Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 01-05-08

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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. 85/01 -- 8.5.01

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The West is preparing a plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

[02] So-called Prime Minister of the pseudostate said to have planted bomb at his house entrance.

[03] Denktash alleges that the visit of the participants in the 12th International Yacht Rally 2001 to the occupied areas proves the existence of the pseudostate.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[04] Occupation and Minority.

[06] Bulgarian settlers are leaving the occupied Cyprus.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The West is preparing a plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem CUMHURIYET (6.5.01) reports that the US, the EU and Britain are developing a

The paper says that Greece/s plan to make Cyprus a full member of the EU during her Presidency in the first half of 2003 is being elaborated and that the USA, the EU and Britain extend indirect support to this plan.

The UN Secretary-General will put forward a new negotiating process in June. The USA, the EU and Britain, which exert pressure so that the Turkish side accepts this process, warned that a ``Greek Cypriot side/s possible membership will be as harmful to Turkey as to the Turkish Cypriots''.

The plan, developed by Greece and the Cyprus government for a settlement in Cyprus, writes the paper, to which the USA, the EU and Britain extend support, is progressing.

Within the framework of the plan, which gained further validity, following the decision taken by ``Turkey and the TRNC to withdraw from the negotiating table'', it is expected that a new negotiating proposal will be extended to the Turkish side.

It is noted, reports the paper, that the UN and the USA will shape the new effort following the parliamentary elections that will take place in the free areas in the middle of June: (Tr. Note. The parliamentary election in the free areas will take place on 27 May, 2001).

Prior to the effort, pressure, accusations and warnings directed towards the Turkish side come one after the other.

The international public opinion, which closely followed the messages given by the Foreign Minister Ismail Cem during his visit to the occupied area, has started raising its voice, defending the view that it is the Turkish side that blocked the process.

The US Secretary of State Colin Powell, held Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash responsible for blocking the process, declaring that he will further study the issue of appointing a special envoy.

USA/s support for adopting the EU/s methods in solving the Cyprus problem, and the statement that they consider the full membership an important element in the settlement of the Cyprus problem, has been evaluated as a negative development regarding the Turkish stand.

The messages coming from the EU are in line with the view that the decisions taken at the Helsinki Summit will be put into practice. The main element in the EU/s approach to the problem is: ``If no settlement is reached because of Denktash/s withdrawal from the negotiation table this cannot impede Cyprus/s EU membership''.

The British Special Envoy for Cyprus, Sir David Hannay, during his meeting with the Turkish Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary, Ambassador Faruk Logoglu, has conveyed similar messages to him. Sir David has stressed the need for a settlement and warned that the issues should be discussed at the negotiation table.

Sir David said: The EU will accept Cyprus as member, according to the Helsinki decisions, even if a settlement is not reached. The EU will take the membership decision, in case a settlement is not reached because of the Turkish side/s refusal to sit around the negotiation table. This will pave the way for negative developments regarding Turkey/s EU membership process as well as to the Turkish Cypriots''.

In turn Logoglu said that if the EU admits Cyprus as a full member the problem will further aggravate.

[02] So-called Prime Minister of the pseudostate said to have planted bomb at his house entrance

``Certain circles supported by `President/ Rauf Denktash, the `Turkish Embassy/, and the military command are stressing that `Prime Minister/ Dervis Eroglu has himself planted the bomb that exploded at the entrance of his house.

Kibrisli newspaper, which, as everyone knows, is supported by `President/ Denktash and the army, published reports in this regard yesterday in the same way that it published the day before yesterday. Kibrisli claimed in its reports that Eroglu himself has planted the bomb at the entrance of his house.

The report published in banner headlines in the first page of Kibrisli goes as follows: "Deceived by the advice given by close associates who know how to take advantage of incidents involving the explosion of bombs, Eroglu has had a bomb planted at the entrance of his own house. The aim behind the detonation of this bomb was to renew his image and to enter the congress hall of his political party as a hero. Due to his timid nature, he preferred to stay at a location that is far from his house at the time of the detonation of the bomb. However, Eroglu became a laughingstock when he was exposed reentering his house secretly."

Moreover, Kibrisli claims that Eroglu has exerted pressure on high-ranking police officers to force them to give untrue reports regarding the matter. Thus, Kibrisli has asked the police to conduct an investigation into Eroglu.

Given that `President/ Denktash, the `Turkish Embassy/, and the army command support Kibrisli, the reports published in this newspaper carries great importance. In our opinion, these reports must be taken into consideration.

`Prime Minister/ Dervis Eroglu is being declared as a terrorist with these reports! Under the present circumstances, we are anxious to learn as to why the police have failed to arrest and question Eroglu and to seize his passport and identity papers.

Meanwhile, no one knows for sure as to how will the international community receive these claims about Eroglu. Will the international community take Eroglu seriously after he has been declared a terrorist''?

Meanwhile, KIBRIS (8.5.01) writes that commenting on the allegations that the bomb attack against his house was conducted with his instructions, Mr. Eroglu said that even if he was shot dead some media would claim that he committed suicide. Eroglu added that he had had a meeting with the so- called General Director of the ``Security Forces'' in the occupied areas and asked the ``police'' to issue a statement ``in order to clear the misunderstandings''.

Furthermore, ``YENIDUZEN'' (8.5.01) publishes a statement of the so-called ``Police'' according to which the type of the bomb used against Mr. Eroglu/s house was not similar to those used in other bomb attacks carried out in the occupied areas recently.

[03] Denktash alleges that the visit of the participants in the 12th International Yacht Rally 2001 to the occupied areas proves the existence of

Talking yesterday in occupied Kyrenia at a dinner he gave in honour of the participants in the Rally, Mr. Denktash wished that next year he will have the opportunity to welcome more yachts to the occupied ports.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[04] Occupation and Minority.

criticizes Turkey and the pseudostate because under the pretext of saving the Turkish Cypriots they have turned them into a minority and treat them so.

``In spite of the fact that the rulers of the Turkish Republic occupied North Cyprus and all they said, we are stuck to what they were saying in 1974 and stayed here.

We cannot see the occupation because we are forced to believe so.

In North Cyprus there are about 60-70 thousand troops.

They are meant to be protecting us.'' writes Ali Osman stressing that on the contrary in the occupied areas there is no security and crimes are an everyday phenomenon.

``I was curious and asked why we use Mersin-10 as our address.

Because Mersin has 9 districts.

After the operation of 1974 they decided to impose Mersin-10. Thus the troops of the Turkish Republic did not come here to save us.'', goes on Ali Osman and adds:

``Recently I applied to the Foreign Ministry for permission to visit the South. The officer in charge told me that I applied to the wrong section and that I should apply to the ``Minorities Office''.

In 1960 in the Cyprus Republic the Maronites, the Jews, the British, the Armenians and mainland Greeks and Turks were considered as minorities. That is, everyone outside the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. In other words today the Turkish Cypriots were given the status of a minority in their own country.

Where have we been driven to? From the common Cyprus Republic to a minority in the TRNC founded by Denktash. There is no difference in asking for the recognition of such a state from the non-solution is a solution perception''.

And Ali Osman concludes: ``As I said in the beginning: We, the Turkish Cypriots do not care very much. Not even for the fact that they brought us to the state of being under occupation and a minority''.

[50] Bulgarian settlers are leaving the occupied Cyprus

Mr. Karaman writes among other things the following: ``...I am saying that soon only those Turkish Cypriots who are able to remain in the country will do so. We shall remain alone. Those `useless people` will leave. And they will leave `on their free will`. And the end of the `state-nation` policy will be sad. ....Yes, `our Bulgarian citizens` leave us in order to obtain the benefits of the EU citizenship. They are leaving TRNC. The turn of the citizens of Turkey will come as well. The `state policy` is being prepared for this even if it (Tr. Note: the policy of the occupation regime ) cannot see it. ....

The following things are being discussed very often among those who have double citizenship:

- How much money are they going to give for each person? They are going to return to the places from where they came. The money is ready. America will give the money. The Cyprus problem will not last much longer, it will be solved. ...See that you sell the property which has been given to you. ...

Yes, I claim that in the end we will remain a minority on this island...''

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

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