Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-05-26

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] EU Commission summary progress report on Turkey ready.

[02] Rasit Pertev sends a letter to the UN Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Cyprus regarding the technical committees.

[03] Talat on the information from the population census and the illegal settlers from Turkey.

[04] The demographic structure of the occupied areas continues to be changed by mainland arrivals.

[05] The Turkish Cypriot side expresses its satisfaction over the UN six-monthly reports.

[06] Turkeys Foreign Minister discussed the Cyprus problem with his Kuwaiti Counterpart.

[07] Serdar Denktas wants accession to the EU as separate entity.

[08] The self-styled speaker of the Assembly is holding contacts in Germany.

[09] Arinc alleges that Bahrains approach to the Cyprus Problem is identical to that of Turkeys.

[10] The Greek Cypriot applications to the so-called Commission will not be made public.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] EU Commission summary progress report on Turkey ready

Regarding Cyprus the EU demands from Turkey to normalize its relations with the Republic of Cyprus. The EU wants from Turkey to support solution efforts and demands from Turkey not to prevent Cyprus membership to international organizations and of being a party to the international agreements.

As for the Additional Protocol, the EU demands from Turkey to implement it, fully and completely, without any discrimination. The EU demands from Turkey to remove all the obstacles before the free movement of goods, including the transportation field. The document stresses that Turkey has to implement this provision and that opening of chapters for negotiation depends on Turkeys implementation of the responsibilities stipulated under the agreements it has signed. The document warns that if these are not completely fulfilled then the negotiation process as a whole will be affected.

As for good neighborliness, the EU demands from Turkey to abide by the good neighborliness relations pledge and to avoid any action that might negatively affect the peaceful settlement process of the border disputes.

(MHY)

[02] Rasit Pertev sends a letter to the UN Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Cyprus regarding the technical committees

The paper reports that the advisor at the presidency, Mr Rasit Pertev has sent a letter to the UN Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Cyprus, Mr Michael Möller, expressing the disappointment of the Turkish side for the stance of the Greek Cypriots. He added that the Turkish Cypriot side insists that the committees should be established as soon as possible.

Mr Pertev expressed the disappointment of the Turkish side for statements made recently by President Papadopoulos and Minister of Foreign Affairs Iacovou on the issue and alleged that these statements have violated an agreement between the sides not to talk to the Press on the technical committees. He also accused the Greek Cypriot side of using the technical committees in the election campaign.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Talat on the information from the population census and the illegal settlers from Turkey

Under the title Talat is confident for himself and at ease, Mr Eminoglu writes that he addressed the following question to Mr Talat: As you know the (Greek Cypriots) do not give the Cyprus citizenship to those who, as they say, came to the island illegally after 1974 and married to a Turkish Cypriot and to the children born from these marriages. They are worried that the number of those who have been married in such a manner is quite exaggerated and want to know the real number. Why do we not disclose this? Is there an objection for this?

According to Mr Eminoglu, Mr Talat responded that he did not know this number and that they will find it out from the results of the recent census of population, but they will not disclose it.

Mr Eminoglu writes: Talat, with his characteristic sincerity to which I referred above, said I also do not know and that this as well will come to light from the results of the census of population, but they will not disclose it. According to the President there might be no objection for the Greek Cypriot side knowing this. However, why should I inform them about it, he says. .

Meanwhile, referring to the same lunch, the columnist of KIBRIS (26.05.06) Ahmet Tolgay reports that Mr Talat expressed the following opinion on the issue of the illegal settlers from Turkey: We are not up to sending back people who are settled here for 30 years. We make nobody citizen easily. The labour force which contributes to our economy goes away when its job is finished.

(I/Ts.)

[04] The demographic structure of the occupied areas continues to be changed by mainland arrivals

Mr Murat, speaking to the paper, first of all tried to explain the aim of the so-called law. He said that registering the illegal workers, the aim was to control, organize and secure their living and working under secure conditions, and provides them every possible social security. By registering the illegal workers, said Mr Murat, problems like Social Security, Provident Fund and Residence Permit were solved. He said that once these problems were settled the illegal workers felt more secure and they became part of the society thus getting rid of the psychological alienation. He went on and said: The new Aliens Law was in force in July 2005, from the July 2005 to December 2005 period, 3616 persons who should not enter into the country according to the provisions of the law, were sent back from the entry points. During the period December 2005 to May 2006, 1378 were similarly deported.

As for those who did not acquire a residence permit Mr Murat said: 11,086 left the `country´ without paying the fine for staying in the `country´ without permit, of those 949 returned and paid the double of the fine. This shows that 10140 did not return. If one wants to give concrete numbers; in 2003 only 6134 persons got permission. With the implementation of the new law in 2005 this number reached to 32 thousands. This means that from abnormal conditions a transition to normal conditions has started. The process of great change started.

(MHY)

[05] The Turkish Cypriot side expresses its satisfaction over the UN six-monthly reports

Mr Hasan Ercakica said the six-monthly report was an objective one which confirms the facts that the Turkish side has been trying to underline.

He said - however - that the report showed there was no suitable basis to take a high level and effective initiative at the moment, as a result of the President Tassos Papadopoulos policies, and because of the fact that he did not yet inform the UN of the changes the Greek Cypriot side wants to be made in the Annan Plan.

The spokesperson said the report focuses on the outstanding political aspects of the Cyprus problem and the technical responsibilities of the UN peace-keeping force in Cyprus concerning the ceasefire.

Mr Ercak1ca also points to the fact that the report does not mention about the Paris Summit or Agreement, as the Greek Cypriot side has been presenting a meeting which took place in Paris earlier this year between Mr Kofi Annan and President Tassos Papadopoulos.

He referred to the role of the planned bicommunal technical committees and said the report clearly states that these cannot replace the Secretary-Generals Good Offices Mission and his efforts to help promote a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

As for the technical committees work, Mr Ercak1ca added that there is no doubt this will promote the basis for a settlement to the Cyprus problem.

He said however, that President Papadopoulos strategy was not helping create a basis on which to restart the negotiations process; and that this blocks any high level undertakings.

[06] Turkeys Foreign Minister discussed the Cyprus problem with his Kuwaiti Counterpart

Answering a question on the region, Mr Gul said that the establishment of a new government in Iraq is a positive step. "Turkey and other regional countries must give a support to the Iraqi government. The Neighbors of Iraq platform will soon hold a meeting," stressed Mr Gul.

Meanwhile, Mr al-Sabah indicated that Kuwait supports Turkish temporary membership in the United Nations Security Council as well as Northern Cyprus. "Turkey has dealt with the problems of inflation and foreign debts successfully. Turkey will attract new investments from Kuwaiti business community. The areas where Kuwaitis will invest in Turkey will be determined by experts," said al-Sabah. Mr Al-Sabah mentioned that they are especially interested in the privatization of Halkbank and in the sale of Cevahir shopping mall in Istanbul as well as the gas distribution network.

In reference to Turkish non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council, al-Sabah noted that as a highly influential country in the region and the world in general Turkey strongly deserves to be in the UN Security Council.

Al-Sabah commented that all countries can use nuclear energy for peaceful reasons. "Any dispute on nuclear programs should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. Iran must cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency," said al-Sabah.

According to Mr al-Sabah, nuclear programs in the Middle East will harm the environment.

In regard to Cyprus, Mr al-Sabah expressed that they would like to see a brotherly solution in the island. "We hope to see understanding and dialogue between the two communities in Cyprus," said Mr al-Sabah.

Mr Gul and Mr al-Sabah signed an agreement in regard to political consultations prior to their press conference.

[07] Serdar Denktas wants accession to the EU as separate entity

Mr Denktas told a gathering in Lefkosia the day before yesterday evening that the elections gave out a clear message to the Turkish Cypriots that the Greek Cypriot stance in support of osmosis remains unchanged.

He said that the development makes it necessary for the Turkish Cypriot side to formulate a new political strategy based on separation of the two sides in Cyprus.

Stressing that the Turkish Cypriot people will never abandon its Turkish Cypriot identity, Mr Denktas said that the Turkish Cypriot people will never accept becoming a minority within a Greek Cypriot State - nor will it give up its right to exist on the island.

He added that the international community had to accept these realities.

Touching upon his proposal to apply the Czech and Slovak model of separation to Cyprus, the Foreign Minister called on the Turkish Cypriot people to tell the world that it is entitled to the right to determine its own future, and that it should join the European Union as a separate entity.

[08] The self-styled speaker of the Assembly is holding contacts in Germany

Speaking at a seminar in the German capital Berlin, Mrs Ekenoglu said the Turkish Cypriots are EU citizens and thus were entitled to enjoy their legitimate rights.

Mrs Fatma Ekenoglu is in Berlin where she attended a seminar entitled the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus after the Referendum.

In her speech at the seminar, Mrs Ekenoglu pointed to the hardships and bad treatment Turkish Cypriots who work in the free territory of the Republic of Cyprus are subjected to, and said the Greek Cypriot Side rejects cooperating even on humanity matters.

She said the European Union should question the unfair Greek Cypriot possession of the island.

Also speaking, Ozcan Mutlu a deputy from Berlins provincial assembly - explained how the Turkish Cypriots legitimate rights are being violated despite the fact that the Turkish side approved the Annan Plan.

He said Turkish Cypriots have the right to get Germanys support on the issue.

(Tr. Note: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is the illegal regime set up by the Turkish Republic in the territories of the Republic of Cyprus with 40,000 Turkish troops.)

[09] Arinc alleges that Bahrains approach to the Cyprus Problem is identical to that of Turkeys

Mr Arinc paid an official visit to Bahrain on 22-24 May 2006, upon an invitation by Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Dahrani, Speaker of the Bahraini Parliament.

(M/L)

[10] The Greek Cypriot applications to the so-called Commission will not be made public

According to the amendment if demanded by the applicant the Commission will keep the application secret.

(MHY)

/SK

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