Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 08-01-28

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Soyer threatens that the Greek Cypriots have only one more chance to find a solution with the Turkish Cypriots

[02] Ertugruloglu replies to those accusing him of meeting with the AKP

[03] Statement of Avci on the British bases

[04] Seven hundred immigrants in two years

[05] The rapid and intensive constructions became a problem

[06] Fifty seven applications have been submitted to YAGA

[07] Volkan changes ownership and name

[08] Delta Marina Company participated in a Boat Show exhibition in London

[09] Askan Ilgen was appointed as the new attorney general

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[10] From the Turkish Press of 26 and 27 January 2008

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Soyer threatens that the Greek Cypriots have only one more chance to find a solution with the Turkish Cypriots

In statements to Star Kibris, Mr Soyer said that after the presidential elections in the Republic of Cyprus, the UN and all the sides expect important developments and argued that this will be the last chance. He alleged that in case the Greek Cypriot side continues the same attitude, all the alternatives will be open.

They cannot ignore what happened in Czechoslovakia, Monte Negro and Kosovo, he claimed.

Commenting on the fact that during his visit to Turkey, the Greek Prime Minister Karamanlis called the Greek Cypriot side as state and the TRNC as community, Soyer alleged that the Greek Prime Minster, hiding the realities he knows, tried to look pleasant to his own people and the Greek Cypriots. He accused the Greek Prime Minister of following a shallow policy.

Mr Soyer alleged: If they want to use delaying tactics, let them do it. But the whole world knows that the two leaders are equal in front of the UN and that they are sitting at the negotiating table as the leaders of the two peoples.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Ertugruloglu replies to those accusing him of meeting with the AKP

In statements to the paper, Mr Ertugruloglu wondered: Should I meet with the Greek Cypriots, as the others do? Of course I will be meeting with Ankara, the AKP.

Mr Ertugruloglu admitted that during the Annan Plan period his party disagreed with the AKP and added: We should not remain stuck there. The Annan Plan period passed. The most correct way of action is carrying out this struggle together with the motherland and having a pure feeling of confidence to the motherland.

He argued that the general secretary of AKEL and President of the House of Representatives, Mr Demitris Christofias will be the winner of the presidential elections in the Republic of Cyprus and alleged that it does not matter who the winner will be because the main actor there is the Church and no party could defend any policy which is not approved by the Church.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Statement of Avci on the British bases

Deputy Prime Minister- Foreign Minister Turgay Avci has accused the Leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration Tassos Papadopoulos of violating the international law.

Mr Avcis statement came in reaction to Mr Papadopoulos who presented the British bases located in Cyprus as blackmail to oppose to the Strategic Partnership Document signed between UK and Turkey.

In a written statement, Foreign Minister Turgay Avci blamed the Greek Cypriot Administration for trying to prevent any possible opening out by UK towards the Turkish Cypriot people.

Stressing that the existence of British bases in Cyprus derives from the 1960 Agreement, Mr Avci said it is impossible for Tassos Papadopoulos to unilaterally question the status and take initiatives on the issue.

He reminded that the 1960 Agreement was approved by Turkish Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and the guarantor powers of Cyprus Turkey, Greece and UK.

`Mr Papadopoulos attempt to consider the issue of UK bases in Cyprus without taking the views of other parties concerned is a very clear proof to the breach of international law. Hence, this attempt is another example to the Greek Cypriot policy, which ignores the right of say of the Turkish Cypriot people and its existence, Mr Avci stressed.

Calling Mr Papadopoulos attempt as unacceptable, the Foreign Minister defined the initiative as an attack against the rights of guarantor powers on the island.

He expressed the belief that collocutors will give the necessary response to such blackmails brought against the British government.

Moreover, Turkish Cypriot weekly Cyprus Observer (25-31.01.08) reports the following:

The British High Commission in Cyprus pointed out that the United Kingdom is confident about the legal position of the British Bases on the island. In a telephone conversation with the Cyprus Observer, the commissions press officer Paul Lakin said that the legal status of the bases is precise, implying that Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos´ recent remarks on the issue are without legal base. We are confident on the legal position of our sovereign bases on the island, Lakin told the Cyprus Observer.

In a controversial pre-election statement, Papadopoulos said on Tuesday that after the signing of the strategic partnership agreement between the United Kingdom and Turkey, the status of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) on Cyprus was under reconsideration, without pointing out any legal background on how to realize this decision.

Cyprus gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1960 and under the 1960 Treaty that founded the Republic of Cyprus, Britain has retained two military bases on the island.

[04] Seven hundred immigrants in two years

The number of the Syrians arrested in 2006 was 237. In 2007, this number increased to 267. During two operations carried out within the past two months 34 immigrants from Syria were arrested, reports the paper.

The immigrants, who run away from their countries because of war and economic problems and resort to illegal means in order to go to various European countries, have turned our country into a crossing point during the last years with the accession of south Cyprus to the European Union, notes Kibris.

(I/Ts.)

[05] The rapid and intensive constructions became a problem

According to the information published in the report, 651 constructions were built in the occupied areas of Cyprus in 2002. Four hundred and sixteen of them were built in rural areas. The constructions increased by 125 per cent during the past four years and reached 1597.

According to information acquired by the State Planning Organization, 846 constructions were built in 2003, whereas in 2004, the year when the Annan Plan was submitted, this number increased to 1149. The paper reports that the constructions sector could not be saved from the problems deriving from the lack of planning.

Seven decrees were prepared during the past four years, aimed at putting into order the scattered, untidy constructions formed according to personal preferences and preventing the problems.

Mr Findik said that the rapid construction brought with it the uncontrolled and low quality buildings and noted that they must put the constructions sector into an order.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot Kibrisli newspaper (28.01.08) reports that Mr Findik said that a national physical plan should urgently be prepared taking into consideration all the resources, the priorities for development, the natural resources and the vegetation of the occupied areas of the island.

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot Ortam newspaper (28.01.08) publishes also the statements made by Mr Findik, under the title The environment gives an alarm signal!. The paper notes that Mr Findik said that a part of 5.500 donums (a land measure of 1000 square meters) of forest land, which had been taken under protection with the Bafra [occupied Vokolida] decree, has been turned into golf and tourism investment area with an amendment made to the decree.

Ortam, under the title Environmental crime reports also that the foundation for Struggling with Erosion, Afforesting and Protecting the Natural Wealth (KEMA) has called on all the organizations which care about the environment for solidarity.

KEMA issued a statement noting that in spite of the arrangements and the decrees, which have been prepared, the green areas and the forests are being destroyed with the pretext of investments or for making plots of land for constructions.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot Yeni Volkan newspaper (28.01.08) refers to KEMAs statement under the title The green areas in Vokolida are being distributed and reports that the CTP-ORP self-styled government has changed the Vokolida decree in order to distribute the green areas in occupied Vokolida, Koma Yialou and Galinoporni villages.

Finally, Turkish Cypriot Bakis newspaper (28.01.08) reports that Serdar Denktas, chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), addressing a meeting of tradesmen at the Dome Hotel in occupied Keryneia, said the night before yesterday that the decrees implemented by the breakaway regime resulted into stopping the flow of money to the market which started with the boom in the constructions sector during the period of the Annan Plan.

He added that this led 40 sectors related to the constructions to the brink of bankruptcy and that soon bankruptcies will take place because businessmen will not be able to pay their debts.

(I/Ts.)

[06] Fifty seven applications have been submitted to YAGA

The number of the investors who applied to YAGA within the period October December 2007 reached thirty.

(I/Ts.)

[07] Volkan changes ownership and name

(I/Ts.)

[08] Delta Marina Company participated in a Boat Show exhibition in London

(I/Ts.)

[09] Askan Ilgen was appointed as the new attorney general

Askan Ilgen will receive duties on February 9th.

(ML)

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[10] From the Turkish Press of 26 and 27 January 2008

A report entitled "CIA agents in Gaziantep" by Arda Akin in Hurriyet (26.01.08) states that "following the simultaneous operations launched against Al-Qaeda in Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras, the CIA's liaison elements in Ankara proceeded to these provinces without losing time." According to the report, the CIA agents asked to be present during the suspects' initial statements in front of the cameras. The security organization, however, said only the police officers on duty can be present, but the information can be shared with the CIA within the framework of counterterrorism.

Under the banner headline, "Kucuk is Taken Aback on Hearing Audio Records," Yeni Safak (26.01.08) publishes an "exclusive" front-page report which asserts that Retired Brigadier General Veli Kucuk, one of the detainees in the operation against the "terrorist" Ergenekon group, denied having anything to do with the other suspects but that he used "his right to remain silent" when confronted with records of his phone conversations with some of the other detainees.

In an article entitled "That little doubt", in Yeni Safak (26.01.08) by columnist Fehmi Koru asserts that the investigation into the activities of the Ergenekon group has already revealed links between this "gang" and the murders of journalists Ugur Mumcu, Bahriye Ucok and Ahmet Taner Kislali and author Necip Hablemitoglu. Koru praises Prime Minister Erdogan for his "courageous decision" to crack down on illegal groups like Ergenekon which, he claims, will not stop short of committing any crime supposedly for "the higher interests of the state." He also calls attention to the "extraordinary importance" in this context of Nationalist Action Party, MHP, leader Devlet Bahceli's support for the efforts to lift the restrictions on Islamic headscarves, asserting that the headscarf ban is the most important component of the psychological climate on which crime syndicates in this country thrive.

In an article entitled "Same Title: Watch out for a New Guided Wave of Terrorism" in Vakit (26.01.08) by columnist Serdar Arseven, comments on recent developments which have "confirmed my concerns" that certain quarters have for some time been engaging in provocations in the southeast aimed at triggering what will look like a "new wave of Islamic violence" and that police operations might soon be launched against alleged Al-Qaeda safe houses in a number of provinces. Arseven recalls how he based this prediction in an earlier article on reports in leading Israeli dailies as well as "warnings and advice" given to "our state heads" during their visits to Jewish NGOs in the United States.

Under the headline, "Al-Qaeda received instructions from Iraq," Zaman (26.01.08) publishes a front-page report which asserts that the police operation in Gaziantep against an Al-Qaeda cell has foiled a number of "bloody terrorist assaults" similar to the HSBC bombing in 2003.

In an article entitled "The Meeting in Ankara and the operation against Al-Qaeda", in Bugun (26.01.08) columnist Murat Celik links the police operations against Al-Qaeda elements in Gaziantep, Nizip and Kahramanmaras to the meeting between Prime Minister Erdogan and US Ambassador Ross Wilson some 50 hours before the latest clampdown and claims on the basis of "my journalistic instincts" that the meeting was a result of the Turkish-US "intelligence-sharing mechanism" against terrorism.

Under the banner headline "Church Donation for Ergenekon," Yeni Safak (27.01.08) carries a front-page report which says that a police operation launched against a clandestine group called Ergenekon has revealed that $50 million was transferred to the bank account of Sevgi Erenerol, spokesperson of Turkish Orthodox Church who was detained because of her alleged relations with the organization, in the past five years. The report adds that the police also discovered relations between some members of the organization with CIA, Mosad and BND, German secret service.

In an article entitled "Has the United States crossed them out too?", in Yeni Safak (27.01.08) by columnist Fehmi Koru, says that the organization called Ergenekon can be traced back to a special unit allegedly established by the CIA within NATO in the 1950s. He says: "The CIA keeps a copy of all related documents. Is the agreement concluded between Bush and Erdogan at White House on 5 November intended to liquidate only the PKK or all 'militarist' groups which pose a threat to the democratic system in Turkey as well?"

Under the banner headline "Many Members of Ergenekon Arrested," Zaman (27.01.08) carries a report which says that eight suspects, including retired Brigadier General Veli Kucuk and lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz have been arrested on the charge of planning to start an armed rebellion during an investigation launched against Ergenekon which it describes as a terrorist organization.

In an article entitled "A Terrorist organization, not a crime syndicate," in Zaman (27.01.08) by columnist Mustafa Unal cautions that crime syndicates pose a very serious threat to Turkey. Noting that there are many groups which plot to assassinate people and carry out armed attacks, ostensibly to protect national interests, Unal comments: "Actions should be taken against those groups with unwavering determination while investigating why there are so many crime syndicates in this country. Destroying the breeding ground for crime syndicates should be the main goal."

EG/

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