Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-01-05

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CONTENTS

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Olgun and Ertug: The Cyprus problem has fallen to the "lower tier" of the political parties' "election" programs

[02] The "general elections" in the occupied area of Cyprus will be held on Sunday

[03] Detay newspaper predicts a CTP-TDP-HP "coalition government"

[04] YKP boycotts the "elections" because they cannot be held freely

[05] Erdogan to meet French President Macron with jailed journalists dominating the agenda

[06] Presidential spokesman denies cabinet reshuffle rumours, says government working 'harmoniously'

[07] Besiktas Mayor dismissed from post by Interior Ministry

[08] Jailed HDP co-chair Demirtas won't stand again for party chairmanship

[09] Court sentences HDP lawmaker Idris Baluken to 16 years, eight months in jail

[10] Turkey's population increases by a little over 3 million in 2017

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Olgun and Ertug: The Cyprus problem has fallen to the "lower tier" of the political parties' "election" programs

Referring to the Cyprus problem, Ertug and Olgun alleged that any contact or discussion to be held with the Greek Cypriot side in the future should "have the quality of carrying the equality principle to a practical and institutional level" and the negotiations should be held on the ground of the "equal status of the two founding states". They also claimed that any "new exercise" to be held at the level of the communities, will give no result, like it has happened until today.

(I/Ts.)

[02] The "general elections" in the occupied area of Cyprus will be held on Sunday

The "high electorate council" further announced that it is forbidden to broadcast news, forecasts or comments on radio and television and all kinds of publications until 19:00 on Sunday, in accordance with "article 104 of the election and referendum law". Moreover, the radio and television may only broadcast regarding the "elections" whatever is published by the "YSK" between 19:00 and 21:00.

Meanwhile, "other prohibitions on the day of voting are the selling of alcoholic beverages and the consumption of alcohol in public spaces. No one is allowed to carry arms in villages and towns except those in duty of maintaining safety and order".

(DPs)

[03] Detay newspaper predicts a CTP-TDP-HP "coalition government"

(DPs)

[04] YKP boycotts the "elections" because they cannot be held freely

"[…] The forensic events cannot be prevented in the country because the police are bound to the army. The police refrain from interfering in these events. Populism cannot be prevented. Three-year-packages prepared by Turkey and imposed on our people are being endured. Therefore, things which they have plotted happen in the elections. What Turkey says happens, not what the voters say. […] Turkey's influence was seen in every election. […]"

(I/Ts.)

[05] Erdogan to meet French President Macron with jailed journalists dominating the agenda

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will embark for Paris today for discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron for their first official bilateral meeting since the French electionó in May 2017.

Controversy between Ankara and Paris about the state of freedom of expression and jailed journalists in Turkey dominated the agenda ahead of the meeting, after Macron voiced concerns about the issue and said he would raise it with Erdogan.

Turkish Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said at a press conference on Jan. 4 that Macron's remarks are based on a "lack of information," if not "prejudice."

Kalin said Erdogan will present documents to Macron showing that those journalists are being prosecuted "not because of journalistic activities."

"Those who try to cast shadow on Turkey's fight against terrorism through the rhetoric on freedom of expression should better understand the realities of Turkey," he added.

Kalin cried foul regarding French criticism, noting that the French government declared a state of emergency after terror attacks in Paris and Nice.

Kalin stressed that Turkey has been involved in a struggle against three different terrorist organizations, bemoaning the "double standards" of Ankara's "European friends."

On the issue of jailed journalists, the Presidential spokesman claimed that the government cannot intervene to the judiciary and said "the fact that a person is a journalist does not necessarily mean they are innocent and cannot commit a crime."

On his visit to Paris, Erdogan will meet business representatives including the CEOs of a number of French companies, as well as representatives of Turks living in France, Kalin said. The Turkish president will also address the issue of what Kalin called the "increasing wave of Islamophobia."

During the visit Erdogan will meet a delegation of the Islamic Council of France and "will listen to the problems of Muslims living in France, discussing what to be done in order to improve their situation," he added.

Kalin noted that Ankara welcomes France's position over the recent move by U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Jerusalem as the "undivided" capital of Israel, saying Erdogan and Macron would discuss ongoing efforts for the Palestinians.

[06] Presidential spokesman denies cabinet reshuffle rumours, says government working 'harmoniously'

"A cabinet change is not on our agenda," Kalin told reporters at a press conference on Jan. 4.

"This is a well-functioning government that takes care of the country's issues. It works day and night and we have no such agenda," he said.

A report published by the daily Hurriyet on Jan. 4 suggested that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might consider a cabinet reshuffle ahead of the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) convention in spring.

One of the reasons cited in the report was apparent discord within the cabinet and a delay in accomplishing some major projects to which President Erdogan has attached importance.

[07] Besiktas Mayor dismissed from post by Interior Ministry

The Interior Ministry released a statement about the decision for the dismissals, saying Hazinedar and two municipal council members, Avni Sipahi and Cetin Kirisgil were dismissed as part of the investigation.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that Hazinedar was dismissed due to investigations that had been conducted into a property holding, for being a member of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO)/Parallel State Structure (PDY), providing unlawful licenses to tradesmen, the use of public property for private individuals and for taking unfair advantages.

Located in central Istanbul, Besiktas is one of the top districts for real estate prices, with several neighborhoods by the Bosphorus and a business center in the metropol.

On Dec. 8, 2017, Battal Ilgezdi, the Mayor of Istanbul's Atasehir district, was dismissed by the Interior Ministry over corruption allegations, prompting fury within the CHP (Republican People's Party).

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu slammed the suspension of a CHP Istanbul district Mayor, saying the move had amounted to an "assassination of character."

[08] Jailed HDP co-chair Demirtas won't stand again for party chairmanship

Demirtas sent a letter from the Edirne Prison to the HDP headquarters via his lawyers, stating that he would not be standing again for the party leadership.

"I want it to be known that I will not be a candidate for co-leadership in the upcoming congress," he wrote, according to a letter obtained by the Hurriyet Daily News on Jan. 4.

"Even though my official position within our party does not legally allow me even to be a member [due to the jail term], I will never refrain from serving our precious people and HDP with the responsibility and enthusiasm of a co-leader," Demirtas added.

Demirtas was arrested on Nov. 4, 2016 along with 10 other HDP members as a part of an investigation on terror allegations.

[09] Court sentences HDP lawmaker Idris Baluken to 16 years, eight months in jail

Baluken had been arrested along with HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas in November 2016, but was released in January 2017 at the request of a prosecutor.

He was rearrested on Feb. 21, 2017 and has been behind bars in Ankara's Sincan Prison since then.

With the latest state of emergency decree issued on Dec. 24, 2017, prosecutors were given the authority to object to the release decisions of courts.

Speaking outside a court in Diyarbakir, HDP co-leader Serpil Kemalbay said the ruling is "politically motivated."

"A lawmaker who only carried out his job has been sentenced unlawfully here," Kemalbay said.

A total of 27 Deputies were detained and released after Nov. 4, 2016 over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Nine HDP lawmakers are currently in jail.

[10] Turkey's population increases by a little over 3 million in 2017

The population growth might be good news for the government that has been striving to address an aging population problem. Projections made earlier by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) show that the elderly population will increase to 10.2 % by 2023 and is expected to rise even further in the following decade. Experts link these projections to a decline in fertility and the availability of new treatments that increase longevity.

The rise in population apparently demonstrates a new trend as the 2016 population was only about 1 million higher than in 2015. A set of incentives by the government for larger families and the famous advice of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to newlyweds to have at least three children might have played a role in the growth. In a bid to have more women in the workforce and to help women pursuing careers to start families, the government announced monthly daycare support for mothers with children between the ages of 2 and 5. The government already pays benefits to parents per child with plans to gradually boost the amount and offer more cash to families with more children.

Statistics show there were 1.3 million newborns in 2017, and 447,342 people lost their lives in the same year.

Another figure published by AA yesterday shows more than 603,000 people married in 2017 and more than 136,000 divorced. Compared to figures released by TurkStat last year, the marriage rate is much higher when compared to the 594,493 in 2016, but divorces also showed a slight increase in 2017, compared to the 126,164 in 2016. Experts attribute the divorce rates to a lack of marriage counseling. The Family and Social Policies Ministry offers marriage counseling services to prevent divorces. If a divorce proceeds anyway, the Ministry also offers counseling services for the children of divorced couples. Domestic violence, a common occurrence in the country, often leads to divorce. Turkey has stepped up police protection and increased shelters for women to fight the disturbing, rising trend of spousal violence.

In 2016, the country introduced new smart IDs to replace the outdated, bulky cards, and AA figures show the number of people who received the new credit-card-size IDs totals 15.7 million. The new biometric cards contain chips to prevent forgery and falsification. Unlike the old IDs, they also contain data, such as holder's finger and palm prints.

In the same report, the agency also published compiled statistics regarding street and neighborhood names. "New" was the most common name for neighborhoods last year, followed by "Republic." Most streets were named after Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. Other common street names were "Inonu," after Turkey's second President Ismet Inonu, and "Fatih," the nickname of Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II known for his conquest of Istanbul.

TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

https://www.pio.gov.cy/moi/pio/pio2013.nsf/All/EDB254ABD6F3EAE1C225816F00425E83?OpenDocument

(CS / AM)

Constantia Soteriou

Press and Information Officer -Turkish Press Section

P.I.O. | Ministry of Interior | Republic of Cyprus

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