Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-12-28

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Namik Tan on COREPER decision for negotiations on the enterprises and industrial policy chapter.

[02] Cigars from the occupied areas to Turkey.,

[03] The owner of the Grand Ruby Casino Yasar Oz, was set free and deported to Turkey under heavy security measures.

[04] Eleni Mavrou and Demetris Christofias visited the occupied areas.

[05] The results of the poverty survey 2005 were announced by the Turkish Statistics Agency.

[06] Lockheed Martin to upgrade Turkey's F-16 Fighter Jets.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Columnist in SABAH on Turkey´s relations with Israel.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Namik Tan on COREPER decision for negotiations on the enterprises and industrial policy chapter

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan said on Wednesday that Ankara received EU's invitation letter regarding the start of negotiations in enterprises and industrial policy chapter.

However, Tan said that it was not such a development that meets Turkey's expectations.

In his weekly press briefing, Tan noted that the EU asked Turkey to prepare a position paper related to this chapter.

"However, this call does not meet our expectations. We were expecting a call covering four chapters. We hope the EU will take more concrete steps in this direction," Tan said.

The Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) gave Turkey green light last week for the start of negotiations on enterprises and industrial policy chapter and asked Turkey to submit its position paper on the related chapter.

Turkey will not be asked for position papers on other chapters, (financial control, statistics, economic and monetary policy) on which screening process and technical works was completed, because of the objection of countries like Holland and France and Greek Cypriot administration.

Following the presentation of Turkey's position paper, the EU common position paper has to be approved by member countries to start negotiations.

In this case, the EU President will invite Turkey to Intergovernmental Conference to open related chapters.

[02] Cigars from the occupied areas to Turkey

The paper reports that the cigars were hidden in special sections of the lorry which was loaded with citrus fruit. The driver of the lorry was arrested by the Customs officials.

(MHY)

[03] The owner of the Grand Ruby Casino Yasar Oz, was set free and deported to Turkey under heavy security measures

(MHY)

[04] Eleni Mavrou and Demetris Christofias visited the occupied areas

According to Turkish Cypriot daily YENIDUZEN newspaper (28.12.06) AKELs General Secretary Demetris Christofias, attended the 36 anniversary celebrations of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) last night. During the reception Talat and Christofias conferred for fifteen minutes. This news item is reported by YENIDUZEN only.

(MHY)

[05] The results of the poverty survey 2005 were announced by the Turkish Statistics Agency

The Turkish Statistics Agency has released the results of its poverty survey for 2005. [For the purposes of the survey] the monthly income limits were set at YTL 190 for hunger and YTL 487 for poverty for a family of four in 2005. According to the survey results, the proportion of the population living below the hunger line dropped from an estimated 1.29 percent in 2004 to 0.87 percent in 2005 even as the proportion of the population living below the poverty line declined from 25.6 percent [in 2004] to 20.5 percent [in 2005].

The poverty rate in rural areas was determined to be 32.95 percent, compared to 12.83 percent in urban areas.

The survey found that, in 2005, the poverty rate in households comprised of three to four persons was 9.36 percent, compared to 45.99 percent in households comprised of seven or more persons.

In terms of household types, the poverty rate for individuals who are members of nuclear families with children was found to be 18.99 percent, compared to 8.55 percent in nuclear families without children.

In 2005, the poverty rate among salaried workers was 6.57 percent, compared to 32.12 percent among persons who work for daily wages, 4.8 percent among employers, and 26.22 percent among the self-employed.

The poverty rate among agricultural workers, who face the highest risk of poverty, was estimated as 39.89 percent in 2003, 40.88 percent in 2004, and 37.24 percent in 2005. In comparison, the poverty rate among industry workers dropped from 21.34 percent in 2003 to 15.64 percent in 2004 and 9.85 percent in 2005.

The most distinct drop in the poverty rate over the past three years occurred in the service sector. The poverty rate in this sector declined from 16.76 percent in 2003 to 12.36 percent in 2004 and 8.68 percent in 2005.

The survey results show that the poverty rate among illiterate people was 37.81 percent, compared to 22.42 percent among primary school graduates, 6.79 percent among graduates of high schools or equivalent occupational schools, and 0.79 percent among graduates of institutions of higher learning and postgraduates. The poverty rate among women was determined to be 21.01 percent compared to 19.97 percent among men.

[06] Lockheed Martin to upgrade Turkey's F-16 Fighter Jets

American Lockheed Martin said on Tuesday that it won a USD 635 million contract to upgrade 216 F-16 fighter jets of the Turkish Air Force.

According to a written statement by Lockheed Martin, the American aeronautics company will provide flight tests, training and technical assistance as well as the modernization of 216 F-16C and F-16D type fighter jets in accordance with the contract which continues work that began under a precontract signed in 2005.

The modernization work of the jets will be done mostly in Lockheed Martin's facilities in Fort Worth, USA and in TAI facilities of Turkey until 2016.

Lockheed Martin's Vice President Willy Moore said that they were pleased to undertake the responsibility of upgrading Turkish F-16s.

"This is a big day for Turkey and for our F-16 program," Moore said.

The jet modernization contract was signed between Turkey and the USA earlier as a state-to-state contract.

The Pentagon sent the USD 635 million contract to Lockheed Martin.

The F-16 jets of the Turkish Air Force were jointly manufactured in TAI facilities of Turkey within the framework of two contracts signed with Lockheed Martin.

Turkey also made a resolution to purchase 100 F-35s to meet the need of new generation fighter jets.

Turkey will participate in the manufacturing of F-35s which will be produced by nine countries led by Lockheed Martin in a USD 10 billion project for about 20 years.

F-35s are expected to be delivered to Turkey starting 2014. Turkey is set to purchase 30 new F-16 Block 50 jets to meet the additional need until that time.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Columnist in SABAH on Turkey´s relations with Israel

"In a period in which the eyes of the world are on Iran due to the nuclear threat, Turkey and Israel have taken the initiative for a series of critical discussions."

The report by Metehan Demir in yesterday's Sabah, entitled "Israel Summit Against the Shahab", began in this way.

The Deputy Chief of the General Staff, General Ergin Saygun, had gone to Israel.

As for the "Shahab", that is Iran's missile.

But can you conceive of a "report" like this one?: "In a period in which the eyes of the world are on Israel due to the nuclear threat, Turkey and Iran have taken the initiative for a series of critical discussions."

You cannot. It would be impossible. Let it never happen; fine. But how, and why, and for what purpose, is it that the other comes about?

Why is it that the "eyes of the world" are on (bearded) Iran, about which there are worries that it might develop nuclear weapons based on its likely development of nuclear capacity, but which with the signatures that it has given is open to international monitoring, but:

They are not (also) on (clean-shaven) Israel, which already has nuclear weapons, missiles, and nuclear submarines, and which keeps itself closed to international monitoring?

Note that I did not say "on Israel", but rather "also on Israel".

Why are "a series of critical meetings" being held with Israel?

It will be said that "we have military and defense industrial cooperation agreements; there are contracts that we have let; there are tanks we are having refurbished there, and we have joint exercises."

And I will ask: "Why?!"

The "state of Israel" may indeed have its "own path", ranging from of its own normal survival and self-defense conditions to its policies of aggression, expansion, and domination, which have become even more normal, and comprised as well of its own definitions of terror, its own intelligence priorities, its own enemies and conflicts, and its own truths and lies.

Is Turkey, with its state, its government, and its nation, a traveler on that path?

You may recall that a "commander whose name was not stated" said something like "the government is not the state; the state has its protector."

Is this a state policy, or a "policy of the protectors of the state"?

Well, then, what are we? The people, that is; in other words, the nation?

Is the nation a burden upon the state?

Does the nation represent slavery vis-a-vis the state?

Does Turkey have a state that, while speaking in terms of a "multilateral foreign policy," deceives both itself and its people?

Does the policy of Turkey in fact consist essentially of having "sacks" over its head, while sometimes being permitted to go out to the market and refer to things like our "brothers in religion" for the sake of appearances?

Is Turkey, while its own people, thinking they are on an independent and autonomous journey, truly eat each other alive in the cabins, on the decks, in the hold, and in the engine room, and while some stalwarts shout of "nationalism in the face of the EU," in fact a ship tied fast to the dock by the United States and Israel?

Fine; your choice may be just such a path, just such a road, just such a course.

But please, I beg you: Do not go around reciting "fables", all right?

Particularly before the "eyes of the world"...

/SK

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