Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-07-04

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Athens too late to block Turkey

[02] President Papadopoulos and Mr Talat met at Michael Mollers residence

[03] How the Turkish Cypriot press covers the meeting between President Papadopoulos and the Turkish Cypriot leader

[04] Talat to meet leaders and representatives of Turkish Cypriot political parties

[05] Researches conducted by the self-styled ministry of foreign affairs on the Cyprus problem

[06] Turkish diplomats on the Gul-Gambari meeting in Ankara

[07] Gul, Rice to finalize US-Turkey strategic vision paper

[08] Ancient findings were discovered in the area of occupied Vatili

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Athens too late to block Turkey

Turkey has assumed a major role in international search and rescue activities in a region from the Aegean Sea to Afghanistan, including the island of Cyprus, a source of worry for Greeks and Greek Cypriots, The New Anatolian has learned.

In the "International Satellite System for Search and Rescue," known as Cospas-Sarsat, Turkey took the main responsibility in its region starting from June 1. Sources told TNA that Greece was too late to understand the importance of the project which gives responsibility for managing search and rescue activities in international sea and airspace in a region including the Aegean, Mediterranean and the island of Cyprus to Turkey. Athens later made several attempts to block Turkey, but it was too late and the Greek reservations were not accepted.

Cospas-Sarsat is the leading worldwide satellite system designed to provide alert and location data to assist search and rescue (SAR) operations, using spacecraft and ground facilities. Cospas-Sarsat is cooperating with the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Maritime Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, and giving service to the international community on a non-discriminatory basis.

Officials describe the objective of the Cospas-Sarsat system as reducing delays in the provision of distress alerts to SAR services, and the time required to locate a distress and provide assistance, which have a direct impact on the probability of survival of the person in distress at sea or on land.

Turkey became a party to the Cospas-Sarsat system in April 2005. The civilian side of Turkey's responsibility was taken by the Maritime Undersecretariat, and on the military side the Coast Guard Command became the main responsible unit. The mission control centre at the undersecretariat is functioning as the main coordination unit and when needed, Turkish teams are also contributing to SAR operations.

Despite the non-discriminatory principle of the service, Greece was worried about the Turkey's main role, due to disputes in the Aegean and the Cyprus problem and tried to block Ankara, according to sources. However the Greek initiative to block Turkey was late and it failed.

[02] President Papadopoulos and Mr Talat met at Michael Mollers residence

Mr Talat and Mr Papadopoulos met for the first time since the simultaneous referendums in 2004. Gulden Plumer, Turkish Cypriot member of the Committee on Missing Persons, and Elias Georgiades, Greek Cypriot member of the committee, were also in attendance at the meeting.

"Turkish Cypriot party is opposed to politicization of the issue of missing persons", sources said.

Up to now Mr Talat has noted that he was ready to hold talks, however Papadopoulos rejected his proposals by claiming that his counterpart was not Talat, but Turkey.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Missing Persons has intensified its efforts after appointment of Girod as the third member.

The committee is expected to make its first excavations in August. The excavations are expected to last for two months. If remains of missing Turkish and Greek Cypriots are found, they will be handed over to their respective families after identification.

The committee was established in 1981 by the United Nations in order to determine the fate of hundreds of people still missing. According to official figures, 500 Turkish Cypriots are listed as missing while the number of missing Greek Cypriots is about 1,450.

Making separate remarks after their meeting, Mr Talat said that they exchanged views about several matters, and the meeting was held in a sincere atmosphere. Qualifying their meeting as fruitful, Mr Talat said that they also touched on the Cyprus problem.

Recalling that United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari will visit Cyprus, Mr Talat said that this visit can contribute to a new meeting.

He also noted that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready for new initiatives regarding the technical committees, and said that they have notified this to the UN in writing twice.

Both Mr Talat and Mr Papadopoulos supported the initiatives of the Committee on Missing Persons.

On the other hand, Mr Papadopoulos also qualified their meeting as fruitful, and noted that there is no reason for not seeing Mr Talat. He added that they may meet again if any progress is made by this committee.

The last time Mr Talat met Mr Papadopoulos was in March 2004. Mr Talat and Mr Papadopoulos had a meeting in Burgenstoeck, Switzerland as a part of Cyprus talks in which the Annan plan was shaped up ahead of the simultaneous referenda held in the island in April 2004.

Moreover, after meeting Mr Papadopoulos, replying to reporters questions, Mr Talat called on the international community, particularly the European Union (EU), to extend financial support to the Committee on Missing Persons so that the committee will succeed in its initiatives.

Mr Talat also noted that he is ready for negotiations which will contribute to a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem.

Talat stated that he wrote two letters to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, expressed his views, and asked him to encourage the Greek Cypriot side for resumption of negotiations.

On the other hand, Mr Papadopoulos said that there is not any meeting scheduled between him and Talat to discuss the Cyprus problem.

According to Mr Papadopoulos, the government of the Republic of Cyprus sees the ''Paris Agreement'' as a basis for negotiations and particularly establishment of technical committees. He also expressed readiness to approve the establishment of technical committees, as foreseen in the Paris Agreement. There is no diplomatic reason for not seeing Talat. But first, we should make progress in technical committees, he said.

Noting that he can only meet Talat within this framework, Papadopoulos added that he will leave the calls of (UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim) Gambari to bring two leaders together ''unanswered''.

After the remarks of Mr Talat and Mr Papadopoulos, the Committee on Missing Persons released a statement in which it qualified participation of Talat and Papadopoulos in its meeting as ''the concrete expression of their support.

[03] How the Turkish Cypriot press covers the meeting between President Papadopoulos and the Turkish Cypriot leader

Under the title They shook hands, KIBRIS writes that this was the first meeting of the two leaders who posed in front of the Press shaking hands. The paper publishes also the statements made by the two leaders after the meeting.

AFRIKA writes that both leaders went to the meeting with their official cars which were bearing their flags.

On its front page YENI DUZEN publishes a picture of Mr Talat and President Papadopoulos. Mr Talat asks Why do we not meet? and President Papadopoulos replies There is no theoretical obstacle! The paper notes that while the two leaders were having a meeting, outside the building a crisis was created regarding the flag of the TRNC (breakaway regime in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus). UN officials attempted to hide the TRNC Presidency sign on the car of Mr Talat and officials from the presidency tried to stop this.

HALKIN SESI refers to the meeting under the title Talat is ready for talks, Papadopoulos is restrained.

CUMHURIYET refers to the issue under the title Hot and cold.

KIBRISLI refers to the issue under the title Meeting, while OZGUR DUSUNCE uses the title Meeting by force!. ORTAM covers the issue under the front page title Finally!

VATAN stresses that this was The first meeting between the two leaders.

VOLKAN writes that The Talat-Papadopoulos meeting was realized and adds Talat: I am ready for negotiations with the Greek Cypriot side regarding the Cyprus issue, Papadopoulos: I can discuss with Talat only in a planned negotiations procedure.

GUNES covers the issue in its inside pages under the title Talat and Papadopoulos met.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Talat to meet leaders and representatives of Turkish Cypriot political parties

According to the information provided by the self-styled Presidential Spokesman Hasan Erçak1ca, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), National Unity Party (UBP), Democrat Party (DP) and Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) have been invited to todays meeting which will start at 3 oclock in the afternoon.

Latest developments on the Cyprus issue and this weeks visit to Cyprus by the UN Secretary-Generals Undersecretary for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari will be taken up during the meeting.

[05] Researches conducted by the self-styled ministry of foreign affairs on the Cyprus problem

Commenting on the results of the research Mr Kudret Akay referred to the reasons that led the Turkish Cypriots to answer yes to the referendum. The basic reason that the Turkish Cypriots said yes to the Annan Plan was their wish to be integrated to the EU and the world through their own state, to become a part of the international law and the continuation of the guarantees of Turkey, he said.

Further on he said that in June 2004 the percentage of the persons who wanted the Annan Plan to be re-negotiated was 13.8%, while the percentage of the persons who wanted the Annan Plan to be re-negotiated in February 2006 was increased to 32.6%.

The percentage of those who said in June 2004 that negotiations must start outside of the Annan Plan was 22.6%, while in February 2006 it was 27.4%. The percentage of those who share the view that the Greek Cypriots should be provided with the assurances they wanted was 8.4% in June 2004, but this percentages decreased to 5.6% in February 2006. The percentage of those who believed that the Annan Plan should be applied unilaterally was 16.5% in June 2004 while it was 9.7% in February 2006.

Mr Akay said that it was observed that among the reasons why the persons who said yes at the referendum were the feeling of a common country and the ideal of establishing a common country with the Greek Cypriots had the lowest percentage. He also stated that if the referendum was conducted in February 2006, the Turkish Cypriots would have again said yes even if the percentage of the yes votes would have been decreased.

(C/S)

[06] Turkish diplomats on the Gul-Gambari meeting in Ankara

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Gambari said that Ankara is the first leg of the tour he has begun in order to discuss the current situation in Cyprus and find a comprehensive solution to this problem.

Mr Gambari qualified his meeting with Mr Gul as ''sincere and constructive'', and stated that he will also visit Athens and Lefkosia.

Noting that he will brief the Secretary-General on his impressions, Mr Gambari said that then, Annan will decide what will be done from now on.

According to Turkish diplomats, Mr Gambari was told that Turkey respects Annan, and thinks that there should be no deviation from the parameters of the Annan plan.

In their meeting, Mr Gul gave the message that ''Turkey is ready to extend support to every effort, to be exerted under the auspices of the UN''.

The diplomats said that whether or not the government of the Republic of Cyprus has an intention to reach a comprehensive solution on the basis of the Annan plan should be seen in order to make some progress on settlement.

Mr Gul told Mr Gambari that the Turkish side has such an intention, they added.

[07] Gul, Rice to finalize US-Turkey strategic vision paper

The strategic vision document between the U.S. and Turkey will be finalized during Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul's visit to Washington this week, said a U.S. diplomat over the weekend.

Matt Bryza, the deputy assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, said the document will list the common priorities of the two countries in international relations.

Speaking to Turkish reporters before Gul's visit to Washington D.C., Bryza listed ''stability in Iraq, the Iranian nuclear issue, Syria, the fight against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Iraq and Europe, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, ways to improve economic and commercial relations, the spread of democracy in the greater Middle East, cooperation in the Black Sea, NATO, Turkey's place in the European Union and Cyprus'' as topics to be discussed during U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's meeting with Gul on Wednesday.

Saying that the U.S. considers Turkey an important ally and strategic partner, Bryza said that the two countries should be in constant contact.

Regarding to PKK terrorism, Bryza expressed the U.S.' commitment to eliminate the terrorist organization from Iraq.

The trilateral mechanism between Turkey, Iraq and the U.S. is working well and everything is being done to cut logistical support to the PKK, he said when asked about statements by Turkish officials that they have intelligence that ''Iraqi Kurds are selling weapons to the PKK in northern Iraq."

On Turkey's diplomatic contacts with Iran on the nuclear issue, Bryza said that the U.S. has no concerns about it, qualified these contacts as a part of Turkey's regional policy vision and underlined Turkey's special historical role.

The U.S. will do its best to prevent any suspension in Turkey-EU negotiations, Bryza also said. To this end, the U.S. is in constant contact with its allies in Europe, he stated.

Bryza also added that the U.S. is trying to make the Europeans understand that opening Turkish ports to the Greek Cypriots is ''not that simple.''

[08] Ancient findings were discovered in the area of occupied Vatili

The ancient grave and the archaeological findings discovered, belong to the Hellenic and Late Romans era. Among the findings are a golden earring, 21 bronze coins, 20 clay votive lamps, some bronze rings, colourful beads, glass bottles used for keeping perfume, 3 bronze buttons, bronze and ivory brooches, amphora and pitchers, broken bowls, and ceramics.

The grave was buried under a hill, the soil of which was used for a road construction.

(M/L)

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