Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-11-30

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The EU Commission on Turkeys contempt of the EU decisions

[02] Statements by the outgoing ambassador of the country occupying Cyprus militarily

[03] Ferdi Soyer on the important differences between CTP and AKEL

[04] Ozkan Murat on the decrees regarding development in the occupied areas

[05] Statements by Girod to the illegal TAK news agency

[06] Salih Tunar has been elected as the new president of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry

[07] Sezer vetoed Minority Foundations Law despite request from Pope not to

[08] YAS to decide on dismissal of Turkish army officials

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The EU Commission on Turkeys contempt of the EU decisions

The European Commission has reacted to the collapse of the Finnish initiative on Cyprus, by announcing what many observers say amount to a partial suspension of the accession negotiations with Turkey.

The Commission has announced that the negotiations will now continue with a slower pace, until, as it is said: Turkey meets its obligations under the Ankara Protocol.

It said eight of the 35 areas of negotiation between the EU and Turkey should be suspended.

The Commissions recommendation, finalized today, accuses Turkey of keeping in force the restrictions on the free movement of goods, including those on the means of transport; and says that the intergovernmental Conference on Accession with Turkey should not open negotiations on eight chapters, covering areas relevant to Turkeys restrictions as regards the Greek Cypriot South Cyprus.

"There is a unanimous decision by the member states to conduct accession negotiations with Turkey... Turkey has undoubtedly made progress. But it has still not implemented all obligations it has agreed to," EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement.

The EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn told a press conference shortly afterwards that the eight chapters include the free movement of goods and services; financial topics, agriculture, fisheries, customs union, and external relations.

Announcing the decision, Mr Rehn underlined the importance of the fact that the Commission is not recommending the suspension of the process, but only a slowing down of it.

The train has not derailed, but only slowed down he said, in response to a question, adding, that the Commission considers Turkeys accession negotiations as important.

The negotiations process must continue he said, and added: The train will not stop but move slowly.

Mr Rehn also added that no chapter will be provisionally closed until the Commission has confirmed that Turkey has fully implemented its commitments with respect to the Additional Protocol.

Earlier, there were international reactions to the reports that the Commission was about to declare the slowing down of accession negotiations with Turkey.

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapattero and the Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi warned against a very harsh stance being taken against Turkey.

The Spanish prime minister is quoted as having said that his country continues to support full membership for Turkey.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for her part, said her country will not hesitate supporting a move aimed at suspending Turkeys accession process altogether, unless Turkey fulfils its obligations, as she put it.

Finland currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen will visit Turkey on Friday to meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Moreover, Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (30.11.06), under the title Europe has partly frozen (the negotiations), Erdogan got angry, reports that the European Commission suggested that the negotiations of Turkey to become a full member of the EU should partly be suspended.

Speaking at a press conference, the Commissioner responsible for the Enlargement, Olli Rehn said yesterday that the negotiations with Turkey must continue and added that as long as the obstacles are not overcome, the chapters will not be closed. He recommended that eight out of 35 chapters should be suspended.

Commenting on the recommendation of Mr Rehn, the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan described it as unacceptable. Mr Erdogan during the NATO summit in Riga held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Britain, Spain, Italy and Germany. Mr Erdogan said: Actually, let us not evaluate this as suspension. This is a long road. Before this, word was made about the year of 2014. Within this period we will conduct our negotiations regarding the other chapters, we will conduct our work, we will continue our way with stability in the same manner.

The paper writes that the prime Ministers of Britain, Spain and Italy expressed their support to Turkey.

Commenting on the issue, the MP of AKP Egemen Bagis said that it would be wrong to evaluate the situation as negative or positive from now and added that we have to wait for the 15 December Summit of the EU.

He noted: In the meantime we must continue to work intensively. We did not say that we will not open the ports, but first the EU must lift the isolations in Cyprus. If the EU makes a step on this issue, we will also make a step.

Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (30.11.06) refers to the issue under the title Eight chapters is the punishment of the EU to Turkey. Turkish Cypriot daily HALKIN SESI newspaper (30.11.06) refers to the issue under the title Will the negotiations be suspended partially? Turkish Cypriot daily YENI DUZEN newspaper (30.11.06) refers to the issue under the title Hard recommendation from the EU to Turkey.

Turkish Cypriot daily VATAN newspaper (30.11.06) notes that The speed of the train is slowing down. VATAN reports also that the outgoing ambassador of Turkey in the occupied part of Cyprus, Mr Aydan Karahan, who held a farewell meeting with the self-styled council of ministers and prime minister Soyer, commented on the issue and said: No concession is made on the national causes. We are a nation which is used to suffering. We will suffer a little bit more. Everything will be stretched out for a little longer. In the end we will achieve our goal, but we will never make concessions from our national cause.

According to the paper, Mr Soyer alleged that the EU continues to commit mistakes and that the Turkish Cypriots will not be stopped by the fact that the dominant understanding of south Cyprus has taken the whole of Europe as its hostage.

[02] Statements by the outgoing ambassador of the country occupying Cyprus militarily

Mr Karahan said: The Cyprus problem must be solved, but I do not see a solution in the horizon. He also expressed the view that efforts should be exerted for the development of the economy of the TRNC (breakaway regime in the occupied part of the Republic of Cyrus).

According to Mr Karahan, if per capita income in the occupied part of the island increases to 19 thousand dollars, the solution of the Cyprus problem will be facilitated. Replying to the questions of Basaran Duzgun, editor-in-chief of KIBRIS, Mr Karahan admitted that after the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus Turkey has not been a good guide for the Turkish Cypriots and it committed important mistakes.

He said that the aim of Turkey in 1974 was not to take the whole of the island and alleged: This was something which was done in order to secure peace, the target of Ecevit. Such a peace, in which the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots would not fight with each other any more. The idea was for everybody to live in his own area and the fights to end.

He noted: Turkey does not and will not sell you out. When I came here and heard this two years ago I was astonished. Mr Karahan reiterated the allegation that he exerted efforts not to interfere in the internal politics of the Turkish Cypriots and described the tension between the National Unity Party (UBP) and himself (regarding the so-called property law) as a temporary anger.

He said that if he had a magic stick he would change bureaucracy in the occupied areas of Cyprus and added that the investors who come from abroad face difficulties, which reach the level of heartlessness. Either money will be drawn from Turkey or development will be ensured through the investors. There is no other model, he pointed out. Mr Karahan is leaving the island today.

KIBRIS reports also that Mr Karahan paid a farewell visit to Mr Talat as well. Mr Talat said that the Turkish Cypriots will never forget that Mr Karahan worked intensively. He noted that they lived very difficult days with Mr Karahan and that they always shared the same views with him. He pointed out to the importance of the existence of harmony in the relations between Turkey and the TRNC and said that Turkey is the only country which supports the Turkish Cypriots without waiting for something in return.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Ferdi Soyer on the important differences between CTP and AKEL

Mr Soyer reiterated the Turkish allegation that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots will continue their efforts towards reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem and that the place of the solution is the UN. He claimed that if Turkey opens its ports to the Republic of Cyprus, the isolation on the Turkish Cypriots will be doubled and expressed the view that all isolations must be lifted at the same time.

Mr Soyer called on the Greek Cypriot AKEL left-wing party to tell to the people the truth that all the refugees will not be able to return to their homes. Mr Soyer noted: The first priority for AKEL is the return of all refugees to their homes. For the CTP is the protection and development of bi-zonality. This is an important difference.

Under the title Soyer: The relations with AKEL are interrupted, Turkish Cypriot daily HALKIN SESI newspaper (30.11.06) reports that Mr Soyer made these statements on illegal BAYRAK televisions AKIS program.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Ozkan Murat on the decrees regarding development in the occupied areas

Mr Murat said that the decrees and the reports must be turned into a physical plan for the country in a short period of time. He stated that the 2nd Area of Kyrenia decree will be formed after taking the views of Building Contractors Union, the Union of Chambers of Engineers and Architects and the environmental organizations. Mr Murat said that the above-mentioned decree will be put into force before 31 January 2007.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Statements by Girod to the illegal TAK news agency

The third member of the Missing Persons Committee- Mr Christophe Girod has announced that the remains of identified persons will be returned to their families starting from the beginning of 2007.

Mr Girods announcement came during an interview with the TAK news agency.

Mr Girod together with the Coordinator of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team- Luis Fondebrieder provided detailed information to the TAK news agency today on work being carried out by the Missing Persons Committee and its Anthropology Laboratory in the United Nations-controlled buffer zone in Lefkosa.

The Coordinator of the anthropology team Luis Fondebrieder said that remains belonging to 70 people have been found so far but added that the DNA tests on the remains have not yet to be completed.

Explaining that accurate results are expected to be obtained at the end of the DNA tests, the Coordinator said that the tests are being carried out by Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot experts.

On the other hand, the third member of the Missing Persons Committee Christophe Girod said that both sides have provided financial and political support to the works of the Committee and pointed to the fact that the issue of missing persons is a very complex issue which will take a long time to solve.

Mr Girod stated that works will continue until the end of next year if financial support is provided.

Meanwhile, Jeniffer Wright - the assistant of Christophe Girod- told the TAK news agency that an agreement has been reached with the Cyprus Neurology and Genetic Laboratory in South Lefkosa on carrying the DNA tests and said the agreement will be implemented under the observation of a Turkish Cypriot and a Greek Cypriot expert.

[06] Salih Tunar has been elected as the new president of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry

Salih Tunar has been elected as the new president of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry.

A statement from the Chamber said Mr Tunar was elected unanimously by the executive committee which was itself - elected at the Chambers recent general assembly.

[07] Sezer vetoed Minority Foundations Law despite request from Pope not to

Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer today partially vetoed the Foundations Law.

Sezer vetoed articles 5, 11, 12, 14, 16, 25, 26, 41 and 68 of the Foundations Law which is to be re-debated in the parliament.

The law envisions that the administrators of foundations, set up by a non-Muslim community in Turkey, should be citizens of the Republic of Turkey.

Under the new law, foreigners can serve in the administrative organs of the foundations established in Turkey.

The law also enables foreigners to set up new foundations, while it says that the administrators of community foundations will be elected among the members (of those foundations).

According to the law, foundations, the majority of founders of which are foreigners, can acquire properties under the provisions of the Title Deed Law.

On the same issue, Turkish daily MILLIYET newspaper (30.11.06) reports that the Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has vetoed nine articles of the Minority Foundations Law. The reason for the veto, reports the paper is that the Law violates the Lausanne Agreement, the Turkish Constitution and the legal System in Turkey. It is also considered to be against the national and public interests. The paper reports that during the meeting with Sezer, Pope Benedict XVI has asked the Turkish President to approve the Law. Despite this request Sezer vetoed the Law, reports the paper.

[08] YAS to decide on dismissal of Turkish army officials

During the meeting, reports the paper, the files of the officers who will be dismissed from the army will be on the table. SABAH reports that the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan will put reservations regarding the dismissals.

(MHY)

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