Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-07-27

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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] Ak?nc?: The Greek side was reluctant to all three negotiations

[02] Milliyet: "The opening of the three villages of Maronites for residence would be the preliminary preparation, the rehearsal for the opening of the fenced off city of Varosha"

[03] Turkey will cover the infrastructure cost for the Maronites' return

[04] Columnist in Turkish Cypriot daily wonders if anyone knows about the real "population" in the occupied area of Cyprus

[05] Erhurman on Eide's remarks

[06] Ertugruloglu called on Turkey to support and provide more help to the occupation regime for the "lifting" of the so-called sports embargoes

[07] Turkey's MFA describes Israeli statement about President Erdogan 'presumptuous'

[08] "Quo vadis Turkish foreign policy"

[09] Turkey appoints new foreign Envoys

[10] The number of newspapers and magazines published see 7.9% decline in 2016 in Turkey

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Ak?nc?: The Greek side was reluctant to all three negotiations

He went on alleging that the Greek Cypriot side was forced each time to the negotiation table. "The Greek Cypriot side was not ready for this. That is why there is a lot of fights about Eide's rhetoric. They are very uncomfortable that one of the UN is saying this", Akinci claimed.

Akinci made these statements speaking during a meeting with the Development Strategy of the Construction and Real Estate Sector.

He said that life in Cyprus is continuing and that it is necessary to plan the future. "We all wanted a solution but life goes on and we have to make plans", he stated, adding that plans have to be made in the cities, in economy and in all sectors and that these plans are part of the solution.

He said that President Nicos Anastasiades and Eide "will fly at one another's throat" at any moment and added that they the Turkish Cypriot side does not want to get involved to this.

He said that all these three times negotiations which were held in Switzerland, the Turkish side showed a very serious readiness but Anastasiades was dragging his feets. "Be sure about it", he stated, adding that in the end no result came out of any of these three meetings.

He also claimed that Anastasiades thought at Mont Pelerin that the Turkish Cypriot side would not have taken the initiative and the other side panicked when they accepted 29.2%.

Akinci also said that Anastasiades asked everyone to leave the room and when they were alone, he told him: "I beg your pardon; I am not ready for this". "We were on scheduled flights, they went with their team with a private plane. He wanted to talk with Athens. Go talk and come back, we told him. They asked for a period of ten days. He even used the name of the leader of AKEL. They have internal political quarrels, but the whole issue was that they did not want to step on the 5th Conference date", Akinci alleged.

Claiming that Geneva was again driven by the Turkish side, Ak?nc? said that the Greek Cypriot leader was not ready for this.

At this time, he claimed that "we are not ready" was said by Greece, and the Greek Cypriot side and Greece have gone to Crans Montana with the belief that Turkey would not make an opening, Akinci said.

He went on argu?ng that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side made several openings, waiting for the other side to do the same. "We showed flexibility by protecting the Turkish Cypriots. The UN, the EU and the third parties also saw this. The Greek side was not ready for that either. That's why there are a lot of fights about Eide's rhetoric. They are very uncomfortable that one of the UN is saying this", he claimed.

He said that the Turkish side is not saying that is very happy with what Eide is saying. "We just want you to tell what you are saying to us. But the UN's balance policy will continue", he said.

He also claimed that the problem in Cyprus originated not from the UN parameters but from the mentality of the Greek Cypriot side and alleged with this mentality in these parameters a solution could not be achieved.

Akinci said that a mentality should be transformed on the Greek Cypriot side and that they have been waiting for this for a long time. "This job is not personal. We need a social transformation in the south. The attitude of the Greek leader is a reflection of this", he said.

Finally, Akinci stated that after all, the issue is a communal one. "Time and space are needed to create a common mind. We will not be hasty. There is electoral excitement in the south, the UN has demanded serious evaluations from us. But life continues in the country", he alleged.

(CS)

[02] Milliyet: "The opening of the three villages of Maronites for residence would be the preliminary preparation, the rehearsal for the opening of the fenced off city of Varosha"

According to the paper, the "TRNC" has launched an initiative for the "unilateral opening" of the fenced off city of Varosha. Along with this initiative, the Greek Cypriots who lived in Varosha prior to 1974, will be able to return to Varosha for residence under Turkish Cypriot control, claims the paper, pointing out at the same time the "unilateral opening" of the crossing points taken by the Turkish side in 2003. "Varosha, is planned to be opened in a similar way and unilaterally", adds the paper, pointing out that the so-called deputy prime minister Serdar Denktas, who announced last week to the Greek Cypriot media that "You should be ready for a surprise step similar to the opening of the crossing points", played a significant role for this initiative.

The paper reportedly writes that the issue related with the opening of the fenced off city of Varosha came to the agenda during meetings with American officials who were reportedly expressed the USA support, if this would be "a step directed to the solution". The paper adds further that the proposal regarding the opening of the fended off city of Varosha came to the agenda during former Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu's "term in office" in 2012. According to the paper, Eroglu had prepared and submitted to Ankara a package for the opening of the fenced off city of Varosha. However, this initiative came to a halt due to the crisis occurred in Syria.

Invoking diplomatic sources, the paper supports that the Varosha proposal came up again into the agenda during the recent visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in the occupied area of Cyprus. Turkey's approach on the Turkish Cypriot side's proposal was positive and Ankara has given directions to the Turkish Cypriot side to prepare a study on this issue.

According to the paper, the "decision taken" for the return for residence of the Maronites living in the "south" to their villages in the "north" constitutes the first step taken in the framework of the initiative for the opening of the fenced off city of Varosha. Speaking to the paper, a unanimous high level official claimed: "The opening of those villages is the first step. We will see what we will have to confront during the procedure of returning back to the villages and we will gain experience. In one sense, the opening of the three villages for residence would be the preliminary preparation, the rehearsal for the opening of Maras. Then, Maras' turn will come".

The paper writes further that it is predicted that approximately 500 Maronites will be returning back to the three Maronites village, the occupied Agia Marina, Asomatos and the village of Karpassia. It is also predicted according to the paper that around 5 billion dollars are needed for the revitalization of the fended off city of Varosha.

(AK)

[03] Turkey will cover the infrastructure cost for the Maronites' return

Under the title " Vasilou Ahmet is going home", (in English) Havadis writes refers to the case of Vasilou Ahmet, who is of Turkish Cypriot and Maronite origin writing that with the new development "she will be able to return home after 53 years".

The paper further writes that the population of the Maronite villages was: Ayia Marina had 450 Maronites and 70 Turks, In Karpassia 250 Maronites and in Asomatos 550 Maronites. The relations between Maronites and Turks in the mixed Ayia Marina village was cordial, writes the paper, adding that in Kormakitis now live 1, 250 Maronites.

The paper further reports that the infrastructure regarding roads, water and electricity will be completed soon and adds that Turkey will cover the cost of the infrastructure works' cost.

Under the title: "Return visa to the Maronites", Afrika writes that the first steps for the strategy regarding the continuation of the "TRNC" are taken. It also notes that no details regarding the implementation of the "decision" were announced.

Diyalog writes in its first page that the road for the return of 4,000 Maronites has opened, and argues that this development created a huge reaction in "south Cyprus". It also writes that this is the first step taken by the Turkish side after the failure of Crans Montana.

Ortam writes that the leader of the Communal Democracy Party Cemal Ozyigit stated that "his party supports the presidency's decision on the return of the Maronites".

Kibris Postasi reports that the Revival Party (the settler's party) stated that this is a positive steps.

(CS)

[04] Columnist in Turkish Cypriot daily wonders if anyone knows about the real "population" in the occupied area of Cyprus

Supporting that there is a stable effort running in the "TRNC" to "increase the population to 1 million", Ozuslu expresses the view that this effort still continues since it is deeply attached to the complex existed during the 1950s that "we are not a minority".

Pointing out that the last "population census" in the "TRNC" took place in 2011, Ozuslu recalled that according to the "official figures" announced then, the de-facto population of the "TRNC" until December 2011, was 294 thousands 396 people and the de-jure population (that is the number of people who have permanent residence, was 286 thousands 257.

Counting the numbers in order to find out the "number of the Turkish Cypriot citizens", Ozuslu goes back to the 2015 "elections" in the occupation regime and comes to the conclusion that the number of the "Turkish Cypriot citizens" was 230 thousands.

Commenting on the above, the columnist writes: "230 thousands?the estimated number of citizens in 2015. 294 thousands the de-facto population in 2011. And? 650 thousands the de-facto population in 2017?.Something strange is here: According to these figures, the TRNC's population during the last 6 years has been more than doubled increased. The 294 thousands became 650 thousands. That is an increase of 356 thousand people. [?] if it is like this, the situation is desperate. Taking into account the increasing number of foreign workers and sutudents who came to the country during the last 3-5years, its situation is strange. If these figures are not right, there is also another possibility: It seems that the figure (294 thousands) announced back in 2011 was not real", writes the columnist.

(AK)

[05] Erhurman on Eide's remarks

The Special Advisor had come under heavy criticism by the Greek Cypriot side over comments he made following the collapse of the talks in Switzerland.

Eide had expressed the view that Anastasiades may have squandered an opportunity offered unofficially by Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Underling the fact that Eide will be moving onto a new career as of the end of this summer, Erhurman said that different from his predecessors, Eide has chosen to remain quiet over the issue. "Anastasiades is trying to identify the process with Turkey and Eide has given the show away", Erhuman said, alleging that the Turkish side had made important openings at Crans-Montana, way beyond their imagination and expectations.

Claiming that these steps continued until the very last day of the conference, Erhurman added that the Turkish side would have continued to make openings had the Greek Cypriot side taken reciprocal steps.

Alleging that the Greek Cypriot side insisted on clinging to its positions despite all the developments, Erhurman said that the Greek Cypriot side's scenarios had collapsed in the face of the steps taken by the Turkish side.

He reminded that the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had announced following the collapse of the talks that there were disagreements other than those on the issue of security and guarantees that had led to the failure of the talks. "Despite the Secretary General's statement, the Greek Cypriot side is repeatedly stating that the talks collapsed solely because of the failure to reach an agreement on the issue of security and guarantees", Erhurman claimed and concluded: "In previous years we did not see diplomats making such statements. However we know that Mr. Eide who will be pursuing another path as of the end of this summer has no expectations. That is why, different from his predecessor, he felt the need to make the remarks that he did."

[06] Ertugruloglu called on Turkey to support and provide more help to the occupation regime for the "lifting" of the so-called sports embargoes

In a written statement issued yesterday, Ertugruloglu alleged that holding friendly matches or games between the "TRNC" and Turkish teams is extremely important for "removing the embargoes imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people".

Claiming that it is the Turkish Cypriot youth who "suffered the effects of the inhumane embargoes or isolation the most", Ertugruloglu alleged that some of these obstacles were overcome with the support of Turkey. He added that they are expecting this important support to increase in the period ahead.

Arguing that the "obstacles" the Turkish Cypriot athletes and players faced when trying to enter or participate in international sports competitions led to a serious loss of motivation, Ertugruloglu alleged that motivation is important in creating a sense of identity and belonging.

He further added that the fact that Turkish teams did not even hold friendly matches or games with Turkish Cypriot teams or players deeply wounded the Turkish Cypriot youth. "We are expecting more support from sports teams from motherland Turkey during this new period in which the UN Good Offices Mission has announced that the Cyprus negotiations process is over", Ertugruloglu claimed.

[07] Turkey's MFA describes Israeli statement about President Erdogan 'presumptuous'

"The responsibility that rests with Israel is to urgently make common sense prevail, go back to the status quo at Al-Haram Al-Sharif and lift all the restrictions on the freedom of worship.," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Huseyin Mutfuoglu said in a statement on July 26.

He added that communities from several different religions and sects have lived peacefully for many centuries and freely performed their worship.

"At the Ottoman era, communities belonging to different religions and sects lived in peaceful co-existence and enjoyed freedom of worship for centuries. In this context, Jews would be expected to know best and appreciate the unique tolerance during the Ottoman era," he said.

"Today, in the Republic of Turkey, freedom of faith and worship are also safeguarded by the state," he added.

"As the Israeli occupation in East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza completed its 50th year, it is clear that the efforts to disregard the fact that East Jerusalem is under occupation will not contribute to the attainment of peace and stability in the region as well as the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," he said.

On July 25, Israel dismissed remarks by Erdogan after he accused the country of taking away holy sites in Jerusalem from Muslims. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called Erdogan's remarks "delusional, baseless and distorted." "He would do better to deal with the problems and difficulties in his country," Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon had said.

"The days of the Ottoman Empire are over," Nahshon added.

"The capital of the Jewish people was, is and always will be Jerusalem. As opposed to the past, this is a city where the government is committed to its security, liberty, freedom of worship, and respect of the rights of all minorities." he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, meanwhile, said "Erdogan is the last one who can preach to Israel."

The statements from Israel came after Erdogan said Israel "is using the fight against terrorism as a pretext to take al-Aqsa mosque from the hands of Muslims."

Israel had installed metal detectors at the entrances to the al-Aqsa mosque compound, holy to both Muslims and Jews, in response to a shooting by Palestinians that killed two police officers.

It removed the devices following a wave of Muslim outrage. It said they will be replaced with "advanced technology," believed to be high resolution cameras.

Erdogan said on July 26 that the removal of metal detectors was a right move but not enough. "Israel's step back from the metal detector implementation that offends Muslims is right but not enough," Erdogan said during an event to discuss higher education in the Islamic world at the presidential complex in Ankara.

He also urged abstaining from policies that would throw the region into the "ring of fire."

[08] "Quo vadis Turkish foreign policy"

"The Center for Turkish Studies (CTRS) at Kadir Has University has released the results of its annual Public Perceptions on Turkish Foreign Policy survey last week. It was conducted in 26 cities across Turkey with 1,000 people between June 6-30, and shows the public's perceptions on foreign policy are generally shaped by their domestic political inclinations and standing vis-a-vis the government, indicating the boundary between domestic and international has mostly disappeared.

According to the survey, terrorism and the Syrian conflict, with 44.2% and 24.6%respectively, emerge as the most important problems of Turkish foreign policy. The downing of the Russian jet in late 2015 was reflected in a 2016 survey as relations with Russia ranked the fourth most important issue, while after the normalization of the relationship, it slipped out of the list of problems in foreign policy. Threat perception from Russia also decreased accordingly to 18.5% in 2017 from 34.9% in 2016.

In another rather ominous response, the public thinks that Turkey has no friends in the world but Azerbaijan, which topped the list with massive 71.3% in 2017, steadily increasing in the last four years. What is more, 17.3% of the population thinks that Turkey has no friends at all. In contrast, the list of countries that pose a threat to Turkey is long and dominated by the usual suspects; the United States with 66.5% and Israel with 37.4%, followed by the European Union countries with 24%, increased from 10.4% in 2016. Yet, despite the fact that threat perceptions have increased in general, support for Turkey's NATO membership has declined to 61.85%, an all-time low since 2011.

The recent developments in U.S. policies under the Trump administration were also reflected in this year's results. For instance, U.S. support to Kurdish groups in Syria and its policies towards Kurds in general in the Middle East has clearly annoyed Turkish citizens, both appearing as problematic issues between the U.S. and Turkey with 21.6% and 26.7% respectively. But its fight with terrorism (64%) and extradition of Fethullah Gulen to Turkey (32.1%) has emerged as the most important problems between the two countries. What is more, negative perception of the U.S. has reached 81.4%, an all-time high.

Despite a similar negative trend in public support to EU membership, which has declined to 48.4% from 55.3% in 2013, Turkish citizens in general continue to think membership, if it ever happened, would be beneficial for both sides. Although an overwhelming majority of Turks by 81.3% think Turkey will never be able to become a full member of the EU, mostly (73%) because of ethnic and religious differences, 69.6% of the respondents still believe there is no real alternative for Turkey in its international relations but to pursue an EU membership.

In the Middle East, while 41.5% of the public find the Euphrates Shield Operation as successful and only 16.7% as unsuccessful, the general common-view (49.9%) demands remaining neutral in Syria and avoiding further involvement. Similarly, 51.1% prefers Turkey to play an impartial mediator role in the Arab-Israeli dispute. Finally, 61.2% think Turkey needs to strengthen its political relations with other countries for a stronger position in foreign policy".

[09] Turkey appoints new foreign Envoys

Gun served as Deputy Undersecretary at the Foreign Ministry. He will replace Feridun Sinirlioglu, who was appointed last year.

Meanwhile Murat Mercan -- a ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party Deputy of the western Eskisehir province -- has been appointed Ambassador in Tokyo.

Merve Kavakci, a former Istanbul Deputy from a right-wing Virtue Party, which was shut down in 2001, has become Ambassador in Kuala Lumpur.

She was known in Turkey for being banned from Parliament after attending an oath ceremony in Parliament wearing a headscarf following her election as a lawmaker from Virtue Party. Her citizenship was also revoked.

Kavakci, who was also selected among the World's Most Influential 500 Muslims by Georgetown University in 2009, took her case to the European Court of Human Rights and won in 2007.

The court found her expulsion from Parliament was a violation of human rights.

Turkey lifted its ban on headscarves in the civil service in 2013.

The list of other Envoys appointed by Ankara is as follows:

Mustafa Yurdakul was appointed Ambassador in Islamabad, Hasan Ulusoy in Sofia, Oguzhan Ertugrul in Kabul, Levent Gumrukcu in Brussels, Akif Oktay in Budapest and Ceren Yazgan in Tbilisi.

[10] The number of newspapers and magazines published see 7.9% decline in 2016 in Turkey

The number of newspapers and magazines published in 2016 were 6,265 in the country, a 7.9% decrease compared with 2015. Some 59.7% of them were magazines, according to TUIK.

It said that the total annual circulation of newspapers and magazines in the country decreased by 20%t year-on-year in 2016, with the number of newspapers and magazines circulated in 2016 being 1.705 billion, around 94% of which was from newspapers.

TUIK figures showed 6.6% of the newspapers published in 2016 were national, constituting 82% share of the total annual newspaper circulation.

The remaining 18% of the newspapers circulated were local and regional, accounting for 93.3% of all printed newspapers.

Last year, 54.8% of the magazines published were national ones, which contributed to 71.6% of the total annual magazine circulation.

TUIK also said 90% of the total annual newspaper circulation was made up of daily newspapers, while 56% of the total annual magazine circulation was monthly magazines.

Some 86.9% of the newspapers had political and news content, 2.9% had sector-specific and professional content, while only 2.1% of them covered local news.

Three most popular contents in magazines published in 2016 included sector-specific and professional material with 18.1%, academic with 13.3%, and education and exam-related material with 7.5%.

The TUIK data also revealed that the number of newspapers and magazines published in both Turkish and English languages was 770, of which 10 newspapers and 90 magazines were only in English language.

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(AK / AM)

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