Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 11-04-15

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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] Statements by Eroglu after the dinner with President Christofias

[02] Iacovou and Ozersay have reportedly fully agreed upon an issue for the first time

[03] CTP, TDP and DP tabled a "motion of non-confidence" against UBP; Kucuk says resentment should not last long

[04] Celebrations for the anniversary of the birthday of Prophet Mohammed; Afrika refers to new customs in occupied Cyprus after AKP came to power

[05] Kucuk said seven aviation companies operate in the occupied areas

[06] Sky airlines launch flights in the occupied areas of Cyprus today

[07] Nami to attend PACE meeting in Berlin

[08] The new chairman of the "Turkish Republic Technical Delegation" in occupied Cyprus has been appointed

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[09] Turkish FM to attend NATO Foreign Ministers informal meeting; He held several contacts there

[10] Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan held joint military exercise

[11] "Is this a European approach?"

[12] "Erdogan's PACE rebuke"

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS

[01] Statements by Eroglu after the dinner with President Christofias

In statements after the dinner, Eroglu said the climate was very sincere during the meeting. He added that they discussed what should be done until June and expressed their views regarding the meeting planned for the second half of this month.

Eroglu reiterated the allegation that after his "election", he sincerely and insistently continues to exhibit his will for an agreement and noted that his aim is to find a "lasting and real" agreement in which the "TRNC people" will live with honour. He argued that therefore he seized on every opportunity and in the tripartite meetings held in New York and Geneva he submitted a practical plan for reaching an agreement by the end of March, but the Greek Cypriot side rejected this plan. Eroglu claimed that the need for a time table in the negotiations has started to be perceived as time passes by.

Eroglu said the negotiations continue for many years and argued that the people's belief in both sides of the island that these negotiations will result in an agreement decreases every day.

Referring to the agreement reportedly reached yesterday between the special representatives of the leaders on the issue of the international agreements, Eroglu said the special representatives have almost reached an agreement and added that they will evaluate this agreement.

Eroglu argued that every time when they (the Turkish Cypriot side) are invited to a meeting, they respond positively and work with determination for reaching an agreement. He claimed that the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Cyprus will influence the negotiations. He noted that in the meantime the leaders will continue the negotiations and try to achieve convergences by June, after which more progress could be made. However, he said, even if convergence is not achieved, the Turkish side will participate in the (tripartite) meeting and see the attitude of the UN Secretary-General.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Iacovou and Ozersay have reportedly fully agreed upon an issue for the first time

According to illegal TAK news agency, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Cyprus, Alexander Downer, and UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Cyprus, Lisa Buttenheim participated in the meeting. The chapter of the "International Agreements" was the only issue of discussion during the meeting.

Citing information from reliable sources, the paper writes that the sides agreed that the international agreements which have been made with third parties by the Republic of Cyprus and the "TRNC" breakaway regime in the occupied areas of the island before the solution, will be valid in the "new partnership" as long as they are not contrary to the solution agreement. These agreements will be binding for the United Cyprus. It is reported that the agreed text is 3-4 page long.

Asked to confirm the agreement, Kudret Ozersay contented himself with saying: "It is true that progress was achieved. We are satisfied with the fact that progress is achieved".

Responding to another questions, Ozersay said the "police" issue was not discussed yesterday and added that this issue will be discussed at the meeting to be held next Tuesday on 15.00 hours.

(I/Ts.)

[03] CTP, TDP and DP tabled a "motion of non-confidence" against UBP; Kucuk says resentment should not last long

In statements after submitting the "motion", Ferdi Sabit Soyer, chairman of the CTP, argued that the UBP causes crises in the occupied areas of Cyprus from the very first day it came to "power". He recalled that the "MPs" of the UBP, who reacted against the recent "reshuffle" of the "cabinet", asked for an extraordinary congress of the party and that "prime minister" Irsen Kucuk threatened them with early "elections". He said the "rebellious MPs" do not participate in the work of the "parliament" and argued that the future of the "government" is uncertain. Therefore the three parties decided to table a "motion of non-confidence", he added. He concluded by arguing that there is nothing left for this "government" to offer to the "country".

Meanwhile, Mehmet Cakici, leader of the TDP, argued that economic and political instability and chaos exists in the occupied areas of Cyprus, in spite of the efforts of the UBP to show that stability exists. He expressed the view that the UBP is divided into two and recalled that the "MPs" who reacted against the "reshuffle" asked an extraordinary congress, while "prime minister" Irsen Kucuk said early "elections" should be held. He noted that it is not possible to "govern" and secure economic and political stability in such a climate. Referring to the developments in the UBP, Cakici said it seems that a reaction against the "cabinet" and a conflict of interests exist.

Moreover, Serdar Denktas, leader of the DP, stated that they carried to the "assembly" the non-confidence, which exists within the "people" against the "government".

Furthermore, Turgay Avci, leader of the Freedom and Reform Party (ORP), said the "law" regarding "elections" and "referendum" should be discussed and amended. He noted that afterwards "early elections" could be held, if necessary.

Finally, "prime minister" Irsen Kucuk said this was not the first time when problems exist in the "parliament" and added that the change in the "government" is always painful. He noted that resentment and disappointment should not last long. He expressed the view that resentment which does not last long should be tolerated, because similar examples were experienced in the past. He said his party is not divided into two.

Meanwhile, Kibris (15.04.11) reports also that speaking during a meeting of his party in the occupied part of Lefkosia, Kucuk said some "MPs" of UBP did not attend the "parliament" yesterday, noted that his colleagues will be attending the "parliament" as of Monday and thanked them.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Celebrations for the anniversary of the birthday of Prophet Mohammed; Afrika refers to new customs in occupied Cyprus after AKP came to power

The paper writes that within the framework of the celebrations, the beard of the Prophet is exhibited in a small jar in a park in occupied Lefkosia. The paper recalls that the beard was kept at Topkapi Sarayi Museum in Istanbul and wonders how it was brought to the occupied areas of Cyprus.

Afrika writes that the "Holy Birth Week" is celebrated in the occupied areas of Cyprus only during the past few years.

The paper expresses the following view: "After the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in Turkey, new customs came up here: 'The Holy Birth Week'. There was no such a thing in the past. However, this place was not Turkey in the past".

(I/Ts.)

[05] Kucuk said seven aviation companies operate in the occupied areas

In a statement prior to a meeting yesterday with Basaran Ulusoy Chairman of the Association of Turkish Travel Agents (TURSAB), Kucuk said that the year 2011 has been declared as "TRNC year" in Turkey and within this framework the bilateral relations have been increased. He added that tourism is a priority for the "TRNC" and therefore they try to support and facilitate investors coming from Turkey.

Referring to the flights, Kucuk said that after Onur Air airlines, Sky airlines launch flights from the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus. He added that the number of aviation companies operating in the occupied areas reached seven.

Ulusoy, for his part, said that although they did not forget "TRNC" they have been neglecting it until today, adding that they will attempt to make up for these mistakes by meeting the deficit in the coming period.

Ulusoy also noted that they should make the best out of this island, adding that there are thoughts of organizing a fair in the occupied areas in October.

[06] Sky airlines launch flights in the occupied areas of Cyprus today

The paper also reports that self-styled prime minister Irsen Kucuk, self-styled minister of foreign affairs Huseyin Ozgurgun, self-styled minister of tourism Unal Ustel, self-styled minister of public works and transport Ercan Saner, and the self-styled mayor of the occupied part of Lefkosia Cemal Bulutoglulari will welcome the first flight of Sky airlines today with a cocktail reception at the occupied airport of Tymvou.

[07] Nami to attend PACE meeting in Berlin

[08] The new chairman of the "Turkish Republic Technical Delegation" in occupied Cyprus has been appointed

According to the paper, yesterday Bas paid a courtesy visit to the so-called minister of finance Ersin Tatar, at which they discussed the investments and the aids made by Turkey and noted the importance of a good cooperation.

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[09] Turkish FM to attend NATO Foreign Ministers informal meeting; He held several contacts there

Countries contributing to NATO's Libya operation as well as the latest developments in Libya were on the agenda of Davutoglu's talks in Berlin, sources said.

The ministers emphasized during their gathering that the operation on Libya would continue and Arab countries' contribution to the process were of great importance.

The officials also agreed that a certain progress should be achieved in the political process in Libya.

Turkish FM Davutoglu met also with his Georgian counterpart Grigol Vashadze in Berlin where he is attending an unofficial meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

During their meeting, Davutoglu and Vashadze discussed the issue of their nationals visiting each other's country by showing an ID only instead of a passport.

Davutoglu further met with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday.

Davutoglu and Westerwelle discussed the role of Turkey in its region, Turkey-EU relations and Turkish-German bilateral ties in their meeting.

Davutoglu invited Westerwelle to Turkey, officials said. Later Foreign Minister Davutoglu had a meeting with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

[10] Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan held joint military exercise

The Turkish military said dozens of infantry troops from the three countries attended the exercise.

Turkey, NATO's sole Muslim member, has been training Afghan security forces in Turkey and in Kabul since 2001. Several hundred Afghans have attended Turkish war colleges or anti-terrorism courses organized by Turkish army officers.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Afghan leader Hamid Karzai and Pakistani leader Asif Ali Zardari came together on December 24, 2010, during a meeting in Istanbul of Central Asian countries belonging to the Economic Cooperation Organization. Security and development were the main issues discussed at the trilateral summit, where the decision was made to hold a joint military exercise.

[11] "Is this a European approach?"

As it hit the headline of the Daily News' edition yesterday, Erdogan appeared before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, or PACE, two years after he last visited the city. No surprise occurred. European parliamentarians' questions were tough and so were Erdogan's responses. Questions that varied from press freedom to election threshold, from minority rights to constitutional amendments were as legitimate as they could be. However, we cannot really say the same thing for Erdogan's responses, neither style-wise, nor content-wise.

The prime minister was too aggressive and assertive in his dialogue with the parliamentarians, often bashing them with his strong words full of one-sided arguments. As seen visibly, Erdogan's single argument was his assertion that "those who criticize his government had no genuine information and were misled by anti-government circles." That stance was once again reflected when answering French MP Muriel Marland Militello's question on minority rights and Dutch MP Tiny Kox's question on election threshold. Instead of explaining the fundamentals of his government on these specific issues, he chose to engage in a quarrel with the MPs with a set of incomprehensible arguments.

Take this for example: He said Turkey will not ask PACE or any other Council of Europe institutions to decide the fate of Turkey's 10 percent election threshold. If that line of thinking would be the real case, we would respect his words without any reservation. But it was the same government who invited the council's Venice Commission to advise them on re-shaping the judiciary, which was later put to a referendum. Again the government sought the same commission's consultations on allowing individual applications to the Constitutional Court. And furthermore, it was Erdogan himself who promised better representation for parties in Parliament in the past. So, what's this bluster for?

Don't take us to be so na?ve as to not be able to see the purpose behind the actions. As a European MP told the Daily News, Wednesday's session was perhaps the de facto commencement of the Justice and Development Party, or AKP's, election campaign. Perhaps it was not.

One thing we are sure about is that this demeanor will not help boost ties with the European Union or Turkey's negotiation talks. Another aspect the government should not forget is the importance of the Turkish public opinion in the EU bid. This kind of rhetoric seriously hurts this support.

Last but not least, we believe government officials should be keen to embrace a more civilized, polite manner in their dialogue with European institutions."

[12] "Erdogan's PACE rebuke"

To European lawmakers asking questions about a variety of issues concerning Turkey, such as freedom of the media and the rights of religious minorities, Erdogan told them to take a look at Europe's own record on these issues before they bring Turkey's shortcomings to everyone's attention. He also accused Europe of failing to have sufficient information about Turkey. Many observers welcomed the way Erdogan responded to questions from Europeans and say Erdogan's attitude has ended the European habit of calling Turkey to account.

Commenting on Erdogan's address at PACE, Sabah's Nazli Ilicak says the most striking part of his address was the question and answer session, where Erdogan responded to allegations about Turkey made by European lawmakers by asking them to look at themselves. She says the European lawmakers treated Turkey unfairly with regard to freedoms in the country in the questions they asked Erdogan, but Erdogan knew how to respond to their allegations. 'For instance, he asked: 'Roma people are deported from France. Is this true?' To a question asking about religious freedoms in Turkey, he told Europe to take a look at itself first, and then judge Turkey', says Ilicak. In brief, she says Erdogan managed to point out Europe's shortcomings to those who tried to highlight Turkish shortcomings on some issues. Yet, there are two issues about which Ilicak says Erdogan failed to convince European lawmakers, one of which is his support for the 10 percent election threshold in Turkey and the other is his comparison of journalist Ahmet Sik's unpublished book to a 'bomb'. The unpublished book, 'Imamin Ordusu' (The Imam's Army), has been the subject of a police investigation recently. 'The Western world is particularly sensitive about the book issue, it cannot see a parallel between a bomb and a dangerous thought', says Ilicak.

Star's Mustafa Karaalioglu thinks Erdogan's speech at PACE was a historic one -- not because Erdogan reiterated Turkey's already known positions on a variety of issues -- but because he ended the practice of Europeans calling Turkey to account on these issues.

'Erdogan's attitude at PACE marked the end of Turkey's defensive mindset concerning Europe, while it started an era of 'take a look at yourself first.' This new situation does not, however, show that we have problems in social and political domains. For instance, it does not show that our democracy needs new steps and a new constitution. But it shows that Turkey is no longer a country that will be called to account by Europeans on every occasion', notes Karaalioglu." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

/EI

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