Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-04-26

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Ozersay reiterates that the Turkish side will take steps on the hydrocarbons issue

[02] Yildirim argues that the EU led the Cyprus problem into a deadlock

[03] Occupied fenced off Varosha became a "colony" of the army

[04] Turkey and the occupation regime to contact "joint underwater exercise"

[05] "Figures on the registered persons in the occupation regime's reserve fund"

[06] A travel agent office from Singapore plans to bring tourists to the occupation regime

[07] Yildirim slams EU for 'failing to keep promises' over refugees

[08] Harmonization law for elections passed in Parliament

[09] Eleven parties to run in June polls

[10] Turkey's parties continue intense talks over electoral alliances

[11] Cumhuriyet journalists get jail for terror charges

[12] "Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline to open in early June", Erdogan says

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Ozersay reiterates that the Turkish side will take steps on the hydrocarbons issue

Claiming that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side reserved their rights, took no active steps and underlined that nothing should be done on the energy issues until the solution of the Cyprus problem, Ozersay argued that this approach changed after 2011 and from now on they are determined to head towards a paradigm having as basis steps similar to the ones taken by the Greek Cypriot side.

He also claimed that the Turkish Cypriot side, together with Turkey, is determined to become a decisive actor and element in the foreign policy. He added: "The period ahead of us will be such a period. This is our foreign policy understanding".

Meanwhile, addressing the same conference, Fikri Ataoglu, self-styled minister of tourism, alleged that the drillings of the "Greek Cypriot side" in Eastern Mediterranean are creating tension and added that this tension is worrying. Claiming that the Turkish Cypriots have equal rights both in the explorations and the sale of the natural resources, Ataoglu accused the Greek Cypriots of trying not to give the Turkish Cypriots their share. He argued that these issues influence negatively the economy and tourism in the entire island and added that they will try to reduce the negative influence by establishing a team for taking various measures. Moreover, Ataoglu called on the "Greek Cypriot side" to stop acting unilaterally and work together with the Turkish Cypriots.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Yildirim argues that the EU led the Cyprus problem into a deadlock

He made these statements speaking in the 6th Turkey-Spain Intergovernmental Summit, which took place in Madrid.

He went on and claimed that Europe could have become a place that no-one would like to live if Turkey did not safeguarded the stability in the area. "Turkey is ensuring Europe's security by stopping the flow of foreign fighters, countering illegal migration, and fighting terrorist groups in Syria. […] So far 5,800 foreign fighters have been sent back from our borders, we did not let them in," he argues.

(CS)

[03] Occupied fenced off Varosha became a "colony" of the army

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Dizen newspaper (26.04.18) also refers to the issue and reports it has asked retired army commanders and politicians why Varosha is a "forbidden military area" and whether it is necessary for Varosha to be "a forbidden area" for security reasons.

Retired colonel Mustafa Kemal Tumkan argued that Varosha's security dimension should be reassessed by the UN and the "parliament" and that the army's powers could be decreased by "law". He said that the situation in the fenced off occupied city is not in the hands of the Turkish occupation army and the "TRNC assembly" only and that this is a necessity required by the cease fire agreement signed in 1974. He claimed that the Turkish side could ask the UNFICYP whether the security conditions provided for in 1974-75 are valid in the current situation.

Retired colonel Mehmet Volkan Celebioglu expressed the view that Varosha will not have big importance from the military point of view and that strategically it is not a very important area. "The fact that it has not been opened for so long is saddening. […] Varosha's control should be in our hands and I think that it would be useful to open it and the community to be benefited", he claimed.

Former chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and former "prime minister" of the breakaway regime, Ferdi Sabit Soyer said that the ban which exists today for Varosha is based on "laws" but it is not ethical and legal, adding that the Cyprus negotiations should resume the soonest and the issue should be discussed "in a milder manner" within this framework. Soyer argued that first the Greek Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriots and the UN should carry out a joint feasibility study for Varosha and depending on this study to bring onto the agenda "any kind of alternatives" for the city.

Finally, Serdar Atai, chairman of the within the walls association of occupied Famagusta, said that Varosha has been kept without any people for years and that this is the biggest loss for the inhabitants of Famagusta. He recalled that they have been saying that "as long as Varosha is kept hostage, the future of the Turkish Cypriots is kept hostage" and asked for the opening of Varosha the soonest, adding that a pilot project could be prepared in which Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots will be sharing something, work together and build a future together.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Turkey and the occupation regime to contact "joint underwater exercise"

(AK)

[05] "Figures on the registered persons in the occupation regime's reserve fund"

According to the annual report of the so-called ministry, totally 24,983 persons were "registered" to the "reserve fund" for the first time. The 38,494 out of the 66,061 "registrations" were made by "foreign citizens" while the 29,567 "registrations" were made by "TRNC citizens".

Meanwhile, according to the same figures, during the above mentioned period, around 9,400 people "applied" to the "employment exchange department" to get a job. Among these people, 3,942 people were employed in different jobs while the number of the unregistered unemployed persons remains unknown, writes the paper.

(AK)

[06] A travel agent office from Singapore plans to bring tourists to the occupation regime

Supporting that the Singaporeans can travel visa-free to 169 different destinations, Yuxiang added that tourists from Singapore can travel very easily to both "north Cyprus" and "south Cyprus", as he called the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

Alleging further that they consider "north Cyprus" as an appropriate market for the citizens of Singapore, not only for its character but also for its culture, Yuxiang claimed the following: "Since north Cyprus is a new destination and a development country, it is considered as a great chance for making investments. If it would not be this year, next year we are planning to bring around 3 thousand tourists to north Cyprus".

Yuxiang added further that since there are no direct flights from Singapore to the "TRNC", the tourists could be traveling from Doha or Dubai to "north Cyprus" via Istanbul.

Yuxiang called also the "TRNC" to attend travel fairs which are taking place in Singapore, in order as he said for the Singaporeans to have the chance to learn more about Cyprus.

(AK)

[07] Yildirim slams EU for 'failing to keep promises' over refugees

He added that Turkey demanded visa exemptions and an update of the Customs Union and "shake hands on this". "The daily migrant total has fallen below 50 but we have not received the answer we expected. Unfortunately, we are still disappointed," Y?ld?r?m said.

Y?ld?r?m argued that Ankara is still committed to the goal of becoming a member of the EU and good relations with Russia are "not an alternative to Europe". "We are NATO members. We are from a country that has been waiting for EU membership for more than 60 years. Everyone who applied after us has already been granted membership. There is an ideological approach toward Turkey," he added.

Describing Turkey-Russia relations as "essential for the security of Europe," Y?ld?r?m said the EU "cannot exclude Russia".

The Prime Minister also blasted "some EU states" for their "support for terrorist organizations", specifically citing the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the network of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, referred to by the authorities as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Y?ld?r?m warned that "upsetting a great ally like Turkey is not a wise move in terms of the future of the EU". "Opening up space for radical movements is the biggest future threat to Europe. Unfortunately they are providing unbelievable space for the separatist terror organization FETO and this saddens Turkey," Yildirim said.

"Spain is the best country in the EU for understanding Turkey. Turkey also understands Spain. Why? Because both Turkey and Spain have suffered a lot from terrorism over the years. We know what terrorism means for a country. Separatist terrorist organizations are like microbes that constantly consume the energy of a country," Yildirim added.

[08] Harmonization law for elections passed in Parliament

The legislation stipulating the regulation for presidential and parliamentary elections was approved on April 24 in a late night session in the Grand National Assembly in Parliament.

The package makes changes in laws on basic electoral regulations, lawmaker elections, political parties and presidential elections.

The Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) is expected to announce the election schedule a day after the package will be announced in the official gazette.

According to the regulation, the presidential candidate can be nominated by a political party, which has either received at least 5% of the votes in the last election or has a group in Parliament and 100,000 signatures from the electorate.

The nominees that will apply for candidacy outside of the Parliament will pay 131,000 Turkish liras and those who can collect 100,000 signatures will be reimbursed following the election. If a candidate cannot collect enough signatures, their payment will be transferred to the Treasury.

Voters can only sign for one candidate. Their signatures will be given to the local election committee and registered digitally.

A presidential candidate cannot run for lawmaker in Parliament at the same time.

The President can only be elected for two terms but if the Parliament decides elections will be held in the second term, the President can be a candidate another time.

Presidential elections will be held simultaneously with the parliamentary law. A candidate that has received more than 50% of the votes in the first round will be the President.

If none of the candidates can reach this percentage, then a second round of elections will be held two weeks later between the two candidates that have received the most votes.

Meanwhile, Ankara Anatolia news agency (25.04.18, https://aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/turkish-president-signs-election-harmonization-bill/1128116), President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday signed a harmonization law to bring Turkey's election system in line with constitutional reforms approved last year in a referendum, according to the presidency.

Under the law, Turkish citizens living abroad can cast their votes until three days before election day in Turkey, scheduled for June 24.

The Parliament last Friday passed a bill calling for early presidential and parliamentary elections, cementing Turkey's move to a presidential system.

The law also ends the appointment system for overseas voters, allowing them to cast ballots on any date following the Supreme Board of Elections' announcement of voting dates for overseas voters.

It also allows a person to be elected to not more than two terms as President, a presidential runoff if no candidate gets more than half of the votes cast, along with other election-related changes in line with the constitutional reforms.

[09] Eleven parties to run in June polls

The Supreme Board of Election on Sunday had said 11 parties, including the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), will run in the parliamentary and presidential elections.

The other parties set to compete are the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Felicity (Saadet) Party, Grand Unity Party (BBP), Independent Turkey Party (BTP), Democrat Party (DP), Patriotic (Vatan) Party, Free Cause (Huda-Par) Party, and newly formed Good (IYI) Party.

Parliament last Friday passed a bill calling for early elections on June 24, cementing Turkey's move to a presidential system.

In an April 2017 referendum, Turkish voters approved the switching from a parliamentary system to a presidential one.

Under the changes, the number of lawmakers in parliament rises to 600 from 550, presidential and parliamentary elections are held every five years, and presidents can retain ties to their political party. The prime minister post is also abolished.

[10] Turkey's parties continue intense talks over electoral alliances

The leaders of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the Felicity Party (SP) and the IYI (Good) Party have been keeping multiple dialogue channels open in a bid to form alliances and determine candidates to run against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the June 24 elections.

The appearance of the leader of the traditional religious conservative party SP, Temel Karamollaoglu, alongside former President Abdullah Gul at an award ceremony in tribute to former National Outlook (Milli Gorus) movement leader Necmettin Erbakan late on April 24 fuelled speculation about Gul's possible candidacy. The two also met on April 25.

The SP emerged out of the Milli Gorus, where prominent founding members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had been actively involved before forming the ruling party. Being one of the founding leaders of the AKP, Gul's last years in office marked important disagreements with Erdogan. He has remained out of politics since he left office in 2014.

According to daily Hurriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, the SP wants to present Gul as a joint candidate of the opposition against Erdogan "because Gul has conditioned his candidacy as a joint-candidate."

But nominating a joint candidate has not received positive response from opposition parties, with IYI Party leader Meral Aksener reiterating her stance on April 25 that she will be the presidential candidate for her party, which is in favour of every party presenting its own candidates in the first round of the vote.

"I reiterate my presidential candidacy from the IYI Party, through 100,000 signatures, as I had announced on April 1 when we had held our first extraordinary congress," Aksener said following her meeting with CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu on April 25.

The two leaders met at the CHP headquarters in Ankara for a 45-minute meeting during which Aksener said she again expressed her gratitude for the CHP's support for the IYI Party's participation in the elections.

While avoiding answering questions concerning the candidacy, Kilicdaroglu underlined the CHP's stance for "unity" among opposition parties for the elections.

Gul's name had reportedly been suggested within the CHP but drew staunch opposition from many in the party's based. CHP deputy Muharrem Ince also blasted the idea, suggesting that Gul is "an accomplice and brother of Erdogan," in a social media post on April 25. Ince said the former president "cannot and should not be CHP's choice of option," to run against Erdogan.

CHP Deputy Group Chair Ozgur Ozel later joined the discussion over the CHP's stance on Gul, saying "the CHP has never had Abdullah Gul's name on the table. It doesn't have it now and it won't have it in the future". "Enough. We are fed up with all the speculations," Ozel added.

Meanwhile, representatives of the ruling AKP and the Grand Union Party (BBP) also met in Ankara on April 25. Speaking after the meeting, AKP spokesperson Mahir Unal said BBP leader Mustafa Destici and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet later this week.

"A final decision will be made afterwards," Unal said regarding alliance principles with the BBP, adding that the AKP is not considering talks with the Free Cause Party (HUDA-Par) or the Democrat Party (DP).

The BBP has endorsed Erdogan's candidacy and announced that it will support the "People's Alliance" of the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

According to the legislative package that allows pre-election alliances, parties can both enter an alliance with their own lists or present lawmaker candidates within an existing alliance.

[11] Cumhuriyet journalists get jail for terror charges

Cumhuriyet Editor-in-Chief Murat Sabuncu, CEO Akin Atalay, and Orhan Erinc, plus journalists Ahmet Sik, Aydin Engin, and Hikmet Cetinkaya, got prison terms of six to eight years on charges of acting on behalf of a terrorist group without being members.

Atalay, however, was released in light of his time already served.

Eight journalists -- Bulent Utku, Kadri Gursel, Guray Tekin Oz, Haci Musa Kart, Hakan Karasinir, Mustafa Kemal Gungor, Onder Celik, and Yusuf Emre Iper -- were given up to four years in prison on the same charges.

At the first hearing in the case in July 2016, the suspects were indicted for sponsoring the PKK, Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), and leftist DHKP/C terrorist groups.

The court also sentenced Twitter user Ahmet Kemal Aydogdu, who used to handle @JeansBiri, to 10 years in prison. Aydogdu was detained in October 2016 on charges of spreading disinformation through the Internet.

[12] "Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline to open in early June", Erdogan says

He also said that Azerbaijan is becoming the biggest investor in Turkey. "Moving our economic and commercial relations forward is a priority. We took an important step today," he added.

Meanwhile, TANAP General Manager Saltuk Duzyol said last week that the project was 93.5% complete while work on the rest of the pipeline continues at full speed. TANAP's first release point will be western Anatolian city Eskisehir's Compressor and Metering Station. (…)

The project cost was first estimated at $11.7 billion, but with some successful procurement, project management and financial management, it has been brought down to $7.99 billion, Duzyol said. Project partners received $3.75 billion in loans from international finance corporations and the European Union provided a grant of $10.2 million. (…)

Currently, TANAP has four partners. The SGC holds a 58% stake in TANAP, while Turkey's Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS) and BP own 30% and 12%, respectively. Seven percent of SGC's stake has been recently transferred to the Turkish subsidiary of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR).

The project has one entrance on the Turkey-Georgia border, Duzyol said. "TANAP is designed to carry gas extracted from Azeri fields, located in the east of the country. But given that some adjustments were made in the agreement with the host government, natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean and Iraq might also be integrated to this pipeline in the coming years," he said.

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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

(DPs/ AM)

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