Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 12-09-24

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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 departed for New York; Statements at Ataturk airport

[02] Erhan Arikli stated that he is ready to be tried in the Republic of Cyprus only if he would be surrendered to the Greek Cypriot side through the occupation regime

[03] Faiz Sucuoglu was re-elected chairman of the "UBP Lefkosia district"

[04] Kucuk to discuss the "2013-2015 economic program" in a meeting with Atalay in Ankara; Kucuk to attend to the AKP congress

[05] So-called minister Tatar met with a Chinese delegation which is illegally in the occupied area of Cyprus; Tatar said that the Chinese want to invest in the occupation regime

[06] Figures of the so-called department of labour show a decrease on the number of illegal workers from Turkey in occupied Cyprus

[07] The occupation regime granted the "TRNC citizenship" to five more persons

[08] Talat reveals that he may be a "candidate" again

[09] A conference on organ transplants to be held at Illegal YDU

[10] Profitis Elias Church in occupied Morfou lacks of care

[11] Istanbul court sentences three former Generals to 20 years in Sledgehammer case

[12] Erdogan to reveal his roadmap AKP's vision for 2023 at his party's convention on September 30

[13] MHP congress set for multi-candidate leadership race

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Eroglu departed for New York; Statements at Ataturk airport

As part of his contacts, Eroglu will meet with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. He is also expected to carry out bilateral meetings with state and government officials of several other countries and also to give interviews to foreign media.

Eroglu is accompanied to New York by his "special representative" Osman Ertug and his "undersecretary" Hasan Gungor.

He is expected to return to the occupied area of Cyprus on Saturday, 29th of September.

In his statements to Ataturk airport prior to his departure for New York, Eroglu replied to questions of reporters.

Replying to the question whether he has been invited by the "Greek Cypriot administration" to watch the football game between Ael-Fenerbahce, Eroglu was negative adding that he does not consider that he would be invited to the game, since, as he said, the form of the invitation is important. "And this, because it is different to be invited as the President, and different to be invited as a football supporter", Eroglu said.

Recalling the invitation made by Bagis in the past, Eroglu said that if the Greek Cypriot side is also willing, he could go with pleasure to the game after he would be invited, and this would give, he said, important messages to the international community.

Recalling the incidents which took place in the past when some Turkish teams played games with Greek Cypriot teams in the "south", Eroglu condemned those incidents and said that provocations and violent behaviour should not be repeated again.

(AK)

[02] Erhan Arikli stated that he is ready to be tried in the Republic of Cyprus only if he would be surrendered to the Greek Cypriot side through the occupation regime

Speaking during a press conference in Kyrgyzstan, Arikli who was also "representative of tourism" of the occupation regime in Kyrgyzstan, stated, inter alia, that he does not afraid to be tried in the Greek Cypriot side. Arikli supported that the Greek Cypriots do not have any evidence in their hands.

He also stated the following: "The Greek Cypriot side is not necessary to ask for me from another country. I am ready to be surrendered and be tried in the Greek Cypriot side in case that that they will apply to the TRNC authorities to ask for this".

Arikli went on and stated that he does not know who has killed Tasos Isaac. He further alleged that during the day that the incidents took place, he was at Ledra Palas crossing point and said: "There are thousands of witnesses and camera images showing that I was in Nicosia during that day" Arikli claimed.

(AK)

[03] Faiz Sucuoglu was re-elected chairman of the "UBP Lefkosia district"

Sucuoglu was the only candidate for the position.

Speaking after Sucuoglu's election, the self-styled prime minister Irsen Kucuk expressed the belief that he will be elected again in the UBP leadership at the party's congress which will be held on October 21.

[04] Kucuk to discuss the "2013-2015 economic program" in a meeting with Atalay in Ankara; Kucuk to attend to the AKP congress

As part of his contacts, Kucuk will also be meeting with Turkish officials on the 2013-2015 economic program.

He also said that he would be meeting with the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister in Charge of Cyprus Affairs Besir Atalay.

So-called minister of finance Ersin Tatar and the "minister of economy and energy" Sunat Atun will also be attending the meeting during which the 2013-2015 "economic program" will be discussed.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris (22.09.12) reported on the issue and writes that the meeting between Kucuk and Atalay will take place on October 1st.

In his statements Kucuk reiterated that it is the first time that the "economic program" has been prepared by bureaucrats and "officials" from the "TRNC". He added that the so-called minister Atun was responsible for the preparation of the "program", that the preparatory works were continuing for one year and that during this period they carried out contacts and exchanged views with NGO's.

(AK)

[05] So-called minister Tatar met with a Chinese delegation which is illegally in the occupied area of Cyprus; Tatar said that the Chinese want to invest in the occupation regime

According to a statement issued by the so-called ministry, the delegation of the General Directorate of Trade, Industry and Factory of the People's Republic of China, is looking positively the projects of the business world to make investments in the "TRNC".

In his statements, Tatar expressed pleasure for the fact that a delegation from a country such China is a paying a "visit" to the "TRNC" with the aim to make investments and added that the "TRNC" will take its place in the Eastern Mediterranean. Tatar further said that is it right to say that the "TRNC" could become a "trade centre" and this is due to its geography and location.

As regards the Chinese delegation, Tatar said that China is cooperating very closely with Turkey adding that the Chinese delegation said that their aim is to start cooperating with the "TRNC" as well.

(AK)

[06] Figures of the so-called department of labour show a decrease on the number of illegal workers from Turkey in occupied Cyprus

According to the officials, the number of illegal workers from Turkey has been decreased from 16% to 6%. An indicator showing that this number has been decrease and that the illegal Turkish workers who were illegally working in occupied Cyprus is the fact that the roads, the parking places and their houses are clear out.

Also, according to data given by the so-called "immigration department" of the so-called police, during the period between January-August, the number of Turkish citizens who entered to the occupied areas of Cyprus was 581.901 while the number of those who departed from the occupied areas was 613.250.

Also, 25.100 persons entered illegally to the occupied area of Cyprus through the occupied Keryneia port and 27.823 departed.

Furthermore, according to the "Department of Labour", 2500 persons out of the 9700 persons which were benefited from the "amnesty" which has started to be implemented in the occupied area of Cyprus as of the beginning of the year, have not returned back to the occupied area of Cyprus.

Meanwhile, figures of the so-called People Justice Council (HAK) (Translator note: An umbrella organization of the settlers' organizations in the occupied area of Cyprus), support that the number of the settlers in the breakaway regime who have return back to Turkey is about 70.000 including the members of their families.

(AK)

[07] The occupation regime granted the "TRNC citizenship" to five more persons

The paper, which notes that the every time the self-styled council of ministries convey, grants the "TRNC citizenship" to at least 5-10 persons, writes that the "UBP government" scored a record on this issue.

The list of the new "TRNC citizens", as it was published in the "official gazette" of the breakaway regime on September 18, is as follows:

Mustafa Hamit Toprak born in 1937 in Erzincan

Ayse Sebnem Gurpinar born in 1972 in Istanbul

Rifat Murathan Toprak born in 1962 in Ankara

Ali Tasdemir born in 1965 in Turkoglu

Kagizman Cumali Temel born in 1989

[08] Talat reveals that he may be a "candidate" again

Talat who was speaking on a television program, asked about the possibility of being a candidate again and he replied that he will evaluate this in accordance with the needs regarding the solution of the Cyprus problem.

[09] A conference on organ transplants to be held at Illegal YDU

According to the paper, scientists, hospital personnel and students from various countries will participate in the conference, which is focus on transplants pathology. Founding members of the World Pathology Union and professionals from South Afrika, Australia, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Malaysia, USA, Brazil, Turkey and the breakaway regime will participate in the conference.

(TR. Note: YDU announced last week that will start medical operation for organ transplants.

[10] Profitis Elias Church in occupied Morfou lacks of care

As the paper writes, the walls of the church are full with graphites of love and party slogans.

(AK)

[11] Istanbul court sentences three former Generals to 20 years in Sledgehammer case

Former 1st Army Commander retired Gen. Cetin Dogan, former Air Forces Commander Gen. Halil Ibrahim Firtina and former Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ozden Ornek were initially given life imprisonment but the sentences were reduced to 20 years on the grounds that the coup plan they drew failed. The Istanbul 10th High Criminal Court said in its final verdict on Friday that 34 suspects were acquitted of charges levelled against them.

The 107th and last hearing of the trial was held at the Istanbul 10th High Criminal Court at the Silivri Prison complex on Thursday. The court took a recess before announcing its final ruling on Thursday afternoon, but said later in the day that the verdict would be announced on Friday.

"We weren't able to reach a verdict despite a meeting that -- due to the high number of defendants -- lasted for more than seven hours," said Omer Diken, the head of a three-judge panel hearing the case.

"We will continue tomorrow ... when we will announce the verdict," he said.

The court was then expected to announce its verdict Friday at 2:00 p.m. but took a recess after hearing final statements from four suspects who had been absent at Thursday's session. The court is still on break. The constant delays raised some questions as they are not usual in Turkish judicial system.

The majority of the accused made their statements in the previous hearings, but some have refused to do so, arguing that they have not been given a fair trial.

Sledgehammer is a suspected coup plot believed to have been devised in 2003 with the aim of unseating the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government through violent acts. According to the Sledgehammer plan, the military was to systematically foment chaos in society through acts of violence, among which were planned bomb attacks on the Fatih and Beyazit mosques in Istanbul. The plot allegedly sought to undermine the government to lay the groundwork for a coup d'etat. The military, which has overthrown three governments since 1960 and pressured a conservative government to step down in 1997, has denied the existence of such a plan.

There are 365 suspects, all retired or active duty members of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), in the Sledgehammer coup case. A total of 250 of the suspects are currently detained as part of the trial. The suspects include retired Gen. Cetin Dogan, former Air Force Commander Ibrahim Firtina, former Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ozden Ornek and retired Gen. Engin Alan.

[12] Erdogan to reveal his roadmap AKP's vision for 2023 at his party's convention on September 30

"A document outlining the AK Party's political vision is also being written, which we can call 'a serious manifesto,'" Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said in an interview with Kanal 7 Sept. 23.

With just a week left to the AKP's general convention Sept. 30 in Ankara, some details about Erdogan's highly anticipated address to the convention and plans to appoint executive cadres have been revealed. One of the most important changes in the party's decision-making body would be the appointment of Numan Kurtulmus as the new right arm of Erdogan, the deputy leader responsible for political and legal affairs.

According to information gathered by the Hurriyet Daily News, Erdogan's plan is to shape the vision of the AKP for future goals in his fourth and last general convention before running for the presidency in 2014. The political manifesto Erdogan will announce at the convention, will first analyze the achievements Turkey has observed since late 2002 when the AKP came into power. "But more importantly, the manifesto will talk about a future Turkey, describing a country with world-class democratic and economic standards:

Given the fact that Turkey will see three important elections in the next three years, Erdogan is also expected to give hints about his party's goals and to instruct party branches to start the pre-election campaign for next year's local elections especially.

Given the fact that Erdogan will no longer be party leader after his potential election as president in 2014, some concerns about the performance of the ruling party in the post-Erdogan period have already been voiced. "Tayyip Erdogan is surely very important. The charisma of Erdogan is important for our party as the charisma of all leaders is important in Turkey. But we have a rule that does not allow the same people sitting in the same positions. There will be this change." Atalay said.

[13] MHP congress set for multi-candidate leadership race

The recent increase in the number of candidates is attributed to a call from Bahceli, who said anyone in the congress who wanted to run could do so. According to the MHP's lobby, emphasizing intra-party democracy, Bahceli had called for interested party members to run for the post of chairman, stating, "Whoever wishes to do so can apply for candidacy, I promise this." Under the MHP's bylaws, the support of at least 40 delegates is needed for a nomination.

One of those who started the leadership race early is MHP Antalya deputy Yusuf Ziya Irbec. Irbec, who visited several of the party's local branches shortly after the general elections last year, was expelled from the party on charges of behaving in an undisciplined manner. Ibrahim Faruk Evirgen, one of the founders of the MHP, indicated that Irbec had returned to the party because of a court decision as his expulsion was not in accordance with the law.

Evirgen revealed that MHP Trabzon deputy Koray Aydin has been preparing for the current leadership race for four years.

Three other former MHP deputies have also announced their candidacy apart from Irbec and Aydin: former Istanbul deputy Ahmet Cakar, former Yozgat deputy Mesut Tuker and former Kayseri deputy Seyfi Sahin. Ismail Hakki Kupcu, who also announced his candidacy, stated that he has been involved in the nationalist movement since 1969 and once served as a member of the party's Central Executive Board (MYK). TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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