Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-12-20

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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 assembly approves the amended draft-law on the occupied Greek Cypriot properties; Eroglu says that the self-styled TRNC has been turned into a sub-administration of Turkey.

[02] Talat said that the Turkish Cypriot side will not demolish the bridge in Ledra Street and said that he could ask from President Papadopoulos to demolish CYTA.

[03] Talat-Blair meeting on the agenda in the shadow of Cherie Blairs involvement in the Orams case.

[04] Turkish British Legal Society honored Cherie Blair.

[05] The mysterious plane, which entered the Turkish air space on 2nd December, was a CIA plane.

[06] The co-president of the Turkey-EU Parliamentary Committee is accused of insulting the Turkish army.

[07] Diplomatic sources on the NATO Secretary-Generalīs thesis on Cyprus.

[08] Reference to Cyprus by the NATO Secretary-General after meeting Erdogan.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Turkish Cypriot columnist: What kind of arguments could Mrs Blair put forward that will justify the marketing to foreigners of a plot of land seized by force of arms?

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The assembly approves the amended draft-law on the occupied Greek Cypriot properties; Eroglu says that the self-styled TRNC has been turned into a sub-administration of Turkey

The leader of the CTP and self-styled prime minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer said that their aim was the bi-zonality and the solution. He argued that the side which wants to turn into its favour the Cyprus problem must make steps on the issue of the properties before the solution. Mr Soyer noted that they could make an additional budget in case the court decides that compensations should be given to Greek Cypriots. He alleged that they should take a position against the legal attacks by the Papadopoulos government.

The leader of the DP and self-styled deputy prime minister, Serdar Denktas said that annulling the title-deeds illegally distributed by the occupation regime for the occupied Greek Cypriot properties is out of the question. He pointed out that the rights of the Turkish Cypriots are protected in case of a return of properties during the solution of the Cyprus problem.

Mr Denktas said that the properties for which title deeds have been issued or those which are being used could be returned only after a solution is reached and in this case the state has ensured with the law that these properties will be nationalized.

The state not recognizing the title deeds it has given is absolutely out of the question. The new arrangement is not at all contrary to the constitution, he argued.

Mr Denktas said that with the law they are giving two years time to the Greek Cypriots and addressing the Greek Cypriot community he added:

Things will be bad if they do not press their administration for a solution. This is not a threat, it is a warning. Things are going towards the conflict. If things continue to go like this, we might conflict again. .

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily CUMHURIYET newspaper (20.12.05) reports that Mr Denktas said that the local remedies which will be created with the law will be Turkeys local remedies, but the authority which will be applying this is the self-styled TRNC.

Meanwhile, under the title The law passed, Turkish Cypriot daily YENI DUZEN newspaper (20.12.05) reports that the leader of the UBP, Dervis Eroglu argued that the law is definitely contrary to the constitution and added that they might file an appeal to the constitutional court.

The TRNC has been turned into a sub-administration of Turkey, he pointed out.

The leader of BDH, Mustafa Akinci said that the law has been prepared aiming at gaining time for the needs of Turkey. However, he noted, time is not working for the good of the Turkish Cypriots.

Under the title The law is ok! Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRISLI newspaper (20.12.05) reports that the critical law has been approved with majority!

The paper writes: The law is ok, but we wonder whether or not we are late. Sources report that the European Court of Human Rights will not announce its decision on Arestis case in February, as it has been alleged, but on Thursday. It is not yet known whether or not the ECHR will accept this law as local remedies. The UBP is prepared to go to the constitutional court aiming at protecting the status quo of the proprietorship regime. It is alleged that on the issue of the properties the constitution is outside the international law. It is said that the ECHR might demand for amendments.

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily AFRKA newspaper (20.12.05) reports that the law on the occupied Greek Cypriot properties was born dead.

Turkish Cypriot daily GUNES newspaper (20.12.05) says that yesterday was a black day for the Turkish Cypriots.

Meanwhile, illegal Bayrak television (20.12.05, internet version) broadcast that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat has said that the above-mentioned law might be put to a referendum, if the need arises.

He noted that he is willing to assess any logical proposal and any suggestion that makes common sense.

Responding to a question, he said he may if convinced - even support the idea of putting the law to a referendum, broadcast Bayrak.

I/Ts

[02] Talat said that the Turkish Cypriot side will not demolish the bridge in Ledra Street and said that he could ask from President Papadopoulos to demolish CYTA

Mr Talat made these statements yesterday, speaking to the delegation of the illegal TAK news agency which visited him.

Alleging that between the two sides in Cyprus the Turkish side is not the one which wants to demolish the bridges but, on the contrary, it is the one which wants to establish bridges, Mr Talat stated that they have no intention to demolish the bridge which was built in the Ledra street barricade, or any other building. I as well can ask for the demolition of the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CYTA) building, he said.

Mr Talat also alleged that the real intention of Mr Papadopoulos is to change the Green Line and said that the Turkish side cannot discus the proposals which were given to the United Nations. Claiming that the discussion for these proposals can continue for 3-4 years, without a result, Mr Talat said the following: If Papadopoulos wants the crossing to start, he must first demolish his own walls.

In addition, Turkish Cypriot daily OZGUR DUSUNCE (20.12.05) describes Mr Talats statements as very hurtful which indicates that the chaos will continue. The paper also writes that the strategy which was adopted for destroying the peace climate continues.

C/S

[03] Talat-Blair meeting on the agenda in the shadow of Cherie Blairs involvement in the Orams case

Mr Talat, during the meeting yesterday with the Board of Directors of the illegal Turkish Cypriot News Agency (TAK), made the remark in response to a question about the meeting around which much speculation has swirled since he took office. Mr Talat slammed the Greek Cypriot reports linking the London visit with Mrs Blairs decision to defend the Orams couple who built a house in land which belongs to a Greek Cypriot in occupied Kyrenia.

Noting that Mrs Blair was a Barrister with the right to choose whichever case she wanted to defend, Mr Talat said that his visit to Downing Street could never have anything to do with this.

Some Turkish Cypriot newspapers report on the above issue as follows:

KIBRISLI: Towards Blair-Talat summit meeting

YENI DUZEN: Talat-Blairs meeting on the agenda

KIBRIS: It is expected that Talat will meet with Blair in January

AFRIKA: Talat denied the speculation of Blairs invitation

(DPs)

[04] Turkish British Legal Society honored Cherie Blair

The paper reports that Mrs Blair did not attend the ceremony organized by the Turkish-British Legal Society during which Mrs. Blair was given her prize. One of the lawyers of the Orams case Bitu Bahalla attended the ceremony and received the prize on Mrs Blairs behalf.

[05] The mysterious plane, which entered the Turkish air space on 2nd December, was a CIA plane

The paper reports that the said plane flight route started on 1st of December from Amsterdam and on 2nd December arrived in the free areas of Cyprus. After refueling in Cyprus at around 17.15 hours it entered into Turkish air space in its weakest point Tombi over Antalya and landed in the north Iraqi city of Erbil where CIAs biggest interrogation center is found.

[06] The co-president of the Turkey-EU Parliamentary Committee is accused of insulting the Turkish army

The Association of Jurists Executive Board member Kemal Kerincsiz and two other persons indicted Joost Lagendijk, co-president of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee, to Beyoglu attorney general's office for ''insulting the Turkish army and judicial organs and attempting to influence judiciary''.

Kerincsiz, Ramazan Selcuk and Recep Akkus sent a petition asking the office to launch investigation against Lagendijk and open lawsuit against him on charges of ''insulting the Turkish army and judicial organs and attempting to affect the judiciary''. The petition said that Lagendijk held a meeting in Istanbul's Taksim Hill Hotel on December 17th, 2005.

The petition said that laws are for everyone, also for EU officials. The petition added that the necessary procedures should be launched to file a lawsuit against Lagendijk.

Ankara Anatolia news agency (20.12.05) further reported from Istanbul that speaking at a conference at Istanbul's Ozel Dogus University on "Turkey and the EU in the Negotiation Process", Lagendijk said that the EU's increasing the number of its members from 15 to 25 in 2004 caused concerns in the EU public opinion, and such an atmosphere in EU-member countries affected Turkey's EU membership process directly.

Recalling that France and the Netherlands rejected the EU Constitution in their referenda, Lagendijk said allegations that France and the Netherlands rejected the EU Constitution to exclude Turkey were not true.

Lagendijk said that the EU assumed a tough attitude against new candidates since it did not want to repeat its past mistakes.

What the EU expects from Turkey is not different from the other candidate countries. But there will be a different monitoring and control mechanism since Turkey is the biggest country in Europe, he said.

Stressing that Turkey should fulfill the expectations of the EU, Lagendijk said that rules of the game would not be changed for anyone.

Referring to the trial of prominent novelist Orhan Pamuk, Lagendijk said that he believed the case would be dismissed.

Turkey should re-arrange minority rights, gender equality, and civilian-military relations, he said.

Lagendijk said that the EU, for the first time in its history, mentioned restrictions in free movement of Turkish people, adding that Turkey had the right to object it.

Noting that the negotiation process was expected to last for about ten years, Lagendijk said he believed that Turkey would be in a better position after ten years.

When a journalist quoted Turkish Justice Minister Cemil Cicek as saying, "we condemn Mr. Lagendijk's assessment about the Turkish Armed Forces and the terrorist organization PKK," Lagendijk said that he called on PKK not to resort to force and Kurdish people not to choose acts of violence to defend their cultural rights.

Upon a question about the Cyprus issue, Lagendijk said that the European Parliament had been working to lift isolations imposed on the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus but some countries had been trying to prevent it.

[07] Diplomatic sources on the NATO Secretary-Generalīs thesis on Cyprus

NATO supports Turkey in its thesis that both parties in the island should take action for resolution of Cyprus question, said NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

Diplomatic sources said that Scheffer and Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul met today in Ankara and they discussed Afghanistan, NATO-EU relations, Cyprus issue as well as updating of NATO's military committee document, 2006 and 2008 summits of NATO, Turkey's assistance to Pakistan after earthquake, Iran and recent elections in Iraq.

Gul conveyed Turkey's policy about Cyprus and said: ''Both sides should take action for resolution of Cyprus question.''

Gul and Scheffer also discussed updating of military committee document, which was issued by NATO in 2003 together with terrorist organizations list, including PKK terrorist organization as well.

Gul told Scheffer that it is a sensitive period, and it would be inappropriate to issue the document without the terrorist organizations list. Scheffer, in return, said that consensus is necessary to update the document and issue the list again.

Sources said that whether this list exists or not, NATO has already accepted PKK as a terrorist organization.

Scheffer told Gul that he always stresses that PKK is a terrorist organization.

Scheffer who also met Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul will depart from Turkey today.

[08] Reference to Cyprus by the NATO Secretary-General after meeting Erdogan

Following the meeting, de Hoop Scheffer held a news conference.

When asked whether the issue of PKK was discussed at the meeting under fight against terrorism, de Hoop Scheffer said that PKK was certainly a terrorist organization.

Pointing out that fight against terrorism required an international cooperation, de Hoop Scheffer noted that the United States, the EU and the United Nations included PKK in their lists of terrorist organizations. He recalled that NATO prepared a list of terrorist organizations in 2003 in which PKK was described as a terrorist organization.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, de Hoop Scheffer said that both sides on the island should expend efforts to find a solution.

He told reporters that NATO's future summits in 2006 and 2008, and recent developments in Iraq and Afghanistan under NATO's operations and missions were also brought onto agenda of his meetings with Turkish authorities.

De Hoop Scheffer added that he had held very productive talks in Turkey.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Turkish Cypriot columnist: What kind of arguments could Mrs Blair put forward that will justify the marketing to foreigners of a plot of land seized by force of arms?

The Greek Cypriots want their properties back and the demolition of the building built on their land. In turn our people want continuation of this situation.

Yes my friends, our side is not struggling for the solution, they are working for postponement of this case.

Mr Incirli then refers to Mrs Blairīs decision to get involved in the Orams case as a defence lawyer and writes: A lot of people in the British government will feel unease as regards this case.

Serhat Incirli goes on and concludes:

Mrs Blairīs defending of Oramsī is a very important event.

However, this issue shows that Britain as well extends full support, hundred percent to Turkey in the continuation of the non-solution, otherwise Mrs Blair was not going to take this case!

The aim of Mrs Blair and her team is not settling but protracting the Cyprus problem

Moreover, the main editorial in the Letter from AFRIKA column in AFRIKA newspaper (20.12.05) writes: What kind of arguments could Mrs Blair put forward that will justify the marketing to foreigners of a plot of land, seized by force of arms?

Is there any lawyer in the world who succeeded in this, so that she too will succeed?

It should be very interesting to defend such a case, as being the wife of the prime minister of the Guarantor, Britain.

As a matter of fact, Britain not only did not fulfill its responsibilities as guarantor power, but after 31 years it comes and takes side against the Cypriots whose properties are usurped. Mrs Blairīs decision to defend this case has no legal value.

However, it is important as regards Mr Tony Blairīs approach to the Cyprus problem, thus it gains political importance. One should not forget that political battles are not won at the courts.

(MHY)

/SK

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