Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 11-05-13

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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 meeting with President Christofias and before departing for Turkey

[02] Ozersay: "Tripartite meeting on the 4th of July in Geneva"

[03] Cavusoglu admits that thousands live illegally in occupied Cyprus

[04] Tension regarding religion in occupied Cyprus

[05] Durust's contacts in Ankara

[06] A joint exercise of Search and Rescue in Ankara

[07] Five thousand people living in occupied Cyprus to vote for the June 12 general elections in Turkey

[08] Works of the Akakopru Dam have been suspended

[09] Turkish Cypriot journalist's car was bomb-attacked for the second time

[10] "YDU" hospital signed a cooperation protocol with Azerbaijan's HB clinic

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[11] "Vessels under the TRNC flag were not accepted to enter the Egypt port"

[12] Erdogan accused France, Germany for 'black campaign' against Turkey's EU bid

[13] PACE delegation to make pre-electoral visit to Turkey

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS

[01] Statements by Eroglu after meeting with President Christofias and before departing for Turkey

In statements at his office after returning from the meeting with President Christofias, Eroglu noted that yesterday the sides expressed their views regarding the tripartite meeting which most probably will be held in the first week of July in Geneva or New York.

Eroglu stated that the issue of the police was on their agenda yesterday and that the Turkish Cypriot side responded to the views expressed before by the Greek Cypriot side. He said the leaders assigned their special representatives with the duty of discussing and concluding the issue of internal security and police during their meeting next Friday.

Eroglu said that they took up issues to be discussed during the tripartite summit and what kind of a meeting this will be. He added that the sides asked for time to evaluate all these.

He said they mutually agreed that the next meeting between the leaders will be held on 1 June, because President Christofias will visit Australia after the parliamentary elections to be held in the government-controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus.

Responding to a question, Eroglu said there will be six chapters at the tripartite summit and the UN Secretary-General will put forward his views on these six chapters. He noted that what is important are the views of the sides. Eroglu reiterated the view that all chapters should be discussed separately and that it would not be right to negotiate by connecting the chapters to each other. He said this is one of the issues of their disagreement with the Greek Cypriots.

Eroglu noted that the Turkish Cypriot side wants the issues of the guarantees and the territory to be discussed at the end and argued that this wish of the Turkish side is reflected in the reports of the UN Secretary-General as well.

Meanwhile, Kibris (13.05.11) reports also that Eroglu departed yesterday for Turkey in order to give a lecture at Sakarya University. In statements at the illegal Tymvou airport before his departure, Eroglu said the talks yesterday were held within a narrower circle upon a wish by Alexander Downer, UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Cyprus.

Referring to his visit to Turkey, Eroglu noted that at Sakarya University he would meet with war veterans who participated in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, and give a lecture on the Cyprus problem. He said he would also meet the Governor and the Mayor of Sakarya as well as representatives of two private institutions. He noted that after completing his contacts in Sakarya, he would visit Istanbul to participate in an activity to be organized by the Turkish Cypriot Cultural Association's Istanbul branch.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Ozersay: "Tripartite meeting on the 4th of July in Geneva"

Ozersay answering a question to a correspondent from illegal Turkish News Agency-Cyprus (TAK) said that from the conversations with Downer and Christofias, the next tripartite meeting is set forth to take place in Geneva on the 4th of July. He added that the exact date and place will be confirmed by the U.N. Secretary General.

[03] Cavusoglu admits that thousands live illegally in occupied Cyprus

Addressing the "assembly" yesterday, Sinay wondered whether Akca wanted to pave the way for more people [from Turkey] to be given the "citizenship" of the regime and called on Akca to speak openly on this issue. Sinay argued that the numbers given by Akca and the self-styled prime minister Kucuk regarding the population living in the occupied area of Cyprus are different and wondered which one is correct.

Sinay said the Turkish Cypriots had participated in the recent rallies in occupied Cyprus in order to struggle for their existence as community and not for money [as Akca argued]. Taking into consideration the fact that 167 thousand persons voted during the last "elections", he noted, it is not possible for the population to be 285 thousands like the "ambassador" said. Sinay argued that the debates will continue as long as a population census is not conducted.

Sinay expressed the view that the "law" should change. He said he found out that the "citizenship" of the regime was given to some persons recently, in spite of the statements that these applications had stopped. He noted that the "citizenship" should not be given except for cases of marriage, so that the Turkish Cypriot identity is protected. Otherwise, he said, difficulties will be faced at the ongoing negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Responding to Sinay, Nazim Cavusoglu, self-styled minister of interior and local administrations, said that the issue of the "citizenship" is discussed for a long time and added that it is true that hundreds, thousands of people live illegally in the occupied area of Cyprus.

Cavusoglu noted that the "law" regarding the "citizenship" should change and added that they started working on this issue. He said they completed their work of changing the "white card" application and the "citizenship law". He added that they would bring the issue to the "assembly" after they discuss it within the "government". Cavusoglu noted that they annulled the "citizenship" of one person of German origin and three other persons, who filed an application and were given the "citizenship" on the grounds that they would establish a bank.

Responding to Cavusoglu, Sinay said he was considering of thanking Cavusoglu for the annulment of the "citizenship", but he changed his mind because Cavusoglu stated that he would protect the rights of everybody who live in the "country". Sinay noted that the number of those living illegally in occupied Cyprus is 220 thousand persons.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Tension regarding religion in occupied Cyprus

Mustafa Yektaoglu, vice-president of the "assembly", who was "presiding" at the meeting, gave a warning to Gokmen for his statements and said that the Turkish Cypriots have never been "enemies of the mosques". "You have no right to insult the Turkish Cypriot people in this manner", he noted.

Serdar Denktas, leader of the Democratic Party (DP), said he does not accept that a "spirituality gap" exists in the occupied part of Cyprus. He noted that the reason of intensifying the construction of mosques in occupied Cyprus is "the sensitivity of the Government in Turkey on issues of religion". He said he does not think that it is correct to build a mosque next to a tourist installation or to construct a complex of buildings adjacent to a mosque or next to a bus terminal, "only for blarneying some persons".

Turgay Avci, chairman of the ORP, reacted to Denktas' statement that "you cannot say from the bench of the assembly that the spirituality of the TRNC people is low in order to blarneying the Government in Turkey". He also criticized both Denktas and Yektaoglu.

Denktas continued his speech and expressed the view that Koran lessons should be an elective course at schools instead of having Koran lessons during summer. He said if the Alevites also feel the same need, lessons appropriate for them should be given as well.

In statements on the same issue, the self-styled prime minister Irsen Kucuk said that the Turkish Cypriot "people" know and respect their religion and it is not possible for their spirituality to become an issue of debate. He noted that he did not want to enter into a debate, but "the spirituality of the Turkish Cypriot people is not inadequate".

(I/Ts.)

[05] Durust's contacts in Ankara

During yesterday's meeting, Durust presented a proposal to accept Turkish Cypriot students who have GCE A Level certificates in Turkey's Universities without exams, as third country students do. He also asked for Turkish Cypriot students studying in Turkey not to be included in the General Health Insurance. Moreover, Durust discussed ways to increase the flow of students in "TRNC" and especially the supply of educational loans by Turkey's Credit and Residence Foundation (YURTKUR) to Turkish students studying in the "TRNC," in order to pay their tuition fees.

Durust after his meeting with Cicek, met with Huseyin Aydin, chairman of the Banks Association and general director of Halk Bank; later he visited the new offices of the Cyprus Youth Platform, which is formed by "TRNC" students studying in Ankara. Today he is meeting with the chairman of the Higher Education Council (YOK) Prof. Dr Yusuf Ziya Ozcan and later on is expected to return to the occupied area.

[06] A joint exercise of Search and Rescue in Ankara

[07] Five thousand people living in occupied Cyprus to vote for the June 12 general elections in Turkey

[08] Works of the Akakopru Dam have been suspended

The inhabitants of Akine village made a protest gathering at the area of the dam construction, arguing that the works for opening a tunnel resulted in damaging the environment and that dynamites were also used.

Hamit Turan, the mukhtar of Akine village, and the inhabitants told to Anamur District Governor Cemil Aksak, who came to the area of the construction, to the District Gendarme Commander Haluk Saygili and to company officials, that they do not want any work to be done in the village before the solution of their problems due to the expropriation of their property. The inhabitants also said that their houses and their fields have been expropriated but they have not showed them yet the places that they will be transferred.

Aksak said that the state cannot behave unjustly toward its citizens, adding that a meeting will be held on 27th of May in Mersin regarding their problem. He also said that the works for the construction of the dam will be suspended until that day.

[09] Turkish Cypriot journalist's car was bomb-attacked for the second time

As the paper reports, approximately, one and a half month ago, Esendemir suffered from another bomb attack in his car that was exploded outside of Kanal T television's building.

[10] "YDU" hospital signed a cooperation protocol with Azerbaijan's HB clinic

According to the paper, the protocol foresees the transfer of patients to the "YDU" hospital in cases where the HB clinic is not able to offer any medical service, and these patients will be treated under special conditions. Moreover, there will be mutual cooperation in cases where consultation is needed and projects, especially in the field of health tourism will be developed.

As it is reported, the protocol was signed by the "YDU's chairman of the board of trustees" Irfan S. Gunsel, and the chairman of the HB clinic executive committee, Vugar Butayev.

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[11] "Vessels under the TRNC flag were not accepted to enter the Egypt port"

As the paper writes, the German Embassy in Egypt stated that it could not do anything about the incident and thus officials made an effort to contact Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to ask for Turkey's mediation.

Dr Kandemir Ozdemir, self-styled honorary counsellor of the breakaway regime in Germany, in his statements said that as soon as they were informed about the incident, he met with officials of the German Foreign Ministry who said that they will deal with the issue.

[12] Erdogan accused France, Germany for 'black campaign' against Turkey's EU bid

"Turkey has been at the doors of the European Union for more than 50 years and there is still a European Union that does not accept Turkey as a member," Erdogan said. He added that Turkey remains committed to joining, although the EU continues to "change the rules of the game." "It's not honorable. They don't stick to their promises," he said.

In the same interview, Erdogan also expressed his belief that Hamas is not a terrorist organization, saying he felt the recently penned Palestinian reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah was an essential step towards Mideast peace.

[13] PACE delegation to make pre-electoral visit to Turkey A

The five-member delegation of PACE, led by Sweden's Kerstin Lundgren, will carry out a pre-electoral mission to Turkey, ahead of the parliamentary elections on June 12, to assess the electoral framework and campaign.

The delegation will meet the Speaker of the Parliament, representatives of political parties, the Chair of the Supreme Board of Elections, the Head of the EU delegation in Turkey as well as the Turkish delegation to PACE. Talks are also scheduled with representatives of civil society and the media.

A full 30-member delegation from the Assembly will be in the country on the day of the voting to observe the elections. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

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