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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 99-09-21Cyprus 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.: 171/99 21.9.99[A] NEWS ITEMS
[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS
[A] NEWS ITEMS[01] Ecevit says new Cyprus plan 'Out of question' According to Anatolia Agency (0917 hours, 20/9/99 Turkish Prime MinisterBulent Ecevit received on Monday Mark Parris, the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara. Speaking to reporters following the meeting at the Prime Ministry building, Ecevit said Mark Parris and he discussed the details of the visit he would pay to the U.S. between September 26 and October 2.Ecevit stated that Mark Parris would leave for the U.S. on Wednesday. When asked whether or not a new Cyprus plan was on the agenda, the Prime Minister says, "no, such a thing is out of question." [02] Turkey's Ecevit not taking "Hawks" to Washington Daily Cumhuriyet (Internet version, 19.9.99) reports that Turkish PrimeMinister Bulent Ecevit has decided to leave the "hawks" in his cabinet in Ankara and to take only "doves" to Washington to avoid the risk that his visit to the United States, which is being paid at the invitation to US President Bill Clinton, may be "overshadowed." Ecevit has dropped earlier plans to take with him Minister of State for Cyprus Affairs Sukru Sina Gurel, and Minister of State for EU Affairs and Human Rights Mehmet Ali Intermcelik. Instead, Ecevit will include in his delegation Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Cumhur Ersumer and Minister of Industry and Trade Kenan Tanrikulu.Both the United States and Turkey are working hard to avoid any problems during Ecevit's Washington visit during which issues such as Cyprus, Iraq, cooperation in the energy field, increased trade, and human rights will be discussed. US officials have suggested that no pressure will be applied on issues like Cyprus, Iraq, Turkish-Greek relations, and human rights to avoid any "troublesome" headlines in newspapers after the meeting between Clinton and Ecevit. Nevertheless, Ecevit has decided not to take with him ministers who advocate "hawkish" policies on Cyprus and human rights issues. Among these ministers are Sukru Sina Gurel and Mehmet Ali Intermcelik, who were earlier reported to be part of Ecevit's delegation. Ecevit hopes to have a "harmonious team" by including Ersumer, Tanrikulu, Minister of State for the Economy Recep Onal, and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, who is already in the United States, in the delegation. It has been remarked that the only goal of the Turkish and US officials is to prevent any problems from cropping up during the talks between the two leaders. According to the information obtained, the United States will not apply any intense pressure on Ecevit on any issue including Cyprus. Nonetheless, US officials will state that the American public has certain expectations, especially on the Cyprus issue; that the US administration will step us its efforts to meet these expectations; and that they expect the Turkish government to show its contributions in this context. During the visit Ecevit will also discuss with the US administration steps to vitalize economic relations with the purpose of healing the wounds of the earthquake. It is reported that a "trade and investment" accord will be signed during Ecevit's visit. Ecevit is expected to have a meeting with US Vice President Al Gore and to have a breakfast meeting with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. His wife, Rahsan Ecevit, will reportedly have tea with Hillary Clinton. A 55-person delegation will accompany Ecevit during his visit. It has been learned that a security team of only six persons will protect the delegation because of Ecevit's request to limit the size of the delegation. A total of 74 Turkish journalists will follow Ecevit's visit. [03] Virtue Party criticizes 'softening' in Turkish Stand on Cyprus Illegal Bayrak Radio (1030 hours, 20.9.99) reports that Virtue Party (FP)deputy leader Veysel Candan has said that Turkey must not make any compromises in Cyprus. At a news conference at FP headquarters, Candan pointed out that the issue of the pseudostate will be discussed during the talks Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit will hold in the United States later this month. Candan stressed that the government must not make any compromises in Cyprus. He noted that lately, a softening has been observed in the Turkish stand in connection with the "TRNC". Candan said: "Turkey is not the interlocutor in this case, the TRNC is. The United States must confer with President Denktash. The TRNC must first be recognized and then sit at the negotiating table."[04] Retired Turkish Ambassador views Cyprus Daily Zaman (18.9.99) publishes the text of an interview with retiredTurkish Ambassador Inal Batu.In reply to a relevant question, he said: "Names are not important at all. Switzerland is a confederation whereas the USA is a federation. In other words, what is important is how powers will be distributed between the two sides. I do not want there to be a terminological dispute. What is important is the presence of good will, political equality, and security. It is essential that the smaller side not be injustly trated and that important decisions not be made without the permission of the smaller side. In other words the veto system must work. It used to be like that in the former system, where both the vice president and the president himself could exercise their rights of veto. If there is good will and the larger side refrains from harming the benefits of the smaller side and the two sides tacitly enjoy the right of veto, then it is not very important whether you call this organization a federation or a confederation. Yet if you are calling it 'an independent state' or if you are saying 'the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (TRNC) must be sustained', that is something else." He added that "there is a muddle over what Turkey wants to do in Cyprus. I have been using the press as a source of information on Turkey's policy on Cyprus. It is sometimes said that Turkey 'will not go to the negotiating table unless the TRNC is recognized.' Sometimes they say, 'there are to be no negotiations unless equality is accepted.' Occasionally it is also said that 'if there are to be any negotiations, the sovereignty of the TRNC must be recognized'. Some people take the view that Turkey must sit at the negotiating table and that it can then decide whether to explain its plans or not. What I am trying to say is that as far as I am able to see, Turkey does not seem to have a clearly defined policy on Cyprus. For one thing, I have not quite been able to understand whether it is federation or confederation that we want. For another, it is not clear whether we want recognition of the statehood of the TRNC or what might be termed a 'sovereign equality'." In reply to a question on US Assistant Secretary of State Mark Grossman's recent visit to Turkey, Inal Batu said: "Grossman is a successful diplomat. He has come to Ankara to hold preliminary talks with Prime Minister Ecevit so as to enable Mr. Ecevit's prospective visit to the US to be a fruitful one. The success of Mr. Grossman's visit depends from the viewpoint of the US on whether he can get Denktash to abide by the call made by the UN and stop insisting on a number of preconditions and whether he can have the sides come to the negotiating table. In other words Grossman has asked Denktash and the Turkish government to give up their demands. He has also made this covert warning: 'Financial aid and candidacy for membership in the EU are contingent on what you do about the Cyprus issue.' The Europeans said this even more openly. The Greek minister who was killed in that plane accident had quite straightforwardly said this to us. He said that talks on Cyprus must be started under the auspices of the UN before the Helsinki summit. Prime Minister Simitis made a similar statement after talking to Clerides." [05] Ertugruloglu in Ankara and the US for contacts According to KIBRIS (21.9.99) the so-called foreign affairs and defenceminister, Tahsin Ertugruloglu, leaves the occupied area of Cyprus today to have contacts first in Ankara and then the USA and to participate in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministries of the Islamic Conference Organization. He will be in the USA during the deliberations of the UN General Assembly.On 23 September he will meet with the Turkish State Minister responsible for Cyprus Affairs, Sukru Sinu Gurel, in Ankara. On Friday, Ertugruloglu will meet with the Chief of Staff, General Huseyin Kurikoglu, and on Saturday with the Turkish National Defence Minister, Sabahattin Cakmakoglu. Due to the absence of Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Ismail Cem, Ertugruloglu will meet with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Korkmaz Haktanir. On Sunday, he will leave for New York. On 1st October he will take part in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministries of the Islamic Conference Organization, and the next day he will go to Washington for contacts with State Department officials and members of the Congress. He will return to the occupied area on 7 October. Ertugruloglu will be accompanied by the so-called director of political affairs at the "foreign affairs ministry" Namik Korhan. (DP) [06] Bandler meets political party leaders KIBRIS (21.9.99) reports that US Ambassador to Cyprus, Donald Bandler, hadmeetings yesterday with the DP and the RTP.Bandler first met with the leader of the Democratic Party (DP) Serdar Denktash. In a statement before the meeting, Serdar said that they will exchange views on the Cyprus issue. On his part, Bandler said that he will do everything he can to help Cyprus. Bandler then met with the leader of the Republican Turkish Party (RTP) Mehmet Ali Talat. They exchanged views on the latest developments on the Cyprus issue. The meeting lasted 45 minutes. (DP) [07] Pseudostate to apply EU customs tariffs for countries in the accession processAccording to HURRIYET KIBRIS (21.9.99) the so-called ministry of finance and economy with a view to protecting the producer and encouraging the consumer has made new arrangements regarding the customs and excise duties. In an exclusive statement to HURRIYET KIBRIS the so-called director of the "ministry" Mehmet Turgud said that the mistakes and drawbacks in the customs and excise duty applications have been amended by the so-called council of ministers' decision of 19 August.He said: "As a result of the decision to apply common customs tariffs with Turkey, a relevant law was passed on 19 August. To the third counties which are in the EU accession process but outside the EU and EFTA countries, Turkey is applying the same customs tariffs applied by the EU. Therefore, according to the bilateral agreement concluded with Turkey, we as TRNC have accepted to apply the same customs tariffs. Work towards this direction has been completed and on 19 August we put into force the common customs tariffs." (MY) [B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIAL[08] Turkish Columnist views US approach on Cyprus Esen Unur, writing in daily Star (16.9.99), says that everyone knows thatPrime Minister Bulent Ecevit wants to turn his Washington visit into one where mainly economic and trade relations would be taken up. It is also well known that the US side wants to give weight to Cyprus and human rights issues. Prior to such summits, diplomats exert intense efforts to organize the agenda of the meeting in such a way as to please both the sides. Unur says that according to information received from Washington, it seems that a middle way formula has also been found on the Cyprus issue. Unur says: "From what I could gather, the plan is to include in the joint communique, to be issued following the Clinton-Ecevit meeting, a sentence saying that both the sides would contribute as much as they can toward the solution of the Cyprus problem. And the actual developments on this issue will take place following the meeting. It is expected that after the Clinton-Ecevit summit, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will take the initiative and the phases to follow this will be something like this:[26] Annan will call on the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders to meet at a location near New York at the end of October.[29] The formula worked out to overcome Turkey's and TRNC's (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) 'equal state' precondition will be applied.What is this Formula?Sometime before or at the same time as Kofi Annan's call, either the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, or another high ranking US official, is expected to make a statement implying that the 'Greek Cypriot administration in Cyprus is not the state of the Turks.' It is hoped that this middle way formula will satisfy Denktash and Turkey. It is further indicated that if Denktash says 'no' to this formula also he will find himself in a very difficult position in international platforms. Right Time (subhead) According to my source, Washington is convinced that it is just the right time to solve the disagreements, and chiefly the Cyprus problem, between Turkey and Greece. This conviction derives its strength from the atmosphere of friendship generated by the Greek people's warm sentiment and the Greek government's great rescue and other efforts during the big earthquake in Turkey, as well as from the augmentation of this friendship with Turkey's reciprocal action during the Greek earthquake. The hope that this 'quake friendship' could spread to other fields has clearly increased in the United States and the world. Flexibility Needed (subhead) It is also indicated that the US administration sincerely believes that 'once the sides manage to sit at the table this problem will be solved.' And it is openly talked about in Washington that Denktash is the main reason why this is not being realized. The number of the officials who say 'if only Denktash shows a little flexibility' is now on the fast increase. It has also not escaped attention that because of Denktash's hard stance all calls concerning the Cyprus issue have been addressed to Turkey. Whereas Greece, using a good diplomatic tactic, has been making statements and calls practically along the same lines as the United States and the UN Secretary General. And this being so, Turkey is close to appearing the intransigent side. The governments in the TRNC and Turkey must prepare themselves well and convince the world public in their cause if they do not want to fall into this situation." [71] Turkish side feels Americans will not impose anythingFikret Bila in his column ``Direction'' in MILLIYET (21.9.99) refers to the forthcoming US visit of Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and says that the feeling in Ankara is that Washington will not try to impose anything regarding issues that might create problems and adds:``Especially, Ankara does not expect pressure regarding the Cyprus problem. Prime Minister Ecevit said: `I do not expecting pressure, there is no worrying situation.´ And Ecevit stresses that Ankara will not introduce any change. The Cyprus problem is on the Clinton-Ecevit agenda. Ecevit will stress that the Turkish side sitting around the negotiation table will have a meaning when the TRNC´s equal sovereign status is recognized. The gist of Ecevit´s argument in Washington regarding the Cyprus problem is this: `The issue is a status issue. The Turkish side is not against a common roof. However, a founding partner status, with sovereign authority should be recognized to the Turkish side. It is not possible to accept the view that considers the Greek Cypriot side the sovereign state and gives the Turkish side the minority status´. This view which was shared during the Cankaya Mansion Summit held during TRNC President Denktash´s visit to Ankara will be the main approach during Ecevit´s Washington visit. On the other hand, the USA wants the sides to sit around the negotiation table under the existing situation. Against this, Ankara expects that Clinton will not insist in such a manner that will negatively effect Ecevit´s visit. TRNC President Rauf Denktash as well is determined not to sit around the negotiation table unless his `sovereign status´ is recognized.'' Bila then refers to Denktash´s stance for indirect talks and adds: ``As for the settlement, Denktash says the following: `We are not against confederation. However the minimum condition for this is the recognition of the TRNC´s equal status´. Denktash´s statement points the place where Ecevit will stop in Washington''. (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 |
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