Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 16-07-18

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[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Ankara insists on Gulen's extradition from the US after failed coup attempt

[02] Erdogan: The Turkish government will discuss reintroduction of death penalty with opposition

[03] Greece begins extradition of Turkish coup soldiers

[04] 6,000 alleged coup plotters arrested across Turkey

[05] Cavusoglu spoke to 34 counterparts since coup attempt

[06] Akinci on the coup attempt in Turkey: Its failure caused great satisfaction within the Turkish Cypriots

[07] Ozgurgun due to Turkey to meet with Yildirim; Ozgurgun condemned the military coup

[08] All political party leaders and trade unions condemned the military coup attempt in Turkey

[09] Four Turkish Cypriot students were taken into custody after the failure of the coup in Turkey

[10] The occupation regime decided to simplify the "celebrations" for the Turkish invasion in Cyprus

[11] Erdogan and Putin agreed to a face-to-face meeting next month

[12] Turkish Cypriot columnist: Those who believed that the army in Turkey had been under civilian power's orders were mistaken

[13] Columnist Murat Yetkin wonders who and why now attempted a coup d'edat in Turkey

[14] The German Embassy to Nicosia to host a cocktail for the first time in the occupied area of Cyprus

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Ankara insists on Gulen's extradition from the US after failed coup attempt

Speaking at the funeral of Professor Ilhan Varank on Sunday, the brother of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's chief advisor Mustafa Varank, Erdogan said that Turkey will send a written request to the US and the EU to extradite fugitive Gulenists who are on the run. He said that the FETO (the Fetullah Terrorist Organization) spread like a cancer within the state and assured that Gulenists will be removed from every position including the military and judiciary.

Also addressing a crowd late Saturday, he urged US President Barack Obama to extradite "terrorist leader and coup plotter" Gulen to Turkey. "I hereby call on US President Obama to extradite that person living on a 400-acre compound in Pennsylvania," he added.

Regarding the extradition issue, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke with US Secretary of State John Kerry by phone Saturday about the judicial process for Gulen's extradition. Earlier on Saturday, Kerry said the United States will help Turkey investigate the failed coup and invited Ankara to share the evidence it has against Gulen.

Speaking in Luxembourg, Kerry said Washington had not yet received a formal extradition request for Gulen, and added: "We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr Gulen."

Meanwhile, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 16.07.16), under the title "Turkey-US ties face another test over Gulen after coup attempt", reported that the foiled coup attempt will likely introduce yet another source of tension between Ankara and Washington, as the former named U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen as the mastermind of the mutiny, with calls to its key ally for his extradition.

As usual it was President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who appeared as the most outspoken in making the call to the U.S., in a statement on July 16. (?)

"I do not see any country that would stand behind this man, this leader of the terrorist gang, especially after last night. A country that would stand behind this man is no friend to Turkey. It would even be a hostile act against Turkey," Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m told reporters on July 16.

Both Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry announced in the early hours of the coup attempt that the U.S. supported Turkey's democratically-elected government, making clear they were standing with the Turkish government.

The critical tone in Ankara against the U.S. reached another dimension on late July 16, as Labour Minister Suleyman Soylu openly accused Washington of being behind the coup attempt.

"America is behind the coup. Some magazines published there were involved [in staging the coup] for the last couple of months," Soylu told private broadcaster Haberturk, without specifying what publications these were. Apart from being a member of the government, Soylu is also known as a close associate of Erdogan.

A phone conversation between Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Kerry also took place, most likely after Soylu made his statement, as Kerry raised the issue during the talk.

The Justice Ministry has long been working on a dossier on Gulen to send to the U.S. and there were reports last week that it was fully prepared and ready to be dispatched to Washington through diplomatic channels.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, however, stressed on July 17 that the dossier would be updated with the coup attempt organized by the Gulenist group before being sent to Washington for his extradition. "I am not of the opinion that the U.S. will continue to harbour a person who acts against Turkey any longer after this point," Bozdag said. "That would cause huge harm to its credibility."

[02] Erdogan: The Turkish government will discuss reintroduction of death penalty with opposition

"Our government will discuss [the death penalty] with the opposition. My brothers, we know and hear your demand both as the government and the state", Erdogan said, addressing a crowd gathered in front of his residence in Istanbul on July 17.

Speaking earlier on private broadcaster CNN Turk, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said that politics could "not remain insensitive to social sensitivities", adding that there is a "shared demand" on the issue of the death penalty following the failed coup.

[03] Greece begins extradition of Turkish coup soldiers

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim late Sunday, confirming that the extradition process had begun, the Ministry said in a statement.

Tsipras congratulated the Turkish citizens and their government on efforts to render the attempted coup unsuccessful, acknowledging the "importance for the whole region of maintaining the constitutional democratic regime and stability in Turkey". The Greek Prime Minister also reiterated the support of his government and people, the statement said.

Yildirim thanked Tsipras for the sensitivity and support of the Greek government in the process.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that in a telephone conversation with Tsipras the previous night, the Greek leader told him that the Turkish officers would be returned within 10 to 15 days.

The Black Hawk helicopter used in the attempted escape was returned Saturday to Turkey.

[04] 6,000 alleged coup plotters arrested across Turkey

The government previously said around 3,000 military personnel had been arrested and last night a senior prosecutor ordered the arrest of nearly 2,750 judges accused of links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization alleged to be behind the coup.

"The legal process will continue," Bozdag said on state-run broadcaster TRT. "This will be the most extensive case ever seen in Turkey's history". He promised that those involved in the failed coup would "pay the price".

Bozdag repeated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call for the U.S. to extradite Gulen. "Protecting [Gulen] will weaken the U.S.'s position and damage its reputation," he said. "I presume the U.S. will not back someone who carried out these acts against Turkey."

Suspects are being charged with "membership to an armed terrorist organization" and "attempting to overthrow the government of the Turkish Republic using force and violence or attempting to completely or partially hinder its function."

Moreover, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 18.07.16) reports that the Ankara Governor's Office also announced on July 17 that 149 police personnel were suspended from their duties for having links to the coup attempt.

The arrest warrants target two members of the Constitutional Court, Alparslan Altan and Erdal Tercan, 48 members of the Council of State, and 140 members of the Supreme Court of Appeals.

The detention of 2,745 judicial and administrative judges and prosecutors was ordered after they were suspended from duty by the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) early on June 16.

Many commanders have also been detained and some of them were later arrested.

Among the most significant names detained was the chief military assistant to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Col. Ali Yaz?c?; the commander of the 2nd Army, Gen. Adem Huduti; the executive officer and Malatya Garrison Commander Avni Angun; and the commander of the 3rd Army, Gen. Erdal Ozturk.

Air Forces Commander Ak?n Ozturk was also detained on suspicion of masterminding the coup attempt, according to multiple reports.

In addition, Adana Incirlik 10th Adana Tanker Base Commander Gen. Bekir Ercan was among those detained.

The jets that hit Ankara were reportedly supported by Turkish tanker aircrafts based at the Incirlik Air Base, which is also being used by the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Police also detained eight Air Force generals suspected of being appointed to the top "coup command posts" if the failed attempt had succeeded, at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport late on July 16.

Also, in the Aegean province of Izmir, Aegean Army Deputy Commander Brig. Mamduh Hakbilken and Foca Marine Amphibious Force Brigadier Commander Commodore Halil Ibrahim Y?ld?z were among those detained.

[05] Cavusoglu spoke to 34 counterparts since coup attempt

Diplomatic sources said that Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has spoken with 34 of his counterparts, including Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev and Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.

Cavusoglu also received telephone calls from the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the US Secretary of State, and the Foreign Ministers of Germany, Britain, France, Greece, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Ukraine, Palestine, Azerbaijan, Canada, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Morocco, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Libya, Lebanon, Hungary, Macedonia, Malta, Rwanda, Jordan, Yemen, New Zealand, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkey's top diplomat also spoke to the heads of NATO, the Council of Europe, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

All the senior officials told Cavusoglu that they support Turkish democracy, its elected government, and its institutions. They expressed their solidarity with Turkey and restated that coup attempts are unacceptable.

For his part, Cavusoglu thanked the officials for standing with the Turkish people and government. Sources said that Cavusoglu would continue to conduct intensive telephone diplomacy.

[06] Akinci on the coup attempt in Turkey: Its failure caused great satisfaction within the Turkish Cypriots

In a second written statement issued on Saturday on the developments in Turkey, Akinci noted that they were saddened about the loss of lives during the coup, arguing that attempting to obtain by the use of armed force the institutions formed with people's will is a result of "an old and outdated mentality which has no place in the modern time".

Akinci expressed the view that the solidarity and determination exhibited by the Turkish people, media and political parties against the coup showed that the "dark coups era in Turkey belongs to the past".

Akinci underlined the vital importance for the Turkish Cypriots of Turkey's development as a modern, democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law. "Turkey's stability and tranquillity in democracy is a big necessity for the entire region", he argued.

(I/Ts.)

[07] Ozgurgun due to Turkey to meet with Yildirim; Ozgurgun condemned the military coup

Also, Ozgurgun and Yildirim have decided to meet in Ankara on July 26.

Also, issuing a written statement on behalf of the "government" about the military coup attempt in Turkey, Ozgurgun condemned strongly the military coup attempt which took place on Friday night and argued that the Turkish nation, flag and the national will had proved once again to the international community that they will not permit a gateway to the rebels".

(?)Ozgurgun also underlined the fact that Turkey is a democratic, modern state governed by the rule of law.

(AK)

[08] All political party leaders and trade unions condemned the military coup attempt in Turkey

Issuing a written statement on the issue, the "speaker" of the so-called assembly Sibel Siber condemned strongly the coup attempt in Turkey and said that those who carried out the military coup are anti-democratic units who do not respect the people's political will and who aimed to harm the democratic values, human rights and the state of the rule of law.

Sibel held also a phone conversation with the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament Ismail Kahraman to whom she expressed their condolences.

Also, in a separate statement, the leader of the Democratic Party (DP) Serdar Denktas pointed out that the Turkish Cypriot people's prosperity and welfare can be achieved only with a strong and stable Turkish Republic.

"We feel pleased from the fact that democracy in Turkey continue to exist", Denktas said, expressing also his condolences to the families of the people who died during the coup.

Moreover, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) in a separate statement underlines that any attempt to seize power with force and with illegal method is "unacceptable".

Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives during the military coup attempt in Turkey, the CTP welcomed all opposition parties' common stance in Turkey over the coup attempt and expressed hope that democracy will prevail in Turkey.

At the same time, the Social Democracy Party (TDP) leader Cemal Ozyigit described the military coup attempt in Turkey as worrisome.

Ozyigit underlined that no military regime under any circumstances can be considered as an alternative for coming to power. Condemning strongly the military coup attempt in Turkey, Ozyigit stressed the need for democracy, peace, justice and freedom to prevail in Turkey.

Moreover, Izzet Izcan, leader of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) condemned the military coup and said that as BKP they are strongly opposed to the military coups. Supporting that the after the military coup Erdogan's power will be strengthened even more, Izcan said that the result of the military coup attempt is the weakening of the democracy in Turkey. He also supported that the coup attempt will give an advantage to Erdogan over the Presidential system and argued that Erdogan and the AKP will try to utilize these developments in order to lead the country to early elections. "What Turkey need is neither monarchy nor coup attempts. Turkey needs a modern state of the rule of law and a multi-party parliamentary system that will prevail democracy and implement the Constitution", added Izcan.

Also, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Cyprus Socialist Party (KSP) in separate written statements, condemned strongly the terrorist attacks and the coup attempt in Turkey and called the Turkish President, the Prime Minister and all the political parties represented in the Turkish National Assembly to join their forces and resist to protect the democratic values in Turkey.

The KSP underlined also in its statement that the incidents occurred in Turkey cannot be considered only as an internal problem of Turkey but it is a problem deriving from the global economic crisis. The KSP warned that more disasters are expecting Turkey in the future.

Also, several trade unions in the occupied area of Cyprus as well as other "organizations" condemned strongly the coup attempt in Turkey expressing their solidarity to the Turkish government and the Turkish nation.

(?)

(AK)

[09] Four Turkish Cypriot students were taken into custody after the failure of the coup in Turkey

The self-styled presidency of the regime and the so-called security forces command have undertaken an initiative for the release of the four young Turkish Cypriots. The "representation office" of the regime in Istanbul reached the students and found out that they are well and innocent. It is said that the four Turkish Cypriots will be released after the procedure is over.

(I/Ts.)

[10] The occupation regime decided to simplify the "celebrations" for the Turkish invasion in Cyprus

According to the paper, several receptions and concerts were cancelled while as it was made known, there will not be any representation by Turkey on a highest level.

Also, in a meeting last week headed by Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, it has been decided that the "celebrations events" on the occasion of the July 20 will take place as of this year and from now on with no tanks, F16 airplanes and heavy military vehicles.

On the same issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (18.07.16) under the front page title: "Minimize on the 20th of July celebrations", reports that Akinci held a meeting with the "commanders" of the so-called Turkish Cypriot Peace Forces Command (KTBK) where they decided to reduce to the minimum the "20th of July celebrations".

In this framework, the traditional and already planned for the July 20th acrobatic show of the Turkish acrobatic airplanes known as "Turkish Stars" has been postponed.

(AK)

[11] Erdogan and Putin agreed to a face-to-face meeting next month

The agreement came in a telephone call from Putin in which he gave his support to Turkey following Friday's attempted coup.

According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Russian President said that he stood by Turkey's elected government and offered his condolences to the victims of the failed coup.

The leaders will meet in the first week of August, the source added. The meeting will be the first face-to-face meeting between Erdogan and Putin since the Turkish Air Force shot down a Russian jet over the Turkey-Syria border last November.

[12] Turkish Cypriot columnist: Those who believed that the army in Turkey had been under civilian power's orders were mistaken

"Even in the very beginning many countries, including America, Russia and Britain, have prohibited the journeys to Turkey", notes Duzgun adding that the cruise ships which have been carrying tens of thousands of tourists to Turkey are now heading to Greece and probably no one will want to visit Turkey this summer season. "An economy which stands still with the foreign investments will go down", argues the columnist wondering which investor comes to a country where coups happen.

Duzgun adds the following: "These are the economic parts of the issue. It also has a political aspect which is the one we should actually look at. Democracy in Turkey is experiencing serious problems for some period. AK Party's and Erdogan's full dominance has been turned into a significant source of tension. The intolerance to the opposition and the opposite views, throwing journalists in prison with unsatisfactory pretexts and Erdogan's insistence to pass to the presidential system in spite of his full dominance are important points of tension.

On the other hand, images which remind of civil war in the east, the fight to death with the Fethullah Gulen Community in the west, which is said to have planned the coup attempt of last Friday night, the bloody coup attempt which followed all these, people going out into the streets, lying under the tanks and opposing to the coup are important of course.

However, do you know what is more important? It is to canalize these to the reconstruction of democracy. Let us hope that this support by the people is used for constructing a modern democracy and not for strengthening the one man's rule [?] otherwise things will be difficult for all of us".

(I/Ts.)

[13] Columnist Murat Yetkin wonders who and why now attempted a coup d'edat in Turkey

"The failed military coup attempt in Turkey started on the evening of July 15, leaving more than 200 killed, nearly 3,000 soldiers and almost as many judges and prosecutors detained, and plenty of embarrassment for Turkey for being the centre of talk about a military coup, (even if it failed and there remain a lot of questions about it).

Here are a few of those questions, as well as possible answers:

1) Who did it? President Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m and many politicians from different parties were pretty quick to say that Fethullah Gulen, the Islamist ideologue living in the U.S., was the mastermind of the failed coup attack. The government calls Gulen members in the state the "parallel structure organization within the state." The military sources, who are among the majority who stood against the junta, claim that some of them were known or suspected sympathizers of Gulen. Reliable sources say "don't bet on the probability that he is not involved", despite the fact that no direct link has been proven so far (though it is early), and despite Gulen denying the accusations.

2) Why now? There are a few scenarios that are not very convincing. But the one about the Supreme Military Council's (YAS) meetings about retirements and promotions, expected to take place at the end of July, might have a point. Reliable sources talking to Hurriyet Daily News claimed that after understanding there would be a purge against "parallel state" members within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), followers of Gulen decided to make this move as a "last chance" to take the state apparatus under control.

3) Were other groups involved along with, potentially, Gulen's followers? This possibility is now being looked into by both government inspectors and the in-house inspection of the military. There is a suspicion that some officers were approached by the group to take part and agreed out of their dislike of Erdogan.

4) Was this a blow to the military's credibility? Yes it was. The image of the military as the most trusted institution in Turkey, acting within its disciplined chain of command as the guardian of the country and the republic, did not stand up this time. It is understood that there was a well and secretly organized group with political aims that reached into the upper echelons of the military, as well as penetrating the lower levels. The fact that his private secretary, a colonel who took Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar hostage, and the body guards of Air Force commander Abidin Unal, who kidnapped him on behalf of the plotters, are traumatic for the military, the government and the people. The military is likely to undergo now under a significant restructuring after the failed coup plot.

5) Will the failed coup affect Turkey's foreign and security policy? It is not likely to affect Turkey's foreign policy as long as NATO commitments are fulfilled, but it may negatively affect the country's security situation. There are reports that some important Turkish anti-terrorism experts were killed by the plotters in their raid on the Police Special Forces facilities in Golbas? near Ankara, as well as elsewhere. That might also affect Turkey's struggle against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). There was also an attack on the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) headquarters, though there have been no reports of causalities there yet.

Among those detained are 2nd Army Commander Gen. Adem Huduti, who was in charge of security along the Syria and Iraq borders, Lt. Gen. Erdal Ozturk of the 3rd Corps in Istanbul, which is also the NATO contingency force, and the commander of the strategic Incirlik Air Base used in the fight against ISIL in Syria by the U.S.-led coalition.

6) Was there an intelligence failure? Very likely. Deputy Foreign Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on CNN Turk on July 17 that they had heard nothing about such an organization in advance and, had they known, they could have taken precautions. That also puts both the police force under the Interior Ministry and the MIT face-to-face with hard questions, as well as the military's own counter-intelligence.

7) Was it a scenario constructed by Erdogan? This is a claim spread on social media as the coup attempt started to fail in the early hours of July 16. It is a claim that found some support among some of the staunchest opponents of Erdogan who just want to see him gone, even if by anti-democratic means. The claim has a lot missing without considering the huge risks associated with such an operation, such as the possibility of military officers changing sides along the way. One of Erdogan's closest aides, his PR and election campaign advisor Erol Olcak, and his 16-year-old son were killed in the front line of protesters. What's more, Erdogan certainly would not like to see his authority, especially in the military where he is proud of being the commander-in-chief, denied.

8) Will it change the political balances? Most likely. Erdogan's popularity has increased, which might help him in his target of the constitutional fight for an executive presidential system. On the other hand, it is understood that the country is no garden of roses despite that obvious support. The immediate stance of the opposition parties, the social democratic Republican People's Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), against the coup attempt, together with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti), was the first thing that all parties in the Turkish Parliament have been united on for a long time.

[14] The German Embassy to Nicosia to host a cocktail for the first time in the occupied area of Cyprus

In statements during the meeting Gungordu said that many German tourists visit occupied Keryneia and many German citizens bought houses and live there.

Gungordu invited the German Ambassador to the Olives Feast to be organized in occupied Keryneia area in October.

(I/Ts.) TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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