Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-12-06

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

[A] Turkish Cypriot Press

[01] Tatar alleges that negotiations for two separate states in Cyprus should be held

[02] Left-wing political parties see no other way of Cyprus settlement than federation

[03] Candan and Saner in Paris for PACE's meetings

[04] Erhurman: "We are in a stage of being able to export tobacco to Libya and Iraq"

[05] Flooding causes widespread damage and claims lives in the occupied area of Cyprus

[B] Turkish Press

[01] Turkey: Astana process key to Syria peace

[02] "Why a federal Cyprus is a dead hope"

[03] Turkish prosecutors issue arrest warrants for two key Saudis over Khashoggi murder

[04] Turkish court issues arrest warrant for fugitive Can Dundar

[05] Erdogan names 14 more mayoral candidates

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[A] Turkish Cypriot Press

[01] Tatar alleges that negotiations for two separate states in Cyprus should be held

Turkish Cypriot newspaper Gunes (06.12.18) reports that Ersin Tatar, chairman of the National Unity Party (UBP), has alleged that the establishment of a partnership republic in Cyprus was not possible anymore and that a new policy should be produced. In statements to Genc TV yesterday, Tatar claimed that "a Greek Cypriot state should exist in the south and a Turkish state in the north". He alleged: "These two states should live peacefully side by side and cooperate. The negotiations should be held for this reason. I believe that only with this way peace could be protected. The Turks of Cyprus cannot trust the Greek Cypriot stance and surrender their future to it".

Asked to clarify what he meant when he said that they would not allow Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci to act as he wanted as regards the Cyprus problem, Tatar said that the base of the UBP believed that "an end should be put to the Greek Cypriots' games" and strongly reacted to Akinci's statement that he was ready to discuss the Guterres Framework, especially after what had happened at Crans Montana. "Mr Akinci is the president of the republic, but the parliament should not be by-passed", he claimed.

Asked to what extent Akinci took "people's expectations" into consideration, Tatar alleged that "people" believed that they were unjustly treated in the Cyprus problem and that the Greek Cypriots continued "usurping" their rights on the hydrocarbons issue, in spite of the calls made by Akinci and Ankara to stop doing this. He also claimed the following:

"And these show that a partnership republic cannot be established in Cyprus anymore. [?] As long as they prolong this issue and benefit from the Republic of Cyprus' possibilities alone, they will play this game, if they keep us at the negotiating table. [?] Anastasiades is proposing a loose federation, but what is his intention? The Republic of Cyprus will continue. They will take the decisions here and we will implement them, but they will give us autonomy in an area. What will we discuss with this mentality? They also do not want the guarantees. We will be in the EU, but the achieved agreement will not be EU's primary law, that is, they will swallow us there as they please. This cannot happen".

Responding to another question, Tatar argued that disagreement and problems existed in the "government's" policy on the Cyprus problem and that self-styled foreign minister Ozersay's stance was different to that of Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Left-wing political parties see no other way of Cyprus settlement than federation

Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Bakis (06.12.18), under the title "Left Movement: Either a federal solution or communal extinction!", reports that the Left Movement argued that the separatists efforts and pursuits, which exclude the UN parameters and the federal solution, are a dangerous adventure that will lead to "great losses" for the Turkish Cypriot community and added: "The Turkish Cypriot community faces the dilemma either a federal solution or communal extinction".

In a written statement issued yesterday, Abdullah Korkmazhan on behalf of the Left Movement, noted that the supporters of the status-quo and those who oppose the solution within the Turkish Cypriot community, have been encouraged by President Anastasiades' proposal for a decentralized federation and Turkey's Foreign Minister Cavusoglu's proposal for a two-state solution and submit as alternative proposal to the federal solution, the permanent division.

According to Korkmazhan, the majority of the Turkish Cypriot community supports the federal solution as it was outlined in the referendum of 2004 and in the "presidential elections" of 2015. He called for the resumption of the Cyprus talks on the basis of the Guterres framework.

Moreover, the paper reports that the leader of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) Izzet Izcan, noting that the Cyprus talks are being conducted on the basis of UN Resolutions, said that the BKP would continue to be against all kinds of separatist activities aimed at undermining the negotiation process. He argued that those who are against the solution and benefit from the status quo, had launched a campaign against the federation and added: "In fact, the thing that they want to do is to promote the non-solution by hiding behind the statements of Turkey's Foreign Minister Cavusoglu". Izcan argued that the recent statements of Ersin Tatar, leader of the National Unity Party (UBP), that "they had contacts in Turkey and a two-state solution should be discussed" showed that Tatar has "spilled the beans", and condemned the insulting statements of Tatar against the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci.

(DPs)

[03] Candan and Saner in Paris for PACE's meetings

According to Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Bakis (06.12.18), the "parliamentary delegation" of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus, consisting of the "deputies" Armagan Candan from the Republic Turkish Party (CTP) and Hamza Ersan Saner from the National Unity Party (UBP) are currently in Paris to attend the meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Candan and Saner will participate in the meetings of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development and the meeting of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, which will be held between 3-7 December. The reports of these meetings will be discussed during the general assembly of PACE in January, 2019, in Strasbourg.

(DPs)

[04] Erhurman: "We are in a stage of being able to export tobacco to Libya and Iraq"

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (06.12.18) reports that so-called prime minister Tufan Erhurman, accompanied yesterday by the so-called minister of agriculture and natural resources visited the Turkish Cypriot tobacco Organization where they inspected the organizations' work and were briefed about the activities of the tobacco factory, by the general director, Salahaddin Bayirkan.

Speaking during the meeting, Bayirkan stated that the profit of the organization last year was 9 million TL, adding that the contribution to the "state" last year was 26 million 578 thousand TL, while for this year it is estimated to be 37 million TL.

Bayirkan explained further that there are 35 workers who work at the tobacco factory, all of them Turkish Cypriots, as he said. Explaining the huge contribution of the organization to society in general, Bayirkan stated that they had granted scholarship to "100 university students".

Referring to the production especially in the occupied Karpassia region, Bayirkan asked Erhurman to undertake efforts in order to provide financial assistance to the factory.

In his turn, Erhurman stated that the Turkish Cypriot Tobacco Industry Company Limited (KTTE) which was established on 14 May 1975 is today a renovated and modern company which has an important role in the local market. Alleging that they had undertakem initiatives together with the Turkish Republic in order to increase the production, Erhurman said that they are now in a stage that they would be able to export to Libya and Iraq.

(AK)

[05] Flooding causes widespread damage and claims lives in the occupied area of Cyprus

Illegal Bayrak (06.12.18 http://www.brtk.net/?englishposts=torrential-rain-causes-widespread-flooding ) broadcast that torrential storms battered the occupied area of Cyprus yesterday bringing widespread destruction, mainly on the northern coastline.

Four people swept away by the waters were killed.

Hundreds of cars were stranded in the Bogazi area between the occupied part of Lefkosia and Keryneia as streams overawed their banks due to unusually large amount of rain. Roads were closed off in central Keryneia, Ayios Ambrosios, Vasileia, Dikomo, Lapithos and Karavas

Landslides were also set off by the waters coming down from Pentadaktylos Mountains.

Torrential rain also hit many villages the Famagusta area.

In addition, Bayrak also broadcast that all public and private schools are closed today due to bad weather conditions.

The decision was announced in a statement released by the "ministry of education" following consultations with the" Meteorology Department", which warned that more rain and thunderstorms were expected for today and tomorrow.

The statement said that all schools were closed today to prevent any problems.

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[B] Turkish Press

[01] Turkey: Astana process key to Syria peace

Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (06.12.18 http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/astana-process-key-to-syria-peace-turkey-139484) reports that any progress in efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis was achieved thanks to the Astana and Sochi processes while the Geneva process was in a stalemate, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said noting that remarks made by a U.S. envoy undermining the Astana process was "unfortunate."

"It is a wrongful statement. The statement by Jeffrey is unfortunate. I don't think those were his own thoughts," Cavusoglu told a group of journalists, elaborating on the U.S. envoy for Syria James Jeffrey's suggestion to end the Astana talks on Syria.

"If the cease-fire in Syria is still preserved, even despite the violations, if today we can still talk about a political process, if we can discuss the constitutional committee? they have been achieved thanks to the Astana process and Sochi [talks]," he said. "Turkey never allowed Astana and Sochi to become alternatives to the Geneva process; international legitimacy is very crucial," he said. "But nothing happened in Geneva, no steps were taken [in Geneva] on the issues I referred to, not even a real meeting," he added.

"If we have been able to come to this point, it was thanks to this process," Cavusoglu said, noting that efforts should be made for a contribution similar to the four-way summit of Turkey, Russia, France and Germany, instead of trying to isolate the Astana process, the minister said. Jeffrey will be visiting Turkey for a joint working group meeting on Dec. 7 during which the issue of the presence of the People's Protection Units (YPG) in the east of River Euphrates will be discussed, the Minister noted.

[02] "Why a federal Cyprus is a dead hope"

Under the above title, Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (06.12.18 http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/yusuf-kanli/why-a-federal-cyprus-is-a-dead-hope-139481) publishes the following article by Yusuf Kanli:

"Before undertaking any new Cyprus initiative or even considering a rehash of the failed process, how the process failed in Crans Montana on the night of July 7, 2017 must be remembered well.

At the Crans Montana talks, the position of the Turkish side was rather clear. Indeed on the way to Switzerland, at a meeting at the Istanbul presidential residence, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Ak?nc? received the full support of Turkey to all the compromises he had in mind, including a substantial immediate withdrawal of troops, eventual phasing out of the Turkish military presence to the 1960 agreement levels, and a radical territorial arrangement. He, however, was given a condition. He was told if that exercise failed despite such generous efforts and compromises of the Turkish side, no one should talk ever again about the possibility of a federal resolution of the Cyprus problem. In that case, other alternatives, be it confederation, two states in European Union, or whatever must be considered.

The Greek Cypriot-Greek position was also rather straightforward. They wanted an end to Turkish military presence and the 1960 guarantee system under which Turkey intervened in 1974 on the island after an Athens-engineered Greek-Cypriot coup. They were demanding Varosha, Morphou, and a large part of the Karpas Peninsula to settle 100,000 of the total 160,000 Greek Cypriots who moved to the south in the 1974 Turkish intervention and the return of the remaining 60,000 to areas that the Turks would retain.

On the other hand, they were appearing as if they would agree to power sharing, including the rotation of presidency, under the political equality demand of Turkish Cypriots. They were appearing as if they agreed that for key decisions at either the cabinet or parliament the approval of at least one minister or a certain majority of the Turkish Cypriot deputies would be sought ? a demand required for effective participation in governance.

However, when it came to delivering, Greek Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias were rather penny-pinchers. Though Turkey agreed to compromise in troops and pledged to consider alternatives to meet the security concerns of Turkish Cypriots, the two preferred to hide on a claim that Turkey refused to give its proposals in written form and did not move an inch to deliver regarding power-sharing of what they kept on promising for the past many months of talks.

It was the frustration with the intransigence of the Greek Cypriot side that collapsed the federation talks. If one of the two sides of a federation talk refuses to share power with the other, or suggest the other to have political equality restricted to its self-governing area but leave the central government to the bigger community, obviously the basic ingredient for federation was absent, and that was the conclusion that compelled Antonio Guterres to call an end to the exercise.

Since Crans Montana, nothing developed for the better. On the contrary, Anastasiades started publicly declaring that the 'majority' should not succumb to the 'minority' and for effectivity in governance the 'minority' should drop the demand to have the approval of one Turkish minister in the federal government, or to a 'yes' vote of at least some of the Turkish deputies to get a legislation passed by parliament.

Such a mentality is a non-starter and even if Ak?nc? wishes to have 'one last trial,' any federation talk will not lead anywhere other than serving to legitimize the eastern Mediterranean unilateral hydrocarbon activity of the Greek Cypriot administration. Obviously, Ak?nc? cannot decide on such an issue alone. No one can question his legitimacy as president, but he is the Turkish Cypriot negotiator representing the Turkish Cypriot parliament. That was what main opposition National Unity Party (UBP) leader Ersin Tatar said this week. A president whose party has less than 10 percent of the vote share cannot talk for the entirety of the Turkish Cypriot people if other parties are not supportive of his position. He does not have that support now."

[03] Turkish prosecutors issue arrest warrants for two key Saudis over Khashoggi murder

Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (06.12.18 http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-prosecutor-issues-arrest-warrants-for-key-saudis-over-khashoggi-murder-139454) reports that the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's office has filed application with penal court for arrest warrants for Saudi Arabia's former deputy intelligence head General Ahmed Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani, former aide of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, local media reported on Dec. 5.

There is "strong suspicion" that Asiri and Qahtani were among the planners of Jamal Khashoggi's killing, a statement by the office said. The move reflects the view that Saudi authorities will not take formal action against those two Saudis, Reuters quoted a senior Turkish official, as saying.

[04] Turkish court issues arrest warrant for fugitive Can Dundar

Turkish Daily Sabah (06.12.18 https://www.dailysabah.com/investigations/2018/12/05/turkish-court-issues-arrest-warrant-for-fugitive-can-dundar) an Istanbul court issued an arrest warrant on Wednesday for a fugitive sought by Turkey since 2016, currently living in Germany.

Issued on charges of incitement during the 2013 Gezi Park protests in Istanbul, the warrant calls for the arrest of Can Dundar, the former editor-in-chief of Turkish daily Cumhuriyet.

Dundar is charged with attempting to incite and manipulate the public and embolden terror groups' members against law enforcement trying to defuse the situation, as well as acting as an agent provocateur during the protests. In the summer of 2013, a relatively small demonstration in Istanbul's Gezi Park grew into a nationwide wave of protests against the government that left eight protesters and a police officer dead.

The government later said the demonstrations were an attempt to overthrow it by Gulenist Terror Group (FETO) members who had infiltrated the police and courts.

[05] Erdogan names 14 more mayoral candidates

Turkish daily Yeni Safak (06.12.18 https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/erdogan-says-turkey-will-hold-kanal-istanbul-tender-next-year-3468444 ) reports that Turkey's President and ruling party leader on Thursday named 14 more mayoral candidates for local elections next March, but kept the candidate for Istanbul -- which holds nearly one-fifth of Turkey's population -- under wraps.

Candidates for one large metropolitan municipality and 13 provincial municipalities were announced by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, head of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, at party headquarters in the capital Ankara. Erdogan nominated Necdet Takva, head of the chamber of industry and commerce for the eastern province of Van, for the office of the mayor of metropolitan Van, the province's capital.

Other candidates are as follows: for the city of Agri - Savci Sayan; Aksaray - Enver Dincer; Bilecik - Nihat Can; Erzincan - Cemalettin Bassoy; Edirne - Koray Uymaz; Igdir - Adil Asirim; Isparta - Sukru Basdegirmen; Kars - Ensar Erdogdu; K?rsehir - Yasar Bahceci; Kutahya - Ahmet Sami Kutlu; Siirt - Ali Ilbas; Tunceli - Gokhan Arslan; and Zonguldak - Omer Selim Alan.

With the 60 mayoral candidates Erdogan announced previously -- including candidates for Ankara and Izmir and 12 more metropolitan municipalities -- to date the ruling AK Party has announced 74 provincial mayoral candidates.

Turkey's local elections are scheduled for March 31, 2019.

TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

(CS/EH)

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