Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 10-06-18

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Eroglu is visiting Ankara

[02] Eroglu reiterated that the security of Turkish Cypriots is in the hands of the Turkish Armed Forces

[03] Kucuk asks from Turkey one-month extension for the payment of the illegal KTHYs debts

[04] Trade unions say all the institutions belonging to the Turkish Cypriots are given away to Turkish businessmen who are close to the government in Ankara

[05] Self-styled minister of finance, Ersin Tatar, held contacts in Ankara

[06] The illegal Lefkonoiko airport was awarded to Asil Nadir for fifteen years

[07] Water from Turkey will be carried to the occupied part of Cyprus as of 2014

[08] EU official said that Turkey completed one third of accession process

[09] Parliamentary commission approved a draft law allowing Erdogan to run for presidency

[10] Quatari Chief of General staff is carrying out contacts in Turkey

[11] Turkey and Iraq signed preliminary agreement on Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline

[12] Turkey, Greece, Italy Sign MoU on Natural Gas Pipeline in Ankara

[13] Chairperson of TUSIAD met with U.S. Secretary of State

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[14] From the Turkish Press of 17 June 2010

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Eroglu is visiting Ankara

President Dervis Eroglu will be travelling to Ankara tomorrow for an official state visit. Eroglu will be holding discussions with Turkish leaders during the visit, which will be the first to be made by him after his election as President.The president, who will be flying to the Turkish capital on a private plane tomorrow morning, will first be meeting with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul at the Cankaya Palace.

The two presidents are expected to hold a joint press conference at the end of their discussions.

In the afternoon, the president will meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Foreign minister Huseyin Ozgurgun and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu will also be present at the meeting.

On the last leg of his contacts in Ankara, the president will be paying a visit to the Chief of General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces General Ilker Basbug.

Eroglu will be returning to the Republic later in the evening following a reception hosted in his honour at the Cankaya Palace.

[02] Eroglu reiterated that the security of Turkish Cypriots is in the hands of the Turkish Armed Forces

The Martyr Lieutenant Caner Gonyeli-2010 Search and Rescue Exercises have successfully been completed. While the first phase of the exercise was carried out around St Hilarion on the Besparmak [occupied Pentadaktylos] Mountains on Tuesday, the second and last phase of the exercises took place off the coast of Gazimagusa yesterday.

President Dervis Eroglu, prime minister Irsen Kucuk, the Turkish Ambassador to Lefkosa Sakir Fakili, the Commander of the Turkish Peace Forces in Cyprus Lieutenant General Hilmi Akin Zorlu, the Commander of the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces Major General Abdullah Recep as well as high ranking military and government officials watched the exercise on board the Turkish frigate TCG Gokceada.

Military officials from 7 countries invited to observe the exercises were among those who watched the exercises.

The Commander of the Aksaz Turkish Naval Base Vice-Admiral Yalcin Kavukcuoglu gave a briefing at the end of the manoeuvres, stating that the exercises were successfully been completed in the TRNCs territorial waters and Turkeys search and rescue region.

He said that the search and rescue exercises strengthened further the ties between the TRNC and Turkey and underlined the two countries rights and interests in the region.

Speaking at the end of the exercises, president Eroglu said that Search and Rescue Exercises had demonstrated to the world that the strong ties of cooperation existed between the TRNC and Turkey and that the security of the Turks of Cyprus was in the hands of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Highlighting the success of the manoeuvres, Eroglu said that the exercise had shown how search and rescue operations will be conducted in case of emergencies within the TRNCs territorial waters.

[03] Kucuk asks from Turkey one-month extension for the payment of the illegal KTHYs debts

In statements yesterday before the meeting of the self-styled council of ministers, Mr Kucuk said that they are under pressure because of the debts of the illegal Turkish Cypriot airlines (KTHY) and added that yesterday they asked from Turkeys Turk-Is-Teknik and Civil Aviation one-month extension for the payment of these debts.

Mr Kucuk noted that a 3-4 day extension was accepted for the debts but the government is not considering this to be enough. He added that the government expects understanding and contacts were held in this direction.

Yesterday, the main issue on the agenda of the council of ministers was the KTHY and Kucuk said they would discuss the proposals submitted by the trade unions, which he described as close to their own. Mr Kucuk reminded that the KTHY should pay approximately 18 million US dollars to Turk-Teknik-Is and that the company has an urgent payments program of around 40 million dollars.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibrisli newspaper (18.06.10) refers to the same issue and reports that during the past two days officials from the self-styled ministry of transport held contacts in Ankara with the General Directorate of the Turkish Civil Aviation for the extension of the deadline for the payment of the debts which ends today. The paper writes that a two-month extension is demanded so that an agreement to be reached with the employees in the illegal KTHY.

Moreover, the paper reports that during his visit to Ankara today, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu will ask for the support of the Turkish President Gul and the AKP government for Turkey to grant extra financial aid to the breakaway regime. The illegal KTHY will be the focal point of Eroglus discussions, writes the paper.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Trade unions say all the institutions belonging to the Turkish Cypriots are given away to Turkish businessmen who are close to the government in Ankara

Sener Elcil, general secretary of Primary School Teachers Trade Union (KTOS), issued a written statement yesterday on behalf of KTOS, KTAMS, Guc-Sen, BES, Cag-Sen, Koop-Sen, Tip-Is, DAU-SEN, DAU-BIR-SEN, Dev-Is, Devrimci (Revolutionary) Genel-Is, Emek-Is, Petrol-Is and Turk Genel-Is of Famagusta.

The trade unions noted that the situation in the illegal Turkish Cypriot airlines (KTHY) once more showed that the economic structure in the occupied areas of Cyprus is not sustainable. The statement said that first the Cyprus Liras in the banks were siphoned and the Sanayi (Industrial) Holding and the Tourism Enterprises were closed down and now the turn of the KTHY, the Cooperative Enterprises, the Eastern Mediterranean University, the Electricity Authority and the Telecommunication Authority came.

The economic package imposed by the Turkish governments in year 2000 is being implemented step by step, notes the statement adding: First the institutions are damaged by the governments-collaborators which implement populist policies for the sake of remaining in power and afterwards they are given away as presents to capitalist circles close to the governments of Turkey. The statements goes on and says that when these institutions are transferred to businessmen from Turkey, the governments in Ankara grant them credits of many million dollars and these debts are burdened on the Turkish Cypriots.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Self-styled minister of finance, Ersin Tatar, held contacts in Ankara

According to the paper, Mr Tatar met with the chairman of the Turkish Central Bank, Durmus Yilmaz and the General Secretary of the Turkish Ziraat (Agricultural) Bank, Can Akin Caglar. Mr Tatar discussed the interest rates with the chairman of the Turkish Central Bank. With the General Secretary of the Turkish Ziraat Bank, Mr Tatar discussed the works of the Bank in occupied Cyprus. Mr Tatar thanked Mr Caglar for the Banks work in occupied Cyprus and for the possibilities it offers.

(CS)

[06] The illegal Lefkonoiko airport was awarded to Asil Nadir for fifteen years

The self-styled minister of public works and transportation, Ersan Saner, stated that Asil Nadir was the only applicator for the project. Commenting on the issue, the chairman of the Central Tender Commission, Ahmet Havutcu, stated that the commission opened the tender but in the end, it was not able to take a decision on the issue and left the decision to be made by the council of ministers.

(CS)

[07] Water from Turkey will be carried to the occupied part of Cyprus as of 2014

Turkish Cypriots are highly excited about a Dream Project that will carry water to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) from Dragon river of Anamur town of southern province of Mersin.

A dam will be constructed over the Dragon River and water will flow to the TRNC from Turkey 250 meters below sea level in pipes.

Water from Turkey will be transferred to the Gecitkoy [occupied Panagia village] Dam in Girne [occupied Keryneia] once the Dream Project is completed.

The water pipes will be 78 kilometers long and will carry 75 million cubic meters of water annually. 15 million cubic meters of water will be potable.

The "Dream Project" is expected to be completed by the year 2014.

[08] EU official said that Turkey completed one third of accession process

The deputy head of the European Delegation in Turkey said that Turkey had already completed one third of accession process with the European Union. Tibor Varadi said at a conference on EU-Turkey Relations and Reform Process hosted by the Association of Industrialists and Businessmen in Aegean Region in the western province of Izmir that the Union did not set a date for Turkey's membership, but Turkey's accession process would be completed. Varadi said that Turkey had already completed one third of the accession process, adding that a date would emerge automatically as soon as Turkey completed the remaining two thirds of the process.

Denying claims that Turkey faced a double-standard in the accession process, Varadi said that there were no differences between processes for the other countries and the process for Turkey.

[09] Parliamentary commission approved a draft law allowing Erdogan to run for presidency

A parliamentary commission approved Thursday a draft law regulating procedures for presidential elections, allowing the prime minister to run for the office without being obliged to resign from his current post.

In 2007, the Turkish Parliament amended the Constitution to allow the Turkish people to elect the head of the nation, instead of Parliament appointing the position. However, it took nearly four years to amend related laws regulating the presidential electoral process due to the legal ambiguity regarding the tenure of the current president.

According to the Constitution, the people will elect a president for five-year periods with the right to run for a second term.

The draft law approved by the commission also confers a special status on prime ministers who may wish to run for the Presidency by allowing them the right to remain in their electoral seat even though they want to compete with other candidates for the Presidency.

This clothing does not fit the child, said Tayfun Icli, a Republican Peoples Party, or CHP deputy, during the commission meeting. Icli argued the draft law was intended to safeguard the expected presidential bid of current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

[10] Quatari Chief of General staff is carrying out contacts in Turkey

The Turkish defence minister met the Qatari chief of general staff in Ankara on Thursday.

Major Gen. Hamad bin Ali Al-Attiyah, the chief of General Staff of the Qatari Armed Forces, paid a courtesy visit to Turkey's National Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul.

Turkey and Qatar signed a military frame agreement in 2007, and almost 100 Qatari military officers have been trained in Turkey, Gonul said during the meeting.Al-Attiyah will also meet Turkey's President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug.

On the same issue, Ankara Anatolia news agency (17.06.10) reports the following:

Turkish President Abdullah Gul received Qatari Armed Forces Major General Hamad bin Ali Al-Attiyah in Ankara on Thursday.

Turkish National Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul also attended the meeting which was closed to press.

Earlier in the day, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also had a meeting with Qatari general.

[11] Turkey and Iraq signed preliminary agreement on Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline

Turkey and Iraq signed a preliminary agreement extending to 15 years the period of the accord on transport of Iraqi oil from Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Officials told the AA on Thursday that Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Yusuf Yazar and Iraqi Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Liaibi signed the preliminary agreement.

According to the schedule of Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz, ministers of the two countries are expected to sign the formal agreement in Baghdad in the coming days.

1,000 kilometer Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline, built in the late 1970s, consists of two trunks, with a combined design capacity of 1.6 million barrels per day.

[12] Turkey, Greece, Italy Sign MoU on Natural Gas Pipeline in Ankara

Turkey's Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS), Italy's EDISON and Greece's DEPA signed Thursday a memorandum of understanding for building the Turkey-Greece-Italy Natural Gas Pipeline that will carry natural gas from the Caspian region to Europe.

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz, Director General of BOTAS Fazil Senel, Vice-President Roberto Poti of Italian Electric and Natural Gas Company EDISON and President of the Executive Board of Greek State Natural Gas Company DEPA Herry Sachinis attended the press conference held after the signature ceremony at capital Ankara's Rixos Grand Hotel. Speaking at the conference, Turkish Minister Yildiz said "The Interconnector Turkey-Greece-Italy (ITGI) Project" was a primary project for the EU.

Yildiz noted that ITGI was the second step of the South Europe Natural Gas Project, after the first phase initiated with the opening of Turkey-Greece Natural Gas Pipeline 2.5 years ago.

Yildiz also said nearly 11.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas would be provided from the resources located at Turkey's east and would be carried to Europe via Turkey thanks to the ITGI project.

This project is also of great importance for expressing Turkey's strategic significance in strengthening the security of Europe's and the world's energy supply, he said.

Replying to questions as well, Minister Yildiz said the project would be completed phase by phase until the year 2017.

He said three participant companies would continue their negotiations on the division of the financial load of the project.

Upon a question on whether it would be an option for Turkey to export the excessive gas in ITGI project, Yildiz said ITGI, together with Nabucco, would be the part of an important solution for EU's supply security.

Yildiz said ITGI and Nabucco were no rival projects, adding they had the potential to work together and support each other.

ITGI Project is considered to be one of the EU's most crucial projects.

The natural gas pipeline will be 804 kilometers long and will go into service in 2015. ITGI pipeline begins in Azerbaijan and ends in Italy. Once completed, the pipeline will carry around 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Greece and Italy per year.

Bulgaria was the last country that joined the ITGI Project. Experts say that Serbia and Romania may join the project either directly or indirectly.

[13] Chairperson of TUSIAD met with U.S. Secretary of State

Head of an influential business association in Turkey has said that Turkey-U.S. relations were passing through "difficult times" in the aftermath of a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza aid convoy and Turkey's refusal to back up a UN Security Council resolution to impose sanctions on Iran.

The incident related to Gaza and Turkey's 'no' to the sanctions... these are all intermingled, which I think is a disadvantage for Turkey. We are having sensitive and difficult times in relations with the United States, and there are concerns. But I also have to say that there have been some serious misunderstandings and communication problems, Umit Boyner, chairwoman of the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD), told reporters after her meeting in Washington, D.C. with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Philip Gordon, assistant secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian affairs.

We need a new era that would involve open dialogue with the U.S. because the U.S. is an old strategic partner for us. We cannot afford shaky relations. As much as the U.S. is important to us, we are important to them as well, Boyner said.

Boyner said her meeting with Clinton addressed developments regarding Iran and Israel, adding that she conveyed the uneasiness the Israeli raid and the killing of nine activists had created in the Turkish public opinion.

Boyner also said she underlined the need for an impartial investigation into the incident, one that would conform with international legal norms.

The TUSIAD chief said keeping diplomatic channels open had been the top priority for Turkey in the standoff over Iran's nuclear program, adding that she shared with Clinton her view that Turkey should play a role in resolving the problem.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[14] From the Turkish Press of 17 June 2010

a) Debate on Shift of Axis

Enumerating Turkey's demands from Israel in an article in Milliyet, Fikret Bila, based on diplomatic sources, says that Ankara is threatening to reduce the level of its representation in Israel if its demands are not met within a week. Recalling that a similar move was made in 1980, Bila writes that Ankara does not intend to declare the Israeli ambassador to Ankara persona non grata. Based on the same sources, Bila predicts that if Turkey reduces the level of its representation in Israel to that of a charge d'affaire, then Israel might be inclined to reciprocate.

Viewing the propaganda counterattack launched by Israel in the aftermath of the flotilla crisis in an article in Star, Ergun Babahan writes that especially the US media serves the Israeli propaganda machine. Criticizing the article written by Thomas Friedman in The New York Times, Babahan wonders why it is acceptable for the United States to befriend Saudi Arabia and Egypt and not acceptable for Turkey to approach Iran. Questioning why Friedman has to come all the way to Istanbul for an article he could very well have written in New York, Babahan concludes: "Nothing new has emerged from the Friedman front, but it is beneficial for the government to see the front it is facing: The pro-Israeli Western media, Israel, the neo-cons, the seculars in Turkey, the civilian-military bureaucrats. It is a different mixture, but it is a picture we are familiar with since 28 February. If the government does not act with courage and determination, it can be toppled. At least this is the message conveyed by Friedman. Let us see what will happen."

Questioning why Erdogan is ready to oppose the United States and Israel to defend the rights of Iran and the Palestinians while it is not ready to fight for the rights of the Kurds, Taraf columnist Ahmet Altan in an article underlines that a Turkey that has failed to solve the Kurdish question equitably and to put an end to the civil war cannot become a regional power. Noting that Turkey is currently bleeding because of the government's timid policies, Altan wonders what has caused Erdogan to suddenly stop after having initiated a courageous move such as the Kurdish overture. Seeking equity in foreign issues but moving away from that principle when it concerns the Kurds reduces the government to the position of a hypocritical administration after personal interests that can be defeated by its opponents, argues Altan.

In an article entitled "The United States: A long-standing friend", Yeni Safak columnist Yalcin Akdogan, writing under the pseudonym Yasin Dogan, asserts that the United States is "still" Turkey's most important ally from the ruling AKP's standpoint despite disagreements between Ankara and Washington over Iran. He asserts that in voting against the latest UN resolution on Iran, Turkey "did not say no to the United States or to relations with the United States," adding that Ankara has sensible reasons for objecting to the sanctions adopted by the UN and that these reasons are compatible with Barack Obama's Mideast policies as they were outlined prior to his election as US president.

In an article entitled "When does a 'Shift of axis' take place?", Zaman columnist Sahin Alpay argues that "a real shift of axis" in Turkey's foreign policy [as distinct from the presumed change in its orientation from the West to the East signalled by the AKP's moves on Iran and Israel] could be expected to take place if Ankara abandoned its current foreign policy "based on dialog and diplomacy" and relapsed into nationalist militarism at home and abroad. After reiterating a question he posed in earlier articles - "Will Washington cooperate with Turkey and throw its weight behind peace and stability in the Middle East or will it continue to wreak havoc on the region together with Israel?" - Alpay asserts that it is becoming increasingly obvious that Washington faces a choice between the methods used by Turkey, a country that is "progressively turning its back on militarism," and the methods used by Israel, a country that is "more and more getting bogged down in militarism."

In an article entitled "Why did no change take place in CHP and MHP's axis?", Zaman columnist Mumtazer Turkone cites the fact that neither the main opposition Republican People's Party, CHP, nor the Nationalist Action Party, MHP, has chosen to lend support to accusations that the ruling AKP has brought about a change in Turkey's Western orientation as evidence that the debate over what is described as a shift of axis in Turkey's foreign policy is a "public diplomacy operation" in line with US and Israeli policies and intended to mobilize public opinion against the AKP so as to force it into doing a U-turn on its policy toward Israel.

b) Kurdish Issue

Drawing attention to Erdogan's double standard in his stand toward HAMAS and the PKK in an article in Milliyet, Can Dundar writes: "Election through popular vote does not justify support for terror... However, one should accept that the public vote that renders HAMAS legitimate in the eyes of the prime minister is also valid in the case of the BDP. If the BDP has links to 'the terrorist organization as the prime minister claims,' should one not question why the regional people have insistently been casting their votes for the BDP and its predecessors? Furthermore, if the goal of the government is to bring the armed cadres down from the mountains, to open the legal political channels, and to prevent violence from being used as a solution tool by declaring an 'overture,' does it think it will achieve this goal by bringing to trial the legal organizations and by closing down parties?" Noting that the trial of the PKK members who arrived in Turkey through the Habur Gate with the knowledge and permission of the government will begin in Diyarbakir today, Dundar views this move as the end of the "overture," adding that the government has adopted a militant and combatant stance because of the approaching elections.

In his article in Hurriyet, Yalcin Bayer reflects the views of a reader on the recent PKK attacks: "The issue is not one of simple 'terror.' It is not an attempt to obtain 'democratic rights and freedoms.' From beginning to end, it is an issue that is entirely about 'Kurdishness.' For the time being it is an issue of Pan-Kurdism that is limited to northern Iraq and Turkey's southeast region. The ultimate goal is 'to establish an independent Kurdistan state' in these territories." Pointing out that the Turkish Armed Forces, TSK, are conducting successful operations against the PKK, the reader questions what the government is doing in the meantime and whether it is doing anything but fight the TSK. Under these conditions it is unjust and wrong to accuse the TSK of failing in its fight against the TSK, claims the reader, concluding: "No army can be successful in the absence of political leadership."

Aksam carries an interview with Prof Mahir Kaynak, former member of the National Intelligence Organization, MIT, and a foreign policy expert, who assesses the recent PKK attacks in the country, the flotilla incident, the video plot against CHP leader Baykal, and the opposition to Davutoglu from within the AKP. Dismissing any link between the PKK attacks and the Israeli attack on the Gaza aid flotilla, Kaynak believes that Iran is trying to provoke a war. Noting that operations against Iran might be launched as a result of this provocation, Kaynak raises the possibility of a civil war in Iran, adding that since the military intervention in Iraq did not prove to be advantageous, foreign forces might choose to instigate clashes among opposing forces within Iran.

c) Constitutional Amendments

Viewing the proposal made by Constitutional Court Rapporteur Osman Can to the government to oppose a possible Constitutional Court ruling in favor of the Republican People's Party, CHP, appeal against the constitutional reforms and the proposal made by constitutional professor Ergun Ozbudun to veto the ruling, Vatan columnist Mustafa Mutlu argues that in a democratic state of law no one has the right to oppose the implementation of judicial decisions. In his article, Mutlu warns the government that if it is influenced by such proposals, it should know that no one will heed judicial rulings, adding: "The state of law will be destroyed and a period of chaos that no one can predict in advance will begin in the country! A government that does not abide by the constitutional order cannot rule!"

d) Autonomous Base for Russians

According to a report in Vatan, "the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Station might create a new 'Incirlik Base' for Russia." Noting that Turkey will provide land free of charge to Russia, that workers from Russia will arrive for the cons traction of the power plant, and that a workers village of some 10,00 will be established in Akkuyu, the report states that the Russians will be obtaining an autonomous base in Akkuyu similar to the one at Incirlik.

EG/

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