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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 97-03-11Cyprus 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 PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA[A] NEWS ITEMS
[A] NEWS ITEMS[01] Denktash criticizes Rifkind remarksAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (16.30 hours, 7.3.97) Rauf Denktash has said that the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) exists and will continue to exist, and whether guarantor Britain recognizes the TRNC is up to Britain's will, humanity, and responsibility".Denktash said that the so-called Assembly can pass a resolution suspending the talks if necessary. "At the current stage, however, we will continue to explain our position", he said. Not participating in the negotiations is another policy, another decision, Denktash added. Denktash was commenting on remarks by British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Fifkind, who assured the Greek Cypriots in London that Britain will never recognize the "TRNC", that the EU accession talks will be held with the Cyprus Government, and that Britain would like to see the Turkish Cypriots in these talks. Denktash claimed that Rifkind and his party will participate in elections in May and therefore he may have said certain things to win the hearts of the Greek Cypriot voters. Denktash said that if Britian insists on meeting with the legitimate Cyprus Government, the Turkish Cypriots will say: "Bon voyage, we will not board this train". Replying to questions by illegal TAK (Turkish Cypriot News Agency), Denktash claimed that it is difficult to understand how Britain, which is trying to act as a catalyst between the two sides, supports the Cyprus Government and looks down on the Turkish Cypriots. "As long as this injustice continues, naturally we cannot look warmly towards Britain's proposals or mediation", he added. Asked to comment on Rifkind's remarks that none of the EU countries intend to recognize the "TRNC", Denktash said: "In that case, they should leave us alone". Denktash concluded by saying that if the Europeans want Cyprus to join the EU as a united and bizonal federation, they must accept the "TRNC's" existence and equality. [02] Denktash: Indirect talks on 10 March nothing newAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (11.30 hours, 8.3.97), Rauf Denktash has said that what will happen on Monday, 10 March, is that the indirect talks will resume, and there is no reason to create the impression that something new will be started. Asked by illegal TAK (Turkish Cypriot News Agency) what he expects from the indirect talks Denktash said: "As far as I know, the indirect talks never ended. So, they will continue on Monday".Denktash said that contacts are being held to explore the possible grounds for a federation, and the talks that were to be held last week were postponed to Monday because he had a bad case of flu. He said: "If the arms build-up, the missile deployment, and the problems of granting air and naval bases to Greece continue, we will consider the countermeasures we will take". [03] Denktash claims no knowledge of meeting with President CleridesAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (11.30 hours, 6.3.97), Rauf Denktash has claimed that many Turkish Cypriots in the mixed village of Pyla have gone bankrupt because of the Greek Cypriot embargo, adding: "If Feissel is going to turn Cyprus into Pyla, we are done for".Denktash was commenting on remarks by Feissel who, after watching Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot elementary school children plant trees together, said that Pyla should be an example for Cyprus. Denktash alleged: "Nobody is opposed to a rapprochement between the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. We must also know, however, how to defend ourselves against persons who say: We are your government." Denktash said that he has no information about the reports that he is going to meet with President Clerides within one month. He added: "We follow the line of the 10 January joint declaration with Turkey. Feissel and everybody else know this very well. If we are going to meet within one month, that means that the 10 January line has been accepted". [04] Denktash meets Feissel, cancels other contacts due to fluAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (11.30 hours, 10.3.97) Rauf Denktash yesterday met with Gustave Feissel, the UN Secretary General's deputy special envoy in Cyprus, within the framework of the indirect talks. The meeting was held in Denktash seaside home in occupied Kyrenia.It began at 12.30. It was attended by Peter Schmidt, Feissel's political adviser, Necati Munir Ertekun, "presidential special adviser" for political affairs; and Mustafa Evren, "presidential political affairs director". The meeting was closed to the press. Because of his bad flu, Denktash canceled all his appointments except for his meeting with Feissel. [05] Denktash-Annan meeting to take place last week of MarchAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (11.30 hours, 7.3.97) it was reported that the meeting between Rauf Denktash and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will take place during the last week of March in New York.According to an Anatolia Agency report, work on convening the summit between Rauf Denktash and President Glafcos Clerides in New York in May is under way. It has been reported that the UN Secretary General is ready to meet with Denktash after the Clerides-Annan meeting in Davos and that Denktash will go to New York for this meeting. Sources close to the United Nations reported that the date of the Denktash- Annan meeting has not been fixed yet and added: "Work to this end is under way, and the meeting is expected to take place the last week of March". [06] Eroglu says federation proposal not a 'reasonable' solutionAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (6.00 hours, 9.3.97), so-called prime minister Dervis Eroglu while in Kutahya, Turkey, as the guest of the Turkish Hearths Organisation, delivered a speech at Dumlupinar University the other night. He claimed that the Greek Cypriots have not given up their dream of annexing Cyprus to Greece and that they are disturbed by the Turkish Cypriot presence on the island.He also claimed that if a lasting peace is to be established in Cyprus, "the fact that there are two states in Cyprus must be acknowledged". Eroglu alleged that what must be done in Cyprus from now on is to sign a peace agreement that will develop the good-neighbour relations "between the two states". He claimed that the federation proposal is not reasonable as a solution to the Cyprus problem. He further alleged that a federation would eliminate the Turkish Cypriot presence. He concluded by saying that a strong economy and job opportunities are needed to ensure the continued presence of the Turkish Cypriot population. [07] Eroglu calls for directs talks, rejects President Clerides' termsAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (11.30 hours, 7.3.97), so-called prime minister Dervis Eroglu has said that direct talks on the Cyprus issue should be launched. Prior to his departure for Ankara, Eroglu assessed reports on the work under way to lay the grounds for a meeting between Rafu Denktash and President Glafcos Clerides.Recalling that the Turkish Cypriot side had already issued statements to the effect that the necessary grounds for a meeting exist, Eroglu added: "Clerides is the one who says that there are no common grounds for a meeting. According to him, the guarantee and alliance agreements must be eliminated, the Turkish soldiers withdrawn from Cyprus, the Turkish refugees returned, and the issue of sovereignty removed from the agenda in order to secure common grounds for a meeting. It is impossible for us to accept these proposals". Reiterating his claim that common grounds for meetings exist, Eroglu said: "The Greek Cypriots must come to the table and start to hold direct talks. Work on holding direct talks will be undertaken in the wake of indirect talks. Only time will tell whether the two sides will sit at the negotiations table". [08] Serdar Denktash meets European parliamentarians in BrusselsAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (11.30 hours, 7.3.97) Serdar Denktash, "state minister and deputy prime minister", is continuing his contacts in Western Europe. Denktash, who went to Germany to attend the Berlin tourism fair, held various contacts there and then proceeded to Belgium.In Brussels, Denktash met with European Parliament (EP) members. Denktash met with British parliamentarian Richard (name indistinct), who is an EP member, and briefed him on the recent Cyprus developments and the Turkish Cypriot stand. He claimed that there are two separate and sovereign administrations on the island, alleging that as long as the Cyprus Government is recognised as the legitimate government of Cyprus one should not expect a solution in Cyprus. After the meeting, in which relations between the EP and the Turkish Cypriot political parties were also discussed, Denktash said that the British parliamentarian will visit the occupied area in the near future. [09] German parliamentarians urge Turkey for a federal Cyprus solutionAccording to Turkish Daily News (6.3.97) German parliamentarians urged Turkey last week to find federal solutions to its Kurdish and Cyprus conflicts, saying these are intertwined problems which have a flow on effect in Germany, home to nearly three million Turks, at a conference organised by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Ankara. Karl Lamers, a parliamentarian from the Christian Democrat Union (CDU) - which has nearly 242 seats in the German parliament - said, "We favour a federal solution for the Cyprus conflict", when discussing one of the thorniest issues for Turkey in either the domestic or the foreign arena. When asked about the latest deal by the Cyprus Government to purchase anti-aircraft S-300 missiles from Russia, the German parliamentarians assured the listeners, including a number of Turkish parliamentarians, that if the missile deployment takes place they "won's sit tight with their arms crossed". Discussions on EU expansion inevitably turned to human rights violations in Turkey, with Lamers and his colleagues saying the number one problem in Turkey is the Kurdish issue, which also consistently generates a great deal of interest in Germany.[10] Denktash replies to Talat remarks, talks of EUAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (16.30 hours, 10.3.97), Rauf Denktash alleged that Cyprus was not born as a fully independent state, reiterating his claim that it cannot apply to the EU if Turkey is not a member. In a statement to illegal TAK (Turkish Cypriot News Agency) yesterday, Denktash replied to remarks by Mehmet Ali Talat, leader of the Republican Turkish Party, about himself.Denktash said: "Talat took only the words 'we would suspend the talks', from my remarks and commented on them. If you read my entire statement, you will see that it warns against a dangerous course of events and pressures". Denktash said that certain persons in the pseudostate have also played a role in this portrayal as the intransigent party in Cyprus. He alleged that he is portrayed as intransigent because of certain domestic political conflicts, because of a lack of knowledge about the past, or because of certain wrong fixed ideas that come from the past. Denktash added: "It is impossible for us to join the EU if Turkey is not a member. There are many reasons, for that". Denktash claimed that the diplomats have shown the Greek Cypriots other ways of eliminating the 1960 guarantee system, one of them being the multinational force. He said that the Turkish Cypriots insist on Turkey's rights as established by the 1960 agreement. He stated that "if the intercommunal talks are turned into a tool for making Cyprus an EU member when Turkey is still not a member, then the Turkish Cypriots will not accept that". He added: "If the talks bring us to the point of being ejected from our homes, are we supposed to go on with the talks? Cyprus was not born as a fully independent state, its independence is limited", Denktash claimed. [11] Feissel meets with DenktashAccording to illegal Bayrak Radio (16.30 hours, 10.3.97), Rauf Denktash yesterday held a two-hour meeting with Gustave Feissel, the UN Secretary General's deputy special envoy in Cyprus.During the meeting, speeding up the efforts that will enable the two leaders to hold direct meetings was discussed. He asked Feissel to confirm that, unlike what Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides said, the meetings will not be held between the Cyprus Government and the Turkish Cypriot community, but (1X - 9 - between the leaders of the two communities, and within the framework of the goodwill mission of the UN secretary general. Feissel said: "We are interested in the intercommunal talks. There is no other factor in the intercommunal talks". According to illegal Bayrak, Feissel reiterated that the talks will resume between the two equal communities. [12] Denktash taken illAccording to YENIDUZEN (11.3.97), Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has been taken ill and as a result he has cancelled all his appointments. YENIDUZEN reports that Denktash is resting in occupied Kyrenia.The paper says that cardiologist Prof. Dr Dervis Oral of the Ibni Sina Hospital in Ankara went to the occupied area during the weekend and examined Denktash who also underwent a general check-up. The paper adds that following the Denktash's recent heart attack and the subsequent threatment, some difficulties appeared and as a result Denktash put on an extra weight of 4-5 kilos. YENIDUZEN says that it is possible that next week Denktash will go to Ankara for a heart and general check-up. (MY) [13] 150 billion TL allocated for enlightenment by the pseudo-stateKIBRIS (11.3.97) reports that during the 1996 fiscal year, 150 billion TL was allocated for enlightenment but only 85 billion TL out of this money was spent.The same amount has been allocated for enlightenment and promotion of the pseudo-state for the 1997 fiscal year as well, reports KIBRIS. The main fields in the enlightenment campaigns, says the paper, are the publications of brochures, posters as well as promotion work carried out during fairs. During 1996, 47 billion 6 million 443 thousand and 945 TL was spent to this effect. The main target of the enlightenment and promotion campaign are the Europeans. The paper gives a list of the trade and tourism fairs that the pseudo-state took part in in various countries. They are: Bern, Zurich, Manchester, Dublin, Helsinki, Vienna, Kiev, WTM (UK), Leipzig, Azerbaidjan, Pakistan, Cardiff, Berlin, Hungary, MITT Moscow, Belfast, Blackpool, Hamburg, London, Nurnberg, Doncaster, Izmir and Ankara. (MY) [14] Turkish Cypriot delegation to help prepare education "protocol" with TurkeyAccording to YENIDUZEN (11.3.97) a delegation from the so-called National Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Ministry of the pseudo-state, headed by the so-called under secretary of the "Ministry", left for Ankara to take part in the preparatory work for the "protocol" which will be signed between Turkey and the pseudo-state in the educational and cultural fields. The delegation will take part in the preparation of the draft protocol. (MY)[15] Briton residing in the occupied area has gone missingAccording to KIBRIS (11.3.97) British citizen Brian Mc Manus (60), who is living in occupied Bellapais, has gone missing since 7 March.Kibris says that McManus is missing since he went for a walk in the woods along with his two dogs. The two dogs are also missing. The paper says that McManus is a diabetic and one of his legs is crippled. A team of twenty men is searching for him for the last three days. KIBRIS reports that the search will continue today as well. (MY) From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |