Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-11-11

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Gul assessed the Progress Report during a press conference and at his party's Ankara Political Academy.

[02] Soyer and Pertev describe as "immoral" the wish of the Greek Cypriots regarding the return of Varosha to its legal owners and putting an end to the usurpation of their occupied properties.

[03] ISAD refuses to recognize the Republic's authority.

[04] A 280 million New Turkish Lira aid from Turkey to the "TRNC".

[05] Reactions from the United Cyprus Party to possible amendments of the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus.

[06] Reactions to the ECHR decision on the headscarf.

[07] The Turkish army is accused of carrying out terrorist attacks in Southeastern Turkey.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Gul assessed the Progress Report during a press conference and at his party´s Ankara Political Academy

"Language was used more carefully in yesterday's progress report and the Accession Partnership Accord when compared with the previous ones. This is very pleasing," said Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Thursday.

Holding a press conference at the Foreign Ministry Mr Gul said that there was nothing that obstructed Turkey's path (towards the EU) in these documents.

Gul said: "There are many positive and negative things in these documents", and indicated that they (these two documents) were more detailed than the previous ones.

Noting that political and democratic reforms continued, Gul said: "The documents include views on them. We may agree with some of them, but we may not agree with some of them. But, they are not newly-announced demands."

Gul stated that former Turkish governments had made public a National Program, and said that there was no need to prepare a new National Program.

According to Gul, the government is determined to make reforms and strengthen democracy, and will eliminate shortcomings in coming days.

On Cyprus Mr Gul said:

"Everyone should spend more time and energy to find a solution to the Cyprus issue. There are both reasonable and unreasonable views in the documents, which were made public by the European Commission yesterday about the Cyprus issue.

There can be ups and downs in this process. As long as the Cyprus issue remains unsettled, it can overshadow the strategic cooperation sought by the EU. Therefore, everyone should spend more time and energy to find a solution to the Cyprus issue. This problem can be resolved with a comprehensive solution within the context of the good offices mission of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The Turkish Cypriot party has been doing its utmost, however, its unilateral efforts are not enough to resolve the issue."

Moreover, Istanbul NTV television (10.11.05) broadcast the following:

"Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has said that there is unreasonable criticism in the EU Progress Report and the Accession Partnership Document, adding: `We must not dwell too much on them; we must look at the big picture´.

He said: `There is reasonable as well as unreasonable criticism. We must not dwell too much on them. We must look at the big picture. The big picture brings us great advantages´.

That is how the Foreign Minister assessed the Progress Report and the Accession Partnership Document. He was speaking at the opening session of the Justice and Development Party Ankara Political Academy. He said: `Even if we still have some shortcomings, the reforms we have carried out constitute a silent revolution´.

Gul went on to say: `People in Turkey can speak and write all kinds of ideas. Nothing happens if you do that´.

Gul pointed out that the relationship between the civilian and military was now as in other democratic countries.

Meanwhile, Ankara disagrees that it has slowed down its pace of reforms as charged in the Progress Report and the Accession Partnership Document. It also believes that the demand to open its ports to Greek Cypriot ships and planes is unjustified.

On the other hand, Ankara is pleased that neither the Progress Report nor the Accession Partnership Document cite the demand that Turkey recognize the `Greek Cypriot Administration´ before membership. Ankara is also pleased that the PKK is held responsible for the terrorism in the southeast".

[02] Soyer and Pertev describe as "immoral" the wish of the Greek Cypriots regarding the return of Varosha to its legal owners and putting an end to the usurpation of their occupied properties

Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (11.11.05) reports that Mr Soyer stated yesterday that the Turkish Cypriot side insisted on its view that the Financial Aid and Direct Trade Regulations of the EU aiming at decreasing the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots should be adopted simultaneously by the Union.

Mr Soyer argued that the Greek Cypriots not only vetoed the Financial Aid regulation, but they also proposed the return of Varosha and moratorium in the constructions' sector in the occupied areas of Cyprus, as equivalent to the adoption of the above-mentioned regulation. Mr Soyer described this suggestion as "immoral proposal" and alleged that the fact that no reference to the direct trade is made in the Financial Aid Regulation was "unacceptable".

"The Greek Cypriot side made an immoral proposal such as the return of Varosha and memorandum in the constructions' sector for (the approval) of the 259 million euros financial aid", he said.

Mr Soyer said that the responsibility for the adoption of the regulations belonged to the EU and that with the decision it will take the Union would give an "examination" from the point of view of the EU norms and principles.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (11.11.05) reports that Mr Pertev said that the Greek Cypriots put forward some conditions so that the financial aid to the Turkish Cypriots is granted and that "the conditions are related to the closed city of Varosha". Mr Pertev as well described these conditions as "immoral".

I/Ts.

[03] ISAD refuses to recognize the Republic's authority

In a written statement signed by the chairman of the ISAD, Ozalp Nailer, it is noted that in the letter sent to the EU officials, the ISAD put forward its views, point by point, as regards the 259 million Euro aid issue.

Nailer said that in the letter the necessity was stressed of giving the aid directly to the Turkish Cypriot community.

In the letter it is claimed that the Republic of Cyprus and the Papadopoulos administration have no authority and competence to represent the Turkish Cypriots and that as the case is, it is not possible "for us to accept that this administration (Papadopoulos) is the authority on the use of this aforesaid aid", the letter said.

The letter stresses that financial aid should be made directly to the Turkish Cypriot community.

(MHY)

[04] A 280 million New Turkish Lira aid from Turkey to the "TRNC"

[05] Reactions from the United Cyprus Party to possible amendments of the constitution of the Republic of Cyprus

[06] Reactions to the ECHR decision on the headscarf

"The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg rejected on Thursday the application of Ms. Leyla Sahin, a former student of Istanbul University's Faculty of Medicine, asking the court to change its earlier verdict on "headscarf case".

The Grand Chamber upheld its former decision, and decided that "Turkey did not violate human rights (of Ms. Sahin)" in this case.

Leyla Sahin had filed a lawsuit in ECHR against Turkey, on charges that the discipline punishment she was given in 1998, as she insisted to attend courses in university while wearing a headscarf, was "a breach of human rights".

Earlier the relevant department of the ECHR had decided that "there was no human rights violation in Turkey", and then Sahin's lawyer had appealed this verdict."

On the same issue Istanbul NTV television (10.11.05) broadcast the following:

"The European Court of Human Rights [ECHR] ruled definitively that the ban on the Islamic headdress in the universities does not constitute a violation of human rights. Prime Minister Erdogan said he cannot make an assessment before seeing the reasoned verdict. According to the opposition, however, this decision is a tough response to the government's policy on the Islamic headdress.

Erdogan said: At this stage, I find it early to make an assessment.

Foreign Minister Gul, in turn, stated: It is not a decision that defends the continuation of bans. This is Turkey's problem. Gul added, however, that no one should boast about bans.

The opposition, on its part, attacked the government. CHP [Republican People's Party] whip Ali Topuz stressed that the ECHR gave the government a final answer on the subject of the Islamic headdress. Motherland Party Deputy Chairman Edip Sapter Gaydali, also reacting to the court ruling, said: Everyone must respect the decision of the judiciary.

YOK [Higher Education Council] Chairman Tezic interpreted the decision to mean that from now on a contrary measure cannot be implemented in Turkey.

EU Commission's Turkey representative Kretschmer clarified the reason for not mentioning the Islamic headdress issue in the EU Progress Report. He said there is no assertion on this matter because the EU does not have a common stand on this subject.

The lawyer of Leyla Sahin, who filed the suit in the first place, reacted against the ECHR. Advocate Husnu Tuna described the decision as a double standard".

[07] The Turkish army is accused of carrying out terrorist attacks in Southeastern Turkey

"The incidents that began around noon yesterday with a bomb that was hurled at a bookstore in the Ozipek shopping arcade and the subsequent death of a person in Hakkari's Semdinli District continued today as well.

CHP [Republican People's Party] Hakkari Deputy Esat Canan claimed that the security forces are responsible for the explosions and the subsequent incidents in Semdinli. He said that he has been in Semdinli since the onset of the incidents, and added: "Two MKE [Machine and Chemical Industry] bombs were found in the car [which was used by the bombers]. An examination of the car also revealed four files. One of the files contains information on the identity of the car. This information shows that the car belongs to the Gendarme.

"The identities of the captured persons, however, are not mentioned. The name of the shopping arcade and the owner of the store were found in the car. The owner of the store is a person who served 15 years in prison because of PKK crimes. He escaped from the store when the bomb was thrown. The person who was killed in the store was someone who was in the store at the time of the bombing. Shots were fired to prevent the examination of the car during which I was also present."

Mehmet Elkatmis, Turkish Grand National Assembly Human Rights Investigation Committee chairman, announced that a delegation will be sent to the region in connection with the incidents in Hakkari's Semdinli District."

Moreover Ankara Anatolia news agency (10.11.05) reported from Ankara that the Turkish Ministry of Interior Affairs has assigned two inspectors to investigate the recent incidents in Semdinli town of eastern city of Hakkari.

Hakkari Governor Erdogan Gurbuz told the A.A today that a criminal investigation had been launched into yesterday's incidents, adding that he had requested the Ministry to assign the inspectors.

He said that a person was detained and four people were questioned in connection with the incidents.

Yesterday, a bomb went off outside a shopping arcade in the town killing a person and injuring six others. Following the explosion, a group of people attempted to lynch a suspected person accused of placing the bomb. They attacked security forces by throwing stones. A person, who was seriously injured during the incidents, died. Also Semdinli Mayor Hursit Tekin was injured in his head.

On the same issue the Secretariat General of the Office of the Chief of the General Staff issued a statement noting that two citizens were killed and 15 others were injured in the explosion that occurred in Semdinli yesterday. The statement added:

"There are claims that some military people could also have been involved in this regrettable incident. The said incident has been referred to the judicial authorities in every aspect and the necessary legal proceedings are being undertaken. Given the secrecy of the investigation phase, the statements to be issued in connection with the subsequent developments will be under the discretion of the judicial authorities."

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