On July 19, Ozersay will open the works of a project for the Turkish Cypriots living abroad at Grand Palace Suite at 242 High Road, Wood Green, London N22 8JX.

On July 20 he will participate in the inauguration ceremony of a photograph exhibition about Cyprus under the title "Biz/ Εμείς" (Us in Turkish in Greek) at 10 Maple Street, Dowing House, W1T 5HA at Yunus Emre Culture Center.

Later in the evening he will participate in the reception for the celebration of the Turkish invasion which will take place in Hyatt Regency Churchill Hotel. A concert of Turkish Cypriot folk music by the Novaera orchestra consisting of Turkish Cypriot musicians will be given after the reception.

(CS)

[05] The Turkish Foreign Ministry will be responsible for "Cyprus affairs" after the political change in Turkey

According to a Presidential Degree that was published yesterday in the Official Gazette of Turkey, the Foreign Ministry will be consisted of 26 units, the "General Directorship of Binary Political Affairs" being one of them. These units will co-ordinate various projects in the areas of their geographical responsibility. The "General Directorship of Binary Political Affairs" will deal with economic and political relations and with co-operation with Greece; it will also follow the developments in the Cyprus problem and will prepare reports for the determination of the necessary politics.

(CS)

[06] Tourism circles in the occupied area of Cyprus pleased with the appointment of the new Tourism Minister of Turkey

Ersoy is the owner of the ETS TUR which is one of the most prominent tourism companies in Turkey and he is also the owner of Maxx Royal Hotels. His twin brother Murat Ersoy is the owner of Atlasjet and Elexus Hotel which are located in occupied Keryneia.

According to the paper, Ersoy traveled very often to and from the occupied area of Cyprus and brought tourists, helping the tourism in the breakaway regime. He has connections and ties with the occupied area of Cyprus and tourism circles believe that his appointment will be very positive for tourism in the breakaway regime.

Commenting on Ersoy's appointment, "tourism minister" Fikri Ataoglu stated that Ersoy is a well-known name in (occupied) Cyprus and this development will be very positive for the "country". On his part, the chairman of the "Turkish Cypriot Hotel Owners Union" Fethi Ozbogac said that Ersoy is a man that has a deep knowledge in tourism and added that "it is very useful that his family owns a hotel operating in Cyprus". The chairman of the "Turkish Cypriot Tourism Agencies Union" Erkan Kilim said that the success of Ersoy, who travels frequently to and from Cyprus in the field of tourism, will be reflected in the island as well.

(CS)

[B] Turkish Press

[01] Erdogan due to NATO summit with a 'heavy agenda'

The delegation will be headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will attend the leaders' summit in his first international gathering after being sworn in on July 9 for a new five-year term.

On the side-lines of the summit, Erdogan will meet and hold bilateral meetings with a number of world leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Erdogan is also expected to meet European Council head Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and European Parliament President Antonio Tajani.

The NATO meeting will take place for the first time at the alliance's new headquarters.

Amid concerns among NATO allies, primarily for the U.S., regarding Ankara's decision to buy Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries, which are not compatible with NATO's defenses, Ankara has stepped up taking further role in missions of NATO, in an apparent sign of anchoring to the alliance.

One of them is assuming the command of NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) in 2021. The formation of such a force was decided at the NATO Wales Summit 2014 as a "Spearhead Force" to the NATO Response Force (NRF) for the intervention of a possible crisis within a week. Then-Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced on May 2015 that Ankara had offered to assume the responsibility as a framework nation in the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force for 2021. The official decision among allies is expected to be taken at a ministerial level meeting in December 2018.

Seven NATO members contribute to the mission in six groups: The German-Dutch forces, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, and Turkey. It is a force of around 5,000 formed in five battalions supported by air forces, navies, and Special Forces of member countries.

On the other hand, Turkey will also contribute to a new training mission of NATO in Iraq which aims to increase efficiency and capacity of Iraqi security officials against terrorism. Turkey offered a Turkish deputy commander for the training mission.

The NATO summit will be a place for confrontation between U.S. President Donald Trump and member states over burden-sharing problems.

(…)

[02] Erdogan pays first foreign visit to Azerbaijan

In Baku, Erdogan met with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev while delegations from the two countries also gathered to discuss bilateral ties.

"During the tete-a-tete and the meeting between the delegations we had the opportunity to review our relations," Erdogan told a joint press conference with Aliyev.

"We are seriously interested in the trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project [TANAP] which is a strategic project. The steps taken in [the Central Anatolian province of] Eskisehir was significant," Erdogan added.

Erdogan and Aliyev inaugurated the TANAP project on June 12 with a ceremony in Eskisehir.

"The investment Azerbaijan undertakes in Aliaga is very important. This fall, we will have the opportunity to further develop this investment," Erdogan said in Baku.

SOCAR Turkey, an affiliate of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR, is building the Star refinery with a $6.3 billion investment on the Aliaga Peninsula in Izmir, an Aegean city in Turkey. The company is expected to launch in October.

Erdogan emphasized that Turkish-Azeri relations are strengthened on the basis of "one nation, two states," referring to the Turkic roots of both.

Erdogan also thanked Aliyev for his hospitality and his support in the fight against the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO).

For his part Aliyev said "we are friends and brothers." "Erdogan paying his first foreign visit to Azerbaijan after being elected President confirmed this," Aliyev said.

On the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh -- an Azerbaijani region occupied by Armenia -- Aliyev said that Turkey supports Azerbaijan on resolution of the conflict.

"Turkey is the country which provides the biggest support to Azerbaijan in this regard," Aliyev said.

[03] How the Turkish press covers President Erdogan's visit to the occupied area of Cyprus

Yeni Birlik on the bottom of its front page under the title Turkey's President Erdogan, in TRNC: 'Cyprus is our national cause'" and then the reader is referred to the inside pages for the story

Yeni Safak, on its front page, under the title "A brotherhood visit", and the subtitle "The Turks in Cyprus will never be a minority", reports on Erdogan's visits to Azerbaijan and the "TRNC".

The rest of the Turkish newspapers refer to Erdogan's visit in their inside pages as following:

Milliyet: "Cyprus is our national cause"

Vatan: "President Erdogan was in TRNC after Azerbaijan"

Hurriyet: "President Erdogan: Cyprus is our national cause"

Cumhuriyet: "Erdogan: Cyprus is our national cause"

Turkiye: "A warning from President Erdogan to the Greek Cypriots: 'We will never allow the Turkish Cypriots to be reduced to a minority"

Takvim: "Erdogan spoke at TRNC: Cyprus is our national cause"

Star: "Erdogan's visit at TRNC was a flood of emotions"

Sabah: "Erdogan: Cyprus is our national cause"

Posta: "Erdogan was received in TRNC with a flood of emotions"

Aydinlik: "Erdogan: Cyprus is our national cause"

Yeni Akit: "Erdogan: Cyprus is our national cause"

Aksam: "Akinci: The cooperation with Turkey has great significance for TRNC"

(DPs)

[04] Erdogan's issues several presidential decrees for the restructure of the Turkish administrative system

Following his inauguration and marking the beginning of the new presidential executive system, Erdogan issued the first three decrees which are the fundamentals of the new state structure.

With the first decree, four presidential offices and nine boards were founded, which will work directly under the president's command and will be subjected to related laws and presidential decrees.

(…)

With the first decree, 65 previous boards, commissions and committees have been merged under nine entities, the Science, Technology and Innovation Policies Board; Education and Teaching Policies Board; Economy Policies Board; Security and Foreign Policies Board; Judicial Policies Board; Culture and Art Policies Board; Health and Food Policies Board; Social Policies Board and Local Administration Policies Board.

The boards will work "like think-tanks," in charge of proposing policies, overseeing the implementation of the policies, and preparing recommendation reports to related institutions and ministries, as well as carrying out "related works which are deemed suitable by the president." They will work directly under the president and follow the President's order.

Separate from the boards, four presidential offices were established: The digital transformation, finance, human resources and investment offices. The offices will work with the President and will implement the presidency's projects.

The offices are responsible for developing projects related to their field and implementing them.

"The office is responsible for and has the authority to coordinate all institutions and associations related to its field, to ensure collaboration and carry out necessary meetings and other organizations," the decree read.

Also eight directorates will command directly under the President, including the Directorate of General Staff, National Security Council and Directorate of Religious Affairs. Apart from them, the State Supervisory Council and Turkish Wealth Fund have also been taken under the presidential rule.

Undersecreteriat for Defense Industries and Undersecretariat of National Intelligence Organization have become directorates and are among the eight.

National Palaces Office Directorate, Strategy and Budget Directorate, Communication Directorate and State Archive Directorates have also been placed under the president's command.

The first decrees also set the organizational structures and duties of the new Ministries established by Erdogan, who presented the new ministers on July 9 at a press conference.

Moreover, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (10.07.18-http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/professor-background-not-prerequisite-for-rectorship-in-turkey-new-decree-134410) reported that the title of professor, which was once necessary to be eligible for appointment as a rector at Turkish universities, was nulled in the latest emergency decree ruling on July 9.

"The rector at state universities is appointed by the President if they hold the title of Professor and are nominated by faculty members. Rectorship terms last four years. Once the term ends, they can be reappointed through the same process. One cannot serve as a rector for more than two terms," the regulation has said since 2016.

The last decree numbered 703 signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of his presidential oath-taking ceremony at the Turkish Parliament, lifted the professorship prerequisite and paved the way for a single person's multiple term authority in universities.

"The President appoints the rector in state and foundation universities. In universities founded by foundations, the rector is appointed after the Board of Visitors makes an offer. The rector represents the legal entity of the university or the higher technology institute," the new decree read.

(…)

On the same issue, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (10.07.18-http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/president-to-appoint-central-bank-governor-for-4-year-period-134397) reported that another presidential decree issued on July 10 by Erdogan said the President will appoint the Central Bank Governor, Deputies and monetary policy committee members for a four-year period.

Three presidential decrees, published in the country's Official Gazette, set out the structure of the new presidential system and the regulations governing the appointment of officials by the president.

Previously, there had been a five-year term for the central bank head but a decision published in the Official Gazette removed this stipulation and scrapped a requirement that deputy governors have a decade of experience.

An earlier presidential decree merged treasury and finance ministries, and Berat Albayrak, the former Energy Minister and President Erdogan's son-in-law, has been appointed to the newly created post to be in charge of the economy.

The Turkish lira recovered the bulk of its overnight losses early on July 10, having slid some 3% after President Erdogan announced his new Cabinet.

The lira, which has lost nearly a fifth of its value against the dollar this year, stood at 4.6640 at, having weakened as far as 4.75 overnight. It had closed at 4.5745 on July 6.

In line with the new regulations, the Supreme Military Council (YAS) is dissolved. Erdogan will be responsible for all promotions of ranks and dismissals within the army.

(…)

[05] Turkey's new Defence Minister: "We will continue our fight to ensure that our nation's rights and interests come to no harm"

After being sworn into his new office in Parliament, Akar said: "We want to continue our lives in peace, prosperity, and security in friendly, harmonious relations with our neighbours" and added: "We will continue our fight with ambition and determination to ensure that our nation's rights and interests come to no harm."

He vowed to continue striving to ensure Turkey's security, unity, integrity, sovereignty, and independence by mobilizing national and indigenous resources.

[06] Treasury and Finance Minister Albayrak pledges more integration with global markets

Turkey's first Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak who took office Tuesday in a ceremony in Ankara from the former Finance Minister Naci Agbal and former Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek, who was in charge of the Treasury in the previous system, vowed that Turkey will be more integrated with global markets from the East to the West.

Hinting on the monetary and fiscal policy that will be implemented in the upcoming period, Albayrak stressed that Turkey will act more swiftly, and fair and transparent policies will be executed within the framework of a private-sector mind-set.

"Within the principles of market economy, we will witness Turkey becoming more integrated with the global financial system," Albayrak said, stating that independent monetary institutions will deliver stronger performances working in compliance with the global system.

"We will cooperate with international financial actors and stakeholders as well as public and private stakeholders in Turkey in close communication and ensure the successful accomplishment of a strong Turkey vision." The Ministry's policies will be devised in accordance with the structures of the market economy and deliver results that will benefit both Turkey and its partners.

Minister Albayrak stated that Turkey will analyze its real economy dynamics and global transformation and develop stable and reliable policies accordingly. Rather than focusing on daily developments, the country will execute mid-term and long-term plans to make sure a strong and trustworthy policy is integrated with global financial markets.

"The Ministry will strive to deliver an exemplary performance of fiscal and budgetary discipline," Albayrak said.

Albayrak stated that the Ministry has a full agenda loaded with issues to tackle and pledged that the Ministry will work to reduce inflation to single digits.

(…)

[07] IP declares Istanbul Deputy Nuhoglu as Parliamentary Speaker candidate

Nuhoglu became the second candidate to be announced following the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) candidate Binali Y?ld?r?m, whose post as Prime Minister was abolished with Turkey's switch to an executive presidency system as of today.

The other parties have not yet announced their candidates while the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) announced that it will declare its candidate on Wednesday.

According to the Turkish state protocol, the Parliament Speaker is the second-highest ranking government official. Current Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman, who served for two terms, did not seek another term due to old age and health problems. Deputies convened in the Parliament on Saturday for the oath-taking ceremony and the session was chaired by Usak Deputy Durmus Y?lmaz from the IP, as the oldest Deputy in Parliament.

The first round of the election will be held on Thursday, and Y?lmaz will be acting as Parliament Speaker until the election is concluded. In the first two rounds, a two-thirds majority is sought for the election of the Parliament speaker in the 600-seat Parliament. Y?ld?r?m is the joint candidate of the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which formed the People's Alliance for the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections and have 344 seats combined. Y?ld?r?m will likely be elected in the third round, as a simple majority is required.

TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

(AK / AM)

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