Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 13-08-22

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Erk asks the annulment of Cyprus' joint manoeuvre with Greece and Israel in Eastern Mediterranean

[02] BKP: The agreed issues and the basis for a federal solution must be respected in the negotiations for solving the Cyprus problem

[03] CTP-BG and DP-UG could not agree on establishing a "government"

[04] The foreign students in the occupied area of Cyprus increase fivefold compared to 3 years ago

[05] First reaction from AKP to US condemnation of Erdogan's Egypt remarks

[06] Davutoglu said that they carry out secret diplomacy to meet with Morsi

[07] Davutoglu says Syria chemical attack images "intolerable"

[08] Columnist evaluates Obama's reaction to Erdogan

[09] Three kids not enough, make it five: Turkey's social security head

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Erk asks the annulment of Cyprus joint maneuver with Greece and Israel in Eastern Mediterranean

Erk alleged, inter alia, the following: "As it is known, during the past few years, Toros manoeuvre has been annulled by the Turkish Cypriot side and in return for this Nikiforos manoeuvre [was annulled] by the Greek Cypriot side, as a sign of good will and of the target of achieving peace and stability both on the island and in the area. However, the joint manoeuvre element, which has been added to the unilateral and illegal exploration and extradition activities for natural gas and includes war scenarios, is totally contrary to the approach that targets peace both on the island and in the region?"

Erk claimed that the peaceful future is allegedly threatened by the so-called revival of the plans of the Greek Cypriot side to let the Russian Federation use an airbase in Pafos and by the "fact" that it does not hesitate to allegedly "bring into the island a militarist structure" that includes elements which threaten peace and stability not only in Cyprus but in the entire region as well.

(I/Ts.)

[02] BKP: The agreed issues and the basis for a federal solution must be respected in the negotiations for solving the Cyprus problem

In a written statement issued yesterday, Sonustun argued that both sides should abandon their "negative stance" and be sincere and added that "zeroing the progress achieved in the negotiations until today" and exerting efforts to abandon the basis for a federal solution will be "an adventure without a result".

Sonustun alleged that President Anastasiades behaves "as if he is the owner of Cyprus" and "attaches no importance to the Turkish Cypriots". He went on and claimed: "Mr Anastasiades must stop behaving as if he is the owner of Cyprus. Cyprus belongs to all Cypriots. Turkish Cypriots have as many rights as the Greek Cypriots in the oil, natural gas and all the other natural resources. Ignoring the issues on which the negotiator before him had agreed and putting the condition of discussing only the issues which he wants is not a sincere approach. All issues and chapters are on the table".

Moreover, Sonustun said that the occupied fenced city of Varosha must be returned to its legal owners in parallel to the solution process, the port of Famagusta must be opened for direct trade and the Turkish Cypriot community must be rescued from the so-called embargoes which it allegedly faces.

(I/Ts.)

[03] CTP-BG and DP-UG could not agree on establishing a "government"

In statements after the meeting, Serdar Denktas, chairman of the DP-UG, said that they could reach no convergence or agreement on the sensitivities of the two parties and added that they decided to stop meeting. Denktas noted that after the meeting of the CTP-BG's council, they would know whether the process has ended.

Denktas underlined that their indispensable conditions do not coincide with those of the CTP-BG and added that they have taken this decision in order not to waste more time. Denktas said that deadlock was experienced on the issue of the self-styled ministries of finance and internal affairs and added that the DP-UG wanted one of these "ministries", but received negative answer.

On his part, Ozkan Yorgancioglu said that both parties had sensitivities during these discussions that lasted for two days and that efforts have been exerted by the delegations and the presidents of the parties for overcoming these sensitivities. He noted that their sensitivities were on the agenda of their discussions and added that they could not agree on these issues and that is why they were forced to interrupt the meetings.

He said that the CTP-BG's council will assess the negative result of the discussions with the DP-UG tonight and decide whether the party should stop negotiating with the DP-UG and start meeting with the National Unity Party (UBP).

(I/Ts.)

[04] The foreign students in the occupied area of Cyprus increase fivefold compared to 3 years ago

He noted that the number of the foreign students in the occupied Cyprus has reached to 12 thousands an increase of 5 times compared to 2.500 students in 2010. He also argued that the "universities" have taken important steps by taking into consideration the inspections by esteemed accreditation institutions regarding their structure and by increasing the quality education of their education programmes.

[05] First reaction from AKP to US condemnation of Erdogan's Egypt remarks

"The United States has played Israel's advocate and condemned the prime minister's statements. The statements of the U.S., which have not condemned the coup [in Egypt], do not carry a lot of weight with us," Kapusuz said via Twitter, slamming Washington for reacting before Israel.

"Besides, the fact that the U.S. has hurried to respond to us before Israel should be due to a complicity psychology. Turkey will endeavour to end the massacre in Egypt even if it is alone. Turkey is a strong country that won't submit to the impositions of any country," he added.

On Aug. 20, Erdogan had claimed to have evidence that Israel orchestrated the July 3 military takeover that toppled the elected President Mohamed Morsi in Egypt, triggering a strong response from Washington. The White House Spokesman Josh Earnest said that the comments were "offensive and unsubstantiated and wrong," and damaging for regional cooperation.

Kapusuz was the first to react on social media; however government officials have not made comments yet on Earnest's statements.

[06] Davutoglu said that they carry out secret diplomacy to meet with Morsi

He said that intelligence chief Hakan Fidan had been tasked by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and also met with security officials as Ankara considered the developments in Egypt as "critical."

"I'm making it public for the first time: We are carrying out secret diplomacy even at this moment [to meet with Morsi]," Davutoglu told to the private broadcaster Kanal 24.

Davutoglu also criticized the court ruling on former strongman Hosni Mubarak's release.

"The release of Mubarak while Morsi is still detained will reverse the whole process," he said, adding that Turkey would not meet the current administration without being authorized to hold talks with Morsi.

[07] Davutoglu says Syria chemical attack images "intolerable"

"During the meeting of the National Security Council, the number of dead had reached 1,187. We all had tears in our eyes, because we have been shown some footage found by our national intelligence service," Davutoglu said, during an interview with private broadcaster Kanal 24.

"These are images that are not tolerable by any human being. It is impossible to accept that those who are [physically and morally] blind to what's happening in Syria remain idle after this crime against humanity," he said.

"No one says that the chemical attack did not take place. The Syrian regime also condemns it but says that it is not responsible."

Davutoglu also revealed that he personally asked the General-Secretary of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon for a Security Council meeting and the immediate clarification of the claims by a U.N. fact-finding mission set up to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict.

For its part, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a strongly-worded statement describing as "barbarity" and "atrocity" the reports on the chemical attack, stressing that the international community was facing a "moral test."

"The International community and the United Nations are confronted with a serious test in front of human morality and history. We are inviting the UN Security Council to take its responsibility over this massacre which is a crime against humanity," the statement said.

"Those responsible for this atrocity are the leaders of a regime that wants to keep its power regardless of any cost and a group out of its senses. This group that kills its own people will sooner or later render account on what it has done," the statement also said.

[08] Columnist evaluates Obama's reaction to Erdo
an

"The White House statement against Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's Aug. 20 remarks about Israel being behind the military coup in Egypt is the strongest ever reaction by the U.S. against a Turkish leader so far. U.S. President Barack Obama's spokesman did not only 'strongly condemn' Erdogan's remarks, but also used words like 'offensive, unsubstantiated and wrong' to describe the accusations.

There was no response on the Turkish side as the Hurriyet Daily News went to press; a pre-planned National Security Board meeting was ongoing anyway. However, this statement is likely to take its place among other troublesome points in Turkish-U.S. relations, such as President Johnson's letter in 1964 over Cyprus, the arms embargo in 1974, again over Cyprus, and the Suleymaniyah affair in 2003 over the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the Kurds.

This bitter U.S. statement defending Israel against the Turkish PM should be taken seriously by the Turkish government regarding the current state and future of its foreign policy. Mainly because of the following reasons:

1) ISOLATION AND EXCLUSION: Erdogan, who initiated his foreign policy with a positive motto, "zero problems with neighbours," is now at a point where he is at odds with and challenges not only "the West," but also now the Arab countries, because they are not on the same page as him about the coup in Egypt, as an extension of his policies on Syria. Turkey has withdrawn its ambassadors from Israel, Syria and now Egypt, but Erdogan's counterparts are seemingly not terribly impressed nor affected by Erdogan's remarks and moves. Turkey is no longer directly involved in, if not excluded, from the ongoing diplomacy regarding Egypt and the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.

2) IDEOLOGY BEFORE NATIONAL INTERESTS: Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has decided to go on a European tour covering Germany, the U.K. and Italy. But his priority is not to promote Turkey's strategically critical relations with the European Union, which are in decline. Instead, his priority seems to be promoting democracy in the Arab region. It is possible to see this move within Erdogan's "what if it happens in Turkey, too?" Egypt concerns in the same speech on Aug. 20 in Ankara. The situation has already started to affect Turkey's exports to Middle Eastern countries, but this cannot be raised openly because business circles do not choose to be outspoken nowadays. There is an impression that Turkish foreign policy is becoming increasingly based on principles and ideology, rather than national interests.

3) OBAMA'S SUPPORT FOR ERDOGAN: There is a suggestion that has been whispered in diplomatic circles for some time that the only world leader who Erdogan takes seriously and really listen to is Obama. It is also the widespread belief that it is Obama who is personally not stopping the U.S. system from further statements or moves regarding Turkey because of its regional policies or human rights implementations, both out of his personal sympathy to Erdogan and Erdogan's full cooperation with Obama when it comes to NATO and military issues.

It is natural that Ankara cannot remain silent regarding such a bitter statement from the U.S. However, the statement could be a reason to start thinking about how to regain credit for Turkish foreign policy for Erdogan, Davutoglu and President Abdullah Gul, who are the ones shaping it."

[09] Three kids not enough, make it five: Turkey's social security head

"The three children that our Prime Minister suggested is the minimum that is needed. Five kids are needed; we should know the facts on that. Of course, economic conditions matter, and of course those children will need a good education. But there are those who don't have children despite a strong economic status," said Yadigar Gokalp Ilhan, the first-ever female head of the SGK, adding that the country's social safety net depended on an increase in the country's birth rate.

"If those who love this country think of the future of the country and of their kids, this is the truth," she said.

Ilhan said that once the rate of new births begins falling and the proportion of young people in the population begins to decrease, the retirement system will start to face problems, which could be avoided by having more than three children.

The social security head added that the current "trend" was to have two children. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

YH

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article