Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 08-03-04

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] A new so-called law which gives the possibility to the Greek Cypriots to sell their property in occupied Cyprus was adopted by the self-styled Assembly

[02] Izzet Izcan demanded the disclosure of the content of Talats letter to the UN Secretary- General

[03] A technical committee from the Turkish Ministry of Tourism arrived in the occupied area for preparation work prior to the Turkish Ministers visit to the occupied area

[04] Pieces of wreckage belonging to an ancient Egyptian ship were found near Keryneia coast

[05] The occupied area will take part in ITB Berlin Tourism Fair to be held in Berlin

[06] The wheelchair basketball team of the illegal regime will take part in the Willi Brinkmann cup tournament to be held in Spain

[07] A delegation from the self-styled Assembly departed yesterday for Brussels to have contacts at the European Parliament

[08] The dean of the Cyprus International University (UKU) paid a visit to Azerbaijan to promote the illegal university

[09] FYROM supports Turkey on the Cyprus problem

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[10] The military operation and the political scandal

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] A new so-called law which gives the possibility to the Greek Cypriots to sell their property in occupied Cyprus was adopted by the self-styled Assembly

The new law named Law for the transfer and registration of the right on immovable properties which are within the scope of the subparagraph (b) of paragraph (1) of article 159 of the Constitution whose right to ownership is not, in accordance to the TRNC laws, within the scope of the real person or a legal entity which are outside of the state, and the right to ownership that still belongs to real persons or to a legal entity or to the TRNC State, was adopted by majority.

The paper goes on and reports that speaking at the so-called Assembly the self-styled chairman of the legal and political affairs committee of the assembly, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) deputy Kadri Fellahoglu said that those Greek Cypriots who will benefit from the provisions of the so-called law have to recognize the Turkish Cypriot Authority.

Speaking at the same session of the assembly the self-styled Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer said that the solution of the property problem is tied up to the solution of the political problem.

(MHY)

[02] Izzet Izcan demanded the disclosure of the content of Talats letter to the UN Secretary- General

Izcan accused Mr. Talat and his team of charting policies together with Turkey and hiding these from the Turkish Cypriot public. He said that such behavior is unacceptable. In his written statement Izcan called on Mr. Talat to be more transparent, democratic and to work collectively.

(MHY)

[03] A technical committee from the Turkish Ministry of Tourism arrived in the occupied area for preparation work prior to the Turkish Ministers visit to the occupied area

(MHY)

[04] Pieces of wreckage belonging to an ancient Egyptian ship were found near Keryneia coast

(MHY)

[05] The occupied area will take part in ITB Berlin Tourism Fair to be held in Berlin

(MHY)

[06] The wheelchair basketball team of the illegal regime will take part in the Willi Brinkmann cup tournament to be held in Spain

(MHY)

[07] A delegation from the self-styled Assembly departed yesterday for Brussels to have contacts at the European Parliament

(MHY)

[08] The dean of the Cyprus International University (UKU) paid a visit to Azerbaijan to promote the illegal university

(MHY)

[09] FYROM supports Turkey on the Cyprus problem

Acting Turkish President and Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Mr Koksal Toptan said on Monday that Macedonia is one of those countries that understand Turkey well in regard to Cyprus and the fight against terror.

Toptan hosted a dinner in honor of Macedonian Parliament Speaker Ljubisa Georgievski and an accompanying delegation in Ankara on Monday. Those Turks living in Macedonia and citizens of Turkey with Macedonian ethnicity make up a bridge between the two countries. As a result, both countries continue friendly and brotherly relations, Toptan told.

Bilateral relations will be boosted by Georgievski's visit to Turkey. Turkey and Macedonia share cooperation in regional and international relations. Both countries are taking important steps for EU membership. Turkey supports Macedonia's membership in NATO. Turkey supports Macedonia's use of her official name in every opportunity. I will meet Macedonian President in Istanbul in May, Toptan remarked.

Meanwhile, Georgievski indicated that Macedonia's support to Turkey in the fight against terror will continue.

Terror happens to be the worst evil on earth. However, terrorism could be ended by different ways. Macedonia went through some experiences in this matter. While providing support to Turkey on the issue of Cyprus, we are actually defending ourselves and Macedonia, Georgievski underlined.

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[10] The military operation and the political scandal

There is one thing we could be sure of: Turkish people from now on will have less confidence in the statements of both civilian and military top officials

Could Turkey have launched a land operation in northern Iraq despite the United States?

Actually, we should first ask another question: Could Turkey have possibly entered northern Iraq without U.S. approval?

From the first day of Operation Sun, I gave a clear No answer to these questions in my articles. A week or ten days at most, I told foreign media members when they asked me how long this operation would last. I also voiced this in my previous pieces.

Let me add another question to the above though: Could Turkey have remained in northern Iraq despite the U.S. without giving any specific time of withdrawal or by making it an unlimited operation?

No, Turkey couldn't have done this, and didn't do it anyway.

Subtitle: Doubts on the withdrawal

So it means Turkey and the world learned the return of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) from northern Iraq together and there is nothing wrong with it. Is that so? No, it isn't.

The withdrawal occurred in a fashion that raised doubts about the entire operation and harmed the prestige of Turkey. The U.S. wanted it, and Turks withdrew the next morning! This became the picture of the pullout in the mind, like it or not.

We already know that the government knew nothing of the military's decision to withdraw. And the government officials, as ordinary people, learned the troops were returning home when they woke up Friday morning. That is to say, withdrawal was not the outcome of a political decision.

This is a weakness of the Turkish administration, a scandal, truly. The government missed a political initiative, but you forget about its negativity; the announcement of the General Staff on Saturday, which came hours after the pullout, didn't eliminate the questions or worries in mind.

Obviously there is a big flagrant error.

Top authorities, as the incursion began, announced it would be a limited one, both in length and scope. So the mistake was not about the withdrawal but about its timing and style. Yes. Both the government and the General Staff made a PR mistake, an error of communication, by turning an obvious situation into a tool to impress the national public and the U.S., yet this has had a boomerang effect.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in advance of his Turkey visit sent the "message" in statements he made both in Australia and India. Gates called on Turkey to cut the incursion short. In addition he even said, let alone the Kurdish issue, the PKK issue cannot be resolved through military means alone and definitely not through this land operation.

Ankara mimicked these statements and the Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanıt said, A short time is relative. Sometimes it is a day, sometimes it is a year. We have been struggling against terrorism for 24 years. That is why our struggle against terrorism will continue. The U.S. is also struggling against terrorism. It has been in Afghanistan for years, he said. The Turkish media naturally read these remarks as cynical referral to Americans. Statements by the government-wing, especially those about the length and nature of the operation that were made by Ahmet Davutoglu, chief adviser to the prime minister, in Baghdad gave an impression that the U.S. "message" was unacceptable.

Subtitle: 'Turkey Resists Gates'?

In fact not only the Turkish media but also the international media generated headlines accordingly. Agence France-Presse (AFP) used the headline, Bush's call for Turks to leave northern Iraq 'quickly' falls on deaf ears in Ankara; the Arab world used the same headline. More importantly, the New York Times wrote a headline on Feb. 29 that said, Turkey Resists Gates on Ending Iraq Push.

According to the New York Times, Mr. Gates came here to the Turkish capital with a stern message that the Turkish offensive in the mountains of northern Iraq should wrap up within days. But after three hours of meetings with senior civilian and military leaders on Thursday, Mr. Gates said he had received no assurances on when the offensive would end.

On his way to U.S., Gates told reporters on the flight, I think they got our message. President George W. Bush appeared in front of the cameras and urged the Turkish military, to move quickly, achieve their objective and then get out... as quickly as possible.

I think Bush's remarks can hardly be read as leave within a few hours.

However, without even a half day passing after the statements by Bush and Gates, we received the news that the military had left northern Iraq.

Turkish internal politics of course uses this as a trump card to make an effective opposition and would probably do so. International community and the region will most likely interpret the "scene" as the power of the U.S. over Turkey".

Over a week, all televisions and reporters turning into keen propagandists of war bombarding Turkish public opinion by news reports from the front will definitely be disappointed, and, they are disappointed as a matter of fact.

The biggest surprise though emerged as retired generals and "terror and military experts" showed up on screens and kept repeating "Kandil is the target" during the past week.

The media, who welcome these "expired" generals and experts every time, will also be surprised.

In this case, the top general would say of course, "I had said that the short time was relative. And this time it was a day." And the government might resort to this type of statement: Didn't we tell from the very beginning that it would be of a limited time and nature? Would these comments be satisfactory or convincing?

Regardless of perspectives, a poorly-managed PR campaign is in question here.

They shouldn't have created the impression of a Turkey bullying America on the issue of withdrawal from northern Iraq, if the pullout within a few hours from Iraq was the case as soon as Bush started speaking or Gates sent the message. Or they should've withdrawn a few hours later since they were already creating that bullying Turkey image.

Subtitle: The reason for the haste

In the upcoming days we'll witness all sorts of debates over the first land operation in northern Iraq held after long years and its political and military results. There must have been a "reason" though that forced them to end the incursion prematurely and in haste.

It cannot be fierce retaliation by the PKK terrorists in the field; this is impossible. Fire power of the Turkish military cannot even be compared to that of the PKK.

Either the U.S. let the Turkish military learn in advance that the Iraqi airspace would be closed to Turkish jets or the intelligence would be cut off. This is pure speculation. We do not know this and it doesn't seem possible either.

Why and how the incursion come to an end suddenly perhaps will remain a secret for a while. Though it is impossible now to forecast the upcoming developments, there is one thing we can be sure of: Turkish people from now on will have less confidence in the statements of both civilian and military top officials.

EG/

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