A written statement issued by the "ministry" expressed the hope that the EU will take into consideration the "realities" and political sensitivities on the island when adopting resolutions or taking decisions on Cyprus.

The statement further claimed recalling that "the Greek Cypriot administration resumed its unilateral activities internationally under the title of the Republic of Cyprus which it had usurped in 1963".

The statement alleged that "the latest example of this was the preliminary decision to grant south Cyprus 101 million Euros in financial assistance to be used for constructing the infrastructure that would allow the transportation of liquefied gas from South Cyprus via Greece to EU countries".

It further claimed that "despite the fact the relevant EU bodies had been informed and reminded that the Turkish Cypriots needed to be included in decisions concerning the whole island, the EU instead of adopting a conciliatory role between the two sides chose to assist and encourage the Greek Cypriot side to continue its unilateral activities. The unfair and biased approach of the EU serves to further strengthen division on the island" the statement alleged.

It also recalled that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had reiterated that the natural resources on the island must benefit both sides and that one-sided moves would trigger tension in the region.

"The Greek Cypriot administration is signing bilateral and multilateral agreements on its own and is continuing its hydrocarbon exploration activities," the statement said, adding further that "the most reasonable and practical way of moving natural resources out of the island is to transport them to Europe from north Cyprus via Turkey," the statement further claimed.

[03] Cavusoglu stated that the Cyprus talks could be resumed only within the framework of new parameters; Turkey to propose EU 'CoE formula' for visa liberalization

He also expressed his expectation to resume the Cyprus talks, which failed last July, "within new parameters" after the election processes in both sides of the island. "We should find new parameters," Cavusoglu alleged."What we saw last year is that the Greek Cypriots will never arrive at a solution under these parameters. Somehow, they confessed to this [at the talks in Crans-Montana]," Cavusoglu claimed.

Cavusoglu further stated that Turkey will submit a position paper to launch a visa liberalization dialogue with the EU. The draft document has proposed to conduct the issue about the anti-terrorism law through the "formula of a working group between Ankara and the Council of Europe (CoE), Cavusoglu said, adding that the work recently conducted by the Turkish Ministers does not envisage a change in Turkey's anti-terror law, since it could bring about weakness in the country's struggle against terrorism. "Even if it does not bring vulnerability in practice, a change in the nature of the related legislation might create an image of weakness," he said.

The Ministers have delivered the draft to Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m and the government will present it to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his final word before Ankara will pass the document to the European Commission.

Citing the seven benchmarks of the visa exemption dialogue, the government draft position paper has endorsed some proposals of the EU, while it has rejected some of them. Ankara has proposed its own formulas for some other benchmarks, according to the Minister.

"We cannot make a change in the anti-terrorism law at the moment. Even the EU has taken further measures regarding terrorism," Cavusoglu added.

(…)

[04] UBP-DP "government" resigns; Ozgurgun: UBP's exclusion from the new "government" is a "political coup"; Rumors about Ankara's stance

Under the title "The bargaining for a collation has been intensified", Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (19.01.18) reports that the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) continues the efforts of establishing a four-party "coalition government" with the People's Party (HP), the Social Democracy Party (TDP) and the DP, while the UBP is exerting efforts to establish a three-party "coalition government" with the DP and the settlers' Revival Party (YDP). The DP continues to play a "key role" for establishing a "coalition government", notes the paper, adding that last night UBP's committee authorized Ozgurgun to hold contacts for a new "coalition". Ozgurgun met yesterday with Serdar Denktas, DP's chairman. When he was asked whether he would prefer a four-party or a three-party "coalition government", Denktas replied "we will see".

Under the title "Is there an Ankara interference?" columnist Levent Ozadam writes in Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (19.01.18) that during the last couple of days it is said that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has sent his big brother to the occupied area of Cyprus in order to administrate the efforts for establishing a "government". It is rumored that he will impose the establishment of an UBP-HP "coalition government". Some politicians described this rumor as "information pollution", but some other think the opposite, writes the columnist who notes that he does not know whether Ankara is interfering in the establishment of the "government" in the occupied area of Cyprus, but "if it does it behaves shamefully".

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (19.01.18) reports that today or tomorrow the issue of whether a three-party or a four-party "coalition" will be clarified. The paper writes that according to the existing information, the DP has said "yes" for a four-party "coalition", an agreement in principle was achieved on this issue and the negotiations will become "official" today. However, the UBP is exerting efforts until the last minute to convince the DP to cooperate with it. Yesterday, UBP's chairman Ozgrugun met with DP's chairman Denktas. According to the paper, Denktas told a local television that he saw that Ozgurgun was unwilling to cooperate with him and added: "He kept me waiting for an hour. He did not call me even once during the past ten days. I think that he wants to stay in the opposition".

Finally, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (19.01.18) reports that the efforts for establishing a four-party "coalition government" have reached their final stage and that in statements after his party's meeting last night, Ozgurgun strongly reacted to such a possibility. He argued that what the four parties want to do in spite of the "election" results and the "will of the people" is a "political coup". "We consider as disrespect the efforts to push outside the government a party which has received the approval of the people", he claimed, adding that the UBP should be assigned with the duty to establish a "government" because it is the winner of the "elections".

(I/Ts.)

[05] Nine trade unions criticized Arikli's recent statements regarding unions

The Turkish Cypriot trade unions of KTOS, KTOEOS, Turk-Sen, Dev-Is, El-Sen, Press-Sen, Koop-Sen, EMU-Sen and Cag-Sen, in a joint statement, criticized Arikli. The trade unions said that Arikli fuels the discrimination with the party that he established and tries to split up the community by segregating in the Turkish and the Cypriots. They added that they will never give their permission to such a conflict to be created among the Turkish (Turks from Turkey) and the Cypriots (Turkish Cypriots).

In the joint statement, the trade unions further said that Arikli and the persons with the same mentality want to bring a dictatorial regime to their land and added: "They aim to take steps to restrict the unions' action because they know very well that they will find unions against their efforts to destroy the society".

The trade unions also said that Arikli is a person who was sought by Interpol for a while and his name was involved in shady deals.

Finally, the trade unions said that they will not remain silent to Arikli's labour hate speeches.

(DPs)

[06] Cavusoglu: "Ankara exercising its right to self-defense on Afrin"; Turkey seeks Russian coordination for Afrin operation

"Turkey is subject to attacks every day from Afrin. It is our right to self-defense in line with international law to take measure against a terror group surrounding us on three sides, violating our rights, and we should intercede," Cavusoglu told news channel CNN Turk.

On the US arming and backing the YPG/PKK terror group, he said: "Supporting the YPG/PKK means threatening Syria's territorial integrity."

He added: "We have informed them [US] we will be intervening in Afrin and we will take action against the threats towards us wherever they come from on the eastern side of the Euphrates, in Manbij or elsewhere."

"Turkey does not want to see its ally, the US. on the opposite side of a conflict", Cavusoglu alleged, adding that the possible Afrin operation would target the terrorist PYD/PKK, not the Kurds.

"This distinction should be made clearly. We should take all measures, including supplying humanitarian aid, to avoid civilians being harmed. And we should take steps carefully," he said.

Criticizing US support for the YPG/PKK, Cavusoglu told CNN Turk that the U.S.' explanations fell short.

The US promised Turkey that it would take back arms it gave the terror group after Daesh was defeated, said Cavusoglu, but it failed to do so. "The U.S. should keep its promise, or it will no longer be trustworthy," he added.

Meanwhile, according to Turkish daily Hurriyet (18.01.18-http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-seeks-russian-coordination-for-afrin-operation-125927), Ankara has called on Russia to coordinate more closely to allow its air forces to use Syrian air space over Afrin in a potential Turkish military intervention against the People's Protection Units (YPG).

Turkey dispatched Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Hakan Fidan to Moscow on January 18 to hold talks with Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Diplomatic and military sources said that the talks in Moscow were focused on the Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) impending military intervention into Afrin, where a few hundred Russian military observers are also situated. As Turkey has no direct official contact with the Syrian government, it transmits its requests to use Syrian air space from Russia.

In an interview with private broadcaster CNN Turk Cavusoglu underlined the need to be in coordination with Russia before the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) launches its planned operation. "We are talking with both Iran and Russia for the use of the [Syrian] air space. We have to be in coordination with them for an aerial operation," Cavusoglu stressed.

"We have to be in coordination with them so Russian observers are not negatively affected. We have carried out a number of our steps with Russia. We have some disagreements but that hasn't hindered our cooperation so far," he added.

"We should therefore be very careful in our efforts to avoid accidents," Cavusoglu said, adding that there are "various countries and players in the Syrian theater."

He further claimed that the Russians are not in a position to oppose a potential Turkish military operation into Afrin but stressed the importance of "coordination."

(…)

[07] Cavusoglu calls on Kilicdaroglu to "make a presentation" on disputed Aegean islands

"If the CHP leader wants to hear the facts, he should invite me and we'll explain about the issue of islands with the documents," Cavusoglu told the Hurriyet Daily News on January 18.

His call comes after a debate erupted last month when Kilicdaroglu criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his failure to raise the issue of "18 occupied islands" during his official visit to Greece.

"Why you did not talk about the 18 occupied islands? Article 12 and Article 18 of the Lausanne Treaty have been clearly violated. There are 13,000 military units and nearly 5,000 Greek troops on the islands," K?l?cdaroglu said on Dec. 11, 2017.

Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m responded to K?l?cdaroglu at the time by saying that the main opposition leader should ask the same question to those who "delivered" the islands to Greece.

[08] Turkey extends state of emergency for 3 more months

The sixth extension will become effective from Friday at 1.00 a.m (2200GMT Thursday).

The ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) backed the motion, while the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the People's Democratic Party (HDP) opposed it.

According to the Constitution, a state of emergency can be declared for a maximum period of six months.

To enact the state of emergency, the government must foresee serious indications of widespread violence which may interfere with the democratic environment or basic constitutional rights and freedom of its citizens.

Turkey declared a state of emergency for the first time on July 20, 2016 following a deadly coup attempt by Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

(…)

TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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

(AK / AM)

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