Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-08-29

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Foreign Minister calls on the EU to ignore that Turkey is occupying EU territory and violates the human rights of EU citizens

[02] The Turkish EU negotiator appears certain that the occupation of EU territory and the violation of the human rights of EU citizens is not an obstacle for Turkeys starting accession negotiations.

[03] A Turkish Cypriot delegation went to Azerbaijan with a direct flight- RTP is not happy with Rauf Denktas participation in the visit

[04] The deep state is mounting up pressure over Incirlik airbase in view of important decisions for Turkey.

[05] The leader of Ankaras puppet regime in occupied Cyprus has sent a letter to the EU leaders on the recognition of EU member the Republic of Cyprus.

[06] Reference to Cyprus by the German Chancellor during a meeting with Turkish businessmen and interview with Hurriyet.

[07] Reference to Cyprus by the departing Dutch Ambassador during an interview with the New Anatolian newspaper.

[08] Independent Deputy Sirin Joins Motherland Party

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Columnist in Radikal assesses the recent visit by Mr Bryza to Turkey and argues that a view prevails in the U.S. and the EU of the existence of two states in Cyprus.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Foreign Minister calls on the EU to ignore that Turkey is occupying EU territory and violates the human rights of EU citizens

Speaking to reporters, Gul said: ''The EU leaders are foresighted, and so they will not overshadow strategic policies concerning the entire world due to some problems they face in internal politics and conjectural problems.''

Noting that recent statements about the Cyprus problem were incoherent, Gul said: ''Turkey and Turkish Cypriots have fulfilled their responsibilities regarding solution of this problem. It was the Greek Cypriots who rejected a plan, on which UN Security Council, the EU and the entire world reached a compromise. Therefore, it was the Greek Cypriots who acted against the spirit of Europeanism and contradicted principles of the EU. Solidarity among EU members can be accepted, but it is against EU's values to say 'we will be in solidarity' when one of the members makes mistakes and acts against EU's principles. Therefore, the Greek Cypriots should pay the costs of bringing this matter to the EU's agenda. So, nobody should accuse Turkey.''

Answering a question whether he was convinced with the efforts and statements in Europe to arrest members of the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK, Gul said: ''There are some efforts, but more importantly we should see the results.''

[02] The Turkish EU negotiator appears certain that the occupation of EU territory and the violation of the human rights of EU citizens is not an obstacle for Turkeys starting accession negotiations.

''There seems no serious obstacle to that,'' said Babacan responding to questions about Turkey-EU relations and recent developments in economy in private NTV channel.

''There is no technical or legal obstacle in front of Turkey's starting negotiations with EU on October 3rd. I am also very hopeful in respect of political developments. We believe that negotiations on some subjects could start before December 31st, 2005 just after the scanning process,'' Babacan said.

Babacan stressed that they paid high-ranking information tours at EU capitals and the meetings went very well, reminding of the meetings to be held among EU Ambassadors and Foreign Ministers before October 3rd. Babacan said Turkey's declaration and the attitude of the EU member states would be discussed in those meetings.

Babacan also referred to the view voiced by the EU Commission saying that ''Turkey fulfilled all the conditions and the negotiations should start on October 3rd.''

Babacan noted that Turkey was ready to recognize the Greek Cypriot side --as it was mentioned in the declaration-- but only after a comprehensive settlement was brought to the island under the supervision of UN.

Regarding economy issue, Babacan said that interests of investors towards Turkey increased after December 17th, 2004 because Turkey has entered a period having a more clear future.

When asked about flow of foreign capital in Turkish banking sector, Babacan said: ''Foreign companies have an important interest towards banking sector of Turkey. Because, there is nearly no unregistered economy and also there is an institutional discipline in this sector. It is a more organized sector and it is very available for growing.''

Babacan said that in spite of the increase in prices of crude oil, macro-economic parameters of Turkey are well. Economic growth was not affected by this increase, and inflation expectations dropped from 8 percent to 7 percent, he added.

Touching on relations with International Monetary Fund (IMF), Babacan said: ''We will decrease structural reforms part of relations with IMF and we will pursue this issue with EU more.''

''After first year of stand-by, we will discuss budget and monetary policies with IMF more,'' he added.

He noted that social security reform, which is one of the conditions of first review, will be completed sooner or later.''

Regarding EU entry talks, Babacan said that Turkey will have 35 negotiation chapters during talks. Approval of 25 EU member countries will be necessary for opening and closing of each negotiation chapter, he added.

Mentioning three important parts of EU process, Babacan said: ''The first one is 'political' part which includes political adjustment activities. Second part is 'technical negotiation' which includes 35 chapters. The third one is 'communication' part through which dialogue among non-governmental organizations will be strengthened.''

[03] A Turkish Cypriot delegation went to Azerbaijan with a direct flight- RTP is not happy with Rauf Denktas participation in the visit

The paper alleges that this was an important step towards the lifting of the embargo and the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. It also writes that a delegation of 90 persons, headed by the so-called minister of foreign affairs Serdar Denktas, bureaucrats from the so-called ministries of tourism and economics, businessmen and journalist were the passengers of the flight. In addition former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas also participated in the delegation which went to Baku.

According to KIBRIS the plane used for the flight arrived to occupied Cyprus from Britain, after stopping over at Antalya, Turkey. The flight was planned for 11:00 in the evening, last night, however, due to technical problems, the flight was finally conducted at 3:00 in the morning today.

The Turkish Cypriot delegation is paying a three-day visit to Azerbaijan, and will hold meetings with the speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and State. In addition the Turkish businessmen will participate in a Work Forum organised by the Businessmen Union of Turkey-Azerbaijan.

In addition, as CNN Turk broadcast (29.08.05) Mr Serdar Denktas stated on arrival at Baku that they are very excited and proud about the visit, and noted that he hopes that this visit will set an example for other countries as well. Mr Serdar, who was making statements to journalists, also said that the Turkish Cypriot delegation will have various contacts in Azerbaijan and said that the aim of these contacts will be the decreasing of the embargo on the Turkish Cypriots.

Moreover, NTV television (29.08.05) broadcast that the visit of Mr Rauf Denktas to Azerbaijan aims to support Ilhan Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan for the elections to be held in the country in November. Invoking sources of Talats Republican Turkish Party (RTP), NTV also broadcast that RTP is not happy with Denktas visit to Baku. According to NTV, RTPs officials support that Denktas visit to Azerbaijan with a special flight, will not help towards the lifting of the isolation and the relations between the pseudostate and Azerbaijan. NTV also notes that it is notable that no member of the RTP participates in the delegation that is visiting Baku.

[04] The deep state is mounting up pressure over Incirlik airbase in view of important decisions for Turkey.

The group displayed placards and shouted slogans after arriving at the intersection of the Turhan Cemal Beriker Boulevard and the Celal Bayar Bridge in eight buses. The group then marched along the boulevard under extensive security measures by the police and arrived at the Inonu Park.

Speaking on behalf of the group at the park, Bulent Oner pointed out that the march was started in Istanbul as an act of refusal to be a part of policies of aggression and occupation and to oppose such policies.

Oner said that his group, with participants from 22 provinces, will express its demand for the withdrawal of the United States from Turkey and that its struggle will continue until the Incirlik base is closed.

After starting out from Istanbul the group organized activities in Gebze, Izmit, Bursa, Eskisehir, Ankara, Konya, and Mersin. After resting in Inonu Park the group marched to the Sabanci Central Mosque.

At this point the members of the group boarded buses and departed for the Incirlik zone. They disembarked from the buses about one kilometer before reaching Incirlik and marched to the entrance of the zone as they protested the government and the United States by shouting slogans.

Gendarmerie and police squads took extensive security measures and had armored cars waiting during the protest and did not allow the group to enter the zone.

Meanwhile, Ali Kartal, a 45-year-old who said he is a resident of Incirlik, argued with members of the group telling them: "Why do you not carry the Turkish flag? You should carry the flag of the Turkish Republic instead of other flags."

After being calmed down by people around him, Kartal began to march toward the demonstrators with a Turkish flag about 20 minutes later. Police and gendarmerie squads stopped Kartal and moved him away from the demonstration area to avoid any tensions.

After shouting slogans for some time the demonstrators boarded their buses and left the zone without incident.

[05] The leader of Ankaras puppet regime in occupied Cyprus has sent a letter to the EU leaders on the recognition of EU member the Republic of Cyprus.

Talat sent letters to EU leaders in mid-August, stating that Turkey faced pressure as it did not recognize Greek Cypriot administration. Talat underlined in his letter that he was against such pressure on Turkey.

Recalling that EU always wanted Cyprus to be united in a way foreseen by the UN and a united Cyprus to be a member of the EU, Talat stated that EU never considered that the problem would be solved through Turkey's recognition of "Republic of Cyprus".

Talat stated that Greek Cypriot administration said that Turkey should recognize itself by taking courage from comments of some EU countries. "But, by saying this, it distances itself from a solution," he added.

"Turkey's recognition of 'Republic of Cyprus' will divert us from all solution models we have foreseen so far, and it will contradict bi-communal and bi-zonal federation model that was put forth by the UN," underlined Talat.

Noting that it should be out of question for Turkey to recognize "Republic of Cyprus" without a solution in Cyprus, Talat emphasized that such a development will also endanger existence of Turkish Cypriots.

[06] Reference to Cyprus by the German Chancellor during a meeting with Turkish businessmen and interview with Hurriyet.

Following the meeting, the Chamber of Turkish-German Commerce and Industry (TATSO) Chairman Kemal Sahin told reporters that Turkish businessmen's contribution to Germany was discussed in the meeting.

Sahin quoted Schroeder as saying that he supported Turkey's EU membership and he would continue to support its accession.

Stating that the Cyprus issue was also taken up in the meeting, Sahin quoted Schroeder as stating that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan fulfilled conditions to start membership negotiations by signing the additional protocol extending its Customs Union to cover all new members of the EU.

Moreover, Istanbul Hurriyet newspaper (27/08/05) published an interview with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Following are Chancellor Schroeders replies to questions on Turkeys EU accession talks:

Question: Recently you have used the phrase "open-ended negotiations" frequently [with regard to EU's accession talks with Turkey]. Have you changed your position with regard to Turkey's membership in the EU because of election pressures?

Answer: I do not know where you have heard this, because my position has not changed at all and it will not change. The accession talks will begin on 3 October. Let me also explain why I am so certain about this issue.

First, there is Turkey's economic contribution to the EU. However this is not the determining factor for me. Take a look at the world map. For example look at the Caucasus. Relations between India and Pakistan are more relaxed but they have not been resolved finally. Problems continue in Afghanistan. I do not even want to talk about Iraq. Is it in our interests for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons? It certainly is not. When we look at this map we can see clearly the importance of Turkey's membership in the EU. Turkey's defense of European values as an Islamic country is extremely important for us. In other words membership in the EU is very good for Turkey but it is also very good for us. If we can admit Turkey into the EU it would be an extremely important development.

Question: You will meet with the French prime minister on 11 September. Will you tell these to him also?

Answer: You know about the statements of the French prime minister. Erdogan fulfilled everything that was asked of him on 17 December. There is also the Cyprus problem. However Turkey did not block the resolution of the Cyprus problem. Those who feel closer to Greece blocked it. For this reason there will not be any change in our position.

[07] Reference to Cyprus by the departing Dutch Ambassador during an interview with the New Anatolian newspaper.

Question: What's the latest EU position towards Turkey's membership? What does Turkey still need to do?

Answer: For the start of negotiations, Turkey has done what we agreed on at last December's summit. The Netherlands will stick to this decision. We don't see a good reason why we shouldn't start negotiations with Turkey on October 3. We knew that Turkey had to sign the Ankara Protocol and it did. And it was clear from the beginning that Turkey would make a declaration on the non-recognition of Greek Cyprus. My prime minister also made it clear that the signing of the Ankara Protocol doesn't by itself constitute a formal recognition of the Republic of Cyprus. But it's the first step on the way towards a normalization of relations between Turkey and the 25 EU member states. It's also an undeniable fact that Cyprus is a part of the EU. You may not like it but it's a fact and facts have to be acknowledged.

Question: Though we haven't heard this from Greek Cyprus or Greece, France has challenged Turkey's bid over the non-recognition. Why are the French behaving this way?

Answer: I'm not the French ambassador but France is worried about more EU accession. In fact, in France contributory factors that could explain the negative referendum results on the EU constitution were EU enlargement and the future start of EU negotiations with Turkey. The Turkey factor in the French referendum was much clearer than in the Dutch referendum. There's a political fact that the French public is worried about a larger EU and the role of France in the EU.

Question: Will there be competition with France if Turkey becomes an EU member?

Answer: Turkey is bigger than France. The Netherlands is not that worried by Turkey's membership. But in the case of France, it's worried that such a big and powerful country will join.

Question: Before the start of talks, we have still the problem of framework agreement in front of us.

Answer: The framework agreement is out. It's a photocopy of the agreement we made last December 17. That's good because it can't give encouragement to member states that want to make trouble. .

Question: But there are still some attempts by member countries to change the draft of the framework document prepared by the Commission

Answer: But changes can only be made unanimously. What people don't realize is that unanimity can be seen as a burden but sometimes it plays a protective role.

Question: So can we think that your country, the Netherlands, will defend Turkey at the upcoming EU meetings in terms of not changing the draft?

Answer: Of course. The document prepared by the Commission is a good one.

Question: Which chapters will be the most problematic for Turkey to close during the accession talks?

Answer: The negotiations will be mostly a technical process, not very visible, run largely by the EU Commission in close consultation with EU member states. All I know is that it's important for Turkey to make its priorities. Turkey wishes to conclude some chapters before the end of the year. Politically, this is logical. The Commission isn't against it either.

One of the most difficult chapters in the negotiations over the last decade has been agriculture. This will also be the case for Turkey as it involves decisions taken regarding so many people's lives and the economy. Europeans, on the other hand, are busy with their common agricultural policy. We still have some decisions left to take, like how much to spend on common agricultural policies in the future.

Another question is whether we could absorb another large agricultural country like Poland. The environment is another complicated chapter because it's not a part of thinking in Turkey and also the country is so large.

Question: Turkish officials, especially Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, repeatedly say that Turkey has already fulfilled all the Copenhagen criteria ...

Answer: Let's be fair, the Copenhagen criteria are never finished. This is not true only for Turkey but also for the current EU member states. Lots of member countries, from time to time, are surprised by the acquis communautaire. We, almost all of member states, have lost lawsuits opened against the EU in several areas. So the Copenhagen criteria aren't over even when you're in.

Question: Are there still some steps to take? What are the main problems that Turkey will face during its accession talks?

Answer: I'm very impressed with the progress made and the speed with which Turkey put the Copenhagen criteria into order. It was a development that nobody really expected. The reform process went very smoothly, very fast, and was in depth. But when we talk about the Copenhagen criteria, we mean democracy and the rule of law. There's always work to be done, both for current and future member states.

From this point of view, we can say that the Turkish economy is going well, although the employment problem persists. But, on the whole, the Turkish economy underwent huge improvements last year. Turkey has become a center of attraction for European investors. It's becoming a serious economic partner for EU countries. But employment remains an important problem for the government to solve.

Question: But, as you said, some steps still need to be taken to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria. What are the main areas that the Turkish government should pay more attention to?

Answer: We can talk about ending terrorism and restoring peace, prosperity for the whole country, and a redistribution of wealth. Also, education is extremely important. It's a key area. Young people, Turkey's human resources, have to be well trained.

[08] Independent Deputy Sirin Joins Motherland Party

The number of seats in the parliament is as follows:

Justice and Development Party (JDP): 355

Republican Peoples Party (RPP) : 158

Motherland Party (MP): 16

True Path Party (TPP): 4

Socialist Peoples Party (SPP): 4

Peoples Ascendancy Party (PAP): 1

Independent: 8

Vacant : 4

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Columnist in Radikal assesses the recent visit by Mr Bryza to Turkey and argues that a view prevails in the U.S. and the EU of the existence of two states in Cyprus.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Bryza gave a speech that was open to the press during his second visit to Ankara last month. Speaking at a meeting organized by the think-tank known as the German Marshall Fund, Bryza signaled that the battle against the illegal PKK "is also a problem for the United States." When pressed by reporters about the Cyprus issue during the question and answer portion of the meeting, Bryza underscored two points which suggest that the Cyprus equation is changing from the standpoint of the United States.

These two points are:

When queried about good arguments to make Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos to come to the negotiating table, Bryza said that if Papadopoulos insists on this posture he will realize that a separate political entity in Cyprus is becoming increasingly more evident. The United States aside, even some diplomats from the EU, of which the Greek Cypriot Republic is a member, have begun to suggest that the situation in Cyprus is moving toward the recognition of the existence of two states on the island.

The US diplomat also said that it would not be sensible for the EU to insist on the diplomatic recognition of the Republic of Cyprus as a precondition for starting accession talks with Turkey. Actually this is also the predominant view in the EU. However Papadopoulos' recent sally that "this cannot be done without recognition" has muddied the picture. It is well known that Cyprus is one of the reasons the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, which was scheduled for yesterday, was postponed one week to take place just before the EU foreign ministers' meeting on 1 September. (If Papadopoulos exercises his veto accession talks with Turkey would not start on 3 October. This would put off Ankara's goals, but it is also not hard to guess that the Greek Cypriots and Greece would not enjoy the fruits of this Pyrrhic victory and that they would pay a heavy price for it.)

In reality saying that the Turkish Cypriot side did not get anything out of the Annan Plan and that Turkey lost all of its trump cards does not mean much except in our domestic politics. For years we played and listened to the TRNC [occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus] president, prime minister, and foreign minister but could they find any negotiating partners outside Turkey? Could they explain what they wanted? Could they erase the stamp of being "the intransigent side" for years? Did they make the slightest progress in some situations where something could be achieved even as an intransigent side?

Is it so hard to see that the principal goal of the politicians who mourn over Ankara's former Cyprus policies and the TRNC's former administration that could not make the slightest progress are the same people who believe that the changes in Turkey's political equations that they considered immutable--including the policy on Cyprus--are threats to their own raison d'etre.

The equation in Cyprus is changing. It is changing slowly and painfully. At this stage we must point out that it was the EU that admitted the Greek Cypriot Republic, the principal party to blame for this situation, as a full member into the Union on the argument that it represents the entire island, including the Turkish Cypriots. Consequently it is the responsibility of the EU to make the matter more complicated or simpler.

If Turkey's accession talks with the EU do not start because of Cyprus this can result in an embarrassment for the EU on a scale that matches the fiasco over Bosnia. The EU may once again find itself in the position of having no solution for a political problem within its region other than leaving it in abeyance. As for those who keep asking what importance Cyprus has in today's world, one has to ask them why the rapid changes in the Middle East and the Caucasus with their rich oil and natural gas resources should also not include Cyprus.

When the United States intervened to stop the bloodshed in Bosnia 12 years ago it was 10,000 kilometers away. Now, with its occupation of Iraq, it is here.

The United States and the EU are in very different positions today compared to that time. Moreover the United States is no longer in a position to make the EU do whatever it wants. This was very clearly seen in the Iraq affair.

At the same the EU cannot play a determining role on the Cyprus issue. This is why expectations of change in the Cyprus equation are slow and painful. However it is evident that things have not been working as in the past since the referendum on the Annan Plan. Furthermore no one is more aware of this than Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos.

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