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

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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] Eroglu to brief the so-called assembly regarding the Cyprus talks

[02] So-called ministers participated in the ISEDAK meeting in Istanbul

[03] Turkish Cypriots accuse Turkey of colonizing the occupied areas of Cyprus and meddling in their affairs

[04] Ersan Saners contacts in Turkey

[05] Tatar said the illegal Tymvou airport will serve 4-5 million passengers per year

[06] KTOS: Turkey should not be accepted in the European Union

[07] Tokel: Census discussed in cabinet

[08] RoRo vessels service between the UK and the occupied areas has started

[09] Two Turkish airlines started flights to occupied Cyprus

[10] Illegal university employees a doctor banned from exercising the profession in the USA

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[11] Turkey seeks Austrian support for EU bid

[12] Erdogan and Merkel to discuss bilateral ties, Cyprus and EU issues

[13] Highlights

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS

[01] Eroglu to brief the so-called assembly regarding the Cyprus talks

Eroglu will do the briefing upon a request made by the self-styled speaker of the assembly Hasan Bozer.

Bozer said that it was up to the government whether the meeting will be held in a closed or open session.

On the Cyprus issue, Bozer alleged that the Turkish Cypriot sides aim is to reach a settlement by the end of the year. He accused the Greek Cypriot side of deploying delaying tactics at the negotiating table. Claiming that the Greek Cypriot side is not in a hurry to reach a settlement due to its EU membership, Bozer concluded that the Turkish Cypriot side could not wait for them forever.

[02] So-called ministers participated in the ISEDAK meeting in Istanbul

In his statements during the meeting of ISEDAK, Atun said that it is the second time they are participating in this meeting, adding that they are participating as Turkish Cypriot state. He then said that this kind of meetings is an opportunity for them to overcome the embargoes.

Atun said also that within the framework of the meeting, they will meet with economy and trade ministers of several countries. Referring to the embargoes posed on the TRNC, Atun said that they constitute the biggest obstacle for the development of the country.

Meanwhile, according to the ministry of agriculture and natural recourses, Zorlu Tore is expected to return to the occupied areas tonight.

(AK)

[03] Turkish Cypriots accuse Turkey of colonizing the occupied areas of Cyprus and meddling in their affairs

Cakici noted that they are not against the privatization, but they are definitely against the privatization of institutions of strategic importance.

Referring to Turkish State Minister Cemil Ciceks statement on the population of the occupied part of Cyprus, Cakici reiterated that Turkey has the same responsibility as the governments of the breakaway regime for the uncontrolled population. He noted that Ciceks statements offended the Turkish Cypriots.

Meanwhile, according to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (08.10.10), the United Cyprus Party (BKP) described the conclusions of the recent TRNC Foreign Investments Consultative Council as worrisome. In a statement issued yesterday by Salih Efendi, member of BKPs Central Executive Committee, the party expresses the view that there is no other way left except for the supporters of the solution to struggle with the aim of an early solution.

Efendi said that under the name of privatization, the aim is to open the country to the plundering of the capital from Turkey. He noted that Turkish Cypriot organizations such as the airlines, the Saray Hotel and Cypfruvex are led to bankruptcy and given away under the pretext of losing money.

Moreover, Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (08.10.10) reports that referring to the same issue, Murat Kanatli, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the New Cyprus Party (YKP), noted that the northern part of Cyprus is quickly turned into Turkey. He expressed their concern for the situation and called on those who want the reunification of the island to oppose to the steps made for its turning into a province of Turkey. Kanatli said that the population is an integral element of the above-mentioned operation and added that Ciceks statement that the population is not known is nothing else but demagogy.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Ersan Saners contacts in Turkey

In his statements to the press after concluding his contacts, Ersan Saner referred to the issue of the illegal Turkish Cypriot airlines, saying that the company to be established will continue to carry the flag of the TRNC and be the national carrier of the TRNC.

Ersan Saner said that they decided to open tenders on 16 October, 2011 for establishing Instrument Landing System the (ILS) in the illegal Tymbou airport.

Saner also stated that they discussed with Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim the methods they will follow in their e-government projects and how the problems appeared in land transportation sector could be solved.

Referring to the issue of the privatization of the illegal Tymvou airport, Saner said that brave steps will be taken from the teams of Turkey and TRNC for the project to be implemented. Saner added that they discussed not only the issue of Ercan airport, but also the issue of Telecommunications, the Turkish Cypriot Airlines and added that Turkey expressed its support to the efforts for the development of the economy of the TRNC.

Also, Binali Yildirim, in his statements, said that together with Hamza Ersan Saner, they discussed issues concerning transportation and communication, the construction of roads, the preparation process for the expenses of the land transportation for the period 2010-2020, e.t.c.

Meanwhile, the paper reports that self-styled minister Saner after concluding his contacts in Ankara went to Istanbul for continuing his talks there. Saner is expected to meet in Istanbul with Mustafa Demir, Minister of Public Works and Settlement and then to participate in Turksat- CeBIT fair. Saner is expected to return to the occupied areas on Saturday.

(AK)

[05] Tatar said the illegal Tymvou airport will serve 4-5 million passengers per year

Commenting on the CTA-TA partnership, he said that Turkish Airlines wants to contribute with its experience, and that it is content with only 25% of the shares. CTA could own the 49%, but another condition is that 25% has to be owned by the private sector.

Moreover, referring to the recent meeting for investments in the occupied part of Cyprus, Tatar said that Turkey is their main breathing pipe and argued that if the Turkish Lira is strengthened the interest rates will decrease and thus the positive figures will be reflected also in TRNC

[06] KTOS: Turkey should not be accepted in the European Union

(I/Ts.)

[07] Tokel: Census discussed in cabinet

According to Tokel, two days ago the council of ministers discussed starting to work in order to find out the exact population and announce it. He said if it is needed they will conduct a new census after a while.

[08] RoRo vessels service between the UK and the occupied areas has launched

According to the paper, the ships will be used for transferring very big vehicles from abroad to the occupied areas. As it is stated, in the first trip, two big vehicles used in constructions and three lorries have been transferred. The RoRo vessels will make trips once every 18 days, the paper adds.

[09] Two Turkish airlines started flights to occupied Cyprus

[10] Illegal university employees a doctor banned from exercising the profession in the USA

(I/Ts.)

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[11] Turkey seeks Austrian support for EU bid

Turkey sought the Austrian governments help on Thursday to enable the 27-nation bloc to keep its promises and also to convince a Turkey-sceptic European public of the worth of Turkeys accession to the bloc.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, in a press conference with his Austrian counterpart Michael Spindelegger, said: We expect Austria to take the initiative, both at the level of EU member states to enable the EU to keep its promises to Turkey, and also at the level of public opinion by informing Europeans about the contributions of [Turkeys EU] process.

Spindelegger said his country had initially been suspicious about Turkeys EU accession bid but noted particular progress had been made on Austrias stance today. We supported the EU decision to open accession talks with Turkey in 2005, he said.

Davutoglu said despite the injustice stemming from the Cyprus problem and discouraging messages from Europe, the Turkish public still says yes to membership in the EU.

Davutoglu announced his plans to visit Austria next year, where he plans to attend a conference on integration with his Austrian counterpart.

[12] Erdogan and Merkel to discuss bilateral ties, Cyprus and EU issues

Erdogan will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and State Minister and chief negotiator for the European Union talks, Egemen Bagis.

[13] Highlights

a) Headscarf issue

Hasan Pulur in Milliyet writes: We believe that the 'headdress' problem was solved a long time ago. Given the fact that the wives of the president and the prime minister of a country have headdresses, is this ban aimed at university students alone? Ignore the initial reaction of the soldiers, they have no voice left. Now that the headdress issue is resolved, Pulur predicts that the next problem might be about wearing a veil or a chador, adding: This is the real problem! What will happen to those who do not wear headdresses? What if they are told to cover themselves? Wait, the time will come for that as well.

Describing the headdress issue as one of mentality in an article in Star, Metin Metiner stresses that those who are really in favour of democracy and freedoms do not have such a problem. Answering the question of who really favours democracy and freedoms, Metiner explains that they are those who view everyone as equals and believe that the rights they enjoy should be enjoyed by everyone.

In an article in Cumhuriyet, Cuneyt Arcayurek mocks the solution High Education Council (YOK) President Yusuf Ziya Ozcan has found to the headdress dilemma, which the writer believes violates the decisions of the Constitutional Court, the ECHR, and the Council of State on the headdress issue. Noting that nothing less than that decree was expected from Ozcan, Arcayurek argues that the YOK president has fulfilled the reasons for being appointed to that office and has acted in line with the wishes of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Wondering what the response of the Republican People's Party (CHP) will be to the YOK move, Arcayurek quotes former Constitutional Court President Mustafa Bumin as having said that Ozcan is not authorized to make a decision on the issue. In conclusion, the writer argues that once the door is opened to the headdress it is only a matter of time for the chador revolution to take place.

Vatan columnist Gungor Mengi, criticizing the YOK move to solve the headdress issue just as there seemed to be conciliation between the ruling party and the main opposition party in the aftermath of the referendum, argues that declaring court decisions null and void is not a solution. In his article, Mengi refers to AKP deputy leader Huseyin Celik's remarks to the effect that a legal arrangement might be made on the issue provided the CHP does not refer it to the Constitutional Court, adding that it is not only the right but the duty of the opposition party to refer an issue to the Constitutional Court if it sees fit and that calling on the opposition not to fulfil its duties cannot be viewed as cooperation but only as complicity in a crime.

In an article in Taraf, Ahmet Altan, criticizing the mentality that measures the degree of secularism in relation to the mount of hair female students will be showing in universities, argues that secularism is not forcing these students to remove their headdresses. On the contrary, he says secularism is about the state not interfering in these issues. The writer points out that a state forcing females to cover their hair because of religious reasons is the same as a state forcing them not to cover their hair because of a fear of religion, explaining that in both cases the state is interfering in religion.

Yeni Safak columnist Fehmi Koru, in an article entitled YOK paves the way for CHP's rise to power, declares that the headscarf ban at universities would be instantly lifted if the YOK simply announced a decision to implement Article 17 of the Higher Education Law. He also calls on CHP leader Kilicdaroglu to use the YOK's recent communiqué asking university staff members not to send veiled female students out of the classroom as an opportunity to follow up on his pre-referendum pledge to help remove the restrictions on the wearing of Islamic headscarves.

b) Turkey's EU accession process

In an article in Hurriyet, Fatih Cekirge views the request made by the German Foreign Ministry undersecretary during a recent Turkish-German Business Council meeting for Turkey to be more flexible with regards to the Cyprus issue. The Kurdish, Cyprus, and Armenian issues are brought up at every European meeting Turkey attends, points out Cekirge, declaring that until these three issues are resolved, the EU will not open to negotiations all of the chapters for Turkey's accession. This time, however, the Turkish side also had a request about lifting the embargo imposed by the Greek Cypriot side on the various accession chapters, notes Cekirge, drawing attention to the fact that this time Turkey made its request from a position of strength based on its developing economy. Conceding that the EU doors might still be closed to Turkey for many years to come, Cekirge says he is proud to observe the changing image of Turkey in Europe. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

/EG

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