Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-01-13

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] US government seeks a new initiative for the Cyprus problem.

[02] Serdar Denktas calls on the Turkish Cypriots to abandon the idea of the solution and alleges that not finding a solution is not the end of the world.

[03] Turkish Cypriot paper wonders if depleted uranium used by the Turkish occupation army is the cause of cancer cases in the occupied areas of Cyprus.

[04] The executive committee of the national football team of the occupation regime announced its future plans.

[05] Four persons with forged Belgian and German passports were caught at illegal Tymbou airport.

[06] Bicommunal concerts to be organized by CTP and DISY United Democrats.

[07] Abdullah Ocalan in solitary confinement during Bayram.

[08] Five people including two Syrian nationals were arrested for cigarette smuggling.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Column in RADIKAL examines the reasons behind the secret war between the special forces of the United States and Turkey in Northern Iraq.

[10] Columnist in HURRIYET argues that the Islamic government of AKP decided to build a nuclear plant.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] US government seeks a new initiative for the Cyprus problem

NTV television broadcast yesterday a report by its Washington correspondent Umit Enginsoy which said:

For this reason, a meeting attended by the U.S. Ambassadors in Athens, Lefkosia and Ankara was held lately at the State Department.

After a long diplomatic stalemate in Cyprus, the U.S. government is taking further steps for the start of a new initiative on a Cyprus settlement. Recently, there was an important development on this matter. US Ambassador in Ankara, Mr Ross Wilson, US Ambassador in Athens, Mr Charles Ries and US Ambassador in Lefkosia, Mr Ronald Schlicher, were summoned to Washington for a meeting with senior officials of the US State Department. It is also expected that of the US State Department official responsible for the Cyprus Affairs Matt Bryza will visit the area soon.

But at the same time, the USA is facing problems especially with Iraq and Iran. On the other hand, there is no movement on the Cyprus problem at the EU. The Greek Cypriot administration also continues its stance of not moving towards a solution. It is also known that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has mentioned in his latest report that he will continue to look negatively at any new initiative on the issue if there is no guarantee of success. Under these conditions, experts in Washington have their doubts over a successful US led new initiative on the Cyprus problem.

(DPs)

[02] Serdar Denktas calls on the Turkish Cypriots to abandon the idea of the solution and alleges that not finding a solution is not the end of the world

In statements to KIBRIS, Mr Denktas said the following regarding the Cyprus problem:

It is now seen more clearly that the Greek Cypriot administration has no intention of sharing anything and in any way with the Turkish Cypriots. The international community does not create such a need and such an initiative is not made under the administration of the Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos. Given that no solution can be reached unilaterally, that this could only be achieved with the method named by Papadopoulos as osmosis and that we will not accept this, our people must abandon the ideas on the issue of a solution with the Greek Cypriots.

Achieving peace cannot be realized only with the wish of the Turkish Cypriots. It will not be the end of the world if a solution could not be found in Cyprus with the Greek Cypriots. Our government must form new policies on this point and apply correct economic policies. Thus, it is in the position of opening the way of being integrated with the world outside the EU. The way of being able to achieve this is the support of the people as a whole to the result we reach. We observed that our citizens see and understand better everyday the intention of the Greek Cypriots for the non-solution. Therefore, our effort for finding a solution by forcing the solution until February 2008, the target date we have set. However, reaching a result will not be possible. Bringing onto the agenda new policies will be inevitable as from that date. .

I/Ts.

[03] Turkish Cypriot paper wonders if depleted uranium used by the Turkish occupation army is the cause of cancer cases in the occupied areas of Cyprus

The paper notes that concern is created by the thought that the main cause of the cancer cases which are on the top of the list of the causes of death in the occupied areas of Cyprus is the depleted uranium used in the NATO bombs, as it happened in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

The paper writes that issue of the existence of depleted uranium in the bombs used by the Turkish occupation army in Cyprus during its military maneuvers is discussed, as Turkey is a NATO member state.

The fact that the deaths because of cancer increase and become more intensive every year at the village of Kalivakia, which is the nearest allocation unit to the Beykoy shooting range, the biggest shooting range in northern Cyprus, attracts attention, concludes ORTAM.

I/Ts.

[04] The executive committee of the national football team of the occupation regime announced its future plans

As it was announced in the press conference, the national football team in occupied Cyprus which consists of players under 21 years old will play a football match with the equivalent national team of Kyrgyzstan on the 25th of January in Kyrenia, while the menīs national football team will play a football match with the menīs national football team of Kyrgyzstan on the 28th of January.

Mr Cengiz Uzun, who is responsible for the foreign affairs of the self-styled football federation, stated that efforts are made by the self-styled ministry of foreign affairs in order for the national teams of Kyrgyzstan to be on the island between 25-28 of January. Mr Uzun also said the following: We have been invited as Turkish Cypriot football federation in a convention which is going to be organised between 18-22 of January, by the NSCAA (American National Trainer Organisation) in the United States of America and in which 4-8 thousand trainers are expected to participate, he noted and added that their federation will be represented in this meeting with its general secretary Erhan Basay.

He also stated that for the Viva World Cup, which is going to be organised in occupied Cyprus in the year 2006, they will meet between 17-19 of January, with the N. F. board officials in Geneva, Switzerland. He also stated that on 18th of February the national football team will play a football match with the Monaco national team. The match will take place in Monaco.

Moreover, Mr Cengiz Uzun said that they have completed their correspondence with the Catalan Occitania team (name as spelled) and they will play a football match with them on the 25th of March in Montpellier, France.

He also stated that they have completed their correspondence with FIFA and they have presented their views to them and that they are expecting an invitation within January. Additionally, they continue their contacts with the Cyprus Football Federation.

Mr Cengiz Uzun went on and said that in May they will visit Kosovo and the national team will have a contest with the Kosovo national team. He also said that the French magazine So Foot wrote four pages as regards the subject of a tree-side tournament which took place in November in occupied Cyprus and noted that this shows the importance of these kinds of organisations.

C/S

[05] Four persons with forged Belgian and German passports were caught at illegal Tymbou airport

The illegal police of the breakaway regime in the occupied by Turkish troops territories of the Republic of Cyprus only announced that the four persons are men and that it is continuing its investigation, writes AFRIKA.

(KV)

[06] Bicommunal concerts to be organized by CTP and DISY United Democrats

The Republican Turkish Party and United Democrats- DISY from South Cyprus are to organize a joint concert aimed at mellowing the atmosphere between the two sides.

Speaking to the BRT, the Secretary General of the Republican Turkish Party, Ömer Kalyoncu said that they had decided to organize a joint concert with DISY since it was the only Greek Cypriot party from South Cyprus which had said Yes during the April 2004 referenda.

Explaining that such a concert had been planned a long time ago, Mr Kalyoncu said that the concert will be performed by a mixed group of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot musicians.

The bi-communal concert under the theme of Together for Peace will be carried out in two separate dates, the first taking place in Melina Merkury salon in South Cyprus next Wednesday on 18th of January and the second taking place at the Ataturk Culture Centre at Near East University on 23rd of January.

The Secretary General of the CTP Omer Kalyoncu and the Acting leader of DISY Averof Neofidu will be holding a joint press conference at Ledra Palace on Monday the 16th to inform the press on the concert details.

[07] Abdullah Ocalan in solitary confinement during Bayram

It has emerged that Abdullah Ocalan, a life sentence on Imrali Island, has been placed in solitary confinement for twenty days. IHD [Human Rights Association] Deputy Chairman Reyhan Yalcindag has charged that, because of the punishment of Ocalan, he was not permitted to meet with his siblings who went to visit him on account of the holiday [Sacrifice Holiday]. Ocalan's meeting with his relatives was prohibited by the decision for him to be restricted to his cell, taken approximately ten days ago, and the reasons for which have not been made known. Ocalan's brother Mehmet and sister Havva Ocalan, who had gone to visit him last week together with his attorneys, but had not been allowed to meet with him because of his solitary confinement, traveled once again yesterday to Gemlik. At the Gendarmerie Company Command, the Ocalan siblings were reminded that Ocalan had been placed in solitary confinement and were sent away. Officials have confirmed Ocalan's solitary confinement, but have provided no information on the reason for it.

[08] Five people including two Syrian nationals were arrested for cigarette smuggling

The paper adds that within this investigation, the police had established that four Syrian nationals had illegally entered into the occupied area, arrested two of them and it is looking for the other two.

This way, reports the paper, the police had arrested eight persons of whom four were Syrian nationals.

The paper then reports how the police started this operation, uncovered and arrested these eight people who were involved in cigarette and human smuggling.

AFRIKA reports that last Tuesday police stopped and searched a hired car in the occupied Ayios Andronikos village and found 468 packets of smuggled cigarettes. In this operation police had arrested four persons two of whom were Syrian nationals.

After further investigation police searched a boat in Famagusta port and found 14 cartons of smuggled cigarettes.

The paper gives the name of the boat as Sedra and reports that when police raided the boat a crew-member tried to dump the cigarettes into the sea. After searching the house of the above mentioned crew, the police found smuggled perfume, bottles, vitamin tablets and cigarettes. The paper goes on and reports that, while the police was looking for the owner of the boat, it had found out that one of the Syrian nationals had entered the occupied area by using the identity card of the boatīs owner. The Syrian national had arrived last month with a group of Syrian nationals and without completing entry formalities landed in the occupied area.

AFRIKA concludes by reporting that police is looking for two more Syrian nationals who entered in the occupied area illegally. AFRIKA does not give full name of the arrested people, only initials.

(MHY)

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Column in RADIKAL examines the reasons behind the secret war between the special forces of the United States and Turkey in Northern Iraq.

The war between the Turkish and the US Special Forces began with the rejection of the motion that called for compliance with US demands by the TBMM [Turkish Grand National Assembly] on 1 March 2003.

The signs show that the situation has not improved during the approximately three years that have passed. I follow these signs from US, rather than Turkish sources.

And their indicators are seen in Turkey. It is possible to control them.

When the first clash that was featured by the Turkish press erupted on 23 April ,2003 the United States knew that the Turkish Special Forces was conducting activities in certain places in northern Iraq. After all, despite the fact that Turkey had failed to allow the passage of US troops, it had allowed the passage of certain US Special Forces to Iraq prior to the beginning of the Iraqi operation.

"Lack of confidence was initially displayed toward the Turks on 23 April when the US Special Forces stopped a Turkish aid convoy at a checkpoint in northern Kirkuk. The Americans saw that half a dozen soldiers in civilian clothes from the Turkish Special Forces were trying to enter Kirkuk with rifles, grenades, and night vision glasses. They were planning to hand the weapons over to the Iraqi Turkomans." According to the officials of the United States' 101st and 173rd Airborne Divisions that were in charge of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq, the Turks had not informed the US officials on their activities.

This was the first time that the Turks openly displayed distrust toward the Americans and that the Americans openly displayed lack of confidence toward the Turks. This lack of confidence still prevails.

Major William Ostlund was one of the commanders of the United States' 173rd Airborne Division in Kirkuk which assumed an important role in the war that broke between the special forces of the two countries. According to Major Ostlund, despite the rejection of the motion by the TBMM, the special forces of the two countries should have operated in harmony. The Turks had their own operation center at the Kirkuk airfield. When they wanted to run patrols they were supposed to inform the American operations center in this regard and to take an American officer along with them.

According to Ostlund, the special forces of the two countries had conducted 39 joint patrols in Kirkuk between June and September 2003 in order to resolve the disputes between the Kurds and the Turkomans. There had been a joint operation center in Mosul. However the Americans had believed that the Turks worked in line with their goals.

Colonel William Mayville was the United States' commander in the 23 April incident. He took the Turkish officers back to the border in line with the instructions he had received. Nonetheless, the Turkish public was informed about his allegations and the rude statement that he had issued to the press.

The second clash occurred on 4 July 2003. According to the United States, "terrorists" aimed to assassinate the mayor of Kirkuk. Members of the 173rd airborne raided the Iraqi Turkoman Front headquarters in Al-Suleymaniyah where the suspects were allegedly planning the operation. Ostlund planned and implemented the operation.

Explosives were found in the building. Everyone inside the building was arrested. The detainees consisted of 11 Turkish Special Forces officers

According to the United States, the Turks were not honest about their activities and they challenged US authority. They had not informed the liaison center in Kirkuk about their activities in Al-Suleymaniyah.

The 11 officers were handcuffed and sacks were placed over their heads (it was later revealed that the officers were dressed in the orange convict uniforms). As a result, the crisis reached its peak. The release of the officers after two days of talks also put an end to a clash that will never be forgotten between the two countries.

US officials believe that they have taught the Turks a lesson that they will never forget with this incident. During the interview that I conducted with him, Turkish Chief of Staff General Hilmi Ozkok, in his diplomatic style, assessed that "the military ties between the two countries are at their lowest point."

US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, [former] National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Vice President Cheney said certain things in order to break the ice. "It is true that the Americans could have approached the issue in a more appropriate manner, but a lesson had been taught to the Turks who acted without notifying the US commanders." This was the atmosphere that was created by the American sources.

HURRIYET has recently been featuring the clashes between the special forces of the two countries. It is the United States' aforementioned stand that has led to these clashes.

[10] Columnist in HURRIYET argues that the Islamic government of AKP decided to build a nuclear plant

The date of the major turn was 20 March 2005. The place of the major turn was Paris. On this day in Paris the leading countries in the world reached a decision that would annoy all the environmentalists: to return to nuclear energy.

Is this the irony of fate, or is it the dispute between certain countries, or is it the fear of remaining in the dark in the years ahead? All this together may have accelerated the decision to return to nuclear energy.

Turkey is also included in this return. In other words, Turkey has also decided to establish a nuclear energy plant.

Only a week ago

We have been living with avian flu during the past week. We had lived with the problems related to natural gas the week before. This is Turkey. Life flows rapidly and in many directions and therefore we tend to forget the problems that we experienced only a week ago.

There was the Russia-Ukraine Natural Gas War a week ago. A week ago, an interruption in the flow of natural gas was our worst nightmare.

Avian flu might have removed the issue related to an interruption in the flow of natural gas from the people's agenda, but the situation is quite different where Ankara's agenda is concerned.

The decision to return to nuclear energy that was reached in Paris in March 2005 is being put to practice in Ankara during the first days of 2006. The AKP [Justice and Development Party] government decided to establish a nuclear plant.

The technical process

It is primarily necessary to receive the permission of the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to establish a nuclear plant.

There is a general rule. Given the fact that nuclear plants have caused disasters in the world from time to time, it is necessary to brief the people on each and every stage during the establishment process. We should therefore not be surprised if Prime Minister Erdogan issues statements in this regard in the days ahead.

The cost of a nuclear plant stands at $5-6 billion. The period between the planning of the plant and production is seven years.

Currently there are seven places in Turkey that are suitable for establishing a nuclear plant. There is need for a piece of land that is not located in an earthquake area. Furthermore there is need for a piece of land that is located near water. These are the two important criteria that come to mind when selecting the location of the plant.

The United States, France, Canada, Germany, South Africa, and South Korea are among the producers of such plants.

From the technical and financial standpoints, the decision to establish a plant and the implementation of this decision should be very transparent. Furthermore, the transfer of technology is yet another very important point when selecting a company.

Alarm in 2020

I recall a conversation that I had with Energy Minister Hilmi Guler several months ago.

During that conversation Guler underlined that "even if we use all our resources, we will have a shortage of energy in 2020." "Therefore," he said: "we should start using nuclear energy." In fact he added that "it may become necessary to establish not one, but two nuclear plants."

At that time Erdogan had already demanded that the work in this regard be completed without any delay.

The problem experienced with natural gas seems to have further accelerated this process now.

When I referred to the dangers of nuclear plants, Hilmi Guler explained that there are 440 nuclear plants in the world and that 31 new plants are currently being built.

The processes of urbanization and the industrialization in Turkey rapidly increase the need for energy. The AKP believes that the problem will be resolved with a nuclear plant.

We have raw materials

Nuclear plants have two raw materials: uranium and thorium. It is possible to produce energy from these two elements.

We are not familiar with any of these elements. Turkey, on the other hand, is not a stranger to especially one of these elements. It is noted that there are rich thorium deposits in Turkey. In addition to thorium, there is also uranium, but thorium is the main element.

The authorities have been searching for thorium like crazy during the past several months. The official statement regarding the decision to build a nuclear plant will soon be issued.

/SK

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