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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-01-11Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEWCONTENTSNo. 08/18 11.01.18[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS
[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS[01] Cavusoglu urged the T/C political parties to form a "coalition government"; Harsh reaction by OzyigitUnder the title "Regulated", Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (11.01.17), on its front page, reports that three days after the "elections" the command came from Ankara, adding that Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu does not want "devilment" from those who will form the "government".Speaking at a Foreign Affairs Commission in the Turkish Parliament, Cavusoglu said: "There is pessimism in the TRNC on the possibility of forming a coalition. I hope announcements like 'we will not go into a coalition' will be left aside and a government will be formed. We can then act together and decide on the approach we are going to take in the Cyprus negotiations. In this regard 2018 will be a crucial year". On the same issue, the paper reports that the leader of the Social Democracy Party (TDP) Cemali Ozyigit was the first and only politician who reacted harshly to Cavusoglu. In a post at the social media, Ozyigit wrote: "Respect the will of the people which was reflected on the ballot boxes on January 7. Let them leave us alone and let us decide how we will form our government" Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily "Detay" newspaper (11.01.18), under the title "Reaction on Cavusoglu's statement for the coalition", reports that Cavusoglu's statement to urge the political parties to form a "coalition government" was interpreted as interference to their domestic politics by some politicians. The paper did not provide any more details on the issue. (DPs) [02] Scenarios and statements regarding the creation of a "coalition government"Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (11.01.18), on its front page under the title "The latest formula on coalition", reports that "the latest argument in the political circles is that there will be a coalition government of UBP-HP (National Unity Party – People's Party) but Ozgurgun and Ozersay will be out of the government. According to them, the new head of the government will be Faiz Sucuoglu".The paper also reports that after Cavusoglu's statement, "We hope that statements like 'we will not form a coalition' to be left aside. I hope a government to be formed", the eyes have turned to the dual UBP-HP. It is also reported that "after the elections the two parties can reach a government formula for the negotiations and for a economic stability". Columnist Cuney Oruc wrote that "a government with 30 deputies can perform very well and prevent also the early elections". Under the title "DP and YDP are open for bargaining", Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (11.01.18) reports that DP and YDP are the only two parties that did not say that "they will not form a coalition with the UBP". Erhan Arikli, the leader of the Revival Party (YDP), speaking to the paper, said that he is ready to contribute in any way in order the "country" does not stay without a "government", adding that for themselves there is no difference whether the parties are right or leftist. Meanwhile, the YDP's central committee, which convened last night to discuss and evaluate the outcome of the "election", announced that it will only support a 'transition government' which will head towards "early elections". Speaking to "BRT" after the meeting
(http://www.brtk.net/?englishposts=ydp-opts-for-early-elections),
Arikli said that they had exchanged views and ideas regarding coalition
possibilities. He added that they will evaluate the possibility of
entering a coalition when such offer be made.
Arikli reiterated that the YDP had not shut its doors on the issue. He
explained that "the YDP will only say yes to be part of a coalition
government on the condition that the current election law is amended
and early elections are ahead".
"We should definitely have new elections in June or by the end of the
year. We are ready to support any formation either as a coalition partner
or as an opposition party" he argued.
Moreover, Kibris
(http://www.kibrisgazetesi.com/kibris/ozersay-ozgurgun-ne-ektiyse-onu-biciyor/34528)
reports that Kudret Ozersay, leader of the People's Party, reiterated
that "he will not enter a coalition with the UBP, because they want to
keep their promises that they gave during the election campaign".
Replying to criticisms "why he does not want to form a government
with the UBP", Ozersay, said that first he is standing by his promise,
secondly he promised that he system should be corrected. Ozersay wondered
how this could be achieved, if there are "ministers" in the party with
serious allegations about briberies and the wealth of Ozgurgun cannot
even be explained. He added that it is not hostility toward the UBP,
but a desire to keep his promise.
Star Kibris further reports that the Social Democratic Party (TDP)
announced that "it will not have any meeting with the UBP to discuss
the formation of a coalition government". Ozyigit, its leader, stated
that they will try to form any "coalition" where the UBP will not be
part of it.
Meanwhile, the general secretary of the UBP Dursun Oguz, speaking on "BRT"
(http://www.brtk.net/?englishposts=ubp-sg-oguz-says-results-should-be-respected)
yesterday said that "everyone needed to respect the outcome of the
elections and that no one had the right to drag the country into chaos".
Claiming that "the other parties which won seats in parliament had started
issuing statements regarding the coalition scenarios even before the
official process of setting up a government had begun", Oguz said that
they did not find this to be right.
He explained that "his party, as the winner of the elections, will assume
the duty of setting up a new government". He however pointed out that
the other parties had already made their positions regarding a possible
coalition clear.
(DPs)
The party's assembly which convened last night unanimously authorized
the Democratic Party leader Serdar Denktas to carry out "coalition talks
with other parties to form a government".
The decision of the party's assembly, at the end of the 5 hour long
meeting was announced with a written statement.
The statement said that the party had acknowledged the "need for the
election law to be reviewed, a debate to be held on the possibility of
switching to a presidential system, the investigation of all reports
including those involving the Democratic Party, to bring to life the
public reforms and to enter a period of swift action that will regain
the peoples' trust in politics".
It further said that the party's assembly will re-evaluate the outcome
of the "elections" once the meetings and talks are held with the other
parties.
Speaking to journalist Aysu Basri Akter, Erhurman said that the strategy
they implemented during the "election period" was not wrong but instead
they will make self-criticism as a party in order to see what went
wrong. He further argued that they failed to overpass the "problem of
distrust" which was created in the Turkish Cypriot community within the
previous years.
Evaluating the process to be followed after the "snap elections outcome",
Erhurman spoke about the "possibility for establishing a coalition
government by the National Unity Party (UBP)" and said that the CTP will
not hold "coalition talks" with the UBP. "If they ask to meet with us, we
will offer them a coffee but there is no possibility to form a coalition
government with them", he stated.
Referring to the Democratic Party (DP), Erhurman said that they do not
wish to "form a coalition" with DP, he, however added: "If we take over
the duty to form a government, the central committee of the party will
discuss and decide on several issues including the issue of meeting with
the DP".
Asked to comment on the "discussions taking place about a presidential
system to be implemented in the TRNC", Erhurman stated that this was not
included into the agenda of the CTP. He stated however that he personally
do not oppose to the discussion of this issue in the future.
(…)
(AK)
Speaking during the meeting, Benli stated that they have launched a strong
communication process with several local administration representatives
in Europe. "The Turkish Cypriot municipalities' visibility in Europe
is extremely important. We will establish new ties and we will exert
efforts for the development of our municipalities", Benli alleged.
Stating that the Hungarian delegation is visiting the "TRNC" upon its
own request, Benli claimed that this "visit" is very important for
them, since, as he alleged their works at the "European Council local
administration board" held fruitful results.
Also speaking, the chairman of Hungary's municipalities legislative
body and member of the main opposition party in Hungary Zoltan Peter
Varga expressed pleasure over "visiting" the "TRNC" and meeting with
Benli. He further expressed the wish that they will work together with
Benli in order to find solutions to their common problems.
(AK)
"I should particularly emphasize Mr. Bahceli's nationalist stance ahead
of the elections," Erdogan said at the meeting, vowing that the "spirit
of unity" formed by the alliance will "destroy the plans of those who
want to divide Turkey."
"We will come together with Mr. Bahceli and we'll discuss the problems
of our country. We hope to walk together into the future," he said.
Erdogan particularly referred to upcoming work on adjusting electoral
laws in order to make the pre-election alliance possible. Current laws
do not allow parties to form official pre-election alliances.
Bahceli had on Jan. 8 declared open support to Erdogan's nomination in
the presidential election scheduled for 2019, in a move that was welcomed
by Erdogan with an invitation to discuss such a partnership.
"I attach great importance to Mr. Bahceli's statements. On behalf of
myself, my party and my people, I want to express my gratitude to him for
announcing his support to me. It's obvious that the 2019 elections will be
a contest between nationalists and those who are under [foreign] control,"
Erdogan said at his AKP's parliamentary group meeting on January 9.
Bahceli had said that the MHP will not present a candidate for 2019
presidential elections as it would seek an alliance with the AKP
instead. "This alliance will also continue in the subsequent five
years to ensure that the new governance system is rooted and lasting,"
Bahceli said.
"The immediate realization of legal harmonization is another item on
the agenda," Bahceli added, referring to current legal prohibitions on
existing political parties formally entering elections together.
Turkey is scheduled to hold simultaneous presidential and parliamentary
elections in November 2019, which will also mark the start of a new era as
it will see an executive presidential model become fully implemented. The
new system abolished the position of the Prime Minister and hands all
executive powers to the President.
Bahceli has been in close cooperation with the ruling party since the
July 2016 military coup attempt. Through its votes at Parliament the
MHP played a vital role in Erdogan's plan to shift Turkey's political
system from the current parliamentary system to an executive presidency,
which was narrowly approved in a referendum in April 2017.
"There may be some alliances in politics. But there should not be
adhesions. The MHP's base does not deserve having its will grafted onto
another party. The MHP is a serious party and has had a serious role
in Turkey's history," Tezcan said on January 10 after the CHP's Central
Executive Board meeting in Ankara.
His comments came after MHP leader Devlet Bahceli endorsed Erdogan for
the presidential elections due to be held in 2019, announcing that the
nationalist party will not present its own candidate.
The AKP and the MHP were in an alliance in the process of preparing
and campaigning for the referendum on shifting Turkey to an executive
presidential system.
Blasting the MHP's support for the AKP and Erdogan, Tezcan described
Bahgeli's party as the "junior ruling party." "Whenever we criticize
Erdogan, the answer comes from Bahceli," he said.
Recalling that Bahceli had been critical of the AKP rule before the
alliance, Tezcan suggested that the shift in its discourse "will make
the MHP's base question its party."
The CHP spokesman also slammed the binary opposition presented by the AKP
and the MHP, in which Erdogan's supporters are presented as "national"
and his opponents as "terrorists" and sympathizers of the Fethullahist
Terror Organization (FETO).
(…)
"Turkey has had no designs on Greece's territorial integrity and similarly
Greece has respected Turkey's territorial integrity,Cavusoglu said.
He said updating the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne would not mean gaining more
lands from Greece, adding that the only source of conflict on the issue
concerned "Aegean islets and islands."
"We have a good friendship with Greece and we are neighbors. We are
cooperating with them on many fields. We do have some disagreements,
but we are trying to eliminate them through dialogue," Cavusoglu added.
Turkey's move came a day after news broke that U.S. troops begun to
provide military training to some 400 YPG members in a move to create a
new force to guard the border between Turkey and Syria, Turkish diplomatic
sources told the paper.
Turkey has long been slamming the U.S. for allying with the YPG, a
group Ankara considers a terror organization because of its links with
the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in the fight against the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
It accuses Washington of continuing to provide heavy weapons to the YPG
although the war on terror comes almost to an end and calls it to end the
deployment and to start to take back weapons already given to the group.
(…)
Kneissl, who was recently appointed as Foreign Minister in the new
Austrian government, will meet with Cavusoglu on the island of Buyukada,
as Kneissl reportedly spent time on the island in her childhood.
"I feel she is sincere about restoring relations with Turkey. Why
should we keep our ties with Austria tense if they have such an
approach?" Cavusoglu told state-run Anadolu Agency on January 10.
The two Ministers reportedly had a phone conversation in December at
Kneissl's request.
(…)On Dec. 17, Ankara criticized a call by Austria's new government to
halt Turkey's EU accession negotiations, saying it shows a "discriminatory
attitude that ignores Turkey's rights."
"This unfortunate and short-sighted statement in Austria's new government
program unfortunately confirms our concerns about a political movement
based on discrimination," said a Foreign Ministry statement at the time.
TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
https://www.pio.gov.cy/moi/pio/pio2013.nsf/All/EDB254ABD6F3EAE1C225816F00425E83?OpenDocument
(AK / AM)
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