Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 08-07-09

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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 the Turkish Cypriot press covered the press conference given yesterday by President Christofias

[02] Talat said the Turkish Cypriots will have equal sovereignty in the federal government to be established in Cyprus

[03] Ercakica argued that Talat carried out a rescue operation on 1 July to save the negotiations

[04] Serdar Denktas argued that Talat has committed a terrible mistake by accepting the single sovereignty

[05] Rauf Denktas said that the reality of two peoples and two states is ignored with the 1 July agreement

[06] The Cyprus problem is seen behind the scene of the Ergenekon issue

[07] The issue of the index-linked salaries is causing disagreements in the CTP

[08] Adem: We cannot deport 40 thousand people

[09] More illegal immigrants from Syria

[10] A citizen of the TRNC of Chinese origin had an open heart operation in the occupied part of Nicosia

[11] The 13th International Folk Dance Festival began in occupied Cyprus

[12] The Belgian Senate will debate tomorrow a report that calls the sides in Cyprus to unite

[13] Turkish ambassadors to convene in Ankara

[14] Support by the Turkish government to 42 projects between Turkey and Syria

[15] ECHR decides in favour of electoral threshold in Turkey

[16] Poll in Turkey shows that majority expects AKP to be closed down

[17] CHP fraud in Official Gazette, officials to face charges

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[18] An attempted intervention in Cyprus in 2004?

[19] From the Turkish Press of 08 July 2008

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] How the Turkish Cypriot press covered the press conference given yesterday by President Christofias

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (09.07.08) refers to the same issue under the banner front page title Two provinces and reports that President Christofias said they agreed with Mr Talat on the issue of the single sovereignty and single citizenship and described the federation to be established as follows: Two bi-communal, bi-zonal provinces. Two provinces, which will have equal status and equal authorities. The state will be united, the economy will be united.

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (09.07.08) refers to the same issue under the title The key of the solution is in Ankara and reports that President Christofias said that they will re-examine the situation with Mr Talat on 25 July and decide on whether or not the direct negotiations will start. The paper notes that the President of the Republic noted that the key for the solution of the Cyprus problem is in Ankara and that the solution is dependent to a great extent on the will of Ankara.

In addition, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (09.07.08) refers to the statements by president Christofias under the title We have to agree on the federation and reports that the president stated that the Greek Cypriot side does not accept tight time tables. The paper notes that President Christofias said that it is for the first time that the two leaders agreed for a joint statement on the issue of a single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international personality.

Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (09.07.08) refers to the issue under the title The key for the solution is Turkey and writes that President Christofias said that the Cyprus problem is very difficult and complicated and that we are facing many obstacles. In any case, not everything depends on us. The key of the solution is in Turkey, he added.

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli newspaper (09.07.08) publishes the information about the press conference of President Christofias under the title Talat wants sovereignty! The paper notes that the President of the Republic said that Mr Talat demanded for the provinces to be sovereign, but he did not accept this.

Finally, Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (09.07.08) refers to the issue under the title The problem should be solved by the Cypriots.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Talat said the Turkish Cypriots will have equal sovereignty in the federal government to be established in Cyprus

Mr Talat described as inconceivable the fact that the single sovereignty is perceived as Greek Cypriot sovereignty and wondered: How could a sovereignty formed with equal contributions be Greek Cypriot sovereignty?

(I/Ts.)

[03] Ercakica argued that Talat carried out a rescue operation on 1 July to save the negotiations

In statements during his weekly briefing to the press, Mr Ercakica argued: This was a rescue operation. It was a rescue operation realized with the initiative of Talat and saved this procedure. We hope this positive climate will continue on 25 July as well, problems deriving from within the Greek Cypriot side will not come to the surface and the date for negotiations will announced.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Serdar Denktas argued that Talat has committed a terrible mistake by accepting the single sovereignty

Speaking on behalf of the Council, Fuat Veziroglu alleged that The Turkish Cypriots are heading towards a great disaster. He said that they oppose to the elimination of the TRNC under the cover of federal state, province and that they are ready to act together with everybody who shares their view.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Rauf Denktas said that the reality of two peoples and two states is ignored with the 1 July agreement

Speaking yesterday during a briefing to Turkish students from Australia at the illegal Eastern Mediterranean University (DAU), Mr Denktas said that the reality of two peoples and two states is ignored with the above-mentioned agreement.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (09.07.08) reports that the above-mentioned group of sixteen Turkish Cypriot and Turkish students who live in Australia arrived in occupied Cyprus in order to search for postgraduate opportunities at the illegal Eastern Mediterranean University (DAU).

The visit is organized by the Australian Turkish Cypriot Culture Association and Australias Turkish Universities Unions, with the cooperation of DAU. According to the paper, the group will stay in occupied Cyprus until the 18th of July.

(I/Ts.)

[06] The Cyprus problem is seen behind the scene of the Ergenekon issue

The Turkish Cypriot columnist refers to information published yesterday in the British The Independent newspaper which argued that the names of the two arrested generals had been seen behind two plans for coup in 2003 and 2004.

The developments on the Cyprus problem were the elements that triggered these initiatives for coup and not the allegation that the AKP constitutes a threat for secularism, notes that paper.

Mr Ozuslu writes: The real intention of those hidden behind the scene is to prevent Turkeys course towards the EU. And the geography on which this happens is Cyprus. The Cyprus problem is a breaking point which will determine whether Turkey will continue its EU course.

Meanwhile, in statements to Ada TV television, the former Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktas rejected the accusations that he asked from the generals in Ankara to make a coup either in Turkey or in Cyprus during the period of the Annan Plan.

These allegations were published yesterday in Turkish Hurriyet newspaper by columnist Ilter Turkmen who argued that Mr Denktas was sending confidential documents to the Turkish generals. Mr Denktas said he believed that the balance between Turkey and Greece was eliminated and that he expressed his worries on this issue.

He added: I write these. And to whom do I write these? I write them to the government, the ministry of foreign affairs. Everything I write, from time immemorial, I send to the military and put it into an archive. ... No special separate information was sent to the generals. What was the reaction of the generals then? They were of the same view with us. The General Staff would make a statement announcing that the Annan Plan was unacceptable. Promises were given to us not to worry. Everybody was expecting a statement to be issued, not a coup to be made. ...

Moreover, Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (09.07.08) reports the following:

General Hursit Tolon's house at the military lodgements was investigated within the scope of Ergenekon investigation and a file containing personal and family information about the chief of the general staff Buyukanit; a document with the title Fethullah Gulen; CDs containing Rauf Denktas' speeches and phone book of Tolon was found. The documents have been taken from the house with a report signed by 17 people including Ankara chief public prosecutor and general staff military prosecutor.

[07] The issue of the index-linked salaries is causing disagreements in the CTP

Mr Afsaroglu said the index-linked salary is one of the measures which may be taken. Mr Ali Seylani noted that the abolishment of the index-linked wage is not a solution and that this will finish us. Mr Bayram Karaman said: I am against the lifting of the index-linked wage. The system should be further developed. On his part, Mr Ahmet Barcin said that the representatives of the trade unions should also express their views and that there should be no turmoil in the occupied areas during the period just before the commencement of the negotiations regarding the Cyprus problem.

Furthermore, the MP with the ORP, Mustafa Gokmen, self-styled minister of environment and natural resources, said he believes in the spirit and the philosophy of the draft-law and added that he will remain faithful to his signature under the decision of the council of ministers for submitting the draft-law to the parliament.

Meanwhile, the self-styled prime minister, Ferdi Sabit Soyer stated that the index-linked wage will not be abolished and that they are only suggesting the payment for the increase of the cost of living in the period after July to be made in December. In case this arrangement is not made, the 13th salary will be in danger, he argued.

Kibris reports also that the trade unions, which condemn the amendment that the government is trying to make to the index-linked salary, warned the government in writing yesterday that they will go on a strike for an indefinite period of time. Mr Soyer said that they will discuss the issue of the strike at the council of ministers.

(I/Ts.)

[08] Adem: We cannot deport 40 thousand people

In statements yesterday on Kanal T television, Mr Adem argued that labour is the greatest source of wealth and referring to the trade unions which criticize him on this issue said that they were opposing the workers whom the government attempted to register some time ago, that they exhibited a stance of hostility against the workers and that this is not in harmony with the concept of the leftist ideology.

(I/Ts.)

[09] More illegal immigrants from Syria

(I/Ts.)

[10] A citizen of the TRNC of Chinese origin had an open heart operation in the occupied part of Nicosia

(I/Ts.)

[11] The 13th International Folk Dance Festival began in occupied Cyprus

The 13th Gonyeli Municipality International Folk Dance Festival kicked off last night with a cortege procession of folk dance groups.

The cortege started at the Freedom Monument on the Gonyeli roundabout and ended at Yalcin Park.

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer and the Minister of National Education and Culture Canan Oztoprak attended the opening ceremony.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony, the mayor of the Gonyeli Ahmet Benli described Gonyeli to be a centre of sports.

He said that they had added cultural and sports activities to the folk dance festival which they took over from their predecessors, transforming it into a cultural festival.

Groups from Israel, Russia, Serbia, Taiwan, Nigeria and Turkey will be performing during the festival.

Additional to the Folk Dance shows some other cultural, sports activities and concert will also take place during the festival.

[12] The Belgian Senate will debate tomorrow a report that calls the sides in Cyprus to unite

Mr. Lule reports that the Belgian Senate will be debating today the Reformist Movement (MR) of the Walloons Liberal Partys Senator Phillipe Monfiss draft resolution regarding Cyprus.

The draft resolution named: Encouraging the newly started negotiations in Cyprus which are aimed at reunification of the island of Cyprus considers the Republic of Cyprus as the only legal and sovereign state in the island. The draft resolution implicitly considers Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots approach to be responsible for the non-solution of the Cyprus problem. The draft resolution calls on the foreign forces not to be a side in the negotiation process.

The Draft resolution also refers to the Annan Plan and says that rejecting the plan by the Greek Cypriots cannot be considered as rejecting a solution.

Mr. Lule goes on and reports that the Turkish NGOs in Belgium reacted against the draft resolution and sent protest letters to the chairmen of the political parties in the Senate claiming that the draft report is compiled with expressions favouring the Greek Cypriots.

(MHY)

[13] Turkish ambassadors to convene in Ankara

Turkey will bring home all of its ambassadors serving in foreign countries to participate in brainstorming sessions on foreign policy in Ankara, officials have said.

The future of Turkish foreign policy will be discussed at the meetings, expected to take place with the participation of over 100 ambassadors. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ertugrul Apakan are both expected to attend the talks, which will begin July 14.

The brainstorming sessions come as Turkey mediates between Syria and Israel, restarting peace efforts that collapsed in 2000. Ankara is also busy with its troubled bid to join the European Union and regional issues such as relations with Armenia and the Cyprus problem. Diplomatic sources say the increasing diversification in foreign policy issues requires a multifaceted approach to foreign policy. The Foreign Ministry has hosted ambassadorial meetings with a regional scope in the past. The gathering of all Turkeys ambassadors serving abroad will be the first of its kind.

[14] Support by the Turkish government to 42 projects between Turkey and Syria

The Turkish government has given 6.3 million USD support to 42 projects under an inter-regional cooperation program between Turkey and Syria.

Turkey's State Planning Organization earmarked 10 million USD source for the program covering Turkish southeastern cities of Gaziantep and Kilis and Aleppo city of Syria.

Construction of Arabic Language Education Centre and Syria-Turkey Trade and Communication Office, Signalization Project, Restoration of Rumkale Historical Area, Renovation of 2000-year old Mosaic Art, Education for the Handicapped, and Feasibility Works for Akcakoyunlu Border Trade Centre are some of those projects Turkey has extended financial support.

The program has been initiated in 2006 between Turkey's State Planning Organization and Syrian Arab Republic State Planning Commission under the inter-regional cooperation program.

[15] ECHR decides in favour of electoral threshold in Turkey

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided on Tuesday that the 10 percent electoral threshold in Turkey was not a violation of human rights. Thirteen judges of the Grand Chamber voted for the decision, while four voted against.

Members of the now defunct Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) Resul Sadak and Mehmet Yumak had filed a case with the ECHR in 2003 claiming that the 10 percent electoral threshold in Turkey was a violation of human rights.

The Turkish electoral legislation requires a party to cross a threshold of 10 percent of the votes validly cast nationally in order to obtain seats in the National Assembly.

[16] Poll in Turkey shows that majority expects AKP to be closed down

Fifty-eight percent of Turks expect the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to be closed by the Constitutional Court, a poll conducted by a research company showed on Tuesday. According to the poll, the support to the AKP among Turkish people is 37.6 percent in June, while it is 52.6 in January. Sixty-eight percent of Turks also think there is not a strong candidate to replace Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan if he is banned from politics by the court.

The poll, conducted by ANDY-AR Social Researches Centre on June 21-30, showed that 20.3 percent of Turkish people do not expect the AKP to be closed in the closure case against the party. Twenty-one percent of the respondents have no idea regarding the issue, according to the poll.

Turkey has locked in political turmoil as every actor in Ankara awaits the top court's ruling in the closure case against the ruling AKP. Top prosecutor, Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya, accused the ruling party of being the focal point of anti-secular activities.

[17] CHP fraud in Official Gazette, officials to face charges

The findings in an investigation launched by the Constitutional Court into the accounts of the main opposition party in the wake of illegal money transfer allegations were published yesterday in the Official Gazette.

The Official Gazette noted that around YTL 930,000 of property belonging to the Republican Peoples Party (CHP) will be confiscated and handed over to the Treasury and that criminal complaints will be filed at the Ankara Public Prosecutors Office against party officials responsible for the account fraud.

The top court completed an investigation into CHP accounts in late June and announced that irregularities in party accounts in 1998, 2004, 2005 and 2006 totalled YTL 930,000. The investigation was launched after a scandal emerged over an illegal money transfer from the party to television station Kanalturk.

Kanalturk had been unable to account for the transfer of money amounting to $3.5 million from the CHP to the station, which led the Finance Ministry to send a dossier to the Constitutional Court and the office of the Supreme Court of Appeals chief prosecutor requesting an investigation into the CHPs accounts.

Another alleged illegal money transfer scandal was revealed last month when a daily reported that the CHP had transferred money to Halk TV, known for its pro-CHP broadcasts. According to Yeni Safak, the CHP transferred sums of $700,000 and YTL 500,000 to Halk TV in the last three-and-a-half years to pay the stations bills for a satellite system and Digiturk, a cable TV provider. The party also paid for devices and equipment used by the station.

The Official Gazette stated yesterday that YTL 35,000 of property belonging to the CHP will be confiscated and handed over to the Treasury for the irregularity detected in party accounts for 1998, YTL 267,000 for 2004, YTL 161,000 for 2005 and YTL 465,000 for 2006. The total of these sums is equal to the amount of irregular expenses detected in CHP accounts during the investigation.

The Official Gazette also stated that the top court refused to accept the main opposition party showing travel expenses and tips given to third persons during party officials journeys to foreign countries as party expenditures. 'As stated in Article 70 of the Law on Political Parties, bus and plane tickets cannot be recorded as party expenditures. Furthermore, tipping third persons without getting a service in return is not compatible with the objectives of activity of a political party,' read the gazette.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[18] An attempted intervention in Cyprus in 2004?

Rauf Denktas, and the Republican Peoples Party, or CHP, sent alarming messages to commanders in 2004 and apparently the views reflected in these messages triggered the action plans.

A paragraph in the diaries allegedly owned by the former Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ozden Ornek reads that some circles were disturbed by the course of the Cyprus talks in New York held with the United Nations secretary general of the time, Kofi Annan, in February 2004 and several force commanders prepared action plans to curb these talks. The founding president of the Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus, or TRNC, Rauf Denktas, and the Republican People's Party, or CHP, sent messages to the force commanders in that period and apparently the views reflected in these messages triggered the action plans. Of course we remember that Denktas with the CHP's support ran a strong and emotional campaign against the Annan Plan at the time. On July 4, Erdal Guven in his article in daily Radikal wrote that Denktas was disappointed by the agreement reached in principle with Annan on Feb. 14, 2004 in New York and that he had said a military statement will be issued shortly.

Subtitle: The failure of Denktas

That intervention didn't take place. The Annan plan process continued and if I am not mistaken a General Staff representative participated in the Burgenstock talks chaired by the prime minister and these talks ended in success. The Turkish side was also ready to sign a paper guarantee that Turks will put the final draft of the plan to a popular vote. But the Greek side hesitated to do so. The Annan plan was supposed to be ratified in a referendum despite the opposition by then president of Greek Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos. Right then the fate of the plan seemed self-evident. Papadopoulos was not under any risk by acting so because in April 2003 Greek Cyprus had signed the accession treaty with the European Union and the member parliaments had approved it. There remained only one thing, the accession ceremony to be held on May 1. So a No vote by the Greek Cypriots in the referendum was not an obstacle for Greek Cyprus' accession to the union. In fact, in the popular vote held on April 24, 2004 65 percent of Cypriot Turks ratified the plan as Cypriot Greeks rejected it. Denktas was pleased with the situation. May God bless Papadopoulos, he said. Two eternal foes had turned into allies in a split second!

Subtitle: Whose loss is Hellenism's gain?

The reason I am giving you a recap here is that there was no need for a military intervention in that period. The mission was to be accomplished anyway but an intervention could've dragged Turkey into a period of political and economic instability and curbed the country's negotiation talks with the bloc. Such an intervention could've had a serious consequence as well. Meaning, Cypriot Turks would've been interdicted by Turkey from a popular vote of their own free will, if there had been such an intervention. Didn't it ever occur to anyone that what a disappointment and rage this could've caused? Wasn't it to be a tremendous loss in Cyprus? I cannot help myself but to remind that the Annan plan was revealed to the parties in November 2002. If it had been put to vote by April 2003 before Greek Cyprus joined the EU, Cypriot Greeks wouldn't have rejected the plan because this could've prevented their accession to the union. That's why the then Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis in his memoirs expressed his gratitude for the rejection of the plan in March 2003 and said Hellenism reached its zenith. But whose loss is Hellenism's gain? We failed in an objective evaluation of the advantages we could have if we had ratified the Annan Plan then. On the other hand, the mentality blocking a solution in Cyprus still exists. For instance, there is this Talat Pasa Committee. Doesn't its name evoke something?

[19] From the Turkish Press of 08 July 2008

a) Cyprus:

In an article entitled "An Interesting Timing", Milli Gazete columnist Hasan Unal argues that the timing of the latest detentions in the Ergenekon investigation appears to have been intended to distract public attention away from the 1 July agreement between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots to introduce a solution to their disputes based on "single statehood, single sovereignty, and single citizenship." Unal claims that a solution predicated on such an agreement would mean that the Greek Cypriots and the Greek government had achieved their long-standing ambitions concerning Cyprus.

In an article in Ortadogu, Orhan Karatas assesses the Cyprus developments and writes that grave developments are taking place at a time when the storm of Ergenekon, which he believes to be in retaliation to the AKP closure case, is raging in Turkey. Referring to the agreement of the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders over the principle of a single sovereignty and a single citizenship, Karatas argues that this is tantamount to a complete surrender. Criticizing the AKP government for its lack of reaction to the Cyprus developments, the writer argues that this lack of reaction shows that Talat was not alone in adopting this decision.

b) Plans to Oust Sener from AKP:

According to a report by Abdullah Karakus in Milliyet, the AKP Central Executive Council, MKYK, discussed Abdullatif Sener's plans to establish a new party at its meeting held on 7 July. Sener will be invited to the MKYK meeting to be held on 11 July to explain his stand and will be asked to resign from the AKP. If Sener refuses to resign, disciplinary action will be taken for his expulsion from the party. The report adds that some of the MKYK members went so far as to accuse Sener of being involved with the Ergenekon gang.

In an article entitled "He laughs up his sleeve", Vakit columnist Serdar Arseven discusses whether AKP member and former Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener's newly announced plan to establish a new party can result in political success. After explaining why Sener should not rely on the support of either the National View organization, or the centre right, or the Marxist left, or nationalist groups, Arseven asserts that Sener appears to pin his hopes not on his abilities or on the strength of his team but on "the power of circumstance," which enabled "an octogenarian like Bulent Ecevit" to be elected as prime minister in 1999.

ES/

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