Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-05-03

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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] Akinci: If the negotiations continue in this manner, achieving progress until July will not be possible

[02] Akinci and Ertugruloglu due to Istanbul for lectures

[03] Syria top of the agenda for Erdogan with Putin

[04] Erdogan vows to say 'goodbye' if EU does not open accession chapters

[05] Cavusoglu predicts Turkey-EU summit

[06] Israeli official: Turkey, Israel working on commercial details of possible gas pipeline

[07] Erdogan officially returns to AK Party after Turkey's constitutional reform referendum

[08] MHP denies it will join next government

[09] Wikimedia Foundation appeals court ruling blocking Wikipedia in Turkey

[10] Pente Mili beach in occupied Keryneia leased to Altinbas Holding for 30 years

[11] The remains of two missing persons were found out in occupied Voni village

[12] The occupation regime continues the illegal "granting" of the "TRNC citizenship"

[13] New regulation for Pegasus flight passengers travelling from the occupied area of Cyprus to London

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Akinci: If the negotiations continue in this manner, achieving progress until July will not be possible

Noting that no progress was achieved on the rotating presidency issue as well, Akinci claimed that no progress could be achieved by discussing the same issues over and over again. "How many times we will explain the positions? The discussion around the same issues should end now. The UN should help more", he alleged.

Akinci also expressed the view that the four chapters in the negotiations should be discussed as a whole and that the UN should help on this issue. He noted that none of the two sides wishes for the UN to be authorized to "fill the gaps", like in 2004, but it is evident that the sides will be "enclaved" in some issues. He alleged: "If I see to which point the Greek Cypriot side could come on an issue, I might come closer on another issue and a balanced way of an agreement could be found. For example, we all know that the rotating presidency issue will happen in the end, but the Greek Cypriot leader wants to see some things on another issue".

Akinci argued that if there is a wish for finding a solution soon, the UN should carry out shuttle diplomacy between the sides helping with "constructive proposals" without having an arbitrating role or submitting any official proposals.

Akinci further reiterated the "warning" that new tensions might happen in case the Greek Cypriot side, as he described the Republic of Cyprus, launches new explorations for natural gas, which, he argued, is a common property of Greek and Turkish Cypriots and should be used for the benefit of both sides. He alleged that launching the natural gas explorations prior to finding a solution will cause tension.

Asked whether the issue of President Anastasiades referring to the Supreme Court the law providing for giving the Minister of Education the power to decide the days to be commemorated in schools, Akinci replied that President Anastasiades told him that with the referral of the above-mentioned law to the Supreme Court, the proposal submitted by ELAM regarding the 1950 enosis plebiscite will also be annulled.

Replying to a question, he argued that the climate of optimism which the Greek Cypriot press is allegedly trying to create is not based on the realities. He also alleged that the "very reasonable" proposals of the Turkish Cypriot side are not accepted by the Greek Cypriot side and that while the issue of having at least one positive Turkish Cypriot vote in the decisions of the Council of Ministers has been decided, the Greek Cypriots oppose to the same thing in lower committees, arguing that this will impede the function of the state.

Asked to comment on the position as regards a "velvet divorce" between the sides on the island, Akinci said that the sides are exerting efforts for velvet unification and not for a divorce and noted that the period until July has vital importance.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Akinci and Ertugruloglu due to Istanbul for lectures

Mustafa Akinci give a speech during a conference on the Cyprus problem in Istanbul.

Akinci will deliver speeches at the Istanbul University and the Bahcesehir University.

On Thursday the 4th of May he will deliver a speech on the Cyprus negotiations process at the Istanbul University's Faculty of Political Science and on Saturday the 6th of May he will deliver the opening speech at the Global Leaders Forum at the Bahcesehir University.

He was invited as the honorary guest by the Bahcesehir University.

In addition, so-called foreign minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu will be giving a speech during a conferance in Istanbul titled the 'latest phase reached at the Cyprus talks'.

According to a statement released by the "foreign ministry", Ertugruloglu will give the conference at the Istanbul Arel University this afternoon.

During the conference Ertugruloglu will be informing the students regarding the history of the Cyprus problem and the latest phase reached at the Cyprus negotiations process.

[03] Syria top of the agenda for Erdogan with Putin

Joint efforts aiming to consolidate the cease-fire in Syria will be on the agenda of the talks, diplomatic sources told the Hurriyet Daily News. The two leaders will also aim to accelerate efforts to normalize bilateral ties between Turkey and Russia, said the sources.

In March, officials from Turkey and Russia held a meeting in Ankara in order to discuss the upcoming phases of the Astana process, particularly deploying truce observers to the field as mentioned in a Dec. 30, 2016, truce deal. The issue is expected to be on the agenda of the talks.

[04] Erdogan vows to say "goodbye' if EU does not open accession chapters

"There is no option other than opening chapters that you have not opened until now. If you open them, great. If you don't, goodbye," Erdogan said in a May 2 speech. "Turkey is not their [the EU's] doorman," he added.

Erdogan was speaking after officially rejoining the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as a member, in the first major change to come into effect following the controversial April 16 referendum on boosting his powers.

He recalled EU demands for Turkey to put an end to its state of emergency, vowing that Ankara "will not ask for permission" to declare a state of emergency. He also referred to the ongoing state of emergency in France, calling on Brussels to "first lift the state of emergency in France."

"You will first open chapters, fulfill your promises and then we will sit at the table and discuss. If not, we have nothing left to talk about with you," Erdogan said.

[05] Cavusoglu predicts Turkey-EU summit

Speaking in live TV interview with Turkey's A Haber news channel, Cavusoglu said the date of "a big summit" would be determined after talks with EU officials at an upcoming NATO meeting on May 24-25 in Brussels.

Cavusoglu said some EU leaders had demanded a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO summit. He also claimed that some European governments had admitted they had been wrong on Turkey.

The Minister said: "They understood that they were making a mistake. Some Foreign Ministers even asked me in Malta: 'What should we do to correct our mistakes?'"

He said Turkey had no problems with common European values "as these are our values as well".

"The only problem is the EU's approach," he added.

Earlier, Erdogan said Turkey would stop pursuing EU membership if the bloc failed to open new accession chapters.

Diplomatic ties between Turkey and the EU have become strained, particularly over the failed July 2016 coup attempt.

Turkey's government said it had not received an appropriate response from the EU to the coup.

Ankara is also unhappy over some European countries' criticism of Turkey's efforts against the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Turkey accuses FETO of orchestrating the coup attempt in which 249 deaths took place and thousands of people were injured.

[06] Israeli official: Turkey, Israel working on commercial details of possible gas pipeline

In an interview with Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, Shaul Meridor, Director General at the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources, said both sides should first agree on commercial details before progress can be made.

"We have already been talking on these details. We will hold many meetings in the next couple of months. I hope these meetings will give robust results in the next couple of months. I am optimistic about carrying Israeli gas via Turkey, as we have taken the whole process very seriously," he said, as quoted by Anadolu Agency on May 2.

To carry natural gas to Europe, the Israeli government is considering three routes: The Turkish route, the eastern route and the route through LNG terminals in Egypt, Meridor said at an energy conference last week, adding that the Turkish option remains on the table.

He told Anadolu Agency that he could not give an exact date on clinching a deal, but the Israeli side wants to finalize everything on carrying its gas to Europe as soon as possible.

The Leviathan gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel has an estimated 620 billion cubic meters of gas, according to previous reports.

Turkish and Israeli companies are currently discussing a possible gas pipeline to be built between Israel and Turkey to transport these gas supplies to Europe, and the both governments have backed the process, Meridor noted.

"Our talks have been going very well. I am sure we will reach a deal, which will be in the interests of Turkey as well," he said, adding that Turkey would likely take 5-10 bcm of gas from this channel on an annual basis.

Regarding a deal between Israel, Greece, Greek Cyprus and Italy to build the East Mediterranean pipeline project in early April, Meridor said Israel does not see the project as a competitor of those with Turkey and Egypt.

He also said the Israeli side supported Turkey's gas exploration works in the East Mediterranean off Cyprus.

On Oct. 13, 2016, Israel's Energy Minister visited Istanbul to attend the World Energy Congress 2016, marking the first visit by Israel after several years.

[07] Erdogan officially returns to AK Party after Turkey's constitutional reform referendum

President Erdogan signed a membership form, confirming his re-admittance to the party after 979 days of separation due to legal obligations. Addressing a large crowd of attendees Tuesday at the AK Party headquarters, he described the political party as his "love, passion, and home," adding that "in the coming period, we will together continue our glorious walk with more strength and determination." Ahead of Erdogan's speech, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim addressed attendees, saying the party will offer the position of chairman to Erdogan prior to the extraordinary congress that is to be held on May 21.

Underlining that the "979 days of yearning" to join the AK Party have come to an end, the president said, "Separation from the party was only an official technicality. The distance between us was due to legislation. However, our hearts were always together."

The welcoming ceremony began with the president signing his membership declaration and was followed by the singing of Turkey's national anthem. Hours before both Erdogan and Yildirim's arrival to party headquarters, dozens of people gathered outside the building with hopes of seeing the president. Ministers and AK Party deputies also shared their excitement with members of the media upon their arrival. Speaking to Daily Sabah, AK Party deputy Talip Kucukcan emphasized that the party will experience a "revitalization process" with Erdogan's return.

[08] MHP denies it will join next government

"[Rumors] that the MHP will join the government are out of the question. The day will come, God willing, for a single-party MHP government. But the MHP is not a party that will fill someone's deficiencies," MHP leader Devlet Bahceli told reporters on May 2 after a parliamentary group meeting.

According to some speculation, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) was set to offer the MHP some portfolios during a cabinet reshuffle in a bid to intensify cooperation between the two parties, especially before the upcoming legislative work in Parliament to harmonize the existing laws with the charter amendments that will endow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with vastly enhanced powers.

Bahceli said the AKP had 316 Deputies and could form a government but that the MHP would not take participate in the cabinet. "We may have 40 deputies, but our weight in politics is much more than that," he said.

The MHP leader did not comment on Erdogan's decision to return to his party but said the public should respect the decisions of the AKP and the president.

In his weekly address, Bahceli also gave important messages to the AKP and Erdogan on the fight against the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETO).

"Recent developments have shown that the struggle against the FETO has not yet reached a satisfactory level. The picture we face is horrifying," Bahceli said, referring to last week's massive purges in the police department.

Bahceli repeated calls on the government to deal with the political leg of the group, asking, "Are there no famous politicians linked with FETO while there are so many civil servants affiliated with it?"

The MHP leader also criticized the government for not interrogating politicians over their FETO links, declaring that "the fight against FETO is being sabotaged."

"No position will help the guilty to hide. If the probe on [FETO's links with] politicians is proceeding slowly, that means there is something fishy in it," he added.

[09] Wikimedia Foundation appeals court ruling blocking Wikipedia in Turkey

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) stated on April 29 that it had blocked access to Wikipedia, citing a law allowing it to ban access to websites deemed obscene or a threat to national security.

The Ankara 1st Criminal Court of Peace later ordered the ban after Wikipedia's administration refused to remove two English-language pages.

In its appeal filed by lawyer Gonenc Gurkaynak in the previous days, the foundation stated that the access ban was against freedom of expression, calling the decision "disproportionate" as it blocked the whole platform even though the related content only appeared on two Wikipedia versions in different languages.

The Wikimedia Foundation had previously voiced its concern on the ruling and urged the Turkish government to remove the block.

"We are deeply concerned by any suggestion that freely sharing the encyclopedia articles created by the worldwide volunteer editor community could be misconstrued as supporting a violent or hateful agenda. We believe there has been a misunderstanding. Wikipedia's purpose is to share encyclopedic information with the world. At the Wikimedia Foundation, we unequivocally condemn and reject terrorism," it stated.

Separately, Istanbul Municipality on May 2 withdrew an event invitation for Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia following the ban.

"It is respectfully announced to the public that Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has been removed from the invitee list for the 'World Cities Expo' event and the decision has been conveyed to him," read a statement from the municipality's press agency.

Wales told daily Hurriyet on May 1 that he had decided to not to cancel his visit to Turkey despite the ban.

"I am looking forward to the visit. Istanbul is one of my favorite cities," he said.

Daily Haberturk reported on May 1 that the court ordered the ban after Wikipedia's administration refused to remove two English-language pages claiming that Ankara channeled support to jihadists in Syria.

Quoting the Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Ministry, state-run Anadolu Agency said the site had been blocked for "becoming an information source acting with groups conducting a smear campaign against Turkey in the international arena."

In response to the ban, Wales voiced his support for those in Turkey who decry censorship.

"Access to information is a fundamental human right. Turkish people, I will always stand with you to fight for this right," Wales tweeted.

[10] Pente Mili beach in occupied Keryneia leased to Altinbas Holding for 30 years

Citing confident sources, the paper wrote that the decision by the "council of ministers" on January 2017 to lease the plot, reportedly belonging to EVKAF, to the company Kennedy Trading Ltd for 49 years was withdrawn due to the objections of the "general assembly of the parliament".

It seems that the plot with a decision of the "council of ministers" on April 11, 2017, was leased to Kennedy Trading Ltd for 30 years instead of 49 for purposes of investment.

Speaking at the "parliament session" yesterday, Tufan Erhurman, leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), accused the "government" of amending the "decision" by decreasing the leasing years from 49 to 30, in order for the decision to avoid the "parliament control".

According to the paper, the Kennedy Trading Ltd belongs to Altinbas Holding.

(DPs)

[11] The remains of two missing persons were found out in occupied Voni village

According to the paper, the remains were found out in a military zone area and it is believed that they belong to Greek Cypriots.

In statements to the paper, a Turkish Cypriot member of the Committee of Missing Persons stated that after evaluating information they had for a mass grave in the area with an unknown number of Greek Cypriots missing persons, yesterday the remains of two persons were discovered. He further explained that they will continue excavation works in the area in three different points.

[12] The occupation regime continues the illegal "granting" of the "TRNC citizenship"

(AK)

[13] New regulation for Pegasus flight passengers travelling from the occupied area of Cyprus to London

According to the new implementation, Pegasus flight passengers travelling from the occupied airport of Tymbou ("Ercan") to Stansted London through Izmir Adnan Menderes airport or Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen airport cannot remain in the plane, they should get off the plane in Izmir or Istanbul airports, to go through passport security control again and re-embark at the aircraft again.

(DPs)

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