Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 12-07-16

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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 Philip Gordon

[02] Statements by the chairman of the "Property Compensation Commission" on the exchange of properties

[03] The breakaway regime intensifies its efforts for recognition in Asia

[04] Reactions to Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Atalay's statements

[05] Statements by UBP's Youth Branch chairman

[06] BKP participated to the European Left Party Executive Committee meeting in Athens

[07] Ustel stated that the number of tourists visiting the occupied area of Cyprus is increasing; Atlasjet has launched charter flights between Turkey and Lebanon via Adana

[08] Eroglu met with a delegation of young businessmen from Antalya

[09] Several fires broke out in the occupied area of Cyprus over the weekend

[10] A Turkish company to meet Lebanon's electricity needs

[11] Iraq warns Turkey over separate oil deal with the self-ruled Kurdish region of northern Iraq

[12] Erdogan to re-run for the AKP chairmanship for the last time

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Eroglu met with Philip Gordon

Speaking at a press conference in the buffer zone to evaluate his contacts on both sides of the island, Gordon said that the US continues to support a solution to the Cyprus problem, noting that a bi-zonal and bi-communal federation will benefit both parties in Cyprus.

Asked whether the US was in favour of putting deadlines on the negotiations process, Gordon said: "the deadline is now but we can't impose any artificial deadlines on the sides involved" he replied.

"We regret that not enough progress has been achieved over the past few years. A settlement in Cyprus will contribute to regional stability and prosperity" he was quoted as saying.

On the issue of natural gas exploration, Philip Gordon emphasized the view that the discovery and sharing of natural gas should facilitate a comprehensive settlement and become part of a political agreement.

"The discovery of natural gas is a win-win situation. I call on all parties involved in the exploration to work to make the issue part of a settlement. Works on energy require political compromises. The issue of natural gas should be used to serve a solution and in a sense there is a certain deadline to that process" Gordon said.

[02] Statements by the chairman of the "Property Compensation Commission" on the exchange of properties

In a statement to Kibris, Gungor Gurkan, chairman of the above-mentioned "Commission", said that they could realize the exchange procedure, in case Turkish Cypriots who possess immovable Greek Cypriot property approach the Greek Cypriot "former owner of the property" and secure that he applies to the "Commission". Gurkan alleged that in spite of the obstacles put by the "Greek Cypriot Administration", as he described the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, the exchange of properties has become possible. He claimed: "The Greek Cypriots are against the exchange, because in such a case, the way is opened to Cypriots who live in the north and the south and they will be able to meet and exchange properties among themselves. In this case, the bi-zonal, bi-communal federation accepted by the United Nations and the Security Council will be strengthened".

The paper reports that within the period March 2006-June 2012, the "Commission" paid approximately 78 million pound sterling for compensations and loss of property to Greek Cypriot refugees. According to the paper, 3.429 applications were made to the "Commission" during the same period and compensation was paid for 240 of these applications. Kibris writes that two cases were concluded with compensation and exchange of property, five cases with compensation and return of property, one with return after the solution of the Cyprus problem, one with direct return, one with partial return and two applications were rejected. According to the paper, 103 cases were withdrawn by the applicants.

The paper writes that the first case was concluded in 2006 and it was about a land of 8.453 square meters in the occupied part of Lefkosia. The Greek Cypriot property owner received 295 thousands pound sterling for his property.

(I/Ts.)

[03] The breakaway regime intensifies its efforts for recognition in Asia

(I/Ts.)

[04] Reactions to Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Atalay's statements

Ozkan Yorgancioglu, chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) issued a written statement on this matter saying that the statements by Atalay were "far from the reality in northern Cyprus and disregarded the democratic values of the people". Describing the statements as "unacceptable", Yorgancioglu said that the trade unions were "an inseparable part of the Turkish Cypriot democracy and accused Atalay of interfering with the will of the Turkish Cypriots and of creating unnecessary tensions prior to his illegal visit to the island on 20 July for the celebrations of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. He said that Atalay made the statements "not as a minister of a friendly country, but as a person who is the head of the executive power" in the occupied area of Cyprus.

Furthermore, Cemal Ozyigit, general secretary of the Social Democracy Party (TDP) has described Atalay's statements as "unfortunate" and "unacceptable". He said that it is not true that the standard of living in the occupied area of Cyprus is very high and that per capita income increased to 15 thousand dollars, as Atalay had argued. Ozyigit noted that Atalay's statements regarding the trade unions and the privatizations are "undemocratic" and an "interference with the internal politics" in the occupied area of Cyprus. He said that they will oppose to Atalay and the Turkish officials, if the latter want to annihilate the trade unions and turn the occupied area of Cyprus into a "rose garden without thorns". Ozyigit argued that the Turkish Cypriot community is annihilated and the Turkish Cypriot institutions are given away to Turkish capital holders with the economic program which is implemented by Turkey and the "government" of the breakaway regime.

Moreover, Tahir Gokcebel, chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers' Trade Union (KTOEOS) said that Atalay spoke like a minister of a colonial state. "After the Greek coup on 15 July and the 20th of July 1974, Cyprus was divided into two and it was made a colony. Especially by establishing a separatist regime in the northern part of Cyprus, the demographic structure was changed", he noted adding that Turkey started to completely colonize the occupied northern part of Cyprus and to settle there by carrying its education system and its infrastructure systems. He said that the structure which Turkey tries to establish in the occupied area of Cyprus is not in favour of the Turkish Cypriots.

Finally, KTAMS and KAMU-SEN trade unions have also reacted against Atalay's statements.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Statements by UBP's Youth Branch chairman

Osmanli, inter alia, referred to the "citizenships" that the so-called "council of ministers" has granted to some businessmen, and said that they do not feel discomfort by this. He added that it is out of question for them to intervene to the willpower, since, as he said, each "government" follows its own policy.

Referring to the Cyprus problem, Osmanli said that the UBP youth Branch wishes for a solution to the Cyprus problem under the "effective and de-facto guarantees of Turkey". He said that they wanted to live free like all the other people in the world, and to be able to move freely.

Osmanli pointed out also their full support to the efforts exerted by the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu, towards the solution of the Cyprus problem.

Referring to the Republic of Cyprus' EU term presidency, Osmanli said that this period is not the end of the world and said that they should not be so pessimistic. He stated that during this period, all ties should not be cut and that they should continue only at a technical level.

Saying that the EU has committed a big mistake for the overtaking of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU term presidency, Osmanli alleged that this was a great disrespect to the Turkish Cypriots.

Osmanli stated further that they intend, during the forthcoming days, to carry out contacts with youth branches of other parties and in case they agree, they will launch a joint initiative in order to protest against the Republic of Cyprus' EU presidency.

(AK)

[06] BKP participated to the European Left Party Executive Committee meeting in Athens

According to the paper, the party was represented to the meeting by its organization secretary, Abdullah Korkmazhan, who in statements during the meeting said, inter alia: "The AKP government imposes religious reactionism, fascism and neo-liberal exploitation to the north of Cyprus, like it does in Turkey".

Criticizing the privatizations which are about to take place in the "north" of Cyprus, Kormazhan said that the aim is for the Turkish capital to become dominant in "northern Cyprus".

Kormazhan stated that the AKP, which represented the Sunni political Islam, is well organized in Cyprus; it is staffed and is exerting efforts to take control of the education.

Saying that the Republic of Cyprus is not a Hellenistic state, Kormazhan stated that the Turkish Cypriot community is a partnership state with equal rights and thus, as he said, the EU term Presidency should be used as a tool for reaching an early federal solution. "This should not be ignored by the Turkish Cypriot community", he added.

Pointing out that at the current stage, the early federal solution is the only way out for the solution of the Cyprus problem, Korkmazhan called during his speech, the European Left, to increase its support to their struggle for an independent and federal solution, and their fight against AKP's separatist and imperialist policies towards the Turkish Cypriot community.

(AK)

[07] Ustel stated that the number of tourists visiting the occupied area of Cyprus is increasing; Atlasjet has launched charter flights between Turkey and Lebanon via Adana

Speaking to a program on Bayrak Haber, Ustel said that the rise was higher than in neighbouring countries.

Referring to the charter flights to the "TRNC", Ustel said: "Charter flights to the TRNC will continue in order to spread the tourism season into 12 months. We are particularly targeting cold Scandinavian countries. New initiatives are also ahead for the next year".

Ustel announced that scheduled and charter flights will be organized for Scandinavian countries in December, January and February. "Efforts of the Ministry will also include other countries like Germany and Ukraine", he said.

Ustel also announced that a new campaign will be launched as of Monday for local people. The campaign will allow locals to take their holidays at hotels involved in eco-tourism with a 30 % discount. The campaign will continue until September 2013.

Moreover, according to Ankara Anatolia news agency (15.07.12), the Turkish airline company Atlasjet has launched flights between the "TRNC" and Beirut, Lebanon via the southern province of Adana as of July 3.

The flights are carried out on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Ustel said that these flights would contribute to the improvement of tourism and education sectors as well as commercial relations between the "TRNC" and Lebanon. "The number of foreign tourists visiting TRNC in the first six months of 2012 rose by 20%", Ustel said.

[08] Eroglu met with a delegation of young businessmen from Antalya

"TRNC-Turkey relations" and investments opportunities in the "TRNC" were the matters being discussed during the meeting at the so-called presidential palace.

Speaking during the meeting with representatives of the Antalya Kepez Young Businessmen's Association today, Eroglu underlined the importance of young businessmen play in the further development of the "country".

He expressed the hope that cooperation among young businessmen in Turkey and the "TRNC" will be increased further.

Eroglu pointed to the fact that investment initiatives of young businessmen are increasing in parallel with positive economic developments.

He further said that the decision of the Association members to pay their first foreign visit to the "TRNC" was meaningful.

[09] Several fires broke out in the occupied area of Cyprus over the weekend

According to the paper, "citizens", military units, the "police", the "forestry department" and the "civil defense" exerted great efforts to put out the fire, but the intervention of helicopters was needed because of the features of the location where the fire broke out.

First the "authorities" of the breakaway regime asked for help from Mersin and afterwards from Adana Forestry Directorates. Mersin officials said they could not send helicopters because they had two big fires in their area and directed the breakaway regime "officials" to Kahramanmaras, which sent a helicopter with a three-hour delay.

According to the paper, a helicopter from the British sovereign bases in Cyprus also supported the efforts of putting out the fire.

Referring to the issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika (16.07.12) reports that Turkey, which invests on mosques in the occupied area of Cyprus and not on their urgent needs, such as fire-fighting helicopters, had not permitted the purchase of a helicopter by the regime saying that a helicopter would come from Antalya to help in case of a fire. The paper writes that no helicopter from Antalya came yesterday and notes that only one helicopter from Kahramanmaras and two helicopters from the British bases came.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Haberdar newspaper (15.07.12) reports that two fires broke out on Saturday in the occupied area of Cyprus. The one was at Karavas area in a warehouse with chemicals and cleaning materials and the other at Koutsoventis area which destroyed 300 donums of forest land.

(I/Ts.)

[10] A Turkish company to meet Lebanon's electricity needs

Karadeniz Holding and the Lebanon Energy and Water Ministry signed an agreement in Beirut.

Lebanese Energy and Water Minister Gibran Bassil, Turkish Ambassador in Beirut Inan Ozyildiz, Karadeniz Holding Executive Board Chairman Orhan Karadeniz and other officials attended the penning ceremony.

Bassil said that they hoped that the two ships would arrive in Lebanon soon and solve the electricity shortage of the country.

Ozyildiz said that the agreement worth 390 million USD, was of great importance for the two countries, stating that within the scope of the agreement, Lebanon would use two electricity generator ships for its electricity shortage.

"Turkey attached a great importance to the stability of Lebanon", the Ambassador said.

Under the agreement, the first ship will dock at the port after 120 days and the second will arrive in Lebanon 180 days later.

[11] Iraq warns Turkey over separate oil deal with the self-ruled Kurdish region of northern Iraq

This month, Iraq's Kurds announced that they have started exporting crude oil and gas to Turkey. The goal is to barter it for refined petroleum products to meet domestic demand.

The deal is part of a bigger agreement the Kurdish government negotiated and signed with Turkey in May without going through Baghdad. The agreement envisions the Kurdish region exporting not only oil but natural gas through a web of pipelines through Turkish territory to the international market.

"Exporting oil from the Kurdistan region to Turkey is illegal and illegitimate," Iraqi government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement. "The oil and gas are the property of all Iraqis and those exports and revenues must be managed by the federal government which represents all Iraqis," al-Dabbagh added.

He accused Ankara of "participating in the smuggling of Iraqi oil ... and this issue will affect the relations between the two countries, especially the economic ones."

The Kurds and the Arab-led government in Baghdad have been at loggerheads over the right to develop and export the north's natural resources. Baghdad maintains that the region has no right to sign deals unilaterally and that exports must go through the state-run pipelines, while Kurds argue that the constitution does in fact give them the right to sign agreements without consulting Baghdad.

The Kurds have gone ahead and unilaterally signed scores of oil deals. Baghdad keeps a blacklist of the companies involved.

In early 2011, the two sides reached a tentative agreement by which the Kurds send the oil to Baghdad, which sells it, and then it pays only expenses incurred by the developers until a final agreement is reached over all deals.

But the exports were halted in April by the Kurds, who claimed that Baghdad was withholding revenues. The central government in turn accuses the Kurds of keeping billions of dollars that ought to go into state coffers and also of smuggling oil on the side. It has threatened to cut the Kurdish region's share of federal funds.

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[12] Erdogan to re-run for the AKP chairmanship for the last time

Speaking at an AKP provincial meeting in the central Anatolian city of Eskisehir, Erdogan said: "In accordance with the promise we had made, we were elected for the third and last time in the June 12 [2011] parliamentary elections".

"Everyone has the chance to become a Deputy again after taking a one-term break. This arrangement will find its place at the grand congress in Ankara on September 30," Erdogan said, signalling a change to the party statute that currently keeps Deputies who have been elected to office three times from running for Parliament a fourth time.

"Likewise, we will run for the general chairmanship of the party for the fourth and last time in accordance with the promise we have given," Erdogan said.

"The general chair of the party is elected via secret vote by the grand congress. However, the same person can be elected as general chair for four terms at most, except for the founding chairmanship," Article 75 of the AKP statute says.

The statute also reads: "Mayors and Deputies who run and are elected from AK Party [AKP] lists can be nominated as candidates for three terms at most." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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