Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-09-26

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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] Erdogan threatened northern Iraq with measures after the KRG referendum; Erdogan: "We may come there overnight all of a sudden"

[02] Erdogan and Putin discussed over the phone the 'territorial integrity of Iraq, Syria'

[03] Turkey and Iraq to launch joint military exercise near border

[04] Turkey's top media watchdog removes broadcaster Rudaw based in northern Iraq from satellite

[05] Turkish politicians on the election results in Germany

[06] "What's next in Turkish?German relations?"

[07] Milliyet reports that Akinci conveyed to UNSG his discomfort regarding the ban of tourists in the occupied area of Cyprus

[08] Columnist Ozadam reports that the opening of fenced off town of Varosha is been discussed inside UBP

[09] Reactions to the occupation regime's decision to stop the aid to the enclaved persons

[10] CTP filed an appeal for the cancellation of 58 "exceptional citizenships"

[11] Columnist wonders whether the regime's and Turkey's "secret target" is to increase its population to 700 thousands

[12] Foreigners bought many immovable properties in the occupied area of Cyprus during the past couple of years

[13] Ertugruloglu continues his contacts in Washington

[14] S-400 to be delivered to Turkey in minimum 2 years

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Erdogan threatened northern Iraq with measures after the KRG referendum; Erdogan: "We may come there overnight all of a sudden"

Speaking at a forum in Istanbul, Erdogan stated that the Habur border gate with Iraq, which serves as the KRG's main gateway to the world, is only open for Turkey-bound traffic and gave the message that it could be totally closed in the future.

Erdogan also warned that Turkey could block the KRG's oil exports. "We'll see who KRG will sell its oil to, Turkey is in control of the valve," he said, referring to the Kirkuk - Ceyhan oil pipeline that connects oil fields in northern Iraq to the oil terminal in the Mediterranean.

Oil revenues are of crucial importance for the KRG's economy, which is suffering from a high rate of unemployment.

Erdogan noted that Turkey would not hesitate to use force if necessary, saying "Just as we've liberated Jarablus, al-Rai, and al-Bab from Daesh in Syria, if need be we won't shy away from such steps in Iraq."

"We may come there overnight all of a sudden," he said sternly.

"We are taking and will take all the steps on political, economic, trade and security fronts. The armed forces did not take necessary steps in Silopi for no reason. There is no compromise," Erdogan further said.

Meanwhile, Ankara Anatolia news agency (25.09.17) reported that Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned on Monday against a possible military operation in northern Iraq in case the Turkmen community is targeted.

Cavusoglu's remarks came amid an ongoing non-binding independence referendum in the region, which will see Kurdish Regional Government (KRG)-held areas, including territories disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, vote on seceding from Iraq.

"The Turkish army will intervene immediately if our Turkmen brothers [in disputed Kirkuk province] are physically targeted," Cavusoglu said in an interview aired live on AHaber news network.

He said that Turkey would no longer provide "military training support for the [Kurdish] Peshmerga forces," adding that Ankara would, from now on be engaging primarily with the Baghdad administration.

[02] Erdogan and Putin discussed over the phone the 'territorial integrity of Iraq, Syria'

During the conversation, the two leaders stressed the "importance of the territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria".

The conversation came amid the September 25 referendum on independence in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq.

[03] Turkey and Iraq to launch joint military exercise near border

Turkey started its military manoeuvers in the southeastern district of Silopi on Sept. 18, a week ahead of the referendum on independence in northern Iraq.

On September 25, Iraqis in areas held by the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) - and in a handful of territories disputed between Arbil and Baghdad - voted to decide whether to secede from Iraq.

Along with Baghdad, Turkey, the U.S., Iran and the U.N. have all spoken out against the poll, saying it will only distract from the ongoing fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and further destabilize the region.

In a brief statement on its official website, the Turkish General Staff said also that the third phase of the military exercise will start on September 26 jointly with the Iraqi military in the Habur border gate, also known as the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing, on the Turkish-Iraqi border in Silopi.

The area sits to the north of the Syrian and Iraqi borders and contains the Habur border crossing, which provides the KRG with its main access point to the outside world.

Across the Syrian frontier from Silopi lies a territory controlled by the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).

"Counter-terrorism operations targeting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on the Turkish side of the border are ongoing", the statement said.

[04] Turkey's top media watchdog removes broadcaster Rudaw based in northern Iraq from satellite

The Council made the decision at an extraordinary meeting in the capital Ankara on Sept. 25.

Turkey vowed to take several steps against the KRG if the referendum were held.

An official at the RTUK said Rudaw was being removed from the satellite provider, but Rudaw wasn't aware of it. "We have only heard about the decision through the media. Turksat has not notified us yet. So we are still on air, but the broadcast may be halted when we are notified," a Rudaw television official told Reuters.

[05] Turkish politicians on the election results in Germany

Turkish politicians evaluated the German election results and pointed to a sharp rise in votes for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a populist far-right party that obtained 13.3% of the votes in Sunday's elections.

Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m indicated that the quarrel with Turkey didn't make any contribution to German elections, but proved harmful as "racists" gained more votes.

Y?ld?r?m congratulated Chancellor Angela Merkel's fourth consecutive victory and called for "normalization" in ties. "What Germany should do now is to abandon its tolerance of FETO [the Gulenist Terror Group] and PKK members. Normalization of ties with Turkey is necessary. Repairing ties by opening a new page is possible," he said.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that the German central parties understood that anti-Turkey rhetoric would not lead to positive results. "If Germany took a step towards Turkey, we would take two steps. However, you cannot get results by trying to patronize Turkey," Cavusoglu said.

Berlin-Ankara relations have recently been strained over several issues. Ankara barred German lawmakers from visiting German soldiers stationed at Incirlik Air Base citing Berlin's indifference in taking measures against members of FETO and the PKK within its borders.

The move also was believed to be in response to Germany's position on Turkish Deputies prior to the April 16 constitutional referendum, when Turkish officials were barred from holding rallies in Germany.

Also, Ankara Anatolia news agency (25.09.17) reported that Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik has described the outcome of Sunday's German federal election as "alarming", after a far-right party became the third-largest group in the Bundestag.

Omer Celik tweeted on Monday: "The racist, anti-immigrant and anti-Islam flow threatens the future of all Europe. The threat has been increasing in every election."

He also called on those who believe in democracy to be in solidarity. "We are ready to work with those who defend democratic values in Europe in order to fight against racist groups," he added.

Celik accused German politics and media of fueling the rise of those hostile to Islam, minorities and migrants. "The German media and policy have started complaining about the rising far-right. They do not have a right to do this. They've created this scenario with their own hands," Celik claimed.

Celik further claimed that the election result showed once again that provoking hostility towards Turkey made center parties lose votes, as he had warned German officials earlier.

[06] "What's next in Turkish?German relations?"

"Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proven to be both a lifesaver and a troublemaker for German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

At a time when Merkel could find no allies in Europe or at home for her open-door refugee policy, Ankara accepted a deal to stop them at the Turkey?Europe border. Turkey delivered on the deal, providing breathing space for Merkel after she came under heavy domestic criticism for refusing to put an upper limit on how many refugees could enter Germany every year.

However, Turkey also became a big headache for Merkel, especially during electoral campaign periods, as she was constantly targeted by Erdogan's extremely harsh rhetoric.

Bilateral relations, in particular, started to deteriorate after the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, when Turkey's request for a clampdown on the Gulen network in Germany was left unanswered. Coupled with the activities of supporters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Ankara's conviction that every group hostile to Turkey finds a safe haven in Germany was consolidated.

Worse, ruling party elites concluded that Merkel's government would not have been unhappy to see Erdogan toppled by the coup attempt, which explains the Turkish President's personal fury directed against Merkel. As a result, Erdogan and his close associates' suspicion and dislike of Merkel and her associates seem to have taken deep roots.

Similarly, Erdogan's description of German rulers as "Nazis" and his call for Turkish-origin voters to avoid casting their votes for Merkel, the Greens and the Social Democrats, struck a nerve in Germany.

Just like the wound that has recently opened up due to the erosion in the trust between Ankara and Washington, the wound in Turkey?Germany relations is deep. But Erdogan is here to stay - at least until 2019 - and Merkel is also here to stay - at least for another term.

What's more, in contrast to relations with the U.S., relations between Turkey and Germany are so intertwined that the current level of tension is not sustainable.

As a highly pragmatic leader, Merkel will not be feeling extremely enthusiastic to pursue her election promise to open talks within the European Union to end Turkey's membership talks. As she will still be in the midst of coalition talks, it is unlikely that she will raise the issue with full conviction at the upcoming European Council meeting in October. The debate on Turkey within the EU will therefore be postponed - at least until early next year, when the latest progress report will be published.

On a bilateral level, however, Merkel may face more difficulty in shaping Germany's Turkey policy, as her most likely coalition partners - the Greens and the Liberals (known together as the Jamaica coalition) ? will probably ask her to pursue hardline policy against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government.

So far Merkel has not been convinced that contention rather than engagement will improve the situation with Ankara. Agreeing on a common position and implementing a Turkey policy in a Jamaica coalition will certainly be difficult even though there are more challenging issues await the three party talks.

Erdogan and Merkel may use the aftermath of the elections and the time to form a coalition in Berlin to try to cool off relations a little. A fresh dialogue may then be kicked off at the technical level to overview problems, especially on security cooperation and human rights issues.

That would not heal the wounds, which are too deep to be easily fixed, but at least it may stop further deterioration".

[07] Milliyet reports that Akinci conveyed to UNSG his discomfort regarding the ban of tourists in the occupied area of Cyprus

The paper further reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci conveyed to the UNSG Antonio Guterres this Greek Cypriot obstacle during their meeting in New York. Akinci conveyed to Guterres his discomfort regarding the ban on tourists. It is reported that the UN were surprised for the incident.

Ismet Esenyel, self-styled undersecretary of the ministry of tourism, speaking to the paper, harshly criticized the Greek Cypriot stance, claiming that "this will be boomerang for the Greek Cypriots", Esenyel added that the right of travel should not be prevented. He further argued: "The inhumane movement of the Greek Cypriots is unacceptable. The issue has been conveyed to the UN. After this, we will take our measures in order not to have a problem".

Meanwhile, the paper reports that "TRNC administration and Ankara started work for the launching of charter flights between Israel-"TRNC". Fikri Ataoglu, self-styled minister of tourism, in a statement regarding this issue, said that they will apply special incentives for the charter flights from Israel.

(DPs)

[08] Columnist Ozadam reports that the opening of fenced off town of Varosha is been discussed inside UBP

Ozadam writes: "There are claims that the fenced off town of Varosha will be opened very soon! It is said that prime minister Ozgurgun is serious working on this issue and has also come to an agreement with Turkey... (...) Don't be surprised if such a decision is annouced within the upcoming week..."

(DPs)

[09] Reactions to the occupation regime's decision to stop the aid to the enclaved persons

Cemal Ozyigit, chairman of the Social Democracy Party (TDP), has argued that the regime's decision was retaliation to the list of the 206 occupied hotels forbidden by the Republic of Cyprus and does not serve the solution of the Cyprus problem. He recalled that the enclaved Maronites and Greek Cypriots live in the occupied area of the island according to the Vienna Agreement and added that based on this agreement the education, religious and residence rights of the enclaved persons as well as their feeding needs were regulated. He said that this decision was "intentional" and claimed that chauvinist powers in both sides are activated again under these conditions of the non-solution of the Cyprus problem.

Alpay Durduran, member of the secretariat of the New Cyprus Party (YKP), said that decisions like this "have other intentions", especially when they are taken in a climate of tension. He argued that those who oppose the negotiations in both sides try to prevent the recommencement of the talks and wondered whether the regime has now established that the food sent to the enclaved Maronites is sold to Turks. "I do not think so. It is obvious why they are excited", he added.

Emine Colak, chairperson of the so-called human rights foundation, argued that the Turkish Cypriots do not need to show their power in order to prove that they control the area in which they live and added that they would really have shown their power if they harmonized the "state" with the "rule of law" and the human rights. Referring to the Vienna Agreement, Erk claimed that if the provisions of this agreement are violated, like the self-styled foreign minister alleges, they should document this at the UN and other organizations and amend or annul the agreement with the consent of both sides and the UN.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (26.09.17) reports that the Revival Party (YDP) of the Turkish settlers issued a statement yesterday describing the "foreign ministry's" decision as "very correct" and argued that taking such a decision has delayed. The YDP claimed that a similar "tariff" should be implemented by the regime on the products purchased by the Turkish Cypriots in the government-controlled area of the island.

Furthermore, under the title "Unnecessary tension", Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (26.09.17) reports that Mustafa Arabacioglu, "deputy" of the Democratic Party (DP), alleged that after the partial lifting of the restrictions in the freedom of movement in the island, sending aid to the enclaved Greek Cypriots and Maronites is not necessary, because these persons can sell their products in the occupied area of Cyprus and can carry to the occupied area of Cyprus whatever they buy in the government-controlled area of the island.

Finally, columnist Levent Ozadam in Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (26.09.17) reports that the decision regarding the enclaved persons "is obviously retaliation" and a political one. The columnist notes that the decision was announced by the "ministry of foreign affairs" and not by the "ministry of finance", which is responsible for this issue. "And it is [announced] during the weekend. It is really very comical", he argued.

(I/Ts.)

[10] CTP filed an appeal for the cancellation of 58 "exceptional citizenships"

According to a statement by CTP, despite the demand for the cancelation of the "citizenships" which are considered to have been "granted" illegally, an "interlocutory order" was also requested by the "court" to prevent the persons involved from using their "civil rights" such as to buy a house, to start a business or to vote until the outcome of the proceeding.

(DPs)

[11] Columnist wonders whether the regime's and Turkey's "secret target" is to increase its population to 700 thousands

"[?] Ankara's pressure saying 'why you do not grant citizenships' is not a secret. The governments have always been subject to these pressures. Moreover, the citizenship was brought onto the agenda even during meetings in which financial issues were discussed. It is alleged that the most laconic sentence on this issue was used by Tugrul Turkes, former Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Cypriot Affairs. It is rumoured that he has said that 'whenever we hold a meeting regarding Cyprus, the president [of the republic] starts talking by saying what happened with the citizenships'.

There was a deep-state policy based on ultra-nationalism in the past within the framework of the conquering mentality, saying 'let us increase the TRNC population to 700 thousands, let us create a population equal to the Greek Cypriots'. [?]

When Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that 'we are a government which disregards any kind of nationalism', we thought that this ultra-nationalist deep-state project was thrown in the dumping site of history. It seems that we were mistaken. Now citizenships are fearlessly being distributed. It is said that the target is 40 thousand new citizens by the end of this year. Of course, this will continue in the next year. Is 700 thousands still the secret target? [?]"

(I/Ts.)

[12] Foreigners bought many immovable properties in the occupied area of Cyprus during the past couple of years

Hasan Sungur, chairman of the Turkish Cypriot real estate agents union, told the paper that the sales of properties to foreigners "are going on slowly" and that a decrease was observed this year in the purchase of property by foreigners, who prefer to lease instead of buying property. He said that according to the "law", foreigners can buy one donum of land [Translator's note: A land measure of around 1000 square meters], one plot of land and one house, provided that these are not near to a military zone.

Referring to the Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied area of the island, Sungur alleged that the Greek Cypriot properties on which investment has been made since 1974 do not exceed 30 thousand donums and that this shows that the foreigners who want to buy property have nothing to fear.

(I/Ts.)

[13] Ertugruloglu continues his contacts in Washington

Ertugruloglu also met with Turkish Ambassador to Washington Serdar Kilic. During the meeting, he informed Ambassador on the latest developments on the Cyprus problem and conveyed to him the expectations of the Turkish Cypriot "people" from the international community.

Ertugruloglu also gave an interview at the news channel "The Hill" broadcasting in Washington. In his interview, he said that all sides should take steps should review their stance, make a new evaluation and give an end to the reportedly injustices imposed on the Turkish Cypriot "people". He further argued that the Turkish Cypriot "people" are equal partner on the island and that a new page should be opened in Cyprus, adding that he said this in every place he went including the UN, "because the only loser of the 50 years' negotiation process, which failed in Crans Montana, are the Turkish Cypriot people".

Reiterating that it is not possible to revive an unsuccessful process, which has ended, Ertugruloglu claimed that the Turkish Cypriot "people" do not have time to waste. He argued that "if a new process starts, it should be on the basis of equality and of state to state", because "we saw that the old process, which ended in Crans-Montana, will not take us anywhere".

(DPs)

[14] S-400 to be delivered to Turkey in minimum 2 years

"We don't want to give a full timetable as we have made certain negotiations to pull the calendar forward, but we can say that the delivery will start in a minimum of two years," Demir said at a launch meeting of the Unmanned and Autonomous Land Vehicles Design Contest in Ankara.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that the first deposit payment for the S-400 had been made to Russia. "Our friends have already signed [an agreement on] S-400. A deposit has also been paid, as far as I know. The process will continue with the transfer of credit from Russia to us. Both [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and myself are determined on this issue," Erdogan told reporters. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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(AK /MP)

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