Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 02-07-10

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The U.N. Security Council criticized the attitude of the Turkish Cypriot side in the direct talks. Reaction by the so-called representative of the pseudostate to the UN

[02] Parliament's biggest party splits into two. Distribution of seat in the TGNA

[03] Ankara Court rejects lawsuits proposing guardianship for Ecevit

[04] Omer Faik Muftuzade, former representative of the "TCFS" to London, has died

[05] The "political earthquake" in Turkey shakes the occupied areas of Cyprus as well

[06] The Turkish President approved the new ministerial appointments. The Council of Ministers will convene under Ecevit

[07] Motherland Party and the Islamic Felicity Party want early elections on 29 September

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] Columnist in Milliyet newspaper alleges that the U.S. Administration might intervene to prevent Cyprus/ accession to the EU prior to a solution only on the eve of an intervention against Iraq

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The U.N. Security Council criticized the attitude of the Turkish Cypriot side in the direct talks. Reaction by the so-called representative of the pseudostate to the UN

Plumer told A.A correspondent that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Rauf Denktas, made a warning in his statement on Monday, noting that the warnings of Denktas were not taken into consideration in the U.N. Security Council statement, and that a call was made to the Turkish Cypriot side with the pressures of the Greek Cypriot side and Greece.

He alleged that it would not be right to expose one of the sides to such a call as the process continued, noting that this was not right for the future of the process.

U.N. Security Council members convened on Tuesday to discuss the Cyprus problem and listened to the briefing of Cyprus Special Envoy Alvaro de Soto about the face-to-face meetings carried out between Denktas and Greek Cypriot leader Glafcos Clerides.

The Council Chairman made a statement to the press at the end of the meeting and criticized the Turkish Cypriot side.

The press statement said:``Despite the valuable contribution of the Secretary General with his visit to the Island in May, the talks recorded a very slow progress, and that this created disappointment in Council members.``

The statement also said the Turkish Cypriot side was seen in a less constructive approach and refrained from expending support to the target of reaching a solution till the end of June, Ankara Anatolia reports.

[02] Parliament's biggest party splits into two. Distribution of seat in the TGNA

After the resignation of Ecevit's disgraced former right-hand-man Husamettin Ozkan from the government and the DLP, a number of DLP deputies followed in his footsteps. After Ozkan, four other Cabinet ministers and 26 DLP deputies resigned from the party.

Bahri Sipahi who was among those who resigned from the party claimed that the total number of resignations from the DLP will reach 50. Former Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Iliksoy who was the second person who resigned after Ozkan said that there are currently 35 names whose resignations are clear but this number may exceed 50.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ismail Cem is reportedly the key person whose decision will have an important impact on the future of the DLP, as well as the new formation and Ozkan and his friends intend to launch. According to political analysts, if the foreign minister decides to resign from the DLP during this period when snap polls are on the agenda of the country, his move will fuel the collapse of the DLP.

Ministers and DLP members who resigned from the DLP aim at forming a new political formation. It is said that Ozkan, Cem and Economy Minister Kemal Dervis will join forces to form a new party on the ashes of the DLP. Ozkan and Dervis were scheduled to meet over dinner on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, the nine-member opposition in the DLP called on Ecevit Tuesday to hold an extraordinary party convention and allow the DLP continue under his guidance but with a new leader.

On the other side of the coin, the DLP has been the scene of its most busy schedule. Ecevit has made rounds of talks with DLP members who are still loyal to him. His wife Rahsan Ecevit who is the deputy chairperson of the DLP in charge of the organization, held meetings with some DLP members known with their close ties with the Ecevit couple. DLP deputy group chairman and Ecevits' new right-hand-man Emrehan Halici told reporters that resignations didn't create shock in the party.

It is clear that the ailing prime minister, who is 78-years old, cannot run for power for another five years. Taking that into account, some DLP members, who are not close to Ozkan, have been seeking a new political umbrella with the aim of being elected as a deputy again in the snap polls.

The distribution of the seats in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) is as follows:

Nationalist Action Party (NAP): 127
Democratic Left Party (DLP): 96
True Path Party (TPP): 85
Motherland Party (MP): 79
Justice and Development Party (JDP): 53
Felicity Party (FP): 48
Populist Democratic Party (PDP): 3
Great Union Party (GUP): 1
Independent: 45
Empty: 13

The resignations from the party damaged the balances in the coalition government as well as brought the party on the brink of collapse.

On Tuesday evening, DLP's seats decreased to 96 while the senior coalition partner, the Nationalist Action Party (NAP) was occupying 127 seats in Parliament. Meanwhile, the number of independent lawmakers rose to 46.

[03] Ankara Court rejects lawsuits proposing guardianship for Ecevit

Ankara Chamber of Commerce Chairman Sinan Aygun, and a man named Mahir Akkar, filed lawsuits with the court to place Ecevit under guardianship. Court Chairman Muammer Bicakci refused to hear the cases on the grounds that the courts could not determine whether or not a prime minister was competent to fulfill his or her duties.

Bicakci said that the problem should be solved by Parliament, adding that the country's current economic situation does not necessitate placing Ecevit under guardianship. He also added that Aygun and Akkar are not relatives or heirs of Ecevit and that there were no legal benefits from deliberating the cases.

[04] Omer Faik Muftuzade, former representative of the "TCFS" to London, has died

The late Muftuzade was Commander of the Cyprus Regiment during the period 1946 - 49, a police officer in Larnaka, Paphos and Famagusta during 1954 - 60 and senior liaison officer at the British Sovereign Base of Akrotiri during the years 1960 and 1975. His funeral will take place tomorrow in the occupied city of Kyrenia.

[05] The "political earthquake" in Turkey shakes the occupied areas of Cyprus as well

Under the title "The DLP earthquake has shaken the TRNC markets as well", the paper writes that after the resignations, yesterday, within the day, the price of the US dollar increased to 1.720.000 Turkish liras, the sterling increased to 2.650.00 liras, the euro became 1.700.000 liras and the Cyprus pound reached 2.915.000 liras. Finally, however, the market closed with the above-mentioned prices:

One US dollar: 1.680.000 liras, one sterling: 2.580.000 liras, one euro: 1.670.000 and one Cyprus pound: 2.830.000.

Meanwhile, Ali Seylani, chairman of the Turkish Cypriot "Public Servants" Trade Union, issued yesterday a statement accusing the so-called coalition "government" of not keeping the promise it had given before the "municipal elections" regarding increasing the wages of the employees. Not only have they not increased the wages, notes Mr Seylani, but they announced new increases to the price of the fuels.

[06] The Turkish President approved the new ministerial appointments. The Council of Ministers will convene under Ecevit

Sukru Sina Gurel was appointed as the State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. Gurel replaced the State Ministry and Deputy Prime Ministry which became vacant after the resignation of Husamettin Ozkan.

Tayfun Icli was appointed to the State Ministry which became vacant after the resignation of Recep Onal while Zeki Sezer replaced the State Ministry which had earlier been the office of Sukru Sina Gurel.

Izmir deputy Suat Caglayan was appointed as the new Culture Minister.

Anatolia news agency (9/07/02) also reported that the Council of Ministers will convene on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.

The meeting at the Prime Ministry will start at 11:00 a.m.

Meanwhile True Path Party (TPP) leader Tansu Ciller has said that her party unconditionally supports early elections and Turkey`s EU membership.

Ciller also stated that Parliament should immediately convene in an extraordinary session. ``We support elections with two rounds so that the divided majority in Turkey would not be controlled by a privileged minority,`` she said. ``I told Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit that it was difficult to continue with the current government and he said he was aware of this difficulty but he wasn`t planning to resign at this stage,`` she said.

Ciller said: ``Whether we take part in a government or not is not so important today, what we want is to have a new beginning for the people of this country. And this is possible by holding early elections.``

[07] Motherland Party and the Islamic Felicity Party want early elections on 29 September

FP whip Omer Vehpi Hatipoglu and deputy leader Mehmet Bekaroglu visited the MP parliamentary group, and met with party whip Nihat Gokbulut and deputy leader Mirac Akdogan. In a statement to reporters after the meeting, which lasted approximately half an hour, Hatipoglu declared that agreement was reached with the MP on the need to enact the Political Parties and Election Laws as well as the EU adaptation laws before early elections. Hatipoglu said: "If early elections are to be held on 3 November, the Assembly must meet in an extraordinary session on 1 August and implement the said changes. The two parties also reached an agreement to hold early elections on 29 September 2002."

Meanwhile, the Justice and Development Party (JDP) submitted a proposal to the Assembly to hold early elections on 6 October.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[08] Columnist in Milliyet newspaper alleges that the U.S. Administration might intervene to prevent Cyprus/ accession to the EU prior to a solution only on the eve of an intervention against Iraq

"Progress has not been made in the face-to-face negotiations held by the two leaders on the island. This means that Turkey might find itself in the midst of a Cyprus crisis at the end of this year. Furthermore, this crisis might not be limited to Cyprus only.

A certain sector notes that if the sides fail to resolve the Cyprus problem by December and if the EU accepts Cyprus' membership during the December summit -- in other words, if the EU approves an integration that includes the Greek Administration only -- Turkey and the TRNC [Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus] will have no choice other than "going their own separate joint way." Currently this circle is implying that it agrees to the integration of Northern Cyprus with Turkey.

The US diplomats are following these signs with concern. They believe that the /TRNC's/ integration with Turkey might damage Turkey's relations with Greece, the EU, and even the entire Western world. This in turn might frighten the investors, might turn the markets upside down, and might shake the Turkish economy.

Given the fact that the United States might need Turkey's support for carrying out a military intervention against Iraq at the end of this year, this is a very "pessimistic" scenario in terms of Washington.

I know that there are people who believe: "The weaker we are, the better for the United States. This way, the United States will be able to assign us all the regional roles that it wants to assign." There is no doubt that Turkey's political and economic weaknesses make it difficult for Ankara to act effectively and independently where regional problems are concerned. On the other hand however, Washington cannot fully trust the support that will be extended by a "weak" Ankara. This is because a political picture that might be created by a crisis that will stem from the EU-Cyprus axis might encourage anti-American sentiments and might strengthen the Islamist and/or the radical nationalist theses. The US officials believe that under these conditions Bush Junior will not be able to benefit from the "determinant, active, and supportive" stand that had been adopted by Ankara toward Bush Senior during the Gulf War. In this regard, a fire that might start with Cyprus' membership in the EU does not serve the United States' interests.

Subtitle: Doubts Regarding Denktas

Last week a Turkish diplomat reminded a group of journalists that the US administration still refuses to support Cyprus' membership in the EU without finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. The Turkish diplomat said: "The United States believes that the EU membership serves the interests of both sides in Cyprus."

When you ask the US diplomats: "You do not want fire on the one hand, and you agree to an EU decision that might start this fire on the other. What kind of a policy is this," the US diplomats note that the EU membership should encourage a political solution on the island. They repeat this hope in spite of the deadlock reached in the negotiations between Denktas and Clerides.

Recalling that the United Nations intends to give the sides a new schedule in the fifth tour and that it will make efforts to ensure that a solution is found by autumn, a US diplomat said: "If the sides put this opportunity into good use, in addition to the Turkish Cypriots, Turkey will also make great progress in terms of becoming an EU member sooner or later."

There is no doubt that these words imply that if Denktas and Ankara want, it is possible to lead the negotiations to a solution. If I am not wrong, the US diplomats believe that the Turkish side accepted to sit at the negotiation table "in order to avoid appearing as the side that does not want a solution, rather than resolving the problem."

When talking to me, a US official repeated that "if Cyprus is accepted to the EU as it is, a great number of Turkish Cypriots who are fed up with the economic problems will get a Greek-EU passport and will leave the TRNC." The said official later referred to the RTP [Republican Turkish Party] that won the elections in three major cities in the TRNC after conducting a "pro-EU" and a "pro-solution" propaganda.

In short, Washington believes if Denktas and Ankara do not pave the path for a political solution, the Turkish Cypriots and the Turkish people will lose. Despite the fact that the US officials note that they conduct diplomatic activities that aim to ensure that the Greek side makes concessions, they do not conceal the fact that they believe that the Turkish side is holding the ball.

Subtitle: The Gordon-Barkey Report

What will happen if the Denktas and Clerides fail to resolve the problem prior to the Copenhagen summit? Will the United States take action -- as certain people hope in Turkey -- and will it say to the EU: "Do not accept Cyprus' membership prior to a solution?"

Frankly, certain people who are close to the Bush administration note that such a possibility might appear on the agenda on the eve of an intervention against Iraq. I understood from the US diplomats and from certain circles in the US Congress however, that such an intervention does not seem possible. The diplomats said: "We cannot dictate the EU its expansion policy." In the Congress, in turn, the majority is in favor of Cyprus' membership in the EU.

Does the United States have no other alternatives where the Cyprus-EU axis is concerned?

A report by Philip Gordon and Henri Barkey constitutes a comprehensive answer to this question.

Gordon from the Brooking Institute and Barkey from the Lehigh University submitted a proposal to the Bush administration regarding the Cyprus issue.

Gordon and Barkey believe that the United States will not be able to prevent Cyprus' EU membership, to force the sides to find a solution on the basis of a US plan, or to impose pressure on the EU to ensure that a negotiation date is scheduled with regard to Turkey's EU membership. Gordon and Barkey support the following alternative:

"A solution in Cyprus and Turkey's EU membership should be linked to each other. The Greek Administration's EU membership should not be viewed as the end of the process. On the contrary, it should be viewed as the first step of the Turkish Cypriot side's and Turkey's EU membership in the future."

According to the two analysts, the success of this proposal is dependent on whether or not Athens and the Greek Cypriots are persuaded -- with Washington's pressures if necessary -- to accept Turkey's EU membership as well as a political solution in Cyprus and on whether or not Ankara is persuaded -- of course, with Washington's pressure -- to abandon its plan to annex Northern Cyprus. There is no doubt that under these conditions the EU should include in the agreement that will be signed between Cyprus and the EU clauses that will strongly support Turkey's membership.

Gordon and Barkey are aware that this will not be easy. They believe, however, that this is the only way to prevent a Turkey-EU-West crisis -- a crisis that will run counter to US interests."

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