Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 14-12-11

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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] Erdogan: We will not abandon Turkish Cypriots' right to gas

[02] Eroglu: "We will not accept the extreme demands of the Greek Cypriot side"

[03] Talat urges the need for putting pressure to the Greek Cypriot side for the solution

[04] Akinci: Fenced off city of Varosha, should not be used by snakes and rats but be people

[05] Ottoman language lessons in the breakaway regime

[06] Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry at the Iraq's Agro tourism fair

[07] Cavusoglu: "TANAP natural gas project is a priority"

[08] AKP submitted a bill for the design of an official state emblem for Turkey

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Erdogan: We will not abandon Turkish Cypriots' right to gas

"Turkey will never stay out of recent developments in Cyprus," Erdogan said in an address during the 60th year reception of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation, and added: "Our research vessel Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa is now continuing its drilling activities. We will continue to be there as long as the Greek Cypriot administration and Greece continue to ignore our warnings on the issue".

Referring to the natural gas reserves in the Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEC), Erdogan said: "Turkey is searching for oil in the whole world, not only in its territory, from Azerbaijan to Iraq, from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, from Russia to Kirgizstan, from "TRNC" to Colombia. (?) Because the Turks who live in the island have rights in all drilling activities in the Exclusive Economic Zone, rights to an equal share and this right is based on law. I want to say tonight on this occasion that we will defend this right until the end".

Stressing that Turkey is manufacturing its own seismic research vessel, Erdogan announced that they would build their own platform and soon thereafter they would have their own platform to do the drilling activities.

Erdogan went on: "We conducted seismic researches two years ago in the Black Sea with Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa seismic research vessel. Now, our vessel will continue its drilling activities in the southeast of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. I want to remind you once more that both sides in the island have rights in the energy resources of Cyprus. We are saying from the beginning that this issue should be solved as part of the rules of international law."

Emphasizing the role of Turkey's diplomatic efforts in the recent reconciliation between the Iraqi central government and northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous administration on oil revenues, Erdogan said: "We consider the issue in the case of Cyprus in the same way. I hope the success of our energy diplomacy in Iraq will be repeated in Cyprus. We even bought from abroad the seismic research vessel Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa to conduct drilling activities. Now we are building our own ship in Tuzla by MTA. We hope that this vessel will start its activities next month".

[02] Eroglu: "We will not accept the extreme demands of the Greek Cypriot side"

Speaking during a to the occupied Pergamos village on the latest developments on the Cyprus problem, he said that they would not accept all the demands of the Greek Cypriot leadership just because someone wants a settlement.

Eroglu claimed that the "extreme demands" of the Greek Cypriots at the negotiating table were a proof that the Greek Cypriot side is not willing a political settlement.

Reminding that the "Greek Cypriot leader", as he called the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, recently underwent heart surgery in New York, Eroglu said: "We hope he will recover and regain his health soon so that he may return to the negotiating table and we may take steps towards a solution".

Explaining that they need 3-4 days to prepare for each negotiation meeting, Eroglu added: "In addition to this, we hold meetings with foreign dignitaries and representatives several times a week".

Pointing out that they were working to reach a settlement which will not only safeguard the "rights" of the Turkish Cypriot "people" but will also ensure that they will never again experience the bitter experiences of the past, he said: "We are working for a settlement that will ensure the continuation of Turkey's active and effective guarantee and which will lead the Turkish Cypriots to a better and brighter future".

Reminding that the Turkish Cypriot side had not run away from the negotiating table and was ready to resume the talks, Eroglu added: "It is the Greek Cypriots who left the talks with the excuse that the Barbaros Hayrettin seismic research ship was conducting exploration activities off the coast of Cyprus".

Stating that the Greek Cypriot side had been warned on numerous occasions that the Turkish Cypriot side would take its own steps, if they proceeded with hydrocarbon exploration, Eroglu noted that the Turkish research vessel was exploring off shore on behalf of Turkish Cypriots.

"We first signed a continental delineation agreement with Turkey and the agreement was then ratified by our parliament. The Turkish Petroleum Consortium is conducting exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean on our behalf", he said.

Alleging that that the Greek Cypriot side also rejected a series of proposals presented by the Turkish Cypriot side on the issue of hydrocarbon exploration, Eroglu stated that Anastasiades opposed the idea of bringing this issue to the negotiating table.

Also, touching upon the issue of "citizenship", property and territory, Eroglu said that the Greek Cypriot leadership rejected all developments in the last 40 years.

"The Greek Cypriot side wants the Turkish army and all TRNC citizens of Turkish origin to leave. They want more land to settle all 160 thousand Greek Cypriots who left the north in 1974 and they want to be the first to have a say over all former Greek Cypriot properties in the TRNC", claimed Eroglu, adding that all these "extreme demands" were a proof of the Greek Cypriot side's lack of will to reach a settlement with Turkish Cypriots.

[03] Talat urges the need for putting pressure to the Greek Cypriot side for the solution

Stressing the need for pressure to be put on the Greek Cypriot side towards the solution, Talat claimed that the Greek Cypriot side does not need the solution as much as the Turkish Cypriot side.

Asked to comment on the natural gas crisis, Talat said that the problem belongs not only to Turkey but also to the Turkish Cypriot side and thus as he said determination is necessary to be shown by both sides.

AK

[04] Akinci: Fenced off city of Varosha, should not be used by snakes and rats but be people

Akinci who was speaking during a television show, stated that Varosha should be opened for settlement under UN control. However, he said the Greek Cypriot side should not forget that Varosha is not the only issue that needs to be solved. "We should not forget the comprehensive solution. I believe that Varosha should be discussed in parallel with the negotiation", he stated adding that the building confidence measures were also very important for the Cyprus solution.

[05] Ottoman language lessons in the breakaway regime

One of the project's coordinators, Fadil Sanverdi, referring to the discussion on the teaching of the Ottoman language in Turkish schools stated that the Ottoman language is very important for Cyprus which had been under Ottoman domination for a long period of its history. He also said that the knowledge of Ottoman language would be helpful in reading the Ottoman documents that are kept in the Evkav Foundation which will provide useful information about Cyprus' past.

[06] Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry at the Iraq's Agro tourism fair

The breakaway regime is participating in the "Project Iraq" fair with a pavilion under the name "North Cyprus".

More than 250 firms from 16 countries are participating in the fair.

[07] Cavusoglu: "TANAP natural gas project is a priority"

Cavusoglu spoke on Putin's announcement of the suspension of the South Stream natural gas project and his proposal for an alternative route through Turkey to send natural gas to Greece and to European countries.

"We signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia but it doesn't mean that TANAP stays in the background", said Cavusoglu.

The Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia met Wednesday in Turkey's northeastern province of Kars to discuss energy and transportation projects.

"Russia's offer is the main issue and we have talked about it with my Georgian and Azerbaijani colleagues today", Cavusoglu added.

"We are aware of the importance of TANAP for Georgia and for Europe. We have already ordered the natural gas pipes. The project won't be affected by falling oil prices and will be completed. We emphasize the importance of TANAP everywhere," he added.

Additionally, Beruchasvili said that Georgia is happy to hear of the importance of TANAP from Turkish officials. "TANAP is really important for the region's development. It is not just important for the region but also globally. We are working together for common benefits", Beruchasvili stated.

Mammadyarov also showed his support for the TANAP project and is awaiting Turkey's decision. "We came to an understanding about the TANAP and already made an agreement on the pipes of the project", Mammadyarov said.

(?)

[08] AKP submitted a bill for the design of an official state emblem for Turkey

Anadolu Agency reported on December 9 that a group of AKP Deputies stated in a bill introduced to the Parliament Speaker's Office, that after a state's flag, an official state emblem is one of the most important symbols for every country, adding to its reputation.

According to the bill, among 203 states within the international system, only the Republic of Turkey and the Dominican Republic do not have state emblems.

"The emblem used by the Ottoman Empire was abolished along with the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate and the subsequent declaration of the Turkish Republic in 1923", the Deputies said.

"Efforts were made to design a "Turkish Emblem" in 1927, but did not yield any official results, and no explanation for this was given at the time", they added.

According to the bill, a 12-member parliamentary committee will be formed to decide on the emblem and the commission will function for three month.

The Anadolu Agency reported that the first two months will be used for preliminary work while the last month will be used to finalize the emblem's design by an expert working group.

Eventually, if and when the committee approves the emblem, a proposal to have it approved as the official state emblem of the Republic of Turkey will be debated and voted on at a General Assembly session at Parliament. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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