Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 15-08-20

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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] Yildiz says that they have prepared a master plan to transfer electricity to the entire Cyprus

[02] More than 50% of the employees in the occupied area of Cyprus are remunerated with the minimum wage

[03] Chinese businessman to make big investment in occupied Trikomo

[04] Kilic Deniz Corporation is planning to make an investment in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus

[05] Ustel announced his candidacy for UBP's leadership

[06] KTOEOS trade union condemned the attack against Hur

[07] Mustafa Tosun the new director of the illegal BRT

[08] Erdogan: Turkey 'swiftly' heading to snap polls; CHP turns back on caretaker government; MHP calls for a martial law; YSK proposes early election date as November 1

[09] Davutoglu to strengthen hand at party congress before upcoming election

[10] Turkey and the US agreed on a plan against ISIL

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Yildiz says that they have prepared a master plan to transfer electricity to the entire Cyprus

Yildiz said that in case their plans are implemented, the prices of electricity in [the occupied area of] Cyprus will fall up to one third. He added that they do not think that is right for the cables to be built by the public sector and added that a plan sustainable for 30 or 50 years should be implemented for Cyprus' electricity.

Referring to the increase of the foreign exchange rate, Yildiz expressed their dissatisfaction with the development noting that this is only for the benefit of the exporters. He said that in spite of the fact that they are experiencing difficulties, they do not intent to force the industrialists and the people pay the price.

(I/Ts.)

[02] More than 50% of the employees in the occupied area of Cyprus are remunerated with the minimum wage

Gurpinar noted that the minimum wage has been turned into "a general wage" and described this as "one of the most serious problems".

"This is a very high percentage. We have to produce a solution to this", he noted adding that they are trying to change the situation with a "law" they are preparing for the persons remunerated with the minimum wage. According to the provisions of this "law", after working for at least one year, a person's remuneration will be a little bit higher than the minimum wage and persons employed in professions that require certificates will be remunerated with "a certain percentage above the minimum wage".

Gurpinar pointed out that one of the problems they are facing is that a significant part of the working population pays social insurances on the basis of the minimum wage. It is true that some of them receive the minimum wage, he said, but some of them are remunerated with a higher salary and pay social insurances on the basis of the minimum wage.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Chinese businessman to make big investment in occupied Trikomo

According to the paper You Fei MA who is the administrator of the Zhing Sai Developments LTD will co-operate with Noyan Group investments which operates in the area. The Chinese businessman already bought a 26 donum building plot in order to construct a 140-flat and 52 duplex villas project. Despite that the project is not launched yet, it is expected to be completed within a year, according to the paper.

You Fei Ma visited the so-called mayor of Trikomo Hasan Sadikoglu and informed him about his plans. Sadikloglu stated that the project will benefit not only Trikomo but the whole "country". On his part Chinese businessman stated that he was impressed by the area's beauty.

(CS)

[04] Kilic Deniz Corporation is planning to make an investment in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus

A delegation from the Kilic holding company visited the paper and briefed them regarding the investments that they are planning to make in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus.

Murat Dag representing the company explained to the paper that they are planning to make an investment of 40 million euro and to employ two thousand people. He added that their aim is to produce 5 thousand tons of fish yearly.

Dag also said that the breeding sea farm will be approximately 1km to 5 from the sea coast. He also said that they can invest in the occupied area of Cyprus within 3-4 years and their target is to export.

(DPs)

[05] Ustel announced his candidacy for UBP's leadership

Speaking during a press conference, Ustel stated that his aim is to make UBP become again the first choice amongst the "voters" and declared that he will use his experience to produce solutions for the "chronic issues of the country", as he stated.

Referring to the current "coalition government" between UBP and the Republican Turkish Party he commented as follows: "This is not a government of action, is a government for the congress".

Ustel is the fourth UBP member to announce his candidacy for the party's leadership following the current leader of the party Huseyin Ozgurgun and UBP "deputies" Ersin Tatar and Nazim Cavusoglu.

(CS)

[06] KTOEOS trade union condemned the attack against Hur

In the statement, Gokcebel described as unacceptable the attacks of the recent days which aim as he said to provoke the peace and the momentum of the solution. He added that they will not allow to the supporters of the status quo who are against the democracy and peace and are trying for years to cause fear to the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot community to do so.

Gokcebel went on and said that KTOEOS supports and stands by Hur adding that they will not allow fascism and the powers of evil to abolish democracy, peace and the solution in the island.

(AK)

[07] Mustafa Tosun the new director of the illegal BRT

The appointment of Tosun was announced yesterday after the meeting of the so-called council of ministers which was headed by the so-called prime minister Omer Kalyoncu.

(AK)

[08] Erdogan: Turkey 'swiftly' heading to snap polls; CHP turns back on caretaker government; MHP calls for a martial law; YSK proposes early election date as November 1

Under the Constitution, the President is obliged to give the mandate to form a coalition to the Republican People's Party (CHP), which came second in the election. But Erdogan on August 19 hinted that he would not do so, just days ahead of an August 23 deadline to form a new government. "I have no time to lose with those who do not know the address of Bestepe", he said, referring to his controversial new presidential palace that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to construct.

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has refused to set foot in Erdogan's palace, which the opposition party has called "illegal".

According to the Constitution, the AKP will be able to continue as a minority government until elections if a majority in Parliament votes in favour of holding early polls.

Erdogan said that Turkey faced a problem of forming a new government at a time of "terror," accusing the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) of working "to divide our country".

Meanwhile, Ankara Anatolia news agency (19.08.15) reported that Turkey's second largest parliamentary party on Wednesday said that it would not take part in a caretaker government in the run-up to a fresh general election.

"The CHP expects to perform the duty of forming a government and clearly views it as a seizure of authority if it is not tasked to do so," said Haluk Koc, CHP's deputy leader and spokesman, said in a news conference in Ankara.

However, the CHP has now withdrawn in cooperation, following in the footsteps of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), whose leader Devlet Bahceli has said his party would not take part in an interim government.

Koc called on the "prudent" political parties to meet the nation's expectations and accused Erdogan of "violating democratic practices and thwarting his party from forming a government" during the coalition talks.

On the same issue, AA news agency (19.08.15) reported that Bahceli has called for the imposition of martial law in the face of the escalated violence.

Bahceli called for emergency powers to be adopted under Article 122 of the Constitution, which allows martial law for up to six months in regions where violence is "aimed at the destruction of the free democratic order or the fundamental rights and freedoms embodied in the Constitution".

"It is obligatory to impose safety through martial law, which will encompass some parts of the country where violence and terror exist," Bahceli said in a statement.

He also called for plans to hold a fresh election to be called off in light of the renewed conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in southern and eastern Turkey, where around 50 security forces personnel have been martyred since July 20.

Finally, Turkish daily Sabah (online, 20.08.15) reports that Turkey's Supreme Election Board (YSK) on Thursday presented a draft to political parties for snap elections to take place on November 1, following the failure of coalition talks between political parties.

[09] Davutoglu to strengthen hand at party congress before upcoming election

"The party exists for the country. There is a need to do everything within a natural context and in line with legitimacy in order not to allow the perception that there is an extraordinary situation in the country," Davutoglu said on August 19.

At a meeting held on August 18 and chaired by Davutoglu, the AKP's highest decision-making body, the Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK), set September 12 as the date of its upcoming party congress.

According to Davutoglu, with this decision the AKP gave the message that there is no "extraordinary situation" requiring the postponement of its regular congress.

However, Davutoglu claimed that the June election results should not be dubbed a "failure" for the AKP. "Forty-one percent of votes is not an unsuccessful result. If the CHP had received 31%, the MHP had 18-19% and the HDP had 9%, while we had received 41% of the votes, then we would have been in power on our own [as a single-party government]. Then you wouldn't be asking this question," Davutoglu said, when asked about his key message in the upcoming election.

[10] Turkey and the US agreed on a plan against ISIL

According to the details of the agreement seen by daily Hurriyet, the two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding and have been working on a military operation plan other than one being implemented under the anti-ISIL coalition led by the U.S.

As part of the existing plan, U.S. jets departing from the Incirlik military base close to the border have been hitting ISIL targets.

Under the new plan, Turkish fighter jets will join the air strikes as part of the clearing phase between Syria's Jarablus and Marea. The two countries will also back local opposition forces on the ground for this phase.

The plan also includes sending volunteer refugees in Turkey to camps that will be built in the zone once it is cleared of ISIL forces.

Both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, signed the MoU, which avoids mention of the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD), whose military arm, the People's Protection Units (YPG), have been also fighting against ISIL. However, the two countries have verbally agreed not to permit the PYD to pass the western side of the River Euphrates and prevent the group and President Bashar al-Assad's forces from filling the area emptied by ISIL.

Turkey declared to the U.S. that it would hit the PYD if it passes the line drawn by the river, even if it does not target Turkey.

Ankara dislikes the PYD due to its ties with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has intensified retaliatory attacks on Turkish military targets inside the country, resulting in a loss of life on both sides. The U.S. has warned the PYD about Turkey's stance on the red line.

The practical details of the MoU will be included in an operation plan between the militaries of the two countries.

The plan will also include U.S. aircraft that will be located in three other provinces, Batman, Diyarbak?r and Malatya, in addition to Incirlik in the southern province of Adana.

Officials have already announced that 26 U.S. Air Force jets from the 480th Fleet, four gun-carrying unmanned aerial vehicles and some surveillance jets will be placed in Turkey.

Within the scope of the plan, an air defence system with a capacity larger than the U.S.'s Patriots, which are scheduled to be removed from Turkey, and Germany's Patriots, which have already been removed, is expected to be established at the bases mentioned above.

Meanwhile, Hurriyet has learned that the U.S. decision to remove Patriots from Turkey emerged during bargaining between Washington and Ankara for the opening of the Incirlik base to U.S.-led strikes against ISIL. Sources said the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), one of NATO's two strategic commanders, has reported that Syria's missile systems do not require a Patriot defence. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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(DPs/ AM)

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