Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-07-21

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat and Cicek addressed the ceremony in occupied Lefkosia for the black anniversary of the Turkish invasion

[02] Gul reiterated the importance of Turkish guarantees in Cyprus in a congratulatory message he sent to Talat for the 20th of July

[03] The self-styled minister of education, youth and sports and Azeri MPs discussed on cooperation

[04] Population boom in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus

[05] TED to open school in the occupied areas

[06] Third Ergenekon indictment submitted to Istanbul High Criminal Court

[07] Hurriyet Daily News.com reveals elements included in the road map to be announced by Ocalan in the mid of August for solving the Kurdish issue

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[08] From the Turkish Press of 20 July 2009

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat and Cicek addressed the ceremony in occupied Lefkosia for the black anniversary of the Turkish invasion

President Mehmet Ali Talat and Turkish Minister of State in Charge of Cyprus Affairs Cemil Cicek delivered speeches marking the significance of the 20th of July Turkish Peace Operation at the main ceremony that was held at the Dr. Fazil Kucuk Boulevard.

President Mehmet Ali Talat said that the Turks desired to crown the ongoing efforts to achieve a lasting solution to the Cyprus Problem with a diplomatic victory.

For his part, the Turkish Minister of State Cemil Cicek said that both Turkey and the TRNC were doing all they could for a comprehensive solution but that this does not mean it would be giving up its rights in the process.

Delivering the opening speech at the main ceremony in Lefkosia this morning, the Turkish Minister of State in Charge of Cyprus Affairs Cemil Cicek said that the 1974 Turkish Peace Operation had brought peace to the island.

Stating that Turkeys and the TRNCs continued stance in favor of a settlement did not mean it will give in to every condition and demand put forward by the Greek Cypriot side, Cicek said that the criteria for solving the Cyprus Problem were clear.

He said that any settlement to be reached on the island had to acknowledge the political reality that there are two separate democracies, states and peoples on the island.

Stating that a solution was possible by the end of 2009, Cicek said that settlement will be beneficial for the region as a whole.

The Turk Minister also said that the freedom and welfare of the Turks of Cyprus was a national cause for Turkey and that his country will continue to support the development of the TRNC.

Developing the TRNCs economy is very important in ongoing efforts to reach a settlement. I believe that the people of the TRNC who have succeeded in accomplishing so much despite all the pressures and embargoes will continue to do so in the future, the Turk Minister added.

Addressing the crowd next, President Mehmet Ali Talat said that the 20th of July Peace Operation will have fully accomplished its goal when a lasting and mutually acceptable solution is found to the Cyprus Problem.

The President explained that Turkey which carried out the 1974 Peace Operation using its rights stemming from international agreements brought security to the Turks of Cyprus and reinstated their partnership rights.

Stating that a settlement in Cyprus cannot be attained by disregarding the Turks of Cyprus and by denying their political equality and right to self-administration, Talat said that the political parameters, which were altered with the 20 July 1974 Peace Operation, demonstrated this reality to the Greek Cypriot side as well as the whole world.

Stating that the Turkish sides pro-solution stance has changed the international communitys negative perception of the TRNC, the President said that the Turks of Cyprus enjoyed better relations with the international community.

The world knows more about Turkish Cypriots, the doors which used to shut on our faces are now opening, and the international community is empathizing with us.

He however said that the people of the TRNC could not settle for these gains because the ultimate goal was to reach a fair, permanent and secure solution.

Our goal is to gain the place that we deserve in the European Union and to be accepted by international law. For that reason, we have to integrate the Turks of Cyprus into the world through a new partnership state as a people with equal rights with Greek Cypriots and as founding partners, the President stressed.

This is why he added it was necessary to find a mutually acceptable, just and permanent solution to the Cyprus problem as soon as possible.

We are working hard for this and a solution is in reach. Nevertheless we are being careful because we have learnt our lesson from the past inconsistent behavior of the Greek Cypriot side and the EU. Therefore, we do not want to disappoint the Turkish Cypriot people once again. We can never forget the fact that despite our clear will for the solution of the Cyprus problem, the Greek Cypriot side, which rejected a solution, was awarded while we continued to be punished under inhumane isolations and embargoes.

Touching upon the issue of guarantees, President Talat said that Turkeys active and effective guarantee over Cyprus was not subject for debate and that Turkeys guarantee was indispensable for the people for the TRNC.

This, he added, was something that was conveyed to the Greek Cypriot side at every opportunity.

[02] Gul reiterated the importance of Turkish guarantees in Cyprus in a congratulatory message he sent to Talat for the 20th of July

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has stated that Turkeys active and effective guarantee in Cyprus will be an important element of the peace and stability which will be achieved by a solution in the island. Mr. Gul sent a message to President Talat congratulating the Peace and Freedom Day of the Turks of Cyprus. In his letter, Mr. Gul also stressed that if the negotiations do not end up again with success no one would blame the Turks of Cyprus for the non solution on the island.

The Turkish President said the peace operation of the on the 20th of July 1974 constitutes the guarantee of the Turks of Cyprus right of administrating itself.

Also touching upon the ongoing negotiations process in his letter, Mr. Gul stressed that a solution which will be based on bi-zonality, political equality and the new partnership of two founding states will bring peace and stability to the region alongside with the island.

He also reiterated Turkeys support to the rightful struggle of Turks of Cyprus and added that this support which comes from Turkeys historical and legal responsibilities will continue forever.

[03] The self-styled minister of education, youth and sports and Azeri MPs discussed on cooperation

Speaking during the meeting, Mr Durust stated that they feel very happy for seeing the Azeri MPs in the TRNC and that they are ready to improve their relations with Azerbaijan. He added that especially in the sports field they are ready to make more steps and to work on any subject that falls in the responsibility of his ministry in order to provide any kind of possibility needed for more meetings between the youths of the two countries.

On his part, Mr Rustemkanli, speaking on behalf of the Azeri delegation, stated that a lot of Azeri students are studying in the illegal universities, and added that this is very important for them because the TRNC universities are considered as reliable and the TRNC is seen as reliable state.

Reporting on the same issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (21.07.09) under the title, Rustemkanli: The contacts between the two countries must be increased..., writes that Mr Rustemkanli stated that they request further cooperation in every field between the two countries and that they are in favour of any initiative taken towards this aim.

(EA)

[04] Population boom in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus

Noting that on the whole the number of births to male infants exceeded the births to females, Kibris adds that 2008 is the year with the larger increase in births and deaths in occupied Cyprus and publishes, inter alia, data given by the so-called state planning organization according to which between 2002-May 2009, a total of 24.705 infants were born of whom 12.833 are male and 11.872 female. On the other hand, 6.582 individuals have passed away of whom 3.764 are male and 2.818 female.

According to the same data, the average age of the deceased persons in occupied Cyprus is rising and life expectancy rose to 75+ years of age with the average adult death rate falling.

(ML)

[05] TED to open school in the occupied areas

Turkish Education Association (TED) will open school in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Rental contract for the school was signed with a ceremony on Monday in Lefkosia Merit Hotel.

TRNC Premier Dervis Eroglu and Turkish State Minister Cemil Cicek also attended the ceremony. TED Director General Selcuk Pehlivanoglu said that TED was Turkey's first non-governmental organization which was established for education 81 years ago. He said that TED had 22 schools and 18,000 students across Turkey.

Noting that the construction of the school in TRNC would start in a short time, Pehlivanoglu said that they targeted to start education in the school in September, 2010.

[06] Third Ergenekon indictment submitted to Istanbul High Criminal Court

The third indictment including accusations against 52 suspects was prepared under the "Ergenekon" probe.

The indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office was sent to the Istanbul High Criminal Court.

The 1454-page indictment includes accusations against 52 suspects who were arrested between January 10 and April 17, 2009. 37 of those suspects have been under arrest.

Trial of 86 people under the first indictment and 52 others under the second indictment have been continuing on the charges of allegedly being part of an criminal network. They are also accused of planning assassinations and bombings to sow chaos and overthrow the government.

The alleged criminal network that came to be known as "Ergenekon" was revealed after police seized 27 grenades, TNT explosives and fuses in a shanty house in Istanbul on June 12, 2007 and Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into weapons. Police waged operations in several provinces and detained a number of people, including retired senior army officers, journalists and businessmen, for their alleged involvement in the network.

[07] Hurriyet Daily News.com reveals elements included in the road map to be announced by Ocalan in the mid of August for solving the Kurdish issue

Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed PKK, plans to release a road map as an answer to the Kurdish question, which is going to leave the government in a state of uncomfortable curiosity, according to news reports. Ocalan will propose that Turkey create strategic alliances with the Kurds.

The convicted leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, is expected to unveil a road map for a solution to the Kurdish issue by the middle of next month, according to various news reports. Meanwhile, nine convicts will soon be moved to Imrali Island, where the PKK leader is being kept in isolation.

Abdullah Ocalan, the PKK leader, will disclose a four-step road map for the solution of the Kurdish issue, wrote Ertugrul Ozkok, the editor in chief of daily Hurriyet on Saturday, after he met with Ocalans lawyers. The road map will include an introduction about why Turkey should solve the Kurdish issue and will suggest that Turkey establish a strategic alliance with the Kurds, not only in Mosul and Kirkuk but also in Syria, meaning the Kurds remaining within the borders of Misak-i Milli.

Misak-i Milli, which means National Oath, was the final declaration of the Ottoman Parliament in 1920 and marked the countrys new borders after World War I. The current borders of Turkey are similar to the borders drawn in Misak-i Milli, except Mosul and Kirkuk, which belonged to Turkey in the Misak-i Milli borders.

Ocalan is expected to suggest that Turkey contact Kurds in Syria under the framework of democratic autonomy. According to the Dogan news agency, which based its story on pro-Kurdish news sites, Ocalan said during a meeting with his lawyers that he was not talking about changing the borders. Misak-i Milli means the unity of Turks and Kurds. The Independence War is the joint war of Turks and Kurds, Ocalan said. He also called for the 1921 Constitution to be valid.

In the road map, Ocalan will describe the steps that should be taken for a solution in the short and medium-terms and also disclose the conditions of disarmament of PKK members still in the mountains. Ocalan will announce that they are ready to disarm and will ask what the state intends to do, Ozkok wrote. The road map will also include the need for a democratic constitution instead of the September 12-coup Constitution, reported the daily Milliyet.

Ocalan will disclose the road map on August 15, Dogan news agency reported, while Ozkok predicts that it will happen on August 12 or 19 as Ocalan meets with his lawyers on Wednesdays.

Before Ozkok, it was daily Vatan columnist Rusen Çak1r who wrote on Friday that Ocalan was going to disclose a solution plan on August 15. The government is waiting for Ocalan s road map with uncomfortable curiosity, Cakir wrote. The government is curious because it knows that Ocalan can offer something workable and make the PKK and the base of the movement accept the proposals, he wrote. The government is uncomfortable because it is afraid that Ocalan will take the initiative during this bottleneck and, worse, being seen as taking Ocalans recommendations into consideration.

MHP reacts

Meanwhile, the opposition Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, reacted to Ocalans statements. The convicted butcher-leader of the separatist terror organization, which was neutralized in 2002, has come into a situation in which he can offer a road map to the Turkish state. Prime Minister Erdogan and the AKP should be proud of this, said Oktay Vural, the deputy head of the MHPs parliament group.

Addressing the leader of a terrorist organization means encouraging terrorism, said Vural. Criticizing the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Vural said those who would not grant an appointment to the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, had come to a point where they would accept the offers of the head of terrorists in jail.

DTP welcomes Ozkok

Meanwhile, the DTP welcomed Ozkoks article. Selahattin Demirtas, deputy head of the partys parliamentary group, said that if the Justice Ministry allowed Ozkok to go to Imrali and meet with Ocalan, a positive outcome could be possible.

The DTP gathered over the weekend to discuss what the party can do before the declaration of Ocalans road map. Van deputy Ozdal Ucer, commenting on the road map, said he believed that it would be a more comprehensive version of what until now has only appeared in separate pieces. Istanbul deputy Sabahat Tuncel said the Kurdish issue was not just a problem for the Kurds but a problem for all of Turkey. Ocalans road map is lucky for everyone, she said.

Convicts to accompany Ocalan

The Justice Ministry is readying for the new prison facility that has been built on Imrali Island and for the transfer of nine new convicts who will be imprisoned with the convicted leader of the outlawed PKK, reported the daily Milliyet on Sunday.

The Justice Ministrys decision to move convicts to the island where Ocalan is interned came after the European Committee to Prevent Torture stated that Ocalan was being kept in isolation on the island.

The internal and external construction of the new prison is complete, and the cameras and security gates have been attached to the building. It was expected that 15 personnel would be appointed to the island. The new building was designed for nine more convicts. Ocalan will be able to spend limited time with the other convicts unless he has disciplinary penalties.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[08] From the Turkish Press of 20 July 2009

a) Appointment of judges and prosecutors

Viewing the deadlock regarding the decree on the appointment of judges and prosecutors prepared by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors, (HSYK), in his column in Hurriyet, Mehmet Yilmaz argues that the boycott of the two "unelected" members of the HSYK has brought the appointment of jurists to a standstill. Everyone is well aware that this deadlock is about the reassignment of the Ergenekon judges and prosecutors, asserts Yilmaz, adding that the appointment of these jurists to other duties will affect the course of a speedy trial. On the other hand, writes Yilmaz, the frequent violation of the Criminal Trial Law, CMK, and the leaks to the press call for the punishment of the prosecutors. Noting the flaws in the Ergenekon indictment, the writer also questions whether sanctions should not be imposed on the prosecutors.

Commenting on Prime Minister Erdogan's remarks regarding the HSYK deadlock in an article in Vatan, Ruhat Mengi notes that it is interesting that a government, which insists on not removing the Justice Minister and the Under Secretary from the HSYK and which, thus, consciously prevents the adoption of decisions independent from the government, is placing on the country's agenda the decisions of the HYSK members and not the pressure being applied on this council by the government members.

Assessing the claims made by the AKP and its supporters that "certain circles" want to replace the Ergenekon judges and prosecutors in the first section of his article in Vatan, Can Atakli argues that the recent uproar caused by pro-AKP circles on the issue is proof that the second Ergenekon indictment is not in line with the law. Questioning why a change in the judges or prosecutors of the Ergenekon trial should cause such an opposition, Atakli wonders how that can change the course of the trial. The "fear and turmoil" of pro-AKP circles constitute a confession that this trial can only continue with the existing judges and prosecutors and that their replacement will expose the illegalities in the indictment and the unjustified accusations, claims Atakli, adding that if Ergenekon is really a terror organization and the suspects were trying to create terrorist incidents with the aim of staging a coup in the country, then the results of the trial will not change with the replacement of the judges and the prosecutors.

Accusing the AKP government and its ally, the Fethullah Gulen community, of jointly launching a formidable attack against the HSYK in an article in Cumhuriyet, Emre Kongar ridicules the arguments that try to justify government tutelage over the judiciary, asking whether those who make these claims have ever heard about the concept of the "separation of forces." Warning that this is only the beginning, Kongar asserts that the attack on the other judicial organs will follow, stating that the Constitutional Court will be the next in line. He continues: "This is not my prediction. It is their program as announced in their own media organs. It is sad that the leader of the government that has begun to implement this program is the politician who promised to the public prior to his election that he would abolish parliamentary immunities."

In an article entitled "Between [the Night of] Al-Isra and [the Night of] Al-Kadr [Power]", Vakit columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak predicts "very important developments in the Islamic world and particularly in Turkey" in the period between the Night of Al-Isra, when the Prophet Mohammad is believed to have taken the first part of a spiritual journey in the year 621, and the Night of Power, when the Koran was revealed. He claims that the outcome of the Ergenekon case, the Supreme Military Council, YAS, meeting in August, and the effort by certain members of the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors, (HSYK), to reassign the prosecutors conducting the Ergenekon investigation will be determined in this period, adding that Ergenekon and its supporters are certain to be defeated and disbanded "no matter what oaths of vengeance they might be taking." He also asserts that certain powers might use the "PKK card" as a means of causing Turkey to get bogged down in a quagmire of conflict in the Middle East in order to obstruct the process against Ergenekon.

In an article entitled "HSYK, enough already", Today's Zaman columnist Ekrem Dumanli asserts that certain HSYK members "have set out on a path that outright casts a shadow of doubt over them" in trying to have the prosecutors and judges conducting the Ergenekon trial replaced.

b) Nabucco Pipeline Project

Reporting on the recent conference on Turkish-Russian relations held at the Brookings Institute in Washington in an article in Sabah, Omer Taspinar quotes Ambassador Richard L. Morningstar, special US envoy for Eurasian energy, as having said at the conference that through the Nabucco project Turkey has seized a serious strategic advantage vis-à-vis the EU. Pointing out that Washington is aware of Turkey's increasing trade volume with Russia and of its good relations with its neighbor while Turkey's relations with the EU and the United States are going through a difficult period, Taspinar argues that Washington is concerned as to whether Russia is a strategic alternative for Turkey given its deteriorating relations with the West. Turkey's policies regarding the Caucasus and the Black Sea are being observed with apprehension, maintains Taspinar, adding that Washington views the Nabucco project as a force that will restrain the ever improving Turkish-Russian relations.

In an article entitled "Empty pipes," Milli Gazete columnist Afet Ilgaz argues that there is no more substance to the Nabucco pipeline project recently signed by Turkey than there is to evidence against military officials arrested in the Ergenekon probe based on "empty pipes" presented as loaded LAW weapons. She claims that Turkey's gains from the project will be limited to a transit fee and new employment opportunities and that it remains unknown when the pipeline will become operational or how much natural gas will be pumped through it.

EG/

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