Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 12-06-25

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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 met with Atalay; Atalay said that the Republic of Cyprus' EU presidency is a misfortune for the EU

[02] Kucuk met with Atalay; the economic situation of the occupation regime has been discussed

[03] Bagis stated that the occupation regime is ready to provide help to the Republic of Cyprus on the issue of the EU term presidency

[04] Efforts by Bagis to underestimate the Cypriot EU term presidency continue

[05] The Republic of Cyprus has invited Turkey to the EU Energy Ministers' meeting

[06] Turkish Cypriot daily refers to money laundering between the occupied area of Cyprus and Nigeria

[07] Deposits decreased, credits increased in the occupied area of Cyprus

[08] Austrian students who are participating to the X-Jam organization are illegally visiting occupied Cyprus for holidays

[09] Ozyigit accused the so-called government for distributing the occupation regime's "citizenship" to 25-30 persons every week

[10] Turkish columnist assesses statements by Osman Ertug in a presentation in Brussels; On the Turkish settlers issue the columnists admits that Turkish Cypriots became a minority

[11] The "World Education Technologies Research Conference" to take place in occupied YDU university

[12] Turkey issues diplomatic note to Syria over the shooting down of its military jet; Erdogan met with opposition leaders to discuss future steps; Statements by Davutoglu

[13] Turkish fighter jets hit PKK targets in northern Iraq

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Eroglu met with Atalay; Atalay said that the Republic of Cyprus' EU presidency is a misfortune for the EU

"During the Greek Cypriot term presidency, there will be a certain deadlock in Turkey-EU relations and in the negotiations process in Cyprus", Atalay stressed.

Atalay made the above statements while meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu in occupied Lefkosia on Friday. "Turkey's ambassador" in occupied Lefkosa Halil Ibrahim Akca, the so-called minister of interior and local administrations Nazim Cavusoglu and Eroglu's "undersecretary" Hasan Gungor also attended Eroglu's meeting with Atalay.

Speaking to reporters while meeting Atalay, Eroglu said he was pleased to see Atalay in the "TRNC". "Ever since Atalay was assigned responsibility for relations with the TRNC, he has been working for the tranquillity and happiness of Turkish Cypriots," Eroglu noted.

"It is pleasing to see Atalay in the TRNC frequently as he wishes to see what could be done in the TRNC. We are happy to see Turkey, a great and strong state in the centre of the world, devote time to the TRNC among their busy agenda and we thank Turkey for that", Eroglu indicated.

Deputy Prime Minister Atalay said that his duty involved "Turkey-TRNC" relations and the related works. "Every time I come to the TRNC, I visit President Eroglu and try to benefit from his political experiences", Atalay noted. "Following my arrival to the TRNC on Thursday night, I had a long meeting with the technical delegation. I was pleased with the information I received. There seems to be no problem with the budget. The economic figures of the TRNC are pleasing. We had a chance to discuss various issues, including energy", Atalay stated.

"The economic performance of the TRNC is good. Occupancy rates at hotels in the TRNC are pleasing. We do hope that the universities here catch their performance displayed last year in 2012", Atalay added.

Touching on the issue of Cyprus, Atalay said that there was a political deadlock. "The EU term presidency of Greek Cypriots is an unfair and wrong decision and we consider it as a misfortune for the EU", Atalay stressed adding that during the "Greek Cypriot term presidency", there will be a deadlock in Turkey-EU relations and the negotiations process in Cyprus.

"Regardless of the results of Cyprus negotiations, the Turkish Cypriots will always stand strong on their feet. There is a strong Turkey and a strong TRNC. At a time of global economic earthquakes, both Turkey and the TRNC are performing well", Atalay said.

Reminding that he read news on Russia's plans to purchase a base in the "Greek Cypriot administration" to help the Greek Cypriots financially, Atalay said that such news were important.

[02] Kucuk met with Atalay; the economic situation of the occupation regime has been discussed

Welcoming Atalay, Kucuk said that such visits helped strengthen relations between Turkey and the "TRNC".

Noting that work on balancing the "TRNC" budget was continuing with the support of the so-called Turkish Embassy in occupied Lefkosia, Kucuk thanked "motherland" Turkey for its contributions to the "TRNC budget".

Touching upon the water project aiming to transfer water from Turkey to the "TRNC", Kucuk said that work was still continuing to finalize the project.

Kucuk also expressed his condolences for the 8 Turkish soldiers who were recently martyred by the terrorist organization PKK in Hakkari.

Atalay for his part referred to the 3 years economic program that was carried out by the "TRNC government" and said work on the issue was continuing successfully. He also stressed that this program will belong to the "TRNC" and added that Turkey was consulting for its implementation.

Atalay expressed the importance of the continuation of financial and political stability in the "TRNC" and also of the relations between the two countries.

[03] Bagis stated that the occupation regime is ready to provide help to the Republic of Cyprus on the issue of the EU term presidency

In statements from Brussels where he is in order to participate to the meeting of the EU-Turkey Association Council, Bagis commenting on the demand of the "Greek Cypriot administration", as he called the Republic of Cyprus, which asked from Denmark to provide support** to the Republic of Cyprus during its EU term presidency, under the excuse of their "insufficient potentials", he said the following: "There is no need from Denmark, the TRNC, is ready to provide help".

Saying that it is not necessary for the "Greek Cypriot Administration", as he called the Republic of Cyprus which is kilometres far away from Denmark to ask support from Denmark, Bagis added the following: " Instead of asking during the Greek Cypriot's term presidency for the support of Denmark which is far away, they could ask from their neighbouring TRNC, which is their real interlocutor and which provided to them water and electricity, its support. The TRNC is ready to support the Greek Cypriot sector on the issue of the presidency".

**[Translator's note: On the same issue, Turkish daily (Milli Gazette 23.06.12) reported that the "Greek Cypriot administration" has announced that it will be impossible to undertake to the full extend the EU presidency and thus asked from EU organizations' support.

The paper continues and writes that presenting as an excuse its insufficient potentials and the number of its experts, the "Greek Cypriot Administration" asked from Denmark to administrate the meetings related to the issues of agriculture, aliment and international environment].

AK

[04] Efforts by Bagis to underestimate the Cypriot EU term presidency continue

"The positive agenda is a new platform which the Commission has created in order for being able to continue its cooperation with Turkey, in spite of the obstacles of some politicians with unsound mentality in Europe, including the Greek Cypriots", he alleged and added: "We are now establishing mechanisms, which will secure that we could easily work on the eight chapters which have been postponed, without having the approval of the member countries."

Asked on how the "positive agenda" would reflect on his country's negotiations with the EU, Bagis said that this was an alternative platform and a mechanism which will secure the opening and closing of the negotiating chapters within a day when the obstacles they face are done away with.

Replying to a question as to how the next 5-7 month process will work, Bagis said: "The candidate countries have nothing to do with the term president. As of the Treaty of Lisbon the term presidencies are symbolic. What is important are the Commission and the Council. Afterwards the EU Term Presidency will pass to Ireland and we will normally look after our job. On the 30th of this month I am receiving the Irish EU Minister to Ankara. On 1 July the EU term presidency of the Greek Cypriots begins. On that day we are travelling to two EU member countries, Latvia and Lithuania together with our esteemed President of the Republic".

Asked about their target regarding Turkey, Bagis said that the [accession] process will be accelerated after the elections in Germany in 2013. He argued: "The Europeans are fed up with a Cyprus of 600 thousand-population to mortgage the interests of 500 million Europeans."

Asked on his opinion as to what the EU will do on the Cyprus problem, Bagis claimed that the EU will "beat" Cyprus and that a union of 28 member states (together with Croatia) cannot be dominated by one country. "Therefore, they could abandon the unanimity mechanism, the decision taking mechanisms could change", he argued alleging that these mechanisms damage the Europeans. Bagis alleged that the fact that the Energy chapter is not opening, actually harms Europe and not Turkey, which has ties on this issue with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt.

(I/Ts.)

[05] The Republic of Cyprus has invited Turkey to the EU Energy Ministers' meeting

According to AB Haber, the chairman of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament, Robert Gembels has stated the previous week in the framework of his contact in the "Greek Cypriot side" that the "Greek Cypriot Administration" will invite Turkey to the EU Energy Ministers meeting which will take place on November 7.

Pointing out the financial and political importance for the natural gas reserves to be found in Cyprus and in the region in general, Gembels said that during the EU presidency of "South Cyprus", the "Greek Cypriot Administration" will invite to the EU Energy meeting, representatives from Middle East Countries, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Palestine.

(AK)

[06] Turkish Cypriot daily refers to money laundering between the occupied area of Cyprus and Nigeria

A bank director told Havadis that has noticed that certain Nigerians use the western union system to send money to Nigeria every 3-5 days. According to the director, these persons could send 5 thousand, eight thousand or 10 thousand dollars every time.

The paper writes that as a result of a research it has conducted, Nigerians who go to the occupied area of Cyprus as students are arrested from time to time for crimes regarding drug trafficking or prostitution. The paper wonders how the Nigerians find the money they send every month to their country. It is noted that the Nigerians transfer 400 thousand dollars every month from the occupied area of Cyprus to their country.

(I/Ts.)

[07] Deposits decreased, credits increased in the occupied area of Cyprus

In the preface of the bulletin, the chairman of the "bank", Bilal Sen noted that the instability in the international markets could potentially influence the occupied area of Cyprus and added that the efforts exerted in the EU to overcome the economic problems, are insufficient.

The paper reports that 76.4% of the deposits in the banks in the occupied area of Cyprus are saving accounts, which are followed by the commercial deposits with 10.3%. According to the paper, the ratio of the credits to the total deposits increased by 0.8 points in March 2012 in comparison to December 2011 and reached 70.6%. The ratio of the credits to the total deposits increased by 4.8 points in one year.

(I/Ts.)

[08] Austrian students who are participating to the X-Jam organization are illegally visiting occupied Cyprus for holidays

According to the paper, Austrian's students visit to occupied Cyprus is taking place within the framework of the X-Jam event [Translator's note: X-Jam is heaven on earth where Austrian students head out to celebrate their successful high school graduation].

According to the paper, the students from Austria who choose several hotels in Turkey to celebrate the X-Jam event, came also to the occupied are of Cyprus with 11 different charter flights and are accommodating in Acapulco Resort Hotel.

In statements on the issue, Dimag Caginer, member of the "administration board" of Acapulco Resort Hotel, said that it is very important that the X-Jam organization is taking place in the "TRNC" despite the efforts exerted by the "Greek Cypriot side" to prevent it.

He further said that the organization of this event in occupied Cyprus will contribute to the promotion of the "country" and its tourism in general.

(AK)

[09] Ozyigit accused the so-called government for distributing the occupation regime's "citizenship" to 25-30 persons every week

Referring to the issue of the "citizenship", Ozyigit underlined that the "UBP government" gives illegally and arbitrary the "TRNC citizenship" to 25-30 persons every week. Ozyigit added that the "UBP government" is giving priority to give the "citizenship" even to those who are not living in Cyprus.

(AK)

[10] Turkish columnist assesses statements by Osman Ertug in a presentation in Brussels; On the Turkish settlers issue the columnists admits that Turkish Cypriots became a minority

"The headline of this column is a quote from a presentation delivered by Osman Ertug, spokesman of the Turkish Cypriot leader and acting chief negotiator for the Turkish Cypriot community in the UN Peace Talks.

The presentation, titled "Cyprus Talks Exhausted: Time for Change," was organized by the think tank where I work in Brussels, earlier this week. It was the first of tandem meetings focusing on what's next for Cyprus. The second meeting will host George Iacovou, advisor to the Greek Cypriot leader. Originally, Kudret Ozersay, Ertug's predecessor, was due to make this presentation. Indeed the title of the presentation was his. Kudret never got to make this speech as about a week earlier he resigned from the post.

For a solution to the decades-old problem, a spirit of compromise is needed, and this is something very hard to come by on Cyprus. Ertug is a man of vast experience, being involved in Cyprus peace negotiations since 1980. He enters the picture at a time when the current round of talks for a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation has been put into the deep freeze. It seems they will be 'thawed out' once the Cypriot presidency of the EU is over and presidential elections have taken place in the South.

From the Turkish Cypriot perspective, this is a very unsatisfactory situation. There is deep resentment that the Greek Cypriots will be enjoying their 'moment in the spotlight' from which the Turkish Cypriots have been excluded. They must sit and wait until the Greek Cypriots are ready to start talks again, hence his saying that the Turkish Cypriots are prisoners of the status quo -- that they are isolated and under economic embargo. However, having the experience of working on other 'conflicts' involving unrecognized states, it is hard to agree that Northern Cyprus is isolated in the real sense of the word given the fact that thousands of visitors travel to the North each year, Turkish Cypriots are able to travel freely, and there is (although small) the opportunity of intra-island trade and trade overseas from ports in the South.

Yet, there is no doubt that Turkish Cypriots have suffered, and are still suffering the most as a consequence of the Cyprus problem. For the other players, Greek Cypriots, Turkey, etc., they have a future. For the Turkish Cypriots, particularly children, their future remains in limbo, as it has for the past 40 years.

It came as no surprise that Ertug blamed the Greek Cypriots for the unsatisfactory outcome in the talks so far, citing their reluctance for timeframes, arbitration and deadlines as well as the ongoing gas exploration that he cited as counterproductive for the peace process. He also cited the various articles that have been published by former Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Rolandis, which declare a consistent failure by the Greek Cypriots to support UN peace initiatives under Presidents Kyprianou, Klerides and Papadopoulos. The one President missing is George Vassiliou: Vassiliou came close to getting an agreement but was let down at the end of the day by the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), which failed to back him when he was up for re-election. Still, it is also clear that at the same time, the then-Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktas, and his backers in Ankara were no more interested than their Greek Cypriot counterparts.

While there may be no organic link between the presidency and the negotiations, Ertug claimed it would boost the self-confidence of the Greek Cypriot side, while Turkish Cypriots have been left with the 'crumbs of the EU cake.' Meaning that while the EU has done some useful work with the Turkish Cypriots -- on the day of our meeting, European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule was in Northern Cyprus -- the EU cannot force them into doing something they oppose. Thus, Ertug claimed the EU was rewarding the Greek Cypriots for intransigence.

On the issue of Turkish settlers, Ertug was the first Turkish Cypriot I have heard to state so openly that he was not embarrassed about the immigration policy of Turkey. Rather he commented on some 40,000 Russians residing in Limassol and the close links between the Greek Cypriots and Moscow. Still, over the years tens of thousands of Turkish settlers have come to Northern Cyprus and now outnumber Turkish Cypriots. Furthermore, Ertug's view certainly does not correspond to that of most ordinary Turkish Cypriots. Prior to his departure from office, Kudret Ozersay stated that the Turkish Cypriots had 'turned into less than a community.' This was behind his decision to lead an effort to organize a social movement, the aim of which, he stated, as being for the Turkish Cypriots to start becoming a community again.

While the UN may have burned its fingers on Cyprus, it is not ready to give up, which is why in 2013 the ball will begin to roll again. How long it will roll for, is anybody's guess. For the international community Cyprus is not a priority, rather an irritant, like an itch that will not go away".

[11] The "World Education Technologies Research Conference" to take place in occupied YDU university

According to information acquired by the illegal YDU University, the conference is to be organized between June 27-30 and more than 200 participants and experts from 26 different countries, such as Turkey, Iran, Romania, Malaysia, China, Poland, the UK, Slovakia, and Thailand will attend the conference.

(AK)

[12] Turkey issues diplomatic note to Syria over the shooting down of its military jet; Erdogan met with opposition leaders to discuss future steps; Statements by Davutoglu

Earlier in the day Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkish military jet was shot down by Syria in international airspace. Davutoglu said the jet was shot down in the international flight zone 13 miles outside of Syria's flight zone.

The plane was on a training mission to test Turkey's own national radar system he said, adding that it was unarmed and had no mission related to Syria. "We will, without any hesitation, decisively take the necessary steps regarding the downed Turkish plane by Syria," he added.

Also, according to a written statement by the Turkish Premier's office, after a late night security meeting chaired by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with Cabinet members and military officers: "It is understood from the data provided by related institutions and information gathered in the framework of a joint search and rescue efforts with Syria, that our plane was downed by Syria."

The statement said Turkey would show "its final attitude" and make necessary steps after the incident is fully clarified.

The statement added that search and rescue efforts were still underway. A Turkish air force jet, reportedly an F-4, went off the radar earlier Friday 8 miles away from the Syrian town of Latakia over the Mediterranean Sea.

Meanwhile, according to Ankara Anatolia news agency (24.06.12), in statements on the issue, the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday that the military jet shot down by Syria on Friday was testing a domestic radar system.

Speaking on a television program, Davutoglu said the plane was on a training mission to test Turkey's own national radar system, adding that it was unarmed and had no mission related to Syria. "It is either amateurish behaviour or ill-intention to describe the Turkish plane as a threat", he said.

Davutoglu further said that Syria had not delivered any warnings to Turkey.

Davutoglu said that the current situation was clear and it would be shared with regional and international actors.

He said that the issue would be discussed in the Council of Ministers meeting on Monday, stating that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would make statements on the matter during his party's parliamentary group meeting. Administrations, which are not in peace with their own people, cannot be in peace with their neighbouring countries, he said.

On the same issue, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (25.06.12) reports that before announcing Turkey's roadmap over Syria's downing of a Turkish jet, sources said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited main opposition leader Kemal K?l?cdaroglu and other opposition leaders to inform them about the attack.

(?)

Turkey is also planning to bring this issue to the United Nations. The Turkish Foreign Ministry already sent letters to the term presidents of both the U.N. General Assembly and Security Council. Ambassadors from the Arab League, European Union and NATO countries were invited to the Foreign Ministry on June 24 for detailed information on how the incident occurred.

[13] Turkish fighter jets hit PKK targets in northern Iraq

The statement added: "Having completed their mission successfully, our jets safely returned to their bases."

The air strikes follow a recent statement by Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel that the Turkish military is capable of completely destroying Kandil on three conditions: approval by the Turkish government, US approval and a public ready to accept heavy casualties. The raids are the second Turkish air campaign against PKK hideouts in Iraq within a week following the killing of eight Turkish soldiers along the border with Iraq on Tuesday. The military said more than 30 "terrorists" have been killed following Tuesday's attack.

"PKK terrorists" have used northern Iraq as a springboard for attacks on Turkish targets in their decades-long fight for autonomy in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish Southeast. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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