Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 12-08-21

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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] Downer: The Turkish side does not want to do something now on the Cyprus problem

[02] Turkish Cypriot Asil Nadir found guilty of theft; Nadir will reportedly appeal; the pseudostate abundant with racketeers

[03] The occupation regime sold electricity worth 24 million euro to the Republic of Cyprus in 2011 within the framework of the GLR

[04] Gurcafer says he was targeted after the lawsuit he filed against Turkey

[05] More than 300 luxury villas in occupied Klepini village remained unfinished

[06] More than five thousand new students for the illegal universities in the new academic year

[07] 70 thousand tourists crossed over to the occupation regime from the Agios Dometios crossing point in one and a half year

[08] The occupation regime continues its promotion abroad

[09] PKK bombing killed 8 and injured 64 persons in Gaziantep

[10] Figures on unemployment in Turkey

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Downer: The Turkish side does not want to do something now on the Cyprus problem

Asked where we are now in the Cyprus problem and whether the problem has been shelved, Downer responded that seven technical committees have been established with the approval of both sides and referred to the presidential elections of February 2013 in the Republic of Cyprus describing the results as "decisive", because ruling left-wing AKEL party and main opposition right-wing DISY party have different views. He added: "If we speak in a broad sense, the candidates of both parties support the model which is in the centre of the negotiations. The other parties are more unwilling on the issue of the solution".

Asked whether he was expecting any development until 2013, Downer said:

"I hope that the two sides work together as much as possible. If the sides want, we can exert more efforts for more frequent meetings. The Turkish side, however, does not want to do something right now. For this reason, this does not seem very possible. We have to talk continuously. But if there is no will for this, we can do nothing. The Turkish side says that an international conference should be organized and the Greek side that we should reach an agreement between ourselves first. As UN we think that it would be correct to convene international conference only in case both sides agree. Otherwise it would be nothing more than drinking coffee, eating lunch together. I think that the Turkish side wants to be recognized as independent state in case the process according to the timetable announced by the UN fails. However, this is difficult if the south does not agree. The Security Council says that the solution should be bi-zonal and bi-communal. It should be such a solution that both sides to be comfortable. There could be no unfavourable solution".

Called to comment on the Annan Plan, Downer said that this belongs to the past, bygones are bygones and we should look to the future.

Responding to a question regarding the Cypriot EU term presidency, Downer said that the whole island is an EU member and that the acquis communautaire was suspended for the occupied north part of the island. Noting that this situation will end in case an agreement is reached between the sides, he added that the Turkish side is not participating in the Cypriot EU term presidency.

Asked whether the Greek Cypriots still need the solution as they are allegedly in a more advantageous position than the Turkish Cypriots, Downer replied:

"The Greek Cypriots say that they want to solve the problem. They do not want the status quo to continue. Different views exist regarding the solution, such as bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, permanent division etc. Very different views exist in both sides. However, I think that in 2004 the package was not accepted, not the model. The Greek Cypriot side is united and is cooperating with the EU. The Republic of Cyprus, that is the south, is recognized by the international community and the north only by Turkey. Could the conditions of living together be found after the solution of the problem? In my view this is an issue which should be analyzed more deeply. Christofias says that Eroglu does not want a solution and Eroglu that Christofias does not want a solution. The reality is the following: there are gaps. The Talat period is included in these. Bridges are needed to fill in these gaps".

Downer said that there are differences between Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglu and former leader Talat and noted that they had different teams in the negotiations. Noting that both teams have different methods, Downer said that the priorities also changed.

Asked on the cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and Israel, especially on the issue of oil and natural gas, and whether Israel has become a side in the Cyprus problem, Downer noted that Israel is neither a side nor a player on this issue and that it has other problems to solve.

Asked whether the Mediterranean is warming up because of Syria, Downer expressed the view that Cyprus is not like Israel and Palestine, that there is no violence on the island and the people cross over from the one side to the other. He argued: "There is no violence. They do not kill each other. I can enter into the sea in the south and play golf in the north. The relations are sincere, there is no hatred, but a problem of division and lack of trust exists. The Greek Cypriots think that they are occupied by foreign forces. The Turkish side does not like being assimilated. They are not recognized, they cannot have commercial relations. They do not have direct relations with the international community. They say that this situation is not satisfactory. The current situation is not an appropriate one for the international community and a solution should be reached, an agreement on which both sides to agree. A pessimist in Cyprus says that things are bad. An optimist says that these could become worse. Yes, the situation before 1974 was worse".

Called to comment on a statement made by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy that the natural gas in the Mediterranean could help in the reunification of Cyprus, Downer said: "If they reach an agreement, the natural gas will bring wealth economically. If there is no agreement, it will be centre of tension between the north and the south, Turkey and Greece. This is what is happening now. Warplanes, warships are going around there. Let us call wishful thinking the comment of the President of the Council".

Asked whether the status quo on the island could continue, if there was no solution, Downer replied: "It is a good question. The Turkish side is economically depended on Turkey. If there is no solution, this dependency will further increase. They are going to the south. These numbers might increase. They could go and live there, work and visit EU countries. As far as I know, the children of Dervis Eroglu as well possess Cyprus passports. Their passports were lost and found and given back by Christofias. Christofias makes a political reference, even though diplomatically it is not a very 'elegant' method. We have to hear a common wish, equal to desire, for a solution in Cyprus. Life is good in Cyprus. There is a big young population which has not experienced a united Cyprus for 38 years. If no solution is found, the number of this population will further increase and finding a solution will become more difficult. We should not stick on the details. If there is a real wish for a solution, some things might be secondary, they could be solved afterwards. What is important is to do this job together".

(I/Ts.)

[02] Turkish Cypriot Asil Nadir found guilty of theft; Nadir will reportedly appeal; the pseudostate abundant with racketeers

Polly Peck was an obscure British company until Nadir took over in 1980, turning the modest textile firm into a vehicle for a wave of acquisitions, including Del Monte's fresh fruit operations and Japan's Sansui Electric Co. The stock went through the roof and Nadir became one of Britain's richest men.

But the story fell apart after investigators began probing irregularities in Nadir family trusts. The tycoon denied charges he had stolen from Polly Peck to line his pockets, but the company's share price collapsed and the company itself went under in 1990.

The saga was deeply embarrassing for the then-ruling Conservative Party, to which Nadir was a major donor, and it made a fugitive of the tycoon, who fled the country for his native "north Cyprus" only months before he was due to stand trial.

Nadir spent nearly two decades as a fugitive from British justice, but he made the dramatic decision to return to London in 2010, saying he wanted to clear his reputation.

Legal analysts speculated that Nadir was gambling that so much time had elapsed that a prosecution would be too complex to pull off successfully.

The gambit seems to have backfired. A jury at London's Central Criminal Court found him guilty of three counts of theft and not guilty of a fourth count of theft.

The issue is covered also extensively by all the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot newspapers.

Kibris newspaper, which is owned by Asil Nadir, covers the issue in its front page under the title: "He will appeal". The paper writes that Asil Nadir's lawyers have announced that they will wait for the jury to announce its verdict for the 9 other charges and added that afterwards they will apply to the appeal.

AK

[03] The occupation regime sold electricity worth 24 million euro to the Republic of Cyprus in 2011 within the framework of the GLR

According to a report prepared by the so-called Turkish embassy in the pseudostate, the "TRNC" sold goods worth 29.4 million euro to the Greek Cypriots under the Green Line Regulations (GLR) which went into force on August 23, 2004.

Meanwhile, according to Turkish daily Aksam newspaper (21.08.12), the occupation regime, within the framework of the GLR sold to the Republic of Cyprus goods of a total worth of 29 million 407 thousand euro.

The paper underlines that except from the electricity energy, no increase has been observed to other goods.

AK

[04] Gurcafer says he was targeted after the lawsuit he filed against Turkey

The paper writes that it is said that a Turkish official had referred to Gurcafer saying: "He is like Apo [Translator's note: The former leader of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan who is in Turkish prisons], but at least Apo is imprisoned".

Gurcafer told Afrika that, as he heard, the persons, who had been sent to the occupied area of Cyprus to kill him, were former members of Turkey's "Gendarmerie, Intelligence and Struggle Against Terrorism" organization (JITEM) which, according to the paper, "did everything in Turkey" and now is on trial. Noting that there are some former members of JITEM who are still free, the paper writes that the government in Ankara was very angry with Gurcafer's lawsuit and that Gurcafer had been called to the so-called embassy of Turkey in the occupied part of Lefkosia and was warned not to file the lawsuit.

(I/Ts.)

[05] More than 300 luxury villas in occupied Klepini village remained unfinished

As the paper writes, despite the fact that thousands of olive and carob trees were cut off in this village in order for those luxury villas to be constructed, instead, the houses remained unfinished and thus constitutes a great loss for the occupation regime's economy.

According to the head of the village of occupied Klepini (mukhtar), Ali Tufekci, for the great majority of the unfinished houses, among the constructors of the houses, is also Garry Robb, who is known as a person who is related to several irregularities and who is under custody in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

Tufekci stated further that in fact all of the houses (more than 300 houses) were sold and added that those who bought the unfinished houses want the houses to be finished, but still, they have to confront the "TRNC government" which does not allow them to make the houses habitable and settle in.

The paper refers also to a study prepared this year by KADEM Research Company in the occupied area of Cyprus on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot Constructor's Union under the name "Data on the Constructions in North Cyprus" and writes that according to the results of the study, the number of the unfinished houses in occupied Cyprus has reached to 4.650.

AK

[06] More than five thousand new students for the illegal universities in the new academic year

According to Yeni Duzen, under the title "TRNC bleeds", Turkish Dogan News Agency reported that 66% of the positions offered in the illegal universities remained empty.

Moreover, Turkish Milliyet newspaper's reporter, Abbas Guclu said that 10 thousand out of the 15 thousand positions offered in the illegal universities remained empty. He described the situation as "bad" and added that things are bad enough for sounding alarm, in the occupied area of Cyprus which dreams of becoming "an island of education".

According to Yeni Duzen, the numbers of students placed in the illegal universities since 2008 are as following:

Year Number of students

2008 8.143

2009 4.273

2010 3.940

2011 5.063

2012 5.798

(I/Ts.)

[07] 70 thousand tourists crossed over to the occupation regime from the Agios Dometios crossing point in one and a half year

Also, speaking on the problems experienced by the Turkish Cypriot travel guides, Altiner said that one of the most important problem is related to the issue of the guide's payment. He said that the guides who are visiting occupied Cyprus from travel agencies in the "south" as he called the Republic of Cyprus charge 70 euro for each tour they organize in contrary to the Turkish Cypriot guides who charge only 45-50 euro.

Referring to the organized tours which are taking place in the occupied area of Cyprus by several Greek Cypriot tourist agencies, Altiner said that the Greek Cypriot guides who are visiting the occupied area of Cyprus must be accompanied by a Turkish Cypriot guide and also must be members of the Cyprus Turkish Tourism Guides Union (KITREB), otherwise they should not be allowed to work as guides in the "TRNC" as he said.

Altiner stated further that in the occupied area Cyprus there are totally 200 guides who are members of KITREB.

AK

[08] The occupation regime continues its promotion abroad

The paper writes that the giant board which is clearly visible from the Stansted airport, a crowed airport because of the Olympic games, is a very successful advertisement for the promotion of the "TRNC".

AK

[09] PKK bombing killed 8 and injured 64 persons in Gaziantep

PKK militants remotely detonated the explosives at around 7.45 p.m. after parking the car at a bus stop near Kars?yaka Police Station in the province's Sehitkamil district, the reports said. Two passenger buses were burned and eight persons were killed, according to initial reports. Paramedics were immediately dispatched to the scene and wounded people were taken to hospitals. Security forces have launched an investigation to apprehend the militants.

PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms in 1984 in an attempt to create an ethnic homeland in south-eastern Turkey. Since then, over 40,000 persons have been killed in conflicts involving the group.

[10] Figures on unemployment in Turkey

Speaking on the issue, ISKUR General Manager Nusret Yaz?c? said that an average of 520,000 persons applied to ISKUR every year between 2001 and 2007. "The figure surpassed 1 million as of 2008. Unemployment schemes and a substantial increase in [financial] resources allocated to programs for the active labour force contributed to the increase in applications. There were a record number of applications to ISKUR in 2009 with more than 1.4 million. The figure hit nearly 1.4 million in 2011. Some 856,661 persons have registered at ISKUR in the first seven months of this year," he said.

According to Yaz?c?, ISKUR's influence in the labour market has strengthened in recent years, as the staff of the body has been increased.

"The number of women who applied to ISKUR has significantly increased in recent years", he said. "The ratio of women applying to ISKUR climbed to 38.5 % in 2011 from 24.7 %in 2004. Some 37.6 % of the applications between January and July this year were lodged by women", he added.

"Most of the applications to ISKUR come from persons aged between 15 and 24. Some 37.3 % of the total applicants are from that age group as of the end of July. This goes for both men and women. The second most applicants are between the ages of 25 and 34. The proportion of applications decreases in older age groups. Only 4.7 % of the applicants are age 50 and older," he said.

"The highest numbers of applicants are, in decreasing order, manual labourers, office clerks, caretakers, accountants, salespeople, waiters and computer operators", he said, noting that nearly half of the applicants have occupations that do not require qualifications.

"The rate of persons who were put to work in the private sector was 44 % in 2004. The figure hit 83.6 % in 2011," he said, adding that the rate of women put to work was 28.7 % last year, up from 16 % in 2004. http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

EI/

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