Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-09-05

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CONTENTS

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Idris: "The recognition of the TRNC is not possible according to international law"

[02] Two "deputies" to attend PACE meetings in Paris; they will also hold contacts in Strasburg

[03] FETO operation to start after the Bayram celebrations

[04] Trade Unions expressed worries about the possibility of non-adopting the winter time again in the breakaway regime

[05] "Nobody does anything about the historical monuments"

[06] Turkey slams Germany's language in "election campaign row"

[07] Erdogan due to visit Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and the USA in September

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Idris: "The recognition of the TRNC is not possible according to international law"

Idris emphasized that it is not possible for the "TRNC" to be recognized internationally.

Speaking on the Cyprus negotiations process to illegal BRT, stated also the following: "I believe that the Turkish Cypriots should not abandon policies and politics based or focused towards reaching a settlement in Cyprus. Achieving a settlement in Cyprus has been TDP's goal for years and it is out of the question for us to think differently at a time when the president who comes from this political tradition is in office".

Idris also said that he did not see it possible for the "TRNC" to be recognized during this period. "We had all desired that the outcome of this process would be different. However, once the process collapsed, the political parties, particularly the ruling parties, have been arguing that there is no point in continuing the negotiations and voicing different plans all of which envisage seeking international recognition of the TRNC. It is highly unlikely within international law for these plans to realize or come to life", he added.

Idris stated further that efforts for a settlement whether it be a comprehensive one or on the basis of a piece by piece model, should continue. "The parameters of a settlement which is a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal partnership on the basis of political equality will obviously not change. But the balance at the negotiating table should change. That means that we cannot have one side which enjoys international recognition and the benefits of being a state whilst the Turkish Cypriots who are subjected to international isolation no matter what they do. We have seen this to be a problem. The balances need to be changed", Idris alleged.

He also pointed out that it was important for the UN to clarify which side is responsible for the collapse of the talks and for the promise made to the Turkish Cypriots, since the 2004 Annan Plan to be honored.

[02] Two "deputies" to attend PACE meetings in Paris; they will also hold contacts in Strasburg

The so-called deputies will be attending the meetings of the Committee on Legal and Human Rights on September 5-6 and then they will go to Strasburg to hold contacts with the President and the General Secretary of PACE, Pedro Agramunt and Thorbjorn Jagland respectively. The "deputies" will further meet with the chairman of the Council of Europe Donald Tusk.

The "deputies" will be accompanied by the "director of the press office" of the so-called assembly, Savas Pasaoglulari.

(AK)

[03] FETO operation to start after the Bayram celebrations

The paper notes that all the persons arrested so far related to FETO were set free by a so-called court, however the list consisting of 300 persons who appeared to be linked with FETO are in front of the so-called prime minister Huseyin Ozgurgun and action is expected to be taken in the coming days.

Reporting on the same issue, Afrika (05.09.17) reports that former "judge" Hasan Sozmenler wonders in an article published in the paper who gave the "authority" to "attorney general" to demand that the 53 "policemen" who were "arrested" for connections with FETO to be seized from their "duties

(CS)

[04] Trade Unions expressed worries about the possibility of non-adopting the winter time again in the breakaway regime

Last year the so-called coalition government of the Democratic Party and the National Unity Party decided to follow Turkey's decision by not changing the time, thus creating a lot of problems especially to school children.

The chairman of KTAMS (Turkish Cypriot "civil servant association", Ahmet Kaptan stated that he hopes that the "government" learn from last year's tragic events and will decide to turn the clock one hour behind. The chairman of KTOEOS (Turkish Cypriot secondary school trade union) said that the "government" must stop following the time of Saudi Arabia".

(CS)

[05] "Nobody does anything about the historical monuments"

The paper notes that due to the lack of personnel at the "Evkav foundation" and the "antiquities department" no one takes care of the monuments many of which are almost collapsing.

The "director" of the antiquities department" Fuat Azimli stated that the lack of personnel is the main reason for this situation.

(CS)

[06] Turkey slams Germany's language in "election campaign row"

Commenting on remarks about the country and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan aired on TV debate by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Social Democrat (SPD) challenger Martin Schulz on Sept. 3, presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kal?n said that they amounted to "a reflection of Europe's narrowing horizon."

"The fact that Germany and Europe are attacking Turkey and Erdogan, disregarding their fundamental and urgent problems, is a reflection of Europe's narrowing horizon," Kal?n tweeted on September 4, adding that the fact that Ankara and the President were dominant topics during the debate between the two was "not a coincidence."

"The anti-Turkey thoughts in Europe have become a tool of relief through creating an enemy 'other' and postponing the fundamental problems," he said.

"The fact that mainstream German politics has submitted to populism and otherizing-antagonizing will only fuel discrimination and racism," Kal?n added.

He also claimed that it "does not matter" who wins the German election, as the "mentality adopted to win the vote is obvious."

"The fact that Merkel and Schulz never touched on discrimination and increasing racism throughout the debate shows the point to which German politics has reached," Kal?n said.

"We hope this problematic atmosphere, which sacrifices Turkish-German relations to a narrow political horizon, will change soon," he said.

During the debate, Merkel said she would seek an end to Ankara's membership talks with the EU, marking a shift of her previous position."The fact is clear that Turkey should not become a member of the EU," Merkel said.

"I'll speak to my [EU] colleagues to see if we can reach a joint position on this so that we can end these accession talks," she added.

(…)

Separately, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on September 4 that Ankara was "regretfully" monitoring the tendency for political leaders in Germany and Austria to establish an "anti-Turkey stance," using opposition to its EU membership process as election campaign material.

"Principally, there is a worrying situation in discourse of the election campaigns by the mentioned countries, particularly for Europe. The fact that politicians of those countries, who are candidates to determine the future of their citizens, are surrendering to raw populism based on an anti-Turkey stance, rather than developing solutions for political and economic tests, poses not only a serious threat for Europe but also for the whole world," the Ministry said, adding that such an approach would encourage "xenophobic, racist and Islamophobic" movements.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also criticized German politicians sparring in a weekend debate for focusing on Turkey rather than Germany's own pressing problems.

"The debate started with Turkey and ended with Turkey. The election isn't taking place in Turkey, it is taking place in Germany," Cavusoglu told reporters in Slovenia while attending a foreign policy forum.

"Do German politicians have any other messages to present to their people besides Turkey? How will they solve the problems in Germany?"

Cavusoglu said further that German politicians should have talked instead about the rising racism in Germany and Europe, Islamophobia, antisemitism, the European economy, and the future of the European Union.

"Looking at these debates, we see populism at its peak. Europe must get rid itself of this political populism," Cavusoglu stressed.

In addition, Turkey's EU Minister Omer Celik said that any talk of ending Ankara's EU accession negotiations amounted to an "attack on Europe's founding principles."

"They are building a Berlin wall with the bricks of populism," Celik tweeted.

Turkey will "keep going with its head held high as a European country and a European democracy," he added.

(…)

[07] Erdogan due to visit Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and the USA in September

Erdogan is scheduled to visit Astana, Kazakhstan on September 8-10 in order to discuss Syria. Then, on September 10-11, Erdogan will be visiting Baku, Azerbaijan. Erdogan's last stop for September will be the US where he will be delivering a speech during the Leader's Summit in New York on the sidelines of the the 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly.

The developments in Syria, the recent humanitarian drama in Arakan, the fight against FETO, PKK and ISIL and the forthcoming elections in Turkey will be included on Erdogan's agenda, writes the paper.

(AK) TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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