Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-04-15

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

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 66/98 -- 15.4.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ankara reacts to Miller remarks: Stand on S-300's unchanged.

[02] Talat favours talks with EU.

[03] New system to control Bosporus and Dardanelles traffic.

[04] Turkish water for occupied area delayed to end of May.

[05] Serdar Denktash on banning Turkish Cypriots from holding Cyprus documents.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[06] YENIDUZEN on the Pyla incident.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ankara reacts to Miller remarks: Stand on S-300's unchanged

Ankara reacted to the remarks by Thomas Miller, US special coordinator for Cyprus, who told the Greek newspaper TO VIMA that the days are over when Turkey used to say that it would destroy the S-300 missiles if they were deployed on the island.

Replying to a question on the issue, Foreign Ministry spokesman Necati Utkan stressed that Turkey's attitude with regard to the S-300 missiles will not change as long as the issue is on the agenda. He reiterated that "Turkey will not tolerate any activities that threaten the security of the TRNC, or its own land and military resources and capabilities." He said: "The Office of the Chief of the General Staff has submitted to the government the measures it considers necessary and it is implementing those measures".

Utkan stressed that Turkey will never allow the deployment of the S-300 missiles to be used as a bargaining chip in the Cyprus problem.

[02] Talat favours talks with EU

Asked under what circumstances can the Turkish Cypriot side participate in the membership talks, Talat said: "The ones who should sit at the table regarding the EU (membership) process are the leaders of the two communities, not a president, on the one hand, and a community leader, on the other. They should have equal status. For this reason individuals with `equal rights and an equal say' should be found within the negotiating team to be formed jointly by the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and these individuals should sit at the table as (representatives of) two equal communities. Well now, will the Greek Cypriots grant this? Of course not".

To a question whether the EU is providing these `equal conditions', Talat replied: "The EU is saying that `you are right' regarding this matter. If we do not request participation in these talks, which President Denktash and Turkey are not requesting at present, no one will give anyone anything that is not requested. But if we request participation it will be registered there as our request, even if it is not accepted and realized, and all the world might conclude that `this is the right of the Turkish Cypriots.' Consequently, even if we do not succeed in this, this request may be useful in eliminating or easing the embargoes and other negative effects for the Turkish Cypriots."

Asked if Turkey is using Cyprus regarding its relations with the EU, Talat said: "It is using it as a trump card, and Ecevit is saying this openly. Mumtaz Soysal also indicated this, albeit in a vague manner. But Ecevit said this clearly. This is natural if we look at it from the perspective of the international platform. All states may use some trump cards for their own benefit, and Turkey is using Cyprus. But this is not to my benefit, and I am angry about this. Simply because the Turkish Cypriots do not have a right of say, it is not correct for Turkey to use Cyprus as a trump card in this way. I will even give you another example. Turkey and Cyprus have common interests regarding various matters. These interests should be integrated and harmonized regarding this point too."

To a comment that after obtaining full EU membership, the "south" might buy off the "north" economically, Talat replied:

"How can this happen? Security is the most important thing in the world. First comes the security of existence, which is above everything else. Since the right to exist was violated several times in Cyprus and problems arose regarding this issue, neither the Turkish Cypriots nor the Greek Cypriots will accept any solution without this security. From the viewpoint of the Turkish Cypriots, this is creating problems for them because of their minority population. Security is more important than anything."

Asked if he would have sat at the table regarding full EU membership if he had been in power, he said: "Naturally, we would have participated in talks on the basis of political equality.

David Hannay came to Cyprus in the past. Denktash and the two governing parties did not meet him but we did. We do not avoid any meeting in any way. In fact our request that the Turkish Cypriots participate in the EU talks indicates this. We might meet the Greek Cypriots on the basis of political equality."

[03] New system to control Bosporus and Dardanelles traffic

(Ret.) Guven Erkaya, former Commander of the Naval Forces, said that the new system to the installed to ensure maritime traffic safety in the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits is important not only for the safety of shipping but also the preservation of Turkey's sovereignty over the Straits.

Erkaya spoke about the Turkish Straits Administration and Information System (TURBO) project, which he has headed since retiring from the military.

Erkaya said that if Turkey does not go to the meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London in May with a well-prepared project, traffic through the Straits may begin to be studied by an international delegation to be appointed by the IMO. He added that, if that happens, with pressure from the Greeks and the Russians, steps may be taken to regulate traffic through the Straits through an international commission in the future.

Erkaya said: "At this time the Bosporus does not have a system that can see and control the whole picture and that can transmit this information to ship captains or pilots." He added that there is no coordination among different agencies responsible for the Bosporus.

Erkaya continued: "Our goal is to ensure the safe and effective utilization of the Straits. The system we are developing incorporates two elements that will accomplish that.

One of them is an electronic system that will control traffic through the Straits. The system will use radars and television cameras that will be remotely controlled. All information will be collected at a location known as the `VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) Center.' In addition there will be instruments measuring currents at certain locations in the Bosporus. Of course there will also be night-vision cameras. The information gathered by these instruments will converge to a central computer that will display the state of all traffic in the Bosporus on a screen".

[04] Turkish water for occupied area delayed to end of May

Pointing out that assiduous work on the project is continuing, "interior and village affairs minister" Ilkay Kamil said that "Turkish President Suleyman Demirel will accompany the water to the TRNC".

Noting that the ground filling installations, which form the project's "TRNC" segment, have been completed and that the work of erecting the sea platform is still continuing, Ilkay Kamil said: "Barring any mishaps, Anatolian water will start flowing to the TRNC at the end of May or the beginning of June".

In a statement to illegal TAK (Turkish Cypriot News Agency), Kamil said that with the arrival of the water, the perennial drinking water problems of the occupied part of Nicosia and Famagusta will be solved.

A previous announcement had said that Turkey was to acquire two 10,000 cubic-meter balloons on 20 April and another 20,000 cubic-meter balloon some time later.

[05] Serdar Denktash on banning Turkish Cypriots from holding Cyprus documents

In reply to a relevant question, he said: "There will be no heated clash. We have no such concern this year. The policy pursued by the Greek Cypriot side and the EU has created a boomerang effect, and US envoy Holbrooke is trying to eliminate the damage. This is the bottom line. I do not think there will be a heated clash or incidents similar to the ones that took place in August 1996."

Asked what will happen if the S-300s arrive, Serdar Denktash claimed: "The S-300s are not coming. That is why nothing is going to happen. I do not expect any heated clash.

But we will see intense diplomatic traffic. We will attend some meetings abroad and some people will come here."

On the issue of banning Turkish Cypriots from carrying Cyprus Republic passports or identity cards and asked why was the need for such a "law" felt, Denktash claimed: "Because we have a political problem with the Greek Cypriot side, and, besides, as a state we have the right to take such action. You can consider it a crime to carry the passport of a problematic country. Germany, for example, preserves single citizenship and imposes severe penalties if it finds out that someone has obtained German citizenship while keeping his former nationality. Besides, this measure is not the first of its kind in Cyprus. Another issue is how many people really get British passports faced with all the restrictions. Even if you register yourself as a `TRNC' citizen the British erase it and write `Cypriot' in its place. Every time I travel I write TRNC and they erase it. The British might demand that of you. But it is not the same with the Greek Cypriot side. The south is a country that has problems with us; it imposes embargoes to prevent us from traveling."

Asked what will happen to those who get social security benefits from the Greek Cypriots, Denktash replied: "We know how many people get social security benefits. Their number are, anyway, diminishing because they are dying. That is, it is clear who is getting these benefits." When Denktash further claimed that this does not mean a cut in social security payments although the social security beneficiaries will hand in their identity cards, the interviewer asked: "But does that not depend on the Greek Cypriots?". To that, Denktash replied claiming: "No, it does not depend on the Greek Cypriots, because the Greeks are not doing anyone a favour. They are simply reimbursing people for premiums paid over many years."

"But what if the other side asks for the identity cards?", he was asked, and he gave the following reply: "The relevant official will show those cards and get the money."

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[06] YENIDUZEN on the Pyla incident

The Ataturk bust was painted and a flag stolen the day Turkish Cypriots visited the Hala Sultan tomb in south Cyprus.

Was this is a coincidence? No.

Were the Greek Cypriots responsible? Maybe. But who saw it? Is there an eyewitness? Was the individual who perpetrated this incident apprehended? Could it be that those who do not want peace or those who want to escalate things are among us? Why not?

Did the Greek Cypriots kill Kutlu Adali? Are the Greek Cypriots responsible for planting bombs at the offices of the (Turkish Cypriot) political parties or for other unsolved bombing incidents? Are the Greek Cypriots also responsible for events at St. Barnabas? Please, let us not challenge the other side or say things like `you see, it is impossible to make peace with these people', exaggerating an incident that we did not witness with our own eyes.

It is very easy to spread rumours among people who are not on good terms with each other and to try to create the impression that the incident was caused by the other side. Let us be careful. There are those who want to do the same thing between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots. I condemn the fanatics on both sides."

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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