On the same issue, Turkish daily MILLIYET newspaper (29.01.07) writes that the self-styled fire department and the police in the TRNC will get under civilian administration. The paper writes that the TRNC administration, which went against the Turkish General Staff on the issue of the Lokmaci (Ledra Street) crossing, is preparing a draft law for getting under civilian administration the fire department and the police which now are under the control of the Turkish occupation forces. The paper writes that the draft law will be tabled in the assembly next month.

The paper further refers to a possible disengagement and writes that the TRNC administration wants the military image of the TRNC police to change. The aim of this development is to set the fire department and the police under the administration of the Ministry of interior. As regards the fire department it is on the agenda to come under local administration.

The paper writes that military officials, who remind that the status of the island is the one of cease fire and note that until a permanent solution is reached in the island, all the security forces must be concentrated under one administration. The paper, invoking Ankara backstage, writes that the administration of the TRNC is sending the message that it wants to get out of the administration of the Turkish armed forces. It also writes that in addition to the disengagement on this issue Mr Mehmet Ali Talat is expected to bring other steps onto the agenda.

(DPs / CS)

[03] Soyer on the Cyprus problem and the economic situation of the breakaway regime

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer has stated that the wall of shame at the Greek side of the Lokmaci area which the Greek Cypriot Administration resists in demolishing is standing as a symbol of division.

Mr. Soyer added that the implementation of the EUs Direct Trade Regulation which would help to ease the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot people has been put on top of the agenda during Germanys EU Term Presidency.

Speaking during a gathering with the public yesterday, Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer evaluated the latest developments on the Cyprus issue.

Expressing the need for the continuation of the existing political atmosphere for the implementation of the Direct Trade Regulation, the Premier stated that the Greek Cypriot side is trying to connect the Direct Trade issue with the issue of Maras (fenced occupied city of Famagusta) however, he added that there is no relationship between the two issues.

He said that the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn also stressed the fact that the issue of Maras is a component of a comprehensive solution.

Touching upon the Cyprus negotiations process, Mr. Soyer expressed the Turkish sides readiness to make every effort to the process started by the UN undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari.

He also stated that as proposed in Mr. Gambaris earlier letter the two leaders are expected to meet until the end of March and said a federal solution to the Cyprus problem was inevitable.

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (28.01.07) reports that Mr Soyer, speaking at a gathering in occupied Nicosias Goneyli area, noted that there are numbers in the economic developments of the breakaway regime that no one can deny. He said that the salaries of the civil servants increased from 600 US dollars to 1.500 dollars.

Mr Soyer added that in three years the Gross National Product increased from one billion dollars to 2,5 billion dollars, the stable capital investments increased by 23 % and the contribution of Turkey to the Gross National Product decreased from 22 % to 7 %.

The developments in the economy have also been reflected to the salaries, noted Soyer and added: The average civil servant salary has increased from 600 US dollars to 1.500 dollars and the minimum wage from 250 dollars increased to 610. No one can deny the developments in the economy. The numbers are there.

[04] Ercakica on the Gambari procedure

The Presidential Spokesperson Hasan Ercakica has reminded that the letter sent earlier to the two leaders on the island by the United Nations Undersecretary for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari, envisages the start of negotiations between President Mehmet Ali Talat and the Leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Tassos Papadopoulos.

In his statement, Mr Ercakica was responding to a claim by the Greek Cypriot officials that Mr Gambaris letter in fact did not envisage the restart of the negotiations process.

Stating that the letter sent by Mr Gambari clearly explains under which stages the two leaders will negotiate, the Presidential Spokesperson Hasan Ercakica said that the letter foresees the restart of negotiations in the first quarter of this year following the completion of work by the technical committees.

Criticizing the Greek Cypriot Side for not keeping its pledge, Mr. Ercakica reminded that the Greek Cypriot Side had in fact welcomed Mr. Gambaris letter in earlier statements it made.

He underlined the need for the Greek Cypriot Side not to run away from the negotiating table, making it possible to find a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem.

[05] TODAYS ZAMAN: Gul: Varosha not on the table

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül has cautioned the European Union not to get lost in details while trying to resume talks on direct trade with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC).

Gül seemed defiant while attending the NATO meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels yesterday, and argued that Turkey could go ahead "to open and close EU chapters by herself if necessary." Stressing that the term president, Germany, is well aware of the significance of Turkey's possible accession, Gül said he hoped EU would not get lost in the details of the direct trade. He underlined that he did not know the precise content of the possible EU proposals to end the isolation of the KKTC which Brussels promised in the wake of UN referenda of April, 2004. Turks said "yes" to the plan, while Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected it and then became an EU member a week after the referendum, representing the whole island in the EU parliament. Last Monday, the EU agreed "to resume talks" for direct trade with the North, but the plan is very ambiguous, and its' details are not known.

Talking to Turkish reporters after the meeting, Gül once again announced that Varosha was not on the table. "Varosha has nothing to do with these things. It can only be brought to table during talks for a permanent solution," said Gül. Greek Cypriot administration is asking for the return of Varosha to its "legal inhabitants" for the implementation of direct trade regulation.

Joining NATO meeting in Brussels after attending the Lebanon Donors Conference in Paris, Gül reiterated that Turkey would keep honoring its promises for Afghanistan. Gül announced Turkey would take over the central regional command around Kabul in April and the number of Turkish troops would increase from 800 to 950. Turkey has been training Afghan military and police cadets in Turkey.

On the same issue, Istanbul NTV online (26.01.07) reports that the Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul who is attending a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels, pointing out that the formula to be proposed by Germany, current holder of EU presidency, about direct trade with North Cyprus had not been finalized yet, emphasized that Maras (occupied fenced city of Varosha) could not be one of the topics to be discussed during negotiations about that issue.

[06] Rasit Pertev evaluates his contacts in Brussels and Berlin on the EU Direct Trade Regulation

Presidential Undersecretary Rasit Pertev has said that the obstacles by the European Union have caused imbalance between exports and imports from the Union.

Mr. Pertev has returned to the Republic after completing his contacts in Brussels and Berlin.

Speaking to the BRT newsroom, Mr. Pertev evaluated his contacts in Brussels and Berlin on the implementation of the EUs Direct Trade Regulation and said that he found the opportunity to express the Turkish Cypriot Sides views to EU officials.

Noting that trade between the EU and the TRNC is still continuing, the Presidential Undersecretary said that the important thing is the imbalance between imports and exports.

Rasit Pertev explained that the TRNCs imports from the bloc are over 1 billion US Dollars while exports from the TRNC to European countries are less then 20 million US Dollars.

As the TRNC is able to import from the European Union, the bloc should not raise difficulties to TRNC products Mr. Pertev said.

[07] Erdogan Sorakin: Employment of a Turkish Cypriot teacher in the South will not help us to reach our goals

The Acting Greek Cypriot Minister of Education and Culture, Interior Minister Neoklis Silikiotis has announced that the Ministry will employ a Turkish Cypriot teacher for the Turkish Cypriot students in the South.

The President of the Cyprus Turkish Teachers Union Sener Elcil and the Undersecretary for the TRNC Ministry of Education and Culture Erdogan Sorakin have both reacted to the decision.

Commenting on the decision, the President of the Cyprus Turkish Teachers Union Sener Elcil told the BRT newsroom that the main aim of the Greek Cypriot Administrations latest initiative is to cover up the ongoing legal struggle regarding the issue and reminded that 3 Turkish Cypriot teachers who are currently employed there are not primary school teachers but high school teachers.

Meanwhile, the Undersecretary for the TRNC Ministry of Education and Culture Erdogan Sorakin said that the Turkish Cypriot Side wants the school in South Cyprus to be equivalent to the Greek Cypriot School in Karpaz.

Stating that the curriculum in the North should also be applied at the school in the South, Mr. Sorakin said that this will not be possible with the employment of Turkish Cypriot teachers.

Employment of a Turkish Cypriot teacher in the South will not help us to reach our goals, he added.

Currently more than 50 Turkish Cypriot students are enrolled at the school in Limassol, in south Cyprus.

[08] Ankara issued a warning to the Lebanon after the agreement signed between Beirut and Nicosia on the demarcation of the territorial waters

As the paper writes, the leader of the Greek Cypriot section Papadopoulos, divided into 13 oil regions the surrounding area of the island, including the TRNC territorial waters. Subsequently, Papadopoulos signed with the Lebanon an agreement for limiting the economic zone aiming to benefit from the oil and natural gas deposits.

Ankara issued a diplomatic note using strong expressions to Beirut on the issue. Ankara called to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs the Ambassador of the Lebanon to Ankara and conveyed to him the diplomatic note. At the same time the Ambassador of Turkey to Beirut Irfan Acar conveyed the diplomatic note to the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With the note Ankara sent the following message to the Lebanon: Be careful, you are following a way of behaving that violates the rights of countries with common coast in the Mediterranean. You cannot act without asking us. The price of this will be extremely heavy.

In the diplomatic note it was also emphasized that because the Mediterranean Sea is a half-closed sea, cooperation is necessary on the issue of exploiting the common continental shelf. In the note it was also stressed that the whole world must be aware of Turkeys sensitivity on the Cyprus issue.

The diplomatic note also emphasized that the Greek Cypriots do not represent the Turkish Cypriots legally and de facto and that they are not authorised to include the Turkish Cypriots in a bilateral agreement. Ankara also demanded that from now on the Lebanese administration asks Ankaras opinion regarding the agreements it is planning to have with the Greek Cypriots on this issue.

Ankara, which took into consideration the fact that the Greek Cypriots are in close cooperation with Egypt on this issue, did not hesitate to issue a warning to the administration in Cairo with intensive diplomatic contacts. On the Greek Cypriots wish, to sign some agreements on the issue of oil and natural gas with Egypt, before even the agreement with the Lebanon, Turkey sent a diplomatic note with strong terms to Egypt as well. According to Turkeys demand, Egypt should avoid taking more steps on this issue.

[09] Talat warns of tension if oil agreements go ahead

Despite protestations by Turkey and the KKTC (Tr. Note: Illegal occupation regime in north Cyprus) the Greek Cypriots have passed a law allowing foreign oil companies to search for oil all around the island including KKTC territorial waters. Chinese and Norwegian companies are lining up to look for oil in the 12 areas around the island. The Greek Cypriots are making research agreements with Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.

The Greek Cypriot administration has in recent years made secret agreements with neighboring countries conducting oil surveys in the Eastern Mediterranean. The other day they passed a law enabling oil surveys to be carried out all around the island. The Greek Cypriot administration, which has declared KKTC territorial waters as its own, divided the area around the island into 12 zones. Planning to open oil survey bids for each zone separately, the Greek Cypriots have announced that Chinese and Norwegian companies are lining up to receive permission. Norwegian oil survey companies announced last month that they had discovered 8 billion barrels or $400 billion of oil reserves around the island.

In 2005 the Greek Cypriot administration signed an agreement with Egypt identifying economic zones in the sea, and signed a similar agreement with Lebanon last month. The Greek Cypriots have most recently contacted Syria.

Subtitle: Tensions will increase

KKTC President Mehmet Ali Talat reacted harshly to the Greek Cypriots giving permission to look for and drill oil in the Eastern Mediterranean, and to them signing agreements with neighboring countries. Talat sent letters to each of the governments with whom the Greek Cypriots have signed agreements warning: "The agreements signed with the Republic of Cyprus are invalid. Approval is also required from the Turkish Cypriots. If you put these agreements into effect tensions will increase." Turkey has passed on a similar warning to the government of Lebanon earlier.

After Turkey and the KKTC had signed an oil agreement with Lebanon outlining economic zones in the Mediterranean Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos said: "Turkey may obstruct these agreements. Therefore, any kind of oil agreement, even those made with private companies, will be made in secret."

[10] A two thousand seven hundred year old tomb stone was discovered in occupied Salamina

As the paper writes two human figures and a lion with a human head appears in relief at the stone. The paper also notes that the tomb stone is the most monumental stone of its kind ever found in the occupied areas of Cyprus.

(CS)

/SK

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article