Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-02-24

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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 self-styled Minister of Education met with the Acting President of Pakistan.

[02] Mehmet Ali Talat stresses that the Turkish side has the upper hand in Cyprus.

[03] Gul to visit Doha. His schedule for March.

[04] Turgay Avci new UBP General Secretary.

[05] Mr Ferdi Soyer reassured the veterans of the Turkish invasion that citizenship will be give after five years.

[06] The Turkish Minister of Transport says that Turkey imposes restrictions on the ships under the Republic of Cyprus flag since 1987.

[07] A Cyprus EU Association headed by Ali Erel was established in occupied Cyprus.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The self-styled Minister of Education met with the Acting President of Pakistan

Ms Oztoprak today met with Pakistans President of the Senate and Acting President Muhammad Iman Soomro.

Speaking during the meeting, Ms Oztoprak expressed the wish for better and improved relations between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Pakistan.

Ms Oztobrak handed Mr Soomro aid amounting to 568,000 dollars for the victims of the earthquake.

She invited Mr Soomro to the TRNC.

(Tr. Note: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a subservient to Ankara regime set up by the Turkish Republic in the territories of Cyprus occupied through the force of arms in 1974 and maintained with 40,000 Turkish troops which prevent the Greek Cypriots from returning to their homes and properties).

[02] Mehmet Ali Talat stresses that the Turkish side has the upper hand in Cyprus

Speaking in Istanbul today, Mr Talat said that this is the result of the recent political ground-shaking changes in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Addressing a gathering at Bogazici University in Istanbul today, Mr Talat pointed to the important nature of the Cyprus problem itself; and the important role it plays regarding Turkeys relations with the European Union.

It is as if the destinies of Turkey and Cyprus, have become a common destiny for both, he said.

Mr Talat referred to what he called the mistakes of the past, and said the mistakes of the past must be left behind, in the face of the need to look for the future, and as Cyprus remained divided.

Cyprus had been divided into two in 1963, as much as it was divided in 1974 he said, in a reference to the Turkish Cypriot uprising towards the end of 1963 in the framework of Turkey´s policy to impose partition and destroy the Republic of Cyprus.

The division that existed in those days had materialised in the shape of many enclaves for Turkish Cypriots he said, stressing the fact that division in whatever form, is an abnormal situation.

He underlined the fact also that the abnormal situation of a divided Cyprus has now been carried to within the European Union; a new abnormality in itself, he alleged.

On Mr Talat´s speech Ankara Anatolia news agency (23.02.06) reported from Istanbul that Mr Mehmet Ali Talat, taking the floor in a conference on "Cyprus: A New Period in Solution Process" held at Istanbul's Bogazici University, underlined the importance of the Cyprus problem for Turkey's EU membership bid, and indicated that Turkey's destiny had almost been associated with the destiny of Cyprus.

"However, Cyprus is still a divided place," said Talat.

According to Talat, the reason of the abnormal status quo in Cyprus was the accession of a divided Cyprus to the EU.

On the so-called economic isolation, Talat said: "Turkish Cypriots are not only economically isolated, but they are isolated from the world in all areas. And, the economic isolation of `TRNC´ is serious."

Mr Talat noted that efforts should be exerted to end this isolation, and implied that Turkey and TRNC should decide how further they could go, and which steps they could take to contribute to a solution.

"We want to reunify the island, and make the region a peaceful place," stressed Talat.

"I believe that the Annan plan could reunify the island. The Annan plan envisaged political equality and a pluralist decision-making mechanism," said Talat when commenting on the Annan plan.

Talat added that a solution could be reached if the parties sit at a negotiation table.

[03] Gul to visit Doha. His schedule for March

According to the sources, Annan invited concerned parties to convene in a meeting on the cartoon crisis in Doha. This meeting will take place before the meeting of the High Level Group for the Alliance of Civilizations on Sunday.

In this context, Annan sent invitations to Gul, as well as EU President Austria's FM Ursula Plassnik, Spanish FM Miguel Angel Moratinos, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, and Qatari FM Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani.

The sources said that a joint declaration was expected to be released after the meeting on Saturday.

Gul was also expected to participate in the opening session of the meeting on Sunday and then return to Turkey, added the same sources.

On the other hand, Gul will visit Spain, Austria and Tunisia in March.

Gul is expected to be in Spain on March 2nd-3rd, and participate in Turkey-EU Troika foreign ministers' meeting in Austrian capital of Vienna on March 8th.

FM Gul is scheduled to deliver a speech in an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Austrian city of Salzburg on March 10th-11th, and visit Tunisia mid-March.

Meanwhile, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan is expected to pay a state visit to Turkey between February 28th and March 1st.

[04] Turgay Avci new UBP General Secretary

Turgay Avc1 was elected to the position after defeating self-styled Lefkosia Deputy Hasan Taçoy and Enver Ozturk, a member of the party assembly.

Mr Avc1 a self-styled deputy for occupied Famagusta district, has been acting as the deputy General Secretary of the party since 2004.

[05] Mr Ferdi Soyer reassured the veterans of the Turkish invasion that citizenship will be give after five years

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer has announced that all those who will have legally stayed in the `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´ for more than five years, will be entitled to all citizenship rights other than permanent residence and electoral rights.

The `Prime Minister´ was speaking during a visit paid to him by representatives of the Turkish War Veterans Society, who complained of the difficult provisions and a number of limitations in the `TRNCs´ new `Citizenship Law´ for those applying for citizenship.

The `Prime Minister´ said the `law´ was needed for overall population planning and control.

He said the new arrangement was also dictated by the growing demand for services like education, health, water and electricity which directly have to do with a nations population.

In order to provide a decent and prosperous life to all our citizens we had to ponder upon these issues and do whatever we could to achieve all that he said, in a direct reply to the criticisms hurled by the society representatives.

He added that the draft law was prepared carefully, taking into account the need to prevent exploitation of the `citizenship´ issue in the future.

[06] The Turkish Minister of Transport says that Turkey imposes restrictions on the ships under the Republic of Cyprus flag since 1987

In statements to Anatolia news agency, Mr Yildirim argued that a just solution must be reached to the problem and that the ports and the airports in the free and the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus must me opened simultaneously for the international sea traffic.

The actions of creating this kind of de facto situation are not something new. They are conducted for a long time in the past, noted Mr Yildirim and added that it is forbidden for the ships under the flag of the Republic of Cyprus to approach Turkish ports and take on cargo or unload it there. Furthermore, he said, a ship that enters a port in the free areas of the Island cannot go to Turkish ports. Mr Yildirim noted that the ships under the flag of the Republic of Cyprus cannot enter the Turkish ports even if their owner is not a citizen of Cyprus.

He, inter alia, said: In this framework, the ship that wanted to approach the port of Mersin was a ship under Greek Cypriot flag. Therefore, within the framework of this limitation the permission for its approaching the port was not given by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs.However, the international public opinion should know the following: The side that wants the solution is the Turkish side. It showed this at the referendum conducted last year. Now is the time for the international community to increase the pressures on the Greek Cypriots so that the embargoes applied on the Turkish Cypriot side are lifted within the framework of the decisions of the United Nations.

Meanwhile, responding to a question on the same issue during a gathering at Bogazici University in Istanbul, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat argued that these efforts could not have any results and added that the necessary answer was given (to the Greek Cypriots). He said that the solution is to sit at the table and reach an agreement.

(I/Ts.)

[07] A Cyprus EU Association headed by Ali Erel was established in occupied Cyprus

The objective of the Association are as follows:

To make correct information accessible in Cyprus;

To communicate Turkish Cypriots and the NGOs correct information together with ideas and proposals based on this information.

To generate ideas and proposals and communicate them to local and International authorities and International Organizations;

To channel information that will facilitate Turkish Cypriots´ Harmonisation with Acquis Communautaire;

To help the development of social, legal, political and cultural aspects of Cyprus and its integration with the International World.

The Cyprus EU Association consists of 16 founding members who had their first meeting on 22nd February 2006 and formed the organisational structure. The bodies of the association are as follows;

Executive Board: Ali Erel (President), Cahit Kaya (Vice President), Mustafa Damdelen (Vice President), Unsal Ozbilenler (Treasurer), Ismail Sayi, Hasan Cirakli, Serdar Atai (Substitute Member), Dervis Okan (Substitute Member).

Discipline committee: Hasip Erel, Salih Cosar, Gokhan Noyan, Kani Kanol (Substitute Member).

Auditing Committee: Ulker Fahri, Derya Beyatli, Didem Erel (Substitute Member).

Secretary General: Dervis Musannif.

Speaking about the new association, Mr Erel stated that it will convey views and suggestions to foreign states and it will contribute to the development of the social, political, legal, economic and cultural life in Cyprus and its integration with the world.

/SK

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