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

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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] Eroglu alleges that the "ball is in the Greek Cypriot side's field" for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations

[02] Eroglu: "No negotiations can start with preconditions"

[03] Turkish diplomat: Reunification talks can be launched at any time; Davutoglu called Kerry and Hague regarding the Cyprus talks

[04] Nami addresses OIC's Foreign Minsters' meeting in Guinea; He says the Cypriot leaders are at "the stage of finalizing the joint declaration"

[05] Cakici: Eroglu discusses an agreement that is contrary to his own vision for the Cyprus problem

[06] Elcil: Eroglu pretends to be an "angel of peace" forgetting that he has been opposing to the solution for 40 years

[07] Ozgurgun: Downer has no reliability

[08] Kutlay Erk may be the next general secretary of CTP-BG

[09] Turkey to transmit Georgian power to EU

[10] OSCE: Excessive penalties threaten journalism in Turkey

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Eroglu alleges that the "ball is in the Greek Cypriot side's field" for the resumption of Cyprus negotiations

Eroglu noted that they conveyed to Downer and his team the "opening" of the Turkish Cypriot side on the issue of the joint declaration and alleged that "the ball is now in Greek Cypriot side's field". "In these constructive and productive consultations we worked for overcoming the continuing objections of the Greek Cypriot side", he claimed.

The paper writes that Eroglu met also yesterday with the leaders of the parties participating in the "coalition government", Ozkan Yorgancioglu of the Republican Turkish party (CTP) and Serdar Denktas of the Democratic Party (DP), as well as with Huseyin Ozgurgun, chairman of the "main opposition" National Unity Party (UBP). The paper notes that this meeting was not in Eroglu's program.

In his statement, the Turkish Cypriot leader said that he has taken the support of Yorgancioglu, Denktas and Ozgurgun as regards the issue of the joint declaration. "After that we invited UN Secretary ? General's special adviser Mr Downer and his team to my office and shared the opening of the Turkish Cypriot side on the issue of the joint declaration", he added.

He noted that the efforts aiming at the resumption of the negotiations are really at a very critical stage and alleged that he has "once more exhibited the political will of the Turkish Cypriot side for reconciliation".

The paper writes that Downer made no statement after their 20-minute meeting.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Social Democracy Party (TDP), Cemal Ozyigit described as "unacceptable" the fact that the TDP had not been invited to the briefing, adding that this was a "political disrespect". He said that after founding out about the issue, he contacted Eroglu's office from where he received the answer that "things happened very quickly and we could not inform you". Ozyigit said that all the parties represented in the "parliament' should be invited to these briefings.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Eroglu: "No negotiations can start with preconditions"

Briefing the visitors on the latest stage reached on the Cyprus negotiations process, Eroglu noted that the "TRNC" [editor's note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus] has its own problems like any other country in the world. He, however, added that what is important is the continuation of the existence of the "state".

Referring to the Cyprus problem, Eroglu claimed that the Greek Cypriot side is insisting on the joint statement in order to sit at the negotiating table. "No negotiations can start with preconditions," argued Eroglu, stating that no negotiations process which is subject to preconditions can be successful. "The talks would never start if I too decided to put forward preconditions," he claimed.

[03] Turkish diplomat: Reunification talks can be launched at any time; Davutoglu called Kerry and Hague regarding the Cyprus talks

"Reunification talks can be launched at any time. There is a minor problem with regard to the joint statement, but we hope it will soon be overcome," a senior Turkish diplomat told the Hurriyet Daily News yesterday. The progress was also confirmed by a Western diplomat closely following the preparation process for the joint statement, saying: "The drafted statement is a good one. We hope it's going to create a very good basis for talks."

The official statement is expected from Alexander Downer, the United Nations' special envoy for Cyprus, if both parties give the green light for the joint statement.

Turkish and Greek Cypriots have been negotiating over the statement for the last three months as the latter's pre-condition to start negotiations. Greek Cyprus' insistence at putting some very significant and key aspects of a potential settlement into the blueprint has delayed the agreement but two sides were able to recently narrow their differences.

Single sovereignty, citizenship and single international representation were the Greek Cypriot priorities, while the Turkish side pressed to include a timeframe for talks in order not to have them open-ended. The Greek Cypriot leadership, however, has no intention of limiting the duration of talks.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu exchanged phone calls with his American and British counterparts, John Kerry and William Hague, respectively, on Dec. 10 to discuss the developments regarding the Cypriot negotiations.

"Both countries' interest and attention regarding the prospected talks are rising. The United States is closely following and the United Kingdom is the guarantor country. They are getting more involved and it would lend impetus," the Turkish diplomat said. Western powers and the European Union are also hoping that the two parties will return to the negotiation table to resolve the nearly four-decade-old problem.

Turkish Cypriots plan to complete negotiations in the first quarter of 2014 and to put the peace plan to a referendum in the spring, 50 years after the U.N. issued its first resolution on Cyprus.

Davutoglu's itinerary this week includes trips to Athens tomorrow and to occupied part of Nicosia on Dec. 14, when he will evaluate the upcoming Cypriot talks with his Greek counterpart, Evangelos Venizelos.

Turkey and Greece have already agreed for cross talks to be carried out by simultaneous visits of Turkish Cypriot representatives to Athens and Greek Cypriot representatives to Ankara. Although it was originally a Greek idea, it has not yet been realized due to internal problems in Greece.

"We expect that these cross talks will take place after the official launch of talks. If talks can begin this week, then these visits can be staged in two weeks' time," another Western diplomat said.

[04] Nami addresses OIC's Foreign Minsters' meeting in Guinea; He says the Cypriot leaders are at "the stage of finalizing the joint declaration"

In his address, Nami referred to the Cyprus problem and said that the target is to find a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation based on political equality. He argued that it has been accepted that united Cyprus would be a federation consisted of two founding states of equal status, one Turkish Cypriot and one Greek Cypriot.

Nami said that at the moment the two leaders are at the stage of finalizing the joint declaration process which will open the way for negotiations.

Underlining the importance of OIC for the "TRNC" [Translator's note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus], Nami said that during the past three years the trade of the "TRNC" with the OIC member states increased by 12.5%. He argued that this is a result of the cooperation and solidarity established under OIC's roof and added that their target is to increase their trade with the OIC countries.

Noting that 61.000 students are studying in the illegal universities in the occupied areas of Cyprus, Nami underlined that 6.105 of those students come from Guinea and other African countries.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Cakici: Eroglu discusses an agreement that is contrary to his own vision for the Cyprus problem

Addressing yesterday the "assembly" of the regime during the discussion of the "budget" of the so-called presidency, Cakici noted that they should discuss the hesitations which exist on the issue of sitting at the table and signing a text for an agreement on the Cyprus problem.

Cakici said that a "midway" is searched in the Cyprus problem and not the "perfect agreement" and added that the National Unity Party (UBP) [Translator's note: the party which elected Eroglu at the "presidency"] has always wanted the Turkish Cypriots to live under a separate administration.

Cakici went on and said that Eroglu discusses an agreement that is contrary to his own vision and wondered how an agreement will be achieved at the table with this contradiction.

(I/Ts.)

[06] Elcil: Eroglu pretends to be an "angel of peace" forgetting that he has been opposing to the solution for 40 years

In a statement issued yesterday, Elcil noted the following referring to Eroglu: "He seems to have forgotten that he is the one who for years has been saying that 'not even a single small stone will be given back' and that 'the non-solution is the solution', that he has been going around the villages making a campaign against the Annan Plan, and that after instructions taken by Ankara he has signed and put into effect Ankara's package, which drags the Turkish Cypriot community to annihilation".

Elcil pointed out that there could be no solution to the Cyprus problem "by taking instructions from Turkey", "by accusing the other side" and "by protecting the strategic interests of Turkey and not the ones of the Turkish Cypriots at the table".

Elcil said that Eroglu refrains from announcing what he puts onto the negotiating table and what proposals he submits "in order for forcing the Greek Cypriots to abandon the table". Elcil pointed out that Eroglu is going to the negotiating table demanding "separate sovereignty" and "citizenship for the population carried from Turkey" [Translator's note: as the Turkish settlers are described] and "trying to acquit the separatist structure" created on the island by Turkey after 1974.

Elcil noted that Eroglu submits these proposals to the table knowing that the Greek Cypriots will reject them and argued that "divorce before marrying" is being discussed at the negotiations.

Elcil said: "It is obvious that there will be no solution with this mentality. The desirable result with the lies [regarding the existence] of embargo and isolation and the statement that 'the Greek Cypriots do not want a solution' is to achieve the division of the island. This is the continuation of the 'Plan for Recovering Cyprus' determined in 1956 by you together with the governments of Ankara from which you take instructions for years".

(I/Ts.)

[07] Ozgurgun: Downer has no reliability

Reiterating that he supports the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, Ozgurgun argued that although the Greek Cypriot political parties have different views, they can act in unison on the Cyprus problem.

Ozgurgun noted that the United Nation's GS special envoy for Cyprus Alexander Downer has no reliability, claiming that although the Turkish Cypriots support reconciliation and an agreement, their patience has been strained.

[08] Kutlay Erk may be the next general secretary of CTP-BG

Asked to comment on this, Erk said to the paper that according to the results of the general assembly of CTP-BG, it was expected. He looks positively the position of CTP general secretary.

On the other hand, Ozgur stated to the paper that he is not interested in the position.

[09] Turkey to transmit Georgian power to EU

"Power generated in Georgia will be available to European markets very soon," Yildiz said during the inauguration ceremony of a power transmission line in Georgian province of Akhaltsikhe yesterday. The electricity transmission line between Turkey's Black Sea province of Artvin's Borcka district and Akhaltsikhe was built to transmit power from Georgia via Turkey to Europe.

Yildiz stated that this facility would also transmit Azerbaijani energy: "Georgia's energy and also Azerbaijan's energy will be able to be transmitted to the EU. Turkey is a reliable market. If power generation starts, 700 mW power can be transmitted to Turkey," he said. The transmission capacity will increase to 1100 mW in the next stage, he noted.

Yildiz also said the transmitted power can also be supplied, recalling that Turkey's energy bourse, EPIAS, would be established.

Yildiz noted that Turkey was not only a corridor in the framework of this project but it was also a consumer country. They expect that this project would raise supply that would reduce prices in favour of citizens. The Turkish Electricity Transmission Company (TEIAS) will be choosing a third party to assume the transmission component of the project by way of a tender process at a later date, he said.

[10] OSCE: Excessive penalties threaten journalism in Turkey

In a written statement sent to the Cihan news agency, Mijatovic spoke against an investigation targeting Taraf journalist Mehmet Baransu for reporting on a confidential National Security Council (MGK) document that mentioned a planned crackdown on faith-based groups in Turkey. According to the OSCE representative, it is "alarming" to see that the journalist faces the risk of being sentenced to dozens of years in jail for publishing confidential state documents.

Mijatovic said he is closely following developments related to the investigation against Baransu. "It is very important that journalists be able to freely perform their profession and their right to keep news sources protected by the law," she added.

The OSCE statement follows an earlier message by the European Union, which said public authorities should not interfere with freedom of expression in the media, against the background of Turkish government pressure on the media through criminal and civil lawsuits. "The right to freedom of expression includes the freedom to receive and impart information and ideas without the interference of public authorities," Peter Stano, spokesperson for EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, told the Cihan news agency on Tuesday. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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