Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 13-12-18

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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] Eroglu sent a draft proposal on the joint declaration to the Greek Cypriot side

[02] Nami: No one can reduce Turkish Cypriots to the status of minority

[03] US and UK ambassadors reportedly were presented during Davutoglu's meeting with Downer in "Turkish embassy"

[04] Talat: Turkey's support at the solution carries a critical weight

[05] Izcan: Davutoglu's statements indicate confederation

[06] Ozyigit: A joint statement is important

[07] CHP deputy says that the breakaway regime is the red line for his party

[08] Turkish Democratic Left Party: "Cyprus is Turkish and will remain Turkish"

[09] Akinci: "Too soon to declare if I would be a candidate in the 2015 presidential election"

[10] Ihsanoglu evaluated how much he helped the breakaway regime during the nine years he served as secretary-general of OIC

[11] Former general secretary of FIFA Champagne: Agreement for football in Cyprus not for re-negotiation but for clarification

[12] Fifty two persons including sons of Turkish ministers, detained in fraud and bribery probe

[13] AK Party deputy criticizes Bulgaria's changing of Turkish place names

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Eroglu sent a draft proposal on the joint declaration to the Greek Cypriot side

Noting that the draft had been the result of long-term works, Eroglu repeated that from the very beginning he had declared that there was no need for such a declaration to re-launch the Cyprus negotiations process. Claiming that an agreement was reached at the first dinner meeting held between the two leaders to start the negotiations during the first half of October, he said, despite of this, three months had been lost until now.

Claiming that the draft proposal put forward by the Turkish Cypriot side had been welcomed by the UN, Eroglu argued that according to the leaked reports in the Greek Cypriot press the Cyprus government was not too pleased with this.

He concluded that the joint declaration should include the views of both sides.

Asked to comment on the fact that the Cyprus government has made complaints to the United Nations over a meeting the UNSG Special Adviser Alexander Downer had with the Turkish FM in the so called "Turkish embassy" in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus, on Saturday, Eroglu argued that the Republic of Turkey is a recognized state by the world and a UN member, for this reason, the "embassy" located in the "TRNC" is an "embassy" accepted by other world states.

Eroglu alleged that Greek Cypriots' reference to the "embassy" as the embassy at the occupied region is extremely wrong, adding that "TRNC" [trans. Note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus] is a "state" recognized by Turkey, and "Turkish ambassador is an ambassador living in the TRNC."

Claiming that there was nothing more natural than Downer's visit of the "Ambassador of Republic of Turkey", which is a member of the UN, Eroglu argued: "Therefore I wonder how those who cannot even put up with this will act or what kind of attitude they will show when the negotiations launch."

[02] Nami: No one can reduce Turkish Cypriots to the status of minority

Referring to the joint declaration that will pave the way for the resumption of Cyprus reunification talks with the aim of reaching a bi-zonal federal solution, Nami claimed: "The ball is in the Greek Cypriots' court. We expect them to eventually respond to our positives steps with positive steps of their own. Different circles, especially the UN, are working on this issue. The debate whether a joint statement is necessary or not is irrelevant. This work exists and eventually a process will emerge. I hope that we are close and both leaders will announce it to their people.

Nami said that some "deputies" create confusion with statements to the effect that a "single sovereignty is not accepted". He explained that all UN member countries have single sovereignty, adding that the expression used in the Cyprus talks has the same meaning. Adding that expressions regarding removal of the "assembly" with the single sovereignty are not true, Nami noted that there is federation in the countries like Switzerland and Belgium but they have been taken into consideration by the UN as single sovereignty.

Referring to the issue of "Residual powers", Nami explained that the constituent states will not interfere in the federal state's administrative authority; the Turkish and Greek Cypriot states will have their own assembly buildings, deputies and state ministers and sovereignty will be shared.

Nami noted that the new comprehensive solution plan will be given to the people for approval and the final verdict will be issued by the people. He also said that no one can reduce Turkish Cypriots to the status of minority, adding that comprehensive solution plan will be submitted to the people for approval. He noted that they wouldn't bring before their people a plan that will make them a minority.

Regarding the property issue, Nami said that it is not included yet in the joint statement. He added that they will try to work as best they can when Cyprus talks resume.

He concluded by saying that Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu will meet today with the political parties on the Cyprus problem.

[03] US and UK ambassadors reportedly were presented during Davutoglu's meeting with Downer in "Turkish embassy"

The paper writes that this was stated by Hasan Tacoy "MP" with the Democratic Party (DP). Tacoy claimed that this was hidden from the press and it was made sure that it would not have leaked outside. Tacoy also claimed that this gives a new dimension to the incident.

[04] Talat: Turkey's support at the solution carries a critical weight

According to a press release issued by his office, Talat explained that Turkey's clear support for a Cyprus settlement is of crucial importance.

[05] Izcan: Davutoglu's statements indicate confederation

In a written statement issued by BKP press office, Izcan said that Davutoglu's statements indicate a confederation and not a federation, adding that the negotiations cannot start on this basis and if they resume, they will not reach a result.

Noting that on the one hand, messages for an early solution are being given and on the other hand, the enhancement of "TRNC's" status [transl. note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus] and two sovereignties are being mentioned, Izcan said: "We, as a United Cyprus Party, ask the resumption of the negotiations from the point they were left off and to reach a comprehensive solution. The Turkish Cypriot community has not patience to be crushed more under this status and to live in isolation from the world."

[06] Ozyigit: A joint statement is important

Izcan also support the return of the fenced off town of occupied Varosha to its legal owners under the supervision of the UN, as exchange of the opening of the occupied port of Famagusta to trade and the occupied airport of Tymvou to direct flights, adding that this development will revive the economy in both sides.

[07] CHP deputy says that the breakaway regime is the red line for his party

Gunaydin, who was participating in the Local Administration Summit which took place in Ankara, Turkey, also said that they support "the independence of TRNC". He also expressed his party's supports towards Turkish Cypriots and that they follow closely the developments regarding Cyprus negotiations.

[08] Turkish Democratic Left Party: "Cyprus is Turkish and will remain Turkish"

He made these statements during the Turkey Local Administration Summit which took place in Ankara, Turkey.

Turkler said that since 1974 DSP is next to the "Turkish Cypriot people" and they support their "struggle for independence". "Cyprus is a national cause for Turkey", he stated.

[09] Akinci: "Too soon to declare if I would be a candidate in the 2015 presidential election"

"It would be "futile" to talk now about the presidential election the following year, he said. "The burning problems of our society are awaiting solutions," he said in a statement.

"We have a Kib-Tek (electricity authority) that does not have any money to buy fuel. We have a health sector that does not have a system. We have children shivering with cold in schools because of deficiencies in their infrastructure. We have our environment, which we are losing on a daily basis, and we still have mountains of rubbish waiting to be moved. "I believe that as a society we need to be concentrating on these and similar issues", he said.

A former Lefkosia "mayor", Akinci was a founder of the Peace and Democracy Movement (BHD) and the leader of the Communal Liberation Party (TKP) before quitting politics in 2009.

[10] Ihsanoglu evaluated how much he helped the breakaway regime during the nine years he served as secretary-general of OIC

He made these statements speaking to Turkish journalists if the occasion of his leaving his position at the end of the month after serving nine years.

Ihsanoglu said that since the day he was elected as OIC secretary general, he visited occupied Cyprus several times and every time he put a lot of efforts so that he would safeguard a new action or a new support for the breakaway regime. He also said that they have invited the "president of the TRNC" who visited the organization for the first time.

He went on and added that meetings were also organized in occupied Cyprus with Islamic delegation for educational, economic or tourism projects and they encouraged investments on these fields in the breakaway regime.

[11] Former general secretary of FIFA Champagne: Agreement for football in Cyprus not for re-negotiation but for clarification

He also said that the Turkish Cypriot "football federation", should not look at the agreement as it is submitting to KOP, but rather as coming back home to retake their position.

Champagne also praised the chairman of the Turkish Cypriot "football federation", Hasan Sertoglu for his "courageous steps".

[12] Fifty two persons including sons of Turkish ministers, detained in fraud and bribery probe

Twenty-nine of those detained, including two sons of ministers, were taken into custody by the police's Financial Crimes Department, while another son of a minister and 22 others were detained by the police's Organized Crime Department. The detainees were allowed to meet their lawyers, although the suspects had not yet begun giving testimony as of late evening.

The sons of three Cabinet members, Interior Minister Muammer Guler, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan and Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdogan Bayraktar, are among the detained. Bar?s Guler, Salih Kaan Caglayan and Abdullah Oguz Bayraktar were detained on accusations of bribery, the report said.

Other detainees include Turkish construction tycoon Ali Agaoglu, Halkbank General Manager Suleyman Aslan, Azerbaijani businessman Reza Zarrab, Fatih Mayor Mustafa Demir and civil servants from the Environment Ministry and the Economy Ministry, according to Hurriyet. Environment Ministry General Manager Mehmet Ali Kahraman, Advisor to the Environment Minister Sad?k Soylu, and Caglayan's executive assistants, Mustafa Behcet Kaynar and Onur Kaya, are among the detained.

The operations were launched in response to allegations of rigging state tenders and bribery, Anadolu Agency reported. Hurriyet reported that the operations were the result of one year of surveillance. The suspects are accused of accepting and facilitating bribes for some projects and getting construction permits for protected areas in exchange for money, the daily said.

The three prosecutors operating the three separate investigations did not inform the Istanbul Public Prosecutor about the operation and also did not enter the operation into the National Judiciary Network Information System (UYAP) system.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan avoided commenting on the morning's corruption operation while answering reporters' questions after a mass opening ceremony in the Central Anatolian province of Konya. "It would not be right for me to speak before the legal process is finalized," he said. Erdogan was not informed about the operations and learnt about it when the detainments started, daily Hurriyet reported, quoting an unnamed source from Ankara.

[13] AK Party deputy criticizes Bulgaria's changing of Turkish place names

"Turks are a fundamental part of Bulgaria. Despite this fact, the situation in Varna is upsetting. Our expectation of Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union, is that it will not change Turkish names or ignore their value, but rather accept this value as [cultural] richness," OzTurk stated on Tuesday.

On Sunday, the council of Varna Municipality decided to change 215 Turkish place names to Bulgarian names.

OzTurk also urged its coalition partner in the Bulgarian government, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (HOH), which is composed mainly of Turkish deputies, to take action on the issue. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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