Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-06-08

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] KIBRIS: An EU office is being opened in Northern Cyprus.

[02] Serdar Denktas held contacts in Ankara.

[03] The Spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the German invitation to Talat.

[04] French-Greek Cypriot obstacles at the EU.

[05] Statements by Ali Babacan.

[06] YEN0 DUZEN publishes an opinion poll regarding the forthcoming by-elections to be held in occupied Cyprus on the 25th of June 2006.

[07] Erdogan met Ozkok.

[08] Retired colonel announced his candidacy for the Turkish presidency.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Action Plan by Baykal on the Presidential elections assessed by the Turkish Press.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] KIBRIS: An EU office is being opened in Northern Cyprus

In statements during a meeting with the KIBRIS Media Group General Director, Suleyman Erguclu, Mr Summo noted that this office will be opened this summer and that the financial aid of 259 million euros will be used starting from the end of July. He said that their visit to the Island is aiming at putting the financial aid into practice and at introducing the chief of the Office for the Turkish Cypriots at the Directorate for the Enlargement of the EU, Mr Andrew Rasbash.

Mr Summo noted that the aim of their program is to support the economic development of the northern part of the Island and added that all the work regarding the financial aid will be conducted by the office which will be opened in the occupied areas of Cyprus, where about 20 persons will be working. He added that an office in the free areas of the Republic will also be opened because of reasons related to legitimacy. He said that there was a need for a legal address and an official office and that this need will be met with the office in the free areas of the Republic. He noted that consultations with the Republic of Cyprus will be conducted before the projects are submitted to the Administrative Council.

Mr Summo stressed that the EU Commission will be responsible for the financial aid program. He pointed out that the first part of the aid is 38 million euros, that it has been sent to the EU member countries and that it will be discussed in Brussels on 3 July.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Serdar Denktas held contacts in Ankara

Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul had a meeting with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas in Ankara on Wednesday.

Diplomatic sources quoted Denktas as saying in the meeting that ''as Turkish Cypriot administration continues taking positive steps, Greek Cypriot administration displays in every opportunity that they don't want to live together with Turkish Cypriots.''

Denktas said that he considered that Greek Cypriots would not assume a conciliatory attitude although Turkish Cypriots were exerting great efforts for resolution.

Sources noted that Turkey would not make any concession from seeking a comprehensive solution within the scope of the UN, quoting Gul as saying that Turkey would continue to take positive and concrete steps regarding Cyprus issue and this would show that a solution could not be reached because of the Greek Cypriot administration.

On the other hand, sources indicated that the meeting between TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, scheduled for June 9th in Berlin was assessed as a positive development in the meeting of Gul and Denktas.

Later the same day Ankara Anatolia reported the following from Ankara:

Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said that Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) had become the fastest-growing country thanks to the economic and financial program that it had been carrying out together with Turkey.

Sener had a meeting with TRNC Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas in Ankara on Wednesday.

Denktas noted that TRNC was continuing to develop itself despite internal and external problems.

Asked whether the recent fluctuations in the value of the New Turkish lira (YTL) would have a negative impact in TRNC economy, Denktas underlined that the important thing was to boost the economy, indicating that an economic crisis was out of the question.

(Tr. Note: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is the puppet regime the Turkish Republic has set up in the territories of Cyprus occupied by 40,000 Turkish troops.

[03] The Spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the German invitation to Talat

''Turkey closely follows the debates within the EU to set a common position (regarding Turkey), and if necessary, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will launch several initiatives with EU presidency and/or with other authorities,'' said Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan in a weekly news conference on Wednesday.

Regarding Turkey's targets, Tan said: ''We are exerting efforts to complete EU talks on science and technology heading as well as to start negotiations on education & culture chapter heading.''

''As of tomorrow, the EU will hold a series of talks to set a common position. We are waiting for the conclusions of these meetings to determine our stance,'' he indicated.

When recalled press reports claiming that the EU will suspend talks with Turkey if it does not open its ports (to Greek Cypriot vessels), Tan said: ''Turkey is following all meetings about this issue. But of course we are not in a position to know the very essence of the negotiations between 25 EU states.''

Asked about the meeting between German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Tan said that Turkey has direct demands from many countries, not only from Germany, regarding this issue. ''In response to our demands, foreign ministers and other authorities of many countries met President Talat. We are pleased that Germany also accepted our demand.''

[04] French-Greek Cypriot obstacles at the EU

As for Cyprus reports the paper: South Cyprus wants to include the following phrase in the common position paper which will be presented to the EU-Turkey Association Council meting -unless the Turkish ports are opened for the Cyprus- registered ships until the end of this year then the negotiations will be suspended.

On this issue no consensus was reached at the COREPER meeting in Brussels, reports HURRIYET and says that Britain objected to Cypruss demand saying that it will never accept such an expression to be including in the paper. If a way out is not agreed, reports HURRIYET, the issue will be raised before the EU Foreign Ministers meeting to be held in 12 June.

Moreover, HURRIYET Ankara correspondent reports that Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had a telephone conversation with the term president Austrias Foreign Minister Mrs Plassnik and informed her that they will never ever accept tying up of Turkeys accession process to that of Cyprus condition.

(MHY)

[05] Statements by Ali Babacan

''Turkey has already started negotiations with the EU on October 3rd. What we should do from now on is to concentrate on our domestic reforms,'' Turkish State Minister Chief Negotiator Ali Babacan said on Wednesday.

Replying to the questions in a TV program broadcast jointly by NTV and CNBC-e channels, Babacan said an intergovernmental conference would be convened with the partnership council in Luxembourg on June 12th.

Asked if a solution could be reached on the issue of opening of Turkish ports to Greek Cypriot vessels by the end of this year, Babacan said there was divergence of understanding between Turkey and the European Commission on this issue. ''Promises were made to end blockade on TRNC. We expect them to be kept,'' he added.

Babacan also said he would hold a press on Thursday (tomorrow) to explain what have been done so far since October 3rd, and what they would do in 2006-2007.

[06] YEN0 DUZEN publishes an opinion poll regarding the forthcoming by-elections to be held in occupied Cyprus on the 25th of June 2006

The results of the opinion poll are as follows:

Ozkan Yorganc1oglu of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) 28.8%.

Ozay And1c of National Unity Party (UBP): 19%.

Salih Tunar of the Democratic Party (DP): 11%.

Harper Orhon of the Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) : 3%.

The paper writes that the number of the persons who have not decided yet who they will vote is very high since it is up to 28.8%. In addition the number of the persons, who according to the opinion poll, will not go to vote is 9.5%.

The distribution of the percentages, after taking into account the undecided persons and those who will not go to vote, is as follows:

Ozkan Yorganc1oglu (CTP): 46.5%.

Ozay And1c (UBP): 30.8%.

Salih Tunar (DP) : 17.8%.

Harper Orhon (BDH): 4.9%.

(C/S)

[07] Erdogan met Ozkok

Chief of the General Staff Hilmi Ozkok met with Prime Minister Erdogan, during which internal and external security matters were reportedly discussed.

Gen Ozkok was received at the entrance of the main building by Omer Dincer, the Undersecretary for the Prime Ministry.

The Office of the Prime Minister issued a brief statement on the one and half hour meeting that took place at the request of Erdogan. It said internal and external security matters were discussed in light of recent developments.

It is, however, believed that the Eryaman Operation was broached at the meeting, given that the General Staff had issued a statement saying it learned about the Eryaman Operation, which also comprises soldiers, from the press

[08] Retired colonel announced his candidacy for the Turkish presidency

According to the paper, Mr Korkmaz said: I am a retired military officer who is open for development, thinks as a civilian and chooses, Ataturk as a leader. I believe that our people and our Parliament will support and propose a retired colonel who comes from the army, thinks as a civilian and believes in the contemporary and secular democracy.

(M/L)

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] Action Plan by Baykal on the Presidential elections assessed by the Turkish Press

Bila notes that the CHP leader plans to put into effect an alternative plan if the AKP says no to the proposals made by the main opposition party. He also notes that Baykal, who is concerned that Prime Minister Erdogan's election as president might disrupt the political balances in the country, believes that the CHP should win the majority of the seats in the parliament in order to have enough strength to prevent the misuse of presidential powers by Erdogan. The columnist quotes the CHP leader as saying that "a new political balance should be established under the leadership of the CHP. An effort should be made to prevent the use of the presidential powers in a way to harm the democratic and secular regime."

Istanbul RADIKAL newspaper (07.06.06) publishes a commentary by Murat Yetkin who describes Baykal's seven-article action plan as a "trap" against Prime Minister Erdogan. Recalling that the CHP leader called on Erdogan to remove Education Minister Huseyin Celik, Interior Minister ulkadir Aksu, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, and Prime Ministry Undersecretary Omer Dincer from office, Yetkin asks "whether the prime minister will be able to include these politicians in his new cabinet if he considers a cabinet reshuffle before or after the party meeting to be held in Antalya on 23 June." The columnist adds that the opposition leader also prevented Erdogan from obstructing the appointment of Ground Forces Commander General Yasar Buyukanit as the chief of the General Staff in August.

In a column in Istanbul HURRIYET (07.06.06), Cuneyt Ulsever asserts that some 65 percent of the Turkish electorate is concerned that the AKP will place "all the state mechanisms" under its control by electing a party member as Turkey's new president. He holds AKP's "incompetent" officials responsible for the uneasiness among the people and sees early general elections as a way that will prevent the presidential elections from turning into a source of conflict in the country. Ulsever adds: "In any case, the National Assembly will elect the president. Let us elect a new parliament. If the AKP wins the elections, the other side will have to remain silent. Similarly, the AKP will have to recognize the election results if they change the structure of the parliament. The incumbent parliament will not be allowed to elect the new president."

/SK

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