Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-08-04

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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] Eide: "The Cypriots have left the process a little bit too much to the leaders"

[02] Cavusoglu had a phone conversation with Johnson on the Cyprus issue

[03] Burcu: "Akinci himself decides with whom to meet or not"

[04] Elcil criticized the educational student trips organized by Turkey

[05] US Embassy: We are fully transparent to Turkey about weapons delivered to YPG

[06] Turkish FM cements security ties with China

[07] Siemens and Turkish partners win billion-dollar wind energy tender

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Eide: "The Cypriots have left the process a little bit too much to the leaders"

Addressing the media after he met with the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci yesterday, Eide said that he paid his last official visit to Cyprus. "We held long and fruitful meetings with Akinci during the last 27 months. We saw how the climate could change to positive on the Cyprus issue. We also had the chance to see the final draft of a solution document. However it didn't happen", Eide added.

Noting that he had held 156 meetings with the negotiators, 70 meetings with leaders and hundreds of meetings with the working groups throughout the process, he said: "We have succeed to carry the process further with the support of the two leaders, the international community and the people in Cyprus."

Eide said that if a new opportunity arises then a larger section of the community should be included in the process, stressing that he recognizes that "the civil society stood up and took a stance late in the process and it should have happened earlier, and if there is a chance again, he thinks that the broader society should be more involved".

Noting that the report he will be presenting to the UN Security Council will be ready in a few weeks' time, Eide said that the good offices mission of the UN will continue in Cyprus.

Stating that the failure of the talks on the Cyprus issue was related from the lack of "trust, desire, will and determination", he called on both sides to think what they can do differently instead of considering what the other side can do differently.

Stressing that they, as the UN, feel that they did what they could, Eide said that "they brought the process to Crans-Montana, it did not work". He added that they went far, but they could not make it, stressing that he is leaving the island with mixed feelings.

Noting that the best solution that can be found in Cyprus is a "United Federal Cyprus", Eide said that this opportunity could be taken again if necessary determination is shown and added: "I have nothing in this process that suggests otherwise. It has to be owned by the Cypriots. It has to be leader-led and we cannot impose it. Whatever happens from now on, it should be decided by the Cypriots themselves. The UN Secretariat has made it clear that it remains available, but we are not planning an initiative from the UN side. If something is going to happen, it has to come from here".

(DPs)

[02] Cavusoglu had a phone conversation with Johnson on the Cyprus issue

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper (04.08.17) reports that Cavusoglu met yesterday with British Ambassador to Ankara Richard Moore and a delegation. The meeting was held behind closed doors and lasted for half an hour.

(DPs)

[03] Burcu: "Akinci himself decides with whom to meet or not"

Noting that the framework of the "celebrations" is decided by the "National Days Celebration Committee" which operates under the "TRNC foreign ministry", Burcu explained that in accordance with the decisions of the "Committee" the "protocol department of the TRNC foreign ministry" sends written invitations to those who should attend the "ceremonies" according to the "state protocol". "The president attends or does not attend the ceremonies within this framework" Burcu said and added: "It is also very natural that the president himself decides with whom to meet or not".

[04] Elcil criticized the educational student trips organized by Turkey

He also reminded the principle followed in Turkey that "everything that happens to us will happen to you (the Turkish Cypriots) as well", noting that Turkey uses this kind of tools such as the "educational trips" as a way to apply political Islam into the Turkish Cypriot community.

(CS)

[05] US Embassy: We are fully transparent to Turkey about weapons delivered to YPG

"Inaccurate reports by several outlets over the past few days have erroneously claimed that the United States has sent 'tanks' and 'hundreds of truckloads of weapons' into Syria to support the YPG," the embassy said in a written statement on Aug. 3.

It said the reports by state-run Anadolu Agency ignored basic facts about the current situation in Syria, adding that the U.S. had not provided tanks to any groups fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria.

"The majority of U.S. military assistance, which consists primarily of light weapons and ammunition, has supported Syrian Arab Coalition [SAC] elements of the SDF [Syrian Democratic Forces]. The Syrian Arabs who comprise the SAC are fighting to expel Daesh and regain control of their homes. A much smaller percentage of weapons given to Kurdish elements of the SDF are limited, specific to task and are only provided due to their importance in helping achieve the goal shared by all of us ? i.e., the capture of Raqqa and the destruction of Daesh. We continue to provide full transparency to the government of Turkey as to what weapons are being delivered to the YPG," it said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIL.

[06] Turkish FM cements security ties with China

"We see China's security as our security," the minister told a joint news conference on Aug. 3 with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"We do not permit any negative actions against China in our country or region," added Cavusoglu, who was visiting China ahead of a trip to the Philippines, where he will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Manila.

Cavusoglu's visit follows President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's trip in May, where he met President Xi Jinping and attended a meeting on China's One Belt, One Road project, which aims to stimulate global trade and growth through a campaign of infrastructure development.

It was the fourth meeting between Erdogan and Xi since 2015.

Turkey is also looking to boost ties in education, tourism and culture, Cavusoglu added.

"We hope that Chinese tourist numbers will increase," he said. "We expect 3 million of 100 million [Chinese] tourists going abroad every year to come to Turkey."

Cavusoglu recalled that 2018 has been declared "Turkey Tourism Year" in China, and the preparations for the activities are being made in cooperation.

The Minister also said there are efforts to establish a joint university, adding that he conveyed the visa problems especially face by Turkish businessmen to Minister Vang and joint steps will be taken on the issue.

Agricultural produce is leading the rise in trade between the countries, the Cavusoglu added, as Turkey continues negotiations with China and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yi, for his part, also underlined the importance of China-Turkey relations in terms of security.

"China will decisively support Turkey in its efforts to protect its sovereignty, stability and security," Yi said.

Referring to the recent developments at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Yi said the Palestinian issue "is the basis of the chaos in the Middle East," and should be solved through dialogue and negotiation.

After China, Cavusoglu will travel to Manila to meet foreign ministers from 26 nations at the ASEAN summit.

[07] Siemens and Turkish partners win billion-dollar wind energy tender

A consortium of Chinese company Mingyang and Turkish company Ilk Insaat competed until the end of the reverse auction before getting eliminated, quitting in the 30th round.

The tender came at a time when Turkish economy officials accelerated efforts to tone down a recent row with Germany, vowing that German investments in Turkey were safe and citing a "communication mistake" for reports about an anti-terror probe against hundreds German companies in the country.

"The tender ended with a win by German company Siemens. We can say that this picture sends an important message to the region and the world," Energy Minister Berat Albayrak told the media after the auction.

"When the 200-year-old cooperation between Turkey and Germany is considered, I think this result will make an important contribution to Turkish-German relations," he added.

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(CS / AM)

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