Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-08-23

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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] Trade unions refer to "transformation of the community through education"; Ozyigit sees efforts to turn Turkish Cypriots into an Islamic religious community

[02] KTOS: 162 schools and 212 mosques exist in the occupied area of Cyprus

[03] Eroglu defends Akinci's stance in the negotiations and alleges that efforts for the recognition of the breakaway regime should continue

[04] Erhurman calls for quality improvement of "universities" in the occupied area of Cyprus

[05] "YDU" announced cooperation with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical Faculty on breast cancer

[06] Erdogan: We will not allow a Kurdish state on our borders

[07] Cavusoglu in Iraq, Mattis in Turkey

[08] Turkey signed a trade agreement on agriculture with Serbia

[09] Erdogan said that Turkish companies could transfer water from the Nile under the Red Sea to Jordan

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Trade unions refer to "transformation of the community through education"; Ozyigit sees efforts to turn Turkish Cypriots into an Islamic religious community

Ozyigit said that they had not struggled enough in the past to prevent the above-mentioned change and they delayed in questioning and changing the regime. "This regime serves the efforts to transform our people", he argued adding that with the approach of the military and political bureaucracy in Turkey after 1974 efforts had been exerted to create a nationalist community, while now they were attempting to turn the Turkish Cypriots into a religious Islamic community by dragging them behind Turkey, which was heading towards a Sharia [Islamic law] system.

Ozyigit also said that they could not create a structure that stands on its own feet in the occupied area of Cyprus and that instead of this the "administration" systematically took and implemented orders from Turkey.

Noting that the [Turkey's] "Coordination Office Abroad" existed de facto in the occupied area of Cyprus in spite of the fact that the necessary "legislation" had not been implemented, Ozyigit pointed out that he was expecting "new mobilizations" on the issue of the so-called electricity authority, the telecommunication "office" and the ports. "This community should rise up now and we should all together wage this communal struggle by leaving aside the daily short terms interests", he concluded.

Speaking on behalf of the Platform, Selma Eylem, chairperson of the Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers' Trade Union (KTOEOS), said that they have started visiting political parties in order to create a consciousness in the society and a strong political will. "If we do not struggle as a society on the issue of the 'social transformation through education', the result is unfortunately known. And we will not end up in a place where we will unite with the international law", she noted.

(I/Ts.)

[02] KTOS: 162 schools and 212 mosques exist in the occupied area of Cyprus

Speaking yesterday at a press conference held by KTOS on the problems of education, Erilen noted that 46 new mosques were built in the last 17 years and added that only 15 new schools were built since 1974. According to Erilen, in June they established that 48 schools needed repairing but not enough work had been carried out since then on this issue. He pointed out that the "state" could find money for mosques, theology, hajis and hodjas, but not for repairing schools.

Furthermore, Emel Tel, chairperson of KTOS, urged all members of the community to act together for a "secular, modern, social and principled system" and a public, free of charge and equal education of a high quality. Noting that time has come for them as community to defend the secular way of life and their secular "institutions", she added that they could jointly spoil the games played over the Turkish Cypriot community, by leaving aside their party identity, supporting the secular way of life and defending their communal existence. "We have no other island or country to live in", she said.

Moreover, Mebure Diren, member of KTOS' administrative council, said: "Mosques, houses the rent of which is paid by the Turkish Embassy and the religious affairs department and associations with unknown sources of income have been turned into centers of religious propaganda and social engineering. Efforts are being made for imams to have a say in the community. Some politicians are taking orders from imams. The main reason for building more mosques is the further spreading of the imams and ensuring that they carry out more propaganda. Economic aid from Turkish resources is given to some families in return for directing children and young people to activities and tours [in Turkey]".

(I/Ts.)

[03] Eroglu defends Akinci's stance in the negotiations and alleges that efforts for the recognition of the breakaway regime should continue

Alleging that it is not possible to reach a result from the negotiating process, Eroglu recalled that the current "coalition government's" program said that if no result was achieved at the negotiations, the Turkish Cypriots should continue by defending the "TRNC" [translator's note: The breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus]. He claimed that they should now proceed in this direction and strengthen their relations in consultation with Turkey.

Expressing the view that they should continue working for the "TRNC's" recognition, Eroglu alleged: "If we say recognize the TRNC today, this will be of no use of course. However, if you do this by making the TRNC's presence felt in the whole world and work for this, you can succeed. These steps could be taken especially through the development of trade relations, like in the past, with Britain, which is in the process of abandoning the EU. Representation offices are opened in many countries. We should defend our state by promoting our country with such steps and by developing diplomatic relations".

(I/Ts.)

[04] Erhurman calls for quality improvement of "universities" in the occupied area of Cyprus

During the meeting with the "administration" of "DAU", Erhurman stressed that one of the biggest problems of higher education in the occupied area of Cyprus is quality. He explained that there were today around 30 "universities" in the occupied area of Cyprus including the one that recently got permission to open.

Erhurman stressed that the decreasing number of Turkish students who enrol in the "universities" in the occupied area of Cyprus, reflects the seriousness of the problem.

(DPs)

[05] "YDU" announced cooperation with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical Faculty on breast cancer

(DPs)

[06] Erdogan: We will not allow a Kurdish state on our borders

"We cannot and will not allow the PYD and the YPG to form a so-called state in northern Syria," Erdogan said in a speech to village heads at the Presidential Palace on Aug. 22.

He claimed that using the term "Kurdish state" was an "insult to my Kurdish brothers". "I believe that my Kurdish brothers would never allow such a formation in northern Syria and southern Turkey. We are one nation within our country in a unitary structure. We are one nation with 80 million people. We have one flag, one homeland and one state. [We have] a homeland of 780,000 km2. We will send those who want to break this nation apart to the grave," Erdogan said.

He also referred to the 2,000 km2 area in northern Syria that was brought under Turkish control following the Euphrates Shield Operation, carried out between August 2016 and March 2017 to clear the area from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the PYD.

"Why did we enter Jarablus? When 56 of our citizens were martyred in [the south-eastern province of] Gaziantep we said 'We cannot be patient anymore' and we entered Jarablus. Then we entered al-Rai, al-Bab and brought a 2,000km2 area under control", Erdogan said, referring to the ISIL attack carried out in Gaziantep last year during a wedding that killed 56 people.

Saying that the PYD and the YPG aim to form a "terror corridor" to reach the Mediterranean in northern Syria, Erdogan vowed that Turkey will respond just as it does to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

"There are Kurds who are on Turkey's side and those who are with the PYD. We have no problem with our Kurdish brothers. We don't find it right to view all Kurds in Turkey as being on the side of the PKK and the same is true for Afrin [in northern Syria]. There are tribes that can act with us," he told reporters on the presidential plane while returning to Turkey from Jordan on Aug. 21.

"If the possibility of terror dominating the area emerges, we'll intervene. Afrin is a very significant region. One way to reach it is through the Turkish border in Hatay, and there is a passage to Idlib on the other side," he said, adding that Ankara had discussed these issues with Iran and Russia and will continue to do so via foreign ministries and intelligence channels.

In his speech on Aug. 22, Erdogan again blasted the U.S. for sending weapons to the YPG in northern Syria, adding that the number of trucks sent with military equipment now exceeded 1,000.

"It's well known that the U.S. is sending weapons to northern Syria through the border from Iraq. The number of trucks sent with military equipment is more than 1,000" he said.

Erdogan stressed that he told U.S. President Donald Trump and other U.S. generals about Ankara's complaints at the G-20 summit in Hamburg in July.

"The U.S. tells us, 'We have the serial numbers of all these armoured vehicles. We will take them back when the Raqqa operation is over.' But I told the U.S. generals and Trump this: 'That was said to us before regarding northern Iraq, but now we see the U.S. and Russia from the weapons we confiscate from the PKK in northern Iraq. The same thing will happen here tomorrow. Even if we pay you wouldn't give us these weapons, but you supply [the YPG] with them for free.' Unfortunately, we must keep talking about these things," he added.

Asked about whether a joint operation with Iran against the PKK headquarters in the Kandil Mountains and Sinjar in northern Iraq, where the PKK headquarters are based, is on the agenda, Erdogan said "talks are ongoing", adding that Iran is troubled by the Iranian Kurdish Party for Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), which is the Iranian wing of the PKK.

"Even though there are several problems with Iran, they are in solidarity on this issue and are saying, 'Let's struggle against terror together.' This could be in Kandil or Sinjar," he stated.

[07] Cavusoglu in Iraq, Mattis in Turkey

Cavusoglu's visit was planned in order to lay the ground for a scheduled visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to Turkey. Following his visit to Baghdad, Cavusoglu will head to the northern Iraqi city of Arbil to meet Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Masoud Barzani.

On the same issue, the paper (online, 23.08.17) reports that Cavusoglu, during his visit to Baghdad on Aug. 23, called for the resolution of problems between the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and Iraq "within Iraq's latter's territorial integrity."

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart, Cavusoglu also said he would tell Arbil that their decision on the independence referendum was "wrong" and added: "We believe that all problems between Arbil and Baghdad should be resolved within the framework of Iraq's border and territorial integrity. Of course, it is important that Arbil's rights should be granted. We have always supported the KRG against ISIL but we also mention the wrong steps taken by Arbil".

"We expect Arbil to cancel the referendum decision", Cavusoglu noted.

Meanwhile, before coming to Turkey, Pentagon chief Mattis held talks in Baghdad on Aug. 22 to show U.S. support for Iraqi forces as they pressed an assault on Tal Afar, ISIL's last major bastion in the country's north.

In remarks before going into meetings with al-Abadi and other top officials, Mattis said he wanted to keep the spotlight on eradicating ISIL. "Right now our focus is on defeating ISIS inside Iraq, restoring Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity," the US Defence secretary said, using an alternative acronym for ISIL.

Mattis had said his discussions in Iraq would focus on the way ahead, including how to keep the country from again politically fragmenting or falling further under Iran's influence.

A key issue is Iraqi Kurdistan's plan for an independence referendum on September 25, strongly opposed by the U.S. and Turkey.

[08] Turkey signed a trade agreement on agriculture with Serbia

Ahmet Esref Fakibaba, the Turkish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, and Branislav Nedimovic, the Serbian Agriculture Minister, met in Serbia's capital Belgrade to discuss ways to improve import and export between the two countries.

The agreement aims to boost the export of sunflower oil, fruits and vegetables between the two countries, and increase bilateral trade to $1 billion.

Fakibaba, in a joint press conference after the signing ceremony, said that Serbia had a decisive role to play for peace and stability in the Balkan region. "We give great importance to improving our relations in every area, especially in the economy," he said.

He called on Turkish businessmen to increase investment in Serbia, adding that Serbia should provide them with incentives. "Serbia is very important for us, Serbia is our great friend. We need to put a little more effort to reach the $1 billion trade volume -- our common goal," he said.

Fakibaba said that if Belgrade allowed a free zone to Ankara, it could enter markets in Russia and the EU, with which it had free trade agreements. In return, he added, Turkey could open its market for Serbia.

Nedimovic said that during their talks they had focused on three main issues: updating the Free Trade Agreement, creating new quotas for various agricultural products, and investment in livestock and fruit sector.

He added that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic enjoyed good relations, which made it easier for the two countries to work together.

[09] Erdogan said that Turkish companies could transfer water from the Nile under the Red Sea to Jordan

Erdogan said that he explained to King Abdullah that Turkish companies could carry out this project, citing the example of the water project from Anamur to the occupied area of Cyprus. He further argued that if Turkish contractors got interest in this project, they would have the opportunity to get the tender.

(DPs)

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(DPs / AA)

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