Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 16-08-03

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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 Turkish Foreign Ministry reiterates its threats against Cyprus over the hydrocarbons

[02] Yildirim: "The guarantees are not even an issue of negotiations"

[03] Akinci announced that the "presidency" has donated 50 thousands euro to the CMP

[04] Cemal Volkan has become the Deputy Commander of the "Cyprus Turkish Security Forces"

[05] Volkan claims that arrested journalist's house is the headquarters of FETO in the breakaway regime

[06] Atun: 15 million TL subsidiary grants will be allowed for the industrial, tourism and agriculture sectors

[07] "Deputy assembly speaker" Alanli carries out contacts in Azerbaijan

[08] Havadis on the Greek Cypriots who do not pay the traffic penalties they get from breaking the speed limits

[09] Erdogan has strongly accused the West of supporting terrorism

[10] Survey finds 88% of Turkish citizens favouring death penalty

[11] Kurdish names, new provinces proposed for Turkey's southeast

[12] CHP leader will not attend Erdogan's democracy rally in Istanbul

[13] HDP is left out of inter-party meetings

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] The Turkish Foreign Ministry reiterates its threats against Cyprus over the hydrocarbons

In a written statement issued yesterday, Bilgic recalled that the Turkish Foreign Ministry had announced on 25 March that parcel number six [in Cyprus' EEZ] is located within the borders of Turkey's continental shelf and that foreign companies have expressed interest for this parcel within the framework of the third round of licensing recently announced by the Republic of Cyprus. He went on and claimed: "It is not possible for foreign companies to carry out explorations and drilling activities in areas of our jurisdiction in the sea without permission".

Bilgic said that during the Cyprus negotiations, which are continuing in an intensive manner with the aim of finding a just, lasting and comprehensive solution in the island, it was agreed that the natural resources are within the competences of the federal government if a solution is reached. He argued: "The fact that the Greek Cypriot side, which should see the Turkish Cypriot side as its equal future partner, continues to behave as the sole owner of the island and insists on unilateral actions in this field, is worrying. We are reiterating our call on the companies and the countries which could carry out hydrocarbon explorations in Greek Cypriot administration's so-called EEZ based on illegal and invalid licenses, to take into consideration the Turkish Cypriot side's legitimate, equal and indispensable rights over the entire island, and to act with common sense. On the other hand, we reiterate that Turkey will take any kind of measures to protect its rights and interests in its continental shelf".

(I/Ts.)

[02] Yildirim: "The guarantees are not even an issue of negotiations"

Yildirim also said that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci should undertake more initiatives in the Cyprus negotiations.

The Turkish Prime Minister further claimed that the Turkish Cypriots want more than anyone a solution to be found in Cyprus, because of the "unjust treatment which they suffer all these years" and the "fact that the Greek Cypriots use the island's resources alone".

He further argued that they provide for a federation model as a solution in Cyprus in which equality and justice will prevail, while on the contrary the Greek Cypriot side "behaves as the sole owner of the island and usurps the rights of the Turkish Cypriots" in the EU and other platforms.

"The Greek Cypriots are those who actually should be ready for a solution. Instead of cornering the Turks of Cyprus [?] they should say what and how much they will share", he alleged.

Referring to the coup attempt in Turkey, Yildirim thanked the Turkish Cypriots for the solidarity and support they showed to Turkey after 15 July.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Akinci announced that the "presidency" has donated 50 thousands euro to the CMP

In order for the missing persons in Cyprus to be located, a project has been developed by the Missing Persons Committee to research archives in Cyprus and abroad.

Akinci said that apart from the current budget that has been set up for the team to carry out the research, there is a need for an additional budget and added that with this aim the "TRNC presidency" has donated 50 thousand euro to be used for this purpose.

Emphasizing the fact that the Missing Persons issue is a humanitarian one, Akinci said that he was pleased with the efforts carried out to find missing persons and the new initiatives that were being taken. He also called for unnecessary accusations to come to an end.

Akinci said that all sides are working in sincere cooperation, obstacles placed in front of excavation works carried out in military areas have been removed and in order for all archives to be researched steps were taken. "This issue is just one of the bleeding wounds of the two peoples on the island; we aim to ease the pain of the people by finding all of the missing persons", Akinci noted.

He further said that in addition to the works and projects carried out by the Missing Persons Committee, archives belonging to the "TRNC", Turkey, the Greek Cypriot National Guard, Greece, the Greek Cypriot Police, the Red Crescent, the UN and the

UN's 1963/1964 and 1974 periods will be opened.

[04] Cemal Volkan has become the Deputy Commander of the "Cyprus Turkish Security Forces"

The "higher evaluation council" convened under the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Tuesday.

According to a press release by Akinci's office, the "higher evaluation council" convened to discuss the appointment of the Brigadier General as the Deputy Commander of the "Cyprus Turkish Security Forces Command".

Self-styled prime minister Huseyin Ozgurgun, "Security Forces Commander" Major General Erhan Uzun and the "Deputy Commander of the Cyprus Turkish Security Forces Command" Brigadier General Erdinc Korkuter attended the meeting.

[05] Volkan claims that arrested journalist's house is the headquarters of FETO in the breakaway regime

The paper cites information according to which important members of FETO held meetings at the house, adding that even Fatih Yarimbas, former chairman of the "Civil Defense Organization" also participated in the meetings. Yarimbas was also arrested after the July 15 coup.

Volkan also writes that prior to July 15, on 12-13 of July, meetings were organized again in this house and a lot of security measures were taken.

(CS)

[06] Atun: 15 million TL subsidiary grants will be allowed for the industrial, tourism and agriculture sectors

Atun said that the "government" (editor's note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) aims to simultaneously support the industrial, agricultural and tourism sectors and strengthen the investments made in these areas.

He said that a total of 15 million TL subsidiary grants will be put aside for the industrial, tourism and agriculture sectors.

Atun further said that co-finance grant programs, investment credits, funding for small medium sized enterprises and financial support for tradesmen will continue.

Referring to self-styled prime minister Huseyin Ozgurgun's visit to Ankara, Atun said that due to this visit the largest 3 year "budget" in history has been received and signatures been placed for a 3 billion 250 million TL "budget". He added that a large amount of the yearly "budget" to be received will be spent on investments, support for the real sector and infrastructure work.

[07] "Deputy assembly speaker" Alanli carries out contacts in Azerbaijan

Speaking during the meeting, Alanl? stressed that the "TRNC" and Azerbaijan as two sister "countries", should exert more efforts towards developing their relations socially and in the field of politics and education.

Pointing out that there are many Azeri students studying at "TRNC universities", he said "it is very important for our countries ? which have strategic importance in the region ? to continue to develop their relations not only in the field of education but in other fields also".

[08] Havadis on the Greek Cypriots who do not pay the traffic penalties they get from breaking the speed limits

According to the paper, 9,495 Greek Cypriots were fined by the "police" for the year 2015, while 3,618 Greek Cypriots were fined for the first five months of 2016. The paper notes that the majority of the Greek Cypriots do not pay the penalties since they have to cross again to the occupied area of Cyprus in order to do so. Havadis writes that the police cannot do anything on the issue and notes that due to this development the number of vehicles who cross to the occupied area is reduced, since the Greek Cypriots prefer to cross on foot.

(CS)

[09] Erdogan has strongly accused the West of supporting terrorism

"Mrs Mogherini should have first come to Turkey. Now I ask: 'What would be the reactions if the Italian parliament was bombed?,'" Erdogan told Italian TV channel Rainews24 late Tuesday. "When an incident happens in Belgium or in Paris, when five or 10 people get killed, all of them are crowding together, aren't they? They wonder what has happened," he said. "A coup was staged against the democracy in Turkey and now we have 238 martyrs. Unfortunately no one from Europe, EU or the [European] Council came to Turkey", Erdogan said as he called on Mogherini to express empathy for the Turkish state and its people in the wake of the crisis.

"What would Mogherini say as an Italian? Would she say, 'They did well. How will the judicial process go on? I am concerned about it'", Erdogan said.

His comments follow Mogherini's remarks, who just days after the unsuccessful overthrow of the Turkish government, demanded Ankara adhere to the country's Constitution as it investigates those behind the attempted putsch. "We need to have Turkey respect democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms," she said at a meeting of 28 EU Foreign Ministers, alongside U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

"All viruses inside the Turkish Armed Forces, police and judiciary and all state establishments should be removed," Erdogan said as he slammed the attitude of western governments toward Turkey following the overthrow attempt.

"Does the West take the side of democracy or coup? I think that they take the side of coup", he said.

Regarding concerns about a possible reinstatement of the death penalty for those involved in the failed takeover, Erdogan reiterated his stance that the decision would be left up to Turkish lawmakers but he cited a strong desire by the Turkish public for capital punishment.

"We don't have death sentence in Turkey. The U.S., Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan, Taiwan, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bahamas sill have the death sentence. Only the EU member countries don't have it. Do our people have a demand for it? Yes," he said.

"Now almost 75% of public opinion polls show it", Erdogan added, while emphasizing that Parliament's decision is above all.

Meanwhile, Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (online, 02.08.16) reports that Erdogan slammed the U.S. administration on Tuesday for not extraditing the head of the Gulenist Terror Organization (FETO), Fethullah Gulen, who lives in self-exile in Pennsylvania.

Speaking in Ankara during a high level meeting with international investors, "What kind of partners are we if you request documents when we ask for a terrorist?" Erdogan asked the U.S. administration who has been asking for evidence to extradite Gulen.

Suggesting that the July 15 failed Gulenist coup attempt had international linkages, Erdogan said: "The coup attempt had domestic actors, but its scenario was written abroad, however, they left this nation out of their equation."

Erdogan also criticized German Chancellor Angela Merkel for not taking the necessary steps in the fight against FETO and other terrorist groups. "I gave 4,000 files to Chancellor [Merkel] regarding terror organizations, there was no response back," he said and added that the German judicial processes did function fast enough to tackle terror problems.

Erdogan added that Turkey's western allies lacked support after the coup attempt by siding with the plotters. "Unfortunately, the West supports terror and sides with coup plotters," he said.

Criticizing the U.S. administration for harbouring the FETO ringleader Fethullah Gulen, Erdogan said, "The main [financial] sources of Gulenists are charter schools operating within the U.S."

[10] Survey finds 88% of Turkish citizens favouring death penalty

A majority of the respondents also believe that the U.S. betrayed Turkey by not cooperating in the extradition of U.S.-based FETO leader Fethullah Gulen. In addition to participants' distrust of the U.S., the poll found that some respondents believe there were foreign powers behind the coup attempt, primarily the U.S.

According to the MAK survey, which was conducted with 5,400 participants in face-to-face interviews on the coup attempt, 70% of respondents said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan played a major role in overcoming the coup attempt. Some participants said that following the FaceTime call from Erdogan for citizens to go to the streets, his efforts to preserve democracy in Turkey played a vital role in preventing the coup from succeeding. Despite claims that the state of emergency is complicating people's daily lives, the survey found a similar 88% of participants saying that there have been no limitations on their daily lives due to the state of emergency.

[11] Kurdish names, new provinces proposed for Turkey's southeast

The move about the region embattled with a campaign of violence by the PKK terrorist organization and resulting clashes with security forces that has stunted economic growth, is both an incentive to increase funds to Cizre and Yuksekova and appeal to the predominantly Kurdish population who already refer to Hakkari as Colemerik, its original Kurdish name. The proposition was first announced by then Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu earlier this year. He had said at the time that the government sought to promote expanding Cizre and Yuksekova, which he said were more suited to economic growth. Unlike small towns and districts, provinces receive larger grants to promote development from the central government.

[12] CHP leader will not attend Erdogan's democracy rally in Istanbul

The CHP leader will send a party delegation to attend the "Democracy and Martyrs Rally", to be held in Istanbul on Aug. 7.

[13] HDP is left out of inter-party meetings

Saying that it was HDP which had made the first call for a leaders' summit in the wake of the coup attempt, Yuksekdag, during her party's weekly group meeting, said the party was being excluded from the recent inter-party meetings. "All meetings, summits formed were made with political actors other than the HDP. If I say summit, do not get me wrong. The highest summit they can reach is the [presidential] palace, there is nowhere beyond it. They are trying to create reconciliation by ignoring us, the will of some 6 million citizens. They will not succeed. We do not disappear when they ignore us," said Yuksekdag.

The HDP co-chair also argued that all regulations carried out by distancing the country from a democratic method and mentality would pave the way for another coup, referring to the state of emergency that was put in force by the government after the failed coup bid.

"By arranging the military for themselves, by replacing Hakkari's and S?rnak's provincial status with Yuksekova and Cizre, by reshaping the state institutions according to their will, they cannot change reality," said Yuksekdag, adding that they believed it was a right move to put the army under political rule but civil politics should also be put under democracy and tied to a "democratic program".

Yuksekdag also said the democratic resistance against coups started before the night of July 15. "We have learned to fight against thousands of pro-coup methods by experiencing them. By relying on our own power, we will not give in to the state of emergency regime that is imposed on us under the name of an anti-coup stance and to the palace coup", said Yuksekdag. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

http://www.pio.gov.cy

(DPs /AM)

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