Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 12-01-25

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

[01] How the Turkish Cypriot press covers the developments at the New York summit

[02] Yorgancioglu says the statements made in the end of the first day of the Greentree summit were not encouraging

[03] Bahceli claimed that "the only solution in Cyprus is a unified structure that represents both states and nations"

[04] Breakaway regime's "electricity authority" is becoming "autonomous"

[05] Despite the allegations that the regime is under "embargoes" its "assembly" continues contacts abroad

[06] "French Senate's approval of bill puts ties on razor's edge"

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

Statement by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the Armenian bill adopted at the French Senate describing it as "null and void", announcement by Erdogan that Turkish government will pay compensation for Uludere incident, and other domestic issues are covered in today's Turkish dailies. Sabah and Hurriyet dailies, the only one received by our Office today, have no report on the 2nd Greentree summit held in New York between the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu and President Demetris Christofias, at the presence of the UN Secretary-General.

[01] How the Turkish Cypriot press covers the developments at the New York summit

Responding to questions yesterday in the end of the first day of the tripartite summit, Eroglu's spokesman, Osman Ertug denied the allegations that the second meeting at the Greetree was held in a "colder" climate comparing to the first one. "We consider the climate as normal, it is how it should be", he said. Ertug reiterated the Turkish view that "this issue should be led somewhere within this process until the Greek Cypriot side [as he described the Republic of Cyprus] overtakes the EU term presidency on 1 July". Ertug noted that both during the first tripartite meeting held at the Greentree between 30 and 31 October 2011 and during the second one, efforts are exerted for achieving convergences on the core issues.

Asked whether the statement made by the USA prior to the Greentree meeting was a pressure in the direction of a solution, Ertug recalled that this is a UN process within the framework of the UN Secretary-General's good offices mission and added that the USA said it supports this process. "Similar statements were also made by the EU", he pointed out.

The paper publishes also statements made yesterday by Alexander Downer, UN Secretary-General's special advisor in Cyprus, who said that the target should be to achieve a solution in Cyprus before "south Cyprus" [as the Republic of Cyprus is described] overtakes the EU term presidency. He noted that the meeting yesterday lasted six hours and added that the leaders discussed the presidency in the federal state, the property and the citizenship. He said the meetings were intensive and that many new ideas were put onto the table.

Turkish Cypriot daily Volkan (25.01.12) publishes Ertug's statements under the title "We are in favour of a multilateral meeting in which the guarantors will participate". Responding to a question, Ertug argued that the Greek Cypriot side puts some preconditions for going to a multilateral conference and said that the position of the Turkish Cypriot side is that it would not be beneficial to put preconditions in the process. Responding to another question, he alleged that the rotating presidency is one of the UN parameters for the solution in Cyprus and it is not a new element. He said that the issue of the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots comes onto the agenda from time to time and added that the uncertainty and the isolation in which the Turkish Cypriots live show the necessity of solving the problem as soon as possible. Asked whether he is hopeful, he noted that they would not go to the negotiations if there were not hopeful.

Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis (25.01.12) covers the developments under the front-page title "Proposals' crisis in New York" and reports that a crisis marked the second day of the Greentree summit. Journalist Mete Tumerkan, who covers the summit in New York on behalf of Havadis, argues that the Greek Cypriot side refrained from putting proposals onto the table and there was no reaction to the proposals of the Turkish Cypriot side. As a result of this tension the meeting of the UN Secretary-General with the leaders lasted longer, claims the paper adding that the Greek Cypriot side asked from Eroglu assurance that at least 100 thousand Greek Cypriot refugees will return to their homes. According to the paper, Eroglu said that concrete steps could be taken only on the principle of reciprocity.

Citing sources close to the UN, Tumerkan reports that in the statement, which Ban Ki-moon will make later today, he is not expected to say that the process failed. Even though such a possibility exists, the bad scenario is not on the agenda right now, the sources underlined, adding that after thanking the sides for their fruitful efforts, the UN Secretary-General might announce the date of a multilateral conference which is one of the elements of the last stage of the process. The same sources said that another possibility is the UN Secretary-General to assign new targets for the sides and send them to Cyprus to continue their comprehensive negotiations for a little longer. In such a situation, the sources added, an invitation for a sixth summit as well as a call for a multilateral conference might be made.

Tumerkan writes that tension was created from time to time in the summit and the UN officials exerted intensive efforts to take the process forward. Sources close to the UN told Havadis that there was no possibility for the process to be interrupted at this stage and that the sides are not in the position of being able to say "no" to a proposal by the UN for a multilateral conference.

Other newspapers cover the issue under the following titles:

Star Kibris: New York focused on 1 July!

Vatan: The results of the summit will be announced today

Halkin Sesi: Intensive tempo in the summit

(I/Ts.)

[02] Yorgancioglu says the statements made in the end of the first day of the Greentree summit were not encouraging

In a written statement issued yesterday, Yorgancioglu argued that the main reason for this is that the sides had not really held intensive negotiations before going to the Greentree and left [all] the issues for the summit. He further claimed that the sides' not carrying out the necessary exchange of information and data as demanded by the UN Secretary-General had an important role in the lack of convergences.

Yorgancioglu said, inter alia, the following: "The current process on the Cyprus problem should end successfully by July and the summit should produce results which will ensure passing into the final stage". He noted the leaders will find in front of them the pro-peace forces of both communities in case they return without achieving this.

Yorgancioglu said that in case convergence is not achieved, it will not be possible to pass into the next stages after the Greentree summit and to a multilateral conference, that is, to end the Cyprus problem, as it is provided for by the UN Secretary-General.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Bahceli claimed that "the only solution in Cyprus is a unified structure that represents both states and nations"

"An opposition party leader has called on the prime minister to focus on the Cyprus issue more carefully instead of dealing with Syria and taking sides in the Iraq situation, saying that they are not going to support government suggestions that would weaken Turkey's power in the region.

Speaking at a parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli started his speech by saying that former Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas was bade farewell with prayers and by his loved ones. Bahceli added that Denktas will never be forgotten thanks to the three big successes he achieved: 'The first one is his putting the Cyprus issue on the international agenda and stimulating awareness on the issue. The second is to show that the Turkish Cypriots have certain inalienable rights with regard to their existence and sovereignty; and finally the third one is to render a true state by creating a national identity,' said Bahceli, adding, 'However, the Justice and Development Party [AKP] has proved to be inconsistent, unprincipled and irresponsible towards the issues and problems of the state that Denktas has left'. Bahceli stated that any policy or method that does not ensure both sides' peace and safety will not solve Cyprus' decades-old problems. 'The only solution that is applicable in Cyprus is a unified structure that represents and includes both of the states and nations,' noted Bahceli."

[04] Breakaway regime's "electricity authority" is becoming "autonomous"

Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam (25.01.12) reports that the decision taken yesterday by the "council of ministers" was already published in the "official gazette" of the regime last night. The paper writes that El-Sen trade union ended its strike last night considering that the decision was positive. According to the paper, Irsen Kucuk stated that they do not think it is appropriate to withdraw or amend the "Privatization draft-law", because in case they do this, employing the people who have been working in the bankrupted "Turkish Cypriot airlines" and are unemployed for one year will be delayed.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Despite the allegations that the regime is under "embargoes" its "assembly" continues its contacts abroad

"Two TRNC [editor's note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus] parliamentary delegations are holding separate contacts in France and Indonesia.

The TRNC delegation in Strasbourg, France is attending the winter session of the General Assembly of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly-PACE while the TRNC delegation in Indonesia is attending the 7th Session of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member states.

The National Unity Party deputy Ahmet Eti and the Republican Turkish Party deputy Mehmet Caglar are representing the TRNC at the Winter General Assembly of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly-PACE in the city of Strasbourg.

A second delegation from the Republic's Assembly is in the Indonesian city of Palembang to attend the 7th Session of the Parliamentary Union of Organization for Islamic Cooperation Member states.

The TRNC delegation headed by the Speaker of the Republic's Assembly Hasan Bozer is attending the meetings upon the invitation of the OIC Parliamentary Union President Marzuki Alie.

The delegation includes UBP deputies Ertugrul Hasipoglu and Mutlu Atasayan as well as CTP deputy Omer Kalyoncu."

[06] "French Senate's approval of bill puts ties on razor's edge"

"The rising tension between France and Turkey, a result of the approval of a bill by the French Senate on Jan. 23 imposing a fine and possible jail sentence upon denial of the Armenian genocide, is increasingly threatening business between the two countries.

In the run-up to the vote, Turkish officials have suggested repeatedly France might be excluded from Turkey's massive energy tenders, privatizations and defence purchases should the law go through.

Nearly 100,000 Turkish people currently work in 350 French firms across Turkey, according to recent data provided by Turkish-French Trade Association (CCIFT). These companies include worldwide industrial and financial companies such as Schneider, Areva, Lafarge, Danone, L'Oreal, Carrefour, Total, BNP Paribas, AXA, Groupama and Dexia.

Total investments of the French firms in Turkey currently stand at nearly $8.6 billion today, according to a recent report on broadcaster CNNTurk's website.

France ranks the 5th biggest European direct investor in Turkey with $10.3 billion worth of investments between 2000 and 2010, following the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg, respectively, according to data from Turkey's Central Bank.

Turkey ranks 11th in France's export markets with 6.26 billion euros, according to official figures for 2010. Turkey's exports to France rose to $6.26 billion in 2011 from $6.05 billion the previous year. Turkish imports from France also hit nearly $8.55 billion last year compared to $8.17 billion in 2010.

Turkey's defence industry ties with France will also be badly affected by the approval of the bill, according to Turkish procurement officials who spoke to the Daily News earlier this month.

Turkey's short-range defence plans, for example, include a long-range missile and air defence systems project worth nearly $4 billion. The pan-European Eurosam, owned by the Italian-French MBDA and Thales Group from France, is competing with United States, Russia and China companies. The contract is expected to be finalized by this summer, according to an official.

In the area of commercial aviation, Turkish Airlines, the state-owned company, adopted a balanced policy in purchases from the U.S. Boeing and the French Airbus. 'If the bill passes, the business of France here will come to an unofficial end. You can be sure of that,' said a procurement official.

The number of French tourists visiting Turkey rose to 1.25 million in the first nine months of last year, up from 930,000 in 2010, according to official data. Any further disputes may also jeopardize this sector.

Turkey's Central Bank has a chance to shift nearly 30 billion Turkish Liras ($16.4 billion) of investments in French bonds to other European powerhouses as part of its recent row with France, according to Erol Katircioglu, professor of the economic department of Istanbul Bilgi University. However, such a move could also risk Turkey's already semi-paralyzed bid to become a full member of the European Union, Katircioglu told the Daily News in a recent interview." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

/EG

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