Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 07-06-14

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Reactions to the Turkish Cypriot mass media ban by the Turkish Chief of the General Staff continue

[02] The President of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce met the new Hungarian Ambassador

[03] The so-called interior minister to attend an international conference in Istanbul

[04] Canan Oztoprak: Struggle to include TRNC in the Bologna process continues

[05] Statements by Abdullah Gul and Massimo DŽAlema during their joint press conference in Ankara

[06] Germany to open negotiations with Turkey on three more chapters

[07] Guler comments on his contacts in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[08] Columnist in TODAYS ZAMAN analyses the reason behind the other days Turkish Cypriot mass media ban from the military exercise in the occupied part of Cyprus

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Reactions to the Turkish Cypriot mass media ban by the Turkish Chief of the General Staff continue

Several Turkish Cypriot media establishments were not invited to cover the exercise by the Office of the Turkish Chief of the General Staff in Ankara and were prevented from attending the briefing on the exercise. Media organizations, political parties and newspapers were critical of the decision.

Papers claim that the rescue exercise held off the occupied Vokolida village was successful.

Among the politicians who reacted to the decision was Omer Kalyoncu of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) who said that what has been done is an obstacle against the free access to information.

The leader of the Democrat Party (DP) Serdar Denktas said: This is not a nice situation. This discrimination should not be done.

Mehmet Cakici leader of the Communal Democracy Party (TDP) said: This discrimination is a blow to the freedom of the press.

Ata Tepe of the Nationalist Justice Party (MAP) said: It is a sad event that such thing was experienced. We have to question ourselves.

Izzet Izcan of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) said: It is contempt to our people to divide the media into damaging and useful. It is unacceptable.

Cenk Mutluyakali of YENIDUZEN said: We are not used to this kind of treatment.

Ali Osman Tabak of AFRIKA said: We used to say that we have better democracy than the Greek Cypriots. Where is it?

Dogan Harman of KIBRISLI newspaper said: Discrimination in the press is dangerous.

Hasan Hasturer of KIBRIS newspaper in his turn said: No other discrimination should be placed next to the press discrimination.

Osman Kurt of illegal Bayrak said: It has created the impression that every sector in the TRNC is under the control of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

This Country is Ours Platform officials convened last night and decided to criticize the blacklisting of part of the Turkish Cypriot media establishments.

(MHY)

[02] The President of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce met the new Hungarian Ambassador

The President of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, Mr Erdil Nami, has accused the Greek Cypriot Administration of providing wrong information to ambassadors of foreign countries in the South on the Cyprus issue.

Mr Nami met the newly appointed Hungarian Ambassador Csaba Lovro at the Chambers headquarters today.

During the meeting, Mr Nami and Mr Lovro exchanged views on ways of improving trade relations between the two countries.

A statement issued from the Chamber said that the Hungarian Ambassador Csaba Lovro asked the President of the Chamber of Commerce Erdil Nami if it was true that the TRNC was imposing taxes for goods brought to the North from the South.

Mr Lovro said that this information was given to him by the Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiorgos Lillikas who told him that the Turkish Cypriot Side had rejected the Greek Cypriot Sides offer on establishing joint companies.

Responding to Mr Lovros question, Mr Nami accused the Greek Cypriot Side of providing misleading information to ambassadors with the aim of slandering the Turkish Cypriot Side.

Stating that the Greek Cypriot Side was putting taxes on goods sent to the North from the South, Mr Nami criticized the Greek Cypriot Side for telling ambassadors that it was the Turkish Cypriot Side which was doing this.

He said that such baseless claims were proving the fact that the Greek Cypriot Administration did not want to improve relations between the two sides and accused the Greek Cypriot Side of trying to hinder the development of the Turkish Cypriot economy.

He noted that the Greek Cypriot Side was trying to blockage the economic development of the North by trying to maintain the international isolation on the Turkish Cypriot people and by preventing the implementation of the EU Direct Trade Regulation.

[03] The so-called interior minister to attend an international conference in Istanbul

The Interior Minister Ozkan Murat will attend the 2nd Istanbul Democracy and Global Security Conference which will start tomorrow.

The 2-day Conference will be a forum for dialogue on the issues of democracy and global security.

The Second Istanbul Democracy and Global Security Conference was organized by the Turkish National Police under the auspices of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The conference aims to bring together academicians, lawmen, politicians and high ranking security officials from various countries and international organizations.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Minister of Interior Osman Gunes and the Director of the United Nations Development Programme Kemal Dervis as well as high level officials from around 100 countries were also invited to the Conference.

The Interior Minister Ozkan Murat, together with Police Chief Gunay Ozan and Lefkosia Police Chief Senay Kebapci will also attend the conference, at the end of which, a strategic map is expected to be drawn up for those concerned on security.

[04] Canan Oztoprak: Struggle to include TRNC in the Bologna process continues

The Girne American University Graduation ceremony was held in Girne (occupied Keryneia) last night.

In an address at the ceremony, the Minister of National Education and Culture Canan Oztoprak said that the struggle to include the TRNC universities into the Bolonga process will continue.

350 graduates from the Girne (occupied Keryneia) American University received their diplomas at a ceremony in Girne (occupied Keryneia) last night.

In an address at the ceremony, the GAU Rector professor Hifzi Dogan pointed to the increasing importance of knowledge in the world and said that universities were reshaping the world.

The European Council for Business Education Secretary General Bryan Holden expressed his pleasure of being at the graduation ceremony of the Girne American University, which he said, brought together people having different religions, language, culture and race from many countries around the world.

For her part, the Minister of National Education and Culture Canan Oztoprak said that the universities in the country were promoting the TRNC as well as providing academic education.

Mrs Oztoprak stated that her Ministry would continue to take further steps towards improving academic education in the country with the aim of reaching to international standards.

`Although political obstacles were raised to prevent the TRNC universities inclusion into the Bolonga process, we will work hard to make it possible for our universities to join the process before 2009` she added.

[05] Statements by Abdullah Gul and Massimo DŽAlema during their joint press conference in Ankara

"There is great harmony between Turkey and Italy on political matters. Italy has extended strong support to our EU membership bid since the beginning, and we are pleased to see that this support will continue," Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday.

Turkey and Italy are in close cooperation within NATO, UN and other international organizations, Gul told a joint press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema in Ankara.

"Italy is Turkey's number three trade partner," Gul commented.

According to Gul, trade volume between Turkey and Italy exceeded 12 billion euro last year while he forecast it to reach 15 billion euro this year.Gul noted that about 500 Italian companies are investing in Turkey, and their investments exceeded 1.5 billion euro.

"All these indicate how strong our bilateral relations are," he emphasized.Gul also said that Turkish and Italian companies have close cooperation in energy, and recalled that two countries are cooperating in projects like Blue Stream (natural gas), Samsun-Ceyhan (crude oil), Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (crude oil).On the other hand, Italian Foreign Minister D'Alema said that Italy continues to support Turkey's EU membership bid, and noted that his country will work to launch negotiations with Turkey on three new chapters before Germany hands over the rotating presidency of the EU (at the beginning of July) to Portugal.

D'Alema stated that the Cyprus problem should be solved under the umbrella of the UN, and Italy, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, exerts efforts to this end. Underlining the importance of resumption of talks between the two sides in the island, the Italian foreign minister said that this will also contribute to Turkey's EU membership bid.

Also underlining the importance of presence of Turkish military troops in Afghanistan, D'Alema said that Turkey's initiatives to launch a dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan are also significant.

D'Alema stated that Italy wants stability to be ensured in Iraq and works to this end. "Italy is for territorial integrity of Iraq and wishes that Iraq will cooperate with its neighbours in fight against terrorism," he stressed.

The Italian foreign minister expressed deep sorrow over recent terrorist attacks on civilian people and security forces in Turkey while recalled that Italy and the EU want Turkey to improve human rights and fundamental freedoms."But these demands do never justify attempts of some circles to gain their rights by means of terrorism," he added.

D'Alema said that he does not feel himself guilty for his decision regarding head terrorist Abdullah Ocalan, when he was the prime minister of Italy (in 1998).It was not possible under Italian laws to extradite Ocalan to Turkey since there was death penalty in Turkey those days, D'Alema told a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara.

D'Alema recalled that Italian authorities kept Ocalan in Rome in 1998 upon a demand of the German court, however Germany later refrained from requesting Ocalan's extradition.

"When I think of that day, I do not feel myself guilty (of this decision) since it was in line with the provisions of the Italian Constitution. Secondly, all politicians have to obey the provisions of the Constitution. Turkey abolished death penalty two years later. And, this pleased us," D'Alema said.

It is possible that some of the weapons used may be Italian-made, said D'Alema when commenting on the claims that some weapons used by the terrorist organization PKK in terrorist attacks were brought from Europe, and mines were brought from Italy.

"Because, there were weapons sent to Iraq long years ago and therefore there may be Italian weapons among them. But if some sales are made, I don't think they are made in recent years," he stated.

D'Alema added that there have been firm controls in Italy fo r some time to prevent sale of weapons to terrorist organizations.

Ocalan was caught in Kenyan capital of Nairobi and was brought to Turkey on February 16th, 1999 by Turkish special teams and has been kept in Imrali prison since then.

D'Alema said that he is personally against any cross-border operation. "It will be for the best interests of everybody not to cause more tension in a region which is actually tense," D'Alema told a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Ankara.

D'Alema stated that launching dialogue mechanisms in international platform will be more effective in fight against terrorism.

On the same issue, ANKARA ANATOLIA news agency (13.06.07) reports the following on statements by diplomatic sources on the meeting:

"I strongly support Turkey's EU membership and will do my best to help Turkey in this process, Italian FM Massimo D'Alema told Turkish FM Abdullah Gul on Wednesday.

According to diplomatic sources, D'Alema told Gul that his most important message is the support he extends to Turkey for Turkey's relations with the EU.During their meeting, D'Alema underlined importance of continuity of Turkey-EU relations, and said that minor ups and downs in this process are not important.D'Alema stated that the Cyprus problem should be solved under the roof of the UN, underscored the importance of resumption of direct talks between the two sides in the island, and said that his country will contribute to a possible solution under the banner of the UN.

Affirming that it "is their shame" not to conclude the direct trade regulation, prepared for Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), D'Alema said that this issue should be solved but Turkey should implement the additional protocol to the Customs Union.

During their meeting, the two ministers also discussed bilateral relations, while Gul asked D'Alema's support for Turkey's candidacy for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2009-2010.

[06] Germany to open negotiations with Turkey on three more chapters

The European Commission has completed the necessary work on three chapter headings, on which current EU president Germany wants to open negotiations with Turkey, Krisztina Nagy, the spokesperson of Olli Rehn European Commissioner for enlargement, said on Wednesday.

Germany has stated that it wants to open negotiations with Turkey on three more chapters before it hands over the rotating presidency at the beginning of July, Nagy stated in her regular press briefing.

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said that the enlargement working group, comprised of representatives of member states, has not yet reached a compromise on opening of negotiations on three chapters, and noted that France's stance will be determinant.

During the meetings of enlargement working group, France voiced its drawbacks regarding economic and monetary policy and financial audit chapters.Therefore, France is expected to continue its "diplomatic manoeuvres" to reduce the number of chapter headings on which negotiations with Turkey will be launched.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who visited Brussels after he was elected, stated that his prior agenda was to find a solution to the constitutional crisis of the EU and implied that he would later open Turkey-EU negotiations to discussion.

[07] Guler comments on his contacts in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler has indicated that he held very constructive and fruitful meetings in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.Guler had meetings with Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Karim Masimov and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Baktykozha Izmukhambetov in Astana on Wednesday. He also attended a reception organized by the Association of Kazakh-Turkish Businessmen.

"We held very fruitful talks on energy (with Turkmen and Kazakh authorities). We will also pay a visit to Iran next week. We aim to make Turkey one of largest economies of the world," Guler noted.

On the other hand, Guler is expected to leave Kazakhstan for Turkey on Thursday.

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[08] Columnist in TODAYS ZAMAN analyses the reason behind the other days Turkish Cypriot mass media ban from the military exercise in the occupied part of Cyprus

Executives of the state television station in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) lamented that a team of their correspondents and cameramen was denied permission to follow a maneuver carried out by Turkish military forces deployed on the island and said the ban, imposed for the first time in the KKTC, was a reflection of political tensions in Ankara.

"I don't believe this is solely about the broadcasting of a documentary. This incident should be viewed in consideration of recent political tensions in Turkey," Huseyin Gursan, director-general of the state-owned Bayrak Radio and Television (BRT), told Today's Zaman yesterday.

Gursan was responding to a decision of the Turkish military KKTC Security Forces Command to deny permission to a BRT team to follow an annual search-and-rescue maneuver on Tuesday. The Anatolia news agency said the decision was a response to the BRT's broadcasting of a documentary called "Duvar1m1z" (Our Wall), considered insulting the Turkish military. One of the contributors, a Greek Cypriot woman, called Turkish troops on the island "invaders" in the documentary. Anatolia also said the BRT's removal of the Turkish and KKTC flags from its logo and Web site were also a reason.

The military has refused to grant accreditation to several media organizations in Turkey, but such classification was unprecedented in the KKTC until now.

Vasfi Candan, head of the BRT's executive board, said BRT personnel were read out a statement expressing unease over the documentary and the fact that the BRT stopped showing KKTC flag during opening graphics of its news bulletin on the Internet.

Lamenting that this is the first time Turkish Cypriot journalists have been "blacklisted" by an organization, Candan said the ban was not only against the BRT, adding that several other television channels and newspapers, such as Genc TV, K1br1s TV, Yeni Duzen newspaper and Star Kibris newspaper, were also not allowed to follow the maneuver. "So I don't think it's only about the broadcasting of a documentary," he said.

Turkey sent troops to Cyprus in 1974 to protect Turkish Cypriots from an ethnic cleansing campaign at the hands of the Greek Cypriots following a coup on the island by supporters of the island's annexation by Greece. There are more than 30,000 troops deployed on the island now. Domestic tensions have been rising in the KKTC since a majority of the Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of a UN reunification plan in 2004. President Mehmet Ali Talat's Republican Turks' Party (CTP), which is currently in the government, spearheaded a campaign for a "yes" vote in the referendum.

The pro-reunification BRT has been subject to growing criticism in the KKTC, and a group called the Turkish Cypriot Platform has demanded an investigation into the BRT for broadcasting "Duvarimiz." But Candan played down the criticism, saying it all came from "certain circles who share the same ideological stance."

The documentary is a joint study by Turkish Cypriot Niyazi K1z1lyurek and Greek Cypriot Panicos Chrysanthou from 1993 -- the pair received the prestigious Abdi 0pekci Peace Award in 1997 for their documentaries. The award is presented every two years by a joint Greco-Turkish committee to politicians, artists and academics from Turkey and Greece who have contributed toward increased understanding between the two peoples.

Candan said the criticism against "Duvarimiz" was not fair, saying it could not be broadcast in Greece or Greek Cyprus because its content was considered to be against national interests of the Greeks and the Greek Cypriots.

"When you keep in mind all together the presidential election process, the tension between the Turkish military and the Turkish government and the subsequent republic rallies, then all of these incidents can easily be considered related to the upcoming elections in Turkey," he said.

Basaran Duzgun of Kibris newspaper, which was also banned from entering the military headquarters, said there were only representatives of small newspapers that have negligible daily circulation and that have a conservative line.

Duzgun also said the order to bar the BRT and others came directly from the General Staff headquarters in Ankara. "Since I believe this is completely a political matter, I didn't pay too much attention," he said. "The Turkish military has assumed a heavily political stance recently and the same stance has been imitated here on the island."

A senior Turkish Cypriot official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said these kinds of incidents are damaging to the Turkish Cypriots: "We need to be united in the face of all the difficulties that we've been facing particularly because of being internationally isolated. If there are problems between certain institutions, then parties should sit around a table, talk to each other and resolve those problems; this is the way it should be. Exposing these problems via the media doesn't help anyone, especially the Turkish Cypriots."

Another Turkish Cypriot official highlighted a point that he said should not be missed: "All of those media organizations that were banned favoured voting 'yes' to the UN plan in 2004."

According to Duzgun, the ban is "terribly saddening." He said: "Before 1974, we had prayer sessions at our mosques just because we wanted the Turkish military to come here and rescue us. We begged them for years. It is really so saddening that things have come to a point like this."

EG/

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