Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 12-08-17

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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 argues that if the second phase of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus had not been carried out, their efforts would have been in vain

[02] Eroglu met with the Charge d' Affaires of the US Embassy to Lefkosia

[03] Tatar says the breakaway regime should be proud of Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu

[04] Turkish President comments on OIC Summit; Says Syria's membership suspended

[05] Ankara claims that all of Turkey's 35 EU chapters are ready to be opened and closed

[06] Syriac communitys request for education in mother tongue in Turkey rejected

[07] A 77-year old Turkish Cypriot celebrates the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus

[08] Soyer undergoes an angiography at illegal YDU hospital

[09] Ramadan Feast begins on Sunday

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Eroglu argues that if the second phase of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus had not been carried out, their efforts would have been in vain

If today we have a state on a piece of land, bi-zonality and security, this is thanks to the second phase of the peace operation, argued Eroglu addressing a ceremony yesterday in occupied Lefka village.

Eroglu alleged that it is not possible for the Turkish Cypriots to give concessions from their freedom, sovereignty and bi-zonality because they have some problems. No one has the right to ask from us to follow a stance which will bury the next generations into darkness, he added.

Alleging that the Greek Cypriots could come to the road of peace and agreement in case the United Nations and the European Union follow the right path, Eroglu said: We are slowly coming to the end of our patience. We will either end the Cyprus problem with an agreement within the certain framework of a timetable after the Greek Cypriot presidential elections, or we will go our way and they will go their way. There is no other solution. All of us should support and say this.

Eroglu argued that all Turkish Cypriot parties should support the lifting of the so-called embargoes and stop seeing the Cyprus problem as a field of political rivalry.

Eroglu alleged that if he signed an agreement as President Christofias wants, he would betray his people and the struggle given by these people. He claimed:

Christofias put forward views which will eliminate our sovereignty, our land, our security, the economic system we have established. It is not possible for me to say yes to these. Very well, what will happen? If the Greek Cypriot leader who will be elected continues the same way, it will not be possible to reach anywhere. If they come to reason and abandon their delaying tactics, we could reach an agreementIn case the UN and the EU follow the right path, I hope that the Greek Cypriot side could come to the path of the agreement. Otherwise, that is, if the Greek Cypriot side is left alone, if the realities are not told to them, it would be daydreaming to expect that an agreement will be reached soon in CyprusThere are two separate peoples and states in Cyprus. We will search the way of an agreement having as starting point these realities. An agreement in which Turkeys guarantees will continue and bi-zonality will not be watered down. We have extended our hand of peace and we are expecting the Greek Cypriot side. Either they will come or let them stop preventing us anymore and doing injustice to us

(I/Ts.)

[02] Eroglu met with the Charge d' Affaires of the US Embassy to Lefkosia

No statement was issued before or after the meeting.

[03] Tatar says the breakaway regime should be proud of Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu

Sharing the experience of his visit to Saudi Arabia with his followers on the Tweeter, Tatar said that the architect of this big organization is Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and the TRNC should be proud of him.

The paper writes that Tatar met also with the Malaysian Prime Minister and his family.

According to Haberdar, the diplomatic passport of Tatar expired and after an initiative by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry opened on a holiday and Tatar was given a new passport.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Turkish President commented on the OIC Summit; Says Syria's membership suspended

President Gul met with journalists after the 4th extraordinary summit meeting of the OIC and assessed the summit.

Gul said that the conference reached its aim and pointed: "All the leaders agreed over stopping the bloodshed in Syria. They all stated individually as if they all agreed that the transitional period of Syria should start."

He said that they also discussed the issues in Myanmar and they decided to set up a contact group. Gul added that the Palestine issue was one of the permanent topics of the OIC.

Gul said that he touched on the Syrian problem at the summit and said: "I explained that Syria should not get into a chaos and it should keep its territorial integrity. The membership of Syria to the OIC has been suspended. When Afghanistan was occupied by the Soviets, the same decision had run. By carrying this forward, we know that the Syrian government is now illegitimate."

The Turkish President said that until the foundation of a legitimate regime in Syria, the country's membership to OIC will be suspended and they will not be invited to any OIC activity or meeting. He added that it is important for Islam world to show its attitude against Syria.

Gul stated that they are working on making the OIC Economic and Commercial Cooperation Permanent Committee (ISEDAK) be more corporate and said that they agreed on a new decision at the summit about ISEDAK. He said that they adopted the strategy document which was prepared by Turkey to further increase and consolidate their cooperation.

[05] Ankara claims that all of Turkey's 35 EU chapters are ready to be opened and closed

The Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's claim that all of Turkey's 35 EU chapters are ready to be opened and closed thanks to his government's recent reforms fails to receive any response from the 27-state Union

While Ankara says that it is ready to open and close all 35 European Union membership negotiation chapters, the Union has kept silent declining to give a direct response on the issue.

Currently, we have only three chapters where opening depends exclusively on Turkey's efforts to meet the relevant benchmarks and which can be potentially opened for negotiation. The chapters on 'public procurement,' 'competition policy' and 'social policy and employment' can be opened once all conditions are met, officials from the European External Action Service at the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey recently told the Hurriyet Daily News.

Last month Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed all 35 chapters, under which the EU acquis communitaire is categorized, have been readied in the country's efforts to become a full member of the European Union. The completion of these chapters is mandatory for all EU membership candidates.

The EU is implementing an opening and closing procedure for the chapters, although this is not an implementation imposed by the acquis communitaire, Erdogan said on July 25. He said the EU has dropped the ball in handling Turkey's EU membership application.

They annulled closing and only allowed the opening [of the chapters]. Here in this situation too, they have been leaving us in the trenches. Everything is plain to see, you talk and they have no answers. They are not able to respond to us and they are also not able to defend themselves. But they do say that 'they [Turkey] let it slide.' My brother, why would we not let it slide? Erdogan said. Earlier this month EU officials failed to respond to questions from the Daily News regarding such opening and closing procedures and their status.

At the moment, we have all chapters ready. From the beginning we have made our institutionalization according to [these chapters], Erdogan said in the same interview. The prime minister joked that Turkey might withdraw its EU bid if it is accepted by the Shanghai Five. I said to Russian President Vladimir Putin, 'You tease us saying What [is Turkey] doing in the EU?

Now I tease you: include us in the Shanghai Five, and we will forget about the EU, Erdogan said, while speaking about a recent visit to Moscow. The Shanghai Five group was created April 26, 1996, in Shanghai by the heads of state of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Turkey's EU accession talks have recently been stalled as the rotating EU presidency was transferred to Greek Cyprus [tr.note: The Republic of Cyprus] in July 2012.

[06] Syriac communitys request for education in mother tongue in Turkey rejected

The request marked a first in the history of the Turkish Republic. A representative from the Aramean community in Turkey, said the Istanbul-based Syriac Kadim Community foundation was planning to open its kindergarten, which would also offer Syriac language lessons. The community submitted a petition to the Istanbul branch of the Education Ministry on June 6 and they received a response rejecting their request on July 26.

Sait Susin, a representative from the Aramean community in Turkey, talked about the community's experience to deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Huseyin Celik during an iftar (fast-breaking dinner) event last week. Celik disagreed with the education authorities and said that the Istanbul head of the Education Ministry must have misunderstood the request.

Our government will meet this demand. We are open to requests by minorities' foundations, Susin quoted Celik as saying.

There are roughly 25,000 Arameans in Turkey and 85 percent of their population lives in Istanbul. Susin said the Syriac language dates back to 5,000 years ago and the language was named as such after Arameans were converted to Christianity. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the main agreement regulating minorities in Turkey, recognized only Jewish, Armenian and Greek Orthodox communities as minorities. These groups were given legal rights to establish foundations and deliver education in their languages.

[07] A 77-year old Turkish Cypriot celebrates the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus

The flags of the Republic of Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Britain, the Commonwealth, the UN and the EU are waving in front of Hurs house in the occupied part of Lefkosia.

Pointing out that the Greek Cypriots celebrate the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus on 1 October and the Turkish Cypriots do not celebrate it at all, Hur said he recognizes nothing else but the Republic of Cyprus and that he could see no other solution to the Cyprus problem than the return [of the Turkish Cypriots] to the Republic of Cyprus.

(I/Ts.)

[08] Soyer undergoes an angiography at illegal YDU hospital

(I/Ts.)

[09] Ramadan Feast begins on Sunday

During Seker Bayram, the younger members of the family visit the elders, and holiday is celebrated with special prayers, traditional food, especially sweets and desserts, notes the paper adding that new clothes are also bought for the occasion, and gifts are given to poor or needy persons.

(I/Ts.)

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