Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-09-06

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Erdogan thinks that the occupation of EU territory, violating the rights of EU citizens and the casus belli threat against an EU member is not among the Copenhagen criteria.

[02] New wording by Talat regarding the occupation of Cyprus being an obstacle before Turkey´s EU accession course.

[03] Soyer threatens to change the status of the Greek Cypriot schools in Karpass.

[04] The British Ambassador to Ankara stresses that the EU expects Turkey to fully and unconditionally implement the Additional Protocol it has signed.

[05] Turkish Cypriots from Tohni village will file a suit against the United Nations.

[06] The Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce prepared some suggestions to be presented in COREPER, in case Turkey opens its ports to the Republic of Cyprus.

[07] The pseudostate to participate in the 5th International Mediterranean Travel Fair in Egypt.

[08] Clashes in Turkey between the police and pro-Kurdish demonstrators.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Erdogan thinks that the occupation of EU territory, violating the rights of EU citizens and the casus belli threat against an EU member is not among the Copenhagen criteria

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated Turkeys position on the Cyprus issue, and stressed again that Ankara will not recognize the Greek Cypriot administration as Cyprus before the border issue is resolved.

In remarks carried by the Italian newspaper La Republica, the Turkish Prime Minister underlined the fact that Cyprus was not among the Copenhagen criteria Turkey had to meet before the accession negotiations began.

He was asked if he didnt think that it was weird for Turkey a candidate nation for EU membership, not to recognize one of the members of the 25-member European Union.

Repeating that the Greek Cypriot administration does not represent the whole of Cyprus, the Turkish Prime Minister said, in response to another question, that raising the recognition of South Cyprus as a precondition for Turkeys accession negotiations with the EU is a mistake by all those whove been expecting Turkey to agree to more concessions.

Meanwhile, the French Prime Minister Dominique De Villepin has repeated his call on Turkey to grant recognition to the Greek Cypriot administration as Cyprus.

In a statement yesterday, the French prime minister said he believes Turkey should speedily get on a path leading to the recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration.

If you ask me, every candidate country for EU membership must secure stable relations with the whole of the Union; and this should be unavoidable for any nation he said, expressing the view that Turkeys possible granting of recognition to the Greek Cypriot south Cyprus, will be as he put it - a show of goodwill.

As for Turkeys candidacy for full membership; the French prime minister said no one can ignore or put aside this countrys status as a candidate nation.

He said, however, that he believes Turkeys accession negotiations should begin as soon as the EU secures what he called, the guarantees from Turkey on a number of issues.

[02] New wording by Talat regarding the occupation of Cyprus being an obstacle before Turkey´s EU accession course

The objective - should have been - to open the EUs doors for a reunified Cyprus after a solution to the Cyprus problem had been found he said, an objective, first prevented by the Turkish side, and then by the Greek Cypriot side he complained.

What is so abnormal, is not Turkeys non-recognition of a divided Cyprus; but the EU´s decision to admit such a divided country as a member, he stressed.

It is my opinion that the European Union has been looking for a solution to all this, at the wrong place.

So, instead of looking for a solution in the form of Turkey granting recognition to Cyprus, they should be looking for a solution on the ground, in Cyprus itself he said, in reply to another question.

This new problem will only be resolved with a solution being found to the Cyprus problem, and Turkey recognizing what-will-be the new Cyprus Republic, then he said.

Repeating his view that it is out of question for Turkey to grant diplomatic recognition to the Cyprus Republic as it stands now, Mr Talat said that such a development will lead to the violation of the Turkish Cypriot peoples rights.

The Greek Cypriot sides insistence on achieving Turkeys recognition is absolutely meaningless, and is surely doomed to be fruitless, he warned.

As for the opening of Turkeys sea and air ports to the Greek Cypriot vessels and aircraft, Mr Talat said this could only happen simultaneously with the Greek Cypriot side lifting its own ban on the ports and airports in North Cyprus.

As for the scheduled meeting on Wednesday of the EUs Committee of Permanent Representatives, and what should one expect out of this meeting; Mr Talat said he expects only a unanimous text to be extracted from this meeting which will definitely not include a phrase calling on Turkey to recognize the Cyprus Republic.

He also drew the attention to the fact that the decisions of the COREPER, as the committee is known, are not binding and have no sanctioning power.

Also, he said, the opening of the ports and airports is technically an issue falling under the services sector ; which is itself, an outside topic so-far as the Customs Union is concerned.

Asked, what he thinks about the planned visit to New York by the Greek Cypriot leader Mr Papadopoulos; Mr Talat said: Everybody knows that the Greek Cypriot leader is not interested in a solution to the Cyprus problem; but in spreading and extending his sovereignty to North Cyprus.

Mr Talat also responded to criticism coming from within the occupied areas in which, some opposition figures accused the current government of not trying to secure Turkish Cypriots rights vested in the 1960 Republic of Cyprus constitution and agreements.

Why should we consider returning to those rights, which are surely and clearly backward than what we are today.

Those may only be considered as minimum rights, as we are today governing ourselves.

And dont forget that standing UN Security Council resolutions envisage a bizonal, bicommunal federal solution to the Cyprus problem which is, in effect, something like the current situation on the island he said.

It is not only not correct to propose a return to the Republic of Cyprus; but also an infringement of the standing UN Security Council Resolutions he said, reminding that although these resolutions have recognized the Cyprus Republics de-facto position as the legitimate government of Cyprus; they have also envisaged a bizonal federation.

This, in itself, amounts to telling everyone that the current situation is not the final envisaged state-of-affairs on the island he said.

[03] Soyer threatens to change the status of the Greek Cypriot schools in Karpass

In statements to KIBRIS, Mr Soyer said that the schools in Karpass are functioning in full compliance with the international agreements and the 1960 agreements. While the Greek Cypriots are not doing the same, they are bringing onto the agenda fascistic practices. If it continues like this, a law putting the Greek Cypriot gymnasium under the structure of the TRNC Ministry of Education might come onto our agenda, he added.

Mr Soyer described as a fascistic initiative the effort of the Greek Cypriots to take measures in order to put the Turkish Cypriot Primary school under their own Ministry of Education in a manner that is not included in the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, the Annan Plan, the Ghali Set of ideas and the Cuellar Document.

Mr Soyer alleged that the actions of the Greek Cypriots regarding the Turkish Cypriot School in Limassol are not different than what Milosevic did in Serbia and Jivkov in Bulgaria.

Noting that in the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus there is no provision for a Ministry of Education, Mr Soyer claimed the following:

Taking these into consideration the Turkish Cypriot people made an agreement with the UN when Mr Talat was Prime Minister. As wanted, it was decided to establish a gymnasium in Karpass belonging to the Greek Cypriot community and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the management of this school. We have made this step and realized it. The curriculum of this school is bound to the educational system in the south and it is directed with teachers sent by the educational authorities in the south. What is important for us is to ensure that no chauvinistic and reactionary elements against the Turks are taught in the books of this school. .

Referring to the Turkish Cypriot School to be opened in Limassol, Mr Soyer said that they had been informed that the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Cyprus will appoint two Turkish Cypriot teachers and one Greek Cypriot who speaks Turkish and added: They will determine the books themselves. I will never accept this. This is contrary to the 1960 constitution and the bi-communal character of Cyprus.

Meanwhile, under the title Calling for a rally against the Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (06.09.05) writes that Mr Soyer said that soon the Turkish Cypriots will again go out in the squares and shout to the world and the EU that the Greek Cypriots are not the legal government of the Island.

The paper notes that these statements of Soyer, made during one of his meetings yesterday, are commented as a preparation by the government of the regime to lead the Turkish Cypriots to the squares again.

Commenting on Turkeys accession course to the EU, Mr Soyer claimed that the demands put before Turkey have no democratic and humanitarian aspect.

[04] The British Ambassador to Ankara stresses that the EU expects Turkey to fully and unconditionally implement the Additional Protocol it has signed

Speaking in an exclusive interview with television station NTV on Monday, Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott said the October 3 opening for the negotiations was not at issue after a meeting of EU foreign Ministers in the Welsh town of Newport last week.

There are technical debates but the message that came from the Wales meeting was very clear, he said. No one is questioning the date October 3.

While some members of the bloc had put requests for new conditions for the accession talks, Westmacott said he hoped that there would not be last minute negotiations over additional conditions.

The approach of current EU term president the UK was to avoid delaying the approval of Turkeys counter declaration on its customs union with the bloc, in which it said it did not recognise the Republic of Cyprus and the negotiation framework document for October 3, the ambassador said.

Although Westmacott said he could not give a date for when that might happen, he explained that England would like the approval as soon as possible.

In respect to Ankaras signing the expanded customs unions deal he said, What the 25 member states want to hear from Turkey is whether the additional protocol will be fully applied or not. Will Turkey apply without any conditions?

Also talking of statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul that Ankara could give up its bid for EU membership the ambassador said that Turkey had to take into consideration the political facts within the bloc.

[05] Turkish Cypriots from Tohni village will file a suit against the United Nations

The chairman of the Council, Mr Ali Ratip Dogruer said that they are preparing to file a lawsuit against the United Nations which they consider responsible for the alleged massacre in Tohni village in 1974 against the Turkish Cypriots.

Mr Dogruer noted that they will not file charges in the courts of the Republic of Cyprus because they wanted to find out exactly the position of the Greek Cypriot side in the international law. And that is why they will take the issue to the United Nations.

As the villages legal representatives, said Mr Dogruer, he and the member of the administrative committee of the Council, Mr Ahmet Osam, have established a group under the name Tohni (Taskent) Action Community. Under this name they will visit New York in March 2006, in order to ask the UN to give account for the incident that allegedly took place on 15 August 1974 when 83 persons from Tohni abandoned their weapons upon an order given by the UN and afterwards they were allegedly killed by Greek Cypriots.

The aim of the actions of the Council, according to Mr Osam, is to show that the island is represented by two sides and demand the fulfillment of the promises given to the Turkish Cypriots after the referendums in the Island.

The Council will also organize a Turkish Day in Brussels, aiming at getting Europe know the Turkish Cypriots better.

6.The Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce prepared some suggestions to be presented in COREPER, in case Turkey opens its ports to the Republic of Cyprus

Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (06.09.05) reports that the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (TCCC), prepared some suggestions for the lifting of the possible dead-end that the economy of the pseudostate may face in case Turkey opens its ports and airports to the Republic of Cyprus.

As the paper writes, the suggestions of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce will be brought into the agenda of COREPER which is holding a meeting tomorrow, by a country, the name of which is not given. As the chairman of the TCCC, Mr Ali Erel alleged, the name of the state has not been announced in order to prevent a possible reaction by the Greek Cypriot side.

[07] The pseudostate to participate in the 5th International Mediterranean Travel Fair in Egypt

The Fair will take place in Cairo between 5-8 of September and the pseudostate will participate with the Department of Tourism Marketing and Advertising. In the Fair 190 firms from 36 countries will participate. The pseudostate will have a pavilion of 12 square metres and will distribute advertising posters of the TRNC (occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus) and tourist brochures.

[08] Clashes in Turkey between the police and pro-Kurdish demonstrators

A group of members of the Federation of Associations of Relatives of Prisoners attempted to hold an illegal demonstration by chanting slogans in favor of the terrorist organization PKK and Abdullah Ocalan.

They threw stones to security forces. The police used tear-gas and water cannons to disperse demonstrators. A police vehicle was burnt down when demonstrators threw fire bombs. Meanwhile, several automobiles were damaged.

Ankara Anatolia news agency (05.09.05) reported from Van that governor Niyazi Tanilir of eastern city of Van said on Monday that 10 people including 3 policemen were injured in today's demonstrations.

Tanilir told the A.A that 80 people were taken into custody during the illegal demonstrations of the People's Democracy Party (DEHAP).

Later the same day Ankara Anatolia reported the following from Diyarbakir: A group of demonstrators threw stones at a police station and damaged automatic teller machines in southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, sources told the A.A on Monday.

Several policemen and a journalist were wounded when demonstrators threw stones at police station.

Later, demonstrators damaged automatic teller machines of several banks, and threw stones at local building of the Nationalist Action Party (NAP).

On the same issue Istanbul NTV television (05.09.05) broadcast that two groups in Van and Mersin attacked the police during the unauthorized demonstrations they held to support the separatist organization. Two police officials and a journalist were hurt in the incidents.

A group gathered in front of the DEHAP [Democratic People's Party] district center and chanted slogans in support of the separatist and terrorist organization in Van. The demonstrators later marched toward the Maras Avenue. They threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the police units, who prevented them from marching in the avenue. Two police officials and an Anatolia News Agency reporter were wounded.

A group of the supporters of the terrorist organization tried to hold a demonstration in the Sevket Sumer sector of Mersin. They attacked the security forces with stones and sticks. The security forces dispersed the group, which used children as a shield.

Meanwhile, the situation has returned to normal in Bilecik's Bozoyuk District after the incidents that took place yesterday. It will be recalled that incidents broke out in Bilecik's Bozoyuk District when a group chanted slogans to support the terrorist organization and put up the posters of the leader of the organization. The members of the group were returning from Bursa's Gemlik District, where they tried to make a statement to the press. Some 144 people, including 17 police officials and seven military servicemen, were hurt in the incidents.

/SK

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