Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 15-07-08

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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] "The story of the winches which could never be taken out of Varosha"

[02] UN Envoy Eide visited Denktas

[03] Denktas announced his party's "new political vision"

[04] Self-styled finance minister Mungan: The Treasury is at a better point

[05] YKP to attend a seminar in the Czech Republic

[06] 675 thousand subscribers of cell phones in the occupied area of Cyprus

[07] The new campus of the illegal Keryneia American University will start operating from July 20

[08] Bozkir: Turkey's EU membership still a strategic goal

[09] USA and Turkey on new page for cooperation on Syria

[10] Columnist: "Erdogan delaying the coalition process for his own game"

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] "The story of the winches which could never be taken out of Varosha"

"The stories of putting on sale in favour of the state assets in the fenced off Varosha, which is one of the most important parts of the Cyprus problem, have come to these days by being told by those who lived them", writes the paper noting that the businessmen who had purchased the winches filed a "lawsuit" against the "state" in 1988 after they were told that they were not allowed by the Turkish occupation army to take the winches out of the occupied city.

Businessmen Bayram Erkose and Akkanat Sonya were among the participants in the tender. The pretext for not allowing the businessmen to take the winches out of the occupied fenced off city was that they could not be evacuated secretly from the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force, that in case there was an effort to evacuate them, the UNFICYP would protest to stop this action, and the Greek Cypriot side and foreign powers would instantly be notified about the issue, which would have been made an issue of political exploitation and be used for propaganda in the media.

The "court" decided that the "state" should compensate the businessmen, but the later refused to take the compensation. The trial lasted for ten years and the businessmen could only take back the 17 thousand dollars they had paid for the two winches.

Bayram Erkose told Kibris that the tender for the winches was invited because they posed danger and they could collapse. "When we were removing the winches, the Greek Cypriots saw us and complained", he said adding that the "council of ministers" annulled the sale. Erkose noted that he had come from Turkey to the occupied area of the island in 1974 and that he would have taken the winches to Turkey, as he had acquired a "permit" for this by the "council of ministers".

Erkose described as "tragicomical" the fact that the "state" sold assets through tenders and afterwards annulled these tenders. He noted that the assets which then were located in the occupied city of Famagusta were taken to the warehouses of the "property and furnishing department" and people were buying products from there. Erkose said that he also purchased two pianos then.

(I/Ts.)

[02] UN Envoy Eide visited Denktas

The DPUG General Secretary and self-styled minister for public works and communications Hasan Tacoy and Foreign Relations Secretary Serhat Kotak were also present at the meeting.

Speaking during the visit, Eide said that a very interesting week had been experienced during the talks. "We are working basically on all issues interdependently, constructively with leaders that are showing real courage and leadership to try to see if this is the actual time where the Cyprus issue can be solved", said Eide.

Noting that he had taken part in meetings last week either with the leaders or with the negotiators on a daily basis, the UN Envoy said that with every passing day his optimism towards a solution is increasing. He added that the solution to be found to the Cyprus problem must be supported by both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots therefore an important part of his duty is to meet with political parties.

Denktas, for his part, said that they had not been informed about the current phase of the Cyprus negotiations process and therefore if they wanted political parties to support the solution, then they must be informed.

Denktas said that he had informed Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci of this situation as well. He said that they, as the Democrat party, have some reservations regarding the solution process but that they will wait and see the end results.

He also voiced concern regarding the economic situation of the Turkish Cypriot "people", stating that in order for the Turkish Cypriot economy to compete with other countries, the Turkish Cypriot economy needed to be improved.

[03] Denktas announced his party's "new political vision"

The party's draft political vision includes a series of reforms on "citizenship, minority rights, refugee rights tax". The DP's political vision also highlights the need to improve the economy, to introduce a step by step solution to the Cyprus problem and to restructure the "TRNC's relationship with Turkey".

Speaking about Cyprus, Denktas stated that the solution of the Cyprus problem comes through the establishment of a new Cyprus and not with integrating the "TRNC" in the Republic of Cyprus. "We believe that we can reach such a solution by taking small steps", he said adding that the new political structure must be supported in order for peaceful solution based onn political equality to be constructed. He said that his party is ready to work towards a new Cyprus which will be established on the basis of two founding states and added that this will be reached with political equality: "The south is theirs, the north is ours, we will administrate the whole island together taking steps that will bring the two communities of the island together, without rejecting the position of the UN Secretary General and the "officials papers" of either the Greek side or the Turkish side for a comprehensive solution", he argued.

(CS)

[04] Self-styled finance minister Mungan: The Treasury is at a better point

Announcing that he will not take part in the "new cabinet", Mungan said: "I want to complete my duty by bringing the treasury to a better point. I have completed my two year duty. I will continue with my work in the field of finance."

Mungan noted that the work carried out by his "ministry" had been based on the approach of using public funds effectively, economically and efficiently, to maintain accountability and financial transparency as well as to increase local revenues through budget discipline and savings.

Mungan also touched upon work carried out by the various departments operating under the "finance ministry". He also provided information about the "state budget", sharing figures and statistics. "In May 2013 we had inherited a state budget with a 66 million TL deficit and again in June 2013 we inherited a budget with a 20 million deficit. The second year, in May 2013, we achieved a budget surplus of 5 million TL followed by a 21 million surplus in June 2015. These figures show that the state budget had turned from an unbalanced budget into a surplus budget" Mungan added.

Explaining that the 82% of the local expenditures were met by the local revenues and that this percentage had reached 91% during the first half of 2015, he said this development proved that the target to meet local expenditures with local revenues had been met.

[05] YKP to attend a seminar in the Czech Republic

According to a written statement issued by the YKP, the party will attend the seminar under the observer status. Issues related to the neo-liberal aggressiveness and ecological issues are among the matters to be discussed during the seminar.

(AK)

[06] 675 thousand subscribers of cell phones in the occupied area of Cyprus

According to the figures, 452.738 are subscribers with "north Cyprus Turkcell" mobile operator while 222.329 are subscribers with Telsim mobile network.

The figures have shown also that "Turkcell" holds 67.07% of the market share while Telsim holds 32.93%. Moreover, the registered mobile subscriptions which are active are 514.312.

(AK)

[07] The new campus of the illegal Keryneia American University will start operating from July 20

According to a statement issued by the illegal university, the new campus which started to be constructed in 2013, will consist of four new faculties and the main building of the university. It will be located just outside occupied Keryneia.

(CS)

[08] Bozkir: Turkey's EU membership still a strategic goal

Speaking to Anatolia agency after holding a meeting with European Union officials for the first time since the June 7 parliamentary elections in Turkey, Bozkir said: "Whichever political party forms a government, Turkey's EU membership remains a strategic goal" and added that all parties will have to act together in the accession process.

The Minister also met with EU Enlargement Chief Johannes Hahn and European Parliament Rapporteur for Turkey Kati Piri to speak about Turkey's 2014 progress report on EU membership, which was rejected by Turkey last month.

The report covered the status of reforms Turkey had made to comply with EU regulations.

[09] USA and Turkey on new page for cooperation on Syria

U.S. Under Secretary of Defence Christine Wormuth, Special Presidential Envoy Gen. John Allen and a large U.S. delegation including military and intelligence officials visited Ankara and met with high-level Turkish officials from the Foreign Ministry, Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) on Tuesday. The visit came after Turkey demonstrated its commitment to take all necessary measures including a military operation to secure its border with Syria from the increasing threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and another refugee influx. Ankara's concern about mass displacement of Turkmens and Arabs as a result of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party's (PYD) People's Protection Units (YPG) toward Tal Abyad in Syria to drive out ISIS was one of the main issues discussed. In recent weeks, top Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, voiced concerns about this, claiming coalition forces conducting airstrikes in the region to push back ISIS seem like they are targeting Turkmen and Arab Syrians who are forced out of their homes due to the clashes.

However, recent developments signal that Turkey's concerns on the issue seem to be understood by U.S officials. Last week U.S. Ambassador to Ankara John Bass said the U.S. has forwarded Turkey and the U.S.'s mutual concerns about preserving Syria's territorial integrity to the PYD after the group took control of territory in Syria from ISIS. Prime Ministry sources also share a similar view. "We observe that coalition forces are more sensitive toward Turkey's concerns. This development pleases us," a high level source from the Prime Ministry said on Tuesday.

The use of the Incirlik Air Base in Adana province for military strikes against ISIS by coalition forces was another issue U.S. and Turkish officials discussed. The Incirlik Air Base has been subject to intense negotiations between Ankara and Washington for a long time, but an agreement is yet to be reached. However, according to sources, Turkish and U.S. officials were close to a deal after talks on Tuesday for the deployment of U.S. warplanes to Incirlik as part of efforts to degrade and destroy ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Accordingly, Ankara principally agreed to open the air base for coalition forces for operations that are mutually planned by the U.S. and Turkish military.

The creation of a safe zone was also at the top of the agenda of Turkish officials. Turkey has long called for the creation of a safe zone inside Syria to protect its borders and provide some protection for refugees fleeing both Syrian regime forces and ISIS militants who have seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, but the U.S administration has yet to endorse the idea. On the other hand, Pentagon officials reported last month that U.S. military contingency plans have been drawn up for a safe zone in consultation with Turkey. More recently, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kal?n made clear last week that Turkey is considering the establishment of a safe zone inside Syria, but would not make any moves without consulting with its allies. "When it comes to Syria, we have said from the beginning that we would act together with the international community and that we would not take unilateral action," Kalin said.

[10] Columnist: "Erdogan delaying the coalition process for his own game"

But Erdogan is seemingly delaying the process on purpose which, for many, stands as evidence of his plans to carry the country to early polls in order to try once again for a single-party government for the AKP.

Demirtas concludes: "Obviously this should be Erdogan's main strategy: to kill hopes for a coalition government, to depict opposition parties as uncompromising and thus push for early elections to try once again to get at least a simple majority in parliament. Erdogan still has more than four years as the president and he perfectly knows that he will never be comfortable with a parliament in which oppositional parties have the majority."

Columnist Mustafa Akyol, writing also in HDN (online, 08.07.15), shares the same opinion. Akyol, in his commentary under the title "Why Erdogan wants elections ? again", writes: "These days there is a gap between the two men who rule Turkey: While Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is willing to form a stable coalition government with one of the opposition parties, President Erdogan wants to have 'early elections' as soon as possible, probably this November.

If you wonder why, here is a very simple answer: President Erdogan hates sharing power. He instead wants to concentrate it in his own hands as much possible. But the result of Turkey's elections one month ago really does not fit this agenda. So he wants to toss the dice once again, hoping that this time his party, the AKP, will be able secure a parliamentary majority.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Davutoglu, and the people in the AKP who support him, believe that the nation spoke on June 7, gave a lesson to the AKP, and forced it to seek consensus with opposition parties. They also believe that a coalition government, especially between the AKP and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), will help "normalize" Turkey in several ways: It will diffuse political tension and help the economy. Moreover, it will force Erdogan to become a "normal" President ? limited and non-partisan, as declared in the constitution. The AKP government will then be able to tell Erdogan, at least implicitly, "Our coalition partner asks you to behave; so please behave"."

Akyol concludes: "But how would new elections help the President? Well, by making the AKP win more votes, for sure. The idea is that the very uncertainty and instability created by the June 7 elections will make some voters, who had decided to 'punish' the AKP, change their minds again and vote for the incumbent party. According to calculations, the AKP will need only an additional 2-3% of the votes to secure a parliament majority, and that this might be possible in the fall.

Of course, it is possible that such renewed elections will not change anything, and the AKP will still fall short of securing a parliamentary majority. But for Erdogan, it might be a risk worth taking. What's more, both he and his dedicated followers have an idea of the 'direction of history', which will be realized whatever bumps in the road there are. (..) If there is one thing that may help him, it is the incompetence of the opposition parties, including their inability to reach any consensus among themselves." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

(DPs/ AM)

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