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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-11-02Cyprus 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 MEDIANo. 202/98 -- 31/10-2/11/98[A] NEWS ITEMS
[A] NEWS ITEMS[01] CEM ON PIPELINE, STRAITSAccording to Anatolia Agency (2208 hours, 30/10/98), Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem has said that the Ankara declaration signed the other day will give ``significant momentum'' to the Baku - Ceyhan oil pipeline project. In an interview on NTV, Cem noted that those who signed the Ankara Declaration assumed a concrete undertaking to support the Baku-Ceyhan project. ``Also'' he said ``morally, this is a declaration that is binding on all those who signed it''.On the concern of international companies which will market the Azeri oil that the Baku Ceyhan pipeline will be costly, Cem said: ``Costliness is a relative term. I believe that those firms are moving toward the easier options, rather than the cheaper ones. When discussing the natural gas and oil issues, Turkey must, before all else, consider its people and guarantee the safety of its straits. That is the first considerations for us. In other words, no matter what, we are not going to turn the straits into a pipeline.'' Cem stated that Turkey has given this message to the said companies, and that it will sit down to discuss with them how to make the pipeline project less costly. [02] CEM LEAVES FOR BRAZIL; SPOKESMAN COMMENTSON VISIT, EU According to Anatolia Agency (1457 31/10/98), Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem left on Friday for Brazil, the first leg of his Latin America tour. Addressing the journalists at the Ataturk Airport, Foreign Ministry spokesman Necati Utkan reminded that Turkey has begun an opening policy into the Latin America. He stressed that Cem will visit officially Brazil, Argentina and Chili within the framework of the opening policy.Mentioning relations with the European Union (EU) Utkan pointed out ``the European Commission has prepared 12 reports with the countries that applied to the EU for full membership. Turkey is one of these countries. Turkey´s candidacy to the EU is among the 12 reports which will be presented to the European Parliament on 4 November''. Utkan quoted the report prepared by Hans van den Broek, the EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, on Turkey, as saying, ``in regard with the Cardiff Summit Final Document, it is normal to include Turkey among these countries''. Utkan noted that the report also mentioned the questions between Turkey and Greece. Utkan also added that the report will be approved by the European Parliament´s Commissioners Council next Wednesday. [03] COUNCIL OF TURKISH ASSOCIATIONS IN BRITAIN TO MEET EUROPARLIAMENTARIANSAccording to YENIDUZEN (31.10.98), members of the Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations in Britain, which is known for its unconditional support to Denktash´s views, will be leaving for Strasbourg to have contacts with Europarliamentarians between 4-5 December. During the same dates, adds YENIDUZEN, a delegation from Cyprus will go to Strasbourg and together with the Council members will hold contacts there.In a statement to YENIDUZEN´s correspondent, the spokesman for the Turkish Cypriot Forum for European Union, Ilher Kilic, said: ``It is not possible for the Council to realise this visit without Denktash´s permission. Therefore, in a way Denktash is knocking the European Union´s door''. Kilic said that following Denktash´s prohibiting the contacts between the two communities as well as Turkish Cypriots having contacts with the European Union, this new step is a positive development. Denktash´s going to the European Union door today is considered an interesting development since in 1996 Denktash opposed the Forum´s visits to the EU saying ``Only elected people should go there'', Kilic said. Kilic added that in Denktash´s proposals for confederation which they (as Forum) do not support in general , it is mentioned that after a settlement in Cyprus, it is possible to become an EU member as a whole prior to Turkey´s membership. Kilic stressed that this view was expressed by them and other democratic organizations at various times but he noted this was rejected by Denktash. Saying that the future of the Turkish Cypriots is in the European Union, Kilic stressed that as a result of this they support every contact with the EU. On this occassion they consider the Council´s contacts a positive step. Wishing that after the Council, Denktash as well will see the right path and on the road to peace will enter into contact with the European Union, Kilic said that the Turkish Cypriots are thirsty for peace and Denktash has to see this. Kilic said that a delegation from the Turkish Cypriot Forum for European Union will take part in a conference in Brussels. He added that the delegation will also have contacts with German Parliamentarians. [04] CEM DEMANDS EQUAL RECOGNITION FOR PSEUDO-ASSEMBLYAccording to KIBRIS (1.11.98), Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem in a statement to CNN has demanded that the pseudo state´s so- called parliament should be recognized, on the basis of equality, as is the Republic´s House of Representatives.Speaking to CNN´s Rhiz Khan´s ``Questions and Answers'' program, Cem said: ``Democracy and the parliaments of both sides should be recognized in Cyprus''. In reply a question put to him on the phone by a Greek viewer Cem claimed that the confederation proposal made by Denktash is being seriously studied by some countries. ``The Greek and Greek Cypriot side as well should take this proposal into consideration'' Cem said. [05] PSEUDO-MINISTER DENIES BLACK MONEY LAUNDEREDIN OCCUPIED AREA According to KIBRIS (31.10.98) , the so-called minister of finance of the pseudostate, Salih Cosar, has claimed that laundering black money in Cyprus is practically impossible.He rejected the accusations that the occupied area is a centre for laundering black money. ``There is no black money in Cyprus'', Cosar alleged. ``Those who claim that money is being laundered in the TRNC are those who are unaware of the economic dimensions of this place''. Answering questions put to him by KIBRIS about the Turkish Prime Minister´s recent statement that part of the black money which is under investigation in Turkey is in the occupied area of Cyprus, Cosar said: ``Following our investigations there are no unregistered nor black money in our banks. Banks are not grocers. We have checked the banks. We did not find anything significant''. He said there are three ways in which money is being transfered to a bank: 1. Transfers from Bank to Bank 2. Cash money declared at customs 3. Cash money not declared at customs ``Until now no one has declared while entering the TRNC that "I am bringing money with me". If they brought the money in without declaring it, in that case they should have either deposited the money in a bank or invested it. Whereas if we look into our economy, apart from government investments, it is not possible to see recent investments of over one million US dollars . And in order for the money to enter into a bank system, the money should be transfered from that bank to another bank outside Cyprus. There is no such activity because the TRNC is not recognized and our bank limits are very small. Our banks work as saving banks''. Answering the question: ``In that case is the black money laundered in the Casinos?'' Cosar said ``I do not know. However, it is not possible physically to launder money in Cyprus.Those who say that black money is being laundered in the TRNC are those who do not know the economic dimensions of this place. Unregistered money can not be laundered in a small economy.'' [06] TALAT MEETS SLOVAK DIPLOMATAccording to KIBRIS (31.10.98) the leader of the Republican Turkish Party (RTP), Mehmet Ali Talat, had a meeting yesterday morning with Slovakia´s Change d´affaires, Dusan Rosbora, at the party´s headquartes in the occupied area.During the meeting Talat and Rasbora exchanged views on the latest developments in the Cyprus problem. 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 |