Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 13-06-07

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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] Erdogan returned to Turkey from his tour to North Afrika; he apologized for gas but said he will not step back on Gezi Park

[02] Turkish President Gul stated the he won't allow 'witch hunt' over Twitter

[03] Tenth day of Gezi Park protest in Turkey; Damages surpassed 70 million TL

[04] Fethullah Gulen: "Don't underestimate the 'invasion of ants'"

[05] Criticism against AK Party grows in EU Parliament; A US Senator said Erdogan is acting like a dictator

[06] Turkish Cypriot press: fears exists that tension will increase in Turkey because of Erdogan's stance

[07] Turkey and Tunisia penned 21 new agreements; statements by Erdogan

[08] Azeri President Aliyev wants Azeri state-run energy firm Socar to be Turkey's number one in Turkey by 2023

[09] Turkish oil firm Petoil looks to expand to Uganda

[10] Feb 28 coup case indictment approved

[11] Report says that one-third of Turks are poor or needy

[12] Kucuk submits his resignation to Eroglu; Eroglu starts meetings with the parties

[13] The "Property Compensation Commission" is reportedly not working as local remedy

[14] The regime gives "permit" to search for gold and copper in Lefka

[15] The promotion of regime's illegal universities continues

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Erdogan returned to Turkey from his tour to North Afrika; he apologized for gas but said he will not step back on Gezi Park

Erdogan addressed to the huge and enthusiastic crowd who were cheering with applause outside the airport.

More than 10,000 supporters of the government chanted slogans against the anti-government protests saying: "Do not give up, we are with you!" and "I love you Tayyip".

Stating that he brought sincere greetings from Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian people, Erdogan said they all believed that Turkish government could overcome protests.

Turkish PM Erdogan said he serves for the 76 million-populated country, not for the 50% only, stressing that the government served from the easternmost to the westernmost part of the country not discriminating against anyone.

"Having turned into vandalism and having lost the democratic identity, the protests have to stop immediately," said Erdogan.

Referring to the claims of excessive use of police force, Erdogan said "The police may have used excessive force when needed. The Ministry of Interior has been examining the incidents. However, nobody has the right to attack us over those claims."

Erdogan reminded their promise of advanced democracy and said, "We will achieve it. As we are respectful to democracy, elections, and the national will, we expect to be treated respectfully in the same way."

(?)

Meanwhile, according to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (06.06.13) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today (yesterday) at a joint press conference with his Tunisian counterpart, Ali al-Urayyid in Tunis, that his government has expressed its sorrow for those hurt by repeated police attacks in the early stages of the Istanbul protests even while vowing to plow ahead with his plans to destroy Taksim Gezi Park.

"The sensitivities of people for environmental issues have been abused. We already expressed our sorrow for the excessive use of force," Erdogan said.

Erdogan was referring to a speech by Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ar1
nc on June 4, in which he said: "In that first event, the excessive demonstration of violence against those acting with environmental sensitivity was wrong and unfair. I apologize to those citizens. I can easily say that, but I do not think we owe an apology to those who destroyed the streets."

However, Erdogan also underlined his dedication to finalizing a construction project there, defending the Artillery Barracks project that is set to be built in the park.

"Our Taksim project is a plant that unites history and nature. And this project will produce a very beautiful environment in Istanbul," he said.

The government also will build a "beautiful and strong" opera house, replacing the existing Ataturk Kultur Merkezi (Ataturk Cultural Center), the cultural center in Taksim Square.

"There will also be trees around the opera house", he said.

Erdogan also he did not change his stance on the street violence adding that those who caused damage as part of the Taksim Gezi Park protests were the same as those who staged the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, in which one security guard and one attacker were killed and a journalist was wounded.

"There are no countries, including developed ones that do not use tear gas

Erdogan also said.

Regarding the demands of the protesters conveyed to Ar1
nc on June 6, Erdogan said it was "meaningless to have a race." "The logic of  If I take this, I give this,'  If you give this, I want this' has no place in running a state," the Prime Minister said, adding that his party never considered sending its members to the streets.

"People have right to demonstrate, he said. "But you cannot demonstrate everywhere and burn and demolish," he added. "We [as a party] collected 2.15 million votes, but never called our voters to the street. "The courts have returned our right."

(?)

[02] Turkish President Gul stated the he won't allow 'witch hunt' over Twitter

Daily Hurriyet report said that according to Feyzioglu, Gul said: "In this process, everyone needs to act responsibly and restrained. I will not allow a witch hunt over Twitter. I will be following the judicial and executive investigation".

Some 33 people have been detained in 0
zmir for "inciting riots and conducting propaganda" on the social media network Twitter. They were released based on a prosecutor's decision on June 5, but one person is still in custody.

Feyzioglu said they had handed images showing police brutality to the President, including images where police targeted protesters with gas canisters.

"We emphasized the Twitter issue because we found it scary that the communication tool of 21st-century youth would be defined as a menace," Feyzioglu said.

On June 2, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the micro blogging website as a "menace," following the heavy traffic that was witnessed on Twitter during the Gezi Park protests.

"There is a menace called Twitter. Unmitigated lies are there [on Twitter]," Erdogan said. "The thing that is called social media is a troublemaker in societies today."

[03] Tenth day of Gezi Park protest in Turkey; Damages surpassed 70 million TL

Speaking at the Ministry of Interior, Guler said that 915 people had been admitted to hospitals and 79 of them were under treatment after Taksim Gezi Park protests.

Four people are in a life threating condition and eight others are in intensive care unit, said Guler, adding that 516 security forces had also been injured.

"280 business places, 103 police cars, 259 vehicles, one house, 5 public buildings, 12 buildings -one of which belongs to CHP and 11 to AK Party- as well as advertising boards, traffic signs, bus stops, pavements, surveillance cameras, signalization systems, park and landscape arrangements, lightning columns, trash cans and police check points have been destroyed. The cost of damages has surpassed 70 million TL so far", Guler added.

Guler said that a total of 7 people of foreign nationality without diplomatic passports, 6 being in Istanbul and one in Ankara, were detained in relation to Gezi Park demonstrations.

"Two of the detainees are French, another two Iranian, one Greek, one American and one German", he added.

[04] Fethullah Gulen: "Don't underestimate the 'invasion of ants'"

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen called on June 6, the government not to underestimate the Turkey-wide protests that were sparked 10 days ago over the demolition of Gezi Park in Istanbul, comparing the demonstrations to an "invasion of ants."

"We need to act smart and see the smallest problems as very big, and we need to handle them in a smart way. If you are facing an invasion of ants, you can't disregard it thinking that they are 'ants,'" Gulen said in a video recorded speech published on his website.

Gulen argued that if the government failed to admit that some of the protesters were seeking their rights, "the innocent demands of some innocent people", participating in the demonstrations would likely be ignored. "These are generations engendered by our negligence. [The demonstrators] have some reasonable demands. Indeed they can say: 'The trees of a park should not be cut down; the panorama allowing people to walk there should be preserved. They can say ecosystem, they can say you are killing the green,'" he added.

The scholar that has lived in a self-imposed exile in the United States since the late 1990s recommended soothing the protests before they escalate and spread further.

"Fire and war? Even if you start it, you cannot stop it where you want. So you should extinguish the fire when it is small," he said, while arguing that the events had been perceived as "doomsday" all over the world.

Gulen also described the protesters as a "wrecked generation" that needs to be salvaged. He said "such depravity" would continue unless the youth were restored, urging at the same time restraint and patience from his followers. "Our duty is to work to rehabilitate hearts," he added.

[05] Criticism against AK Party grows in EU Parliament; A US Senator said Erdogan is acting like a dictator

In a debate at the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) of the European Parliament, MEPs unleashed unprecedented criticism against the 11-year AK Party rule. While some MEPs urged Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to apologize when he returns from his visit to North Africa, others voiced concern regarding calls from the right and extreme right-wing parties in Europe to end accession talks using the Taksim events as an excuse.

Stressing that she was "very disappointed by the reaction" of Erdogan, the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey, Dutch Christian Democrat Ria Oomen-Ruijten said: "He does not seem to care about the effects of his language and style."

There were also voices in the debate that categorically rejected comparisons with the Arab Spring. Giles Portman, the advisor to EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said the comparison would be misleading as there was a functioning democracy in Turkey and Erdogan had been elected three times by getting 50% of the vote.

British Socialist MEP Richard Howitt strongly criticized Erdogan and referred to the debate on whether Turkey could be a model for the Arab Spring. "You cannot support democratic flourishing in Arab Spring countries if you do not protect democracy at home," he said.

The European Parliament is expected to discuss the recent events again next week in a plenary session in Strasbourg and there are calls from different political groups to have an "urgent resolution" on Turkey.

In the AFET meeting, Greek Socialist Maria Eleni Koppa said Erdogan's real power will be shown "by exercising humility and accepting to apologize."

European Commissioner Stefan Fule, who is visiting Turkey and expected to meet with Erdogan, will also be talking to the Taksim Platform, his office announced.

Meanwhile, the US Senator John McCain has said that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is acting like a dictator rather than a Prime Minister in the eyes of many Turks.

Speaking at Brookings Institute on Thursday, McCain, a staunch backer of a US intervention in the prolonged Syrian crisis, said there are more journalists jailed in Turkey than any other country in the world.

Speaking about a wide array of issues, especially about the current conflict in Syria, McCain said Erdogan is seen as a dictator in the eyes of many Turks.

[06] Turkish Cypriot press: fears exists that tension will increase in Turkey because of Erdogan's stance

"Fears exist that the tension, which exists in Turkey, will increase further after this stance of Erdogan", notes that paper adding that Erdogan returned last night to Istanbul after his four-day tour abroad and he was received at the airport by a crowd holding flags of Turkey and of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). At the same time, notes that paper, rallies protesting against Erdogan's and AKP's policies and calling them to resign were held in Turkey's big cities such as Ankara, Izmir and Adana. According to the paper, the common slogan in the rallies, which were turned into a fiesta, was: "Freedom and democracy" and "WE ARE THE SOLDIERS OF MUSTAFA KEMAL" [Translator's note: The capital letters are used by the paper]. The paper writes that the flag of no political party was carried at the rallies and that the squares were full with posters of Ataturk.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (07.06.13) reports that what has been said for Syrian President Assad is now said for Erdogan, who insists on not making any step backwards and ignores the uprising of the people and all the warnings. The paper writes that while Erdogan was abroad, he stated that they are determined to demolish Gezi Park and continue with their plans. After this statement, people flooded into Taksim Square last night, reports the paper describing Erdogan's flight back to Turkey as his "most difficult flight". Erdogan was expected to arrive in Turkey at 21.00 hours, but later it was announced that he would arrive at 24.00 and afterwards at 01.30. No statement had been made as regards the place where he would land, extraordinary security measures with the presence of armoured cars were taken around his residence and helicopters were flying on the air around the area.

According to Afrika, Fethullah Gulen is also mad at Erdogan. The paper notes that Gulen is the person, who actually governs Turkey, lives in America and is considered as imam and AKP's spiritual leader. "He is the teacher of Tayyip Erdogan and the person who brought him to power", writes Afrika and refers to a statement made by Gulen, who "reprimands Erogan because he messed everything up and woke up Turkey which was asleep" [Translator's note: For Gulen's statement see Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review of today, item 4].

(I/Ts.)

[07] Turkey and Tunisia penned 21 new agreements; statements by Erdogan

Erdogan said that from now on, the economic relations among Turkey and Tunisia would be maintained under the secretaries of Ministers, especially the Foreign Ministers of both countries.

"We are establishing a strong economic relationship based on strong foundation. We are at the final stage of ending the custom duties between the two countries," said Erdogan.

Erdogan said that Tunisia was also reducing the custom duties step by step; moreover, the custom duties would be ended for Turkish industry goods in June next year.

Erdogan also reminded that Turkey declared 500 million USD in financial support to Tunisia.

Erdogan stressed that Tunisia, with its intellectual young population, qualified workforce, strategic position opening to Africa, had opportunities as transit trade and logistics centre.

"I believe that our entrepreneurs will efficiently use these opportunities with their Tunisian counterparts," said Erdogan.

Prime Minister Erdogan underlined further that achieving democracy and transformation is a demanding process which goes on such a long time and for which everyone should be patient. "Our 400 years common history sustains to strengthen our relations," said Erdogan.

Referring to the trade volume among the two countries, Erdogan said that it should rapidly rise to 3 billion USD from a billion. Compared to Erdogan's statements, Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Laareydh pronounced the number "four" to increase the trading volume among the two countries.

Erdogan stressed that Turkish companies which have global experience at construction sector, should be involved in the superstructure projects in the next term in Tunisia.

"Turkey is the second country at the construction sector after China in the world," said Erdogan.

(?)Erdogan underlined that 50 Tunisian students studied at the graduate and undergraduate schools in Turkey. "The number of students should be mutually increased", he added.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Turkish Embassy in Tunisia, and met with Tunisian leader of Al-Nahda Movement Rashid Al-Gannushi.

Erdogan received information about the activities of Turkish Embassy from Turkish diplomats.

After the meeting with Al-Gannushi, Erdogan left Tunisia for Turkey.

Meanwhile, Ankara Anatolia news agency (07.06.13) reports that in the joint declaration of a High Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting, made between Turkey and Tunisia, a call was made expressing support for independent Palestine and a "solution to the legitimate demands of the Syrian people."

The Council session was held under the co-chairmanship of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Laareydh.

In the council session, it was also decided to improve the work opportunities among entrepreneurs of two countries and to enhance and support the common projects and mutual investments between Tunisia and Turkey.

The declaration stated that the summit between Turkey and Tunisia would be held in Turkey next year, and a call was made for giving support to independent Palestine and "solution to the legitimate demands of the Syrian people."

After the council session, Erdogan came together with the President of Tunisia's Constituent Assembly, Mustapha Ben Jaafar.

[08] Azeri President Aliyev wants Azeri state-run energy firm Socar to be Turkey's number one in Turkey by 2023

"I want to see the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic [SOCAR] become the biggest group in Turkey by 2023," the Azeri President said after his meeting with members of Socar, Turkey during the "Caspian Oil & Gas" fair in Azerbaijan.

Visiting the state energy firm's pavilion at the fair, which began on June 4 and ends today, Aliyev received some briefings about Socar's operations and investment projects in Turkey, from Socar Turkey head Kenan Yavuz and Socar President Rovnag Abdullayev. Apparently, he was pleased with what he heard.

"Our aim was to become one of Turkey's top three groups by 2018 with a $15 to $20 billion income," Yavuz said, speaking to the press after the small presentation. "But the president wanted us to revise our target to first place."

Yavuz says they "sincerely believe" Socar could achieve this aim with more work, considering the upward trajectory the company already has in Turkey.

Socar Turkey was founded by Socar to carry out its activities in Turkey in 2008, as that was the year Socar entered Turkish markets by acquiring control of Turkish petrochemical giant Petkim.

(?)

[09] Turkish oil firm Petoil looks to expand to Uganda

Petoil, a Turkish independent petroleum exploration and production company, has expressed its official interest in expanding into Uganda, announcing plans to join a tender for the East African country's petroleum resources.

"We have been in Uganda for more than five years, looking forward to a new oil law. The Ugandan government finally passed the law in April. They will announce a number of tenders for the existing petroleum sites. We will be there to compete with other energy companies for these sites," Mehmet Ali Ak, the general manager of the Ankara-based Petoil, told Hurriyet Daily News.

He said that the sites in Uganda have around 3 billion cubic meters of discovered oil. "The amount is the case for one basin that has already been drilled. There are two more basins which are confirmed to have petroleum but need to be drilled to learn the exact amount," Ak said.

Petoil has already registered a Ugandan subsidiary to prepare for the new licensing in more than one bloc. The company is now waiting for the remaining regulations to be made and new institutions like the Petroleum Authority of Uganda and the National Oil Company, among others, which are expected in less than one year.

(?)

Rush to Afrika

The company is looking to become one of the early-comers to Uganda's still mostly untouched oil market. Petoil representatives said that Africa may be the most feasible markets for Turkish investors as other regions having proven energy resources have already been taken by big oil. The company has operations only in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) other than Turkey. Petoil holds 20% of the Chia Surkh 10 well with Anglo-Turkish Genel Energy, which owns 60%of the well, and the KRG, which has the remaining 20%.

[10] Feb 28 coup case indictment approved

The Ankara 13th High Criminal Court, to which the indictment was submitted, did not return it for review in the 15 day evaluation period stipulated by the Turkish Penal Code, meaning the bill was automatically approved.

It calls for aggravated life sentences for 103 suspects on charges of "participating in forcibly toppling the government of Turkish Republic."

The February 28 military memorandum was a host of decisions issued by the Turkish military in 1997.

The then Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan was forced to sign the decisions into law, which included the enforcement of headscarf ban, a cause of long-standing controversy, as well as shutting down of Koran schools and measures to control media.

Soon after the memorandum episode, Erbakan resigned his post and the government collapsed. The event has come to be called a "postmodern coup", as it ended a government without causing dissolution of the parliament or suspension of the constitution.

[11] Report says that one-third of Turks are poor or needy

According to written data the Ministry has released, more than 23.6 million people from 6.7 million households are listed as poor and needy in an online data inventory of the ministry,

The country's population reached 75.6 million in 2012, according to data released by the Turkey's statistical authority, T?0
K.

More than 6.3 million people from 2.1 million households are receiving social assistance, according to the statistics. More than 19.5 billion Turkish Liras are allocated for social assistance, according to projections.

The Ministry's data said that the rate of poverty decreased for seven years after 2002. Hunger poverty decreased to 0.48% in 2009 from 1.35% in 2002. The report listed no one in hunger poverty in 2010 and 2011. Those living on less than 1 dollar a day totalled 0.01% in 2005 and the report cited no one in this category since that year.

The rate of both hunger poverty and poverty not caused by food, decreased to 18.08% in 2009 from 26.96% in 2002, according to the Ministry's 2012 social assistance statistics.

The Ministry stated that a serious improvement had been seen in the lives of those living on less than 4.3 dollars a day. Those spending only 4.3 dollars a day were 30.30% in 2002, while this rate was 2.79% in 2011, the Ministry's data said. The rate of those living on 2.15 dollars a day decreased 0.14% in 2011 from 3.04% in 2002.

More women benefit from social assistances, totalling 70%, according to the data.

The budget allocated to social assistance and services increased to 19.5 million liras in 2012 from 1.3 million liras in 2002, said the report. The Health Ministry allocated 5.1 million liras to social assistance.

Meanwhile, social assistance foundations directed 1,088,864 people between the ages of 15 and 64 to the Turkish Employment Organization (0
SKUR).

[12] Kucuk submits his resignation to Eroglu; Eroglu starts meetings with the parties

Eroglu's first meeting was with the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) last night. In statements after the meeting, CTP's chairman Ozkan Yorgancioglu said they would meet with the other parties on Monday and make an evaluation as regards the establishment of a "government". He noted that they asked from Eroglu to assign someone with the duty of establishing a "government" after that meeting.

In statements after submitting the resignation of his "government", Kucuk said that their expectation was for Eroglu to decide without losing his neutrality and to remain committed to the "laws" within the framework of the constitution.

The leader of the Democratic Party ? National Forces (DP-UG), Serdar Denktas said that they will make the necessary sacrifice in order for the "country" not to remain without a "government" until the "elections". "Let no one have any doubt that we will not leave our people in any uncertainty", he noted.

The chairman of the Social Democrat Party (TDP), Mehmet Cakici stated that the parties which had voted 'yes' to the "motion of census" had not the luxury of leaving the "country" without alternative until the "elections" and added that within this context, TDP, CTP and DP should reach a consensus to establish a "structure" which will be on duty until 28 July.

(I/Ts.)

[13] The "Property Compensation Commission" is reportedly not working as local remedy

The paper recalls that after the "Commission" accepted Evkaf as intervener in the cases filed by Lordos as regards his immovable properties in occupied Varosha, the Greek Cypriot refugee appealed to the "high court" of the regime.

Kadri said that Lordos had applied to the "Commission" in 2010 for his five hotels, nine apartments, five shops, one house and plots of land in occupied Varosha and Famagusta area. Kadri recalled that there are two "sides" in the cases that come in front of the "Commission": the property owner and the so-called ministry of interior of the regime. He added that the "attorney" asked for the Evkaf to be also a side in the case alleging that the properties in Varosha belong to Evkaf.

Kadri said that the "president" of the so-called high court, Nevvar Nolan had not determined any date as regards the announcement of their decision on the issue.

Kadri pointed out that the allegations that the properties in Varosha belong to Evkaf are ridiculous and noted: "The reasonable period of time given for the attorney's office to file a defense at the Immovable Property Commission (TMK) is around 8-10 months. On the issue of Varosha, however, three years passed and this is my most long-lasting case. In spite of the fact that three years passed, no procedure has been carried out. Both the Commission and the attorney's office are turning a blind eye on this issue. The passing of three years show that the local remedy does no work. If the high court does no annul the decision taken as regards making Evkaf a side in the cases, the local remedy will not work and the possibility for returning to the ECHR will be created".

Kadri said that the "Commission" has not produced any decision on cases that concern Varosha until today and added that he does not think that instructions come from some places on the issue of Varosha, like the Greek Cypriot press is alleging.

(I/Ts.)

[14] The regime gives "permit" to search for gold and copper in Lefka

Dervis Besimler, director of the Turkish Cypriot "Investment Development Agency" ("YAGA"), confirmed the information, saying that the above-mentioned company's investment was considered worthy to evaluate. He added that an application was submitted to them for carrying out explorations for metals and added that they are in the beginning of the assessment of this application. He said that they will give the "permit" provided that the company abides by the necessary conditions.

The paper publishes a copy of the decision of the "council of ministers" that carries the date 22 April 2013.

(I/Ts.)

[15] The promotion of regime's illegal universities continues

Meanwhile, according to Havadis (07.06.13), the Administrative Director of the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA), Prof. Dr. Daisuke Motoki and the president of the so-called Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination Council ("YODAK"), Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Bicak have visited the campus of illegal Near East University ("YDU"). During their meeting with the deputy "rectors" of "YDU", they discussed the application of the "university" as regards the accreditation by FIBAA of under and post graduate programs offered by "YDU's" faculty for Financial and Administrative Sciences and its School for Tourism and Hotel Administration.

(I/Ts.)

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