Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 11-11-22

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Ozersay held contacts in Bratislava

[02] "Ozersay: We are heading towards the last stage"

[03] Population census to be conducted on 4 December in the occupied areas of Cyprus

[04] A delegation with finance experts from Turkey in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus

[05] Ahmet Sozen: "Turkey does not listen to anyone in TRNC"

[06] Petrobras oil firm interested to conduct seismic researches in Turkey according to Sabah

[07] Turkish General Staff announces details about personnel numbers

[08] Turkey's role in Syrian unrest

[09] Iraqi airspace temporarily opens to Turkish civil airplanes

[10] TPAO and Shell to sign Mediterranean gas deal on Wednesday

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

The Turkish press reports today on the visit of the Turkish President Abdullah Gul to the UK and his contacts there. It also reports about the increased tension between Turkey and Syria and writes about the harsh criticism of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan Syrian leader Assad regarding the latter's statements that he will die fighting if necessary. Erdogan stated that a day will come that Assad will leave his position, as others left their position. Finally, the papers write that Turkey and Iraq resolved a flight dispute following talks between officials from both countries after a crisis occurred when Iraq banned all Turkish flights from landing in the country in response to a dispute over nearly $20 million of debt owed by an Iraqi government oil company to Turkey.

[01] Ozersay held contacts in Bratislava

During his visit to Bratislava, Ozersay met with high ranking officials of the Slovakian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with whom he discussed the last stage of the Cyprus problem and the views of the Turkish Cypriot side.

Ozersay and Gunes Onar, member of the Turkish Cypriot negotiating team, who accompanied Ozersay in Bratislava, were expected to go to Brussels last night to join Turkish Cypriot leader's delegation, which will be holding contacts in the EU capital.

According to illegal Bayrak, Ozersay's visit to Bratislava is important because it is the first visit during which, the Turkish Cypriots were represented in EU member-state Slovakia.

(I/Ts.)

[02] "Ozersay: We are heading towards the last stage"

Noting that the tripartite meeting which will be held in January is the fifth one within a year, Ozersay added: "We are heading towards the last stage. The important thing is to prepare the community, if something is happening".

Asked whether the "constructive stance" allegedly exhibited by the Turkish Cypriot side in the negotiations would have any value in case the process ends unsuccessfully, Ozersay responded that increasing expectations too much would be tantamount to disappointment once more. He added: "What we understood so far is that we have not taken a promise in this direction by anyone?There is a problem in front of us and our target is to end this uncertainty. This uncertainty will be eliminated with the solution of the Cyprus problem. If this problem is not solved, then it would be our most natural right to demand the end of this uncertainty".

Responding to a question regarding the expectations of the Turkish Cypriot side from Dervis Eroglu's visit to Brussels today, Ozersay said that Eroglu visited various centres since he came to "power" and added that these meetings are substantial, they are not held only for the show. He noted that substantial talks will be held during their meeting with the EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barosso, and during the meeting they will soon have with the President of the European Parliament. He said that they should explain to their interlocutors what they expect from the EU so that the negotiation process in Cyprus ends with success and added that they will discuss the issue of the solution becoming primary law of the EU.

Ozersay argued that in spite of the fact that the EU did not use its organs to encourage the Greek Cypriots, the Turkish side should keep pressuring in this direction. He described Eroglu's visit important in this sense and added that more visits will be made within this framework. "The Greek Cypriot side tries to prevent this kind of contacts when it finds out something beforehand. We will continue our efforts and we will make announcements the day we do something. It is true that Europe, the USA and all the countries appreciate our effort? ", he added.

Ozersay reiterated that not only the Turkish Cypriot side but the UN Secretary ? General as well said that progress was achieved during the recent tripartite meeting in New York. Noting that only the Greek Cypriot side says that there was no progress, Ozersay expressed the view that this is due to the call made by the Greek Cypriot opposition parties to President Christofias before the Greentree summit not to go to New York. He argued that President Christofias tried to calm down the opposition parties saying that there was no progress and it was difficult to say that there was something positive when he returned from New York.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Population census to be conducted on 4 December in the occupied areas of CyprusTurkish Cypriot daily Kibris (22.11.11) reports that a population census will be conducted in the breakaway regime on 4 December 2011, organized by the "state planning organization" (DPO).

The results will be announced 2-3 days after the census; the detailed report will be announced 2-3 months later.

Seven thousand employees will work for the census.

Speaking about the census, DPO's counsellor Ali Kohan, stated that campaigns on the issue will start to be published in the press in the following days. He also stated that participation in the census is obligatory and added that in order for the social and economic structure of the society to be evaluated better, the census will take place every ten years.

According to the paper, in the census conducted in the occupied areas on 15 December 1996 the population in the occupied areas was 200.587. On the census conducted in the occupied areas in 2006 the population was 256.644.

[04] A delegation with finance experts from Turkey in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus

The paper reports the following: "With government's appeal [translator's note: the government of the National Unity Party (UBP) of the breakaway regime in the Republic of Cyprus], a group of six specialists came from Turkey in order to finish the implementation in the banking system and the works on interest rates in TRNC [translator's note: the breakaway regime in the Republic of Cyprus]." The paper also reports that the delegation headed by the Assistant Director of Turkey's Prime Ministry Undersecretariat of Treasury Emre Balibel and the Assistant Director of Turkey's Central Bank Metin Ipeker will conduct 3-days works with officials from the so-called finance ministry, so-called ministry of economy and energy, as well as the so-called central bank.

Kucuk, during a meeting with the delegation yesterday, said that their problems are not recent, but they have been working on them almost a year now. He explained that these amendments are under two chapters "Banking system and interest practices" and on the issue of "Usury". He also said that a new law on the usury issue has been put into effect in Turkey, so they asked to examine it. Kucuk added that they also asked from Atalay to send a group of experts in the occupied areas to aid them in their financial problems.

[05] Ahmet Sozen: "Turkey does not listen to anyone in TRNC"

Sozen evaluating the past ten years, argued that Turkey has strengthened, there is an AKP government with an authoritative reflex and that Turkey has not fulfilled its promises [towards the breakaway regime]. "Because of these, Turkey does not listen to anyone in TRNC. Neither the 'government' nor the opposition. This moment democratic dialogue does not exist. This moment Turkey solely dictates its wishes here. When Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan came here, he did a show of strength; he came with the thought 'I will put this place in order,'" said Sozen, who pointed out that the main responsibility for this lies with the lack of foresight and spinelessness of the breakaway regime's politicians.

Sozen also added that in the past ten years progress has not been recorded and that no significant difference has been recorded in the people's prosperity, education, health services, environment or "foreign policy." On the other hand he said that Turkey has set targets for 2023, something that does not exist in the breakaway regime. "We have a people that place in power political parties with no objectives. If this work is not done, officials from Turkey will come and fill this gap. But they will do it according to their own will," said Sozen.

[06] Petrobras oil firm interested to conduct seismic researches in Turkey according to Sabah

The paper writes that the Brazilian Petrobras firm expressed interest in conducting explorations in the area.

[07] Turkish General Staff announces details about personnel numbers

More than 130 active-duty soldiers, including 54 generals and admirals, are behind bars pending trial in separate alleged coup cases. Two out of three members of the Turkish army are soldiers serving the compulsory military service, according to the latest personnel numbers released by the armed forces.

The paper also notes that it was the first time that the military publicized information regarding its personnel numbers and publishes the following figures:

General/admiral: 365

Officer: 39,975

Non-commissioned officer: 95,824

Specialist gendermarie: 24,700

Specialist soldier: 40,515

Total specialist personnel: 201,379

Reserve officer (drafted): 6,829

Conscript: 458,368

Total conscript: 465,197

Total military personnel: 666,576

Civilian personnel: 53,424

Grand total: 720,000

[08] Turkey's role in Syrian unrest

"These are the issues to be solved within Syria. We do not think that any foreign military intervention in Syria would be appropriate now," he told a group of journalists aboard a plane carrying him to London on Sunday. The President also called on the Syrian opposition to assure the Syrian people that they would not seek revenge in the event of a regime change, would not let chaos reign and would represent everyone.

Meanwhile, Ankara Anatolia news agency (21.11.11) reported from Istanbul that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Syrian President that his regime was destined to fall sooner or later. "No matter how hard you try to hold on to power with your tanks and your weapons, a day will come and you will go. Because no worldly authority has ever lasted forever," Erdogan said during an Istanbul meeting of chief Muslim clerics from African countries and communities.

Erdogan said he had warned Bashar Al Assad numerous times to step down, "but he wouldn't listen." "If you trust yourself, go to polls and let your people decide. If the polls lead you to power, you may rule. Otherwise your office is only temporary," he said.

Additionally, Hurriyet Daily News' columnist Mehmet Ali Birand, in his article (21.11.11, online) entitled: "Syria will be left for Turkey to shoulder," argues, inter alia:

"The leading role has been given to Turkey in the toppling of Bashar al-Assad. We may try to object to this fact, but, nevertheless, we have been categorized as such and we are doing whatever is necessary.

Not to lead into misunderstandings; Turkey is not given a role that it does not want. Ankara also wants Assad to leave. Moreover, the longer he stays in power, time works against Turkey. As the period gets longer, dangers and the probability of a civil war increase. This will have negative side effects on Turkey.

Well, is it so easy to topple Assad?

Will a Baath government be overthrown by Prime Minister Erdogan's statements?

No, this is not enough.

Turkey has some elements for sanctions but most of them carry risks. For this reason, there is a huge need for an international pressure mechanism."

[09] Iraqi airspace temporarily opens to Turkish civil airplanes

Earlier on Monday, Caglayan launched initiatives to end Iraq's flight ban on Turkish aircraft and to lift the sequestration on Iraqi planes. Four Turkish companies have 20 million USD of receivables from the Iraqi state since 1990. The mentioned companies sequestrated aircraft of Iraq Air Ways. Then, Iraqi government banned flights of four Turkish airline companies to its territories.

"Turkish companies will contact Iraqi public institutions within a week, and discuss a radical solution," Caglayan said. He also said that Turkish executives were doing everything they could to solve the issue in a way acceptable for both parties.

[10] TPAO and Shell to sign Mediterranean gas deal on Wednesday

Under the agreement, TPAO will continue its seismic research off southern province of Antalya together with Shell. After seismic researches are completed, drilling efforts will begin in the light of the collected data. If drilling begins, Shell will meet all the expenses. The two companies will have equal share if oil or natural gas is found after the drilling efforts. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

/EI

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article