Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 10-08-31

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

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS

[01] Turkish Victory Day as celebrated in occupied Cyprus

[02] Durduran calls for a solution with no guarantees and armies

[03] Kivrikoglu invited Avci to Istanbul

[04] A new mosque is to be built in occupied Lefkosia

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[05] Turkey to head UNSC term presidency for the second time

[06] Turkeys TPAO and Chevron oil company agree on Black Sea drills

[07] Highlights

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS

[01] Turkish Victory Day as celebrated in occupied Cyprus

Signing a special book for the occasion, Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu pointed out that the Cyprus Turkish people had followed reforms introduced by Ataturk, together with the Turkish nation, and said, Cyprus Turks are well aware of the fact that they owe their civilization to the great leader of modern Turkey.

For his part, the Turkish Ambassador to occupied Lefkosia, Kaya Turkmen, wrote that the Turkish nation and the Cyprus Turkish people are determined to go ahead in the light of Ataturks principles, while the Commander of the Cyprus Turkish Peace Forces, Lieutenant General Adem Huduti, stressed that the Turkish army will always protect the Turkish ideals and territory.

In a speech on behalf of the Cyprus Turkish Peace Forces Commandership, Infantry Staff Officer Major Ahmet Ucar referred to the heroic struggle waged by the Turkish Army during the War of Independence and assured the Turkish Armys determination to protect the Turkish nation. Noting that Cyprus Turks had in that past faced similar cruel plans that targeted the Turkish nation, he said the Cyprus Turkish people are continuing their struggle for existence, shoulder to shoulder with motherland Turkey.

In addition, illegal BRT reports on the messages to mark the significance of the day. In his message, the so-called prime minister Irsen Kucuk stated that the Great Leader and Commander Ataturk changed the course of history, and his principles have become an inspiration to the Cyprus Turks in their struggle for freedom. We are happy to celebrate the Turkish nations victory, and are proud to be part of it, in our free, sovereign and independent state, with the same enthusiasm as motherland Turkey, he said. He also stressed that everyone should work together in order to reach a brighter future.

In his message, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his government will continue to protect the Turkish Republic with a power and courage given by the 30 August victory. Erdogan stressed that the victory gained against a larger army had shown the entire world that Turkey would never give up its unity and solidarity, freedom and independence.

The Chief of Turkish General Staff General Isik Kosaner said in his message that the victory won after many challenges had been the beginning of Turkish nations headway in the way of contemporary civilization. Our walk on this path will continue without any interruption in the light of our unitary state, nation-state and secular-state structure, and the Kemalist thought, the Commander said. General Kosaner also stressed that nobody should forget that the target of every effort against the Turkish Armed Forces, is the Turkish Republic, its independence and integrity.

In its own message, the Democratic Party (DP) said August 30 is not only a date which opened a new era but also the source of inspiration of independence and freedom movements (...) the Cyprus Turkish people, which follow the path opened by the great leader Ataturk, independence, freedom and light, have reached freedom and independence following a difficult struggle full of bitter experiences.

[02] Durduran calls for a solution with no guarantees and armies

Watching the hopes for a solution without guarantees and free from armies diminishing, the Turkish Cypriots should decide, and Turkey should accept the Greek Cypriot proposals. Moreover, it is added, the Turks should remain calm or else there will not be an agreement.

[03] Kivrikoglu invited Avci to Istanbul

(AK)

[04] A new mosque is to be built in occupied Lefkosia

Construction works have already started. The new mosque will be financed by the Turkish Aid Delegation and will have four minarets and a capacity of 2000 people. It will also include conference rooms and shopping centres.

(AK)

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[05] Turkey to head UNSC term presidency for the second time

During Turkeys term presidency, Iran will start talks with the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) following the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, after September 12. Iran has said it is ready to resume long-stalled nuclear talks with world powers in September, despite sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic by the UN Security Council, the US and the European Union.

Turkey joined the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member in January 2009 and will have the seat until the end of 2010. In June 2009, Turkey served as the term president of the UN Security Council for one month. In 2009, it also chaired the Security Council Sanction Committees for North Korea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[06] Turkeys TPAO and Chevron oil company agree on Black Sea drills

Officials, who wished to remain anonymous, said that Chevron and the TPAO will be 50-50 partners in the two deep-sea drills, one of which has already begun in the Yassihoyuk 1 area, off the northern province of Zonguldak. If, as expected, efforts do prove fruitful and oil is found in the Black Sea, the two companies will have equal rights over all explored potential. If oil is not discovered, then Chevron will absorb the operational costs. One deep-sea drill costs around $250 million. If the agreement gets the green light by Cabinet, Chevron will pay a further $50 billion for an exploration license held by the TPAO, for the Yassihoyuk 1 area.

An earlier drill off the northern province of Sinops coast resulted in disappointment after TPAO and its partners, Brazilian Petrobras and American Exxon Mobil, failed to find oil there. TPAO believes that the Black Sea has some 10 billion barrels of oil and 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves. Following the failed efforts off Sinops coast, TPAO initiated works in the Yassihoyuk 1 area, where it has presently drilled to a depth of 500 meters. It is expected to drill to a depth of 4,000 to 4,500 meters.

[07] Highlights

a) Cyprus

In an article in Cumhuriyet entitled "Cyprus's Importance Will Gradually Increase," columnist Erol Manisali predicts that Cyprus will become a strategic island and be used and controlled by the United States, United Kingdom, and the EU, adding that Turkey contributes to this process by "suspending" its policy vis-a-vis Cyprus. He comments: "Ankara is in the process of diminishing its political, economic, and military power in the TRNC.

b) Referendum on Constitutional amendments

In an article in Hurriyet, entitled "A note in front of the door: Do not go out on 12 September! Otherwise...", columnist Fatih Cekirge quotes Cinar Oktem, head of the Sirnak branch of the Republican People's Party (CHP), as saying that people living in Sirnak and Hakkari receive anonymous messages that they will be punished if they leave their homes to vote on 12 September. Pointing out that the PKK should be prevented from controlling Kurdish parties and organizations in the region, Cekirge concludes that the Turkish government should help the Peace and Democracy Party, and the Democratic Society Congress to convince the PKK to lay down its arms and turn itself into a civil organization.

In an article in Milliyet, entitled "Kurds, 'small bargaining,' and the Justice and Development Party (AKP)," Kadri Gursel says that the BDP is not expected to withdraw its decision to boycott the referendum because its demands are unlikely to be met by the AKP which, he notes, fears that releasing detained Kurdish politicians, lowering the election threshold from ten to 5%, and conducting negotiations with PKK leader in line with the BDP's demands, would provoke a backlash from the public and lead to its defeat in the next general election.

Vatan columnist Can Atakli accuses the AKP of planning to create a system which would enable it to remain in power and to control the judiciary through the constitutional amendments. Pointing out that the referendum has actually turned into a vote of confidence for the ruling party, Atakli says: "These constitutional amendments embellished by democracy, law, freedoms, and opposition to military coups will cause Turkey to move away from democracy, laws, and freedoms and set the stage for a civil coup.

Yeni Safak columnist Kursat Bumin, in an article entitled "A Referendum Campaign Characterized by Verbal Violence", criticizes political party leaders in general for "subjecting us to verbal violence and terrorizing us" in the name of trying to ensure that the constitutional amendment package is rejected or approved in the forthcoming referendum.

Milli Gazete under the headline, "Let it be a beginning toward the people's constitution," carries a front-page report which quotes Felicity Party (SP), leader Numan Kurtulmus as saying that unless the Constitution is changed entirely, debates over the Constitution will not end even after the reform package has been accepted in the referendum on 12 September.

c) Kurdish issue

A report in Hurriyet entitled "This is my response" highlights comments made by Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in response to Turkish Prime Ministers statement that he would strongly oppose any CHP proposal to declare general amnesty. Kilicdaroglu reiterated that a general amnesty could be considered only if the PKK agrees to lay down its arms unconditionally and there is a broad consensus among the public.

In an article in Hurriyet entitled "Yes, a General Amnesty is unavoidable, but...", columnist Mehmet Yilmaz says that a general amnesty is a must for putting an end to separatist terrorism and comments: "But, it is also obvious that debating a general amnesty is meaningless for the time being. It would be futile to discuss general amnesty before outlining the strategy to be pursued for finding a democratic solution to this problem."

d) Report says KDP received funds, weapons from Turkey

A report in Sabah entitled "Barzani received assistance with Bahceli's approval" highlights an official document which shows that a coalition government, which also included the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), Turkey provided $8 million as well as weapons, ammunition, and various materials for the Kurdish Democratic Party between 1999 and 2002.

e) Relations between Turkish government and military

In his article Hurriyet Daily News entitled "A new term begins in the TSK," columnist Mehmet Ali Birand points out that the members of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will be marking the Victory Day in "shock and awe" today because they can no longer dictate their terms to the government sees a the dramatic change in the position of TSK. He also lauds the Turkish government led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for taking courageous steps to become the "true power" in Turkey.

f) Allegation of illegal wiretapping

A report in Taraf entitled says that telephone conversations of around 2,000 people were illegally wiretapped by the Electronic Systems Command in the General Staff by using devices purchased from Israel in 2007 when Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Aslan Guner was serving as the Head of the Intelligence Department. The report says that Guner did not inform the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence about the purchase of the devices.

Vatan says that the General Staff has launched an administrative investigation in response to the allegation that electronic devices purchased as part of the fight against the PKK were used for other purposes.

g) Hanefi Avci book

Vakit columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak thanks and congratulates former Eskisehir Police Chief Hanefi Avci for writing the book The Simons Living in the Golden Horn which started a debate whether the Turkish police are controlled by members of the Fethullah Gulen community. Dilipak claims actually, there is a "lobby" within the police force the members of which appear to have used their membership in the Gulen community as a means of achieving "operational power within the system." He claims that this network might pose a "clear and present danger" if it is engaged in "unregistered economic and political activities within the system." He also asserts that the said community is growing in an uncontrolled manner and warns that it might get out of Fethullah Gulen's control eventually.

Milli Gazete columnist Sinan Burhan argues, in an article entitled "Avci's Book: An Attempt To Get Even With a Religious Community Over Ergenekon", that Hanefi Avci's book is a "project" to "avenge" the Ergenekon investigation, ensure the release of the suspects in this investigation, discredit the Fethullah Gulen community, and have the constitutional amendment package rejected in the upcoming referendum.

h) Supreme Council of Judges

Zaman runs a front-page report which asserts that the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) is using a number of subjective criteria such as membership of the Association of Judges and Prosecutors (YARSAV), in appointing Council of State and Supreme Court of Appeals members, according to a report published in the weekly Aksiyon magazine.

i) Turkish-US relations

In an article entitled "A psychoanalysis of international fears", Zaman's Washington correspondent Ali H. Aslan links "current tensions in Turkish-US relations" to "fundamental fears" on both sides such as the United States' fear that it might lose its economic and military pre-eminence and Turkey's fear that it will be undermined and eventually partitioned by internal enemies in trying to emerge as a regional power. He also argues that Israel is pursuing a strategy intended to prevent Turkey from blocking what it could do against Iran by using its standing with the US Congress, adding that one of the principal methods associated with this strategy is to threaten Turkey with the prospect of an arms embargo.

j) Headscarf issue

Zaman columnist Ali Bulac discloses that he will vote for the CHP in the next general elections if it gives unequivocal and unconditional support for the efforts to solve the headscarf issue. Bulac also defines "the framework of a permanent and radical solution to this problem," thus: 1. The decision to wear a headscarf should be left to the personal discretion of girls if they have reached majority and puberty and to their families if they have not reached puberty. 2. All students from primary school to university level should be free to wear or not to wear headscarves. 3. People who wear headscarves should be allowed to become members of parliament, physicians, teachers, judges, or corporate executives if they are eligible for these positions. 4. The state should not interfere with what people choose to wear.

In an article in Today's Zaman entitled "Headscarf: Yardstick for Democratic Credentials", columnist Ihsan Dagi asserts that the outcome of the CHP's latest bid to formulate a solution to the headscarf problem has been "disappointing" so far, with Professor Sencer Ayata, the head of the CHP committee assigned to look into the matter, proposing "a middle-way solution" suggesting that the CHP is "incapable of transforming itself." Dagi also argues that while Islamic groups have come from treating hijab as a religious obligation to seeing it as a human rights issue, in this way demonstrating their ability to "develop new responses to old problems," Kemalist circles have always "stuck to anachronistic, authoritarian policies denying people the right to choose what to wear."

Yeni Safak carries a front-page report which highlights Prime Minister Erdogan's remarks asserting that the main opposition Republican People's Party is not sincere in its promise to lift the restrictions on Islamic headscarves given how it filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court against a bill that would have removed the headscarf ban at universities a few years ago.

k) Tougher times for Turkey's military?"

Today's Zaman columnist Yavuz Baydar comments on new Chief of Staff General Isik Kosaner's remarks expressing "devotion" to the "basic principles" of the republic and pledging to "struggle" to defend those principles. Baydar asserts that if by "struggle" Kosaner means "continued arm wrestling to keep the privileged position of the military," then he faces "a tougher fight," because the political authority has already started "imposing its will" over military appointments to "key posts."

l) Turkish Column criticizes Iranian vice President

In an article Hurriyet Daily News entitled "Iran-Armenia Relations and the 'Genocide,'" columnist Cem Oguz focuses on reasons which might have prompted Iranian Vice President Hamid Baghaei to say that the deportation of Armenians in 1915 amounted to genocide. Pointing out that Armenians constitute the largest Christian minority in Iran which, he notes, is one of Armenia's major trade partner, Oguz says: " Mr Baghaei might intend to make a gesture to Armenia, but he would do well to heed a Turkish proverb: While trying to pluck one's eyebrows, one should not pluck out one's eyes. The Turkish people indeed expect Mr Bahgaei to provide a sincere correction!" TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

/ES

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