Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 15-03-24

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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] Response to Agriculture Minister Kouyialis for cooperation on the halloumi issue

[02] Eroglu reiterated his sine qua non for the solution

[03] Siber accused Eroglu of bringing the property issue on his election campaign in order to scare the "people"

[04] The final list of the candidates for the "presidential elections"

[05] Gulle due to Ankara for contacts

[06] TDP, BKP and Celer filed a lawsuit against the so-called council of ministers

[07] "MUSIAD' Cyprus" introduced its Geneva "representative office"

[08] Two more power units for Trapeza power plant in occupied Keryneia

[09] The illegal DAU university signed a cooperation protocol with ICIF

[10] Erdogan: There is no Kurdish problem in Turkey

[11] Turkey's first nuclear plant is delayed, 'not ready before 2022'

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Response to Agriculture Minister Kouyialis for cooperation on the halloumi issue

To the call of Cyprus Agriculture Minister Nicos Kouyialis for cooperation to designate halloumi as a PDO product for the benefit of all Cypriots, the self-styled minister of food, agriculture and energy, Onder Sennaroglu said that the way of solution, which envisages that the Greek Cypriot side will be the only authority on the issue of halloumi inspection and will also inspect the Turkish Cypriot producers, is unacceptable.

Sennaroglu accused the Greek Cypriot side of continuing to politicize the registration of halloumi, which is a joint culture and economic product of both communities. Noting that this approach is against the spirit of the Joint Declaration of February 11, 2014, Sennaroglu claimed that the Greek Cypriot side tries to enforce on the Turkish Cypriot halloumi producers its own solution and dominance by making the halloumi issue a dominance issue within the framework of the diplomatic war.

Sennaroglu noted that the Turkish Cypriot side supports the issue of halloumi registration to be resolved within the confidence building measures (CBMs), adding that a result reached with this understanding will encourage an understanding of partnership and will serve to reach an agreement in the island.

Responding to Kouyialis' call for cooperation, the "chairman of the Turkish Cypriot chamber of industry" Ali Cirali said: "He made a call to the Turkish Cypriots for cooperation, but he did not mention on which issue he wants cooperation". He added that the most important issue on the registration of halloumi as PDO is not the name whether it is halloumi or hellim but rather the inspection of the halloumi production.

(DPs)

[02] Eroglu reiterated his sine qua non for the solution

Eroglu made these statements in the framework of his election campaign and also referred to the conditions he considers essential for a solution in Cyprus. As he said a federal state will be comprised of two equal states which will have the same status. Turkey's guarantees, the presence of the Turkish army in the island, rotational presidency and the solution to become EU primary law are the essential factors for solution. "This is sine qua non for the solution", he stated.

He went on and added that the "elections" will not only determine the leader of the Turkish Cypriots, but also their rights at the negotiations.

Eroglu also replied to the candidate of the Republican Turkish Party Sibel Siber who accused him of doing nothing during the time he was "prime minister". "She was a prime minister for 70 days, I was a prime minister for 7 thousand days", Eroglu stated and claimed that his signature is under everything that took place in the breakaway regime.

(CS)

[03] Siber accused Eroglu of bringing the property issue on his election campaign in order to scare the "people"

Sibel made these statements speaking to young voters to whom she said that they have the power to change the film played by old actors at the (political) scene.

Sibel stated that while the property issue has not been discussed at the negotiations yet some candidates are going from village to village speaking about maps and make references to village names, trying to scare the "people".

(CS)

[04] The final list of the candidates for the "presidential elections"

The final list which was published at the "official gazete" is as follows: Dervis Eroglu (National Unity Party candidate), Sibel Siber (Republican Turkish Party candidate), Mustafa Akinci (independent),Kudret Ozersay (independent), Arif Salif Kirdag (independent), Mustafa Ulas (independent) and Mustafa Onurer (Cyprus Socialist Party candidate). The official propaganda period has started today.

(CS)

[05] Gulle due to Ankara for contacts

The so-called ministry of health in a written statement said that Gulle will discuss with his Turkish "counterpart" issues related with their cooperation in the field of health.

At the same time, Gulle will invite the Turkish Minister to visit the occupation regime in order to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Oncology Centre which is expected to be completed next July.

The so-called minister will also sign on Thusday a cooperation protocol with the Hacettepe University Medical Faculty on the issue of kidney transplantation.

Gulle will return to the occupied area of Cyprus on March 27.

(AK)

[06] TDP, BKP and Celer filed a lawsuit against the so-called council of ministers

The litigators demanded the postponement of the "cooperation protocol" for the opening of a "TRNC coordination office abroad".

The case filed against the "council of ministers" was signed by 6 lawyers at the "supreme court" yesterday.

Speaking on the issue, the chairman of the TDP Cemal Ozyigit criticized the so-called coalition government for not taking into consideration the "constitution" when signing the agreement. He also added that the "Overseas Coordination Office" means that the Turkish Cypriot organizations are handed over to Turkey.

Ozyigit stressed the need for the Turkish Cypriot organizations to be self-administrated and thanked the 70 organizations which supported their legal action.

Also speaking, Celer stated that in spite of the fact that they have been arguing for the past two years that the opening of this "coordination office" constitutes a violation of the "constitution" and does not apply to the "laws", the "government" has refrained from taking them into consideration and moved to the signing and approval of the "protocol".

Commenting also on the issue, the chairman of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) Izzet Izcan said that it is unacceptable to be treated as they are a "province" of Turkey and added that they will constitute their legal struggle against the "government" until they achieve the postponement of the "protocol".

Moreover, in a written statement on the issue, the Toparlaniyoruz Movement (We are gathering) described as positive the development of filing a lawsuit against the "council of ministers" and expressed its full support to all parties involved in this case.

(AK)

[07] "MUSIAD' Cyprus" introduced its Geneva "representative office"

According to information given by MUSIAD, Sadikoglu attended the panel alongside Turkey's UN Permanent representative Ambassador Mehmet Carikci, the World Trade Organization Permanent representative Ambassador Mehmet Ilicak, Bern Ambassador Mehmet Tugrul Gucuk, the Geneva Consul Nurdan Bayraktar Golder and a lot of businessmen from Switzerland, the "TRNC" and other European countries.

During the event, a message from the so-called foreign minister Ozdil Nami was read.

(AK)

[08] Two more power units for Trapeza power plant in occupied Keryneia

According to "officials" from the so-called electricity authority ("KIB-TEK"), the two supplementary power plants which cost totally 13 million euro will be functional by May.

In statements on the issue, the "director" of "KIB-TEK" Salih Gurkan noted that the power plants would increase their electricity output by 34 megawatts.

(AK)

[09] The illegal DAU university signed a cooperation protocol with ICIF

According to the paper, the protocol was signed by the chairman of ICIF Piero Sassone and the "vice rector" of the illegal DAU, Professor Dr Necdet Osam in a ceremony which took place yesterday at the illegal DAU.

Within the framework of the protocol, "students" from the "faculty of Gastronomy and Cuisine" and the "faculty of Hotel management" will attend summer school courses in Italy.

The protocol envisages further exchange of students and academic staff between the two "organizations".

(AK)

[10] Erdogan: There is no Kurdish problem in Turkey

"Peace is not possible under the shadow of arms ... We cannot move forward in an environment in which promises are violated repeatedly unless we see concrete steps," Erdogan said March 23 during his now-weekly meeting with local community representatives in his latest outburst against recent developments in the peace process.

The President recalled the message given during last year's Nevruz for an unarmed struggle, criticizing the Kurdish movement for failing to do so over the past year.

"It's not possible to believe these [promises] unless we see the practice. We have to see the practice first," he said, noting that there were 2.5 months until elections and that the people of the country should not go to the ballot box under threats from the PKK.

Erdogan also revised his rhetoric on the Kurdish issue, saying that his remarks of dismissing the Kurdish problem were intentionally misinterpreted. "There is no longer a Kurdish problem in Turkey. My Kurdish brothers and sisters have problems," he said, stressing that they were dealing with the problems of Turkish citizens that have different ethnic backgrounds.

As the state "has put an end to policies of denial and made efforts for a solution with the recognition of problems, the concept of the Kurdish problem has expired," the President said.

"In an environment where those problems are recognized, it's wrong to say 'Kurdish problem,'" he stated, stressing that there are also Circassians, Laz, Georgian and other people in Turkey. "A nation is a concept that subsumes many ethnic elements."

Turks and Kurds are brothers and have stood together at difficult times throughout history, he said. "Those who question the history of the Kurds solely looking at the last 30-40 years will make a mistake," he said. "Marginal, atheist and nonbelieving movements that are disconnected to the values of these lands cannot recast our relations," Erdogan said.

[11] Turkey's first nuclear plant is delayed, 'not ready before 2022'

Dependent on imports for almost all of its energy, Turkey has embarked on an ambitious nuclear program, commissioning Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) in 2013 to build four 1,200 megawatt (MW) reactors.

With energy import costs at about $50 billion annually and demand forecast as the fastest growing in Europe, Ankara wants at least 5% of its electricity generation to come from nuclear energy in under a decade, cutting dependency on natural gas largely bought from Russia.

Rosatom initially pledged to have the first of the four reactors in the southern Turkish town of Akkuyu ready by 2019.

A senior Turkish energy official said the project would not be online before at least 2022, given that ground-breaking has yet to happen. "The first reactor can be online at least seven years after the ground-breaking so the 2019-2020 dates are impossible," the official said.

"This is a key project for Turkey. The schedule needs to be sped up," Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told Reuters.

Part of the delay has been environmental approval after heightened concern about nuclear power following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that crippled Japan's Fukushima plant.

Akkuyu NGS, the project company set up by Rosatom, had to wait for almost a year to obtain environmental approval from Turkish authorities. Consent was given in December, coinciding with Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Turkey.

Analysts say Russia's economic troubles because of collapsing oil prices and western sanctions over Ukraine may also have weighed on Rosatom's finances.

"The Akkuyu timeline was -- and remains -- completely unrealistic," Aaron Stein, associate fellow at British defence and security think-tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), said. "The issue has, in recent months, become far more complicated because of Russia's economic deterioration."

Milko Kovachev, vice president at Rosatom Overseas, said the project would be completed on time, without giving a date. "The program is clear, the dates are set. I believe that our commitment will be fully met as it is planned," he told Reuters on the side-lines of a nuclear summit in Istanbul. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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(DPs/ AM)

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