Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-08-02

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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 met with the "members" of the "immovable property commission"

[02] The "case" of the fenced off town of Varosha is reopened at the "supreme court"

[03] Akinci met with the "UnitedCyprusNow" platform

[04] Chaos in the "public health system" in the occupied area of Cyprus

[05] Turkey's key coup trial kicks off with 486 suspects

[06] Turkey accuses Germany of turning ongoing row into crisis before polls

[07] Opposition HDP starts 'justice watch' in Istanbul under tight security

[08] Turkey's FM urges support for Palestinian statehood

[09] Turkey, Qatar start joint military exercise

[10] "A retreat in Turkey's 'more friends, fewer enemies' policy?"

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Akinci met with the "members" of the "immovable property commission"

According to a statement issued by the "press office" of the "presidency", during the meeting, Akinci exchanged views with the "members" of the "commission" regarding its works and how the "commission" could speed up its works for finding solutionsto pending "applications".

(AK)

[02] The "case" of the fenced off town of Varosha is reopened at the "supreme court"

According to information given by the Turkish Cypriot lawyer Hakki, there are two separate sued cases on the ECHR on May 27 and 29. The first case, is the fone, which has been opened regarding the fenced off town of Varosha after many years, the other is opened by the Greek Cypriot lawyer Achillea Demetriades, former member of the Technical Committee on Property.

(DPs)

[03] Akinci met with the "UnitedCyprusNow" platform

According to a statement issued by the "press office" of the "presidency", Akinci briefed the members of the platform regarding the reasons of the failure of the Cyprus negotiation talks in Crans Montana, Switzerland.

(AK)

[04] Chaos in the "public health system" in the occupied area of Cyprus

According to paper, a chaos was created yesterday at the "public hospitals" in the occupied area of Cyprus after the "ministry" set into force a "court decision" envisaging that the "doctors" working in the "public sector" would not be allowed to work privately. The "court decision" has set a 6 months deadline to the "doctors" to decide if they want to work as "private doctors" or in the "public. The deadline expired on August 1st.

Commenting on this development, Incirli stated that during the last 7 months, 14 "public doctors" in total resigned from their "posts". She further explained that two "departments" at the Dr. Burhan Nalbantoglu "state hospital" had closed while at the same time, she warned that more resignations will follow.

Warning also the so-called "ministry of health" for the dangerous dimensions that this matter may take, Incirli stated also that the most important is that the "people's health" is at risk.

[05] Turkey's key coup trial kicks off with 486 suspects

The Ankara 4th Criminal Court began on Aug. 1 the trial on events at the Ak?nc? Air Base, the commanding center on the coup night, from which warplanes took off to bomb the Turkish Parliament and other key state offices, killing77 people.

Some 486 suspects including Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based preacher believed to have masterminded the coup attempt, and civilians Adil Oksuz, Kemal Batmaz, Harun Binis, Nurettin Oruc and Hakan Cicek, who are considered to be the civilian leaders of the FETO (Fethullahist Terrorist Organization) in critical offices like the Air Forces and the Gendarmerie, will be on trial until Aug. 29 for the first hearing.

In the prosecutor's indictment, which is over 6,000 pages long, the suspects are accused of "violating the Constitution, attempting to assassinate the President, attempting to abolish the government of Turkey, managing an armed terrorist organization, seizing military bases, manslaughter, attempting manslaughter, and deprivation of liberty."

The case is considered central because Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and other force commanders were taken to the Ak?nc? base and held captive there by pro-coup soldiers. The generals and commanders were all later freed in a Special Forces operation in the early hours of July 16.

Apart from taking generals captive, the suspects are also held responsible for the bombing of key offices like the parliament building, the Special Forces Headquarters at Golbas?, the TURKSAT satellite center, and the Ankara Police Headquarters, as well as commanding the air actions of the coup attempt including the movements of jets and F-16s.

Prosecutors are demanding 330 life sentences for the 45 suspects accused of being leaders of the coup attempt.

416 on trial in prison, seven are fugitives

Some 461 of the suspects in the case are being tried in jail, 18 are being tried without arrest, and seven are fugitives.

[06] Turkey accuses Germany of turning ongoing row into crisis before polls

"There is no risk or threat. Although we underline this in the strongest way possible, the German government is in efforts to turn this into a crisis because of the approaching elections in September and other reasons," Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kal?n said in televised remarks late July 31.

"We hope they give up this manner. We pursue a more rational and coldblooded stance," he added.

Relations between Turkey and Germany have been passing through one of its most difficult phases since early this year when the latter banned Turkish ministers' campaigning in its territories before the April 16 constitutional referendum. The arrest of a Turkish-German journalist, Deniz Yucel, in February and a human rights activist, Peter Steudner, as well as Turkey's rejection of a group of German lawmakers to visit their troops based in Incirlik base in southern Turkey have further fueled the dispute.

The latest occurred a week ago when Turkey sought information on German companies that had engaged in economic activities with Turkish companies linked with the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETO) from the German government through Interpol, a move Germany interpreted as Turkey launching an investigation into them. Turkey said it withdrew the request and blamed a communication mistake at the Interpol, providing assurances that there was no probe against any German firms operating in Turkey.

Not fully satisfied with the Turkish government's move, Berlin now mulls some economic measures against Turkey not only bilaterally but also through the European Union. It called the EU Commission to suspend a process to upgrade the Customs Union with Turkey as well as pre-accession financial assistance.

"The German government is trying to pursue a process through a crisis that does not exist in fact," Kal?n said. Citing factors like the upcoming German elections, anti-Turkey stances in German politics and media, and anti-Erdogan paranoia, Kal?n said doing politics on these and garnering votes have become a routine in German politics.

"On the one hand they criticize and they express their opposition but on the other hand there is dispensability. These problems will continue to exist in different forms as long as this wave that breeds this tension flows," he stressed.

Kal?n said German companies in Turkey are fully aware of the political factors and assured Ankara that they have no concerns about their economic activities in Turkey.

"Germans, instead of making statements like 'Our companies are under risk' and 'Our citizens are not safe,' they should disallow terror organizations like FETO and the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] that are targeting Turkey and its democracy. If we are to talk about democracy, human rights and the rule of law they should first take measures against these," he added.

[07] Opposition HDP starts 'justice watch' in Istanbul under tight security

The Kurdish issue-focused HDP started its watch on Aug. 1 in Kad?koy's Yogurtcu Park after spending a week in the southeastern province of Diyarbak?r.

Strict security measures were taken around the park, with police setting up barricades.

The authorities closed the area to traffic and a heavy police presence was seen inside and outside the park. Police are also on duty in pre-determined entrances to the park.

Armored police vehicles and water cannons have been deployed to the area.

HDP lawmakers Garo Paylan, S?rr? Sureyya Onder, Filiz Kerestecioglu and Huda Kaya, as well as representatives from non-governmental organizations, entered the park at around 12 p.m.

Speaking before the watch was initiated, Onder said "watches will be spread" from the northwestern province of Edirne to the southeastern province of Hakkari.

"These watches will bring together those seeking democracy and peace in Turkey. They cannot stop this," Onder told journalists.

He added that lawmakers and municipality workers of the HDP had been "subjected to a destruction operation."

"Our elected municipal council members, provincial and district heads, co-chairs and lawmakers have been subjected to a massive destruction operation. However, they won't be successful," Onder said.

HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas, former co-chair and lawmaker Figen Yuksekdag, and eight deputies from the party were arrested over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), facing hundreds of years in jail.

The first arrests were carried out on Nov. 4, 2016 and continued in the following months.

Meanwhile, HDP co-chair Serpil Kemalbay said on Aug. 1 that the party expects support from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for the "justice watch."

Kemalbay said the HDP supported the CHP during the latter's "justice march," and the main opposition "needs to support" the HDP's initiative in return.

"We hope this solidarity becomes stronger. All those carrying out a struggle for democracy need to show the same sort of support that we presented," she added.

[08] Turkey's FM urges support for Palestinian statehood

"Let's support the millions of Palestinians who have been forced to stay under Israel's occupation or fled abroad with our actions, not with mere words," Mevlut Cavusoglu told a meeting in Istanbul of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

"We invite everyone who raised their voice to stop this injustice and recognize the Palestinian state," he said.

"An independent Palestinian state within the borders of 1967 should be established as soon as possible," said Cavusoglu.

He also reiterated Ankara's support to revive the peace process under the framework of the two-state solution -- a peace solution which calls for an independent Palestine alongside Israel.

"We all support the efforts of reviving the peace process. But there can be no lasting peace without law and justice," he added.

Turkey's top diplomat called on Muslims to unite to protect the holy mosque and the people of Palestine. "Our drifting apart delights the enemies of Islam," said Cavusoglu. "We must act more consciously to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestine …We should continue our struggle more effectively on the international platform," he added.

Cavusoglu welcomed Israel's steps to lift metal detectors installed around the mosque compound. "Israel took a step in the right direction. Our hope is that Israel will enter into an attitude that will fully take into account the sensitivities of Muslims to Al-Aqsa from now on," he added.

OIC Secretary-General Yousef Al-Othaimeen said Israel's continuous violations at eastern Jerusalem puts responsibility on the shoulders of OIC member states.

[09] Turkey, Qatar start joint military exercise

The Turkish Fleet Command's TCG Gokova Frigate arrived in Hamad Port, southeast of the capital Doha, on July 31, as part of the naval section of the drill. The Qatari Defense Ministry announced in a written statement that the TCG Gokova arrived in Qatar with a unit of 214 sailors to participate in the joint naval exercises.

The naval exercises are taking place in Hamad Port, Doha Naval Base and Qatari territorial waters. The exercises are conducted as part of military cooperation agreements between Turkey and Qatar in the fight against extremism and terrorism.

A bilateral agreement regarding the deployment of Turkish soldiers in Qatar was ratified in Parliament on June 7.

The aim of the joint military exercise is to strengthen coordination and cooperation between Turkey and Qatar, which are members of the anti-Daesh coalition.

Since the beginning of the Qatar row, Ankara has been calling on all sides to solve the issue through dialogue. The crisis began on June 5, when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Egypt and several other states cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani strongly rejected the accusations and insisted that Qatar fights against terrorism relentlessly.

The bloc isolating Qatar issued a 13 point list of demands in order to lift the sanctions, including expelling the Turkish troops stationed in the country. Qatar rejected the demands, calling it interference in Qatar's sovereignty. Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani said on July 31 that the crisis should be solved through diplomacy without touching Qatar's sovereignty and made it clear that Qatar will not accept any demands that are not in line with international law.

[10] "A retreat in Turkey's 'more friends, fewer enemies' policy?"

"When Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m replaced Ahmet Davutoglu in May 2016 as both the prime minister and the chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), one of his first messages was about a substantial recalibration of Turkey's foreign policy.

Y?ld?r?m's pragmatic foreign policy understanding suggested "increasing the number of friends and reducing the number of enemies."

"Turkey has a lot of problems. We have regional problems. The conflicts taking place in our region and the EU, Cyprus, and the Caucasus increase the importance of our country in our region. We are aware of this.

So what will we do? Very simple: We'll increase the number of our friends and we'll decrease the number of our enemies," Y?ld?r?m told his AKP fellows on May 24, 2016 after his election as party chairman.

Y?ld?r?m and his cabinet members began to indirectly criticize outgoing Davutoglu for the collapse of Turkey's Syria policy, which had serious consequences for Ankara's relations with global and regional allies.

For example, former deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, currently serving as Culture and Tourism Minister, had described Ankara's Syria policy as "a source of many sufferings for Turkey today." In a statement as government spokesperson, Kurtulmus said thawt "No country, us included, has been able to produce a valid policy for a solution in Syria. I have been talking about this for years. I wish a valid perspective for peace could have been developed before."

It is needless to say that there could be no such change in the position of the prime minister if this perspective was not shared by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Obviously, putting the blame for foreign policy failures on the outgoing prime minister - and a long time foreign minister - was the easiest thing for many in power. Of course, Davutoglu's foreign policy performance, particularly on Syria, can always be criticized. But putting entire blame on his shoulders was wrong. He had served for a long time as the foreign minister under Erdogan's prime ministry, and then as prime minister after Erdogan was elected as the president.

The best evidence for this point of view is today's picture of Turkey's foreign policy.

In the first month of Y?ld?r?m's prime ministry, Ankara started a normalization processes with both Russia and Israel, which signaled a good beginning for the implementation of Y?ld?r?m's stated goal of earning more friends in the world.

However, this beginning did not last for long. Apart from Russia, Turkey's current relations with its longstanding allies are alarming.

U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be the source of a huge disappointment for the Turkish government, which obviously misread the real intentions and priorities of the new administration. Trump did not only follow his predecessor's policy in Syria, he also ordered to intensify it, paying little heed to President Erdogan's concerns in their first face-to-face meeting in mid-May.

Turkey's ties with Europe and European institutions have hit new lows every day over the past year. A year ago, Turkey and the EU were so close that they were able to accomplish a visa liberalization deal as part of a substantial migrant deal. Today, not only visa waiver talks but the entire accession process has been suspended, amid concerns that upgrading the customs union will also be affected. Many in Europe believe that Turkey's isolation should continue until the Turkish government returns to its democratic agenda.

It should surely be noted that the July 16 coup attempt played an important role in the deterioration of Turkey's ties with a number of countries, especially in the West. Many of them failed to comprehend the danger that Turkey went through and some were reluctant to show solidarity with Turkey. But also important was the Turkish government's inability to adequately explain the issue to the world's agenda.

Unfortunately, today Turkey is not named as a country that narrowly escaped a coup attempt, but one that jails scores of dissidents from all walks of life including journalists, academics, and rights activists.

To cut a long story short, over the last one year Turkey's efforts to earn more friends have yielded few results. A more substantial change in foreign policy is needed if the government is still keen on increasing the number of its friends and reducing the number of its enemies."

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