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

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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] The press sees "difficult days" for the "Immovable Property Commission"

[02] Arikli: The Turkish Plan B is implemented, there is no need to be officially announced

[03] Elcil: The effort for closing "Ataturk teachers' academy" is political

[04] "TRNC identity cards" to be "obtained" from the "TRNC London office"

[05] Stone quarries continue to cause environmental damage to the occupied Pentadaxtylos range

[06] Erdogan: "Germany is abetting terrorists"

[07] Commentary on recent statements by AKP member that the government is in the process of establishing a "new state" in Turkey headed by Erdogan

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] The press sees "difficult days" for the "Immovable Property Commission"

The decline in the number of Greek Cypriot applications started in 2014 during which 375 applications were filed, while this number had been 1,337 in 2013. Furthermore, the number of applications deceased to 182 in 2015, 50 in 2016 and 19 in the first eight months of 2017.

Since 2006 the "Commission" paid 238 million 574 thousand 231 sterling pounds as compensation to Greek Cypriots for their occupied properties. Within the framework of the decisions taken by the "Commission" 22 million sterling pounds were paid in 2015, which is approximately equal to the total amount paid in 2016 and 2017 during which only 23 million pounds were spent, because of the reduction of the resources.

Since 2006, 6,330 applications have been filed and only 1,029 of them were concluded.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Arikli: The Turkish Plan B is implemented, there is no need to be officially announced

Referring to the "Immovable Property Commission", Arikli argued that the "law" providing for special tax on the gains from the increase of the value of properties should immediately be approved. He said that the relevant "draft-law" had been prepared in Turkey, took its final shape in the occupied area of Cyprus and was sent to the "assembly" three years ago, but it was never discussed since then. Expressing the view that both the "government" and the "opposition" wanted the entire amount of the compensations to be paid by Turkey, Arikli wondered whether Turkey was a "cash cow" and added that when [occupied Greek Cypriot] properties were "turned into Turkish", the holders would become 4-5 times richer and therefore they should pay a part of the compensations. "The immovable property commission is a rare opportunity for us", he claimed.

Also alleging that Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci was attacked both by President Anastasiades and by some "submissive circles" in the Turkish Cypriot side for his stance on the Cyprus problem, Arikli claimed: "What else should Akinci have done? What concessions he should have given? From that point on is a full submission. Neither Akinci nor anyone else can put the full submission onto the agenda. Talat could also not put it in the past".

(I/Ts.)

[03] Elcil: The effort for closing "Ataturk teachers' academy" is political

Moreover, Elcil accused Ozdemir Berova, self-styled minister of education of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, of playing the most important role in the emergence of this problem and argued that those who support the closure of organizations that belong to the Turkish Cypriot community would pass in history as "collaborators and traitors".

(I/Ts.)

[04] "TRNC identity cards" to be "obtained" from the "TRNC London office"

In a press release, Kutlu Evren, "interior minister" said that the projects for easing the lives of their "TRNC citizens" who live abroad as if they live in their own "country" started to become a reality.

(DPs)

[05] Stone quarries continue to cause environmental damage to the occupied Pentadaxtylos range

According to data, during the years 1975-1984 112 stone quarries were "granted permission", during the years 1985-1994, this number raised to 149. During the years 1995-2004, there was a serious regression to the "permissions" and only 63 stone quarries had "permission". While during the period 2005-2014, only 17 stone quarries were "granted permissions". Since 2015, no "permission" was "granted".

From the existing 56 stone quarries, the 21 are for quarrying float stones, the 19 are for quarrying crushed sand and gravel, the 12 for building stones, 3 for gypsum stone and one for river sand grave.

The paper also reports that environmental organizations reacted to the environmental damage caused by the stone quarries, especially in the occupied area of Kythrea.

Metin Ulug, chairman of the "stone quarries association", argued that the number of the stone quarries, which was surplus in the past, has been reduced to a normal level now. He explained that the number of stone quarries for quarry?ng crushed sand and gravel are 14 and they do not have any clear information regarding the other stone quarries. Ulug further said that all the stone quarries continue their works in an intense way.

Meanwhile, Dogan Sahir, the general secretary of the Green Action Group, stressed that the undermining of the mountains has resulted due to the fact that there is no planning and the needs are not determined. He further said that the necessary measures should be taken in order to protect the "mountains".

(DPs)

[06] Erdogan: "Germany is abetting terrorists"

"We gave (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel 4,500 dossiers, but have not received an answer on a single one of them," he told members of his ruling AK Party.

"When there is a terrorist, they can tell us to give that person back. You won't send the ones you have to us, but can ask us for yours. So you have a judiciary, but we don't in Turkey?" he said.

Turkey accuses Germany of sheltering terrorists as well as military officers and other people linked to the July 15 coup. Berlin denies the accusations.

[07] Commentary on recent statements by AKP member that the government is in the process of establishing a "new state" in Turkey headed by Erdogan

"Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is a political ally of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), is outraged over recent remarks by an AKP Deputy. The Deputy had suggested that the government is in the process of establishing a 'new state' in Turkey headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

'A discredited person has mentioned a new state out of nowhere. If you want the truth, it's a waste of effort and time to take this unknown and shadowy person's nonsensical talk seriously', Bahceli said over Twitter on Aug. 5.

The remark - which also angered main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu - came from Ayhan Ogan, who has served on the AKP's executive board in the past.

Bahceli and K?l?cdaroglu are now expecting a response from Erdogan. Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m has already responded by claiming that Ogan was speaking for himself and not the party.

"Are you joking? The state of the Turkish Republic was established on Oct. 29, 1923," Y?ld?r?m told reporters, adding that this state remains firmly standing. Other AKP representatives also tried to belittle Ogan's remarks by saying he had only expressed his personal opinion.

Ogan later tried to backpedal by using the classic argument that his words had been misconstrued. Be that as it may, he started a debate that is bound to have displeased Erdogan and his close advisors, but not because what Ogan said is necessarily false.

The last thing Erdogan needs is an outburst of anger from nationalist quarters, and especially those attached to the MHP, which supported his bid to become Turkey's unchecked executive President.

The anger with Ogan's remark reflected by K?l?cdaroglu and CHP supporters is understandable. The "new state" Ogan refers to is clearly intended to replace the Republic founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Bahceli's words and his expectation of a response from Erdogan, however, are not understandable. It is after all Erdogan who himself says, day and night, that they are in the process of building "a New Turkey."

The 'new Turkey' that they are building is visibly moving away from the secular republic founded by Ataturk. Despite this, Bahceli has consistently given the AKP the necessary outside support it needs to advance its Islamist cause. This is why his "outrage" over Ogan's words rings hollow.

Bahceli was clearly trying to mollify some ultra-nationalist voters who are not totally charmed with his cosying up to Erdogan and the AKP - especially at a time when work is underway to establish a new nationalist party that will compete with the MHP in the 2019 general election.

Many argue that throwing in the MHP's lot with the AKP and helping prepare the constitutional changes that turn Turkey into a presidential system led by Erdogan is tantamount to political suicide for Bahceli. We will not know if this is the case before 2019, but his political prospects do not appear good from today's perspective.

Bahceli's dilemma is that he appears to have painted himself into a corner. No matter how much it rejects Ogan's remarks, the AKP cannot give up on its 'we are building the new Turkey' narrative at this stage.

But continuing with this narrative will undoubtedly pose many problems for Bahceli's support base in the run-up to the 2019 general elections.

This support base could easily decide to go for the genuine article, namely a new nationalist party led by the charismatic Meral Aksener, rather than the MHP, which under Bahceli has turned into no more than a prop for the AKP. It is not even a very effective prop, as the narrow April 16 referendum result showed."

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(DPs / AM)

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