Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 07-01-30

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[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ekenoglu: If we had not said yes in the referendum, Turkey would still have been accused as occupier in Europe.

[02] A message for opening a representation of TRNC in Riyadh was conveyed to a Saudi Arabian delegation which is visiting Turkey.

[03] EU term president Germany is planning to open three chapter headings to negotiation with Turkey. It will also work on trade with occupied Cyprus.

[04] Soyer has been invited to Germany; European MPs of Turkish origin to visit the occupied areas of Cyprus through illegal Tymbou airport.

[05] Mehmet Ali Talat says he is ready to meet Tassos Papadopoulos.

[06] This Country is ours Platform visited AKEL leader Dimitris Christofias.

[07] The Czech Ambassador Martin Vavra paid a visit to the Communal Liberation Party.

[08] EU Parliament Contact Group says KKTC isolation stems from illegal occupation .

[09] Swedish Minister in Ankara.

[10] Turkish police detained Al-Qa´ida suspects who were reportedly preparing to go to Afghanistan and Chechenya.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[11] Columnist in VAKIT newspaper argues that Trabzon is more important than Incirlik for the US plans in the region.

[12] Columnist in MILLIYET assesses the current Turkish army´s policies through the statements of the Commander of the Turkish Land Forces after he visited the areas of Cyprus under Turkish occupation for more than 32 years.

[13] Columnist in Ozgur Gundem argues that nothing was done about the Nizam-I Alem Order of the Hearths which reportedly sends militants Chechenya, Bosnia, Azerbaijan and Kosovo.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ekenoglu: If we had not said yes in the referendum, Turkey would still have been accused as occupier in Europe

The Speaker of the Assembly Fatma Ekenoglu, who is a doctor and is said to have been a good doctor when she was exercising the profession, has finally returned to the island after a tiring trip to Turkey. Ekenoglu who assimilated the stereotype political literature, like Talat and Soyer, did not find it very difficulty yesterday to explain her impressions from Turkey. That statement, which she made, however, did not escape the attention. If we had not said yes in the referendum, she said, Turkey would still have been accused as occupier in Europe. Did you see how we saved our occupier without having been saved from occupation!

(ITs)

[02] A message for opening a representation of TRNC in Riyadh was conveyed to a Saudi Arabian delegation which is visiting Turkey

A delegation of deputies from the Saudi Arabian Parliament met members of Turkey-Saudi Arabia Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group in the Turkish Parliament on Monday.

The friendship group's chairman Mehmet Ceylan told reporters that the friendship group between the two countries was established in April of 2004 and has 57 members.

Ceylan said that there is enough potential to develop cooperation between Turkey and Saudi Arabia in textiles, shipping, energy, electronic and agriculture sectors.

Noting that Ziraat Bankasi of Turkey applied to open a branch in Saudi Arabia in 2004 but it has not received a response yet, Ceylan requested a response from the Saudi Arabian officials.

Ceylan said that Turkey is expecting support of Saudi Arabian parliamentarians in bilateral and multilateral platforms for lifting of pressures and restrictions over Turkish Cypriots. He also asked their support for opening of a representation of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in Riyadh like the ones in London, Washington D.C. and Brussels.

Criticizing that Turkish broadcast which was made via Jeddah radio since 1976 ended 10 days ago, Ceylan said that it caused concern among Turkish people and Turkish businessmen who are working in Saudi Arabia.

He added that necessary applications were made for resumption of the Turkish broadcast, and he asked help from Saudi Arabian parliamentarians.

Later Turkish Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Mehmet Dulger hosted a luncheon in honour of the guest parliamentarians.

[03] EU term president Germany is planning to open three chapter headings to negotiation with Turkey. It will also work on trade with occupied Cyprus

EU term president Germany is planning to open three chapter headings to negotiation with Turkey in its six month term of presidency.

According to sources, Germany aims to open, "enterprise and industrial policy" chapter heading to negotiation with Turkey either at the end of March or in the beginning of April. EU after the decision to freeze negotiations in eight of the chapter headings with Turkey, had asked Turkey to submit its position paper on "enterprise and industrial policy" chapter.

Turkey is expected to finish its position paper on "enterprise and industrial policy" chapter and submit it to the EU in a few days. After that the European Commission will prepare the common position paper for the EU which will take about five weeks. With the approval of the common position paper by the member states, the intergovernmental conference will convene to start negotiations with the participation of either the Minister of State and Chief EU Negotiator Ali Babacan or the Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

EU term president Germany had also invited Turkey to prepare its position papers on the "statistics" and "economic and monetary policy" chapter headings last month and is expecting to open these chapter headings to negotiation in June.

EU sources also state Germany is determined in getting the direct trade statute approved and is planning to come up with a plan that is acceptable to both sides in the island. Germany is planning to finalize its efforts in the last two months of its presidency after the presidential election in Turkey is held.

[04] Soyer has been invited to Germany; European MPs of Turkish origin to visit the occupied areas of Cyprus through illegal Tymbou airport

Mr Ozuslu publishes a letter from Ozan Ceyhun, German of Turkish origin former Member of the European Parliament, who had played a significant role in the visit of the German MPs to the occupied areas.

According to the letter, the MPs of SPD in cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce have invited to the occupied areas of Cyprus MPs of Turkish origin from Germany, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

The above-mentioned visit is expected to take place in the end of March and the MPs will travel through the illegal Tymbou airport.

(ITs)

[05] Mehmet Ali Talat says he is ready to meet Tassos Papadopoulos

President Mehmet Ali Talat has repeated his readiness to meet with the Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopoulos in March. The President also made it clear that the Turkish Cypriot People is holding rights over all natural resources of the island.

Answering reporters questions during a stone-laying ceremony in Lefkosia, President Talat explained that he and the Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopoulos should come together in March in line with the timetable drawn up by the UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari, to decide on whether there is the necessary ground for the resumption of comprehensive negotiations on the Cyprus problem.

Accusing the Greek Cypriot Administration of playing for time, President Talat complained that neither the technical committees nor the experts working groups started to work because of the Greek Cypriot Sides approach.

The President said that he is ready to meet with the Greek Cypriot Leader Tassos Papadopoulos even if the necessary ground will not be ready but expressed doubt whether Mr Papadopoulos will accept to meet with him.

Responding to a question concerning the use of natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean, the President pointed out that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus made its position over the issue very clear and said that the Turkish Cypriot People has the right to benefit from all natural resources of the island. He also stressed that the Turkish Cypriot people will never accept to hand over its rights over the island.

Adding that his earlier comments on the issue should not be taken as a threat, the President said he had just warned that the continuation of a debate on the use of oil in the eastern Mediterranean could stir up tension in the region.

[06] This Country is ours Platform visited AKEL leader Dimitris Christofias

A delegation from the ceiling organization paid a visit to the Speaker of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives AKEL Leader Christofias.

During the meeting, representatives from the Platform and Mr Christofias reached consensus. On the need to open a gate at Lokmaci at the end of a procedure similar to those followed prior to the opening of other border gates between the two sides.

During the meeting which was held at the AKEL headquarters in South Lefkosia, developments concerning the opening of a gate at Lokmaci and the Cyprus issue were discussed. At the end of the meeting, the Speaker of the Greek Cypriot House of Representatives AKEL Leader Dimitris Christofias and the Head of the Union of Cyprus Turkish Craftsmen and Artisans Hurrem Tulga held a joint press conference.

Mr Christofias told reporters that everyone is in support of the resumption of the work necessary for the opening of a gate at Lokmaci with the mediation of the United Nations.

He stated that his party has been working on the issue in line with the joint statement issued at the end of a meeting between officials from AKEL and the Republican Turkish Party. He also noted that the Cyprus issue was among the main topics discussed at the meting.

Responding to a question put to him about the findings of a public opinion poll in the North, he said that the people of Cyprus was made up of two communities and added that the way for a solution to the Cyprus problem passes through the acceptance of a bi-zonal federation.

For his part, the Head of the Union of Cyprus Turkish Craftsmen and Artisans Hurrem Tulga whose Union is one of the NGOs forming the `This Country is Ours Platform- stressed the need to take mutual steps towards removing the problems being faced.

He also said that consensus was reached during the meeting that a gate should be opened at Lokmaci at the end of a procedure followed prior to the opening of other gates between the two sides. A delegation from the This Country is Ours Platform will visit the Mayor of South Lefkosia Eleni Mavrou on Friday.

[07] The Czech Ambassador Martin Vavra paid a visit to the Communal Liberation Party

The Czech Ambassador Martin Vavra paid a visit to the Communal Liberation Party (TKP) this morning.

During the meeting at the TKP headquarters in Lefkosia, the Czech Ambassador Vavra and the TKP Leader Huseyin Angolemli exchanged views on the latest developments on the Cyprus issue.

At the end of the meeting, the TKP Leader Huseyin Angolemli told reporters that various issues were discussed during the meeting between the Czech Ambassador and the party officials.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, Mr Angolemli said the Turkish Cypriot people lost its rights stemming from the 1960 Constitution in 1964 as a result of wrong policies of the past and added that these mistakes were continued until the Greek Cypriot Sides European Union membership in 2004.

He also expressed the view that rights of the Turkish Cypriot people were given second priority as a result of the policies giving first priority to the lifting of the international isolation.

Accusing the government of not waging the necessary struggle to defend the social rights of the People, like the Turkish Cypriot Peoples representation within the EU and the acceptance of Turkish as an official EU language, the TKP leader expressed the hope that similar mistakes will not be made about the oil in eastern Mediterranean. Complaining that the Greek Cypriot side does not want to share power with the North, Mr Angolemli called on the President and political parties within the Republic to defend the rights of the Turkish Cypriot People in the Mediterranean.

[08] EU Parliament Contact Group says KKTC isolation stems from illegal occupation

In a surprising move, the European Parliament Contact Group with Turkish Cypriots in a draft report declared that the isolation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) stemmed from an illegal occupation.

The draft prepared by the eight-member group said the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community is still very tangible but diagnoses the problem as illegal occupation. Most of these problems stem from the fact that the northern part of the island is under the control of an authority that is not internationally recognized because it is the result of an illegal occupation, the draft stated.

Aside from diagnosing the problem as illegal occupation, the draft strongly supports the implementation of direct trade, calls for permanent dialogue with the Turks and the creation of an ombudsman to listen to Turks complaints. The draft also strongly emphasizes that a genuine solution can only be reached under UN auspices.

The Greek Cypriots have strongly reacted to the draft. According to the Greek Cypriot press, the Greek Cypriot members of the European Parliament and the Foreign Ministry of Greek Cypriot administration would launch initiatives to prevent permanent dialogue with the KKTC.

Seen by Todays ZAMAN, the six-page draft outlines four critical proposals to help end the isolation and proposes steps towards a solution:

- Ending the isolation of the northern part of the island: In keeping with Parliaments resolutions, the group consistently supports the efforts made by the commission and the council presidency to secure an agreement that would enable the council to adopt the regulation on direct trade with the Turkish Cypriot community, a regulation the Council will consider again in 2007.

- Facilitating contact between the Turkish Cypriot community and the Parliament: The Contact Group plans to step up its role in facilitating contact between the Turkish Cypriot community and the EU Parliament at all political and civil society levels with a view to establishing permanent dialogue with that community. The Contact Group could be given a role similar to that of ombudsman for the Turkish Cypriot community. An e-mail address could be created for suggestions or requests. With that in mind, a permanent secretariat for the Contact Group with a larger staff complement would first need to be established.

- Facilitating contacts between the two communities: the Contact Group plans to step up its efforts to support the organization of political events involving both communities and events involving civil society, in particular in the areas of trade, education and sport.

- The Contact Group wishes to make clear that the isolation of the northern part of the island can be brought to an end only as part of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue under the auspices of the United Nations, a settlement that requires genuine political will on the part of each of the parties concerned.

[09] Swedish Minister in Ankara

Swedish Minister of European Affairs Cecila Malmstrom arrived in Ankara on Monday.

Malmstrom, who will start her meetings tomorrow, will meet Turkish FM Abdullah Gul, State Minister & Chief Negotiator for EU talks Ali Babacan and State Minister Nimet Cubukcu. Malmstrom will also hold meetings in Istanbul and then depart from Turkey on January 31st.

[10] Turkish police detained Al-Qa´ida suspects who were reportedly preparing to go to Afghanistan and Chechenya

Simultaneous operations have been staged against the terrorist organization Al-Qa'ida in four provinces, including Istanbul. The operations resulted in the detention of 46 persons.

The operations were conducted concurrently in Istanbul, Kocaeli, Izmir, and mainly Konya in the early hours of the morning.

In the course of the operations, conducted with the participation of special operations policemen, homes where the suspects stayed were raided.

As of now 25 persons in Konya, 16 persons in Istanbul, three persons in Izmir, two persons in the Gebze district of Kocaeli have been detained. The 16 persons detained in Istanbul have been sent to Konya.

The officials disclosed that the operation was launched after one and a half years of intelligence and technical surveillance work and that the number of detentions may increase.

Twenty-five persons were detained in the operation conducted in Konya against Al-Qa'ida by squads from the Counterterrorism Department. The suspects caught in Konya were sent to the Model Hospital of Konya.

Three people were detained in the course of the operation in Izmir. Documents related to the organization and a pistol was reportedly captured in the homes of these persons.

The suspects, who have reportedly been linked to and acting at the instructions of the organization for a long time, have been sent to Konya. One of the detained persons said that they are not affiliated with Al-Qa'ida in any way. He said: "They should catch the real culprits. We have not committed any crimes. The organizational documents they say they found in our home are items that can be found in the home of any Muslim."

Two persons were detained in the Gebze district of Kocaeli on charges of being affiliated with Al-Qa'ida.

The persons detained in the operation are Selami O. and Hakan K., who were earlier detained in another operation against Al-Qa'ida in Istanbul but were later released. The suspects were reportedly preparing to go to Afghanistan and Chechnya. Two computers and several CD's were seized in the suspects' home.

The two detained persons will reportedly be sent to Konya after their processing is completed.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[11] Columnist in VAKIT newspaper argues that Trabzon is more important than Incirlik for the US plans in the region

In addition to his other comments Veli Kucuk uttered a sentence during his telephone interview that was published in Vatan several days ago. He talked about youths who are being taken to Israel.

This sentence, which had been dragged in, had drawn my attention. And now Guler Komurcu explained in one of her recent articles the reason behind the United States's interest in Trabzon.

Those who have read my article the day before yesterday will recall that this interest is not something new, that it goes back to the 1979's, and that it is related to what had happened to Hasan Fehmi Gunes.

Trabzon is a key location in terms of Greek, Armenian, Georgian, Iranian, and Azeri operations. Trabzon has recently become an extremely important key town in terms of the energy region. It is one of Turkey's important gates to Iran. You should not be astonished if clashes erupt between the Shiites and the Sunnis in Trabzon in the days ahead. If one day the United States launches an operation Liberation [Azad] in Azerbaijan between the two Azerbaijans, Trabzon's importance will be multiplied by two. Or youths from Trabzon may be needed in new clashes that will erupt between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

If you investigate Trabzon's past, you will see that it is not more homogenous than the southeast. You will encounter many subidentities such as Turkish, Laz, Greek, Armenian, Georgian and Circassian in Trabzon and its surrounding.

Do not say: What do the United States and Israel have to do with Trabzon! The United States's defense starts from Trabzon! Trabzon is as important as Incirlik. Sinop had been important in the past and now Trabzon has become important. Samsun is the second important city in the Black Sea region.

Families whose children study in Trabzon should pay attention to their children. So should the media and the nongovernmental organizations [NGO's]. A large number of spies disguised as missionaries, tourists, and journalists go around in this region. Some of them market religion, while others market socialism; some market ideology, others market Kemalism, and some others market micro nationalism based on ethnicity.

The developments show that Trabzon has been placed on the counter.

It is not sufficient to dismiss the governor and the security director, it is also necessary to be careful when appointing the officials who are supposed to replace them. This will not work with persons who do things on a day-to-day basis. Those who do not take risks cannot serve in such critical posts. The governor who has been dismissed had reportedly worked as administrative inspector in the past. In the purchase of the busses for the Ankara Municipality he had reportedly decided that it is necessary to take the matter to the judicial authorities due to the fact that the Ankara Municipality had decided not to purchase the busses from MAN, represented by Koman's brother, but it had preferred another brand with suitable conditions. Despite the fact that the court decided on acquittal, this is what happens if matters are handled with the mentality of "given that a complaint has been lodged from the top and given that we are dealing with Koman's brother, let me give a negative report and let the court decide."

These people are also right. If you dismiss a bureaucrat who has refused to carry out the minister's instructions even if this order is illegal or if you dismiss a prosecutor who tries to investigate corruption cases, this is the bill that you will have to pay. Which bureaucrat will dare to take risks? If you distort the truth, one day they will put on your table your share of the profits of standing by the side of the powerful.

How can a bureaucrat fulfill a duty that the prime minister, the ministers, and the under secretaries do not have the courage to fulfill. If he does, he will be told "not to act like Don Quixote." Is it not true that the bureaucrat in the next corridor is able to see how scared a certain minister is from a certain media group? If the imam acts in a certain manner, the community will do even worse things.

I asked about the dismissed governor. The AKP [Justice and Development Party] grass roots are familiar with him. Nevertheless, the result is out in the open. Guler Komurcu says: "Small murderers are selected especially from Trabzon. This is because the Trabzon Province and the Trabzon Port are extremely important from the geo-strategic standpoint in a possible US operation against Iran. 'Trabzon' and the Trabzon Port are very important in terms of both the Caucasus and Iran. We all know that the residents of Trabzon adopt a strong national stand and that their national endurance is also very strong. Therefore certain people have created turmoil in order to immediately weaken Trabzon's national resistance and they have ensured that it is quarantined in the international arena."

According to Prof Umit Ozdag, in addition to the Greater Middle East Project, the United States wants Trabzon as a base for the eastern Black Sea Region. In other words, efforts are being made to create a northeast problem without resolving the southeast problem. Trabzon will replace Diyarbakir in the northeast project. The Black Sea has turned into the center of oil pipelines, weapon smuggling, drug and human trafficking. The United States actually wants to use the Trabzon Airport as a base for urgent interventions as well. In terms of the EU there is the NATO membership of Ukraine and Georgia. The Black Sea region is not calmer than the Middle East. In the Middle East the United States is not facing a very powerful country, but there is Russia in the northeast. It is imposing pressure on Ankara on this issue. As a result of these facts, in addition to the regional states, international intelligence organizations also follow the developments in the region closely.

The residents of Trabzon should see this. If they do not embrace the region now, the northeast will become worse than the southeast! It is impossible to overcome this problem by challenging others, by chanting nationalist slogans, or by carrying guns. On the contrary, certain people will incite the process. Support will be extended to prostitution, alcohol, drugs, and gambling. The missionary activities will increase. Micro nationalism will be supported. Religious flows and opposite flows as well as nationalist flows and opposite flows will be supported. We had seen this movie in the past. We are facing a professional force. The regional media organs and the regional NGO's should act with utmost meticulousness. There is need for a strong administrative structure in the region. If control is not established today, the future will be worse than the past.

This region is not only affected by Turkey's internal affairs. The developments in Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Iran also have a strong impact on the region. Therefore Russia's interest in the region will gradually increase. A Natasha may not be just a Natasha. A businessman may not just be a businessman. A missionary may not be just a missionary. The local actors in Trabzon and the deputies of Trabzon should be careful about this issue as well. If the control is lost in Trabzon, these problems will spread to the entire region. If certain people are trying to resolve this problem by giving guns to 17-year-old children and by having them shoot people and explode bombs here and there, they are doing exactly what the other side wants them to do. Let us see this. They are making things worse when trying to be helpful.

If Turkey does not use its chances, it may give away all its cards to the other side. Its chances may turn into its misfortune. Defending Trabzon should not start from Trabzon. Rather, it should start from its nearest point and from Ukraine and Georgia and from Yerevan. The actual defense line should be Moscow. We are not facing a desperate and hopeless situation that cannot be resolved. The real problem is in our head. The actual problem is inside us. Maybe these striking facts will make us open our eyes. The problem does not stem from the strength of the enemy, but it stems from our weakness and messiness. The existence of the devil is not the only reason behind our sins.

[12] Columnist in MILLIYET assesses the current Turkish army´s policies through the statements of the Commander of the Turkish Land Forces after he visited the areas of Cyprus under Turkish occupation for more than 32 years

The speech given by Land Forces Commander General Ilker Basbug in the KKTC [occupied areas of Cyprus] shows the manner in which the TSK [Turkish Armed Forces] reads the Cyprus issue at this stage. When observed, the points emphasized by General Basbug reveal a line. This line shows a sort of disappointment felt as a result of the developments that have occurred in spite of the acceptance of the Annan plan. Furthermore it also includes messages regarding the KKTC. Chief of Staff General Yasar Buyukanit had also drawn attention to the fact that the Greek Cypriot side refuses to change its stand in spite of the steps that are constantly being taken by the KKTC administration with the support of Ankara. He had also drawn attention to the fact that the principle of reciprocity does not work between the two sides. When we look at General Basbug's speech from this standpoint, it is possible to say that it reminds the KKTC administration and the international community of certain points.

"A national and common problem"

The emphasis put on the fact that the Cyprus issue is a "national and common problem" in terms of Turkey and the KKTC tops the list of the points that General Basbug wants to remind the international community and the KKTC administration of.

This emphasis underlines that the international community and the KKTC cannot act by "ignoring Turkey" where the Cyprus issue is concerned. It also lists the legal and the political reasons behind this fact.

General Basbug recalls the Republic of Cyprus's foundation, guarantee, and alliance agreements that were signed on 16 August 1960. He puts on the agenda the rights granted to and the responsibilities laid on Turkey as a guarantor state. The emphasis on the "common problem" stems from this.

Recalling that, as mentioned in the agreements ensuring the security and the defense of the Turkish Cypriot people are at the top of Turkey's responsibilities, Basbug draws attention to the "national" side of the matter.

The message conveyed by General Basbug is that the Cyprus problem has a "common and national" nature in terms of Turkey and the KKTC.

Which Cyprus?

The message conveyed by General Basbug to the international community asks: Which Cyprus is the "Republic of Cyprus" that has become an EU member?

The land forces commander draws attention to the fact that south Cyprus that has been accepted as a member by the EU on grounds that it represents the entire island is not the Republic of Cyprus that had been established in 1960 and that used to represent the common will of the two peoples. He also stresses that south Cyprus does not represent the Turkish Cypriot people and that the will of the Republic of Cyprus is irrelevant without the will of the two peoples.

Bizonality

Everyone knows that south Cyprus has been trying to change the reality of "bizonality" especially after becoming an EU member. It is not a secret that the Greek Cypriot Administration is trying to ensure that its sovereignty is recognized in the north of the island and that it is trying to destroy the bizonal structure that has two communities and two democracies. The Greek Cypriot Administration claims that it is the only sovereign power on the island. During this process it is making intensive efforts for ensuring that the Turkish Cypriots also accept Greek Cypriot sovereignty. And this shows that the Greek Cypriot Administration will not accept a solution that calls for a roof state that is based on two sovereign states.

General Basbug emphasizes and draws attention to this fact. He states that if bizonality is destroyed, the future of the Turkish Cypriot people will be "mortgaged." General Basbug's speech puts to the fore the essence of the problem and it conveys a message to the effect that "no one should deceive himself."

[13] Columnist in Ozgur Gundem argues that nothing was done about the Nizam-I Alem Order of the Hearths which reportedly sends militants Chechenya, Bosnia, Azerbaijan and Kosovo

It has emerged that, to date, nothing has been done regarding the Nizam-i Alem [(Divine) Order of the World] Hearths, which came onto the agenda with the killing of AGOS newspaper general editor Hrant Dink, and that, to the contrary, the questions that have been posed have remained unanswered. A striking motion of interpellation in the documents from the 19th session of the 4th legislative year of the 20th Parliament, which are included among the minutes of the National Assembly's General Session, contain important information regarding the Nizam-i Alem Hearths. Yet the facts pointed out in the motion, toward which the 55th government showed no interest, confront us today with rather weighty consequences. The motion deals with the Nizam-i Alem Hearths, which were the foundation for the Alperen Hearths, connected to the BBP [Great Unity Party], with which those implicated in the Dink murder were affiliated. The motion cites a certain unit of 5 thousand people connected to the Hearths. The information in question had also been reflected in Balkan newspapers as well. In late 1998, a motion of interpellation, for response by the Interior Minister, was introduced by Erzincan Parliamentary Deputy Mustafa Kul regarding the Nizam-i Alem Hearths, which were affiliated with the BBP, in which Okkes Sendiller ([originally named Okkes] Kenger), the number-one figure in the Kahraman Maras massacre [of December 1978, in which leftist Alevis were attacked by ultranationalists], was an MYK [Central Executive Board] member. The motion contained the following striking information and questions: "The Nizam-i Alem Hearths are endeavoring to establish a 5-thousand-person military force, consisting of people who have completed their military service, in order to strengthen the Kosovo Liberation Army. To date, over 2,500 volunteers have applied to the Nizam-i Alem Hearths, which began its efforts by saying that it was doing this not in order to fight, but for humanitarian purposes. 1. Is this military force that the Nizam-i Alem Hearths are seeking to establish legal, and, if it is not legal, are you going to do anything on this issue? 2. Does this force, which efforts are being made to establish, not create any problems from the standpoint of international conventions? 3. Would a 5-thousand-strong force undergoing military training not constitute a potential danger from the standpoint of our country?"

At that time, in the coalition government between ANAP [Motherland Party] and the DSP [Democratic Left Party], the Prime Minister was Mesut Yilmaz, and the Deputy Prime Ministers were Bulent Ecevit and Ismet Sezgin. The Interior Minister was Kutlu Aktas. Kutlu Aktas provided a written response to the motion on 17 November, 1998. This response, which was filed with the minutes of 21 November, which showed that the government was covering up the matter, and which was not based on any research or investigation, was as follows: "In connection with the questions contained in the motion of interpellation, no information or documentation exists in our records regarding the claim that an armed force is being established by the Nizam-i Alem Hearths in order to strengthen the Kosovo Liberation Army." The information in question regarding the Nizam-i Alem Hearths was also published in the 27 April 1999 issue of the newspaper EXOUSIA, published in Athens. The newspaper, which reported the topic under the heading "Turkish Organizations Behind Albanian Gangs", pointed out the following: "The Kosovo Liberation Army [UCK] is organized on the basis of narcotics smuggling, counterfeiting, and financial assistance from abroad." According to the information, it was seen as very interesting that the Nizam-i Alem Hearths in Turkey were planning to establish a volunteer force in order to support the UCK. The questions that remained unanswered extend into even different dimensions today. Included among the basic questions that need to be investigated are information to the effect that [retired General] Veli Kucuk, who was involved in the Susurluk affair, came up in the Dink killing, that he was engaged in organizing in Azerbaijan, and had conducted activities in the Black Sea region, that militants had been brought to Turkey in order to be trained within the framework of the activities conducted there, and that Idealist [Turkish Ulkucu, referring to right-wing ultra-nationalists] militants had been sent from Turkey to Chechnya, Bosnia, Azerbaijan, and Kosovo. It is a matter of interest to what degree the government, after having removed the Governor and the Security Director, will put under the microscope those regions, and particularly Trabzon, where the organizations coming out of the Nizam-i Alem Hearths tradition, such as the Alperen Hearths, are organized. The basic questions that could be asked might be as follows: How many people with connections to the Alperen Hearths and the Idealist Hearths have gone to date to Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya, or Kosovo? How many people have been trained in the Krouyia [as published] Camp in the Balkans? How many people have come back, and when? Where are they all now? How many people are active in the Hearths following their return?

/SK

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