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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 00-08-21

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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


TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 158/00 -- 21.08.00

[A] NEWS ITEMS

  • [01] Turkish Cypriot Organizations, Unions, Talat slam economic measures Illegal Bayrak Radio 1 (16:13 hours, 18/8/00) carries the reactions of political parties, organizations, and associations with regard to the economic recovery measures adopted by the so-called council of ministers on 16 August. According to illegal Bayrak, Republican Turkish Party leader Mehmet Ali Talat charged that the economic measures will lead the pseudostate's economy and the people into a full-fledged impasse. In a written statement, Talat described the bit-by-bit implementation of the economic package, which he said was prepared by Turkey, as disrespect for the people. Talat said that the ``coalition'' has forgotten that the pseudostate is even more expensive than Turkey, adding: ``Just for the sake of improving the balance of the budget, the government laid a heavy burden on the people and on the economy by means of taxes and price hikes. From now on, life will be even more unbearable in every area.'' Talat accused Dervis Eroglu and Mustafa Akinci of driving the pseudostate's economy into an impasse to save their own political future. Dev-Is, the Federation of Revolutionary Workers Unions, described the decisions adopted by the ``Council of Ministers'' on 16 August as ``a death command for the workers.'' Dev-Is leader Ali Gulle said that the necessary response will be given soon to the mentality that has condemned the people to unemployment and is refusing to pay out the money belonging to the workers, who are also bank depositors. The reaction of the Young Businessmen Association to the recent price hikes and additional taxes is also carried in the same newscast. Warning that the price hikes and the additional tax will further exacerbate the inflation and the market will shrink further, the association accused the ``government'' of being devoid of economic sense. In a written statement, association leader Vargun Varer said that the announcement of price hikes and additional taxes created disappointment among young businessmen. He called on the ``government'' to explain the reasons for not implementing savings measures while it raised VAT rates, and to appease the public conscience.
  • [02] New Commander said to trigger opposition's reaction Halkin Sesi (19/8/00) reports that Brigadier General Ozeyranli, whose dispute with the opposition in the occupied area gave birth to a crisis, was replaced by Galip Mendi, who himself generated a new crisis. Mendi's name was involved in Kutlu Adali's assassination, which occurred at the time when he was serving as the chief of the ``Civilian Defense Organization (SST)'' in the occupied area. In a statement he made, Mehmet Ali Talat, the CTP (Republican Turkish Party) leader, said that the crisis is going to get gradually worse. Talat did not approve Brigadier General Galip Mendi's appointment to the ``Defense Forces Headquarters (GKK)'' in the occupied area, a post which became available after Brigadier General Ali Nihat Ozeyranli left office. Talat noted that the Turkish General Staff is making a great mistake by appointing to the ``GKK'' a person whose name is involved in the Kutlu Adali murder and said, ``They are making a serious mistake. I hope the new incumbent will not make us yearn for the one who has left and that common sense will have the upper hand. In order to get out of this chaos, all the sides must do something.'' Izzet Izcan, the YBH (Patriotic Unity Movement) general secretary, also drew attention to the fact that the name of Brigadier General Mendi is involved in the speculations regarding the Adali murder. Izcan said, ``There was some uneasiness about this, anyway. The people regarded it negatively. This person was appointed to the office of the Security Headquarters by a special request of Denktash. The appointment of a problematic person who is in favor of harshness, after the former commander who stirred up problems, increased the pace of the responses. The appointment will bring about a new crisis. They want to intimidate the people in this way.'' Ilkay Adali, the widow of Kutlu Adali, one of the Yeniduzen newspaper reporters who was killed by an unknown assassin in 1996, said the following concerning her husband's assassination: ``They planned an operation against the Saint Barnabas Monastery in 1996. Kutlu Adali began to receive death threats following an article that he wrote on this operation. SST Chief Galip Mendi had threatened Adali once. Two days after my husband was murdered, Mendi and some other people were dismissed from their jobs. We received some notification concerning the murder. The names of Orhan Alban and Huseyin Demirci were given. Demirci continues to receive a salary from the SST. He used to meet Mendi continuously. This person is still carrying a weapon and is wearing a military uniform. But in no way was their evidence taken. The incident was covered up.'' Ilkay Adali, who considers Galip Mendi's appointment to the General Staff Headquarters as a threat, said, ``Turkey does not want the Cypriot Turks to live here. They are intimidating the people. We who love our country can never be traitors.''
  • [03] New VAT rates KIBRIS (19/8/00) reports that the Value Added Tax (VAT) rates which were re-determined by the pseudostate's so-called council of ministers by taking into consideration the economic and social situation, will enter into effect on August 21. The new VAT rates will be implemented as 0,3,9,13 and 20 percent according to the different goods and services.
  • [04] Asil Nadir proposal to bail out Cypriot bank A report in daily Milliyet (19/8/00) says that depositors of Kibris Endustri Bank have responded positively to a proposal made by Asil Nadir, owner of the bank, to the so-called government. At a meeting held with the depositors on 17 August the sides approved a program that calls for the bank's resumption of all banking operations from 1 September. Reporting the deal he has struck with the bank's depositors, via his daily, Kibris, Asil Nadir made the following statement to the newspaper: ``Our primary goal is to turn our bank into an organization that will make contributions to the national economy again, though a joint management team to be set up together with our depositors after completing necessary formalities with the government''. The plan that Nadir has devised in order to bail the bank out is as follows: ``Ownership of Kibris will be transferred to the bank. In addition to this, $10 million in cash will be deposited in the bank on 20 February 2001 in order to strengthen its liquidity. From 8 November all deposits up to TL1 billion will be paid to small depositors. Depositors will be represented on the board of the new Endustri Bank to be created. Interest accrued from 8 May 2000 to date will be added to the principal and interest payments will start in September. They will be paid regularly on a monthly basis. In return, all deposits will be converted into pounds sterling from September and kept in the bank for six months. Any depositor claiming his or her money will receive it only at the beginning of March.''
  • [05] Pseudo-assembly delegation to attend meetings in Strasbourg and Indonesia According to KIBRIS (19.8.00) two separate delegations from the so-called TRNC assembly will participate in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Strasbourg and in the Interparliamentary Union meeting in Indonesia. So-called deputy speaker of the pseudo-assembly, Salih Cosar, will head the delegation that will attend the meeting in Strasbourg between 24 September and 1st October. Ertugrul Hasipoglu, so-called assembly speaker, will head the delegation that will travel to Indonesia between 13-21 October. After the Interparliamentary Union meeting the delegation will go to Australia for contacts with Turkish Associations.
  • [06] Fire KIBRIS (21/8/00) reports that a fire broke out yesterday in the occupied village of Kormakitis and burned 70 hectares of land.
  • [07] Salamis dig yields Roman house Cyprus Today (19-25/8/00) reports that remains of a Roman house have been uncovered by an archaeological team illegally excavating at the Salamis ruins, outside occupied Famagusta. Professor Coskun Ozgunel, head of ``Eastern Mediterranean University Centre for the Protection of Archaeological and Cultural Heritage'', said the discovery had been made to the north-west of the forum area. He described the house as being of the late-Roman period, built on a street dating back to the Hellenistic era. This year's illegal excavation work, which was arranged under a two-year- old joint scheme involving ``Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU)'' and Ankara University, began in June and is to continue until the end of the month. A 20-strong team has been concentrated on excavating the ``stoke- hole'' for Salamis's Roman bath and the area of the agora, or forum. Professor Ozgunel said a restoration expert, Ilknur Yildirim of the Conservation Laboratory of Ankara's Anatolian Civilisations Museum, had arranged for restoration and maintenance of the ``sun'' mosaic at Salamis. A similar mosaic is found in Syria.
  • [08] UK visa applications According to KIBRIS (21.08.2000) there were 14, 500 visa applications for the UK from the occupied area in the last three years. The paper reports that the British High Commission in Cyprus has turned down 5.5% of the applications. KIBRIS says that in 1998 5,458 applications were made, in 1999 there were 6, 078 applications, while in the first seven months of 2000 there were 3,510 visa applications. Britain has introduced visa requirements for people coming from the occupied area, with a view to precluding the asylum seekers. Following this decision the number of asylum seekers was drastically reduced.
  • [09] Number of tourists decreased According to KIBRIS (21/8/00) the number of tourists from third countries (other than Turkey) who visited the occupied area has decreased in the last five years. According to a bulletin of the Turkish Cypriot Hotel Owners Union (KITOB), the number of foreign tourists who visited the occupied area has decreased from 95,079 in 1994 to 77,250 in 1999.
  • [10] 48816 new ``TRNC citizens'' since 1974 According to weekly TOPLUM POSTASI (17/08/00), 48816 people has been made ``citizens'' in the occupied area since 1974. The paper reports that this has been published ``officially'' for the first time. The so-called ad-hoc Committee established by a ``council of ministers'' decision in May 1999 completed its work in June 2000. The paper says that the Committee did not elaborate on people who were given so-called Identity Cards without receiving ``citizenship'' at the same time. The so-called Aliens Department refused to provide information about the former citizenship of those people who received ``TRNC citizenship''.

    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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