Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-09-22

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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 says the Cyprus problem has become a problem of the world and argues that the view that only the Cypriots could solve it delays the solution

[02] Information in the press argues that Russia might recognize the breakaway regime in return of Turkey recognizing Abkhazia

[03] Bagis reiterates that Turkey will open its ports to Cyprus only if the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots is lifted

[04] Diplomatic sources on the visit to Turkey of the President of the French Senate

[05] Ozgurgun argues that Turkey will definitely not open its ports to Cyprus, even if this might endanger its accession to the EU

[06] Serdar Denktas urges Talat to form a new approach and strategy on the Cyprus problem with all the Turkish Cypriot political parties

[07] Eroglu says the most correct thing for the Turkish Cypriot political parties to do is defending their state

[08] Kutlay Erk argues that the chances of Eroglu to win the elections in April are as many as the possibility of a male giving birth to a child

[09] Turkeys DSP calls not to relate the Cyprus problem with the EU

[10] A Court in France has reportedly decided that the occupied area of Cyprus is not a safe place for a child to grow up

[11] Refugees in the Aliens Department in Istanbul protested for their poor living conditions

[12] Turkish President to visit Saudi Arabia on 22-24 September

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[13] From the Turkish Press of 21 September 2009

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat says the Cyprus problem has become a problem of the world and argues that the view that only the Cypriots could solve it delays the solution

Mr Talat said that he would go to New York from Washington in order to hold contacts with officials participating in the General Assembly of the UN. He argued that the USA could be a catalyst in the solution of the Cyprus problem, because of its role as super power and permanent member of the UN Security Council. He noted that the appointment of a US special representative for Cyprus would be useful.

Responding to a question regarding the progress achieved so far in the Cyprus talks, he said that it is slower than expected, but there has been some progress. Mr Talat reiterated his allegation that the Greek Cypriot side submits proposals which are outside the UN parameters for Cyprus and pointed out that the UN should be more involved in the issue.

Furthermore, Mr Talat alleged that the Direct Trade Regulation of the EU would contribute to the solution and reminded that the EU Council took this decision unanimously, in spite of the presence of the Greek Cypriots, after pressure exerted by the Commission. He claimed that the solution would face problems in case the regulation is not implemented.

On the same issue, Ankara Anatolia news agency (21.09.09) reported the following from Washington D.C.:

President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Mehmet Ali Talat, has arrived in the U.S. capital of Washington on Monday prior to meeting with the Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York.

President Talat will meet U.S. Senator from Illinois Richard Durbin in Washington on Tuesday.

Talat will proceed to New York after holding talks with several U.S. senators in Washington.

President Talat has arrived in Washington upon an invitation from Durbin.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Information in the press argues that Russia might recognize the breakaway regime in return of Turkey recognizing Abkhazia

Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (22.09.09) refers to the issue under the title Abkhazia in return of the TRNC and reports that the news was published in the Abhaber.com news webpage as well.

Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (22.09.09) refers to the issue on its front page under the title Will Russia recognize the TRNC? The paper reports that responding to a question the Abkhazian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Samba said that they are ready to recognize the breakaway regime in the occupied areas of Cyprus, if they recognize us.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Bagis reiterates that Turkey will open its ports to Cyprus only if the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots is lifted

Turkey has a commitment regarding the opening of its ports. However, there is another commitment it received in response of this commitment. We have declared before that we could open our ports in case the unjust isolation applied on Northern Cyprus ends and Northern Cyprus is able to start direct trade. The EU took a decision on 26 April 2004. This is a decision taken unanimously by the EU Council. This was a decision regarding the ending of the isolation applied to our brothers who live in the TRNC. We are expecting the EU member countries to implement the decision of the EU Council, their own decision. If the EU implements the decision taken by its own Council, we will fulfil our own commitment. We have no problem about this. Until 1987 Turkeys sea and airports were open to the Greek Cyprus Sector. Opening our ports does not mean that we recognize the administration in the South. However, in order for us to open our ports they should also fulfil their commitment. I think that all the EU member countries should evaluate their own position on this issue.

Evaluating his visit to France, Mr Bagis said it was important from the point of view of the timing and pointed out that it was held one week before the elections in Germany, the other locomotive engine country of the EU. He noted that it was useful from the point of view of examining the sensitivities regarding the EU accession course with France and conveying the sensitivities of Turkey in order to be saved from some wrong terminologies. He said all the French officials he met agreed that the negotiations between Turkey and the EU should continue and the situation should be assessed when the talks are completed.

Mr Bagis noted that France will continue to support Turkey on the opening of chapters in its accession negotiations. He argued that France is closely following the strengthening of the Turkish economy in this process and Turkeys important role in the various crises in the world. He noted that France is realizing that the importance of Turkey increases every day.

Furthermore, Ankara Anatolia news agency (21.09.09) reported the following from Istanbul:

Turkey's European Union (EU) negotiator said on Sunday that France thought that Turkey's EU entry talks should go on.

Egemen Bagis, Turkey's state minister and chief negotiator for EU talks, said that the French executives he had met thought that full membership negotiations with Turkey should go on.

All French executives I met said they are of the same opinion with us that the situation should be re-assessed at the end of negotiations, Bagis told reporters at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.

Bagis returned to Turkey from France, where he travelled on September 17. Bagis met with Pierre Lelouche, French Secretary of State for European Affairs; and Michel Barnier, a candidate of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) in recent European Parliament (EP) elections.

The minister said that Turkey's target was the EU full membership, and Turkey was determined to complete negotiations as every country in the same process.Bagis said the aim of negotiations was accession to the union, and Turkey would not accept any other alternative.

The minister said France would continue supporting Turkey for opening of new chapters, and France had been monitoring the role and regional position of Turkey in important world crisis and had seen the increasing importance of Turkey. Also, Bagis said that reforms in Turkey was the thing bringing Turkey closer to the EU. They also said they were supporting our reforms because these reforms not only aim at raising standards in Turkey but also making Turkey a more stable, more self-confident and democratic ally of Europe with a stronger economy, he said. Bagis said that the French executives said they would be more careful to prevent any initiatives aiming to reduce Turkey's motivation in the reform process.We have once more reaffirmed that France is closely monitoring and supporting the ongoing democratic move in Turkey, Bagis said.

Bagis also said that the French executives were attaching importance to and were closely monitoring the move Turkey had launched with Armenia.

Another key topic for France was the global energy policies and the key role Turkey had in energy projects, Bagis said.

On the decision of the European Court of Justice saying that the excessive residence fees taken from Turks living in the Netherlands were illegal, Bagis said the decision reaffirmed the rights of Turkish citizens stemming from Turkey-EU association law.

I think this is an important decision, which shows that what we can gain by our rightful struggle, Bagis also said.

Bagis also said that an EU Law Department was set up in the Secretariat General for the EU, and the department would work on EU laws and would work to protect rights of Turkey and Turkish citizens.

Also, Bagis said Turkey had pledged to open its ports in return for end of unjust isolation of Turkish Cypriots and start of direct trade to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

Bagis said the European Council made a decision in April 2004 that the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots would end, and Turkey was expecting EU member states to abide by this decision. If the EU implements its own decision, we will fulfil our commitment, Bagis said.

Bagis said Turkey's ports and airports were open to the Greek Cypriot administration till 1987, and opening ports to the Greek Cypriots would not mean recognizing the administration.

The minister said the EU should also fulfil its commitments for Turkey to open its ports, and expressed belief that all the EU member states would make an assessment in a fair way.

[04] Diplomatic sources on the visit to Turkey of the President of the French Senate

Diplomatic sources told AA correspondent that Gerard Larcher, the president of the French Senate, had asked for appointment from President Nicolas Sarkozy to brief him on his recent visit to Turkey.

Larcher is expected to express his views and impressions regarding his visit to Turkey, and underline the importance of maintaining negotiations between the European Union (EU) and Turkey.

The French Senate's president paid a visit to Turkey as the guest of Turkish Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin on September 16-17, and returned from the visit with very positive views.

During his visit to Turkey, Larcher told reporters that full membership negotiations between Turkey and the union should go on, and negotiations should be opened on new chapters.

Larcher held talks with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Ankara.

Turkey's State Minister and EU chief negotiator Egemen Bagis held talks in Paris last week, and got France's assurance that full membership negotiations with Turkey would not be interrupted.

[05] Ozgurgun argues that Turkey will definitely not open its ports to Cyprus, even if this might endanger its accession to the EU

Mr Ozgurgun said the meeting in London of the Turkish Cypriot leader Talat with the advocates in the Orams case and the case regarding the direct flights to the occupied areas of Cyprus has been very fruitful and that they are very hopeful for the results of both cases.

Commenting on a statement by President Christofias that Turkey is threatening the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Ozgurgun alleged that just as no pressure exerted by the Greek Cypriots on Turkey will have any result, in the same manner Turkey will not allow such minor threats. He argued that Turkey will not recognize or take the Republic of Cyprus seriously into consideration until a final and comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem is reached. He reminded that the Turkish Cypriots and not Turkey are the interlocutors of the Greek Cypriots and said the following referring to the Greek Cypriots:

In front of our determination they should realize that they will not be able to settle the Cyprus problem in these conditions. They do not have the power to either deal with Turkey or convince it for an agreement which will turn the Turks of Cyprus into minority.

He said that in case there is no agreement in Cyprus, the Greek Cypriots are those who will lose.

Referring to the right of the Turkish Cypriots living in Britain to vote and be elected in the occupied areas of Cyprus, Mr Ozgurgun said that the conditions for the Turkish Cypriots to vote in London do not exist, but those who are registered in the so-called High Election Council could come to the occupied areas of the island and vote. He noted that the problem is that they do not know the population of the Turkish Cypriots living in Britain and that is why these people cannot vote in the office of the representative of the breakaway regime in London.

My advice to those who want to vote is to register in Cyprus and vote, he pointed out and repeated that an amendment of the constitution is needed so that the Turkish Cypriots living abroad are given the right to be elected in the occupied areas of Cyprus.

(I/Ts.)

[06] Serdar Denktas urges Talat to form a new approach and strategy on the Cyprus problem with all the Turkish Cypriot political parties

(I/Ts.)

[07] Eroglu says the most correct thing for the Turkish Cypriot political parties to do is defending their state

(I/Ts.)

[08] Kutlay Erk argues that the chances of Eroglu to win the elections in April are as many as the possibility of a male giving birth to a child

(I/Ts.)

[09] Turkeys DSP calls not to relate the Cyprus problem with the EU

Referring to statements of President Demetris Christofias that Cyprus will not agree on Turkeys EU membership unless Turkey fulfils its obligations towards the EU and the Republic of Cyprus, Mrs Turker said that the Cyprus problem is not an issue that will be resolved by relating it with the EU.

Speaking during his partys celebrations for the Bayram, Mr Turker said that Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) made the mistake to relate the EU with the Cyprus problem. As he added, this will have as a result the withdrawal of the Turkish army from Cyprus and the removal of the Turkish citizens, who settled there after the Cyprus Peace Operation (as he called the 1974 military invasion). By indicating that the Turkish government has not made any statement on the issue, the DSP General Secretary said that the USA comes from another place and intervenes in Iraq, while Turkey cannot take an action in order to provide security in Cyprus, which is a part of its territorial waters. This means that Turkey cannot provide its own security regarding its international relations, Mr Turker alleged.

(EA)

[10] A Court in France has reportedly decided that the occupied area of Cyprus is not a safe place for a child to grow up

(I/Ts.)

[11] Refugees in the Aliens Department in Istanbul protested for their poor living conditions

About a hundred refugees broke the barred windows of the 4-storey building they are kept in and threw their beds, blankets, brooms, plastic plates and plastic bottles out of the windows to push for some administrative action.

The refugees shouted their problems from the windows to members of the press, claiming that they are not given food. The Kumkapi refugee camp accommodates refugees who are supposed to be sent back to their home countries.

The police was not able to intervene properly because the governor's permission would have been needed for an intervention. The police surrounded the building with a security line so nobody was able to approach the house. The refugees stopped their protest after a while.

Last year the refugees organized the same kind of protest to draw attention to their living conditions. Metin Corabatir, Turkish spokesman of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), explained to bianet: "We cannot reach the refugee camps. We are being hindered to bring legal and humanitarian help to those people deprived from their freedom".

Ozlem Dalkiran from the Refugee Program of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly (HCA) argued: "The state catches these people and takes them under its supervision. A minimum of human living conditions must be provided. Everyone must be provided with a bed to sleep, nutritious food, access to health services and with the outside world. If they have money they can make telephone calls. But after such a revolt these rights can be taken from them".

[12] Turkish President to visit Saudi Arabia on 22-24 September

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul will attend the inauguration ceremony of the "King Abdullah University of Science and Technology" in Saudi Arabia.

Gul will visit this country between September 22 and 24 upon an invitation by King of Saudi Arabia, and meet King Abdullah during the inauguration ceremony. Gul's visit would be an opportunity to review friendship, brotherhood and cooperation between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and exchange views on regional and international topics concerning the two countries, his office said.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[13] From the Turkish Press of 21 September 2009

a) Turkey's EU membership:

The source of both the illogical anti-Turkish sentiments in Europe and the illogical anti-Western sentiments in Turkey is the fear of change, argues Milliyet columnist Semih Idiz in an article and notes that the visits conducted by leaders such as Obama, Putin, and al-Assad to Turkey and the fact that the first meeting between Iran, Germany, and the permanent members of the UN Security Council will be held in Turkey show that Ankara, which is trying to find a new place in a new world, is being taken seriously in the international arena. Nonetheless, says Idiz, when looking for a new place in the new world order, Ankara should not forget that in addition to Turkey's closeness to the Middle East and to the Caucasus, its loyalty to the European-Atlantic perspective is what makes it important in the international arena. Idiz adds: "Even if those who oppose this perspective and the values represented by it slow down the process, we do not believe that they will be successful in the natural course of history."

In an article in Hurriyet Ferai Tinc views the upcoming EU summit that will assess the opening of Turkish ports to Cyprus. Arguing that Turkey and north Cyprus have kept their words since the beginning of the process, Tinc underlines that a negative decision that may provoke the Turkish public may adversely affect the Armenian overture as well as the other democratic overtures in Turkey.

b) Turkeys protocol with Armenia:

According to a report by Ugur Ergan in Hurriyet a tri-partite summit between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia in New York does not currently appear on Ankara's agenda. Ankara will give a positive answer to such a meeting only if Armenia signals that it is ready to evacuate some of the administrative regions that are under its occupation, says the report and notes that the protocol between Turkey and Armenia will be signed in Bern on 12 October. The report also argues that Armenian President Sargsyan is expected to come to Bursa for the Turkey-Armenia soccer game, adding that American, French, British, and Swiss historians will also take place in the joint commission that will be established for examining the Armenian genocide claims.

Ahmet Davutoglu is the architect of the policies that have led to the rapprochement with Armenia and to the cooperation with Syria, says Cumhuriyet's Orhan Bursali and details the main idea of Davutoglu's political views. Despite the fact that the protocols signed with Armenia are problematic in terms of Azerbaijan, the fact that Turkey did not want to open the borders until Armenia ended the occupation of Azerbaijani territory has intensified the "root problems" as well as the enmity between the sides, says Bursali and adds: "The path is being paved for resolving the regional problems through cooperation models, rather than clashes and this is the right thing to do. Davutoglu's approach will develop Turkey's self-confidence. As the economic cooperation between the countries in the Caucasus develops, the big countries interventions in 'crisis centres' in line with their interests will naturally be limited. As Turkey approaches its problems with such strategic thought and leading position, it will maximize its national benefits."

EG/

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