Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-11-13

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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] Akinci alleges that the Greek Cypriot mentality should change

[02] Nami alleges that the Cyprus negotiations should resume with a timetable and the "political uncertainty" should end

[03] Ak?nc? met with the "UK-TRNC friendship group members"

[04] Yildirim met with Guterres; The Cyprus problem among the matters being discussed

[05] Turkish Cypriot daily: "The mentality of conqueror is exhibited by the Turkish Cypriots with the distribution of plots of land"

[06] The date of the "elections" to be determined today

[07] BKP: "The TRNC became a center for criminals"

[08] The number of "registered' foreign workers reached 56,653 in 2016

[09] Yildirim evaluated his contacts in the US

[10] Canikli: "The purchase of S-400 from Russia is completed"

[11] The Turkish Parliament to elect new Speaker

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Akinci alleges that the Greek Cypriot mentality should change

Akinci alleged also that he hopes that the Greek Cypriot leadership and the Greek Cypriot community will be able to develop an approach, which will allegedly lead towards a change of mentality after the presidential elections. He claimed that if this happens, a new method could be used for finding a lasting solution in Cyprus on the basis of equality, freedom and security.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Nami alleges that the Cyprus negotiations should resume with a timetable and the "political uncertainty" should end

Nami criticized self-styled foreign minister Tahsin Ertugruloglu noting that with his statements, Ertugruloglu harms the negotiations and does not undertake international initiatives to declare the "Turkish Cypriot wish for a solution" to the international community, as it is his "duty" to do.

According to Nami, during the Republican Turkish Party's (CTP) period great importance had been attached to the contacts abroad and recalled that they had held contacts in the USA, Britain, Germany and elsewhere. He alleged that the negotiations should resume and the status of the Turkish Cypriots after a possible failure should be clarified.

Nami said also that they are continuously in consultations with Turkish officials, who raise the Cyprus problem during their contacts abroad and claimed that this has "positive repercussions".

Nami further alleged that the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots should be lifted and the "government's" actions should increase the "people's" prosperity.

Pointing out to the importance of securing harmony in their relations with the world, Nami claimed that it is not so easy to hold contacts with the Islamic countries as people think. "When we go to these countries we face serious problems. They want to have close ties with the EU", he argued.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Ak?nc? met with the "UK-TRNC friendship group members"

Lord Sharkey, Lord Kilclooney, Lord Rogan, Baroness Meral Ece and Lady Butterworth were present at the meeting held at the so-called presidential palace.

No statement was issued before or after the meeting.

[04] Yildirim met with Guterres; The Cyprus problem among the matters being discussed

"The Secretary General [Antonio Guterres] stated that the consequences of instability in the region and the burden of the refugee crisis is met with great sacrifice by Turkey," Yildirim told reporters following the meeting at the UN Headquarters in Manhattan. "Of course, our expectation is that all the members of the United Nations should share this burden", Yildirim added.

Yildirim also said that he urged the UN to prompt the international communities to take action on the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, emphasizing that it is imperative to make a decision in this regard.

(…)

Describing the meeting as successful and productive, Yildirim said that they also had a chance to evaluate some regional issues such as the settlement process in Cyprus, Libya, Iraq and Syria in a comprehensive way.

[05] Turkish Cypriot daily: "The mentality of conqueror is exhibited by the Turkish Cypriots with the distribution of plots of land"

"They say rural plots of land to the right holders! Where from they have become holders of right? […] Whose property they are giving to whom? This property. These plots of land. Since when they have become yours? Is it after shedding blood in 1974? You have shed blood and took them and they are yours, isn't it? Now you are extravagantly distributing them like koliva [Translator's note: Koliva is boiled wheat with a combination ingredients such as powdered sugar, almonds, ground walnuts, sesame seeds, cinnamon, pomegranate seeds, raisins, anise, parsley etc. It is made for memorials and is usually distributed after church services]. It is known. The horn for the elections was blown. Both the citizenship and the land payments have been intensified. […] This is not Hasan's looted pie, it is Yanni's looted land! […]

And what is Mustafa Akinci says? If the Greek Cypriot mentality in the south changes, the negotiations could resume, he says! The Greek Cypriot mentality! How interesting! What about the Turkish mentality? Has your mentality changed sir? Look, you are still distributing looted property. Your mentality of a conqueror is at full gallop. Full load! There is no shame, no embarrassment! Have you changed this mentality and you demand from the Greek Cypriots to change?

Our opposition parties say the same thing. All of them complain about the distribution of plots, but what is their actual complaint? The plots, they say, are given to persons who are not right holders and not to right holders. If some of them came out and asked: 'Is it your father's property that you are distributing?' They are not asking this.

The property issue is anyway the weakest spot of the negotiations. It is very complex. Is it wise now to turn it into a little bit more complex? Do the parties which started the election race ask this at all? Are they crazy? To say that 'this property is not ours, it belongs to the Greek Cypriots' and then to be at loss? […]"

(I/Ts.)

[06] The date of the "elections" to be determined today

In case the "decision is approved by the assembly", it will be published in the "official gazette" on November 14 and the "elections prohibitions" will start to be applied.

Speaking to the paper, the "head of the supreme court" Narin Ferdi Sefik, stated that the "supreme election council" is ready to conduct the "early elections" on January 7, 2018 and that the only problem regarding the issue is the celebration and the days off for the "new year's eve". She also stated that it is difficult to determine the time needed for the "elections' results" to be announced. "We will need 24 hours or more to announce the results", she said.

In addition, Turkish Cypriot Diyalog newspaper (13.11.17) reports that the chairmen of various economic organizations in the breakaway regime stated that the establishment of a "single party government" will not be possible after the "early elections" adding that again a "coalition government" will be established.

The heads of the "Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce", the "Turkish Cypriot Chamber of small enterprises" and the "Association of Young Businessmen", called on the Turkish Cypriots parties to give priority to economy, health and traffic related issues.

(CS)

[07] BKP: "The TRNC became a center for criminals"

Explaining that although the "capacity" at the "central prison" is 175 persons, the number of "prisoners" exceeded 500", Sonustun said, adding that this is due to the fact that the "TRNC" became a place where there are neither "strict entrance-exit controls measures" nor crime punishment.

(AK)

[08] The number of "registered' foreign workers reached 56,653 in 2016

During the first four months of 2017, 8,066 foreign workers were "registered". According to the paper, 5,717 of these workers came from Turkey.

Kibris publishes also the number of the registered" foreign workers since 2012 and the countries they have come from. There were 43,310 "registered" workers from 102 countries in 2012 (36,125 from Turkey), 41,877 workers from 11 countries in 2013 (33,948 from Turkey), 44,511 workers from 116 countries in 2014 (35,140 from Turkey), 48,853 workers in 2015 from 121 countries in 2015 (37,708 from Turkey), 56,653 workers from 126 countries in 2016 (41,481 from Turkey) and 8,066 workers from 74 countries in the four first months of 2017 (5,717 from Turkey).

(I/Ts.)

[09] Yildirim evaluated his contacts in the US

The Premier's comments came at a meeting with U.S. press members earlier this week, during an official trip to the U.S.

"The deterioration of relations between Turkey and the United States not only affects the two countries, but it also affects global peace, and turns the issues in our region into a threat," Y?ld?r?m told the meeting held at the residence of the Turkish Ambassador to Washington.

Pointing out the recent strained ties between Washington and Ankara, Y?ld?r?m said that not only the relations between both countries but Turkey's immediate region, in particular Syria and Iraq, were also going through a difficult period. "Turkey and the U.S. have a very long history. Even if the relations may get strained from time to time, common sense prevails in the end and a solution is found," Y?ld?r?m said, adding that Turkey and the U.S. could make "a fresh start."

Recalling his meeting with the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, on the first day of his U.S. trip, Y?ld?r?m said that relations need to be improved not only at the level of the American administration but also at the level of Congress.

"Parliamentary visits can be increased in this regard. We could also accelerate work toward reducing some prejudices of Congress members regarding Turkey," he added.

When asked whether the U.S. was involved in last year's July 15 coup attempt, Y?ld?r?m said there was a "prevalent opinion" among Turkish people that America was behind it, in particular because the U.S. had not taken any steps regarding the U.S.-based leader of Fetullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO), who is believed to have orchestrated the defeated coup attempt.

"We [the government] did not establish this opinion," he stressed. "What this July 15 coup attempt means to us is the same thing as what September 11 means to the U.S. We expect more steps from the U.S. administration in this regard," Y?ld?r?m added.

"Just like we supported the U.S. after September 11, now we expect the same after July 15. Did the U.S. request any documents in order to search and find Osama bin Laden?" Y?ld?rm said, referring to the "85 boxes of files" Turkey had sent to the U.S. regarding FETO's link with the coup attempt.

(…)"Let me be honest. If the U.S. does not take any steps about [Fethullah] Gulen, our relations will not improve," the Premier added, calling an ally's "implicit protection of the leader of a terror organization" the "biggest threat" to bilateral relations.

When asked about Turkey's stance on the People's Protection Units (YPG), an affiliate of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Syria, Y?ld?rm said that U.S. officials told Turkey that arming the groups was not a matter of "preference but a necessity" and that they "have to engage in a short-term cooperation in order to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL]."

Y?ld?r?m said the ISIL threat was mostly over, and called on the U.S. to keep its promise and withdraw all its weapons and support from the group.

He warned that if this did not happen, then the threat against Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Israel would grow. "These weapons must be taken back immediately. They are being used to kill innocent people. And this harms our relations with the U.S. You cannot establish peace in Syria with the YPG," he said.

In response to a question on Turkey's purchase of S-400 missiles from Russia, Y?ld?r?m said they had no other choice. "We wanted to get it from NATO member countries, but failed to get the necessary support from the U.S.," Y?ld?r?m said.

"The fact that we have entered such defense cooperation with Russia does not diminish our obligations or significance as a NATO member. Quite the contrary, it enhances them. We have no intention of giving up on NATO. We needed to move toward such cooperation with Russia just to obliterate the threats against Turkey in the short term," he added.

[10] Canikli: "The purchase of S-400 from Russia is completed"

The S-400 is Russia's most advanced long-range anti-aircraft missile system and can carry three types of missiles capable of destroying targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles.

It can track and engage up to 300 targets at a time and has an altitude ceiling of 27 kilometers.

"In addition to the S-400, Turkey also made preliminary agreements with the Eurosam countries to develop, produce and use the air defense system in order to improve its long-term domestic national capacity," Canikli told reporters in the Black Sea province of Giresun.

"We especially aim to have our own technology," Canikli added.

In recent years, Turkey has sought to build its domestic defense industry to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.

On Nov. 8, a letter of intent was signed between Turkey, France and Italy to develop an anti-ballistic missile.

Under the pact, Turkey's defense industry and the Franco-Italian consortium will work together to determine needs and priorities for the potential joint production of a SAMP-T anti-ballistic missile system.

Along with Canikli, French Defense Minister Florence Parly and Italian Defense Minister Robert Pinotti attended the signing ceremony.

[11] The Turkish Parliament to elect new Speaker

Current Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman, whose two-year term started in November 2015 and will end on November 22 has said that he will announce on November 12 whether he is seeking reelection.

Lawmakers will elect the new Speaker through a secret ballot of up to four rounds -- as many as are necessary -- on a single day.

In the first two rounds, the candidates will seek a supermajority of 376 lawmakers in the 550-seat Parliament.

In the third and fourth rounds, if necessary, a simple majority of 276 lawmakers will be enough to elect a new Speaker.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) hold 316 seats in Parliament.

Both the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which has 36 seats, have yet to announce their candidates.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has named former Finance Minister Zekeriya Temizel as its candidate for the post.

The candidate of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is Selma Irmak, who on Nov. 3 was sentenced to 10 years in prison on terror charges.

The CHP has 131 seats in Parliament, while the HDP has 54.

Irmak was convicted of managing an armed terrorist organization and spreading propaganda for a terrorist group.

The Parliament has yet to carry out the necessary procedures to revoke her seat, though such action is likely.

Last November, along with HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen YUksekdag, Irmak was remanded in custody on terrorism charges.

TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

(AK / AM)

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