Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 13-10-18

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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] Ertug calls on Mavroyiannis to meet him on Monday

[02] Fule: EU is determined to undertake a more active role in Cyprus

[03] BKP: The Turkish Cypriot side exhibits negative stance on issuing a joint statement; the principles of single sovereignty, citizenship and international identity were agreed in the past

[04] Turkish Minister describes the water project as their umbilical cord with occupied Cyprus

[05] KTOS: we do not want to be nourished through an umbilical cord

[06] Villagers worry about the dam of the water which will be brought from Turkey

[07] Record services by illegal Tymvou during Bayram holidays

[08] Turkey denies claims on disclosure of Israeli spies, intelligence chief

[09] Erdogan to meet with Putin in Moscow

[10] Yildiz: Turkey should build its own nuclear plants

[11] BDP deputy rejects talks of election alliance with CHP

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Ertug calls on Mavroyiannis to meet him on Monday

Noting that he had sent an invitation to the Greek Cypriot negotiator through the UN for meeting him on 21 October the latest in order to determine the date and the details of their visits to Athens and Ankara, Ertug argued that these meetings "bear psychological and political importance". "They will help the sides in knowing each other. However, the actual place of the negotiations is here, Cyprus", he said and added: "Turkey and Greece decided this. The rest are details. We should discuss the date, the place of the meeting and which places will be visited. We will discuss them having good will. I hope there is no turn back from this point on. If this happens, it will not happen because of us".

Responding to a question, Ertug said that some dates are mentioned as regards the visits of the representatives to Athens and Ankara, but "they have to be confirmed".

Referring to the meeting between the leaders of the communities, Ertug noted that the Turkish side has replied positively to [a proposal for] holding this meeting on 4 November and pointed out to the insistence of the Greek Cypriot side on a joint statement. Ertug claimed that the leaders should continue the negotiations even without a joint statement and alleged: "Eight months have passed. This job should start at last. Preconditions were asked. Meeting with Turkey was asked. However, it should be seen who the unwilling side is".

Ertug alleged that they are working with a good spirit and good will on preparing a joint statement and added that three texts were prepared by the Turkish side and one by the UN. He argued that the Turkish side's approach to the UN's text was positive, but the Greek side "experiences serious difficulties". He alleged: "They do not have a problem with the substance of the joint statement. We hear through mediators that they experience a difficulty from the point of view of [their] internal politics".

Ertug claimed that the deadlock is not derived from the Turkish Cypriot side and reiterated that the convergences could not be ignored and that a "new Cyprus" will be constructed on these convergences. "If you do not accept this and say that 'we want to negotiate again', this is tantamount to wasting of time", he argued.

Ertug said that the Turkish side is sensitive on the principle of the two founding states, the powers of these founding states and the issue of the citizenship.

Ertug noted that the preparation could not last forever and that we should enter into productive processes, not processes that will be wasting our time. He reiterated the view that the negotiations could not be open-ended.

He said that the joint statement should be short, that it is difficult to fit all issues into a paper and that the thorny issues will be discussed at the table.

Asked what he will discuss in Greece, Ertug recalled that Greece is a guarantor power in Cyprus and emphasized the issue of "equality and symmetry" for the visits. "The equality which we will secure in the meetings will lead us only to an equal basis", he argued.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Fule: EU is determined to undertake a more active role in Cyprus

In statements to Turkish NTV television, Fule assessed Turkey's progress report for 2013 prepared by the Commission, which he described as "generally balanced and positive in a way".

Referring to Cyprus, Fule said: "We want concrete results to be produced by the negotiations in Cyprus. At the same time, we are determined to play a more active role. If the UN and the sides accept this, we want to state clearly that we are ready to help in this process. Within the framework of this process, we are ready to help the sides on the issue of building confidence".

Replying to questions of Guldener Sonumut, NTV's correspondent in Brussels, Fule said that the Gezi Park incidents will develop in Turkey's favour during its accession process to the EU. He argued that Chapter 22 should soon open in Turkey's accession talks, expressing the view that this issue will come onto the agenda on 22 October in Luxembourg during the meeting of the General Affairs Council.

"We are ready to receive an invitation for going to Ankara in order to launch the dialogue for visa", he further noted.

Responding to the reactions of Turkish officials because the report has been announced during the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifices, Fule said that the EU has also a timetable and should follow it.

(I/Ts.)

[03] BKP: The Turkish Cypriot side exhibits negative stance on issuing a joint statement; the principles of single sovereignty, citizenship and international identity were agreed in the past

In a written statement issued yesterday, Korkmazhan noted that the Turkish Cypriot side exhibits a negative stance on the issue of making a joint statement and rejects the inclusion in the statement of the principles of single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international identity, which had been accepted by the two sides in the past.

Korkmazhan pointed out that the single citizenship and sovereignty are points on which ex-President Christofias and former Turkish Cypriot leader Talat agreed on principle. He added: "Therefore, the issues agreed in the past and the ground of the negotiations must be respected and the negotiations must be continued from the point they have been left".

Furthermore, Korkmazhan accused President Anastasiades of trying to start negotiations from the scratch.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Turkish Minister describes the water project as their umbilical cord with occupied Cyprus

Speaking at a ceremony of his party, Eroglu said that Turkey is undertaking amazing grand projects that could not even be imagined, like the project that will transfer water from Turkey to the "TRNC".

Noting that the pipeline project to be constructed over 80km of sea is the first of its kind, Eroglu added: "The whole world is waiting to see how we are going to succeed. It's the first time a pipeline at this length has been suspended through the sea. We shall be suspending the pipeline 250 meters under the sea with anchors on the sea floor. We will tie TRNC through our belly to the motherland."

[05] KTOS: we do not want to be nourished through an umbilical cord

KTOS' chairman, Guven Varoglu issued a written statement yesterday strongly reacting to a reference by the Turkish Minister of Forestry and Energy, Veysel Eroglu, who described the project of transferring water from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus through underwater pipelines as "binding" the occupied area of Cyprus to its "motherland" through an umbilical cord.

Varoglu accused Turkey of acting contrary to the Zurich-London Agreements and changing the island's demographic structure by transferring population to the northern part of Cyprus.

Varoglu said: "As a result of the integration and assimilation policies implemented by Ankara governments and their local collaborators the TRNC government, the Turkish Cypriots, who have become minority in their own country, have come to the point of experiencing serious difficulties in their struggle of protecting their identity, keeping alive their social and cultural values and protecting their secular and modern structure."

Noting that the statements by Veysel Eroglu show that the officials from Turkey continue using the "Motherland-Daughterland rhetoric", Varoglu said that the Turkish officials should know that the Turkish Cypriots are giving a struggle for communal existence. "Even if we are betrayed from time to time, this struggle will continue", he added.

(I/Ts.)

[06] Villagers worry about the dam of the water which will be brought from Turkey

According to the paper, the works for the dam's construction have been completed; however the persons living in the area are anxious because they are afraid that the dam may collapse.

[07] Record services by illegal Tymvou during Bayram holidays

Kurban Bayram is celebrated from 11 of October until 21 of October this year.

The paper writes that it is estimated that 815 planes and 110 thousand passengers will be offered services at illegal Tymvou airport during the Bayram holidays.

[08] Turkey denies claims on disclosure of Israeli spies, intelligence chief

"Various campaigns both at international and national level are recently underway," Foreign Minister Davutoglu said from his hometown of Konya on Oct. 17, blaming those campaigns as trying to discredit the government's "mission" and Ankara's goal to raise Turkey's global profile.

Ignatius had claimed in his Washington Post column that during a bitter period in bilateral relations, Turkey gave up the identities of around 10 Israeli spies to Tehran, who had been working with Israeli intelligence, in "an effort to slap the Israelis," according to sources that Ignatius described as "knowledgeable."

Also referring to another article published in the Wall Street Journal last week about the preponderance of Turkish Intelligence Chief Hakan Fidan in Ankara's Syria stance, Davutoglu argued that the timing of both publications was "important." Ignatius' article also mentions Fidan, claiming that he was considered by Israeli authorities to be suspect due to his close ties to Tehran.

"The claims on Hakan Fidan are not only unfounded but also an example of a very poor black propaganda," Davutoglu said.

Mustafa Varank, one of the Prime Minister's advisers, also responded to Ignatius' article, describing the report as "incoherent" via Twitter. Varank argued that Ignatius' story clashed with the reality of intelligence agencies.

"Ignatius' article is so incoherent. The intelligence world operates according to agreements," he tweeted.

"The fall was going to get heated, wasn't it?" he said in reference to predictions that the Gezi protests would restart after the summer. "Their predictions have not panned out, and for that reason, they have started a campaign against the reputation of the [Turkish] government and intelligence."

Varank also said it was inevitable that some powers would launch psychological warfare against the government and its intelligence service with the upcoming elections.

[09] Erdogan to meet with Putin in Moscow

Erdogan will visit Russia heading a large delegation, notes the paper, adding that Syria will be one of the main issues of the Council's agenda.

[10] Yildiz: Turkey should build its own nuclear plants

Yildiz added that the complete process of constructing a nuclear plant should be conducted in Turkey with the contribution of local partners, entrepreneurs, public and private sector in regards to the third nuclear plant to be built by a Turkish company.

Yildiz reminded that the International Energy Agency with 28 member countries would gather under the presidency of Turkey in Paris next month.

Yildiz said Turkey's gas import from Iran was 10 billion cubic meters and added, "Iran is one of the biggest suppliers of Turkey. We are extremely satisfied with this deal. We are open to any proposal of supplying more natural gas."

Asked about UN sanctions on Iran, Yildiz said "One should understand Turkey's needs," emphasizing that Turkey has remarkably grown in the last decade.

Regarding whether or not a Chinese company could be contracted for a building nuclear plant in Turkey, Yildiz said, "Although we completed the process for the second plant, Turkey' has broader nuclear aims. Negotiating with China might be one of the options in the future."

Yildiz thanked South Korea for the Congress, which he defined as the "energy olympics," and reminded that it would convene in Turkey in 2016.

[11] BDP deputy rejects talks of election alliance with CHP

There were reports on the two opposition parties joining forces to prevent the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) from keeping its seat in Istanbul in the March 30 elections, but Onder ruled the claims out.

Earlier this week, journalist Utku Cak?rozer reported in the daily Cumhuriyet that the CHP was lining up Mustafa Sarigul, a three-time reigning Mayor in Istanbul's Sisli district, for the Metropolitan Municipality seat, and was urging the BDP "not to have a strong candidate" that would poorly affect the votes.

Onder said Cak?rozer was "an honest journalist" but added he had built the article on "the wishful thinking of the CHP."

"There is no such alliance," Onder said during a televised interview at Haberturk. "If the CHP has such an expectation, then apparently I have a big voter potential. And I like it." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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