Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 11-10-21

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

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Eroglu's meetings with Downer and other foreign officials

[02] Yorgancioglu: "Eroglu retreated from Talat's proposals"

[03] ATCA sent a letter to the UNSG for a "Plan B"

[04] Serdaroglu evaluates the oil and natural gas issue and the Cyprus problem

[05] Promotion for women's veiling in schools in occupied Famagusta

[06] Erdogan and Davutoglu met with Barzani

[07] Turkey's National Security Council to convene on October 27

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

Turkish military's operations into northern Iraq to hunt down PKK, the death of Libya's ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi, a collision of two Turkish vessels in the Adriatic Sea and other internal issues are the main topics in today's Turkish press.

[01] Eroglu's meetings with Downer and other foreign officials

Speaking to reporters at the end of his meeting with Eroglu, Downer said that they discussed the progress at the Cyprus negotiations leading up to the tripartite meeting in New York at the end of this month.

Downer noted that the leaders, who will meet tomorrow (21.10.11) for one last time before the summit meeting in New York, will resume from where they left off on Wednesday.

Downer also said that he will be meeting with the UN Chief a day before the summit to make an overall evaluation of the performance of the leaders.

Meanwhile, Eroglu also met with the Italian Ambassador to Cyprus Alfredo Bastianelli as well U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Eric Rubin. No statements were issued before or after the meetings.

[02] Yorgancioglu: "Eroglu retreated from Talat's proposals"

Yorgancioglu argued that the two leaders confirmed that there has not been a significant progress. Therefore, "Ban Ki moon will hold responsible both sides in the report that he will prepare at the end of the summit," said Yorgancioglu who supported that one of the reasons for this situation was Eroglu backing down from Talat's proposals. "President Mr. Eroglu, despite having said 'I continue from where Talat stopped' has taken steps backward from some provisions of the comprehensive and complete packet proposal that Mr. Talat has submitted to the Greek Cypriot side," stated Yorgancioglu. Additionally, he argued that this behaviour has caused reservations in the international community whether the Turkish Cypriot side wants a solution or not.

Moreover, he stressed that Eroglu before going to the summit he should inform the "assembly" for the developments and the negotiations, and hear the opinions of the "MPs" on how to overcome the problem, since this would be of great benefit for the oncoming meeting.

[03] ATCA sent a letter to the UNSG for a "Plan B"

ATCA had sent last January a letter to the UNSG, known as "Plan B". A delegation of ATCA members yesterday handed a new, 2-page letter to UNFICYP Sector and Contingent Commander Michael Lernihan at the Ledra Palace checkpoint to convey it to U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon.

In the letter, it is claimed that no tangible progress has been made toward a Cyprus settlement and as such, an alternative solution should be considered to settle the Cyprus problem.

Hatice Kerem, Co-ordinator of ATCA, said: "We, as Turkish Cypriots, do not want to live in a state of restlessness anymore".

The letter alleged, inter alia, the following: "We feel the time is right for the UN to address the inequalities and act in a fair and just way. UN must accept the realities of the island with two states and two peoples and repeal the resolutions made in the past against the Turkish Cypriots which has undoubtedly given the Greek Cypriots the upper hand on an international level."

ATCA, in its letter, also claimed that in case no agreement is reached by the end of 2011, then they will urge the UN Secretary-General to lift the so-called isolations imposed on the Turkish Cypriots and to politically upgrade the Turkish Cypriots to the level of the Greek Cypriot side in order to safeguard, reportedly, possibility to negotiate.

ATCA also argued that a "Plan B" will, in the long term, foster better relations between the two sides and will make it easier for a settlement, by safeguarding the economic equality between the two sides.

[04] Serdaroglu evaluates the oil and natural gas issue and the Cyprus problem

According to the paper, Serdaroglu is carrying out contacts in Brussels and made the above statements to AB Haber.

Saying that the Greek Cypriots are taking orders from Athens, he stated: "All directives are coming from Athens. Those who act independently they also prepare their own budget. The main part of their budget is sent directly from Greece. One of the main issues that they confront the economic crisis is because they have made bond investments in Greek banks".

Serdaroglu then stressed the need for the UN's Secretary General and the EU Commission to ask from the Greek Cypriots to give up from their provocative attitude. He also said that because of the fact that the EU is not encouraging the Greek Cypriots for a solution and does not implement enough pressure, Turkish Cypriots are losing their trust towards the EU and the EU's image is damaged.

Saying that during his contacts in Brussels he witnessed once more that the policy which is followed by Greek Cypriots and Greeks is against the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey, Serdaroglu alleged that Greek Cypriots and Greeks do not follow any constructive policy concerning the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey in the EU platforms. "As if they became EU members in order to work against Turkey", Serdaroglu said.

Referring to the issue of oil and natural gas, Serdaroglu stated that the impression he received from Brussels, is that, the majority of the political groups and members of the European Parliament are not completely aware of the oil and natural crisis in Cyprus. He also added: "Our rights deriving from the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus are clear. We have equal rights in all natural resources in Cyprus. The Greek Cypriots say at the EP, that Turkey does not have rights in the natural gas, by distorting the issue. Turkey is a quarantorship country. But the problem is not Turkey. The problem is the unilateral extorting of the Turkish Cypriots' rights. In conclusion, the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, delivering from the Constitution, for equal share of the energy resources in the island is a clear and indisputable reality. We are looking for the rights of the Turkish Cypriots. With the unilateral policy of Greek and Greek Cypriots the EU circles are misinformed".

Touching upon the ongoing negotiations in Cyprus, Esat Ergun Serdaroglu stressed that the UN Secretary General should give a timetable to the sides during the tripartite meeting in New York and added that they expect from the UN Secretary General to make concrete steps in New York, so that the negotiations come to an end.

Serdaroglu concluded by saying that the Turkish Cypriot side will be the injured party of the non-solution in Cyprus.

(AK)

[05] Promotion for women's veiling in schools in occupied Famagusta

The issue was reported during a demonstration organised by the Turkish Cypriot Primary School Teachers' Trade Union (KTOS) and the Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers' Trade Union (KTOEOS). The trade unions gathered yesterday in front of the self-styled ministry of education, protesting for labour problems faced by their members at schools in occupied Cyprus.

Speaking during the protest Sener Elcil, the chairman of KTOS stated that during the last days pencil cases, rulers, pens and pencil sharpeners which have pictures of veiled women started to be distributed by unknown persons to children who study in schools at occupied Famagusta.

Elcil stated that besides this, some guardians of a nursery school in Famagusta demanded girls to be educated separately from boys. The incident created big reaction by the teachers who stated that there is obscurantism danger at schools.

In addition, Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes (21.10.11) reports that the distribution of books, which came from Turkey, started in elementary schools in the occupied areas of Cyprus. The books were obtained by the Youth Service Department of the Youth and Sport Ministry of Turkey and were distributed to schools by Gencay Eroglu, director of the self-styled youth department. The books refer to stories of Nasrettin Hoca, Turkish Scientists, Liberation Epic and Canakalle (Dardanelles) Epic Books.

[06] Erdogan and Davutoglu met with Barzani

"Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Turkey is seeking cooperation with peshmerga forces in its fight against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) along its border with northern Iraq.

Speaking during a news conference in Ankara after meeting with the editors-in-chief of the country's leading media outlets, Erdogan said he had requested Nechirvan Barzani, the number two of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Iraq to visit Turkey, during a phone call he made to Massoud Barzani, the leader of northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdish government. 'I told him that we have to sit down with them and evaluate the situation. Because, I said, we have things that need to be done with peshmergas as well. I said this very openly to him,' he said.

Recalling that Nechirvan Barzani met with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday morning and was scheduled to meet with him in the afternoon, Erdogan said he would discuss Turkey's counterterrorism plans. 'These attacks are not just against Turkey but against Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood. This is a process which aims to destroy our brotherhood. We have to come over this together,' the Turkish Prime Minister added.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Davutoglu on Thursday, Barzani also vowed further cooperation with Turkey against the PKK. He said he rushed to Ankara to offer the condolences of the Kurdish regional government to Turkey. Stating that they believe that such attacks do not serve the interests of either the Turkish or Kurdish people, adding that such attacks should not damage Kurdish-Turkish relations. Stating that bilateral meetings with Turkish officials will be held more often, Barzani underscored that, the regional administration's cooperation with Turkey, will expand in many areas."

[07] Turkey's National Security Council to convene on October 27

Officials said that MGK's regular meeting for October will take place under the chairmanship of President Abdullah Gul next Thursday. The meeting will focus on domestic and international developments. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

/EG

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