Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 07-07-11

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] How of the Turkish Cypriot press covered Talats statement regarding President Papadopoulos proposal to meet

[02] Monica Frassoni accuses Greek Cypriots of hindering the solution in Cyprus

[03] The football match between Centikaya-Luton Town is cancelled

[04] Tough letter by Gul to the USA on PKK

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[05] From the Turkish Press on the elections

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] How of the Turkish Cypriot press covered Talats statement regarding President Papadopoulos proposal to meet

The papers further report about the second part of the press conference during which Mr Talat answered questions put to him by the journalists.

As KIBRIS (11.07.07) reports, when asked whether the UN Secretary-Generals Special Representative in Cyprus Mr Michael Möllers stance had any effect in the failure of the 8 July process, Mr Talat said: It is difficult for me to say that Mr. Möller had exhibited impartial and constructive stance. He has to support and defend the UN jargon. The Cyprus problem is on the UN agenda for the last 44 years. There are a lot of parameters created as a result of a lot of negotiations. Even the words have their sensitivities. The UN representative should own this jargon and the terminology. I cannot say that Mr Möller has acted constructively and impartially.

Mr Talat went on and said that President Papadopoulos did not send him a letter but a proposal through the UN Secretary-Generals representative in Cyprus, Mr Michael Möller. He said that the reports in the Greek Cypriot press which write that Mr Papadopoulos has sent him two letters were not true. He added that Mr Papadopoulos proposal did not include anything new and that it envisages limited negotiations.

The Turkish Cypriot papers covered the press conference with the following titles:

AFRIKA: Talat complains about Möller

KIBRIS: I will meet him; there is a ray of hope

VATAN: The proposal is positive

BAKIS: It is a proposal not a letter: Talat: Möller is not constructive and impartial

GUNES: What a ray of hope?

VOLKAN: There is nothing new in Papadopoulos proposal

KIBRISLI: Talat gave positive reply

SOZCU: Talat said NAI instead of OXI

STAR: Obscure Summit with Papadopoulos

HALKIN SESI: Talat: Möller is not impartial

Commenting on the same issue, columnist Sener Levent writing in Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (11.07.07) under the title He should have invited Kivrikoglu and not Talat, writes, inter alia, the following:

Like it or not, there are two administrations in the island. One of them is the legal. The other one is the occupation administration. There are two governments. Two assemblies. Two constitutions. In reality, we are all under both. In the old days, we were the only ones under the occupation administration. But after the opening of the gates, you, my dear Greek Cypriot brothers, have also begun to be under this rule without wanting it. At least, during the time that you are spending in the occupied areas, you are under the influence of the laws here. Whatever law is in force for us, it is also in force for you here. And the most important, when you are in the occupied areas, the occupation army is responsible for your security.

Let us send a message to Tassos. Dear Tassos, I considered you a clever man. To say the truth, you have surprised me. And you have disappointed me. I have not expected this from you. Why have you addressed this invitation to Talat and not to General Hayri Kivrikoglu? Look how nicely you have resisted until today. You used to say Talat has no say. The key is in Ankara. What has happened now? What has changed? Has the key passed to Talats hands? I have a hard time to understand.

..

General Kivrikoglu inaugurated a parking place in Keryneia. While he was cutting the ribbon for the inauguration of this place, he said: Our troops are not guests in Cyprus, which is the genuine homeland of Turks. It is part of the TRNC people that works for the welfare and the security of the people of the TRNC. You understand, do you not? However much we are shouting that This country is Ours, it is in vain. The man says: I am the owner of these territories. There is something in the statement of the commander that has not been understood. What does he mean when he says Cyprus is a genuine homeland of the Turks? Only the north? Or is the south also included? If the south is included, does he consider that part as a Turkish homeland being under Greek occupation and does he dream its liberation? Tasso, Talat does not know the answers to these questions. Had you invited Kivrikoglu, you could have asked him and you could have found out. Anyway, this train has passed. Next time be more careful!

(MHY/ DPs)

[02] Monica Frassoni accuses Greek Cypriots of hindering the solution in Cyprus

The Co-Chairman of the European Parliaments Green Party the Italian parliamentarian Monica Frassoni, accused the Greek Cypriot Administration of hindering the solution of the Cyprus problem.

Mrs Frassoni informed the European Parliament on the High Level Contact Groups last week´s visit to Cyprus.

Accusing the Greek Cypriot Administration of hindering the solution of the Cyprus problem, Mrs Frassoni said that the Greek Cypriot side avoids making efforts towards finding a solution because they are considering that it would be advantageous for them.

She also complained that the European Unions Support Office which has been commissioned to organize the financial aid to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not working active enough.

Monica Frassoni expressed discontent over to see a decrease in the number of people who want a solution on the island during the Contact Groups visit.

The Italian parliamentarian added that she will discuss the issue with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn in coming days.

[03] The football match between Centikaya-Luton Town is cancelled

On the same issue, illegal Bayrak television (10.07.07) broadcast the following:

Luton Town Football Team of the English League 2 which was scheduled to play a friendly match with Cetinkaya, have arrived in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus this morning.

However, the match was cancelled due to the difficulties raised by the Greek Cypriot Side.

The Greek Cypriot Side has again prevented a social event which would take place in the TRNC by threatening that the British team would be given major punishments if they play the match with a TRNC team.

The British team then decided not to play the match after the British Football Federation contacted with officials from the Lutton Town and asked for the cancellation of the match.

The match has an importance in overcoming the sports embargo against the Turkish Cypriots.

English Luton Town is the first English football club which would play a match in the TRNC.

[04] Tough letter by Gul to the USA on PKK

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul handed a strongly-worded letter to US Ambassador Wilson after the briefing he had at the General Staff. It was the strongest document given to the United States thus far.

Daily Sabah lifted the curtain on the arguments in Ankara on a motion [for a cross-border operation] and the secret talks between the United States and the Turkish government. According to reliable sources, the breathtaking process was as follows:

Ankara launched an initiative with the United States after the General Staff's briefing on terrorism on 22 June. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul returned to the Foreign Ministry after the briefing. A strongly worded letter was drawn up to be handed to the United States. It was to be the strongest document given to the United States thus far. Amb Ross Wilson was invited to the Foreign Ministry on the same day.

Wilson met Gul and later held talks with some of the diplomats, including Undersecretary Ertugrul Apakan. His facial complexion changed when he received Gul's political note, which outlined Turkey's serious approach. In a statement to Sabah some time ago, Gul hinted that a critical process was underway by saying "We have launched an initiative with the United States. We have handed a written document to it which contained strongly-worded and clear warnings."

The strongly-worded letter Gul mentioned warned the United States as follows:

- Turkey attached particular importance to its relations with the United States. It stood on the side of the United States in many military operations in various parts of the world. Regardless of the warnings we made to Washington and the evidence and files we compiled on the presence of the PKK in Northern Iraq, no step has been taken on the matter. That has caused anxiety.

- The failure of the United States to sincerely intervene against the terrorists and secure the cooperation of the Kurdish groups for that purpose will create a serious threat to stability in Northern Iraq.

- Turkey will not hesitate to take the necessary action against all the elements referred to.

- Turkey's internal peace, stability, and territorial integrity and the security of its citizens are more important than everything else.

Ross Wilson quickly alerted Washington after he received the strongly-worded document. Meanwhile, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff instructed its officials to step up the exchange of information between the United States and Turkey.

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[05] From the Turkish Press on the elections

MILLIYET newspaper carries an article by Omer Erdil on religious sects' influence on political groups and the parties they will support in the general elections to be held on 22 July.

Mr Erbil argues that the supporters of the Gulen community are planning to vote for the Justice and Development Party, (AKP). He says that Fethullah Gulen, who left Turkey during the 28 February process, has been ruling his sect from the United States since then. Recalling the link between the Gulen community and the Zaman newspaper and the Samanyolu television network, the article points out that regardless of the fact that Fethullah Gulen refrains from making a statement on the elections, his daily Zaman "openly supports" the policies adopted by the AKP government. According to the article, the community withdrew his support from former Justice Minister Cemil Cicek because of his critical remarks on Fethullah Gulen. It says that former Zaman columnist Nevval Sevindi will also be supported by this religious sect despite her decision to run for the elections as a Democratic Party, (DP), candidate.

A report on the outcome of a public opinion poll conducted by the A&G Research Company on behalf of Milliyet says that the electorate do not believe in political parties' unrealistic promises, such as the reduction of the price of diesel oil to 1 YTL, removal of the university entrance exams, and bonus payment for pensioners. According to the poll, 59.4 percent of the people who will vote for the AKP in the elections said that they are coming from a Democratic Party, (DP), tradition. Only 11.1 percent of the AKP voters described themselves as former supporters of the Republican People's Party, CHP, the report adds.

The same newspaper carries an interview with Adil Gur, president of the A&G Research Company, on political parties' election strategies. Gur asserts that the opposition parties are pursuing a wrong strategy by trying to increase their votes through "populist promises." He lauds the ruling AKP for pursuing a more realistic election strategy. According to Gur, the General Staff memorandum and the debate over the presidential elections have not served the interests of the AKP.

In an article in Milliyet, Melih Asik quotes the owner of the Verso Consultancy, Erhan Goksel, as saying that the opposition should have used the unfavorable economic indicators to attack the ruling AKP. Calling on the CHP to carry out a more dynamic election campaign, Goksel argues that the party might consider establishing a coalition government with the Nationalist Action Party, MHP, after the elections if the latter manages to increase its popularity.

Writing in the same newspaper, columnist Erdal Saglam outlines domestic and foreign financial circles' predictions about the election results, saying that most of the economists believe that the AKP will form another single-party government after the elections. Only 15-20 percent of them consider the possibility of a CHP-MHP coalition government, he notes. In his article, Saglam asserts that foreign financial circles have reservation over the economic policies of the CHP as they usually have difficulty in finding a point of contact in that party. However, he notes, they are pleased to see certain MHP figures' efforts to remove the concerns over their policy on economic issues.

A column by Cengiz Candar in REFERANS argues that the "political engineers" in the country are trying to prevent the AKP from establishing a "single-party government" after the elections. Recalling Chief of the General Staff Gen Buyukanit's remarks after the bomb attack on the Anafartalar shopping center that similar incidents might take place in big cities in the coming days, Candar speculates that in an effort to prevent the strengthening of the AKP, certain circles tried to establish a DYP-ANAVATAN alliance, create a secular-Islamist polarization by means of mass rallies, and prevent the ruling party from electing its candidate as president. However, he adds, they seem to have failed to achieve their goal. Criticizing Ilhan Selcuk for calling for a CHP-MHP alliance, he asserts that PM Erdogan's statement on his decision to seek consensus for the nomination of a presidential candidate might place the opposition front in a difficult situation.

In his article entitled "AKP's obsession with MHP," VATAN´S Rusen Cakir claims that the AKP regards the MHP as its "real rival" for power. Pointing out that his articles predicting that the MHP will pass the election threshold made the AKP officials uneasy, he notes that the ruling party is concerned that if the MHP manages to enter the parliament, it will be unable to win 367 seats regardless of whether or not it secures 40 percent of the votes in the elections.

An editorial by Yusuf Kanli in TURKISH DAILY NEWS says that it is difficult to figure out people's true political tendencies despite the fact that only two weeks are left until the general elections. Kanli notes that there is no election excitement among ordinary people, adding, only politicians, journalists, some urban intellectuals, and foreigners following the developments in Turkey are talking about possible outcomes.

In his column in MILLIYET, Fikret Bila says that he sees Prime Minister Erdogan's remarks that he will seek consensus for the election of president as an "important development." The columnist asserts that considering the fact that Erdogan viewed efforts to "consult with the CHP [for the nomination of a presidential candidate] as loss of time" in the past, his recent remarks can be seen as the sign of a significant change in his position. Stressing that CHP leader Baykal regards Erdogan's inclination to seek consensus as a "belated move," Bila quotes him as noting that "political parties should be able to nominate a candidate who will be supported by all the sectors in the country." Pointing to the difference of opinion between Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Gul, the columnist says that despite the fact that the prime minister talks about seeking compromise, Gul reiterates at every opportunity that the people still regard him as a presidential candidate.

In a commentary entitled "Why support for the AKP is growing", Huseyin Yaman Ph.D of Gazi University discusses the reasons for what he describes as increasing support for the AKP, a situation that he claims is unprecedented in Turkish politics. He cites the following factors as possible popularity boosters for the AKP. 1. The public impression of the AKP as a victimized party because of the developments that took place during the presidential election process and the "e-statement" issued by the General Staff on 27 April. 2. The sentiment of "revenge" among conservative-pious sections caused by the recent republican rallies. 3. The impression that Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was prevented from being elected as president because of his wife's headscarf.

In an article entitled "Observations on the election campaign", ZAMAN columnist Sahin Alpay asserts that the AKP will win enough seats in Parliament to come to power as a single party government a second time on 22 July although it will not have sufficient parliamentary majority to change the Constitution without the cooperation of other parties. He claims that while the CHP appears certain to pass the ten-percent threshold, it is doubtful whether other parties will manage to win parliamentary representation, adding that if the MHP enters Parliament, it will do so thanks to traditional CHP voters who will not support the CHP but the MHP because they do not like CHP leader Deniz Baykal.

In an article entitled "What is the West waiting for?", Today's Zaman columnist Ekrem Dumanli warns Western countries about the possibility of a CHP-MHP coalition government, which "would spell disaster for the West" and be "very likely" to lead to Turkey's isolation from the world.

In an article entitled "The rural vote", Today's Zaman columnist Suat Kiniklioglu disputes the assumption that the Erdogan government is set to "lose the village" in the upcoming election because it has refrained from addressing the woes of farmers.

Finally, in an article entitled "Sener should not be late", MILLI GAZETE columnist Zeki Ceyhan calls on Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener to share with the public his reasons for deciding not to run for Parliament in the next term. Ceyhan asserts that as a person who has first-hand knowledge of the failings of the ruling AKP, Sener is under obligation to help the public avoid the dangers associated with a second AKP government by disclosing what he knows just as he has tried to distance himself from these risks by refraining from coming forward as a parliamentary candidate.

EG/

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