Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-09-01

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Serdar Denktas on Turkey's efforts to involve Azerbaijan in its violation of international law in Cyprus

[02] Ankara Anatolia on the COREPER meeting in Brussels

[03] Gul to attend EU Foreign Ministers´ informal meeting in Newport

[04] Turkey's Foreign Trade figures for July detailed

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[05] Turkish Cypriot columnist alleges that the number of the Turkish settlers in the occupied part of Cyprus reached 600 thousands

[06] Official of the Religious Affairs Directorate denies involvement in the Greater Middle East Project

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Serdar Denktas on Turkeys efforts to involve Azerbaijan in its violation of international law in Cyprus

Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Serdar Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´ (occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus) said on Tuesday that they would also feel support of Azerbaijan besides Turkey.

Denktas, who is currently paying a visit to Azerbaijan, told reporters: ''We hope that commercial and economic relations will accelerate between the ´TRNC´ and Azerbaijan. During our talks, Azerbaijani officials said that they were planning to establish a foundation in the ´TRNC´.''

''Greek Cypriots threatened Azerbaijani private airlines company Imair as it held a direct flight to the ´TRNC´ last month. We are trying to overcome all those pressures to start direct flights. We will find a way to form an air traffic between Azerbaijan and the ´TRNC´,'' he said.

When asked whether Azerbaijan's support meant recognition of the ´TRNC´, Denktas said that recognition of the ´TRNC´ by Azerbaijan was out of question for the time being.

''This is not a political recognition. It is the support of Azerbaijan to the Turkish Cypriot people,'' Denktas added.

''The Greek Cypriot administration will increase the pressure on the Baku administration (after a visit paid by a ´TRNC delegation to Azerbaijan)'', Serdar Denktas argued on Wednesday.

Holding a press conference in Azerbaijani capital of Baku, Denktas said: ''However, Azerbaijan will not take a backward step.''

Denktas also noted that Azerbaijan would not demand visa from Turkish Cypriots from now on.

On the other hand, Azerbaijani-Turkish Businessmen's Association and Turkish Cypriot businessmen signed five protocols covering businesses such as construction, tourism, hotel management, banking and agriculture.

The ´TRNC´ delegation is expected to return to the island this evening.

Moreover, as Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (01.09.05) reports, the results of the Business Forum between the pseudostate and Azerbaijan were announced. According to them five professional organisations, which have a very important place in the pseudo states economy have signed a Co-operation Protocol in five different fields with the Turkey-Azerbaijan Business Union. The agreement provides co-operation in the fields of tourism, insurances, banking etc. As the paper writes, in the framework of this co-operation, with the beginning of February 2006, the pseudostate will export oranges to Azerbaijan. It has been safeguarded with the agreement that Azerbaijan will distribute the oranges to other countries of the region. It was calculated that the results of this agreement will be a profit of about 1 million dollars.

In addition, as Turkish Cypriot daily CUMHURIYET newspaper (01.09.05) reports, the State Minister of Azerbaijan Mr Nazim Ibrahimov, stated that his country will do everything possible for the lifting of the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. Mr Ibrahimov, who was speaking after a meeting he held with Mr Serdar Denktas, stated that Azerbaijan is going to be the country that will make the first step towards the recognition of the TRNC when this issue comes into the agenda, despite the pressures and the treats. He also stated that the flights between Baku and Tympou will continue and noted that there is no truth in the speculations made regarding stopping the flights.

The State Minister of Azerbaijan also stated that when the issue of the recognition of the pseudostate comes into agenda, the recognition of the Nagorno Karabagh also comes into the agenda. However he noted that they will ignore the treads when the time comes. He also noted that the recognition procedure must come from the pseudostate and noted that the support of Turkey is very important as regards this issue.

CUMHURIYET also writes that the so-called prime minister of the occupation regime Mr Ferdi Soyer assessed the visit of the Turkish Cypriot delegation to Baku and noted that it is a part of the efforts made for the lifting of the economic, social and cultural isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. Commenting on the direct flight he noted that the so-called Turkish Cypriot airlines have made a step and noted that this step must be transformed into permanent direct flights.

The so-called prime minister also stated that despite the fact that a direct flight was conducted the visit was not official. It was a private invitation address to the former president and his family. This is what happened. It was not an official visit, he noted.

[02] nkara Anatolia on the COREPER meeting in Brussels

In its today's meeting, the COREPER discussed matters regarding the start of full membership negotiations with Turkey on October 3rd.

The European Council, consisting of heads of state and government of EU member states, decided on December 17th, 2004, to launch entry talks on October 3rd, 2005 in case Turkey fulfilled required conditions. Ankara, which has fulfilled these conditions, also signed the additional protocol to the Ankara Agreement extending Customs Union to the ten new members of the EU. Issuing, in the meantime, a declaration Turkey made known that it does not recognize (politically) the Greek Cypriot administration.

According to diplomatic sources, COREPER has agreed today to issue a counter-declaration. The contents and form of this document will be discussed during the informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers to be held in Britain tomorrow and Friday.

On the other hand, the European Commission said that Turkey had fulfilled all the required conditions to start accession negotiations. Kriztina Nagy, the spokeswoman of European Commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn, underlined the importance of full implementation of the additional protocol of the Ankara Agreement and Customs Union, and the necessity that ''Ankara should guarantee that it would open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships.''

Meanwhile, European Commission's spokesperson Francoise LeBail recalled that the Commission's stance on Turkey had not changed, and reiterated that Ankara had fulfilled the required conditions for the start of negotiations.

LeBail also emphasized that ''25 EU member states'' would participate in the negotiations.

[03] Gul to attend EU Foreign Ministers´ informal meeting in Newport

Releasing a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Wednesday that Gul was scheduled to partake in luncheon of EU foreign ministers on September 2nd and hold a series of bilateral meetings with European Commission officials.

The MFA added that the meeting would create a beneficial opportunity to explain Turkey's views prior to opening of the negotiations on October 3rd.

[04] Turkeys Foreign Trade figures for July detailed

According to the foreign trade statistics of SIS, the foreign trade deficit is up by 31.8 percent to reach 4.8 billion USD in July 2005.

Turkey earned 5.40 million USD from exports, while its imports amounted to 9.49 million USD in July 2005.

On the other hand, Turkey earned 40.56 million USD from exports, and its imports reached 64.48 million USD between January and July 2005. In comparison with the same period of six months of 2004, exports were up by 17.1 percent, and imports by 19.3 percent. The trade deficit rose from 19.39 to 23.92 million USD in the same period.

A breakdown follows:

JULY Difference JAN-JULY Difference
2003 2004 (percent) 2003 2004 (percent)
Exports    5.696 5.405 -4.0 34.648 40.566 17.1
Imports    8.728 9.491 8.7 54.040 64.482 19.3
Deficit   -3.099 -4.086 31.8 -19.392 -23.916 23.3
Proportion
Ratio (%)   64.5 57.0 64.1 62.9

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[05] Turkish Cypriot columnist alleges that the number of the Turkish settlers in the occupied part of Cyprus reached 600 thousands

There are three serious problems we must rapidly solve:

1. The issue of the population, 2. The issue of the properties, 3. The issue of the money.

The issue of the population is very important because it is a matter of our political will. In the past we have been the minority of the Greek Cypriots. Now we have become minority in the north. Be careful, do not say Turk goes, Turk comes, like Denktas says. Because it is obvious that you can consider yourself as much Turk as you like, but Ankara thinks you are Turkic, that is, not as full Turks.Sener (Levent) has explained this very well in an article he wrote recently. In fact, if the situation was not like this, it (Ankara) would not withhold the administration of northern Cyrus from the Turkish Cypriots. All the appointments to the key positions would not have been made by Ankara. All the big tenders will not be opened in Ankara. And population would not be continuously carried to Cyprus.

Is there anybody who knows the number of our population now? Is it 180 thousands as the Supreme Election Board has announced? Or is it 220 thousands as in the numbers of the State Planning Organization? Or is it 500-600 thousands as it is seen with the naked eye?

The allegation is the following: When Talat was Prime Minister, why did he give to the UN a list of 41 thousand persons instead of giving a list of 45 thousands? Do you know this? Because: 1) in this 41 thousand persons list only the names of the heads of the family were written, 2) in this 41 thousand persons list the population which was brought after 1974 under the name agricultural labour force was not included, 3) the 30 thousand illegal workers who have been legalized afterwards with the recent amendment of the law, could not be included in the list because they were not fulfilling the conditions of the Annan Plan, 4) the children who have been born here and the wives/husbands of the Cypriots were outside the list.

In this case, poor Talat could not fill the 45 thousand persons list and found himself in a difficult situation. It was good

that Papadopoulos did not accept the Annan Plan and this list was not announced. Otherwise, the disgrace would come into the surface. Does Christofyas say in vain that we could accept not only 45 thousands, but 50 thousands as well, provided that this is all. However, this is not all. The families and the children are not in the account.

One pensioner bureaucrat who worked for years in the Population Department made the following calculation, when talking to somebody: Those who came with the first wave after 1974 were 30-35 thousand families. Add to these the 41 thousand families that Talat gave to the UN. What is the result? Is it 71-76 thousand families? Add to these the 30 thousand illegal workers who have been registered with the recent amendment of the law. Is it minimum 100 thousand families? Multiply the number you found by at least 5 or 6. What is the result you found? Is it 500-600 thousands?

Very well, what is the Turkish Cypriot population against this population from Turkey? Is it 80 thousands, 100 thousands or 150 thousands? Let it be as much as it wants. Are we not the minority? Our job is very difficult! We must definitely be concerned with the issue seriously. Otherwise, tomorrow will be too late.

[06] Official of the Religious Affairs Directorate denies involvement in the Greater Middle East Project

Associate Professor Mehmet Gormez, Deputy Chairman of the Directorate of Religious Affairs [DIYB], has said that the DIYB is not conducting any work related to the Greater Middle East Initiative (GMEI). In a statement he issued to Yeni Safak, Gormez said that DIYB officials' recent meetings with high-level US officials have been misinterpreted, adding that the DIYB does not give religious support to other countries' international projects and that "the DIYB is not working for the United States."

Subtitle : We Did Not Talk About the Greater Middle East Project

Gormez pointed out that he had last talked nearly one hour with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Bryza last week and that their meeting had nothing to do with the US Mideast policies linked to the Greater Middle East Project. Noting that it was Bryza who had demanded the meeting, Gormez said: "He said that religious personnel sent abroad by Turkey are working very efficiently and wanted to be told how we train our imams. I explained the methods used in the training of imams. Apart from that, we did not talk about terrorism, Iraq, or other international issues." Pointing out that the DIYB cannot have anything to do with other countries' international policies, Gormez said: "We are only trying to provide Muslims all around the world with as quality religious services as we provide in Turkey."

Subtitle: They are Investigating the Imam Problem in Europe

Gormez said that there has been a controversy about imams in Europe lately, adding: "At least some 10 meetings have been held on the subject in the West. They are examining imams under such headings as 'the imam problem in Europe.' We will carry out more advanced work on this issue, too." Gormez also said that the Americans have a project to train imams for Muslims and that they [the DIYB] had already told Bryza that a project to arrange for members of other religions to provide Muslims with the said services would not have beneficial results. Matt Bryza, a deputy assistant secretary of state, said after his visit to the DIYB as part of his meetings in Ankara that "Turkey is a model country in terms of secularism and the training of clerics. The London attacks and the recent terrorist incidents are not simply terrorist attacks. Part of the problem stems from the training of imams."

Subtitle: GMEI is Targeted at the Entire Region

The Greater Middle East Initiative (GMEI) announced by US President George W. Bush at the G-8 summit in 2004 is intended to achieve a radical social, political, economic, and cultural change and transformation in Islamic countries. The project is also described as an effort to democratize the Middle East. Particularly Mideast countries and Europe, Russia, and China are unsympathetic to the project and do not trust it at all especially in the wake of the occupation of Iraq that the aim of the project is to promote democracy and freedoms. According to these countries, the real purpose of the Bush administration is to establish permanent US hegemony in the region with the help of this project and to prevent the security threats from the region. African countries were later included in the project and the project was renamed "Broader North Africa and Middle East Initiative" .

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