Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-04-12

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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] Akinci: The Turkish Cypriot side wants the energy sector to become one of cooperation, and a catalyst for unification rather than division

[02] Eide visited Ozgurgun

[03] 43,480 cast their votes in the occupied area of Cyprus

[04] Columnist: Neither Erdogan nor the AKP need the "non-solution is not a solution" policy in Cyprus

[05] More reactions to the prohibition of the religious service at Agios Georgios Eksorinos church; Ertugruloglu defends his "decision"

[06] The remains of six Greek Cypriot missing persons were found

[07] Erdogan accused CHP head of 'negotiating with coup plotters' to escape on coup night

[08] Avrasya's latest opinion poll shows that "no" vote is ahead

[09] HDP co-leader received 1-year jail term

[10] Explosion at police building in Diyarbak?r confirmed as a terror attack: Interior Minister

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Akinci: The Turkish Cypriot side wants the energy sector to become one of cooperation, and a catalyst for unification rather than division

The two leaders will be meeting 4 times over the next two months on the 20th of April, and the 2nd, 11th and 17th of May.

Speaking to reporters following yesterday's meeting; Akinci said that a natural timetable exists in the talks until July due to the hydrocarbon exploration and the upcoming Presidential elections in the Republic of Cyprus. "There is no reason why we shouldn't achieve a result until July if we give our full focus and attention" he added.

Warning that the risks to the talks he spoke about last year were coming to pass, including tensions connected with drilling slated for June or July, Akinci argued that the process could not drag on for another 50 years as everyone had long run out of patience.

Akinci noted that the next few months would be very important. He said he had indicated in 2016 the risks to the process including drilling, and the 2018 Greek Cypriot presidential elections, if a deal was not reached by the end of last year. "I tried to emphasise the risks that existed in 2017 and they have begun to appear", Akinci said.

He said that the Turkish Cypriot side wants the energy sector to become one of cooperation, and a catalyst for unification rather than division. "We want a fair distribution of this natural wealth in the knowledge that it belongs to both communities. But we know that this will not be feasible without a solution," he added.

Also touching upon the UN's role in the period ahead, Akinci reiterated that the Turkish Cypriot side does not want arbitration or written proposals from the UN. He however added that there is no reason why the UN could not develop creative ideas from time to time on the condition that it remained impartial.

He said that talks, as of this point onwards, would concentrate on convening a new international conference which he added will determine whether or not any results can be obtained.

Asked whether there will be a change in the methodology of the talks, Akinci said that what is important is achieving convergences in the top 4 chapters.

Responding to a question as to what will happen should the talks fail to produce any results until the end of July, Akinci said that his goal is to achieve a successful outcome in the talks. "We do not shy away from a solution, we say come and solve it," he said.

He referred to Anastasiades' stance in not discussing gas at the talks because of the "so-called sovereign rights of the Republic", and reiterated that energy was already laid down in the joint statement of 2014 as a matter for the federal Cyprus government.

Answering a question on the UN's bridging proposals and shuttle diplomacy, Akinci said: "How many times do you try to convince each other on the issue of effective participation? This has a limit. You cannot go further. This matter has reached the point of exhaustion. Only one option remains?the UN?and they are prepared to help us within the framework we decide on".

[02] Eide visited Ozgurgun

During the meeting, Turkish Cypriot side's red lines on the Cyprus issue, as set out by Ozgurgun, were presented again.

According to the information received by the paper, Ozgurgun reiterated that Turkey's active and effective guarantees in Cyprus are important. He added that the Turkish army should remain in the island.

Claiming that the Greek Cypriots are not sincere on the solution issue, Ozgurgun said: "We look the Greek Cypriots with suspicion".

It was also reported that Eide asked support for the new process and said that "Solution is a gain for all sides".

(DPs)

[03] 43,480 cast their votes in the occupied area of Cyprus

42 sealed bags containing the votes were successfully delivered to High Electoral Council in Ankara, Turkey.

Turkish nationals registered in the "TRNC" were able to cast their votes at the voting centre between the 5th and 9th of April.

Speaking to the Anatolian News Agency, the "Turkish ambassador" to the occupied part of Lefkosia Derya Kanbay said that the turnout was higher in comparison to previous years. He said that of the 100 thousand registered voters in the "TRNC", 43,480 had voted in the referendum for constitutional change.

"We have seen a 10% increase in votes in comparison to the 2015 elections" he said.

Pointing out that no incidents were experienced during the 5 days of voting, Kanbay thanked "officials" in charge of security. He said that allowing citizens to vote abroad was important in terms of allowing the people to make their democratic choices.

[04] Columnist: Neither Erdogan nor the AKP need the "non-solution is not a solution" policy in Cyprus

"[?] Will it be better if 'yes' comes out or if 'no' comes out? According to some supporters of the solution, in case 'yes' comes out, Erdogan will intensify the solution process in Cyprus. In the foreign policy, he will return to the EU course. And this will be a positive situation for Cyprus. Beyond being too pessimistic, I think that this is not an evaluation the feet of which step on the ground.

Either 'yes' comes out in the referendum in Turkey or 'no', no change should be expected in Ankara's policy in Cyprus, at least in the near future. In both results Turkey will continue on the line saying that it wants a solution like today, but does not exert much effort. Neither Erdogan nor the AKP need the 'non-solution is not a solution' policy like in the period of 2002-2004. The dynamics of that period do not exist now. On the contrary, protecting the existing [situation] suits Turkey's interests. If progress is achieved in the direction of the solution, perhaps Turkey will not prevent it, perhaps it will support it. However, it has no concern such as '[finding a] solution no matter what'. It does not seem possible for this to change in the near future. Of course, if other conditions are not formed.

While saying 'other conditions', we should look at the balances in Syria and the region. Opinion leaders in Turkey close to AKP and Erdogan have from time to time been expressing the view that 'Cyprus could not be considered separately from Syria now'. This means the following: Turkey will determine its policy regarding Cyprus according to what happens and what will happen in Syria. [?]

My estimation is that 'no' will come out in a percentage above the expected one. I feel that if a sound is carried out, a surprising result will come out from the ballot box. Both the evident panic read by AKP supporters' and Erdogan's stance and mood and the possible settling of accounts within the conservative circles, including the AKP, may bring about a very different picture. [?]"

(I/Ts.)

[05] More reactions to the prohibition of the religious service at Agios Georgios Eksorinos church; Ertugruloglu defends his "decision"

Former Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat said that the prohibition will cause "negative impression" within the Greek Cypriot community and the world and described as "wrong" such a behavior "under conditions in which we should create a good image in this field". Talat noted that he was not surprised by the "decision", because he knows the past approaches of "foreign affairs minister" Ertugruloglu on this issue. "This is a mistake and saddening", he said adding that the only excuse [of those who have taken the decision] is their wish for the deterioration of the relations [between the two communities]. He argued that this "decision" will not directly influence the Cyprus negotiations, but will contribute in the lack of trust. He expressed the view that Akinci does not approve this "decision" and will declare this, but what is important is the implementation.

Furthermore, Tufan Erhurman, chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), stated that there was no "legal excuse" for this "decision".

Moreover, four organizations, the Famagusta Initiative, the Within the Walls of Famagusta Association, the Famagusta Youth Centre and the Solidarity, issued a joint statement saying that the common religious services will strengthen the feeling of mutual trust and cooperation between the communities and that prohibitions show lack of sensitivity to the will of living together. The organizations note also that the limitation of religious freedoms harms the peace process between the communities and that the Turkish Cypriot "legislators" and Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci must take steps and adjustments in the direction of lifting the limitations put on the Greek Cypriots to use their occupied religious places of worship.

Meanwhile, the paper also reports that "foreign minister" Tahsin Ertugruloglu referred to the issue in the "parliament" replying to CTP's "deputy" Erkut Sahali, who criticized the prohibition and asked for the reasons of this "decision".

Ertugruloglu alleged that they do not try to prevent the freedom of religion, but the political exploitation of religion and faith. Claiming that they will not allow the Greek Cypriots to exploit the freedom of religion for giving political messages on so-called "TRNC territory", Ertugruloglu said that they had determined three occupied churches where religious services could be carried out without limitations and that they do not approve the demand of carrying out religious services in all occupied churches at any time.

He also alleged that in a period during which the debates on the issue of carrying out religious services have been intensified, a priest visited him and submitted no complaint to him.

Ertugruloglu further claimed that demands for religious services are continuously submitted for the above-mentioned church and that the target of the Greek Cypriots is to give the message that "this place belongs to us". He also claimed that a part of the "people" is annoyed from the services in this church.

(I/Ts.)

[06] The remains of six Greek Cypriot missing persons were found

Publishing a picture from the excavations on its front page, Kibris notes: "It is not easy to look at this picture, but this picture is the image of a bitter reality. The 'missing persons' are the painful drama of Cyprus, an example of the pain of the war. The 'missing persons' are the answer to the question 'why a solution is needed in Cyprus?' Everybody should carefully look at this picture and support the solution so that we do not experience such pain any more".

(I/Ts.)

[07] Erdogan accused CHP head of 'negotiating with coup plotters' to escape on coup night

"Kilicdaroglu! The tanks were there at 23:15 p.m. on the night of July 15. You contacted the coup soldiers in tanks and then went to the Bak?rkoy Municipality in Istanbul, to the house of the Bak?rkoy mayor," Erdogan said in a pre-referendum rally in the southeastern city of Urfa on April 11.

"They preferred to escape rather than try to stop the tanks by standing in front of them when they saw them on the night of July 15," he added.

Erdogan recently accused the CHP leader of being "in contact with the coup plotters" after pro-government private broadcaster A Haber aired footage of Kilicdaroglu's departure from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport in the early hours of the coup attempt.

"His contact [with coup plotters] is in question," Erdogan said during a radio program late on April 10, claiming that the CHP leader left the airport after coming to an agreement with the coup plotters.

"This shows that everything was planned," he added.

The President also stated that he would have never invited Kilicdaroglu to a much-heralded "unity rally" in the aftermath of the coup attempt if he had known about the CHP's "agreement with coup plotters".

Meanwhile, HDN (online, 12.04.17) reports that Erdogan has also accused Germany of abetting terrorists while vowing that he will continue to make "Nazi" comparisons until Berlin hands over thousands of "terror criminals" that Turkey has long been demanding from the country.

"Germany disregarded our three million citizens living there. This negligence shown to us from a country with which we have very advanced relationship is hard to accept. At present, Germany is abetting terrorists. I speak frankly. And they go crazy when I say 'They resurrected Nazism.' Why are you going crazy? That's what you are doing," Erdogan said in an interview with private broadcaster A Haber on late April 11.

"You will harbour and feed thousands of PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] members; I will give you 4,500 cases [about them] and you will examine these cases but won't hand them over to me. But then you will come and will ask one agent-terrorist from me," Erdogan said, referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel over a Turkish-German journalist currently arrested in Turkey.

[08] Avrasya's latest opinion poll shows that "no" vote is ahead