"Terrorism is a severe crime committed against humanity, and therefore we strongly condemn it," said Gul.

Commenting on attacks on some mosques in London after last week's bombings, Gul said: "This is another kind of violence. Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. Terrorists may be Muslim, Christian, Jew or members of some other faith. Religion and terrorism cannot be considered together. So, we should condemn terrorism altogether."

Regarding the Armenian genocide, Gul said that Turkey had opened up all its archives, including military ones, to all foreign scientists, and stressed that even a single document proving the Armenian allegations could not be discovered.

Mr Gul has been awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the British Exeter University today. Gul was awarded the degree due to his solution-seeking approach in international matters and his contribution to human rights and democracy in domestic policies.

"The award I have received today will help me increase efforts for regional peace and a better world," said Gul.

In his acceptance speech, Gul pointed out that in the upcoming years cooperation against military clashes, poverty, terrorism, fanaticism, religious and ethnic discrimination, racism, discrimination against Muslims, deadly viruses, drug and human trafficking will be essential.

Condemning the attacks in London last week, Gul stressed that such incidents (as in London) will only motivate nations to cooperate against global threat of terrorism.

Moreover, Ankara TRT 1 Television (12.07.05) broadcast that Mr Abdullah Gul, has disclosed that Turkish and Armenian diplomats are holding talks to solve the problems between the two countries. He said: Our only aim is to ensure peace in the Caucasus.

After receiving the honorary doctorate from Exeter University in Britain. Gul spoke to TRT as follows:

A dialogue has been going on for some time. That is not new. The dialogue is sometimes held at the ministerial level. Our only aim is to ensure peace and stability in the Caucasus, to ensure that the problematic issues are resolved in a way agreeable to all sides.

Asked if Britain was upset by the fact that Turkey would issue a declaration saying it does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus when signing the additional protocol, Gul said that Jak Straw did not tell him anything of the sort during their meeting in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He did not tell me such a thing. Of course we are in close contact these days because Britain is term president. We talk with Foreign Secretary Straw frequently. Our colleagues convey our views to their counterparts. The issue calls for close consultations, Gul said.

[05] Erdoganīs schedule for July. The country which bases its policy and relations with its neigbours on military superiority and casus belli is democratizing the Middle East and North Africa

Beki told a press briefing that Erdogan would pay an informal visit to Sochi on Sunday (July 17th) as the special guest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and later proceed to Mongolia to meet the president, parliament speaker and prime minister of this country.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad might arrive in Turkey on an informal visit as the special guest of Erdogan this month, also said Beki.

According to Beki, Greek Prime Minister Costas Caramanlis may arrive in Turkey on a one-day official visit and for a short vacation later on, but said that he does not have any information regarding the date of the trip.

Erdogan would make an official visit to Britain on July 27th, stated Beki.

Answering a question if any rapprochement between Turkey and Syria could create a problem, Beki said: "Mr. Prime Minister has no concern about this matter. Turkey attaches importance to spread stability and prosperity in this region, and it also gives priority to the strengthening of peace. Turkey also attaches importance to democratization of the regional countries within the framework of Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative. Therefore, Mr Prime Minister thinks improving relations with these countries is important to bolster democracy."

[06] The Turkish President and RPP disagree with laws approved by the Islamic JDP government

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has sent the Municipalities Law to the Prime Minister's Office to be published now that the law has been approved by parliament for the second time, but the president will apply to the Constitutional Court to cancel the article which allows municipalities to open pre-school educational institutions.

On 3 July, the Turkish Grand National Assembly approved the law which had been partially vetoed by the president.

According to a statement issued by the Presidential Press Center, the law has been sent to the Prime Minister's Office to be published, but the president will file a suit at the Constitutional Court, seeking the annulment of Paragraph 2 of Article 14 of the said law. He will also ask for an injunction to the issued on the said Paragraph, under which municipalities can open and run pre-schools and all kinds of health establishments, assume the maintenance and restoration of all cultural, natural, or other important urban sites, and engage in food banking.

Meanwhile, the Republican People's Party [RPP], too, has filed a suit at the Constitutional Court, for the annulment of and the placing of an injunction on two articles of the new Turkish Penal Code. The RPP contends that it is against the constitutional principle of equality for the justice minister to be responsible for the trial in Turkey of persons who have committed crimes in a foreign country. The RPP is also charging that the Turkish Penal Code articles on the sentences to be given to illegal educational institutions violate the Constitution, in that they allow educational institutions to violate the principles of the secular state, the basic characteristics of the Turkish reforms, contemporary science, and the principles of academic thought.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Erdogan has denied the press reports on the disagreements between him and the president. Akif Beki, spokesman of the Prime Minister's Office, has denied that Erdogan said: The president objects to the appointments we make for no apparent reason. I have stopped trying to agree with him.

Replying to a question during his weekly news conference, Beki stressed that the prime minister did not say he was giving up on trying to reach an agreement with President Sezer. Beki said that the press reports to that effect are based on a misunderstanding.

Beki stressed: The honorable prime minister continues to attach importance to the issue of consensus. The prime minister repeatedly says at every opportunity that he is against tension in Turkey. I am saying it to you, too, broadcast TRT 1 television.

[07] Bearing point wins economic task order contract

BearingPoint Inc. has won a three-year, $10 million contract from the Agency for International Development (AID) to assist `TRNCī businessmen to develop business practices.

BearingPoint of McLean, Virginia USA, is contracted to improve the business environment for Turkish Cypriots by increasing the quality of banking in North Cyprus. The US firm will work with Cypriot firms to increase both on-island and international trade by developing and strengthening supply-chain links, implementing product and service standards and training small enterprises on how to develop marketing and operations strategies.

BearingPoint will use its banking experience to help `TRNCī adopt and apply banking practices to help the business community grow and will also help Turkish Cypriot banks comply with EU and international banking regulations, as well as train banning professionals in best practices.

The project complements continuing USAID-financed grants and other donor programmes that deal with the quality and quantity of contact between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. The overriding goal of the project is to help create a climate that will support the reunification of the island.

[08] Rauf Denktas to participate in a demonstration in Switzerland for the anniversary of the Lausanne Treaty

The demonstration is organised by the Labour Party (LP). The chairman of the LP Mr Dogu Perincek stated that his party will make a big demonstration the 24th of July in Lausanne. As the paper writes 194 persons will participate in the demonstration, among them Mr Rauf Denktas.

[09] Turkish court halts Kurdish association activities

The court will decide on defendants request to be provided a Kurdish language translator in the second hearing. The directors of the association have requested that a Kurdish language translator be provided in future hearings and the board of 21 lawyers be given more time for defense.

The spokesman of Kurt-Der, Ibrahim Guclu, said that this ruling, which was not supported by any evidence, was against the law.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[10] The story of two Russians who abandoned a successful computer business to produce bricks for the usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties

Vladimir Svobodin and his family came from a small Siberian town Nizhny Vartovsk. Siberia is the most wonderful place in the world he says, but do not think that bears walk along our streets, although the town is surrounded by a vast and thick taiga (forest). Our rivers are deep and wide; some of them are several km in width. There is a lot of fish in our rivers and different berries, wild mushrooms, and animals in the taiga. Our town is relatively small, occupying 10 square km, but the population is 250,000, more than in Northern Cyprus.

Three years ago I came to Limassol, Cyprus for the first time during an annual computing conference organized by Hewlett Packard. The theme of the conference was, New Computing Technologies. By that time, Vladimir had a successful, rapidly growing computing business in Russia. He opened the first computing school and invented his own system, so-called virtual net, connecting several cities of his region, long before the Internet arrived. It was his `know-howī and he is proud of this.

He is an academician of the International Academy of Real Economy, Moscow, and received an MBA from the Kennedy University, Idaho, USA. The theme of my thesis at the last university was Establishing and developing small and average businesses. It was based on a Japanese model of an enterprise using a psychology that promoted faithfulness to the company, where that company is a state within a state with its own rules and traditions.

Vladimir Svobodin arrived in Cyprus in 2002, first in the south, but after making business trips to the North, he realized this was where he wanted to make a life for his wife and four children. One year later his friend, Sergey Galat, who shares Vladimirīs ideas, also moved here with his wife. We have known each other for a long time, have mutual interests computers, new technologies, even music unites us. We used to play different musical instruments in bands and were leaders of the bands, writing music and poetry. Now they have established their own factory in Karakum (occupied Karakoumi), producing tiles for the construction industry and have strong ideas about the future of this country.

Our future; the future of this island is tourism. We have to unite the efforts of all people interested in developing the country. We need to establish an organization where people of all businesses can be represented-airlines, banks, construction businesses, hoteliers, restaurant owners and travel agencies, ministers and managers, who have the desire to turn the island into the most precious pearl of the Mediterranean. In many countries that are highly successful in attracting tourists, there are such organizations.

My friend Sergey and I have some projects that we have discussed with different ministers and are meeting President Talat later this week. We attended a meeting at the Rocks Hotel for the International Council for North Cyprus where we met a lot of people who love this country and are keen to protect and develop its future. So, our first step is to unite people who are eager and can do something, who have got ideas and abilities to change this country. We cannot wait until the government decides to move; we must first start doing things ourselves and then the government will help us.

We are looking for the people who share our point of view. Letīs unite and turn this country, with its long and amazing history, its picturesque nature and beautiful people into a unique island paradise. Letīs do it now, for us and our children. Perhaps, such organisations already exist, if so, we would be glad to join them.

/SK

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