Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 13-09-12

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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] Downer conveys President Anastasiades' proposal on occupied Varosha to Eroglu and Davutoglu

[02] Eroglu will meet the new "coalition government" on the Cyprus problem

[03] The "new coalition government" won a "parliamentary confidence vote"

[04] Turkish Cypriot businessmen hold contacts in the Netherlands

[05] The "TRNC" is seen as "important step for the division" within the framework of "Cyprus' Recovery Plan"

[06] Syrian crisis isn't just about chemicals, says Turkish President

[07] Turkish Parliament: 345,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey since 2011

[08] Iraq vows to reinstate relations with Turkey

[09] Police intervene against protesters during demos in Istanbul's Kadikoy

[10] The 'Gul difference' in Turkish administration

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Downer conveys President Anastasiades' proposal on occupied Varosha to Eroglu and Davutoglu

In a statement after his meeting with Eroglu yesterday in the occupied part of Nicosia, Downer said that their primary target is to plan the negotiations which are expected to begin in October and secure that progress will be achieved by the leaders. He noted that the representatives of the leaders will meet today at noon and added that 2-3 such meetings will be held until the leaders' meeting.

Downer said that in parallel to the issue of occupied fenced city of Varosha they discussed some other issues with Eroglu and added that he will convey President Anastasiades' proposal on Varosha to Minister Davutoglu and the Turkish government tomorrow. He noted that the UN sees issues such as Varosha separately from the negotiations adding that their duty is to encourage the comprehensive solution and help in reaching this solution. He said that the Greek Cypriot side sees issues like Varosha as confidence building measures and believes that the negotiations will be accelerated, if progress is achieved on this issue. Downer pointed out that the important thing for them is for the negotiations to be productive and added that all their efforts to this direction.

Citing "diplomatic sources", Yeni Duzen writes that there is no proposal in writing for Varosha and that the Greek Cypriot side has conveyed to Downer "not clarified views" such as the opening of Varosha under EU control, taking care of chapters in Turkey's EU accession negotiations and discussion of the issue of illegal Tymvou airport in return of handing over Varosha to its legal owners.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Eroglu will meet the new "coalition government" on the Cyprus problem

[03] The "new coalition government" won a "parliamentary confidence vote"

The "government program" of the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG) and the Democrat Party-National Forces (DP-UG) "coalition government" was approved with 32 votes at the self-styled general assembly. 16 "deputies" voted against the program.

National Unity Party (UBP) "deputy" Tahsin Ertugruloglu and the CTP-BG "deputy" Omer Kalyoncu didn't take part in the voting.

In a short statement after receiving the vote of confidence, self-styled prime minister Ozkan Yorganc?oglu said that a critical period awaits the "new government" with new initiatives and reforms put on the agenda, adding that they expect the opposition to cooperate with them for the sake of the public's interests.

Meanwhile, "permanent committees" of the so-called TRNC assembly held their first meetings yesterday to elect their "chairmen" and "vice-chairmen".

[04] Turkish Cypriot businessmen hold contacts in the Netherlands

In statements during his meeting with the 21-member Turkish Cypriot delegation, Dogan said that the Netherlands keeps equal distance from both communities in Cyprus and pointed that Cyprus in general and the occupied part of the island in particular, is in parallel to the regulations of the European Union. The Turkish ambassador noted that the Netherlands as a country cannot officially lift the so-called embargoes allegedly implemented on the Turkish Cypriots, but in spite of this, bilateral relations based on mutual profit could be established between businessmen. He argued that "if there is a profitable business, the embargo will not be able to prevent a businessman".

Dogan said that at the first stage firms which have business relations with Turkey might be directed towards the occupied area of Cyprus and could launch good relations with it. He noted that businessmen are interested in profitable businesses everywhere in the world. Dogan argued also that the businessmen could be the steam engine of the solution in Cyprus.

The delegation briefed Dogan on breakaway regime's situation in the fields of economy, trade and politics. It also asked his help for being able to trade with Dutch businessmen and investors.

In statements at the Turkish embassy, the chairman of KTIAK Ilker Zugurt said that they want to have a result from their contacts in the Netherlands and added that they "could not sit and wait passively because embargoes exist on the TRNC". He said it was the first visit of Turkish Cypriot businessmen to the Netherlands, but it will not be the last.

During its visit to Amsterdam's Chamber of Commerce, the delegation asked help on the issue of trade between Turkish Cypriot and Dutch businessmen. A promise for help in bilateral contacts was given to the Turkish Cypriot businessmen. The Chamber's trade consultant, Fatma Sener, who is a Turk born in the Netherlands, said she is ready to offer any kind of help to the Turkish Cypriots and added that she will exert efforts for the "TRNC", but the "embargoes" limit the things which could be done on this issue.

(I/Ts.)

[05] The "TRNC" is seen as "important step for the division" within the framework of "Cyprus' Recovery Plan"

"?The military regime formed with the coup increased the influence of the Special War Department in Cyprus, which had anyway been very strong. Interferences in the political life, in the elections and in the internal affairs of the parties increased. The most important development of that time was experienced in 1983. In the morning of the 15th of November a 'new state' was declared in north Cyprus, of which telephone connection with the world was suddenly cut off one night. On the one hand, the possibility to be elected to the post of the head of the state, which had been limited to two terms in the Constitution of the Turkish Cypriot Federate State (KTFD), was turned into unlimited times, and the way of president Rauf Denktas was politically paved, but on the other hand another important step was taken for the 'division' within the framework of 'Cyprus' Recovery Plan'. We entered into a new period for Cyprus with this step of the fascist coup, a period that perhaps has no return. The fascist coup of 12 September brought many pains and developments which changed the direction of history for the Turkish Cypriots and the Cyprus problem ?"

(I/Ts.)

[06] Syrian crisis isn't just about chemicals, says Turkish President

"We already knew that there was a great amount of chemical weapons in one of our neighbouring countries. So cleansing Syria of chemical weapons is a significant development. One should be grateful for this. But this should not become a tactic; it should be a real cleansing. The second dimension to this is that the issue is not solely about chemical weapons," Gul told reporters on Sept. 11, following the International Financial Systems Forum in Istanbul.

The Syrian Foreign Minister said Sept. 10 that his government was ready to turn over its chemical weapons stockpile in line with the proposal, in order "to thwart U.S. aggression."

However, Gul called on the U.S. authorities to not view the situation only in terms of chemical weaponry and also recognize the broader situation in the Syrian civil war, where over 100,000 people have been killed so far.

"There is a country here where over 100,000 people have been killed, where a cruel civil war reigns, where people's cities are destroyed. This must be stopped. There has to be a political strategy as a way out. Otherwise, no one can accept things going as they are," he said, adding that the overturning of the chemical weapons did not dismiss the need for a real solution in the war-stricken country.

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Levent Gumrukcu said that Turkey welcomes the proposal that would allow Syria to surrender chemical weapons to the control of the international community, but such a move would not abolish the Syrian regime's responsibility for past incidents where chemical weapons were used.

The use of chemical weapons is just one part of the crisis in Syria, but not the sole element, he added, citing that due to the Syrian regime's "violence", more than 100,000 people had been killed and more than 2 million displaced.

The international community should perceive that all these elements are threats against international and regional peace and security, and develop a strategy accordingly, Gumrukcu stated.

[07] Turkish Parliament: 345,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey since 2011

As the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime and the possible international intervention in war-torn Syria have brought the Syrian refugee problem to the agenda of Syria's neighbouring countries, the Turkish Parliament has prepared a detailed report on refugees.

According to the report, 345,000 Syrian refugees have entered Turkish borders since the Syrian war began in mid-2011. While 144,000 of them returned to their homeland, 201,000 have continued to stay in different Turkish cities. Turkey also hosted 397 Syrians who were injured in the war in Syria and required medical or hospital care.

The report estimated that the town with the most refugees is Sanliurfa's border town of Ceylanpinar. A total of 36,521 refugees have been staying in 4,500 tents in Ceylanpinar. There are also 29,292 Syrians who have been living in tents in Sanliurfa's Akcakale.

The report also mentioned the situation of other refugees living in Turkey. According to data, 36,000 asylum seekers, 14,000 Iraqis, 9,000 Afghanis, 7,000 Iranians, 2,000 Somalians and 2,000 people from other countries have been taking shelter in Turkey. Most of these refugees range in age from 18 to 59, says the report.

The report notes the number of refugees that Turkey has been hosting since 1960. While there were only 2,200 refugees in 1960 in Turkey, the number of refugees reached a peak in 1989 with 33,000 refugees. In 1972 and 1974, there were no refugees in Turkey.

[08] Iraq vows to reinstate relations with Turkey

"In a meeting we had today with Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, we reached an agreement to put the relationship between the two countries back on track, back to its normal flow," al-Nujaifi said yesterday.

"I submitted Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's desire for relations to go back to normal, and for problems to be solved, new horizons to be opened. Prime Minister [Erdogan] accepted this issue. In a short while, there will be mutual visits and soon after he will invite the Iraqi Foreign Minister to Turkey," he added, while affirming that bilateral ties between the two countries had "always been positive" and had witnessed only a brief regression. Al-Nujaifi also commented on the ongoing crisis in Syria, saying that both Iraq and Turkey had responsibilities. "The two countries have a common responsibility to sustain stability and peace in the region. What is happening in Syria is making our hearts bleed. As a neighbouring country, it has been affecting us too. By all means, we must make an effort to create peace and stability in Syria," he said.

The Iraqi speaker also criticized the West's response to events in Syria. "While 100,000 people were dying, they did not get mad. They only voiced their reaction when 1,000 people died with chemical weapons. Their aim is not to stop death in Syria, it is to take the chemical weapons from Syria," he said.

[09] Police intervene against protesters during demos in Istanbul's Kad?koy

Kad?koy, where demonstrations have mostly been eventless since the end of May, witnessed a heavy-handed police intervention for the second day in a row.

Riot police officers who were deployed in large numbers started firing tear gas and water cannons in the Sogutlucesme area, a major public transportation node, against protesters who were marching from the docks, around 10 p.m.

Police continued their intervention and once again resorted to tear gas and water cannon trucks (TOMAs) to disperse protesters who were gathered near the well-known "bull square" on the main artery of the Bahariye neighbourhood.

Some demonstrators formed barricades with garbage cans and set them on fire at the entrance of the pedestrian Bahariye Avenue.

Social media users posted pictures of protesters injured during the police intervention and called for medical treatment.

[10] The 'Gul difference' in Turkish administration

"'The loss of life is not a joke'" is the striking sentence Turkish President Abdullah Gul used yesterday about the death of a 22-year old man, Ahmet Atakan in a protest demonstration two days earlier on September 9.

The full expression that he used is as follows: 'The most sensitive inspections will be done over this issue. What's necessary will be done. It is a controversial issue as far as I understood. But I felt great sorrow. The loss of life is not a joke'.

The death of the young man sparked further protests with the suspicion that he was actually killed (hit in the head by a tear gas canister) and further police reaction in different cities of Turkey on September 10 night. The controversy that Gul was mentioning the next morning was about Atakan's death. The course of the debate had changed following a video released by semi-official Anadolu Agency, showing a body ? presumably that of Atakan ? dropping from somewhere high, presumably from the roof of a building, where, according to some reports he was throwing objects on the armoured police vehicle there trying to disperse the crowd. It is not certain yet whether he had fallen after being hit or if he was not hit at all. Interior Minister Muammer Guler stated that there was no uncertainty that the death was not due to a stroke to his head.

It is important to note that Gul's expression of grief neither makes a judgment of whether Atakan was committing a crime, nor the police, but takes a humanitarian and neutral stance as a President should do. It could be recalled that Gul had said in the first days of the Gezi incidents that unnecessary use of force by the police had put fuel on the fire and caused the incidents to escalate. After Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's full backing of the police, calling their act as 'legendarily heroic' and giving them bonuses because of their high performance, Gul preferred not to make any comment on that, perhaps in order not to cause further allegations that there is a discrepancy between him and the Prime Minister.

There are more examples to underline Gul's difference in the Turkish administration. To name a few, it was Gul who said that 'Democracy is not about the ballot box only. You should listen to people,' on June 3, in the heat of Gezi protests and exactly one month before the coup in Egypt which toppled the elected President Mohamed Morsi. He was criticized (without being named) by Erdogan and a number of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) MPs and pro-government writers. In foreign policy, his statements regarding the developments in Egypt and Syria were not weaker in content than those of the government members, but in a less alienating rhetoric. He was the first to raise the Kurdish issue as the 'most important' problem of Turkey and recently he received a delegation of Alevis to listen to their demands and expectations from a new constitution. Gul's press office has recently released a list of Turkish cities that he had visited since he was elected in 2007; some of them had not been visited by a President for decades.

Erdogan wants a stronger presidency for the future of Turkey, while Gul is trying to draw a softer, embracing one." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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