Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 12-10-05

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[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Turkey's Parliament gives green light to Syrian cross-border raids; Erdogan stated that Turkey's intention is not the war

[02] Turkish Cypriot parties assess the developments in Syria

[03] Eroglu archives statements made by the candidates in the presidential elections; He reiterates that illegal settlers will not be sent away

[04] Atun participated in the 5th International Energy Congress and Fair

[05] Turkish Cypriot students take internships abroad; they were accepted at the "representation" of the occupation regime in Rome

[06] CTP "MP" claims that that the occupation regime can grant the "TRNC citizenship" in ten thousand persons over a night

[07] "Those who commit crime in the south should not be taken under political protection"

[08] Efforts by the Turkish Cypriots to play international matches ignoring the Cyprus Football Association

[09] Grey Wolves' organization in occupied Lefka organized a demonstration "against terrorism"

[10] Consumer Price Index for September increase by 1.72%

[11] Erdogan met with Iran's vice President; Turkey and Iran aim to raise bilateral trade volume to 30 billion USD by end of 2013

[12] Columnist in Today's Zaman examines the possibility of Anastasiades' election to the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus; he admits that the occupation regime became a province of Turkey and describes the breakaway regime as Turkey's headache

[13] Ozal's remains suitable for autopsy; Ozal to be reburied today

[14] EU slams Turkey for discrimination of Media

[15] AKP determined its main executive body members

[16] Turkish columnist on the recent developments in Turkey after Syria's attack

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Turkey's Parliament gives green light to Syrian cross-border raids; Erdogan stated that Turkey's intention is not the war

There were 449 deputies present in Parliament, and 320 voted in favor of the motion. Some 30 Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies were not present due to scheduled visits outside of Ankara or abroad. Although Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said earlier in the day "[The MHP] supports giving authority to the government," and "The MHP acts by taking national interests into consideration," it was speculated that a minority of MHP deputies voted in favor of the motion.

There were a total of 129 naysayers from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). The complete content of the closed-door session, which lasted almost three and a half hours, will only be available to the public after ten years.

The quorum required to convene Parliament's General Assembly is at least 184 lawmakers. If the item being voted on is not an exceptional constitutional provision, the majority of the votes of the lawmakers present is required to make a decision, but the quorum for a decision cannot be less than one-fourth of the members of Parliament, or 138 lawmakers.

The AKP has 326 seats in Parliament, while the CHP holds 135, the MHP 51, the BDP 29 and the Participatory Democracy Party (KADEP) holds 1. Seven lawmakers are independent. "Turkey has sent its message; in any event," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters after the vote, when asked whether "Syria got the message."

Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay told reporters that Syria had admitted responsibility for the shelling, apparently referring to remarks by Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi, who offered his "sincerest condolences on behalf of the Syrian government to the families of the deceased and the Turkish people."

Atalay also said that Syria has reassured the U.N. that "such an incident will not occur again." Stressing that the motion was "not a war mandate," Atalay said that it would have a deterrent effect.

Earlier in the day the CHP held a special parliamentary group meeting presided over by its leader Kemal K?l?cdaroglu. Speaking to reporters following the meeting, CHP Deputy Chair Faruk Logoglu called the motion before Parliament "a motion of war," and said the CHP would object to it.

AKP deputy chair and spokesperson Huseyin Celik said the CHP's labeling the motion a "motion of war" was a condemnable attitude. "Our citizens shouldn't be troubled by this motion. The government and Parliament are in control of the situation."

Addressing the Parliament ahead of the closed-door session, the BDP's parliamentary group deputy chair, Pervin Buldan, said her party would say "no" to the motion and criticized the closed session. "If you pick a war with Syria, you are going to send the poor children of Anatolia to fight that war, and no one will know about it. The public will not be aware of what is being discussed here," Buldan said. Following the session, K?l?cdaroglu said the government had not provided much information. "No information was given to us different from what the newspapers had already reported," he said.

(?)

Meanwhile, according to Ankara Anatolia news agency (04.10.12), the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that they wanted only peace and security in the region.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Iran's First-Vice President Mohammed Reza Rahimi in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Thursday, Erdogan stressed that they had no intention for a war.

"Yesterday's incident in Akcakale was not just an ordinary one, since it showed how a clash in a country (Syria) could have an effect beyond borders", Erdogan stated.

"This was not the first attack of Syria against Turkey. There were seven other attacks made by Syria on Turkey in recent times," Erdogan underlined.

"We only want peace and security in our region. This is what we care about. We have no intention for a war," Erdogan noted and added that the Republic of Turkey is strong enough to protect its citizens and borders. "No one should test our determination in this regard," Erdogan said.

Referring to the approval of the motion, Erdogan said that that those who were against the motion in the Parliament will not be able to pay the price to history. "We will talk to our people about those who opposed the Prime Ministry motion," Erdogan also said.

Also, Turkish daily Today's Zaman (04.10.12) reported that Turkish security sources said that Turkey's military continued to launch artillery strikes early on Thursday targeting the Tel Abyad district of Syria near the Turkish-Syrian border/

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Syrian soldiers were killed in a military post in Tel Abyad in Turkey's retaliatory military action, but didn't give information on the number of deaths.

[02] Turkish Cypriot parties assess the developments in Syria

The party argued that the crisis with the Syrian migrants that had been experienced recently at the illegal port of Famagusta showed that Cyprus is also in danger because of the war in Syria. Moreover, the party said that the discussions of the issue at the UN Security Council indicate that the situation could potentially influence the whole world.

"Additionally, the bomb that fell the day before yesterday at Turkey's Akcakale district and the state of war experienced afterwards, are the proof that our country is in the middle of a fire zone", notes CTP adding that the approval by the Turkish Grand National Assembly of a motion that permits the army to carry out cross border operations had made the danger for war more evident.

CTP argues that the existence of a multi-sided problem, such as the Cyprus problem, constitutes a risk for the stability in the area and that the "peoples" in Cyprus will be influenced by the creation of a bigger problem. CTP notes that our island is turned into a target due to the existence of hydrocarbons in the area of Cyprus and their relation with the Middle East. It also argues that the existence of the British military bases on the island and their involvement in a possible war strengthen the possibility of Cyprus becoming a target.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (05.10.12) reports that the United Cyprus Party (BKP) issued a statement yesterday, noting that the escalating tension between Turkey and Syria "is a game of imperialism" and made a call for self-possession. Izzet Izcan, general secretary of the party, said that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government in Turkey "cry for a regional war" with the encouragement of imperialist powers and makes any kind of provocations for a hot war with Syria. Izcan expressed the view that the AKP has also a responsibility for the death of innocent people in Akcakale.

Moreover, according to Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (05.10.12), some organizations and trade unions, including the primary and secondary school teachers trade unions (KTOS and KTOEOS), will be organizing a protest against the war this afternoon, opposite the Turkish so-called embassy in the occupied area of Lefkosia.

Afrika reports that AKP government is dragging Turkey into a war and that Turkey declared war to Syria before finding out who fired the missile which killed five persons in Akcakale.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Eroglu archives statements made by the candidates in the presidential elections; He reiterates that illegal settlers will not be sent away

Eroglu said that the mentality that "an agreement must definitely be made regardless of the price" to be paid for this agreement, belongs to the past and argued that an agreement "regardless of the price" was tantamount to endangering the lasting existence of the Turkish Cypriots on this land. "Therefore, I do not have the mentality of making an agreement regardless of the price", he added reiterating the view that a viable solution could be reached "in case the existing realities are taken into consideration".

"If the existing realities in Cyprus are ignored today and if I behave in a flexible manner complying with those saying 'show a little bit more flexibility', perhaps we will face difficulties even to find a land or a roof to make these meetings", he alleged.

Eroglu claimed that the Greek Cypriots want to take a big part of the land which is occupied by the Turkish Cypriots and the refugees to be able to return to the rest of the land. He added: "When we ask them 'very well, where we will settle', they say 'if you send back those who came from Turkey, you will fit into the land that remains to you''. Eroglu said that his reply to this is that if Australia and Britain, for example, send back the Turks, who had become their citizens, the breakaway regime will also send back the illegal settlers from Turkey. He argued: "That is, if Australia does not send away those it had made its citizens, if Britain does not abandon those it had made its citizens, where the Turkish Cypriots will find the right to send away our citizens, who, besides, came as Turks from the motherland? The rights of all citizens are of course under the protection of the constitution, under the protection of those who govern and of all the political parties in the parliament. And they are obliged to protect them".

(I/Ts.)

[04] Atun participated in the 5th International Energy Congress and Fair

Atun, who made a presentation during the congress, stated that the most important project undertaken currently by Turkey and the breakaway regime, is the water transfer project and added that in the coming week pipe lines would start to be established for it. He went on and added that the fifty-year project will satisfy not only the needs of the occupation regime but the needs of all the island of Cyprus.

Atun also stated that the works of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) in the occupied area of Cyprus continue.

Apart of this, he said that the transfer of electricity from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus using wires is under discussion.

He expressed the wish the breakaway regime to become one of the passing points of the Blue Stream project and alleged that it is very important for the "TRNC" which is "a country under embargos" to participate in such a project.

Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister, Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi, USA's Deputy Energy Minister, Daniel Poneman, Iraq's Kurdish Administration's "Minister of Natural Resources", Ashti Hawrami, the chief economist at the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol, the vice president of Canada's CANDU area, John Saroudis and the president of General Energy, Mehmet Serpil were among the speakers at the congress, which hosted many companies and other actors in the energy sector.

[05] Turkish Cypriot students take internships abroad; they were accepted at the "representation" of the occupation regime in Rome

Turkish Cypriot students who take internships at the "TRNC Foreign Office's representatives" in foreign countries gain work experience as well as visiting abroad, moreover, they bring out "public diplomacy" for the "TRNC".

Two years old program of abroad internships accepts students during the summer break and one of the representatives of the "TRNC" in a foreign country is in Rome.

"TRNC Rome representative", Novber Vecihi Ferit gave details of the program to AA and said that students take internships in Ankara, London, Rome, Brussels and Baku for a month long. He added that this year for the first time academic members of staff were sent to Ankara, Rome and Brussels offices.

[06] CTP "MP" claims that that the occupation regime can grant the "TRNC citizenship" in ten thousand persons over a night

Sinay, who was speaking at the self-styled assembly, also said that a first degree relative of a former "minister" was granted the "TRNC citizenship" after paying money.

[07] "Those who commit crime in the south should not be taken under political protection"

Onen assessed the recent effort of three Greek Cypriot policemen to arrest a Turkish Cypriot named Coskun Alaslan in the area of occupied Louroudjina village. He recalled that the Turkish Cypriots have no right to violate the law in the government-controlled area of Cyprus and noted that it was a mistake for the Turkish Cypriot inhabitant of Louroudjina not to comply with the sign of the policemen to stop at Dhali village and to run away.

Onen alleged also that the "violation of a military zone of first degree" by the three Greek Cypriot policemen "was a serious crime". He added that the necessary interrogation should be carried out regarding the person who ran away from the police. He said that especially the persons living in the buffer zone should refrain from actions that could create tension and stressed that in such situations the "TRNC officials" must not protect this kind of persons.

Onen said that the incidents which happen in both sides bring onto the agenda the necessity of the criminals being mutually extradited.

(I/Ts.)

[08] Efforts by the Turkish Cypriots to play international matches ignoring the Cyprus Football Association

Arguing that some gaps exist between these two red lines, the French advisor said that he would submit to the illegal federation some "alternatives and strong solution proposals".

Champagne said nothing regarding these proposals, but drew attention to some "special situations" in the world. He noted that the national teams of Catalonia and the Basques in Spain have the right to play a special match once a year, that a separate status has been established for Gibraltar, that Palestine plays international matches in spite of the fact that it is not a recognized state and that Kosovo does not play international matches in spite of the fact that it is recognized by more than 100 countries.

Champagne said that during his visit in the occupied area of Cyprus, he met with some persons involved in the Turkish Cypriot football and some politicians.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (05.10.12) reports that Champagne said that he had also held meetings and exchanged views with some "international personalities" and the representatives of some foreign countries. He noted that he met with representatives of France, Turkey and Britain and that he was waiting a reply for a meeting with representatives of the USA and the UN.

According to the paper, Champagne replied to questions of journalists but refrained from disclosing anything else.

(I/Ts.)

[09] Grey Wolves' organization in occupied Lefka organized a demonstration "against terrorism"

According to the message around 700 students and 500 "citizens" participated in the demonstration which "sent a message against terrorism in Turkey". Speaking during the protest, "TRNC Grey Wolves", chairman Alper Hasta, said that Turks and Kurds cannot be separated.

"As far as we are Turks, you are Turks; as far as we are Kurds, you are Kurds", he stated.

[10] Consumer Price Index for September increase by 1.72%

According to figures given by the "State Planning Organization (DPO)", the Consumers Price Index increased 2.57% since December 2011 and 6.59% compared to the same period last year.

[11] Erdogan met with Iran's vice President; Turkey and Iran aim to raise bilateral trade volume to 30 billion USD by end of 2013

Speaking at a joint press conference with Iran's First-Vice President Mohammed Reza Rahimi in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Thursday, Erdogan stressed that "Turkey and Iran, with a combined population of about 150 million people, had the ability and the infrastructure to reach such a trade volume." "We have reached a trade volume of 16.5 billion USD in 2011. My brother Rahimi and I, have placed a goal for ourselves to raise our trade volume to 30 billion USD by end 2013", Erdogan noted.

Erdogan and Rahimi held a four hour tete-a-tete meeting and a meeting between respective delegations in Ankara on Thursday before they appeared at the joint press conference. The two leaders discussed Turkey-Iran relations in 2010-2011 and the point the relations stand today.

[12] Columnist in Today's Zaman examines the possibility of Anastasiades' election to the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus; he admits that the occupation regime became a province of Turkey and describes the breakaway regime as Turkey's headache

"I was in Cyprus last week. I saw a north where the Republican Turks' Party (CTP) has rejuvenated its apparatus, where the ruling National Unity Party (UBP) has increasingly come under the control of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), a society which struggles with the ukases of the Turkish Embassy and a country that is rapidly becoming Turkey-like. The south is livelier".

Analyzing the economic situation in the Republic of Cyprus and the political scene as it has been formed with the announcement of the alliance being established for the election of February between the center-right DISY (Democratic Rally) leader Nicos Anastasiades and the Democratic Party (DIKO, Aktar focuses on Anastasiades' policy on the Cyprus problem and writes:

(?). "If Anastasiades is elected, he is planning to ensure the security of the country by applying to NATO and proposing expanded negotiations including the two communities, Greece, Turkey, the EU and the UN.

Does Turkey have any action plan in response to these moves? Having become a 'global player,' the government no longer cares to deal with such 'minor' problems as the Cyprus issue, even if those minor problems have been here and unchanging for decades. The island's north, which has turned into a province of Turkey, is simply an administrative headache for Turkey, whereas relations with the south are shaped by the urge to interfere with developments concerning fossil fuels of southern territorial waters actually capable of supplying Turkey's energy needs.

To cut a long story short, in terms of Turkey, which has not already written off the 'settlement' on the island, Anastasiades nor the Turkish Cypriots will find any interlocutor. But the shape of things in the real world might be different. Over the weekend news came that during a meeting between Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozaku Markulli and Phil Gordon of the US State Department; the US announced its support of a settlement that would take the newly discovered natural gas as a win-win factor for all sides in and around the island".

[13] Ozal's remains suitable for autopsy; Ozal to be reburied today

Ergin, appearing on Bugun TV program, talked about the exhumation of Ozal's body as part of a new probe into the cause of his death. Ergin stated: "The exhumed body of Ozal is suitable for [forensic] examination to reveal if Ozal was poisoned, or died unnaturally."

The Minister added that forensic medical experts had found more material than they had expected before the exhumation. "The experts were asking themselves if they could carry out DNA testing from hair or bone samples of the former President, but they obtained a great amount of material for the examination of the body, following the opening of the grave," said Ergin, adding that he hopes speculation around the cause of Ozal's death will end after the body is examined by forensic experts.

The remains of Ozal from the waist to the shoulders have been well preserved due to a water source found in the cemetery, which has served as an antibacterial wash and prevented decay, according to experts. The internal organs of the former President have not decomposed over the course of 19 years.

The grave of the late President Ozal was opened on Tuesday and his remains exhumed as part of a belated investigation into the cause of his death in 1993.

In March, President Abdullah Gul ordered the State Audit Institution (DDK) to launch an investigation into the cause of Ozal's death. The DDK submitted a report to Gul stating that Ozal may not have been the victim of a heart attack and calling on prosecutors to investigate the matter.

Prosecutors decided two weeks ago that Ozal's remains should be exhumed and an autopsy performed.

Ozal, the eighth president of the Turkish Republic, died of heart failure in April 1993 at an Ankara hospital at the age of 65 while still in office.

Meanwhile, Ankara Anatolia news agency (04.10.12) reported that Turgut Ozal will be reburied in Istanbul on Friday with a religious ceremony to be attended by his family and close friends.

The Turkish Forensic Medicine Institute will study the remains of Ozal and prepare a report in two months about the possible cause(s) of Ozal's death.

[14] EU slams Turkey for discrimination of Media

"The right to freedom of expression also includes the right to receive and impart information, and selective accreditation of established media should not have its place in a transparent democratic society. This has been our constant position on accreditation of the media, as expressed on various occasions over past years," Peter Stano, spokesman for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Fule, told Today's Zaman.

The ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) media and public relations branch failed to issue press badges for a number of newspapers, all of which are fierce critics of the party. The ban covered Cumhuriyet, Ayd?nl?k, Sozcu, Evrensel, Birgun and Yenicag.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday defended his party's decision, saying he is "not obliged to invite" all newspapers to his party's convention.

[15] AKP determined its main executive body members

Numan Kurtulmus who, along with a group of close associates, recently joined the ruling party after his People's Voice Party (HSP) dissolved itself, and former Democrat Party leader Suleyman Soylu, who also recently joined the party, are new members of the MYK and deputy chairs of the party.

Mehmet Ali Sahin, a founder of the AKP and a long time comrade of Erdogan throughout the latter's political life, became the new Deputy Chairman in charge of political and legal affairs. He replaces Abdulkadir Aksuin in the post considered the "second man" in the party.

The MYK consists of 19 members, with 12 of them chosen from among the MKYK members. The rest of the members are the heads of the youth and women's branches and the five Deputy chairs of the party's parliamentary group.

Yesterday, five figures were replaced. Kurtulmus will be responsible for economic affairs. His seat was previously occupied by Bulent Gedikli, who was not given a post in the new MYK. Soylu will be responsible for research and development affairs. His seat was previously occupied by Reha Denemec, who also did not receive a post in the new MYK.

Mustafa Sentop was chosen to replace Zelkif Kazdal, who was responsible for election affairs. Former Antalya Mayor Menderes Turel was chosen to replace Huseyin Tanr?verdi as the figure responsible for local administrations.

Huseyin Celik, Deputy chair of the AKP responsible for promotion and media, Omer Celik in charge of external affairs, Ekrem Erdem in charge of party organization, Nukhet Hotar in charge of social affairs, Salih Kapusuz in charge of public relations, Ahmet Edip Ugur in charge of financial affairs, and Secretary-General Haluk Ipek all will remain in their posts in the party.

The changes regarding the MYK were announced by Celik.

[16] Turkish columnist on the recent developments in Turkey after Syria's attack

(?) There is no reason why Turkey should want to start a war. We have witnessed numerous times that Turkey's decision-makers did not pay any heed to the nationalistic sentiments of the general public in similar cases.

But this does not mean that Turkey will tolerate every aggression against itself.

In the final analysis, this is an attack against the territories of a NATO member. Moreover, this is not a first of its kind. Similar mortar attacks have occurred in the past as well.

The preliminary findings indicate that these attacks came from the Syrian army which has continued clashes with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) along the border regions in an effort to recapture its positions. I don't know if it is technically possible to fire such long range mortars so as to hit the center of Akcakale. Still, it is not realistic to assume that the whole incident was an accident.

In my opinion, the Akcakale incident can be readily seen as a new move from Assad and international powers that collaborate with him.

Aleppo was demolished. Defections from the Syrian army and even from the pro-Baath military/civilian bureaucracy escalated. Time is running out for Assad. Assad will not win the war he wages against his own public. But if this war can be carried beyond the Syrian borders, a long historical process and a bag of problems, equal in depth and scope to the Palestinian or Kurdish issue, can be created in the Middle East. The Syrian revolution and its counter-revolution can thus be transformed into a revolution into which all political players of the world are dragged. Turkey's declaring war on Syria can give an international character to this revolution which currently looks like a national or internal problem.

If Turkey fights Syria, this revolution will be able to be marketed not as a nation's quest to liberate itself from a 40-year dictatorship, but as an ethnic conflict between Arabs and Turks and Kurds.

Furthermore, it will add credence to Assad's rhetoric of portraying it as a sectarian war.

And most importantly, the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) presence in Syria and Turkey will acquire an international identity based on these developments; in other words, Turkey's Kurdish issue will transform into an international problem. Therefore, the PKK's disarmament or any negotiation or dialogue process for potential disarmament will be shelved, and Turkey will have to fight the PKK in two fronts ---in Turkey and in Syria.

In other words, a military operation against Syria will amount to Turkey's being pulled by Assad into a Vietnam-like quagmire which would be very much like the Russians' Afghanistan and the Americans' Vietnam. And in the Syrian territories, Turkey will have to fight 20 million Kurds, not those who want to give it a Vietnam-like quagmire.

Syria's Kurds have been unfortunately delivered to the PKK's yoke. What do you think Assad's army is doing by the way? According to the Financial Times story, they play cards in their outposts. Just as Turkey is currently being pulled by the PKK back to the 1990s, it is being pulled to a Vietnam-like quagmire in Syria. (?)

The possibility of President Ahmet Davutoglu's being at the helm of the Turkish foreign policy is a great chance. But this is not enough. It is a historic responsibility for the government to carefully manage the process taking into consideration the national delusions and future provocations which may prove more dangerous than the one in Akcakale".

Also, in a commentary entitled: "Ankara not eager to enter war" in Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (05.10.12), columnist Mehmet Ali Birand describes the developments in Syria after the recent attack and supports that Ankara acted in an intelligent way, since on the one hand it retaliated and on the other it intensified diplomatic traffic. The columnist writes also the following:

"It was important that the secretary-general of United Nations was mobilized and that NATO came up with a supportive statement. Especially the retaliatory bombing relieved public opinion. There is an impression that Turkey gave the proper answer.

It is more critical from now on. Let's say, we have gotten over this incident. What's going to happen from now on?

First the downing of the Turkish jet, now the bombs. If this trend continues Ankara will have to react with action.

If al-Assad wants to provoke Turkey and push Turkey to fall in contradiction with Washington ahead of the presidential elections in the United States on November 9, this type of accident can repeat. This is the danger.

The AKP party government might not continue its restrained approach to satisfy Turkish public opinion.

Then all hell will break loose, because Washington is against any armed conflict against Syria that could stem from an ally like Turkey ahead of presidential elections (?)". TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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