Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-11-10

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Immovable Property Compensation Commission offered settlement to applications filed in the ECHR by Greek Cypriots over their properties in the occupied areas of the Republic

[02] Kibris says 1569 illegal immigrants were arrested in four years in the occupied areas, while at least 3500 crossed over to the free areas of Cyprus

[03] Talat and Gul urge the OIC countries to cooperate against the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots

[04] The Cukurova University will be established in occupied Trikomo

[05] Statistics reveal that 953 women in Turkey were murdered in seven years

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] Expert warns of Turkish dependency on foreign energy resources

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Immovable Property Compensation Commission offered settlement to applications filed in the ECHR by Greek Cypriots over their properties in the occupied areas of the Republic

The Immovable Property Compensation Commission, which was established in North Cyprus for preventing the filing of applications to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) by the Greek Cypriots on the property issue, has decided to pay a record compensation for a case which was expected to be debated in Strasburg next week. The Compensation Commission which has evaluated the applications of two Greek Cypriots has decided to pay a compensation which reaches 21.5 million Pounds Sterling (approximately 54 million Turkish Lira), 12 million Pounds Sterling to the one and 9.5 million Sterling Pounds to the other. Twelve million Pounds Sterling have been paid to Nikos Severis who has two plots of land, 42 donums in Keryneia and 9,5 donums in Lefkosia, as a return for renouncing his property rights. It was also agreed on the issue for 9.5 million Pounds Sterling to be paid to the other Greek Cypriot citizen who has 1500 donums of land in the islands area of Kapouti in return of transferring his property rights.

Subtitle: From Turkeys budget

The commission, which operates since 2006, has until today offered a friendly settlement to 81 from the 432 applications filed. It is noted that the two payments which in total reach the amount of 54 million Turkish Liras will be provided by Turkeys budget.

On the same issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (10.11.09) reports that 22 million Pounds Sterling are to be paid by the Immovable Property Compensation Commission to two Greek Cypriots and writes that it is said that the Commission has paid 12 million Pounds Sterling to the Greek Cypriot businessman Nikos Severis, for a 42-donum building plot he owns in occupied Keryneia in which houses were built and for a 9.5-donum building plot in occupied Lefkosia in which a hotel was built.

In addition, the Immovable Property Compensation Commission will pay 10 million Pounds Sterling to another Greek Cypriot who has a 500-donum building plot in occupied Kapouti village in which the campus of the illegal Middle East Technical University (ODTU) was constructed. This payment will take place in the coming days, according to the paper.

(ML/CS)

[02] Kibris says 1569 illegal immigrants were arrested in four years in the occupied areas, while at least 3500 crossed over to the free areas of Cyprus

The paper ascribes the information to reliable sources. It adds, however, that police officials said it is not possible for them to confirm such a number.

According to statistical information acquired from the police, 1567 illegal immigrants were arrested during the past four years in the occupied areas of Cyprus. Kibris reports that 382 immigrants were arrested by the police in 2006, 327 in 2007, 735 in 2008 and 125 during the first eight months of 2009.

According to the statistics, 1302 out of these illegal immigrants are Syrians, 156 Iraqis, 50 Georgians, 22 Palestinians, 14 Uzbeks, 9 Turks, 4 Egyptians, 4 Lebanese, 3 Iranians and 1 from each of the following countries: Jordan, Lithuania, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Mongolia.

(ITs)

[03] Talat and Gul urge the OIC countries to cooperate against the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots

President Mehmet Ali Talat of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said on Monday that members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) should cooperate against the inhumane and unjust isolations which had been imposed on Turkish Cypriot people.

Talat attended as an observer to the Economy Summit which took place in Istanbul on the sidelines of the 25th session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of OIC. Recalling that OIC was the first international organization which accepted representatives of Turkish Cypriot people, Talat thanked OIC member states for supporting the right cause of TRNC people with the decisions and declarations they adopted.

Talat said, I invite OIC member states to cooperation for lifting the inhumane and unjust isolations imposed on Turkish Cypriots. Talat said that Turkish Cypriots especially wanted direct transportation as well as to take part in tourism, culture, information, investment and sports activities, adding that it was important to open offices which would represent TRNC in OIC member states. Opening of these representations would develop every aspect of the lives of Turkish Cypriot people, he added.

Talat also said that problems of Palestinians in the Middle East, problems in Kashmir region, occupation of a part of Azerbaijan, attitude towards Muslim Turkish minority in Western Thrace and incidents happening in Iraq after war period were creating uneasiness.

Meanwhile, illegal Bayrak television (09.11.09) broadcast the following:

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has invited the member states of the Organization of Islamic Conference to provide support towards the removal of the international isolation imposed over the Turks of Cyprus. Referring to the previous negotiations process in Cyprus, Mr Gul said the solution of the Cyprus problem failed as a result of the Greek Cypriot sides rejection of the Annan Plan.

In his opening address at the 25th meeting of the OICs Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) in Istanbul today, Gul said the Cyprus Turkish side had already proved its strong position by the side of a settlement in Cyprus when it voted in favour of the Annan Plan in 2004. He also re-confirmed Turkeys determined support to the ongoing process of resolution on the island.

TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat had been among the guests of the OIC meeting as guest of Turkish President Gul. President Talat returns to the Republic tonight.

[04] The Cukurova University will be established in occupied Trikomo

The paper publishes a statement of the rector of Cukurova University, Dr Alper Akinoglu who stated, inter alia, that works for the issue are continuing between the University and the so-called ministry of education and the ministry of agriculture of the occupation regime. He also stated that the State Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister, Cemil Cicek, is very interested and supports the establishment of the Cukurova University in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

Finally, Mr Akinoglu said that in the first state, the new university is targeted to have 5000 students.

(CS)

[05] Statistics reveal that 953 women in Turkey were murdered in seven years

Statistics made public by Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin reveal that the number of women murdered in Turkey has drastically increased in the past seven years.

Sixty-six women were murdered in 2002, whereas 953 were slaughtered in just the first seven months of this year. Minister Ergin provided the statistics in response to a formal inquiry from Democratic Society Party (DTP) Van Deputy Fatma Kurtulan regarding the number of charges filed in connection with cases of domestic violence, the number of convictions resulting from these cases and the number of women murdered since 2002.

Discussing steps the government has taken to put an end to violence against women, including an education project, Ergin noted that 206 human rights seminars were held to train judges and prosecutors and added that within the scope of the education project, 164 judges and prosecutors and 150 experts serving in family courts received special training on the role of courts in combating domestic violence. Ergin said the second part of the education project will take place in 2010 and 25 prosecutors and judges will be selected to attend a five-day session where they will receive special training. The justice minister subsequently announced statistics on violence against women and the number of women murdered between 2002 and 2009. Ergin noted that 66 women were murdered in 2002, whereas this figure rose to 953 in the first seven months of this year.

The breakdown of the figures provided by Ergin is as follows: Eighty-three women were killed in 2003, 164 in 2004, 317 in 2005, 663 in 2006, 1,011 in 2007 and 806 in 2008. Ergin further stated that 12,678 cases were launched in connection with violence against women and domestic violence between 2002 and July 2009, 15,564 people were brought to trial in these cases and 5,736 were convicted. There were 1,859 defendants acquitted of charges, while 794 were released on parole.

Recent horrifying murders include the following cases:

Birgul Isik (Elazig, 2005): murdered by her son when she claimed on a TV show that she was subjected to violence.

Evrim Saricicekler (Istanbul, 2005): killed by a person hired by her family because she married someone that her parents did not approve of.

Guldunya Toren (Istanbul, 2004): first injured in an attack after giving birth to a child conceived in an extramarital affair, then murdered at the hospital on February 25, 2004.

Kadriye Demirel (Diyarbakir, 2003): killed by her brother because she became pregnant after being raped.

Zehra Karagoz (Sanliurfa, 2003): Stabbed to death by her husband because of rumours that she had affairs with other men.

Pinar Kacmaz (Diyarbakir, 2002): killed by her father and brother because she applied to a modelling agency.

Semse Allak (Mardin, 2002): stoned to death because of an extramarital affair.

Cigdem Ince (Izmir, 2003): killed by her elder brother because of an extramarital pregnancy.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] Expert warns of Turkish dependency on foreign energy resources

Oguz Turkyilmaz, a member of the board for the World Energy Council National Committee of Turkey, said Turkeys dependency on foreign energy is increasing while its ability to meet energy demands from local resources is decreasing with each passing day.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Turkyilmaz said Turkey is currently passing through a difficult period in energy. If the share of local production remains at current levels, it is possible to say dependence on foreign energy will continue to increase gradually, he said.

Noting that due to its geography and population Turkey has a significant position in the world, he said per capita energy consumption in the country remains low compared to European Union countries. Energy resources, especially electricity, have an indisputable importance in human life. Advances in technology and increasing energy shortages make it essential to rethink new resources and rapidly developing alternatives, he said.

Greenhouse gases, which are emitted by burning fossil fuels, have resulted in global warming and climate change. Besides, nuclear energy [has high] costs in social, environmental and economical aspects. As a result, the importance of our own natural resources increases.

Subtitle: Looking to nature

The damage dealt to the environment and to human beings due to the many methods that we use for producing energy has reached a serious level, he said. It is necessary to look for natural resources in energy production. At this point, renewable energy resources such as wind and solar energy will be more important.

Turkeys energy consumption rose about 43 percent over the past five years and this is among the biggest in the world, Turkyilmaz said. According to 2007 data, only 25.5 percent of Turkeys energy consumption is supplied from domestic resources. He said 54 percent of the energy produced by Turkey is obtained through lignite and hard coal. The sum that Turkey paid for 2008 energy exports is equal to 24 percent of its total exports, reaching $48.2 billion.

Turkey has to consider nuclear energy in its long-term energy planning, he said. A strategy aiming at nuclear energy should be created. However, the priority and focus should be on domestic and renewable energy resources. Turkyilmaz said the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources attempt to form a Natural Gas Strategy Document is a positive development. In a similar way, a strategy document for other resources such as oil, coal, hydraulic, geothermal, wind, solar and biomass should be written. Energy policies constitute a whole, from production to consumption. So an integrated approach is essential, he said.

EG/

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