Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 13-05-28

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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] The EU called Turkey to implement the Additional Protocol; Reaction statement by Davutoglu; he insisted that Turkey's EU bid and the Cyprus problem are separate issues

[02] Ongoing debate over the "motion of no confidence" for the "ruling" UBP

[03] More "citizenship" granting by the breakaway regime due to "elections"

[04] Turkish daily suggests that a Greek Cypriot firm is making 50-million dollars investments in Turkey

[05] The Cyprus problem to be among the matters of discussion between Turkish and Italian Foreign Ministries' delegations meeting

[06] Dr Gunsel was declared honorary professor by the Crimea State University

[07] Turkey's Yildiz said that Turkey plans to operate 3rd nuclear power plant with national resources

[08] Occupied Lapithos municipality became a sister municipality with Antalya Kemer; statements by Eroglu on the Cyprus problem

[09] Turkey staged Denizkurdu-13 Navy exercise

[10] Turkey to produce its own fighter; it will be ready by 2023

[11] CHP to hold rally against AK Party's bans

[12] Main opposition CHP wants to reduce election threshold to 3%

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] The EU called Turkey to implement the Additional Protocol; Reaction statement by Davutoglu; he insisted that Turkey's EU bid and the Cyprus problem are separate issues

A Foreign Ministry official, speaking on the condition anonymity, told the Hurriyet Daily News yesterday, that there was no change in Turkey's Cyprus stance and that Ankara did not see the Cyprus issue as a problem in the negotiation process with the bloc.

The statement from Brussels came after Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said more than one flower was necessary for spring, referring to the opening of only Chapter 22 on regional policy and the coordination of structural instruments.

Davutoglu made the comments in a press conference at the meeting of the 51st EU-Turkey Association Council, attended by Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule.

Chapter 22 is set to be the first chapter opened by Ankara in three years.

Under the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement, Turkey must open its ports and airports to "Greek Cypriots ships and planes.

"Seventeen [of the 35 negotiating chapters] are blocked for political reasons. We have to unblock this process because at this rate, it will take 50 years to finish. When the world is changing, we need more dynamic relations between Turkey and the EU," the Foreign Minister said, criticizing the EU's pace on negotiations.

Responding to Davutoglu's speech, Fule underlined the bloc's determination to implement the additional protocol by Turkey to all member states. "I have also underlined that the implementation of the Additional Protocol would inject new life into the accession process. Several chapters could be opened and some even closed relatively quickly. In relation to this, we could turn this 'one-flower policy', Minister Davutoglu was mentioning in the context of the possibility to open one chapter soon, into a flourishing garden of several chapters," Fule said.

The Foreign Ministry said also that Davutoglu pointed out that Cyprus and the membership process were two separate issues and that there was divergence on the implementation of the protocol. Davutoglu also called for talks on the external relations chapter, saying it was time for a new "strategic perspective in our relations."

"Without Turkey, the EU will not be complete, it will not have strategic or geographic continuity," he said. Echoing Fule's statements, the bloc also said the EU noted with deep regret that Turkey, despite repeated calls, continued to refuse to fulfil its obligation to fully implement the Additional Protocol toward all member states.

"The EU underlined that meeting this obligation could provide a significant boost to the negotiation process," it said. The bloc, however, praised Turkey's reform process, with Fule saying he welcomed the current momentum in the accession negotiations.

[02] Ongoing debate over the "motion of no confidence" for the "ruling" UBP

The eight "deputies", who were expelled from the UBP, submitted yesterday in the "assembly" their resignation from the UBP. As a result the discussion of the "motion of censure" passed yesterday in the "assembly" with only 20 "votes" against.

The paper reports that according to political observers, it is more likely the breakaway regime to enter a period until the "early elections" without a "government".

The leader of the Republican Turkish Party ? United Forces (CTP-BG) Ozkan Yorgancioglu, addressing yesterday the "assembly", said that UBP self-styled government has lost its legitimacy for a long time now and it does not represent any more the political will of the people.

The so-called prime minister Irsen Kucuk, in his part, said that they will hold "early elections" on the 28th of July and called the "assembly" to act in common sense and not leave the "country" without a "government" for two months.

Moreover, the leader of the Democratic Party (DP) Serdar Denktas, replying to reporters' questions in the "assembly", said that the works to create a new formation with the 8 "deputies", who have resigned from the UBP, are in the stage of completion. He added that they are planning to hold an extraordinary general assembly on the 5th of June.

Denktas explained that for the time being DP has only 2 "deputies" and the final decision of the party will be finalized at the extraordinary general assembly of the party.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Communal Democracy Party Mehmet Cakici, in a written statement yesterday, evaluating the approval of the "motion of censure" in the "assembly", said that although the "government" has lost its majority in the "assembly" uses fearlessly any kind "state resources", including the "citizenships" in order to remain the power.

[03] More "citizenship" granting by the breakaway regime due to "elections"

The paper, which publishes in its front page a photo in which the long queues are shown, writes that the number of persons increased every passing day.

The paper also writes that 115 new "citizenships" were granted in only four days during last week.

[04] Turkish daily suggests that a Greek Cypriot firm is making 50-million dollars investments in Turkey

According to the paper, Dolphin Capital firm, which was established in 2005 by Miltos Kambourides and Pierre Charalambous, using the aid of the deputy chairman of TUSIAD's Higher Council Committee Cem Duma, is constructing villas in Turkey and made a 50-million dollar investment at the Antalya-Kalkan area for the construction of 50 villas.

The paper also writes that the firm's headquarters are in Virgin Islands and that is activated in the Republic of Cyprus, Greece, the Dominique Republic India and Panama with earnings totally to 750 million dollars.

[05] The Cyprus problem to be among the matters of discussion between Turkish and Italian Foreign Ministries' delegations meeting

Bilateral relations, issues pertaining to the EU, the Cyprus problem as well as current regional and international issues will be handled during the consultations on Tuesday.

[06] Dr Gunsel was declared honorary professor by the Crimea State University

Mustafa Cemil, Chairman of the Crimean Tatar nation, informed the members of the senate of the Crimean State Engineering Pedagogical University that within the framework of a signed protocol between the illegal YDU and the Crimean Tatar Assembly, every year many Tatar students study at "YDU". Cemil stressed that "YDU" contributes a lot to the promotion of the "TRNC" in the world.

[07] Turkey's Yildiz said that Turkey plans to operate 3rd nuclear power plant with national resources

Turkey's Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z told the Hurriyet Daily News in an interview on May 24 the following: "Our plan is to be able to operate our third plant, and to build the majority of this plant - whether 60 or 80% of it I don't know yet - depending on the performance of our first two nuclear plants".

Turkey recently concluded two major nuclear plant tenders with a Russian and Japanese-French consortium, and is thus planning to reduce its natural gas imports over the next decade as the plants become operational.

According to Y?ld?z, the government has already started making plans on the third nuclear plant, as the growing domestic energy needs are unlikely to be met by the first two.

"We will not rush to decide on the third plan, but we have already prepared our negotiation dossier. We could swiftly conclude the procedures, but our Prime Minister gave us another target," Y?ld?z said, adding that this target was to build the third plant mostly using the country's own national sources.

Acknowledging that it would not be possible for Turkey to construct 100 percent of a nuclear plant, Y?ld?z said a good majority could be made with national resources.

The plans for the third plant are still vague, but Y?ld?z said that the government would not be waiting until the first two nuclear plants' become operational to decide on the third one, as even choosing a site for the construction takes two years.

Targeting the building of a local nuclear plant with own resources, would also help Turkey upgrade its industrial base and allow it to move to another league, he argued. "Nothing can be achieved without first setting targets. I could put 2025 as target, and someone may say it can't be done before 2035. Whatever we say, we should first set a target. Turkey's nuclear energy projects are very important for the further industrialization of the country, as it will set a new market in the country," Y?ld?z said.

Addressing criticisms from anti-nuclear energy circles, Y?ld?z said Turkey was obliged to diversify its energy sources given its growing economy and simultaneously increasing energy needs. "They ask why there is no investment in solar energy or wind energy? This is because when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine you cannot produce energy. This is what we call energy diversification," he said.

Turkey is also working to diversify energy source countries, even making calls to southern neighbors Israel and "Greek Cyprus", as the Republic of Cyprus is called, to say it is open to cooperation with them to allow both natural gas and oil to flow via Turkey, once political stability is achieved in the region.

According to Minister Y?ld?z, Turkey will reduce the amount of imported natural gas worth $7.2 billion with the operation of its first two nuclear plants.

Another achievement of entering into the nuclear energy world is that, Turkey could get know-how and train its own experts and scientists in due course. Y?ld?z said the deal with Japan for the construction of the $22 billion-worth second nuclear plant also includes the establishment of a Turkish-Japanese Technology University, in which Turkey could benefit from Japanese nuclear energy technology. "To what extent could this technology be shared? Maybe not of all of it in the first year, because it has also its own culture. Our students, academics, engineers will take benefits from it step by step, which will perhaps take 10 or 20 years," he stressed.

This technology base will serve at an axis between central European and Gulf countries, Y?ld?z said, giving particular emphasis to Middle Eastern countries which have long suffered from internal conflicts and failed to create their own industrial capacity. "This region is not going to be in the same way forever. Countries like Iraq and Syria, who are tired [of turmoil], will surely find their correct regimes. They will also adopt industrial regimes. The [industrial] production base of these countries will be Turkey. This is the most serious investment we are making for the future," he said.

Turkey's deal with a Japanese-French consortium for the construction of the second nuclear plant has also received praise from the United States, Y?ld?z said. "From the technological perspective, our deal with Japan was very meaningful, the Americans told us," he said. He had talks with acting Secretary of Energy Daniel Coleman and the U.S. president's special envoy, Carlos Pascual, on May 16 in Washington.

[08] Occupied Lapithos municipality became a sister municipality with Antalya Kemer; statements by Eroglu on the Cyprus problem

Speaking during the meeting, Eroglu pointed to the importance of cooperation between municipalities in Turkey and in the "TRNC" and added that he is also doing his best in order to improve relations between Turkey and the "TRNC".

Referring to the Cyprus problem, Eroglu reminded that the negotiations aimed at solving the Cyprus problem have been continuing for 48 years and added that Turkey had always given its support to the Turkish Cypriots.

Noting that the Turkish Cypriot side wanted to solve the Cyprus problem as soon as possible, he, however, alleged that the Greek Cypriot side did not share the same intentions.

(?)

Meanwhile, the occupied Lapta [Lapithos] "municipality" and the Antalya Kemer Municipality signed a sister municipality protocol this morning at the "municipality union" building in occupied Lefkosia

[09] Turkey staged Denizkurdu-13 Navy exercise

(?)The exercise is being staged in the Marmara, Aegean and eastern Mediterranean seas and involves 94 ships, 23 helicopters and more than 5,000 officers. The exercise started on May 20 and will end on June 3.

[10] Turkey to produce its own fighter; it will be ready by 2023

This week three projects to build a fighter will be submitted to the Department of Defence Industry of the Defence Ministry of Turkey, when a preliminary project will be selected.

A special feature of the Turkish fighter will be its equipment with a system that will avoid radar detection. It is expected the fighter jet to be ready for operation by 2023.

Two engines will be used in the jets to enable them to stay in the air longer and gain more speed.

After selecting a project in 2021, the production of the fighter will begin, and in 2023, it will be handed over to the Turkish Armed Forces.

The Turkish defence industry has recently focused on the development and production of its own products. The country has managed to achieve a 54% self-sufficiency level in the defence industry.

[11] CHP to hold rally against AK Party's bans

Speaking at a press conference at the CHP Istanbul provincial branch, Tekin said: "We will hold this demonstration against the bans and despotism of the AK Party government."

Tekin said that the AK Party claimed that it came to power to eliminate the bans in the country, but he said things have turned out differently and now everything in the country is decided by one man, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We call on people to join this demonstration for the sake of freedom, democracy and peace," Tekin said.

The party's leader, Kemal K?l?cdaroglu, will join the demonstration in Kad?koy.

The AK Party government has recently drawn the ire of secular circles in particular due to a bill it has pressed ahead seeking limitations on the sale and advertising of alcoholic beverages.

Among other things, the bill bans the sale of alcoholic beverages between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and it bans the advertising of these beverages and all forms of their promotion. The bill also introduces heavy sanctions for those violating it. The bill is waiting for the approval of President Abdullah Gul to become law.

(?)

[12] Main opposition CHP wants to reduce election threshold to 3%

"Voting on whether to put the law on the Parliament's agenda is also a test day for Deputies. This test is a test to distinguish between those who want democracy and peace, and those who do not," Tanr?kulu said in a written statement released yesterday, while urging the public to supervise the process and take a stance on the side of democracy.

Tanr?kulu defined the threshold as an obstacle in front of democracy and hence called for it to be abolished. He further argued that the threshold hindered a significant portion of the society from organizing and being represented, which obstructed the societal peace, due to the resentment of not being fairly represented.

"Tuesday May 28, 2013, will be a historical day for democracy, justice and societal plurality to be reflected on the Parliament. Because the bill on the 'reduction of the 10% election threshold to 3% we submitted to the Parliament, will be discussed in the General Assembly," Tanr?kulu said.

Another party in the Parliament, the Peace and Democracy Parliament (BDP) is also known to have long criticized the 105 threshold, arguing that it blocks the full representation of the people. As a method to bypass this, for the past two elections, the party-led bloc submitted independent candidates, in order to later gather under the roof of the BDP.

(?) EI/ http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

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