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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 08-02-05
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
TURKISH PRESS
AND OTHER MEDIA
No.
25/08
05.02.08
[A] NEWS ITEMS
[01] Soyer will have contacts in Ankara
[02] Izzet Izcan: The foreign policy followed by the CTP-ORP government
will result in Taiwanization
[03] Investigation for the missing captain continues
[04] 47 illegal immigrants were arrested in the occupied areas
[05] The Turkish Prime Minister will visit Germany on 7-10 February and
will meet with the German councellor Merkel
[06] Babacan to hold contacts in Russia over the issue of the ecumenic
Patriarchate
[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis
[07] Military-civilian consensus on Cyprus
NEWS ITEMS
[01] Soyer will have contacts in Ankara
Illegal Bayrak television (04.02.08) broadcast the following:
According to a statement from the Prime Ministry, Mr Soyer will leave
the Republic for Ankara at noon for talks with Turkish officials.
Mr Soyer will meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in
the afternoon.
The meeting between the two Prime Ministers will start at four. On
Wednesday, he will meet with the Leader of the Republic Peoples Party
Deniz Baykal.
Deputy Prime Minister Foreign Minister Turgay Avci and Minister of
Finance Ahmet Uzun will accompany Mr. Soyer during his visit to
Ankara.Mr. Soyer and his accompanying delegation will return to the
Republic on Wednesday.
[02] Izzet Izcan: The foreign policy followed by the CTP-ORP government
will result in Taiwanization
According to Turkish Cypriot Kibris newspaper (05.02.08), the general
secretary of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) Izzet Izcan, called on the
Turkish Cypriot leader Mr. Mehmet Ali Talat to stop making provocative
statements. In a written statement Mr. Izcan said that the Turkish
Cypriots did not elect Mr. Talat to be a calamity town-crier.
He went on and said that the statements made by Mr. Talat are contrary
to the will expressed by the Turkish Cypriots during the 24 April
referendum, which is reunification and settlement. He said that the
statements made by Mr. Talat and the foreign policy followed by the
CTP-ORP government will result in Taiwanization. He said that the
realization of the reunification of Cyprus is clearly stipulated in the
UN Security Council resolutions and looking for other solutions other
than what were stipulated in the UN resolutions will not bring any
benefit to the Turkish Cypriot Community.
(MHY)
[03] Investigation for the missing captain continues
Turkish Cypriot Kibris newspaper (05.02.08) reports that the so-called
coast-guard in the occupied area continues to search for the missing
boat captain Adil Cakir who was thrown out into the sea by two pirates
off the Keryneia coast who hijacked the boat pretending that they will
buy the boat. The owner of the boat Mr. Turan Yesilada who was also
thrown out of the boat was saved by fishermen after six hours struggle
in the sea. He was taken to a hospital in the occupied Keryneia.
Moreover, Turkish Cypriot Star Kibris newspaper (05.02.08) reports that
the so-called police continue their investigations and that they
suspect that narcotics smuggling is involved in the case. The paper
reports that the boat is an American registered boat.
Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot Kibrisli newspaper (05.02.08) reports that
the missing boat Gims was found run aground near Mersin, South Turkey
and having damage in its hull.
(MHY)
[04] 47 illegal immigrants were arrested in the occupied areas
According to Turkish Cypriot Kibris newspaper (05.02.08), 47 illegal
immigrants from Syria and two Turkish Cypriots from occupied Famagusta,
Mehmet Kurt and Altin Kurt, were arrested by the occupation regime for
illegally entering into the occupied area. The Turkish Cypriots were
arrested for helping these people.
The paper reports that among the illegal immigrants there are people
who were deported from the occupied area for the same offence earlier.
(MHY)
[05] The Turkish Prime Minister will visit Germany on 7-10 February and
will meet with the German councellor Merkel
Ankara Anatolia news agency (04.02.08) reports from Ankara that the
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a visit to Germany
between February 7-10, stated Prime Ministry's press centre on Monday.
Erdogan will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and attend the 44th
Munich Conference on Security Policy. He will also have a meeting with
Turks living in Germany.
Erdogan-Merkel meeting will be held on February 8th. They would discuss
issues, which concern nearly three million Turks living in Germany, as
well as Turkey's EU talks and regional and international topics.
[06] Babacan to hold contacts in Russia over the issue of the ecumenic
Patriarchate
Turkish daily Cumhuriyet newspaper (04.02.08) reports that the Turkish
Foreign Minister, Mr Ali Babacan, will pay a visit to Russia on 16
February to discuss with the officials of Russia, which is the largest
Orthodox domain in the world, the issue of the Greek Patriarch in
Istanbul and its ecumenical claim, pointing out that Putin did not
visit the Greek Patriarch in Istanbul when in Turkey. The report adds
that before going to Russia, Babacan will also visit India for talks
with politicians and businessmen.
[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis
[07] Military-civilian consensus on Cyprus
Under the above title Turkish Today´s Zaman newspaper (05.02.08)
published the following news analysis by Lale Sariibrahimoglu:
Turkey's political leadership and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have
recently reached a common understanding on policies regarding the
Cyprus problem, after experiencing ups and downs between the TSK and
the Turkish Cypriot leadership in the past year that stemmed in
particular from the former's traditional policy of interfering in
politics, Turkish diplomatic sources have said.
Under the policy, clarified in Ankara by Turkey in January during a
visit paid by Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) President
Mehmet Ali Talat, Turkey will continue promoting a new partnership
based on two constituent states in Cyprus among the Turkish and the
Greek Cypriot communities, also called the "Virgin Birth" concept. The
KKTC is not internationally recognized. According to the same Turkish
diplomatic sources, this was also the essence of the Annan plan, which
took its name from former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Talat met
with Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit during his
visit to Ankara on Jan. 3, marking an ice-melting period between the
Turkish Cypriot administration and the TSK.
A summit held in Ankara during Talat's visit among top commanders,
President Abdullah Gul and Talat resulted in the reshaping and
clarification of Turkey's policies on Cyprus ahead of the Greek Cypriot
presidential elections to be held on Feb. 17 and 24, stated a Turkish
diplomatic source speaking to Today's Zaman.
The summit also came after a year-long row between the KKTC leadership
and the TSK over Cyprus policies. Fears were expressed in Ankara that
the disagreement was playing into the hands of the Greek Cypriot
administration.
But the Ankara summit in early January not only removed hurdles between
the military, the KKTC and Ankara but also resulted in the approval of
a common position to be pursued on the Cyprus issue in the coming
months and years.
Under this common policy -- which does not differ from positions of the
past but rather clarifies them -- recognizes that non-resolution of the
Cyprus dispute inflicts harm to Turkey and its EU membership process
while also contributing to the continued international embargo on the
KKTC.
Subtitle: Virgin Birth concept
The Annan plan was the result of a 45-year-long UN effort, recalled a
Turkish diplomat.
"Thus this plan is a UN acquis that can never be changed. Turkey no
longer calls it the Annan plan, but a comprehensive UN plan. For the
sake of a political solution Turkey and the KKTC accepted the Annan
plan, though there were elements that did not please either side. But
Turkey has swallowed a bitter pill and accepted it," said the same
source.
From now on, it is not acceptable for either Turkey or the KKTC to
accept any formula that will mean a step back from the Annan plan.
The essence of the Annan plan has been its recognition of a new
constituent state to be established on the island; in other words, a
state to be created from scratch in what can also be called a "Virgin
Birth" state concept, said Turkish diplomatic sources.
This new constituent state will be based on political equality but not
numerical equality.
Subtitle: West campaigns against Papadopoulos
With the forthcoming Greek Cypriot presidential elections, after which
activity at the international platform is also expected to take place,
Turkey's Cyprus policy has been awakened from its slumber.
Though there are nine presidential candidates, three main candidates
are running neck and neck, according to opinion polls. They are the
incumbent, President Tassos Papadopoulos, AKEL Secretary-General
Demetris Christofias and Euro MP and former Foreign Minister Ioannis
Kasoulides.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, leading European Union members
have launched a campaign to undermine Papadopoulos' chance to win, on
grounds that he has been extremely uncompromising on breaking the
current stalemate on Cyprus.
Behind increased attempts by some European capitals as well as the US
to further steps to upgrade the KKTC's status has been a policy of
undermining Papadopoulos' chance of winning because of his
uncompromising policies on the reunification of this tiny eastern
Mediterranean island.
The EU has increasingly been alarmed by the potential danger of Cyprus
moving toward partition in the face of a long-time stalemate on the
island. The visit paid to the KKTC by former German Prime Minister
Gerhard Schroeder on Feb. 1 actually carried the message of an EU
campaign to weaken Papadopoulos, said a Western diplomat speaking to
Today's Zaman.
In fact there have been serious positive steps taken not only in some
European capitals but also in the Muslim world to enable the Turkish
Cypriot leadership to be accepted as an interlocutor as the Greek
Cypriot leadership has increasingly been distancing itself from a
solution based on the reunification of the two communities in Cyprus,
in particular since its admission to the EU in 2004 as the sole
representative of the island.
Europe's increased concern over Cyprus moving toward partition has also
been supported lately by an influential organization, the International
Crisis Group (ICG), which saw in its latest report "Taiwanization" in
the KKTC, urging a new Cyprus bid.
"One more major effort, backed by the United Nations and the European
Union, should be made in 2008 to end the deep-seated Cyprus problem,"
said the ICG report, released on Jan. 10.
It warned that non-resolution would result in negative consequences for
all parties concerned.
Developments since 2004, when a UN plan to reunite Cyprus failed after
it was rejected by the Greek Cypriots in a referendum, "have rendered
obsolete the belief that the relatively tranquil status quo can be
preserved indefinitely," said the report. "If no settlement is found,
the process referred to locally as 'Taiwanization' will inevitably
speed up, consolidating partition," it added.
To facilitate a new and meaningful drive for a solution, Turkey should
also open its ports and airports to traffic from Greek Cyprus, followed
quickly by action from the Greek Cypriots to remove obstacles they have
created to direct EU trade with the Turkish Cypriots, the ICG said.
In the meantime, Western efforts to weaken Papadopoulos may contribute
to his defeat in the presidential elections and result in the victory
of Christofias, someone who Turkish diplomatic sources describe as in
essence not in support of the resolution of the Cyprus problem based on
the political equality of the two communities.
"Christofias ... [endorses] propaganda that says that Turkey is the
main stumbling block to a solution on Cyprus. So in the event he wins,
it will take longer for Turkey to explain to the world that he is not
for a solution, either," said a Turkish diplomatic source.
It is understood that in the long term, negotiated partition of the
island appears to be the final solution.
EG/
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