Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-07-25

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Discussions on the future of the coalition government; Nine civilian organizations accuse Turkey for the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.

[02] The oldest shipwreck in the history of Cyprus is claimed to be found in the occupied territories of the Republic.

[03] Statements by Talat and Soyer on the Lebanese evacuation.

[04] Media boss Robert Murdoch in Turkey.

[05] Turkish Cypriot immovable properties in the government-controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus are being sold with forged power of attorney documents to build hotels in occupied Greek Cypriot properties.

[06] The Minimum Wage in the occupied areas is 860 NTL.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] From the Elgin Marbles of Parthenon to the Greek Cypriot properties in occupied Northern Cyprus. Who is robbing whom?

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Discussions on the future of the coalition government; Nine civilian organizations accuse Turkey for the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots

Turkish Cypriot daily CUMHURIYET newspaper (25.07.06) reports that the delegations of the two parties would be under their general secretaries. The general secretary of the DP, Ertugrul Hasipoglu stated that they are committed to the protocol of the government and that during the meeting they would hear the views of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) on the issue.

Meanwhile, KIBRIS also reports that nine civilian organizations issued yesterday a statement accusing the DP of acting outside the vision for a solution by using the possibilities of the state through the ministry of foreign affairs. Furthermore, the organizations accused the DP of conducting racist, separatist and anti-solution propaganda and expressed the opinion that continuing the coalition government with the DP would be meaningless.

The organizations which signed the statement are the Turkish Cypriot Primary School Teachers Trade Union (KTOS), the Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers Trade Union (KTOEOS), the Turkish Cypriot Public Servants Trade Union (KTAMS), the Revolutionary Workers Union (Dev-Is), the Trade Union of Municipality Employees (BES), the Union of Association of Chambers of Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects (KTMMOB), the Chamber of Cyprus Turkish Craftsmen and Tradesmen (KTEZO), TIP-Is and the Association of Cyprus Turkish Doctors (KTTB).

The following views are, inter alia, expressed in the statement of the nine organizations:

The main reason for the embargoes applied on the Turkish Cypriots with their isolation from the world, are the transfer of population and the efforts for establishing a separate state, which are bound to the separatist policies towards dividing the island exerted by Turkey, which acts outside its duty of guarantor power in the 1960 agreements for the Republic of Cyprus, within the framework of which it interfered militarily in order to reestablish the constitutional order on the island. Applying sanctions on the Turkish Cypriots after the 2004 referendum is unsuitable and unjust, as the UN Secretary General said. Isolating the Turkish Cypriots from the world means annihilating their communal existence and contributing to the non-solution. .

Turkish Cypriot daily VOLKAN newspaper (25.07.06) refers to the statement of the nine organizations under the title Serious accusation for Turkey from organizations which support the CTP. Next to the title the paper writes: They say that Turkey and not the Greek Cypriots is the reason for the embargoes!

Meanwhile, referring to another internal development KIBRIS writes that Erden Ozaskin, so-called MP of the National Unity Party (UBP) in occupied Famagusta, announced that he has resigned from his party and from now on he will be independent MP. Mr Ozaskin told KIBRIS that the reason for his resignation is the lack of the minimum agreement between himself and the administrative and political evaluations and applications of the UBP. After the resignation of Mr Ozaskin from the UBP the seats in the so-called assembly are distributed as follows: Republican Turkish Party 25, National Unity Party 17, Democratic Party 6, Peace and Democracy Movement 1 and independent 1.

(I/Ts.)

[02] The oldest shipwreck in the history of Cyprus is claimed to be found in the occupied territories of the Republic

According to Bulent Kizilduman, member of the Administrative Committee of the Eastern Mediterranean University DAKMAR, the archaeological findings which are the sunken ship and pieces of amphora, are some of the most important ever found in Cyprus, since they belong to the Early Bronze Age, 2000 B.C.

Uwe Muller, the Chairman of the DAKMAR and among the DAU teaching staff, is the chief of the project, which is a German-Turkish Cypriot cooperation.

The excavation team, writes the paper, lives in the school of occupied Galinoporni.

It is believed that the ship was carrying out trade trips between Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Crete and Greece.

The findings were discovered seven metres under the sea, during the sixth archaeological research of the 12-person DAKMAR team. As the paper reports, for the excavation the latest technology was used while, thousands of excavations are taking place every year in occupied Cyprus.

The paper also publishes under-sea-photos where the shipwreck is claimed to be found.

(M/L)

[03] Statements by Talat and Soyer on the Lebanese evacuation

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has officially told the United Nations of its readiness to help evacuate and accommodate foreigners stranded in Lebanon.

Announcing the decision, President Mehmet Ali Talat said hes conveyed the decision officially to the UN Secretary-Generals special representative to Cyprus, Michael Moller today.

Responding to the BRTs questions this morning, President Talat said the United Nations has been officially informed of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus readiness to provide as much support as possible to the ongoing relief and evacuation effort for those stranded in Lebanon.

This support can be in the form of helping evacuate, and accommodate these people he said, adding that transferring the evacuees to destinations they would like to reach, was also being undertaken by the TRNC government.

He reminded that already the TRNC has been involved in assisting these people, and that many have already been taken from Lebanon to Famagusta, and on to the port of Mersin in Turkey.

The sick and those in need of medical help were provided with medicinal assistance and transportation to destinations they wanted he said, criticizing the Greek Cypriot administration for having prevented scores of the evacuees wanting to use the Larnaca airport.

Mr Papadopoulos is doing this because these people had had to use ports of entry in Northern Cyprus to arrive on the island clearly not a humane act, on a clearly humanitarian issue.

It is up to the evacuees themselves and their home countries who will have to evaluate this saddening inhuman act he said.

Also commenting on the issue, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer promised more assistance to help evacuate foreigners from Lebanon.

Mr Soyer criticized the Greek Cypriot Administration (Republic of Cyprus) for having called for international assistance to help cope with the influx of more evacuees, while, at the same time, trying for political purposes, to prevent the use of Ercan (occupied Tymbou) Airport and the Port of Famagusta.

He made it clear that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has no political motives whatsoever in trying to help the people in need.

We can even consider evacuating people through ports in Turkey instead of those in the TRNC if the Greek Cypriot Side has any doubts about our intentions he said calling on the Greek Cypriot Leader Mr Papadopoulos to stop politicizing the issue and, begin, instead, to consider cooperating on a humanitarian matter like this.

Mr Soyer noted that a total of 3 thousand 578 foreigners were provided with all kinds of assistance at the Famagusta Port in the last few days, and said that 86 of these people received medical treatment at the Famagusta Hospital.

Eight were sent home by air through Ercan (occupied Tymbou) and Istanbul, while the rest were evacuated by sea.

The Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Trade has called on its opposite number in the Greek Cypriot south Cyprus to join forces to help the evacuees from Lebanon.

The chambers president Erdil Nami said in a statement that it is a humanitarian duty for all to help the thousands of people fleeing Lebanon for safety.

Mr Namis call was also addressed to the European Union and the United States. He called on the two, to use their influence and power to bring an end to the war in Lebanon.

(Tr. Note: The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is the breakaway regime established by the Turkish Republic in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus)

[04] Media boss Robert Murdoch in Turkey

The paper reports that the sale of the TGRT will become official after getting approval from the Turkish officials.

(MHY)

[05] Turkish Cypriot immovable properties in the government-controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus are being sold with forged power of attorney documents to build hotels in occupied Greek Cypriot properties

According to the paper, Turkish Cypriot Turgut Cavlan, who moved with his family to the government-controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus immediately after the April, 2003 opening of the barbed wire across the green line, sold Turkish Cypriot immovable properties at the village of Ayios Theodoros to Greek Cypriots using forged power of attorney documents. The documents were forged with the help of Greek Cypriots. The illicit vendors exploited the fact that the Turkish Cypriots could not cross to the government-controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus before 2003.

The paper reports that Turgut Cavlan built a hotel near Salamis in the occupied Famagusta with money he earned from these illegal sales. The self-styled Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer officially opened this hotel recently.

(DPs)

[06] The Minimum Wage in the occupied areas is 860 NTL

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] From the Elgin Marbles of Parthenon to the Greek Cypriot properties in occupied Northern Cyprus. Who is robbing whom?

Gary John Robb is a businessman who has constructed a record number of buildings in North Cyprus. He is said to have built around 700 villas. Actually, he does not know the exact number himself, either. He only says, around 700.

Gary John Robb has been robbed by people he trusted, his assets have been handed over to other people by fake signatures, and his 500,000 pounds-worth work machines have been confiscated.

The government invited the British businessman back to North Cyprus in a gesture of goodwill to give him the opportunity to complete the construction of the houses he was building.

Nevertheless, Gary John Robb is not in any position to do that at the moment. If you deprive someone of his citizenship, if you seize his money, and if you steal the machines which belong to him, how can you expect him to do anything?.

Everything started when some sharp-minded people who worked as Gary Robb´s employees started circulating malicious money-laundering rumours about him. These rumours were further fuelled by allegations that Gary Robb was being searched for by the police for selling drugs and that the Interpol was also after him.

Following the malicious gossips and lies which lacked any substance, Gary John was deprived of his `TRNC´ citizenship, his assets were seized and his property was plundered while he was abroad.

It came to light later on that all the rumours which were circulated about Robb were in fact just a bunch of malicious lies. It was a bit too late though, for what had happened had happened. Our inquires into this matter reveal that there are many people from various organs of the state who are also involved in the Gary Robb incident.

Although Gary Robb has been brought to the `TRNC´ to complete the work which was left unfinished, there are certain people in the country who are doing what lies in their power to send him back again!.

And you know why? So that they can plunder the rest of the assets that belong to Gary Robb!

Although it has been understood that the money in Gary Robb´s frozen bank accounts was the money which was paid to him by the customers who had bought houses from his construction firm, the attorney-general somehow refuses to settle the case, claiming that the investigation is still going on.

The attorney general also continues his silence about the reason of his refusal to settle the case, but we will find out why!.

Yes, although it has been understood that the allegations of money-laundering are totally without foundation, neither his citizenship, nor his money has been returned to Gary Robb yet.

Needless to say that there are certain people whose interests will be seriously jeopardized if Gary Robb gets his citizenship and his money back.

This is why these people are doing their best to prevent any initiative aimed at returning Robb his citizenship and money.

When Gary Robb returned to the island, he lodged a complaint to the police that the ownership of an apartment building and certain other property which belonged to him was handed over to someone else by fake signature.

Gary Robb has told us that the police has done nothing on this issue since May.

It seems that the police is following suit after the attorney general and delaying the process by claiming that the investigation is still going on. I wonder why the police is behaving like this.

If a poor-fellow had stolen a single match leave aside stealing a whole apartment building and other property by fake signature he would have been in jail now.

But it seems that those people who have robbed Garry are more that just poor-fellows!.

Why is the police refusing to do its job? Why is the police refusing to arrest the robbers instead of saying that the investigation is still going on? What kind of a country are we living in? Who is governing this country? Underground organizations, or the Mafia?

Is it so simple to seize someone´s property by forging a signature?

Although it seems incredible that such things can take place in this country, this is unfortunately the truth!.

We would like to call upon the police to fulfill its responsibilities and to inform the public about this issue.

Our findings on the Gary Robb incident show us that there are certain policemen who have helped the robbers seize Gary Robb´s money and property.

There are very serious other claims we hear circulating everywhere.

According to these claims, there are certain people who are trying to hush up the robbery and paying a fortune to cover up their filthy crimes.

This is why we believe that the chief of police should personally deal with this issue and inform the public about what is really happening.

There are also claims that certain senior officers and bureaucrats are also involved in the crimes that have been committed.

Things cannot continue like this forever. We do not want to live the way we have lived so far, and we will certainly not!.

We have informed interior minister Ozkan Murat about what we know on this issue and are continuing our own investigation to learn more on what is really happening.

Another very important point we need to discuss on this issue is how the 500,000 pounds-worth work machines which belong to Gary Robb have been seized.

(Tr. Note: The constructions referred to in this article are being built on the properties of poor Greek Cypriots who were massacred by the Turkish army in 1974 or were forced to flee at gun point to save their lives. The buyers of the villas are mainly British who know whom the properties they buy belong to).

/SK

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