Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-09-19

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Mr Erdogan discloses his brief dialogue with President Papadopoulos.

[02] Turkish Cypriot columnist: It is neither a shame nor a sin to say that we want a Confederation solution and that the Annan Plan provides for this.

[03] The Turkish Foreign Minister met Kofi Annan and European Foreign Ministers.

[04] The Turkish Foreign Minister discussed the Negotiation Framework Document with EU Ministers.

[05] Turkish and Greek Foreign Ministers supported UN Secretary-Generals efforts on the Cyprus problem.

[06] Ferdi Sabit Soyer in Brussels for the opening of the office of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce.

[07] Akin Sait: It is not possible to cancel the title deeds.

[08] A Homebuyers Pressure Group, consisting of deceived foreigners who bought property in the occupied area of Cyprus, has been established.

[09] Chairman of the so-called Turkish Cypriot Central Executive Committee of the Referees Fevzi Beyar: Turkish Cypriots and not the Greek Cypriots impose embargo on the Turkish Cypriot sports.

[10] Israeli OFER Group in the occupied area.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Mr Erdogan discloses his brief dialogue with President Papadopoulos

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "During my meeting with Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos, I told him that they should accept two states in northern and southern Cyprus and one confederative structure within the scope of Annan Plan, otherwise, agreement is impossible."

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Erdogan said: "I also told Papadopoulos that Turkey is a guarantor country. If they want, `President´ Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus), Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos and Greek PM Costas Karamanlis can meet and discuss this issue. Because we want solution."

[02] Turkish Cypriot columnist: It is neither a shame nor a sin to say that we want a Confederation solution and that the Annan Plan provides for this

Under the banner front-page title Two state structure, KIBRIS (18.09.05) writes that Mr Erdogan brought up the Turkish sides condition for a solution. The paper notes: Erdogan stressed that the confederative structure is a condition. Erdogan said to the Greek Cypriot leader: It is a condition that you accept the two states, one in the north and one in the south, which are included in the Annan Plan and the confederative structure. As long as this is not happening the agreement is not possible. We are a guarantor state.

YENI DUZEN (18.09.05) refers to the issue under the title A proposal for a four party meeting on the Cyprus issue from Erdogan. The paper writes that Mr Erdogan said: Mr Talat in Northern Cyprus is on the one side and Mr Papadopoulos in Southern Cyprus on the other. If they say let us meet at all costs, we shall come together, sit and talk. Mr Karamanlis will come as well. We shall not run away from this, because we support the solution.

CUMHURIYET (18.09.05) writes that Mr Erdogan said that there are some people wanting to put some strange elements into the counter declaration of the EU regarding Turkeys declaration that it does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus. No commitment can be extorted from us, he added.

Under the banner front page title Confederation, KIBRISLI (18.09.05) reports that Erdogan has suddenly aimed higher and began talking about confederation.

VOLKAN (18.09.05) refers to the issue under the following title: Erdogan and Papadopoulos in New York. Erdogan: Two states in the North and in the South. Papadopoulos: One state in Cyprus.

VATAN (18.09.05) refers to the issue under the banner front page title: The last word from Prime Minister Erdogan to Papadopoulos! Two separate states in the North and in the South.

Meanwhile, KIBRISLI newspaper (19.09.05) continues referring to the issue noting that President Papadopoulos rejected the proposal regarding the two states. Mr Dogan Harman, the editor in chief of the paper, writes, inter alia, the following in his daily column under the title Erdogan is doing the right thing!

Erdogan talked like this because he knows that Papadopoulos wants to take the whole of Cyprus under his sovereignty. Erdogan does not need a negotiations procedure in which everybody will understand the same meaning in a different manner. The supporters of the status quo who wanted the non-solution and tried to waste time did this. Erdogan does not want this. Erdogan is exerting efforts for a partnership of two states where the Turks and the Greeks will be sharing the sovereignty. The name of this is Confederation! It is neither a shame nor a sin to say that we want a Confederation solution and that the Annan Plan provided for this. Erdogan has spoken right. There is no use in hiding behind confusing meanings and muddying the picture even more!

(I.Ts)

[03] The Turkish Foreign Minister met Kofi Annan and European Foreign Ministers

Gul said he would address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, stating that he had the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings within the scope of the UN Assembly. "I have met foreign ministers of 12 European Union (EU) member countries so far. I will continue these meetings," he noted.

"During the meetings, I had the opportunity to review relations with the EU and the issues in front of Turkey on the way to October 3rd. I also had the opportunity to give details to related ministers about the issues which Turkey is sensitive on," Gul said.

"My meetings were very fruitful so far. I met UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and discussed the Cyprus issue. We had several requests from him. He made promises that he would take steps on the Cyprus issue," Gul noted.

Gul said he also met Mexico's Foreign Minister noting that, "we discussed ways to improve relations between Turkey and Latin America."

"I met the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister. We discussed the Iraq issue in details. We agreed to make further political consultation between Saudi Arabia and Turkey. As you know, the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) summit meeting will take place in Mecca soon. Leaders of countries who are neighbors to Iraq may convene there."

Mr Gul added: "I also met the Japanese Foreign Minister. Turkey's relations with Japan are historical. Mutual agreement is in question to improve bilateral relations."

"We attach great importance to Africa nowadays. I visited African Union Secretary General here. I earlier had met him in Algeria and invited him to Turkey. He will visit Turkey next month and we will have a close cooperation," Gul stated.

Recalling that he met Nigerian Prime Minister, Gul said: "He thanked for Turkey's support during the drought in his country."

[04] The Turkish Foreign Minister discussed the Negotiation Framework Document with EU Ministers

Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul called on his European colleagues to take into consideration Turkey's views and sensitivities in the European Union (EU) membership Negotiation Framework Document, it was reported on Sunday.

Gul met foreign ministers of 12 European Union (EU) member countries within the scope of the UN General Assembly.

Diplomatic sources said Gul told the foreign ministers that the document in its current position was unacceptable, stating that negative elements in the draft should not be reflected in the Negotiation Framework Document.

Gul warned his European colleagues that approval of this in the Turkish Parliament may be endangered in case the draft in question is included in the document as it is.

It was reported that Gul, in all his meetings, wanted negative elements included in the draft, to be removed.

Gul also wanted Turkey's views and sensitivities to be taken into consideration during the preparation process of the final document.

The same sources said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was expected to make an important statement next week.

Sources said Annan, in his meetings with the representatives of the EU countries throughout the UN General Assembly, would state that his "good offices mission" was still on the table, and explain to them that initiatives of the Greek Cypriot side were wrong.

Diplomatic sources said improvement of relations between Turkey and Mexico, who don't have any political conflict, was discussed during Gul's meeting with Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez. "The parties agreed on initiation of political relations as the first step," the sources noted.

[05] Turkish and Greek Foreign Ministers supported UN Secretary-Generals efforts on the Cyprus problem

Stating that the meeting was very useful, Mr Gul said: This annual meeting with the minister has turned into a tradition. Last year I visited the Greek Permanent Mission to the UN, and today the minister visited us.

Mr Gul went on: This was a very useful meeting. Obviously we reviewed our bilateral relations. We also discussed EU issues. As you know Turkey is set to start accession talks with the EU on 3 October. We evaluated the current period. I thanked him for the support Greece has provided to Turkey on this issue. In addition, we expressed the support we have offered to the work of the UN Secretary-General in connection with the resolution of the Cyprus problem and we discussed the continuation of this support by both Turkey and Greece. It was a good meeting. God willing we will meet again this time next year in the Greek mission.

On his part, Mr Moliviatis said: I am pleased to have gotten together with my Turkish colleague within the framework of the UN General Assembly's work and added: We held a similar meeting in the Greek mission last year. This seems to be the beginning of a good tradition. Our meeting today proceeded in a friendly and positive atmosphere. We discussed our bilateral relations and reiterated our commitment to develop our relations. During the meeting we also discussed the possible date of Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis' upcoming visit to Turkey.

Noting that Turkey's relations with the EU were also discussed at the meeting, Mr Moliviatis said: In particular, we discussed the issue of the implementation of last December's decision to start accession talks on 3 October. Our stand on this issue is well known and will remain unchanged. In addition we discussed possible perspectives in the reactivation of the process to find a solution to the Cyprus problem under the aegis of the UN Secretary-General.

(D/P)

[06] Ferdi Sabit Soyer in Brussels for the opening of the office of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce

During his stay in Brussels, Mr Soyer will also take part at a round table meeting organised by the Turkish Ari Movement at the European Policy Centre.

[07] Akin Sait: It is not possible to cancel the title deeds

Mr Sait made these statements during a ceremony held in occupied Lefkosia last Friday for the beginning of the new judicial year in the occupied areas.

Mr Sait stated that the property issue, which is connected with the Cyprus problem, comes into the agenda continuously and alleged that all the immovable properties that are in the TRNC are TRNC property. He said that the title deeds were given to the persons through laws therefore it is not possible to be cancelled. He also stated that it is not possible for the properties to be returned.

Speaking on behalf of the occupied areas´ Bar Association, Mr Bertan Ozerdag, stated that the biggest problem as regards the Turkish Cypriots is the property issue and noted that it is depended on the solution of the Cyprus problem. He also said that the cancellation of the title deeds is not possible. He said that the administration can amend the constitution and the laws can be cancelled but a decision cannot be taken back, the title deeds cannot be cancelled and no decision can be made regarding the returning of properties to the before-1974-owners, as he called the legal Greek Cypriot owners.

In addition, as Turkish Cypriot daily CYPRUS TIMES (18.09.05) reports, Mr Sait stated that according to the so-called constitution of the occupation regime no citizen of the pseudostate can be deprived of immovable property, not even through amendment of the 159th paragraph of the Constitution and the relevant law, as he said.

(C/S)

[08] A Homebuyers Pressure Group, consisting of deceived foreigners who bought property in the occupied area of Cyprus, has been established

About 100 foreign residents-most of them - newcomers gathered in Kyrenia on Tuesday evening to launch action against those TRNC officials, lawyers, estate agents and builders they claim are corrupt.

Those attending told how builders had ignored the buyers contracts and lawyers had sided with the wrongdoers. Some estate agents were accused of lying about title deeds and permissions to buy. Officials, it was said, had ignored complaints and politicians had left letters unanswered.

It had become an expensive and unpleasant waste of time to seek justice by asking for attention to individual cases, the meeting agreed, and so it was decided that the victims join forces, under the banner of the Homebuyers Pressure Group.

It was agreed that corrupt people should be named and shamed and blacklists drawn up and distributed internationally. Potential homebuyers and tourists in Britain and Europe should be warned that some businesses overcharged and failed to honour agreements.

Many of those who gathered for the meeting at Shakers Inn, in central Kyrenia, said they had paid for houses in which they could not live because the builders had not completed their work on time. As the construction firms had failed to pay compensation, the owners had to spend extra money on rented accommodation. Some could not afford this and were therefore homeless.

Others said builders had demanded more money than agreed, without good reason, and when the buyer had refused to pay they had threatened to destroy the house or parts of it, to take the house back, or to harm the customers physically. At the meeting was Terence Wright, who reported in a letter to Cyprus Today that he had been visited by hard men sent by his builder when he demanded compensation for breach of contract. Mr Wright said that when the men found he was a tall, strongly built ex-soldier, they had backed off, but it was obvious, he said, they had been sent to cause him physical harm.

Meeting organizers said many homebuyers lived in fear not only of physical attacks and damage to their property but also of not getting the title deeds. With builders and lawyers charged substantial fees, they did not seem helpful, and buyers were scared because they felt there was no lawyer, official or politician they could trust. A Homebuyers Pressure Group committee was elected under the chairmanship of Conny Larsson, a Swedish-born writer and journalist with international connections, and committee members include lawyers and professional communicators, as well as 6ft 3ins Mr Wright and Derek Jolly, whose TRNC (occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus home buying problems were featured on the ITN TV programme Tonight with Trevor McDonald in June.

(D/P)

[09] Chairman of the so-called Turkish Cypriot Central Executive Committee of the Referees Fevzi Beyar: Turkish Cypriots and not the Greek Cypriots impose embargo on the Turkish Cypriot sports

Karahasan reports that this week he hosts a very different guest who thinks differently from the other Turkish Cypriots, as regards the sports embargo.

Karahasan goes on and reports that he had met with Beyar at the latter´s home in the occupied area, regarding so-called sports embargo Mr Beyar said: I do not think like the other friends. With this thinking may be I am unique in the country. I do not mix nationalism in sports. No embargo is imposed on us. Turkish Cypriot side´s policies are directed towards segregation. We have created the embargo for ourselves. How? By not abiding by the rules. For example we have not abided by a single rule by FIFA. We have made sports an instrument to politics. Whenever we have taken a decision with the Greek Cypriots at the end it was we who created problems.

Karahasan goes on and reports that, he had listened to Beyar´s accusations very carefully and says that for the first time a Turkish Cypriot comes up and claims that It is the Turkish Cypriots that impose embargo on the Turkish Cypriot sports. Karahasan adds that Mr Beyar also refuted the accusation that his last week´s guest Olgun Ustun who had said: Because of the Greek Cypriots, the FIFA had told us, go, get rid of politics and then come to the FIFA.

Beyar told Karahasan: Here what the FIFA said, it was directed to the Turkish Cypriot side, it is the Turkish side that should get rid of the politics. We have never abided by the rules demanded by the FIFA members who visited the island. For example, we have named the Javelin field, Taksim (partition) stadium. This is a secessionist policy. Our approach to sports is nationalistic. The Greek Cypriots propose to us: `Let us get united under a federation´. The Turkish Cypriots say `No´. I do not mean the present Greek Cypriot Federation (KOP). I mean a new federation to be established which will be made up of Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Commenting on the so-called sports embargo Mr Beyar said: During all the meetings regarding `embargo´ the Turkish Cypriots admit that, they `themselves impose the embargo´, however, when they speak to public they speak differently.

Karahasan concludes by reporting that Mr Beyar has the following proposal to the politicians:

Domestically two different federations. A second federation for abroad where Greek and Turkish Cypriots will represent Cyprus. In the domestic league certain number of Greek and Turkish Cypriot teams should take part and whichever team is successful let it represent Cyprus in the European cups.

(M/Y)

[10] Israeli OFER Group in the occupied area

The paper reports that Mr Ofer now wants to acquire the major share of the iron and steel complex Erdemir, together with Turkish Zorlu Group.

MILLIYET further reports that Ofer Group is also involved in the construction business in the occupied area. It has acquired several very important building plots.

(M/Y)

/SK

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