Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 99-08-10

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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. 141/99 -- 10.8.99

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Dentkash rejects `US Plan´.

[02] Eroglu `US Plan´ unacceptable´.

[03] US Plan, `deliberate´ move-Serdar Denktash.

[04] British MP visits.

[05] Karpass to be revived.

[06] Tourists in the occupied area.

[07] Fees paid reduced on receipts.

[08] Gymnastics tournament.

[09] Veteran athletes

[10] Honorary representatives.

[11] Legal action against Star newspaper.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[12] US reaction to Turkish policy on Cyprus.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Denktash rejects `US Plan´

Denktash was commenting on information that the United States drew up a 10- point plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem. He asserted that these are speculations devised by the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo.

The ``TRNC'', he noted, will not give up its course which is ``that the Greek Cypriot republic in the south and the Turkish Cypriot republic in the north reach an agreement and set up good neighbourly relations. Given 36 years of disaster and of a show of enmity against us, there is nothing else that can be done''. Denktash repeated his allegation that the only aim of the Greek Cypriots is to have the whole of Cyprus and to place the Turkish Cypriots in a position of minority, adding that south Cyprus is the richest area in the Mediterranean because, under a false name, it uses all the money it receives for the whole of Cyprus.

Claiming once again that Turkey saved the Turkish Cypriots in 1974, Denktash added: ``Our existence, our state, and our rights must be recognized; the enmity must stop and the embargoes must be lifted. Greece must not be given bases, troops must not be brought from Greece, so much money must not be spent on weapons, and law suits based on lies must not be filed at the European Human rights Court. If they want cooperation and if they want good neighbourliness they must stop this hostility.''

The Greek, Cypriots, he said, must realize that the state in the north was established as a result of what they did.

The said US plan, Denktash went on, is one desired by the Greek Cypriots. The Turkish Cypriots, he concluded, must uphold the ``TRNC'' and hold on tight to the motherland. They must announce on every occasion that they will never negotiate their sovereignty rights or Turkey´s guarantees.

[02] Eroglu `US Plan´ unacceptable´

Eroglu said that the plan envisages the return of Varosha and Morphou which is unacceptable.

[03] US Plan, `deliberate´ move - Serdar Denktash

Those who think that the Turkish Cypriots can be forced to emigrate once again are very wrong, he said adding that any plan that takes the Turkish Cypriots back from their current position cannot contribute to the political solution of the Cyprus problem.

[04] British MP visits

Before the meeting, the British MP stated that he will continue his efforts to obtain the necessary treatment for Thalassaemia patients.

Amess added that the representative of the Turkish school of Eltham, (in England) Leyla Kemal and the Vice-President of the Turkish organization of the Conservative Party Mehmetali Salih collected 11,785 pounds sterling for the Thalassaemia association in the ``TRNC''.

(DP)

[05] Karpass to be revived

The ``Education and Culture Minister'' Mehmet Altinay announced that a Hotel Management School will be established in Karpass. Moreover, seminars and festivals will be organized as well as an exhibition of delicacies from the Karpass cuisine.

(DP)

[06] Tourists in the occupied area

An official from the so-called State Ministry Huseyin Gokboru stated that it is not known how many are tourists and how many are students.

YENIDUZEN gives a different figure from KIBRIS about hotel occupancy in 1999. It reports that it is only 34%.

(DP)

[07] Fees paid, reduced on receipts

The question is, the paper says, where the surplus amount goes.

Moreover, travellers returning from Turkey via Kyrenia port, pay 2,100,000 TL fee and are given a receipt for only 600,000 TL.

In addition passengers who return from Alanya without a receipt are charged by the authorities a fee of 4,250,000 TL.

The question remains, why the authorities do not give a receipt for the fees, the paper underlines.

(DP)

[08] Gymnastics tournament

[09] Veteran athletes

The paper says that 5,900 athletes participated in this meeting. After the competition, the Turkish Cypriot athletes started to take initiatives to join the organization officially.

The athletes have started to prepare for the Balkan Championship, which will be held on 11th of September.

(DP)

[10] Honorary representatives

Furthermore the so-called Council of Ministers decided to cover all expenses of the ``honorary representative'' in China Dr. David Yi Zhong´s visit to occupied area to meet ``State officials''.

(DP)

[11] Legal action against Star newspaper

In his article Ardis uses unbecoming words and language for a serious paper, contrary to the journalists´ ethics, in describing the students attending the university.

KIBRIS reports that score of protest messages by the University administration and students reached the STAR´s office stating that they will take legal action against the author.

(MY)

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[12] US reaction to Turkish policy on Cyprus

In its place, Ankara is using the `confederation´ thesis and does not hide its `pleasure over the continuation of the status quo´. Even as it says `maybe one day there can be confederation after the TRNC is recognized´, nothing is being done about starting a campaign for the recognition of the Turkish Cypriot state. Turkey just waits hoping that after many years this will actually be unavoidable or even that the Greek Cypriot administration will give up the north for the sake of the EU membership.

This is briefly how US officials perceive the Turkish position on Cyprus.

In Washington´s view, recent statements from Ankara and Rauf Denktash have solidly confirmed the Turkish side´s desire to maintain the status quo. (…)

The second component of the Turkish position is, according to US perception, Turkey´s conviction that `whatever happens they cannot pressure us, and we can resist the calls for negotiations´.

The `they cannot pressure us´ idea is not basically wrong. The US officials themselves say that at most they will continue advising Turkey on the Cyprus problem because their interests as well as their regional policy do not allow them to pressure Turkey.

Nevertheless, the United States is questioning these two components of the Turkish policy with questions such as:

[50] Why is the continuation of the status quo, which denies the Turkish Cypriots `first class world citizenship´ and reduces the economic outlook of

[55] Is it not clear that the situation on the island is continuously heightening tension in the region and that a real Turkish-Greek

[60] Would a solution in Cyprus not relieve Turkey of pressure in its foreign relations? It is clear that the EU will not say `agree to a solution in

[68] Instead of showing a `let the rich not issue orders´ reaction to the G- 8 call, would it not be possible to use the negotiation process to explain

Contrary to the Turkish view, the claim of the United States, which is a signatory to the G-8 call, regarding this last point is that `the scope of the negotiations has not been reduced; rather it has been kept broad enough to bring any alternative to the table´. When Washington officials are reminded that the UN resolutions mentioned by the G-8 call for a `federation´, a fifth point is raised by the US officials:

[80] Why does the Turkish side not demand a negotiating process in which neither the UN resolutions nor the confederation are put forward as

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

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