Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-10-31

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat to visit Brussels. Mobility on the Finnish Proposal days before the Progress Report.

[02] YENI DUZEN reports about mobility in the Cyprus problem at the UN front as well to coincide with the EU Council.

[03] Pertev met with Michael Moller.

[04] Erdogan rules out a change of policy regarding the problems the Turkish army has created in Cyprus.

[05] Statements by Erdogan at the opening ceremony for the 9th Foreign Trade Week.

[06] Kretschmer stated that the opening of the Turkish ports is a precondition for the Turkey-EU negotiations.

[07] Soyer will visit Chile in order to participate in the meeting of the Socialist International.

[08] Austrian member of the European Parliament Karin Resetarits on the illegal universities in occupied Cyprus.

[09] Turkish Cypriots will recourse to the European Court of Human Rights against the Republic of Cyprus accusing it for applying embargo on the universities.

[10] The number of tourists who visited the occupied areas within the period January - August 2006 decreased by 12%.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[11] Mr Deniz Baykal compares the case of the occupied by Turkish troops fenced city of Varosha to the case of the city of Mosul.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat to visit Brussels. Mobility on the Finnish Proposal days before the Progress Report

AFR0KA reports that the self-styled Minister of Foreign Affairs Turgay Avci will represent the TRNC in the planned meeting.

HALKIN SES0 reports that Ankara approached cautiously the idea of the Finnish term presidency to bring the sides together during the weekend. The Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul noted that he had conveyed to his Finnish counterpart the opinion that the shuttle diplomacy and a visit by the Finnish Foreign Minister to the area would be useful.

YENI DUZEN reports that Finland will try to bring together Turkey, the TRNC and the Greek Cypriot Administration. The paper notes that it is not yet clear whether or not Greece has been invited to the meeting, which is expected to take place at a small city near Helsinki.

In addition KIBRIS notes that the Turkish Cypriot leader Talat will meet on 2 November with journalists in Turkey and on 3 November he will visit Brussels where he will have a meeting with the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja.

According to YENI DUZEN, the invitation for the meeting came from Mr Tuomioja, who also asked from Mr Talat the participation of the Turkish Cypriot side in the meeting in Finland. The paper notes that Mr Talat gave a positive response for both meetings and said that Mr Avci will participate in the meeting in Helsinki.

ORTAM newspaper reports that an official from the European Commission will also participate in the meeting in Helsinki. The paper notes that the sides have some reservations regarding the form of this meeting because of the position of Mr Talat, notes the paper. It also reports that the chairman of the Communal Liberation Party (TKP), Huseyin Angolemli called on Mr Talat and Mr Soyer to be careful about the Finnish proposals and added that the Cyprus problem could be solved under the UN and not the EU. The slightest mistake might lead the Turkish Cypriots into a situation which they will not be able to fix afterwards, he alleged.

Moreover, Turkish HURRIYET newspaper (31.10.06-internet edition) writes that EU term President Finland is taking another initiative for the solution of the Cyprus problem before the EU Summit of the 15th of December. According to the paper, Finland informed Ankara that it is thinking to arrange a meeting, similar to the 2004 Burgenstock meeting which was held behind closed doors. Invoking sources of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the paper writes that despite the fact that Finland conveyed this thought, it has not sent an official invitation yet. However, Ankara is not pleased with the issue of the parties that will participate in such a summit. Ankara conveyed clearly to Finland the message that it will not accept the participation in the summit only of the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul, the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs George Lillikas. The objections of Ankara on the issue are the following:

Why is Greece not called to the meeting? If Greece is not represented in the meeting, Turkey also will not participate.

Mehmet Ali Talats interlocutor is not the Greek Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs but the Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos. If Papadopoulos does not attend the meeting, why should Talat participate?

The paper further writes that Finland is putting a lot of efforts to persuade both Greece and Tassos Papadopoulos to participate in the meeting, after receiving Ankaras message. However, the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Spokesman George Koumoutsakos stated that Greece has not received any invitation and therefore there is no issue of participating in the meeting.

In addition Turkish MILLIYET newspaper (31.10.06-internet edition) writes that the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Gul approaches in a more flexible manner the Finnish proposal on Cyprus, after the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has stated that the proposal is not reasonable. The paper writes that it was learned that Finland will invite officially by the end of the week the sides to negotiate on the proposal. We approach the proposal positively. The important issue is for a balanced result to come out, stated Gul and called on the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja to visit the region and have talks with Greece, Turkey and the sides in the island. Gul made these statements speaking at a press conference with the Minister of Foreign affairs of Belgium Karen de Gucht who, on his part stated that Belgium wants Turkey to support the Finnish proposal and warned Turkey that it will be a disaster, if it does not open its ports and the process between Turkey and EU stops.

(I/Ts/CS)

[02] YENI DUZEN reports about mobility in the Cyprus problem at the UN front as well to coincide with the EU Council

(I/Ts)

[03] Pertev met with Michael Moller

The `Presidential Undersecretary´ Rasit Pertev has met and exchanged views with the UN Secretary-Generals Special Representative to Cyprus Michael Moller, over the Cyprus issue.

The meeting took place at the `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´ (`TRNC´) presidential `Palace´ this morning.

No statement was issued at the end of the meeting but the two men are reported to have discussed the details concerning the 8th of July agreement reached between the two leaders in Cyprus.

Earlier, Mr Pertev denied the claim by the Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopoulos that he would be meeting with the Greek Cypriot Leaders aide Tasos Tzionis today.

(Tr. Note: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is the illegal regime set up by the Turkish Republic in the occupied by 40,000 Turkish troops northern part of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey refuses for decades to implement the repeated UN decisions calling on it to put an end to its illegal actions in Cyprus).

[04] Erdogan rules out a change of policy regarding the problems the Turkish army has created in Cyprus

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ruled out any change on Turkeys stance on the Cyprus problem.

Speaking during the official Republic Day Reception in Ankara yesterday evening, the Turkish Prime Minister said it is absolutely out of the question for Turkey to alter its position with regard to the Cyprus problem.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was adamant to make it clear that Turkey will stand firm in its present position concerning the Cyprus issue and that no change should be expected in his countrys Cyprus strategy as long as the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People continued.

Underlining the need for an end to the Turkish Cypriot sides isolation before Turkey makes any new step on the Cyprus issue,

Mr Erdogan renewed his call on the European Union to respect its own promises it made to the Turkish Cypriot People.

As for the speculation going on about Finlands proposals aimed at breaking the deadlock over the Cyprus issue, the Turkish Prime Minister spoke for the first time, expressing the view that the package does not look like a well-balanced one.

Speaking at another event today, Mr Erdogan repeated that no one should expect from Ankara to take any steps on the Cyprus issue as long as the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people continues.

Pointing out that the Cyprus issue is not included in the EU acquis communitaire, he underlined the fact that the Cyprus issue is a political problem concerning the United Nations.

Stressing that the platform for a solution to the Cyprus problem is the United Nations, he said the Turkish Side had done its best to bring about a solution to the Cyprus problem.

`The Turkish Cypriot people took the necessary steps towards a solution and gave their backing to the Annan Plan which was also supported by the European Union` he said, complaining that South Cyprus was taken into the Block while North Cyprus was left out of it.

Various Turkish Cypriot newspapers (31.10.06) refer to the issue as follows:

HALKIN SESI (31.10.06) refers to Mr Erdogans statements under the title Threat by Erdogan.

OZGUR DUSUNCE: Erdogan roared.

CUMHURIYET North Cyprus: The paper reports that Erdogan sent a clear message to the EU.

[05] Statements by Erdogan at the opening ceremony for the 9th Foreign Trade Week

We can reach nowhere if we build walls around us and if we remain indifferent to the world. What we should do is to integrate to international markets, and strengthen our economic and political ties not only in our region but also in the entire world. What is important is to follow developments, seize opportunities and take necessary measures to preserve our national interests."

Referring to Cyprus Mr Erdogan said: "We cannot make concessions of our esteem and honor at this point. We want our interlocutors to fulfill their responsibilities (regarding Turkish Cypriots). They cannot urge us to do more unless they fulfill their own obligations" when commenting on Cyprus problem.

Emphasizing that there is nothing like "Cyprus" in the EU acquis, Erdogan noted, "Cyprus is a political problem, and related with the UN" and recalled that Turkish side has done what it had to do.

"We want the isolation to be lifted," he indicated, reiterating that Turkey will not be asked to do more unless isolation is lifted.

Erdogan added that the final target is to make Turkey an EU full member in the possible shortest time.

[06] Kretschmer stated that the opening of the Turkish ports is a precondition for the Turkey-EU negotiations

Mr Kretschmer, who was speaking to CNN Turk, also stated that if Turkey does not take steps on the issues of Cyprus and the opening of its ports for the ships of the Republic of Cyprus, the European Council cannot continue the road as if nothing has happened. Referring to the opening of the Turkish ports he said that this is a precondition for the negotiations and added that the Finnish proposal for Cyprus is a solution opportunity. Referring to the EU Progress Report on Turkey, which will be announced on the 8th of November, Mr Kretschmer stated that one of the important chapters of the report will be about the civilian-military relations in Turkey.

(C/S)

[07] Soyer will visit Chile in order to participate in the meeting of the Socialist International

(I/Ts)

[08] Austrian member of the European Parliament Karin Resetarits on the illegal universities in occupied Cyprus

(I/Ts)

[09] Turkish Cypriots will recourse to the European Court of Human Rights against the Republic of Cyprus accusing it for applying embargo on the universities

(I/Ts)

[10] The number of tourists who visited the occupied areas within the period January - August 2006 decreased by 12%

(I/Ts)

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[11] Mr Deniz Baykal compares the case of the occupied by Turkish troops fenced city of Varosha to the case of the city of Mosul

An interesting comparison from Baykal: Cyprus and Mosul. The CHP [Republican People's Party] Chairman says: "We have not forgotten Mosul."

We have witnessed one of the most striking comparisons that have been made by CHP Chairman Deniz Baykal so far during a live broadcast on CNN-Turk. As we were talking, together with Fikret Bila, about daily issues as well as about Cyprus, Baykal referred to the fact that the Finnish plan envisages placing Maras (occupied by Turkish troops fenced city of Varosha) under UN control. He compared this demand to the trauma that had been experienced during the first years of the republic, when the CHP had been the only party in the National Assembly and when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had headed the state, while Ismet Inonu had been the second man.

"We have not forgotten Mosul," noted Baykal, adding: "At that time the United Nations had not yet been established. There had been the League of Nations. They had said: 'We do not recognize the National Pact [of 1920]. If you do not give up Mosul, we will not sign the Lausanne Treaty.' And Ismet Pasha had laid it on the table."

At this point I asked: "Nevertheless at that time Mustafa Kemal had headed the country. The Mosul Agreement was signed on 5 June 1926. Do you believe that Mosul was a mistake?"

"There is no doubt that there had been special circumstances at that time," said Baykal, adding: "We had placed Mosul under the control of the League of Nations. This is how Mosul had been given away."

The CHP leader links the Lausanne Treaty that had been signed in July 1923 to the giving away of Mosul in June 1926 (despite the fact that it had been considered within the borders of the National Pact). May this approach lead to the rewriting of history? It is very difficult to figure this out now because we do not like to examine the period during which these incidents had occurred in our history. We do not like looking at those pages in our history books. There are solid reasons for looking at the 1915 incidents as incidents that had occurred prior to the establishment of the Turkish Republic. However 24 July 1923 was two months before the establishment of the republic -- the 83rd anniversary of which we will celebrate tomorrow -- following the War of Independence and approximately three years prior to the handing over of Mosul. History books note that the handing over of Mosul had been linked to the Kurdish uprisings that had reached their peak in 1925 and behind which we see the British secret service. Nevertheless, our records also show that when the Mosul incident was mentioned by Bulent Ecevit, former prime minister and former CHP leader, General Ilker Basbug, then deputy chief of staff, issued a statement to the effect that "the past has remained in the past and that this had been discussed during a closed session in the National Assembly, anyway."

It is time to ask whether or not the CHP has secret historical records regarding Mosul, which is closely linked to the Kurdish separatism and terrorism problem that Turkey is currently being subjected to. This is because we know that the official journal (The 15th Anniversary Journal -- 8 October 2006, RADIKAL) that had been published immediately after Ataturk's death and on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the republic included neither the 1925 incidents, nor Takriri Sukun (Peace and Order Bill), nor the handing over of Mosul. We will now return to our subject and we will focus on this issue more closely later.

We will expand the question that appears in our title. Our question is as follows: Will the efforts that Baykal has been making for receiving the votes of the center right bring more votes to the CHP in the general elections that will be held on 4 November 2007 (at least more than 19% that it had received in 2002)? There are additional questions that are linked to this: Given that Baykal is pursuing policies that are based on national unity and integrity in a way that will also include the center right, will he not lose the voters who had voted for him due to his social democratic identity? Or does Baykal believe that the majority of the voters in the center left will vote for the CHP in the face of the AKP [Justice and Development Party] due to their secularity reflexes anyway? Does he therefore make efforts to receive the support of the voters whose national pride has been offended due to the discussions on the EU, Iraq, and the United States?

Even if Baykal's answer to these questions infuriates the voters in the center left as well as the liberal voters (who have never voted and who will never vote for Baykal), the answer is very consistent in itself: "An important part of the voters in the center right will have the tendency to support the CHP in these elections. The fact that we will receive the votes of the center right does not lead to the loss of the leftist votes. Each and every democrat in Turkey should also adopt republican views. We are a social democratic party. We seek equal opportunity. We oppose the dominance of money or status. We embrace education, health, social security, and agriculture. The CHP does not perceive national integrity as something that runs counter to social democracy."

Maybe it is a mistake to forget that it was the party that had established the republic just because the CHP had adopted social democratic views with the effect of the conditions in Europe and in the world in the 1970's. Baykal says: "We are under siege. Scenarios are being developed over Turkey. We should constantly safeguard our national integrity. We are not the Netherlands. We are under threat." Maybe, given the circumstances in the country and in the world, a Baykal who speaks in this manner may increase the support for the CHP. I really do not know if we should laugh or cry in the face of such an increase in the CHP's popularity level? However, this is an entirely different issue. Nevertheless, Baykal may increase the CHP's votes by pursuing such policies.

(Tr. Note: The occupied fenced city of Varosha is empty since the summer of 1974 when its Greek Cypriots citizens fled to escape from the atrocities of the Turkish occupation army. UN resolutions 550, 789, 889 and 902 refer to the issue).

/SK

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