Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 07-03-12

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Cypriot newspaper: s there Troops reduction?

[02] Mehmet Ali Talat s statements in Azerbaijan

[03] Talat stated that preconditions are unacceptable for the opening of the Ledra Street check point

[04] Erdogans statement regarding occupied Cyprus in Azerbaijan

[05] How the main Turkish Cypriot papers cover the report on a planned meeting between Papadopoulos and Talat

[06] Ertugruloglu welcomes the opening of border gates

[07] A Turkish Cypriot billionaire has been included in the list of the wealthiest persons in the world

[08] Avci hopes to use foreign graduates to promote the TRNC

[09] The self-styled minister of economy and tourism Enver Ozturk met with the Spokesman for the German FDP parliamentary group Markus Loning

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Cypriot newspaper: s there Troops reduction?

While Turkey continues its EU harmonization work, there are claims that it is making certain concessions in line with the EU demands.

There are claims that Turkey, in line with the EU request had reduced troops in Cyprus. In line with this process part of the military units were shipped back to Turkey secretly.

Subtitle: Barricades are being opened one after the other

It is claimed that there could be an agreement that at the end of the negotiations carried out under the secrecy principle between Turkey and the EU, as well as the pressure exerted on the Greek Cypriot side, as a result of these the wall dividing the Ledra street and the Lokmaci barricade had been demolished, that the road between Pyrgos and Limnitis will be opened to traffic, and that in return Turkey will make some concessions, such as troop withdrawal.

Subtitle: Shopping leaves reduced

It is claimed that the number of Turkish troops who used to go shopping in large numbers a few years ago, is being reduced recently.

Subtitle: No leave for shopping

In recent days the Turkish military units are continuously in move. The military vehicles under traffic police escort are moving from one place to another. These movements make people to believe to speculations that there is troop reduction.

MHY/

[02] Mehmet Ali Talats statements in Azerbaijan

President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Mehmet Ali Talat demanded Friday equal political rights as Greek Cypriots on the divided island of Cyprus.

We do not want anything more than what we have, we just want our own rights for a settlement on Cyprus, Talat told a Baku forum of Turkish diaspora institutions.

Talat also added that isolation of the Turkish Cypriots still continued but the participation of the TRNC delegation at the Forum of World Turkey-Azerbaijan Diaspora Institutions showed that Turkish Cypriots were not alone in the world. "We feel the proper pride of this," he said.

Talat cited an unwavering and unconditional support by Turkey in defending the rightful cause of the Turkish Cypriots.

Talat and accompanying delegation returned from Baku to Istanbul on Saturday and then proceeded for TRNC from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.

[03] Talat stated that preconditions are unacceptable for the opening of the Ledra Street check point

President Mehmet Ali Talat has said it is unacceptable for the Greek Cypriot Administration to raise preconditions for the opening of a gate at Lokmaci.

`The Lokmaci gate will be opened the way the others opened` he told the BRT just after his arrival to the Republic from Baku this morning.

Referring to the latest proposals put forward by the Turkish Cypriot Side, the President said the proposals were presented with the aim of starting the comprehensive negotiations process on the Cyprus issue and making it possible for the two leaders of the island to come together by the end of March.

Pointing out that the soldiers at the Lokmaci are from the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces, the President said `they have got their soldiers on their side and we have got our soldiers on our side in line with our laws`.

Mr Talat said it is unacceptable for the Greek Cypriot Side to raise preconditions on the issue as the Turkish Cypriot Side is not raising preconditions about the presence of soldiers in the area.

Asked to comment on the latest proposals put forward by the Turkish Cypriot Side, the President said that the proposals aim to start the comprehensive negotiations process on the Cyprus issue and to make it possible for the two leaders of the island to come together by the end of March.

Underlining the need to keep the technical committees and experts working groups separate, he said it was envisaged that the technical committees will discuss day-to-day issues while the experts working groups the essence of the Cyprus problem.

Mr Talat pointed out that the Greek Cypriot Side has been trying to bring the issues which are components of the Cyprus problem into the agenda of the technical committees on purpose.

He said at this point, proposals of the two sides will be evaluated and combined.

`If this is achieved`, the President said, `negotiations will start but if not, the talks will collapse or the UN will bring a new method.

The Turkish Cypriot Sides new proposals were tabled by the Presidential Undersecretary Rasit Pertev who met the Chief of the Diplomatic Office of the Greek Cypriot Administration Tassos Tzionis yesterday at the residence of the UN Secretary Generals Special Representative on Cyprus Chief of Mission Michael Moller.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Mr Pertev said that the Turkish Cypriot Side was going to the meeting with new proposals.

Asked to provide more information about their context, he said `the new proposals will create new openings in the 8-July process` but stopped short to provide further details.

[04] Erdogans statement regarding occupied Cyprus in Azerbaijan

Taking the floor in the inauguration of the 1st Forum of World Turkey-Azerbaijan Diaspora Institutions in Baku, Erdogan said, inter alia, that Turkey and Azerbaijan fully supported each other during hard times that the two countries went through.

Erdogan thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for inviting Mehmet Ali Talat to the forum.

"Great cooperation, joint projects and friendly relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan became the source of inspiration for Turks living in other countries," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.

"We have been going through a difficult period. We are living in a critical geography. We have to act carefully because of the developments that have been taking place in the Middle East. We are worried over the situation of Turkmens in Iraq. On the other hand, Turkish Cypriot people have been facing unfair isolations imposed on TRNC (breakaway regime in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus). We can overcome these problems through a sound cooperation and solidarity," Erdogan underlined.

In addition, Ankara Anatolia news agency (09.03.07) also reports that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mehmet Ali Talat and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the new building of Turkish Embassy in Baku.

[05] How the main Turkish Cypriot papers cover the report on a planned meeting between Papadopoulos and Talat

On its first page, Turkish Cypriot daily HALKIN SES0 newspaper (12.03.07), under the title Will Talat and Papadopoulos meet again? , referring to yesterday s Greek Cypriot press, reports that President Papadopoulos was forced to demolish the wall in Ledras Street due to pressure and he may meet with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat under the auspices of a UN high official.

The leading page of Turkish Cypriot YEN0DÜZEN newspaper (12.03.07), under the title A hope for the meeting , reports that besides Talat s proposal to meet with Papadopoulos on 31st of March, it came to the agenda the resumption of the talks between the two sides, regarding the work of the technical committees.

(DPs)

[06] Ertugruloglu welcomes the opening of border gates

GÜNE^ also reports that Mr Ertugruloglu with a party delegation is going today to Ankara to meet with Turkish government officials, as well as with political party leaders. According to a party announcement, the delegation will discuss the latest development of the Cyprus problem and the domestic problems of the occupation regime during its visit to Ankara.

(DPs)

[07] A Turkish Cypriot billionaire has been included in the list of the wealthiest persons in the world

(DPs)

[08] Avci hopes to use foreign graduates to promote the TRNC

The writer of the news item was with the President of the Board of Directors and architect of the Merit Hotels Organization in the TRNC, Mr Reha Arar, the previous weekend, where on Monday he met TRNC President, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat, TRNC Prime Minister, Mr Ferdi Sabit Soyer, Economy and Tourism Minister, Mr Enver Ozturk, and Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Mr Turgay Avci.

Mr Munyar conveys the messages he got from Talat, Soyer, Avci and Ozturk who replied to his questions. The messages we got from them is that first comes the row over Halloumi (Hellim) and second that we made the TRNC a tax heaven, to reach Malta is our target.

About the meeting with Turgay Avci, Mr Munyar writes that being a university professor Mr Avci referred to the universities in detail, after describing his policy as Foreign Minister being: One cannot move the foreign politics by sitting in Lefkosia.

Regarding the graduates of the universities in the occupied areas Mr Avci said: We have thousands of graduates at various points of the world. We see each one of them as honourably representatives of the TRNC. We want to benefit from them for the promotion of the TRNC.

Mr Avci also said that today there are six universities with 40,000 students in the occupied areas. Of them 60% come from Turkey, 30% are of TRNC origin, and 10% from other countries.

At the East Mediterranean University there are 15,000 students, at the Near East University also 15,000, while the remaining 10,000 are distributed in the other four universities.

As regards the countries of origin of the foreign students Mr Avci said they come from Iran, Pakistan, Syria, the Lebanon, Jordan and other countries reaching the number of 70.

(KV)

[09] The self-styled minister of economy and tourism Enver Ozturk met with the Spokesman for the German FDP parliamentary group Markus Loning

Mr Ozturk said that the meeting had given him the opportunity to explain the rightful struggle of the Turkish Cypriots who has been suffering from international isolation.

Stating that the right wing parties in the TRNC (breakaway regime in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus) are not active enough to get in touch with the right wing parties in Europe, Mr Ozturk said his meeting with Mr Loning had been very useful in establishing ties between the two parties.

Noting that the FDP Spokesman Markus Loning had a positive approach towards the Cyprus problem, Mr Ozturk said that they exchanged views on the latest developments on the problem.

He said that during the meeting, Mr Loning expressed the belief that the German EU Term Presidency will take positive steps on the Cyprus problem.

EG/

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