Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-06-24

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[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat briefs the so called assembly. Details on the issues discussed and the arguments raised by the sides during the negotiations

[02] Talat stated that Turkey is the one that could sell out the Turkish Cypriots

[03] Statements on Cyprus by Talat during a reception held for the opening of the EU Info Point

[04] The Cyprus Turkish Platform called on Talat to put on the negotiation table the Turkish Cypriot sides sine qua non

[05] Irsen Kucuk UBP new General Secretary

[06] A conference regarding the Turkish-Russian relations and their influence over Cyprus to take place in the occupied areas of Cyprus

[07] The designer of the flag of the Republic of Cyprus has passed away

[08] Turkey, Britain sign MoU on joint economy and trade committee

[09] Turkish FM: Taking part in Lebanon mission is a part of Turkeys historical obligation

[10] Turkey and Israel agreed to boost their political, economic and cultural relations

[11] New appointments in the Turkish Foreign Ministry took effect

[12] The 10th silk road General / Admiral seminar was held in Istanbul

[13] An EU official warns that the alleged action plan in Turkey may further strain Turkey EU ties

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[14] Columnist in Taraf assesses the effects on Erdogans plans for reforms from the coup plan revealed recently

[15] Columnist in Hurriyet DailyNews.com assesses the Kurdish issue and comments on Ocalans forthcoming statement for solving the issue

[16] From the Turkish Press of 23 June 2009

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat briefs the so called assembly. Details on the issues discussed and the arguments raised by the sides during the negotiations

Invoking information obtained from reliable sources the paper writes that Mr. Talat stated that during the negotiations no complete agreement was reached on issues related with jurisdiction, governance, the authorities of the federal state, the executive power and property ownership, writes the paper.

On the executive powers issue, Mr. Talat said that the Turkish Cypriot side propose that the power be carried out by four Greek Cypriot and three Turkish Cypriot ministers, while the Greek Cypriot side proposes six Greek Cypriot and three Turkish Cypriot ministers. According to the information given by Mr. Talat to the assembly, President Demetris Christofias proposes the Greek Cypriot side to hold the presidency for four years and the Turkish Cypriot side for two, contrary to the proposal of the Turkish Cypriot side which is three and two years for the sides respectively. On the election of the President, Greek Cypriots propose for the president to be elected by the entire population, as against to the Turkish Cypriot suggestion for a formula which will eliminate the unjust treatment the Turkish Cypriots will experience since they are a minority, the paper writes.

Mr. Talat also said that governance is one of the most important issues for the Turkish Cypriot side and that the Greek Cypriot side insists on a formula which will not abolish the Republic of Cyprus, whereas the Turkish Cypriot side insists on the establishment of a new partnership.

On the property issue, Mr. Talat said that the Greek Cypriot side insists that the owners of the property have the final say, whereas the Turkish Cypriot side insists on options for exchange - compensation of the property.

(ML)

[02] Talat stated that Turkey is the one that could sell out the Turkish Cypriots

Replying to a question as regards the criticism that he put the country on sale, Mr Talat stated: Will anyone sell out his own country in which he lives and where his children and grandchildren will live?. Mr Talat, who said that there cannot be such a thing as selling out the country, went on and added that only Turkey could sell out the Turkish Cypriots: Turkey can sell out and it can say alright my brother, I am giving up, I am opening my doors and my ports (to the Greek Cypriots), I cannot deal with Cyprus anymore. But how can I sell out my own country, how can I sell out the country of my grandchildren? The moment I sell it out, I shall be ruined. It means that I shall risk my own life, he stated.

Mr Talat stated that the year 2010 is very important for the solution of the Cyprus problem and noted that until this date a referendum must be conducted. He stated that in case the referendum is not conducted until then, the negotiations will become a victim of the election campaigns.

Talat stated the following as regards the issue of the guarantees which, according to the paper, came into the agenda as the point in which there is an important disagreement between the two sides: They say there can be no attacks within the EU, therefore the Turkish Cypriots do not need guarantees, there is no need for guarantees. Considering that there will not be an attack within the EU, then there is no need to fear the Turkish army as well.

Mr Talat stated that the reports published in the Greek press as regards the issue of returning land are not true and added that the issue of the political equality is very important for the Turkish Cypriot side.

Finally, the Turkish Cypriot leader said that he has no problem with the new government in the occupied areas. Asked if he will be a candidate for the presidential election, Mr Talat refrained from giving a clear answer and stated: At this time it is not possible to say anything.

(CS)

[03] Statements on Cyprus by Talat during a reception held for the opening of the EU Info Point

Reporting on statements made by the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat during the reception, the paper writes that Mr. Talat referred to the Cyprus problem and said that the negotiation process for reaching to a solution to the problem continues, noting that the aim of the Turkish Cypriot side is for a solution plan to be put to a referendum on both sides at the beginning of 2010.

Drawing attention to the importance of the entire island of Cyprus becoming a part of the EU, the Turkish Cypriot leader reminded that the Turkish Cypriots have expressed their willingness to join the EU during the referendum held in 2004, and added that the anomalies existing will turn into normal by the entire islands accession to the EU. Within this framework, the EU Info Point carries important mission, Mr. Talat concluded.

Alain Bothorel, responsible of the EU Support Office, EU officials, political leaders and representatives from NGOs were also present at the opening of the office.

According to the paper, the EU Info Point aims to bring the Turkish Cypriot community closer to the EU through information on the EUs political and legal structure, as well as its main policies and activities.

(ML)

[04] The Cyprus Turkish Platformcalled on Talat to put on the negotiation table the Turkish Cypriot sides sine qua non

The Cyprus Turkish Platform has called on President Mehmet Ali Talat to clearly put the Turkish Cypriot Sides sine qua non on the negotiations table.

In a written statement, the Spokesperson for the Platform Huseyin Alasya said that the Turkish Cypriot people showed their willpower not to give any concessions over the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the sovereign existence of the Turkish Cypriot People and Turkeys right of guarantorship over the whole of Cyprus.

Mr. Alasya expressed the view that those who dream of making the Turkish Cypriot People a minority under the so-called Republic of Cyprus are subject to disappointment.

Referring to the EU Commissions Vice-President Gunter Verheugens statement that there was no need for guarantees in Cyprus, he noted that this is an indicative message which signals how the Turkish Cypriot People will be assimilated by Greek Cypriots after a solution is brought to the Cyprus problem.

As for the EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barrosos upcoming visit to Cyprus, Huseyin Alasya said the Platform perceives Barrosos Cyprus contacts with suspicion as they fear that the major purpose of the EU visits to Cyprus might be to pull the ongoing negotiations process out of the UN parameters and allow EUs active inclusion within the process.

'We hope that no one will do a miscalculation over the Turkish Cypriot People and the TRNCs sovereign existence. Our people will never allow any contempt and will continuously protect the state of the TRNC', the Platform Spokesperson said.

[05] Irsen Kucuk UBP new General Secretary

Irsen Kucuk has become the new Secretary General of the ruling National Unity Party (UBP).

The Lefkosa MP was elected to the job by the UBP Party Assembly which convened today. Assembly members were asked to choose between Mr Kucuk and Girne [occupied Kerynia] MP Unal Ustel who also stood as a candidate for the position. Kucuk got the support of 60 of the 87 members of the assembly in a closed vote.

[06] A conference regarding the Turkish-Russian relations and their influence over Cyprus to take place in the occupied areas of Cyprus

According to the announcement of KUBAM, Mr Ozdil Nami, special adviser of the self-styled President on EU and UN issues, Prof. Dr. Stanislav Tkachenko and Dr. Muhittin Ozsaglam will address the conference.

(EA)

[07] The designer of the flag of the Republic of Cyprus has passed away

Mr Guney was born in Limassol in 1932. He was an artist and cartoonist and in 1960 he designed the flag and the emblem of the Republic of Cyprus, which was chosen personally by President Makarios III, as well as the Cyprus Lira.

According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli newspaper (24.06.09), a ceremony will take place tomorrow, Thursday, at the Ataturk Cultural Centre in occupied Lefkosia.

(EA)

[08] Turkey, Britain sign MoU on joint economy and trade committee

Turkish and British trade ministers signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of Turkey-UK Joint Economy and Trade Committee.

Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan and British Trade and Investment Minister Lord Mervyn Davies signed the memorandum of understanding in Ankara on Tuesday.Turkey and the United Kingdom aim to accelerate business activities between the two countries, Davies told the signing ceremony. Davies said he would tell medium and large-scale British firms that Turkey offers great business opportunities.

Zafer Caglayan, on his part, said that the agreement would be a new channel for relations between Turkey and UK, stating that it would also add more momentum to progress of trade volume.

British firms have invested more than 4 billion USD in Turkey over the past five years and around 2,000 British firms are active in Turkey, Caglayan said. He said these figures indicated the confidence in Turkish economy and country's political stability.Caglayan said Turkish and British companies would cooperate especially on construction, health care, education and energy industries.

He also said that a significant amount of British consumers use Turkish goods in their daily life and gave an example, saying that eight out of every 10 refrigerators used in Britain were made in Turkey.

[09] Turkish FM: Taking part in Lebanon mission is a part of Turkeys historical obligation

Turkey's foreign minister has said Turkish task force participating in a UN mission in Lebanon was part of the fulfilment of 'Turkey's historical obligations'.

'Peace in Lebanon is an area of responsibility for Turkey as a result of its historical obligations and influence zones', Ahmet Davutoglu told the Turkish parliament Tuesday prior a voting on a motion to authorize the government to extend the mandate of Turkish troops under UN mission in Lebanon.

Davutoglu said Turkey's participation in the UN mission in Lebanon was also part of fundamental strategic principles of the Turkish foreign policy and a reflection of Turkey's stance toward the Middle East.

'The basic goal of the Turkish foreign policy is to put Turkey among major global and regional actors that make significant contributions', Davutoglu said.

The Turkish parliament adopted the motion authorizing the government extend the mandate of Turkish troops under the banner of UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year as of September 5, 2009.

[10] Turkey and Israel agreed to boost their political, economic and cultural relations

Senior Turkish and Israeli officials have discussed political and economic cooperation, agreeing that relations between the two countries should continue to improve, according to Israeli officials. Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ertugrul Apakan and Yossi Gal, director general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, met on Monday, according to a statement from the office of the spokesman of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

'The two parties discussed a variety of subjects of mutual interest, in political, economic and cultural fields. It was agreed that bilateral relations would benefit from exchanging official and working visits at all levels within the coming months', the statement said. 'The expressed aim is to enhance existing ties in the areas of economy, trade, tourism, maritime links and culture', it also said, adding that both countries also aim for 'cooperation in third countries'. The two parties also exchanged views on regional issues.

Relations between Turkey and Israel, regional allies who cooperate particularly in the military and defense arena, were strained after the Israeli army launched a deadly offensive in Gaza in January, leaving more than 1,300 people dead. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan walked out of a World Economic Forum session in Davos, Switzerland, in late January, after an angry exchange with Israeli President Shimon Peres over the Gaza operation. But tension later subsided and dialogue between the two countries has been restored.

[11] New appointements in the Turkish Foreign Ministry took effect

The appointment of senior diplomats to new posts at the Turkish Foreign Ministry as part of a routine reshuffle took effect on Tuesday, when the relevant decree was published in the Official Gazette.

Mustafa Babür H1zlan, deputy director for South Asia at the Foreign Ministry, has been appointed as the Turkish ambassador to Pakistan. Another diplomat based in the ministry headquarters, Mehmet Hilmi Dedeolu, was named ambassador to Kuwait.

According to the decree, the Turkish ambassador to Italy, S1tk1 Ugur Ziyal; the ambassador to Montenegro, Mehmet Murat Oguz; the ambassador to Syria, Yasar Halit Cevik; the ambassador to Brazil, Ahmet Gurkan; the ambassador to Pakistan, Rauf Engin Soysal; and the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ali Naci Koru, are all returning to posts at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Ankara.

[12] The 10th silk road General / Admiral seminar was held in Istanbul

The 10th Silk Road General/Admiral Seminar in Istanbul ended. Making the closing remarks of the seminar, Gen. Hasan Igsiz, deputy chief of the Turkish General Staff, said that instability in a single country could have global impacts.

In his speech, Gen. Igsiz drew attention to new elements posing threat to the humanity in the 21st century such as terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and piracy. He highlighted importance of increasing cooperation among the allied countries and partner nations against those new security threats.

'Those threats are too serious to be handled by a single country. Therefore, we should act together. Instability in a single country could have global impacts in our age. I believe that we can ensure a permanent global security by developing our partnership and the understanding among our countries', he added.

More than a hundred participants, including military representatives of NATO and European Union (EU) member states, Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries, Mediterranean Dialogue countries, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative countries, and some United Nations (UN) member countries were in attendance at the two-day seminar.

Afghanistan, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Switzerland and Montenegro were represented by chiefs of staff in the seminar.

[13] An EU official warns that the alleged action plan in Turkey may further strain Turkey EU ties

Ambassadors of European Union member countries in Ankara are scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss the controversy surrounding an alleged military action plan to undermine Turkey's government and the faith-based Gülen movement -- an action plan which, if its authenticity is confirmed, is set to be a new source of concern over the future of Turkey's already troubled EU accession process.

'There will definitely be a reaction somehow if the document is proven to be [authentic]. Such decisions are made with consensus, so it would be early to talk about that. But one should focus on ways of helping Turkey before contemplating forms of warnings', an EU diplomat based in Ankara, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Today's Zaman on Tuesday. 'If that is the case, it will mean an extremely serious situation, especially for Turkey itself.

It will show that someone or some persons are still trying to [conduct] social engineering illegitimately. This complies with neither the principles nor values of the European Union', the same EU diplomat said.

During a regular luncheon, the ambassadors will gather with a senior member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Eskisehir deputy Murat Mercan, only days after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted a luncheon for the EU ambassadors in Ankara on Monday. The meetings come amid debates concerning the possible impact of the alleged action plan on Turkey's EU accession process, which is already troubled by various problems.

Thursday's meeting will be the latest regular luncheon to be held by Czech Ambassador Eva Filipi, whose country will turn over the EU's rotating term presidency to Sweden as of July 1. Filipi, Swedish Ambassador to Turkey Christer Asp and Mercan of the AK Party, also the head of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission, are scheduled to hold a joint press conference following the meeting on Thursday.

A copy of the controversial 'action plan' document was published by the Taraf daily earlier this month. The four-page document, titled the 'Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism', is thought to bear the signature of Senior Staff Col. Dursun Cicek. The document details plots allegedly devised by the military to frame innocent people linked to the Gulen movement and the AK Party by planting arms and ammunition in their homes and sparked outrage in many segments of society as the document is widely regarded to be concrete proof of the military's plans to intervene in the civilian realm.

While most of the EU diplomats based in Ankara are tight-lipped on the sensitive issue, Emine Bozkurt, a member of the European Parliament who is closely following issues related to Turkey, already stated Monday that were the document to be proven authentic it would most certainly be in the next European Parliament progress report on Turkey, which regularly assesses the progress Turkey has made in meeting the EU criteria for membership.

Turkey's accession process has already been troubled with the Cyprus issue, while the EU side has also been complaining of a decline in the government's appetite for implementing more reforms -- a complaint firmly rejected by Ankara. The EU Council froze the opening of eight negotiation chapters with Turkey in 2006 due to its refusal to open its ports and airports to Greek Cypriot traffic. The EU, meanwhile, is expected to review the situation by the end of 2009.

The Turkish military's involvement in politics is one of the items already subject to EU complaints documented in almost all the progress reports released by the EU so far. Concerning the latest alleged military plan, Brussels is apparently still trying to gain time and follow the domestic debates on the issue before giving a clue to its eventual reaction.

'In the event the document is proven to be [authentic], then it will be another round for Turkey. There will be new rounds, new pains which Turkey will have to handle', the EU diplomat said.

Some Western observers based in Ankara labeled Erdogan's Monday speech as 'damage control' because he was trying to preemptively prevent a harsh reaction by the EU side that could harm the entire accession process. Erdoan, more than once, reaffirmed to the EU ambassadors that 'all of Turkey's institutions' stood opposed to such plans. Erdogan was apparently underlining that the action plan was not approved of or embraced by the top brass of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

' What is extremely striking here is the fact that almost the entire country unanimously defended democracy vis-à-vis the scenarios in this document. From media to civil society, from political parties to our institutions, everybody interested in the issue has supported democracy, and the national will and displayed a contemporary stance', Erdogan said Monday, while ruling out certain comments in European media that suggested the document had led to internal tension in Turkey.

In an interview with Taraf published on Tuesday, Swedish Ambassador Asp expressed appreciation for Turkey's efforts toward a modern democracy.

'The sole actor in this transformation is the elected government. The military and the civil society are different things. Civil society sides with the government and the Parliament, which are democratically elected. The elected government decides on how to govern the civilians. I believe that the issue is this simple', Asp was quoted as saying by the daily, also noting that they had been waiting for expert reports on the aforementioned document's authenticity.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[14] Columnist in Taraf assesses the effects on Erdogans plans for reforms from the coup plan revealed recently

I sometimes suspect that all of our administrators harbor somewhere deep inside them a desire 'to reach an accommodation with the military so that they can run the country as they wish without any fights or conflicts'. That is because fighting back is hard. It is arduous. The form of 'governance' administrators prefer does not involve fighting back.

However, Turkey's reality has no room for this 'indecent desire'. The army will never consent to an accommodation or sharing its power with any administrator. Nor can the state be run by 'two co-equal bosses'. One of them has to bow to the other. Every administrator who tries to reach an accommodation with the army learns this eventually. He is either overthrown by a coup or 'taught his place' by a memorandum.

Although Prime Minister Erdogan is an administrator who has taken one of the 'straightest' stands against the army, we have seen that he was also occasionally swept by the attraction of this secret desire.He sometimes made the mistake of thinking that he can create a space of power for himself in this 'system' by executing small maneuvers. Whenever he did that, he was slapped with a 'memorandum' or had to confront a 'closure lawsuit'. Conversely, just when he thought that he had reached an 'accommodation', a 'document exposing coup plans' erupted into the scene.

How can we know when the prime minister is trying to reach an accommodation with the army? I think there is a simple indicator for this: You know that he is trying to reach an accommodation with the army whenever he slows down on the path of EU membership.

He believes that he will be given a 'share of power' within this system. When he finds out that this is impossible, he wakes up from his 'dream' and becomes agitated again. I believe that the recent "plan" that was published in our paper awakened Erdogan from his dreams. Just when he thought that he 'was getting on so well with Basbug', it became evident that some circles were planning to overthrow him. Even worse, the prime minister probably knows much more than what we know. People must have told him a long time ago about the calculations and the relationships that lie behind this 'coup plan'.

Similarly, I suppose the media's posture has shown him how he can be 'besieged' in an instant. When rumors came out about the visit paid to the General Staff headquarters by the Ankara representatives of certain newspapers, the newspaper said to be 'closest' to Erdogan suddenly assumed the task of serving as the mouthpiece of the General Staff.

Another newspaper published what the General Staff told it as the 'truth' on its front page. The newspaper that boasts of being the 'flagship' of the media reported the most recent 'Republic Rally' in Izmir--which was attended by 7,000-8,000 people--with pictures of last year's rally, which was attended by nearly 1 million people. For the seeing eye, these are 'explicit' signs. I am sure Erdogan has also seen them. It was clear from his remarks at his meeting with EU ambassadors yesterday that he has seen them.

Erdogan spoke openly and unequivocally. He signaled that we will increase our speed on our way to EU membership. He took steps to ensure that reform laws are enacted immediately.

A prime minister's march toward the EU actually means a march toward his own "people." This is because Turkey's EU membership is the only way the "people's will" can be made to prevail in this country. You cannot remove the military from politics without adopting Europe's standards, laws, and norms. The military will generate plans, actions, and memorandums to "reinforce" its power as long as it remains within politics. This reality does not change by this or that general taking over as commander. That is because this is not something that depends on personalities or intentions. This is something related to the system. You cannot make the people's will as 'the only norm' or establish democracy and legality without changing the system. [Without changing the system,] you cannot remove from your life the monstrosity known as the 'military judiciary' or the oddity called 'defending and protecting the republic'. I think that this most recent 'document' awakened Erdogan from his long sleep. He is now turning back to Europe and his people.

As long as this country moves forward on the path to Europe, lies by lawyers, attempts by a colonel to change his signature, efforts to save this colonel from the civilian judiciary, or endeavors by the General Staff to twist the truth using journalists with close ties to it cannot accomplish anything. This is because Europe has established legal norms. Those norms do not permit soldiers to intervene in politics. They bar the military from staging coups, writing memorandums, making secret plans, and declaring psychological war on its own people. This is why those who wish to oppress the people of this country--those who want to disregard the people--hate the headscarves of the pious, the rights of the Kurds, the worship houses of the Alevis, the ideas of the leftists, and the EU.

The plan that was recently exposed evidently showed Erdogan the truth. The prime minister has realized, at least for now, that there is no room for himself or this people in this system. I hope he does not forget this again.

[15] Columnist in Hurriyet DailyNews.com assesses the Kurdish issue and comments on Ocalans forthcoming statement for solving the issue

"This opportunity should not be missed' is what we still hear and it is still valid. There has never been a better time to wipe out the PKK terror and progress in the Kurdish issue. For the first time those in Ankara holding the power and those in Cankaya are of the same opinion. They do not look in a different direction. No difference in opinion. And again for the first time is the command level in the TSK generally in line with the government, even if not in details. They believe that a step needs to be taken in order to wipe out the PKK terror.

International conditions have never been this stable for condemning terror and solving the Kurdish issue with political means. The United States and Europe say "enough now" and the northern Iraq and the Kurdish government want the PKK issue to stop being an obstacle to relations with Turkey.

And the PKK administration says that this issue cannot be solved with weapons but they don't negotiate seriously. It tries to save the organization's upper level management and those in prison.

Ocalan's statement is expected in such an environment. According to PKK sources, Ocalan will print a "road map" for the future. He will state his expectations of Ankara and advice to the PKK.

Ocalan gives importance to this statement and it is thought that developments will accelerate afterward. This "road map" from Imrali might accelerate this process or on the contrary confuse everything. Ocalan's suggestions will be adopted like a constitution regarding the PKK and nobody will dare to change anything no matter how much difference in opinion there is within the organization. Ocalan's own balance is extremely complex. On one side there are some facts.

The PKK needs to decide whether to carry this out with or without weapons. But when making this decision they know that such a terror organization will not be eliminated without obtaining something in return.

On the other side there is Turkey's changing attitude. Ankara is taking brave steps for the first time not taken in a long time and is also signaling a continuation of this path. This has come to such a point where each act with a weapon, each drop of bloodshed, each conspiracy or assassination attempt only slows down this process.

Allergies or reactions to the PKK by democratic forces in this country prevent expected steps to be taken in the Kurdish issue.

Ocalan is facing an extremely difficult and complex equation

If he comes forward with exaggerated and unacceptable demands this will stop the process before it even starts. Blood will be shed in vain. The "insolvability" of this situation will be of benefit to those in favor of the terror.

And if he does not request anything satisfactory to his own public then he will lose the Kurdish front.

Opportunity for peace?

Because we have arrived at such a critical point, Ocalan with the help of his lawyers is taking the pulse of the public before his August statement. He indirectly asks those who deal with this issue, even if they are of a different opinion, 'What do you say? What do you recommend? '

The lawyers only listen, gather mutual points from who they asked and will probably communicate it to Imrali. They also came to me. I repeated what I wrote in my articles:

'Weapons won't lead anywhere. On the contrary, even those who want to eliminate deficiencies in the Kurdish issue keep quiet because they show reaction to the PKK terror.

The PKK has come to a point of hindering the solution of the Kurdish issue. The PKK needs to take its finger off the trigger and not get in the way of security forces. Blood-shedding should be stopped. If Kurdish origin citizens have a request they need to come forward in Parliament and on a political platform.

Only democratic forces can solve the Kurdish issue, not the PKK... '

The liberal-democratic wing in this country is really fed up with PKK terror. It put the Kurdish issue in an even more difficult position. Now there is a need for a new start. Let's see how Ocalan will make use of this opportunity.

[16] From the Turkish Press of 23 June 2009

Aftermath of Iranian elections

In a column in Hurriyet Daily News, Ilhan Tanir questions Turkey's position in the aftermath of the Iranian elections, saying: "While the-once-in-a-generation events are happening there, the Turkish administration is rushing to congratulate Ahmedinejad and his unmerited victory without hesitation. We do understand the importance of famous 'zero problem' principle of Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu, the foreign minister of Turkey, which is an approach that I think should be praised. However, I do not agree if this policy also comprises overtly supporting the current Iranian regime's ruthlessness to just get along with it. I can't help but ask if this support finds its roots through the many energy contracts that have been signed between the two countries. Or even the scarier scenario is the question of whether our administration officials identify themselves more with Ahmedinejad than the dissidents of the regime?"

In his commentary entitled "Iran's dilemma," Milliyet's Sami Kohen asserts that Iranian religious leader Khamenei has become part of the "polarization" with his 12 June speech that supported Ahmadinezhad and strongly reacted to Musavi and the hundreds of the demonstrators in the streets. Pointing out that it will be more difficult to place the protestors under control from now on, he says that Khamenei will either call for the use of force to stop the demonstrators or backpedal on his current position. However, he adds, none of the two options are likely to yield positive results under the present conditions in the country. Commenting on Musavi's position, Kohen views him as a politician who has "unexpectedly become the leader of a protest movement." Recalling that he was one of the supporters of the establishment of the Islamic regime in the past, he says that it is still unclear whether Musavi will be able to remain as the leader of this reformist movement. The columnist concludes by saying that the protestors will have to make a decision soon: They will either maintain their struggle regardless of the use of force by the government or stop protest demonstrations.

A column by Cengiz Candar of Hurriyet views the difficulty in obtaining detailed information about the developments in Iran and notes that the ongoing uprising is unlikely to lead to the ouster of the present regime soon. However, Candar notes, the Iranian regime losing its "massive legitimacy" will have an "inevitable impact on regional and international political balances." The developments in that country and the Ahmadinezhad administration's effort to control the domestic tension will "weaken Iran's influence on HAMAS and even undermine the 'regional axis' it formed with Syria." The columnist expresses support for the Iranian people by saying: They have already shown that the "legitimacy of power" can only be achieved through "public support" rather than the policies adopted by "holy forces."

Vatan columnist Rusen Cakir views Khamenei's support for Ahmadinezhad and his reaction to the opposition as an indication that "the Iranian revolution has lost its legitimacy." Arguing that the opposition leaders might be unable to control the ongoing uprising within the rules of the regime, Cakir says his article that "the children of the revolution" have started to take steps toward a regime change. It seems the possible future developments in Iran will dominate the political agenda from now on, he adds.

In an article entitled "Being a scapegoat in Iran, Yeni Safak columnist Akif Emre cites US President Barack Obama's remark that he does not want to be a scapegoat for Iran's leadership while the post-election chaos in this country continues as being illustrative of Iran's regional influence, adding that "there is no need even to wonder why the US president has not issued a similar statement about Pakistan or Afghanistan." He also argues that if Washington does not want to become a scapegoat for Tehran, it has either scrapped its regional strategic goals or it is far too preoccupied with other problems already to consider intervening in Iran, adding that "no one can know better than the US establishment the pitfalls of foreign political engineering in Iran."

In an article entitled "Twitter solidarity, neo-con fantasies, and getting it wrong in Iran", Yeni Safak columnist Ibrahim Karagul argues that while the current chaos in Iran is the most destructive crisis ever since the Islamic Revolution, it is a serious mistake to expect the unrest in this country to lead to a change of regime, adding that "projects" like the color or velvet revolutions in the region carried out since the demise of the Soviet Union are not feasible in Iran. He also predicts that if the upheaval in Iran continues, Tehran might seek to create regional or international conflicts to eliminate the "danger" at home.

In an article entitled "Iran's counter guerilla, Vakit columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak refers to the events in Iran as the result of "a typical counter-guerilla operation intended to overthrow the regime from within." He claims that "if Ahmadinezhad fails to see the forest for the trees by focusing on the pawns taking part in the protests," the process started by the street clashes could turn out to be the beginning of the end in Iran. He also urges Tehran to treat the events as an opportunity to speed up the reform process and expresses his expectation that Iran will draw a lesson from the activities of the Ergenekon network and the 28 February process in Turkey rather than allowing the clashes to become a source of hope for supporters of Ergenekon.

In an article entitled ""Where is Iran headed?, Milli Gazete columnist Hasan Unal calls attention to the "excessive" Western media interest in the ongoing events in Iran and speculates that the protests may have been organized by groups affiliated with foreign forces. He poses such questions as whether the Iranian regime could be overthrown by street protests, whether the protestors are actually trying to change the regime, whether Obama's weekend statement on the events in Iran is part of a Western strategy to replace the current political system in Iran, etc. He also underlines the "imbalance" between the capabilities of the opponents and defenders of the regime and predicts that if the Revolutionary Guards continue to stand by the current authority in Iran, "the protests might not go beyond a sort of Tiananmen."

ES/

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