Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-10-09

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Nine Turkish Cypriot trade unions complained about Turkey to the EP and the European Commission

[02] All parties criticized the decision of the HBC to forbid the Turkish Cypriot dialect on the TV

[03] Cyprus was discussed between the Turkish and Dutch Foreign Ministers

[04] Swedish official: The Cyprus question and Turkeys EU membership are two separate issues

[05] Vanhanen: Finland is prepared to help Turkish Cypriots in the negotiation process

[06] Turkish Cypriot businessman will file charges against Britain in the ECHR

[07] Talat: We will not conduct the Toros exercise if Nikiforos is cancelled

[08] Kutlay Erk blamed the economic situation and the fact that the EU has not kept its promises to the Turkish Cypriots for the defeat of the CTP in the elections

[09] Talat met with the citrus fruit producers in Morfou; They said they will vote no in a possible referendum for the solution of the Cyprus problem

[10] Turkish Cypriot convicts in the prison of the Republic of Cyprus complained to Kibris newspaper about their situation

[11] The Turkish Cypriots intensify their efforts to get recognition of the TRNC through participation in world sporting events

[12] Secretary Clinton and high-ranking European officials are expected to attend the signing ceremony of Turkish-Armenian protocol in Zurich

[13] The Turkish PM files a lawsuit against MHP leader

[14] Turkeys foreign exchange reserves fell to 70 billion USD

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Nine Turkish Cypriot trade unions complained about Turkey to the EP and the European Commission

The letter notes that Turkey intervened in the island in 1974 by using its right as guarantor power, but as a result of the policy it followed, the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus remained under the occupation of the Greek Cypriots since 1963 and the Turkish Cypriots are dragged towards annihilation. Moreover, the trade unions point out that Turkey transfers systematically population to the island and the citizenship is granted to these people. They also noted that the role of the governments of the breakaway regime is to implement the orders of Turkey. The trade unions added that the councillors and the undersecretaries of the embassy of Turkey to the occupied part of Lefkosia have authorities on the self-styled ministers.

Moreover, Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (09.10.09) refers to the issue under the title, The communal existence of the Turkish Cypriots is in danger.

(I/Ts.)

[02] All parties criticized the decision of the HBC to forbid the Turkish Cypriot dialect on the TV

Mr Soyer accused the National Unity Party (UBP) self-styled government of trying to rule by using oppression. You are a government which dictates even how people will talk, said Soyer. Mr Denktas addressing the UBP said that they will turn the Turkish Cypriots into the only people in history which is ashamed of the way it speaks. Mr Cakici noted that the decision is a policy of annihilating the Turkish Cypriot culture. The self-styled prime minister, Dervis Eroglu said that this decision might concern the TV speakers. He said he is proud of being a Cypriot and noted that he will never be ashamed of this. He said: If you ask me this decision is wrong. In this country everybody speaks as he wishes.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Cyprus was discussed between the Turkish and Dutch Foreign Ministers

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has met with his Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen in the Netherlands.

The Cyprus issue was one of the topics discussed during the meeting.

Speaking at the end of his visit, Mr Davutoglu said that the Cyprus question was one of the issues taken up at the meeting. He said they share the same view that the Cyprus issue was not an issue, which could directly affect Turkeys EU membership process.

[04] Swedish official: The Cyprus question and Turkeys EU membership are two separate issues

Peder Spangberg, an expert on Turkey at the Swedish Foreign Ministrys EU Affairs Department has pointed out that the Cyprus Issue and Turkeys EU membership were two separate issues on paper.

He expressed the hope that the negotiation process would continue and bear fruit.

The expert was speaking at a special gathering, titled `Priorities of the Swedish EU Term Presidency`, which was also attended by a 15-member group of Turkish journalists visiting Stockholm.

Responding to a question, Mr Spangberg pointed out that the Cyprus question and Turkeys EU membership process are two separate issues on paper. `We know that there is a link between some developments on the island and Turkeys EU approach. This is a situation that we accept. But now, we are looking to the issue in a different way. There is an ongoing peace process on the island. We see it as a positive development. The process will continue and bear fruit`, he added.

[05] Vanhanen: Finland is prepared to help Turkish Cypriots in the negotiation process

The European Union is likely to welcome Turkeys normalization talks with Armenia and its recent democratic initiative, says the Finnish prime minister, hailing these steps as positive signs. I believe this will be positively received at the EU, Matti Vanhanen says.

Turkey's democratic initiative and its ongoing normalization talks with neighbouring Armenia are particularly positive signals, Finland's Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said.

Speaking to Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review on Tuesday, Vanhanen said the initiatives were likely to be welcomed by the European Union. Turkey has three main problems with an international dimension, Vanhanen said. One of these is the Kurdish question, another is the relations with Armenia and the third one, the Cyprus issue. Out of these three, there has been notable progress in two within a short period of time. I believe this will be positively received at the European Union. Hopefully the agreement with Armenia will be signed, Vanhanen told the Daily News in an exclusive interview.

Turkey and Armenia are expected to sign a protocol establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries this weekend. Vanhanen was in Turkey on Tuesday on a one-day visit with a delegation of eight Finnish companies. During the visit, he signed a double taxation agreement between Finland and Turkey and met with President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Subtitle: Faster EU talks

Vanhanen said negotiations on Turkey's membership in the EU could be faster. So far, the practice has been to open one negotiation chapter per EU presidency, but the pace could be speeded up, Vanhanen said, and reminded that although some parts of the European public and decision-makers are opposing Turkey's full membership in the EU, the union has unilaterally decided to negotiate on a full membership. It is no secret even some leaders have made pretty sceptical statements about Turkey's future in the EU. But it is important to remember that no official decisions on this have been made. The union has made a unilateral agreement that Turkey is a candidate for full membership and not any semi-status. The EU will keep its word, Vanhanen said.

On the other hand, Turkey also needs to keep its promises and continue with the reform process. The first step Turkey should now take, said Vanhanen, is to ratify the Ankara Protocol and open its harbours to Greek Cypriot vessels. So far, Turkey has not implemented the protocol, preferring to see the issue of free movement as a part of a comprehensive settlement on the divided island.

Traffic is an important part of the EU entity, there cannot be an exception in the case of Cyprus. Turkey should ratify the Ankara Protocol and thus prepare the grounds for a comprehensive settlement on the island because that needs to be resolved as well, Vanhanen said.

On the question of what Finland, as an EU member state, is doing to end the political and economic isolation of Turkish Cypriots as promised by the EU in 2004, Vanhanen, could not give concrete or practical examples. Finland is prepared to help [Turkish Cypriots] in the negotiation process in all ways, and also the Turkish [side] knows this, Vanhanen said. When Finland held the EU presidency in 2006, I worked a lot on this issue and learned how difficult the [Cyprus] question is. Hopefully the United Nations-sponsored negotiations that are now going on succeed, Vanhanen said.

Subtitle: Boosting trade relations

One of the purposes of Vanhanen's one-day visit to Turkey was also to promote closer trade relations between Finland and Turkey, and sign a tax treaty between the two countries. Trade volume between Turkey and Finland currently stands at 1 billion euros. The tax treaty now signed prevents [all forms of] double taxation, representing an important step in bilateral relations. I hope that we will also soon sign an investment protection agreement with Turkey [...] as this issue is naturally affecting the investment appetite of Finnish firms in Turkey, Vanhanen said.

Finnish firms are particularly interested in Turkey, not only because of the country's growth potential but also because of its growing role in the region, Vanhanen said. Whenever we inquire local businesses where they would like to have a prime ministerial visit combined with the presence of a business delegation, Turkey is always on the top of the list. There is notable interest in Turkey among Finnish business circles.

[06] Turkish Cypriot businessman will file charges against Britain in the ECHR

(I/Ts.)

[07] Talat: We will not conduct the Toros exercise if Nikiforos is cancelled

President Mehmet Ali Talat has announced that the Turkish side will consider cancelling the annual Toros military exercises should the Greek Cypriot side cancel its annual exercise Nikiforos conducted together with Greece.

Speaking to the TAK news agency, the President said the negotiations are continuing and its important that we create a positive atmosphere in the talks. Should the Greek Cypriots decide to cancel their annual Nikiforos exercise we shall of course assess the situation and follow suit by canceling the Toros exercise.

The possibility of canceling the annual Greek-Greek Cypriot military exercise was voiced by Greek Defense Minister Evangelos Meymarakis who was recently in South Cyprus to take part in celebrations marking the independence of the so-called Republic of Cyprus.

[08] Kutlay Erk blamed the economic situation and the fact that the EU has not kept its promises to the Turkish Cypriots for the defeat of the CTP in the elections

During the second day of the meetings, the participants briefed on the political situation in their countries. The General Secretary of the CTP, Kutlay Erk said that his party received 30% during the last elections in the occupied areas of Cyprus and remained in the opposition. He argued that the reason for this were the economic problems in the occupied areas and the fact that the EU has not kept its promises to the Turkish Cypriots. Noting that the negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus problem are continuing, Mr Erk said the Turkish Cypriots want the solution of the problem as soon as possible and the unification of Cyprus as a new federal partnership state with political equality between the Greek and the Turkish Cypriots and two constituent states having equal status.

(I/Ts.)

[09] Talat met with the citrus fruit producers in Morfou; They said they will vote no in a possible referendum for the solution of the Cyprus problem

Meanwhile, the paper writes also that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat visited occupied Morfou yesterday and met with the members of the Union of the Citrus Fruit Producers and people living in that area. He said the inter-communal Cyprus talks should be intensified and argued that if the negotiation process is speeded up reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem by the end of this year is possible. He reminded that the Annan Plan was discussed for a period shorter than one month.

Moreover, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (09.10.09) refers to the issue under the title, They have accepted to meet twice a week, it seems that this is spoiled as well. The paper reports that during his statements in Morfou, Mr Talat complained about the Greek Cypriots. He reminded that the meeting yesterday was cancelled because of an illness of President Christofias and added that the negotiating process, which is accepted to be the last chance, should be intensified.

(I/Ts.)

[10] Turkish Cypriot convicts in the prison of the Republic of Cyprus complained to Kibris newspaper about their situation

(I/Ts.)

[11] The Turkish Cypriots intensify their efforts to get recognition of the TRNC through participation in world sporting events

(AK)

[12] Secretary Clinton and high-ranking European officials are expected to attend the signing ceremony of Turkish-Armenian protocol in Zurich

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will attend the signing ceremony for protocols that would normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday. The accords will be signed in Zurich, Switzerland on Saturday following months of Swiss-mediated talks between Turkey and Armenia.

U.S. Assistant Secretary Philip Gordon, responsible for Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, said that Clinton would attend the ceremony ahead of her European tour of Britain, Ireland and Russia. Gordon said Clinton would demonstrate U.S. support to this historic step to resume diplomatic ties and open border between Turkey and Armenia. Gordon also said that United States would always be ready to cooperate with both countries to support the process which he said would contribute to peace, security and stability in the region.

Another U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the United States had always encouraged the parties to move forward and had been in touch with them. This is a historic chance for both Turkey and Armenia, the official said.

The same official also said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and EU's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana are also expected to attend the ceremony in Zurich.

[13] The Turkish PM files a lawsuit against MHP leader

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pressed charges against Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli, demanding TL 50,000 in compensation for emotional damage over accusatory and debasing statements he made against Erdogan at an MHP party congress on October 4.

The case was filed yesterday by Erdogan's lawyers Fatih Sahin and Muammer Cemaloglu, according to news agency reports.

The petition to the court quoted Bahceli as having said: Mr Prime Minister, you are not white [honest]. You have nothing to do with justice and development; you have become a cheating, deceptive politician trying to destroy your rivals by attacking them with lies.

Bahceli accused Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul of promoting separatism through the guise of democratic diversity. Bahceli had accused Erdogan of acquiescing to the demands of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and being similar to PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in outlook.

The lawyers' petition expressed the belief that Bahceli's statements went beyond the limits of freedom of expression.

These words do not bear any relation to expressing one's views. It is clear that Bahceli, with the speech in question, was aiming to openly insult, humiliate and attack Erdogan's rights as an individual in the eyes of society and earn our client ire and hatred from society.

[14] Turkeys foreign exchange reserves fell to 70 billion USD

Foreign exchange reserves of the Turkish Central Bank decreased to 70 billion USD as of October 2, the bank said on Thursday. The reserves were 70.3 billion USD on September 25.

In its weekly bulletin, the Central Bank said that Turkey paid back 170 million USD of foreign debt between October 1 and 7. Turkey's foreign debt repayments amounted to 9.7 billion USD since the beginning of 2009. Turkey repaid 15.7 billion USD in 2008.

EG/

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