Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 07-08-10

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Avci is paying a two-day visit to Syria

[02] Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman stated that the bill on Cyprus at the US Congress is submitted within the scope of lobbying efforts of certain groups

[03] The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is investigating the news reports that ships of the Republic of Cyprus is entered the Turkish ports

[04] KTOS is against the decision of the so-called government to draw energy lines to the occupied Cape Apostolos Andreas

[05] Cetinkaya delegation in London

[06] The retired Swedish commander, who had served in the UNFICYP in Cyprus as the regional commander in Tylliria region 43 years ago, arrived in the occupied area to take part in the memorial events

[07] Koksal Toptan was elected as the Speaker of the new Turkish Assembly

[08] The new Turkish President may be elected by the end of August

[09] Israel appoints Turkey-born Levy as ambassador in Ankara

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Avci is paying a two-day visit to Syria

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Turgay Avci left for Syria on Wednesday evening to hold several meetings. Avci is scheduled to meet high ranking Syrian executives during his 2-day visit to Damascus.

Boosting commercial ties and naval transportation between Syria and TRNC are expected to be on the table during the visit.

It was also reported that the visit was made public today (Thursday) considering that Greek Cypriot administration may hinder the visit.

Avci is expected to return to TRNC on Saturday.

[02] Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman stated that the bill on Cyprus at the US Congress is submitted within the scope of lobbying efforts of certain groups

"The draft law which asks for withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus and has been presented to the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress, addresses to interests of certain groups. Turkey has troops in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) in line with the legitimate rights under the international agreements," Levent Bilman, spokesman for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), said in a weekly press conference on Thursday.

When asked about the news stories that U.S. Congress is preparing a draft law on withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus, Bilman said that such draft laws are submitted to the U.S. Congress from time to time within the scope of lobbying efforts of certain groups.

These happened in the past too, and they are all "out of date", said Bilman and noted, "generally such draft laws are presented in haste few days before the Congress recesses."

In addition Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (10.08.07) reports that the National Unity Party (UBP) has demanded to take counter measures against the bills submitted to the US Congress on Cyprus. The bill to the Congress proposes withdrawing of the Turkish Troops from Cyprus. The statement published by the UBP repeats the known Turkish views that the occupation army is in the island to protect the Turkish Cypriots.

[03] The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is investigating the news reports that ships of the Republic of Cyprus is entered the Turkish ports

It is been revealed that Greek Cypriot ships not allowed to dock in Turkish ports have circumvented the ban by using other countries' flags, according to officials:

Three Greek Cypriot ships docked at and departed from Istanbul Ambarli, Mersin, Gebze, Gemlik, Eregli and Izmit Derince ports on various dates in 2006 and 2007.

Turkey refuses Greek Cypriot ships and planes access to its ports and airports despite pressure from the European Union, insisting the restrictions will be lifted if the 27-nation bloc reciprocates by allowing trade via Turkish Cypriot ports and airports. The EU suspended talks on eight of the 35 negotiating chapters with candidate Turkey in December due to Ankara's refusal to open its ports and airports to traffic from member Greek Cyprus.

The entry of Greek Cypriot ships into Turkish ports despite the restriction was detected by the Customs Undersecretariat, which acted on an unsigned petition from the central Anatolian province of Kirikkale. The Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs, blamed for the violation, has launched an investigation into the incident.

The Foreign Ministry yesterday confirmed that the Greek Cypriot ships might have entered Turkish ports if they are registered in another country, but emphasized there was no change in Turkey's policy of not allowing traffic from Greek Cyprus unless restrictions on the Turkish Cypriots are lifted.

"Thousands of ships enter Turkish ports every year and some of them may submit documents certified by another country if they apply to Turkish authorities via ship agencies, as they are registered in two countries in this case," Foreign Ministry spokesman Levent Bilman said yesterday at a press conference. He added that relevant authorities have been asked to study the documents more carefully.

The three Greek Cypriot ships that violated the Turkish ban are the Warnow Whale, the Mona S and the Strofades 3. The Warnow Whale is registered as property of a Greek Cypriot company called Melva Shipping Co., but entered the Turkish ports while carrying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, an island located in the eastern Caribbean.

Official records show the ship docked at Ambarli port in Istanbul on July 3, 2007. According to records, it loaded its cargo at the port and headed to the Marsaxlokk port in Malta. The same ship arrived at the Gebze port from Greece on July 19. Separate records show it departed from Gebze to Marsaxlokk on July 25, 2007 and arrived in Gebze from Marsaxlokk on the 1st of August.

As for the Mona S, the ship is owned by two companies named Samin Ha and Samin Shipping Co. Ltd. One of these companies, Samin Ha, is registered in Syria and another one in Greek Cyprus. This ship entered the Eregli port on the Black Sea carrying a Syrian flag on September 29, 2006. On June 25, 2007 it reached Gebze from a Syrian port and left the port for Greece after five days.

There are records showing that the Strofades 3 arrived in the Mersin port from another Turkish port in Izmit carrying a Slovak flag on June 17, 2007. The same ship used Greek Cypriot flags while entering other ports in Russia, Lebanon and Greece.

Customs Undersecretary Bulent Ertem said his department contacted relevant state institutions after receiving the tip from Kirikkale. "Normally it is the responsibility of the Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs. But we have shown sensitivity over the matter," he told Today's Zaman. "Because these ships are owned by Greek Cypriot companies, their entry into Turkish ports is a breach of the embargo and their carrying the flags of other countries is simply meant to deceive Turkish authorities."

Arif Yagiz, a senior official at the Undersecretariat for Maritime Affairs, said his department had ordered an investigation into the incident. "We are investigating whether the three ships violated the ban," he said, adding: "We do not allow ships that have commercial links with Greek Cyprus even if they are not owned by Greek Cypriots."

[04] KTOS is against the decision of the so-called government to draw energy lines to the occupied Cape Apostolos Andreas

(MHY)

[05] Cetinkaya delegation in London

The paper also reports that Mr. Ziya had a meeting with the London representative of the Kick It Out which is a football establishment against the racism in Europe, Piara Powar yesterday.

During the meeting, reports the paper, the sides concentrated on the so-called football embargo imposed on the Turkish Cypriots and the joint initiatives that they will take together. Mr Powar said that with a view to bringing before the European public opinion the sports embargo imposed on the Turkish Cypriots, they have to organize a number of activities. The Kick It Out and Cetinkaya officials will again meet during the coming days and will decide the way and the timing of the activities.

(MHY)

[06] The retired Swedish commander, who had served in the UNFICYP in Cyprus as the regional commander in Tylliria region 43 years ago, arrived in the occupied area to take part in the memorial events

(MHY)

[07] Koksal Toptan was elected as the Speaker of the new Turkish Assembly

Koksal Toptan, a deputy from Justice and Development (AK) Party, was elected the new Parliament Speaker of Turkey with 450 votes on Thursday.

The first round voting was attended by 535 deputies. Toptan was elected Parliament Speaker with 450 votes while the other candidate Tunca Toskay, a deputy from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), won 74 votes. 11 votes were invalid. Toptan will serve for two legislative years as the new Parliament Speaker for one year and two months to be precise, because the current legislative year ends on 1 October.

[08] The new Turkish President may be elected by the end of August

The quick election of the ruling Justice and Development Partys (AK Party) candidate, Koksal Toptan, to the post of parliament speaker has paved the way for speedy election for the next president.

The electoral process could start several days earlier than expected after Toptan was elected in the first round yesterday. The AK Party has 341 deputies, enough to elect its candidate, alone, if opposed since the third round rules set 276 votes as the criteria for support for election as speaker. However, the support for Toptan from almost all parties in Parliament, except the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) which nominated its own candidate, made his election possible in the first round. The election of Toptan so rapidly will accelerate the formation of Parliaments general administrative board. The AK Party already determined which deputies will be assigned to the board at a party meeting held just before the election of the parliamentary speaker.

Erdogan spoke to the meeting, in the absence of the press, explaining that the general administrative board will be constituted on Friday at the latest and that members of the board will convene towards evening to announce the presidential electoral schedule.

The 10-day nomination period for presidential elections will then end on August 20, meaning that the first round can take place on the 21st. This hastening of the process may be attributable to Erdogans desire to submit his new Cabinet to the new president for approval. If enough votes are garnered, the AK Partys candidate may be elected in the first round. If not, the ruling party is set to elect its candidate on the third vote, when 276 votes would be sufficient. It has also been suggested that the Republican Peoples Party (CHP) may serve as a spoilers because they have not yet registered the partys deputies with the Parliaments general administrative board. However, even if the CHP does not register its members, the board will have a quorum to convene and then begin the presidential election.

[09] Israel appoints Turkey-born Levy as ambassador in Ankara

Israel has appointed a Turkey-born diplomat as ambassador to Turkey as its current ambassador in Ankara, Pinhas Avivi, is nearing the end of his term in office.

Avivi, who has been serving as the Israeli ambassador to Turkey for the last four years will complete his term shortly and go back to his home country to become deputy undersecretary in the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

Diplomatic sources indicate that the new Israeli ambassador to Turkey will be Ambassador Gabby Levy, whose appointment was confirmed by Turkey and is expected to start his new appointment in Ankara in mid September. Gabby Levy, born in an old neighbourhood of Bergama, a historical town of the Turkish city of Izmir, in 1944, migrated to Israel together with his family in 1949. Levy and his father paid a visit to Bergama in 1959. Levy still has a number of close relatives living in Izmir and Istanbul. Sources indicate that despite that he remembers only a few Turkish words from his childhood; however, Levy studies the language very intensively. Ambassador Levy reportedly took Turkish lessons in Istanbul for four months. Levy served as the Israeli ambassador to Australia between 1999 and 2004 and the political advisor to the Israeli National Infrastructure Minister. Levy has been working on an energy pipeline project between Israel and Turkey over the last year. When the project, which is still at the preparatory level, is put into operation, four parallel pipelines will carry water, electricity, raw oil and natural gas between Turkey and Israel. A member of Israeli Cabinet is expected to arrive in Turkey to make contacts in regards to the actualization of the project.

Regional allies Turkey and Israel have occasionally been at odds over the Israeli treatment of Palestinians, but defence and economic ties between the two countries remain close. Turkey is also a popular destination for Israeli tourists every year.

EG/

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