Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 15-05-15

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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: Turkey has no intentions of giving up its guarantor rights on Cyprus

[02] Greek FM: The guarantor powers, the Turkish army and the Greek army, should move away from Cyprus

[03] Denktas resigns from the "government" accusing Turkey's "aid delegation"

[04] ISAD: There is a need for a "coalition government" made up of a cabinet of technocrats

[05] Talat has an opponent for the leadership of the CTP

[06] "DPO" announced the latest unemployment rate in the occupied area of Cyprus

[07] MHP will not back Erdogan's presidential system

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Erdogan: Turkey has no intentions of giving up its guarantor rights on Cyprus

Asked to comment on the latest developments regarding the Cyprus problem, Erdogan said: "Greece may give up its guarantor rights but Turkey has no intention of giving up its guarantor rights. We will exercise our guarantor rights to the end there and we do not need to ask for advice from anyone in this regard".

(DPs)

[02] Greek FM: The guarantor powers, the Turkish army and the Greek army, should move away from Cyprus

Turkey and Greece should resolve their problems peacefully by creating common interests in the region, making use of the "God-given" opportunity of being neighbouring countries, Greek Foreign Minister said in Antalya, where he was attending at NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting on May 13.

According to the paper, Turkey and Greece held High Level Cooperation Council meetings in 2010 and in 2013 and inked many agreements. Kotzias and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu decided to set up a commission to check how efficiently these agreements are implemented. The two countries will hold a new meeting of the council at the end of 2015, the Greek Minister said.

Kotzias said that he also proposed to create a new institutional framework with Turkey, Greece and Italy, for stabilization and security of the whole region in the Mediterranean.

"New Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras wants to visit Turkey in 2015 to participate in the high level council meeting", Kotzias said, adding that arrangements would be made after the next month's elections in Turkey.

"Tsipras met with [Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet] Davutoglu while he was leader of the opposition at the airport for one-and-a-half hours. They had a positive chemistry. Tsipras wanted to meet Davutoglu to learn about each other and to see how they can understand each other, to keep relations better than they were in the past," he said.

Touching up the Cyprus talks, Kotzias described the newly elected Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci as "a politician who still has an old identity as Cypriot".

"He feels Cypriot, not just Turkish Cypriot. He speaks Greek. His citizens don't speak Greek anymore. Old Greek Cypriot politicians [spoke] Turkish and Turkish Cypriots spoke Greek. But now there's a good momentum. This generation can make a good solution. Afterwards it will be much more difficult," he said.

Greek Foreign Minister stressed that the Cyprus dispute is "a problem for Cypriots, not for Greeks or Turks", adding: "The Turkish Cypriots had difficult years 1963-1964 because of the behaviour of part of the other population in Cyprus. What we have to do is to give possibility to the Turkish Cypriots getting the maximum rights they are asking for ? In every society you have communities, minorities ? The most important thing is that the Turkish Cypriots feel, believe and live with the thought that Cyprus is their own, home island".

The guarantor powers, the Turkish army and the Greek army, should move away from the island, he added, saying that nobody should pressure the leaders in Cyprus to create their own momentum.

(DPs)

[03] Denktas resigns from the "government" accusing Turkey's "aid delegation"

In statements at a press conference yesterday, Denktas noted that the "ministers" coming from the DP-UG will remain on their duties until the Republican Turkish Party's (CTP) congress and the formation of a new "government".

Denktas announced also that his party will change its name again to Democratic Party (DP) and 'present itself to the people being stronger".

Denktas said that the "government" had been established as a "reform government", but did not succeed in making reforms in the "public sector" and, in spite of some things that have been done, the people's basic demands for change were not met. "Today we are very far away from the TRNC administration, which was dreaming of and set as a target when I was in the opposition", he noted.

Referring to the relations with Turkey, Denktas said that without Turkey's financial aid many projects could not have been materialized and the standard of living in the occupied area of Cyprus would have been significantly damaged. He noted that the environment for the Turkish Cypriots being self-sufficient has not been created and as long as the conditions do not change, the economic mobility which the Turkish Cypriots create will not be sufficient. He added that they do not complain about Turkey's stance, but about the "approach of some persons appointed here by the motherland". "Therefore we say that absolutely no bureaucrat of motherland Turkey can be above the Turkish Cypriot people's democratic will", he said arguing that "the behaviour and statements of some bureaucrats in this direction are very quickly spread among our people, are distorted from time to time and therefore weak rings emerge on the issue of the Turkish Cypriot people's devotion to the motherland".

Denktas argued that he has been repeatedly saying since 1996 that the way by which Turkey's aid delegation operates in the occupied area of Cyprus is wrong and it should either change or its operation should be terminated. He expressed the view that Turkey's aid delegation went beyond functions and duty description and became "the main actor of the system". He said that Turkey's aid committee has come to a position of being "parallel to the power of the government and sometimes even stronger", adding that this "delegation" has "spoiled the political authority". This, he noted, prevents the achievement of the "country's" targets and spoils the relations with "motherland Turkey".

Citing sources close to Denktas, Havadis newspaper's editor-in-chief, Huseyin Ekmeci reports that the reason of Denktas' attack against Turkey's aid delegation derives from an argument the latter had with self-styled finance minister Zeren Mungan during a meeting of the "cabinet". When Denktas asked for money to restore antiquities (such as the castle and the old port of occupied Keryneia) and to use them for incentives in the field of tourism, Mungan told him that Turkey's aid delegation does not give money for this purpose. Reacting to this, Denktas replied that "the aid delegation refutes our democracy" and that the political will "passes over to the persons appointed by Turkey".

Asked after the press conference whether he will participate in the "government" to be established after CTP's congress, Denktas responded: "This depends on Mr Talat. If Mr Talat himself will not undertake any duty, I will not as well. If Talat undertakes a duty, I will also evaluate it".

(I/Ts.)

[04] ISAD: There is a need for a "coalition government" made up of a cabinet of technocrats

Sadi's words came during a visit paid to the main opposition National Unity Party (UBP) on Thursday.

Speaking during the visit, Sadi said that the latest "election results" showed that the public desired change and transformation. He said that there was a need for reform in the "country" to improve the quality of life.

Underlining the need and importance of reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem, Sadi said: "We need a popular coalition government with a cabinet of technocrats in order to have a parliament that has a high performance track, that can create a country with a sustainable and efficient economy and which can bring stability".

The leader of UBP Huseyin Ozgurgun, for his part, said that his party is trying to do its best whilst in opposition. He also said that he is open to the idea of a wide base "coalition government" that will include the CTP and the UBP.

Accusing the current "government" of being a failure, Ozgurgun said that the current coalition had shown it was incapable of dealing with the "country's" problems.

Referring to the Cyprus problem, the UBP leader said that they will be following developments closely but that they are confident that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci will show the necessary sensitivity while conducting the talks.

[05] Talat has an opponent for the leadership of the CTP

Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (15.05.15) reports that explaining the reasons of his candidature, Oduncuoglu said that he does not approve the persons who are around Talat, because these persons have humiliated self-styled prime minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu. Ha added: "This is why I became a candidate. Many games were played during the presidential elections and Siber's candidature. In spite of the fact that Siber comes from Nicosia, she came in the fourth place here. This creates suspicions from itself".

Noting that pressure is exerted on him to withdraw his candidature, Oduncuoglu said that he will not do so.

(I/Ts.)

[06] "DPO" announced the latest unemployment rate in the occupied area of Cyprus

According to "DPO", the highest unemployment rate is in the occupied region of Morphou. The nation-wide unemployment rate for the occupied area of Cyprus is calculated as 8.3%. Unemployment rate among men is 5.8%; among women is 12.8%, said the "DPO" report.

Self-styled undersecretary of "DPO" Odul Muhtaroglu also announced that the highest employment ratio is in the occupied part of Nicosia with 49.5% and the lowest employment rate is in occupied Morphou with 38.5%.

[07] MHP will not back Erdogan's presidential system

Under those circumstances, will the MHP support the AKP for a constitutional change to introduce the presidential system?

"No," replied the leader of MHP Devlet Bahceli, and added: "Erdogan wants regime change. The MHP is not going to back a presidential system, it is impossible for us to support Erdogan. We want a new constitution, but through parliamentary mechanisms, in order to achieve a better democratic parliamentary system".

The second question is about scenarios leaked from the AKP ranks. President Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu imply that the alternative to the AKP will be a coalition government with the MHP, hoping to revive fears of instability after years of fragile coalitions. Is the MHP getting ready for a coalition after the election, if the AKP is unable to form a single-party government?

"Turkey has a tradition of coalitions," Bahceli said. "But unfortunately coalitions failed to deliver much to people, neither were they long-lasting. We do not favour a coalition. We aim to establish our own government."

The polls - which Bahceli says he has no confidence in currently, show the MHP in third place within the 16-18% bracket. He believes that if something "extraordinary does not take place in the last 10 days," the AKP government could fall. He doesn't give any clues what that might be, but says the AKP "would do anything to stay in power". TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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(DPs/ AM)

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