Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 15-08-18

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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] Gulden Kucuk: They aim to find the remains of 40-50 Greek Cypriot missing persons

[02] Izcan: The Turkish Cypriots will not be able to pay the compensations on the property issue, a fund should be established

[03] Kamil Hur's house was attacked after he celebrated the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus

[04] Sucugoglu: We prepare a strategic plan for attracting cultural and sport tourism

[05] Cavusoglu announced officially his candidacy for UBP's leadership while quarrels continue within the party

[06] Failure of AKP-MHP talks herald early polls in Turkey

[07] Davutoglu will return the mandate for forming a government today

[08] Turkish lira plunges to new low as coalition talks fail

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Gulden Kucuk: They aim to find the remains of 40-50 Greek Cypriot missing persons

The CMP started a new excavation at a military area behind the central prison in the occupied part of Nicosia. The excavation work aims to find the remains of 40-50 missing Greek Cypriots.

Speaking to the "BRT" about the excavation works, the Turkish Cypriot member of the CMP Gulden Plumer Kucuk said that the excavation work at the military area behind the central prison in the occupied part of Nicosia started through a permission obtained from the Turkish occupation military "authorities".

She also added that they aim to find the remains of around 40-50 Greek Cypriot missing persons with the permission they had obtained from the Turkish occupation military authorities which is the third excavation this year and 28 in total.

Kucuk also noted that excavation work has begun in light of the information received.

"Around 40-50 Greek Cypriots fighters who had died in separate areas in 1974 were gathered and were tried to be returned to the Greek Cypriot side through the UN however the Greek Cypriot side had rejected this and therefore these bodies were buried in this area", Kucuk claimed.

[02] Izcan: The Turkish Cypriots will not be able to pay the compensations on the property issue, a fund should be established

Izcan said: "Recognizing the property right of an individual is not tantamount to that all his properties will be returned to the individual. The property belongs to whom it belonged until 1974. Afterwards it is said that the methods of compensating, or returning and exchanging this property will be used. In the Property Commission it was used by mainly giving importance to compensation. The two leaders went a step further and said that we recognize the property right of the individual for both communities. This time the individual property right of the Turkish Cypriots is also recognized. [?]"

Izcan described the issue of the illegal title deeds granted by the breakaway regime through the so-called "ITEM law" as "the biggest problem on the property issue" and the most complex problem we will have to face and added: "The title deeds, properties [given for] 20 Turkish Liras (TL) are contrary to the international law. A de facto situation is being created before an agreement is reached. We said that instead of doing this, the state should give the right of use with the method of long-term leasing, but it should not give title deeds".

Noting that all the deposits and the budgets of the Turkish Cypriots are not enough to cover the compensations on the property issue, Izcan said: "All our deposits in the banks are six billion dollars. We have an external debt of five billion TL to Turkey. It makes a total of eleven billion TL, 3-4 billion dollars, that is, even if we give all our money, we cannot pay the debt. A resource should somehow be created. Those who have responsibility for the problem coming to this form should create a resource. Otherwise, if criteria are put, if you refer to compensation, exchange and return and if you are mainly directed towards compensation, this money should be paid from a resource".

(I/Ts.)

[03] Kamil Hur's house was attacked after he celebrated the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus

Hur stated that after the celebration he went to bed and around midnight he heard some people shouting. He added: "My warehouse was burning. It seems that persons saw it and notified and the fire brigade came. The fire was extinguished with the help of my neighbours too. During every activity the police were coming, taking notice, gathering the placards and arresting me. This time the police did not come. Only at night when I was about to gather the placards, a civilian police officer came. He even helped me in tidying up. Then he told me that his director wanted to meet and talk with me and then he left. [?]"

(I/Ts.)

[04] Sucugoglu: We prepare a strategic plan for attracting cultural and sport tourism

Meanwhile, Sucuoglu, replying to criticisms regarding his proposal for allowing Turkish origin tourists to cross for a day to the government controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus by the Cyprus authorities, said that this one day trips to the government controlled area of Cyprus will not hit the "TRNC economy". He explained that if this would ever happen, it would be like a pilgrimage to Hala Sultan Tekke or the Bayraktar mosque.

(DPs)

[05] Cavusoglu announced officially his candidacy for UBP's leadership while quarrels continue within the party

Cavusoglu stated during the conference that the UBP is the party that Turkish Cypriots trusted the most and added that a strong UBP meant "a strong state and a strong society". He also stated that not only he is a candidate for the party leadership but a candidate for the "prime ministry" as well since as he said UBP will win the next "election" and will form a single-party "government".

In addition, the paper writes that a new quarrel started in the party as regards the registration of new members since this will be the first time that the party's members will vote to elect the party's new leader. The paper cites information according to which as of August 15, 6,843 persons were registered as UBP's members. Havadis writes that this development caused the reaction of Ersin Tatar, who is also a candidacy for the leadership of the party who questioned whether these persons are truly UBP's supporters. On his part, Cavusoglu also reacted, saying that the list of party's registered members must be examined very carefully.

(CS)

[06] Failure of AKP-MHP talks herald early polls in Turkey

"Bahceli said that he doesn't consider a coalition with the AKP [Justice and Development Party] possible," Davutoglu told reporters at a press conference following his meeting with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli.

Bahceli was the one who first put forth his position on the matter during their meeting, Davutoglu said, adding that the MHP leader repeated his strict conditions for the formation of a coalition.

Bahceli not only shut down the prospects for a coalition partnership, but also refused to be part of a short-lived alliance to govern until early elections and support a minority government that would be held by the AKP, Davutoglu said.

"He said they would be present in Parliament in the event of a vote on an early election but would not support such a decision," Davutoglu said after the meeting which took place days before a 45-day deadline to establish a new government runs out on Aug. 23.

For his part, Bahceli constantly repeated his desire for a constructive effort to prevent the country from being left without a government, but only on certain conditions that would be difficult to fulfil for the AKP:

Suspending the peace process with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to end the three-decade conflict between Turkey's security forces and the PKK; sticking to the current constitutional definition of citizenship, which includes the phrase "Turkishness," in order to "end ethnic and sectarian-based polarization;" and an "effective fight against bribery and corruption," particularly in regards to the corruption and graft claims revealed on Dec. 17 and 25, 2013, that targeted figures close to the government.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the founding leader of the AKP, is also reported to favour new elections in the hope that the party can win back its parliamentary majority. But the MHP said it had no interest in propping up an AKP minority administration. Unless the AKP is prepared to accept nationalist conditions for a full coalition, there is little point in even negotiating, said the MHP.

[07] Davutoglu will return the mandate for forming a government today

The paper notes that 39 days have already passed from the date that Erdogan gave the mandate to Davutoglu.

The paper also reports that with just days left until the expiration of the deadline on August 23 to form a government, speculation is growing over whether Erdogan will give a new mandate to form a government to the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), which received the second highest number of votes in the June 7 election, in line with the political customs of the country.

(CS)

[08] Turkish lira plunges to new low as coalition talks fail

The Turkish currency fell to a historic low of 2.8677 against the dollar in late trading on Monday. Starting the day at 2.8350, the Turkish lira hit 2.86 in the afternoon trading before the party leaders meeting at 2.00 p.m. (1100GMt) then rose to 2.8677 against the U.S. currency after the meeting.

Analysts say the growing prospect of an early election will cause further decrease in the value of the Turkish lira against the dollar in the coming days.

The Turkish Central Bank monetary policy committee is due to meet on Tuesday to decide whether to raise or lower the interest rates. However, economists are forecasting the Turkish Central Bank to keep interest rates as they are. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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(DPs/ AM)

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