Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-09-06

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

CONTENTS

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] "Investigations" against FETO are intensified- Opposition is accusing the "government" for remaining silent

[02] Akinci asked Ozgurgun to justify his demand for stripping Atalay of his duties

[03] Hundreds of persons visited Hala Sultan Tekke in Larnaka

[04] Data on the numbers of passengers and flights at the illegal Tymbou airport during the Kurban Bayram Feast

[05] "Data" on the number of "trade unions" in the occupied area of Cyprus

[06] Illegal "DAU" ranked in the 173rd place of the "Times Higher Education World List"

[07] Harmanci met with Italian officials

[08] Celik to hold talks with EU Foreign Ministers in Estonia

[09] Y?ld?r?m: "Germany acts on emotions, not logic"

[10] "Turkey's half-century EU bid should not be sacrificed to German election"

[11] CHP's report say that 171 journalists are behind bars in Turkey

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] "Investigations" against FETO are intensified- Opposition is accusing the "government" for remaining silent

He also said that there is another list consisting of 13 persons who are also members of the "police force" that are under "investigation". Kizilokgul further said that the number of suspects will be increased and may reach 74.

The paper further reports that the Turkish Cypriot parties are reacting in a different way on the issue of FETO. While the "coalition government parties", the Democratic Party and the National Unity Party say that decisions should be taken after the "investigations" are completed, the opposition parties are accusing the "government" of not commenting or acting on the issue.

The National Unity Party general secretary Dursun Oguz stated that it is not right for the time being for statements to be made for such a sensitive issue and noted that every action will take place according to the "TRNC laws". The general secretary of the Democratic Party Afet Ozcafer stated that a meeting should be held with the participation of "ministers and deputies of the coalition parties" to discuss the reports for the connections of the "TRNC" with FETO.

The opposition parties call on the "prime minister" to make a statement and call for transparency during the researches that are taking place.

The chairman of the Republican Turkish Party Tufan Erhurman accused the "government" of not dealing with the issue the way it should and that it takes no responsibility and remains silent.

The chairman of the Communal Democracy Party Cemal Ozyigit stated that the "government" and the "police" should handle the issue with care and that the "parliament" should be informed on the measures taken.

The member of the New Cyprus Party Albay Durduran said that the "investigations" taking place in the occupied area of Cyprus regarding FETO is another example of how the situation in the breakaway regime is handled and said that the developments show that the "police" was left under the jurisdiction of the army.

Finally, the chairman of the United Cyprus Party, Izzet Izcan stated that the "government" remains weak and silent because is afraid to make anything to upset the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey.

On the same issue, Star Kibris (06.09.17) reports that names of businessmen and academicians are included in the list consisting of suspects of FETO members. It also writes that some Turkish members of FETO using companies in the "TRNC" which has connections with FETO applied to European countries for visas planning to escape the investigations in Turkey.

(CS)

[02] Akinci asked Ozgurgun to justify his demand for stripping Atalay of his duties

Ozgurgun made this demand on a letter he sent to Akinci on August 22.

Atalay was investigated and questioned in Turkey in July on accusations that he is involved to the terrorist FETO organization but he was later set free.

Akinci is asking from Ozgurgun to send him all the necessary documents and information to justify this demand noting that all the actions occurred by a "government officer" should be in accordance to the moral and legal responsibility of the post. He also asks from Ozgurgun to name the person who could take Atalay's position.

In his statement Akinci also noted that on May 26, 2016 in his weekly meeting with Ozgurgun, the "prime minister" made again some accusations against Atalay but despite Akinci's demand Ozgurgun failed to provide him with any information on the issue.

The paper notes that Ozgurgun's reply on Akinci's demand is expected with great interest.

Commenting on the issue, columnist Polat Alper writes in Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi (06.09.17) that Atalay's arrest appeared to be a plot against him; however not everyone in the "government" share this opinion and this is why Ozgurgun sent the letter to Akinci. The columnist goes on and says that apart of his arrest and the accusation that he was involved with FETO, Atalay is clear and no other accusations exist against him. Therefore why Ozgurgun made the demand against him? In addition Alper is wondering who could possibly take Atalay's position and under which criteria.

Finally Alper wonders if there is any secret decision in the investigation implemented against Atalay in Turkey and that by making this demand towards Ozgurgun, Akinci is actually asking for this kind of information. "If this is what he wants to see, then why is he not telling it openly?", Alpar asks.

(CS)

[03] Hundreds of persons visited Hala Sultan Tekke in Larnaka

Within the framework of the visit, Turkish settlers and other nationals who are normally not allowed to pass to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus were also allowed to visit the Hala Sultan Tekke.

No problems occurred during the visit.

[04] Data on the numbers of passengers and flights at the illegal Tymbou airport during the Kurban Bayram Feast

According to a statement issued by the "T&T Company" which is operating the illegal Tymbou airport, during the period (August 28-September 4), there were 623 flights taking off and landing (312 flights landed and 311 took off)

The number of arrivals reached to 45, 978 passengers while the number of those departed was 47, 663.

(AK)

[05] "Data" on the number of "trade unions" in the occupied area of Cyprus

According to the "figures" provided by the "companies registration organization", the majority of "trade unions" are "trade unions" of workers and the public sector.

Following is the profile of the "trade unions" which are actively operating in the "TRNC":

-37 "trade unions for the workers in the public sector"

-7 "trade unions in the education sector"

-3 "trade unions in the health sector"

-2 "trade unions in the media and press"

-1 "trade union in the tourism sector"

-2 "trade unions in the civil aviation"

-1 "trade union for employers"

(AK)

[06] Illegal "DAU" ranked in the 173rd place of the "Times Higher Education World List"

According to the paper, the illegal "DAU university" which is the only "university" in the "TRNC" being included in the list, ranked in the 173rd place among 1,100 Universities from 70 different countries.

According to the paper, the inclusion of the illegal DAU to the list and "north Cyprus as a country", caused several reactions in "south Cyprus", as the Republic of Cyprus is called.

(AK)

[07] Harmanci met with Italian officials

According to a statement issued by the "municipality", during the meeting, the "Turkish Cypriot municipality" and the "Nicosia Municipality in Sicilia-Translator's note: it's the name of a city in Sicilia, having the same name with the 'municipality of occupied Lefkosia'", exchanged views on possible cooperation in the field of culture.

Speaking during the meeting, Harmanci stated that it would be very important and beneficial for the "communities" of these two cities to learn about each other's culture and history.

(AK)

[08] Celik to hold talks with EU Foreign Ministers in Estonia

The EU's term President, Estonia, will host a meeting on Sept. 7 and 8 in Tallinn, at which the EU Foreign Ministers will discuss a wide range of issues in an informal environment.

Turkey was scheduled to be represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu but he will be replaced by Celik, as Cavusoglu will be traveling to Bangladesh to visit the camps where Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar are sheltered.

At the meeting, Celik is expected to echo Turkey's condemnation of Merkel's call to suspend talks, saying that she should not "use Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as election campaign material."

During his visit to Tallinn, Celik will also hold bilateral talks with EU officials as well as Foreign Ministers.

The Tallinn talks come after Merkel's warning on Sept. 5 that Ankara is "drifting away from the rule of law fast" and her vow to push her EU partners to consider suspending or ending its accession talks at an October meeting.

Meanwhile, a day before Merkel's announcement that she will push EU leaders for either suspending or ending talks with Turkey, the EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said that Turkey's EU membership accession talks continue, underlining Ankara's role as a partner in the region.

"We are continuing to talk with Turkey," Mogherini said on Sept. 4 in the northwestern Slovenian town of Bled, where she was attending the 2017 Bled Strategic Forum. She also stressed that Turkey remains a "partner in the region in many different areas" and remains an EU candidate country.

"We will continue talks, it will be up to the internal discussions we will have, and most of all to the discussions we will have with [Ankara], to define the future of our relations," Mogherini said.

(…)

[09] Y?ld?r?m: "Germany acts on emotions, not logic"

Yildirim stated further that German politicians' anti-Turkish rhetoric is hurting bilateral relations.

Y?ld?r?m also spoke about the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula and said: "The future of the world should not be left to such reckless moves and behaviors."

"The international community, especially the United Nations, should assume responsibility and take a more determined and sensitive approach against the crimes against humanity in North Korea, Rakhine state and other parts of the world", Yildirim further said.

[10] "Turkey's half-century EU bid should not be sacrificed to German election"

"Signs of a substantial change in Germany's policies toward Turkey have taken more concrete form over the course of the summer, after the Bundestag voted in June to move German troops and aircrafts from the Incirlik base to Jordan over Ankara's refusal to allow German lawmakers to visit the base.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's latest statements indicate what this change will look like and on what grounds it will be based.

Speaking at the German Parliament on September 5, Merkel said she would bring the issue of Turkey's accession negotiations to the European Council in October, with a demand to either suspend or end them. In a recent televised debate with her political rival Martin Schulz - who also says EU accession talks with Turkey should be ended - Merkel strongly signaled that this was not merely a pre-election promise made to her electorate, but a policy that would be implemented in her fourth term as prime minister.

Her messages also include Ankara and Brussels' plans to upgrade the Customs Union, after last week she conveyed to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Germany's opposition to discussing an upgrade of the Customs Union under current conditions.

It should be noted that these messages come after Merkel held a mini-summit with the leaders of France, Spain and Italy 10 days ago. Although the summit was about stemming the flow of African refugees into Europe, it's almost certain that the troubled state of ties with Turkey was also addressed by these four leaders.

Cutting pre-accession financial aid from Brussels to Turkey is among the possible sanctions that Merkel has voiced in recent days. On the bilateral level, Merkel has also threatened to issue a stronger travel warning to German citizens, as she accused Turkey of holding 12 German nationals as "political prisoners." Although she was careful not to mention the massive bilateral economic relations, there are concerns that a further rupture in ties would have negative consequences on economy and trade between the two countries.

As can be seen, Merkel has been working to carry German-Turkish tension to the EU sphere, conveying the message that she could prompt a collapse of Ankara's long-standing efforts to join the EU.

At this point, the EU and responsible EU countries should be brave enough to challenge Germany's attempts to use Turkey's accession process as a stick in its bilateral disagreements with the Turkish government. Friends of Turkey in the European Parliament, countries traditionally supportive of Turkey's accession to the EU, and independent politicians who are able to see the future challenges that will emerge from pushing Turkey out of Europe and into unchartered waters, should be much more vocal against German leadership. Turkey's half-century-long engagement with the EU should not be sacrificed because of such a bilateral dispute.

In this context, the immediate reactions to Merkel's statements from EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and European Parliament rapporteur Kati Piri have been positive. As Mogherini stressed, there are scores of issues that Ankara and Brussels will have to continue to work together on as partners.

Of course, on the other side of the coin is Turkey's growing failure in terms of universal democratic norms and human rights standards, particularly acute since last year's failed coup attempt. The Turkish leadership must examine through an objective lens the reasons behind their current standoff with a number of EU countries, which have resulted in a de facto suspension of its accession process.

It is becoming clear that continued violations of human rights, deterioration of democratic norms, and restrictions of fundamental freedoms will carry a heavy cost for Turkey.

[11] CHP's report say that 171 journalists are behind bars in Turkey

The final report of the "Arrested Journalists and Shuttered Media Outlets Workshop," which took place during the party's "Justice Congress" in the Aegean province of Canakkale between August 26- 30, urged an end to the arrest of journalists as well as the debate on implementing single-type uniforms in prisons.

The report stated that 171 journalists are currently in prison and 187 media outlets have been shut down in recent years across Turkey, particularly since the July 2016 coup attempt.

The workshop was moderated by CHP Deputy Utku Cak?rozer, who has a professional background in journalism.

"The shame of arrested journalists [in Turkey] must end. Journalists should not be jailed for their opinions, writings and criticisms," Cak?rozer said.

"If we cannot maintain media freedom and justice while talking about rights, law and justice, we will never reach the point we want to reach in democracy," he added.

The workshop also saw the participation of Turkish Association of Journalists (TGC) head Turgay Olcayto, Turkish Press Council head P?nar Turenc, Association of European Journalists Vice Chair Dogan T?l?c, the wife of jailed journalist Murat Aksoy, Sehriban Aksoy, journalists Erdem Gul, Is?l Kurt and Eyup Burc, and lawyers Bulent Utku, Figen Cal?kusu, Engin Cinmen, Mehmet Ali Devecioglu and Celal Ulgen.

Olcayto particularly drew attention to concerns over the possible single-type uniform implementation in prisons, which has been suggested by the government for all suspects arrested on "terrorism" charges.

The CHP's four-day congress, which came after the party's 450-day "Justice March" from the capital Ankara to Istanbul, brought together more than 700 speakers in eight main panels on justice in courts, everyday life, education, religion, the media, elections, and the economy.

(...) TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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(AK /AM)

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