Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 02-09-13

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[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Sukru Sina Gurel is having contacts in New York.

[02] Mesut Yilmaz is having contacts in Brussels.

[03] Ecevit: "Concern about concessions in Cyprus is very wrong".

[04] Denktas will inform the pseudoassembly on the Cyprus problem.

[05] AFRIKA: The cover of a possible crime with "unknown perpetrators" is ready.

[06] Birand: The pseudostate will die and Turkey/s policy is to kill it.

[07] Talat: The economic problems of the Turkish Cypriots will not be solved by integration with Turkey and common economic zone.

[08] Cosar: If the stability programme is not applied 34 thousand persons will not be able to receive their salary.

[09] The Head of Turkey/s Supreme Court will visit the occupied areas of Cyrpus.

[10]Mesut Yilmaz suggests postponement of elections to 15 December.

[11] Candidate lists for the November elections in Turkey are being examined by the Supreme Elections Board.

[12] Turkish company wants to operate the "Sea - side" hotel in the occupied area.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Sukru Sina Gurel is having contacts in New York

Gurel met with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, EU Term President Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller, Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio, Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schussel, Luxemburger Foreign Minister Lydie Polfer and Dutch Foreign Minister Janap de Hoop Scheffer.

Diplomatic sources said that the reform package which the Turkish parliament passed for the adjustment to the Copenhagen criteria and the steps which Turkey took impressed the EU countries.

Diplomats who stressed that ``those countries were now trying to understand the technical contents and the political meaning of the reform package``, said that ``the EU was caught unprepared.``

The diplomats noted that ``the EU was trying to hush up its current situation by saying that `it had to see the implementation`, ``adding that ``under the Madrid agreement, implementation was a precondition only for accession, it was not a condition for the opening of negotiations.``

A Foreign Ministry Spokesman`s office statement said that Gurel also took up the Cyprus problem during his contacts.

The statement noted: ``Gurel stressed that the unilateral EU membership process of the Greek Cypriot administration was against the international agreements on Cyprus and the sides that enabled this process would not seem as circles supporting the solution.``

Meanwhile, it was learned that the European ministers did not tell Gurel things such as ``if the Cyprus problem is not solved, Turkey`s EU membership will not be possible.``

In the meantime, Gurel will hold his most important meeting with Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Thursday.

The sides decided to allocate one and a half hours for this meeting. Diplomatic sources said that the meeting could be prolonged if necessary.

Gurel will also attend the working meal to be hosted in honour of the chairmen of the delegations by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Foreign Minister Gurel will meet his Irish, Romanian and Polish counterparts and receive members of the American Jewish Committee later in the day.

[02] Mesut Yilmaz is having contacts in Brussels

Speaking during a news conference in Brussels, Yilmaz said: ``I came to Brussels late last night. I had an appointment with European Parliament Liberal Group`s chairman Graham Watson early this morning. But I could not have the chance to meet with the officials at Turkey`s EU Representation in Brussels. I start my contacts after meeting with them every time I come to Brussels. I requested Mr Watson to postpone our meeting.``

Giving information about his meeting with Christian Democrat Group Chairman Hans Gert Poettering, Yilmaz said: ``I gave detailed information to him about our studies regarding Turkey`s EU membership process. I voiced our expectations from the Copenhagen summit. The Christian Democrat Group has different tendencies towards Turkey. Particularly the British Conservative Party supports Turkey`s membership. German Christian Democrats are divided into two about Turkey. Some of them think that it is early to give Turkey a negotiation date. Poettering said that there are different tendencies within his group, but they welcome the adoption of the latest legal regulations in Turkey. He told me that they want to see also the implementation of these laws.``

``We also discussed the political developments. The social democrats and Greens coalition government which is in power looks like they will be ahead in the elections. However, until recently, the opposition looked quite strong. I hope that this picture would shape up in a way that we want in the next ten days. This would help us greatly at the Copenhagen Summit but we also should continue our contacts,`` he said.

Yilmaz said that EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen made conflicting statements. ``I can only make a comment after I meet with him tonight. Verheugen, generally, is a person who wants to contribute to Turkey`s EU membership process. Of course he might be more cautious now in his statements due to his political identity. As of October, everybody will start revealing their own views more clearly,`` he said.

``We don`t want to raise the Cyprus problem in our relations with the EU,`` he continued. ``But we explain our stance if they ask us a question on this issue. We think that the Cyprus problem is independent from Turkey-EU relations. We`re continuing our efforts to bring a solution to Cyprus.``

Yilmaz indicated that the upcoming early elections was also a topic during his contacts in Brussels.

``I`ve told them that there is still a great number of people who haven`t decided what party to vote for and a clearer picture will be formed in the coming weeks,`` he said.

Responding to a question, Yilmaz said that there`s a possibility that the elections could be postponed to a later date. ``My party thinks that the elections could be rescheduled,`` he added.

European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said on Thursday that the Commission, which has the position of executive organ of the EU, will give an encouraging signal in the progress report which it will issue for Turkey in October.

Speaking to reporters following his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, Verheugen said he appreciated individual initiatives of Yilmaz on the EU and the reforms, stressing that the reforms which were made in Turkey were extremely important and positive.

Pointing out that they were in the process of making final evaluations within the scope of the progress report that will be issued in October, Verheugen said the decision, regarding how Turkey-EU relations will progress, will be taken at the Copenhagen Summit. Verheugen said he could only say that the Commission report will include a positive and encouraging signal for those in Turkey who have reformist ideas and those who support the EU.

On his part Mr Yilmaz said he will make statements during a press conference on Friday.

[03] Ecevit : "Concern about concessions in Cyprus is very wrong''

When asked to comment on the concern expressed by the Nationalist Action Party, (NAP) leader and coalition partner Devlet Bahceli whether bargaining is being done on Cyprus regarding Turkey's EU accession process, Ecevit said: "Esteemed Bahceli's concern that a number of concessions would be granted regarding the TRNC is extremely dangerous and untrue. We are in the same government all the powers and the authority of the state passes through our hand.

Our NAP friends never raised such concern during the council of ministers meeting. We do not have such inclination in our minds whatsoever. No one should believe that we would be at our wit's end in case of a danger to be posed to the Turkish Cypriots. In fact, just the opposite, although it is not openly expressed, it is being accepted that there are two separate states and people in the TRNC.I do believe that the Cyprus problem will not create a serious problem in our relations with the EU.It has no relations with the Copenhagen criteria. The Cyprus problem, apart from Greece and on a certain level Britain, the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey, does not interest others. People there live in peace and calm and under democracy.

The Turkish Cypriot economy is developing quite satisfactorily. I would like to convey to our NAP friends that I consider very dangerous the creation of the impression that we are abandoning the Turkish Cypriots''

[04] Denktas will inform the pseudoassembly on the Cyprus problem

Afterwards the Turkish Cypriot leader is expected to make statements on the issue in order to enlighten his community on the developments and especially on the new proposals he recently submitted to President Clerides.

[05] AFRIKA: The cover of a possible crime with "unknown perpetrators" is ready

In order to justify its views, AFRIKA publishes an article of Hasan Keskin, former chairman of the National People's Movement (NPM) who on 11 September 2002 wrote in VOLKAN, inter alia, the following referring to the workers in AFRIKA:

".For months they shouted, forced the parliament to launch an investigation and finally the police proved that they were listening to their own telephones and threatening themselves. Those who threaten themselves on the telephone can easily use the Internet and send a letter. As for their printing offices we do not want to give any advice to our police, but the possibility of their putting the bomb themselves must be seriously investigated!

There is another issue, the issue of their sacrificing one of them, in order to prove to the world that the TRNC is a terrorist state. . Even if not today, tomorrow there is a high possibility of using this card. .".

[06] Birand: The pseudostate will die and Turkey's policy is to kill it

Mr Birand said he was hopeful that one day the two communities in Cyprus will be reunited and that both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots will benefit from a solution in Cyprus.

The Turkish journalist noted that the European Union considers the solution of the Cyprus problem as a criterion for Turkey and added that if the problem is not solved by 12 December the West will solve it.

Referring to the scenario of Turkey annexing the occupied areas of Cyprus, Mr Birand underlined that Turkey could annex northern Cyprus but it will lose the whole island. He also said that he is in favour of a federal solution to the Cyprus problem and that the Turkish Cypriots will become richer after a solution and the accession to the EU. Then Turkey might even ask money from Cyprus, argued Mr Birand and noted that it is unfair to the Turkish Cypriots to say that Cyprus cannot join the EU before Turkey even after a solution to its political problem.

Furthermore, the Turkish journalist expressed his support to the "Solution in Cyprus and accession to the EU" vision announced by 90 organizations representing about 80 thousand people in the occupied areas. Mr Birand described as "bad luck" the fact that the hardliner Sukru Sina Gurel was appointed Foreign Minister in the place of Ismail Cem.

[07] Talat: The economic problems of the Turkish Cypriots will not be solved by integration with Turkey and common economic zone

Speaking during a meeting yesterday with a delegation of the "public" workers trade union (KAMU-IS), Mr Talat repeated his view that the economic problems of the Turkish Cypriots could be overcome only with the solution to the Cyprus problem and the accession of Cyprus to the EU.

[08] Cosar: If the stabilization programme is not applied 34 thousand persons will not be able to receive their salary

Talking yesterday at a meeting with some of the party/s supporters working in the "public" sector, Mr Cosar noted that the economy was on fire when they took over and that now this fire was put out.

[09] The Head of Turkey's Supreme Court will visit the occupied areas of Cyprus

During his stay in the pseudostate Mr Ozkaya will meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas, "Prime Minister" Dervis Eroglu and other "officials" of the illegal regime.

[10] Mesut Yilmaz suggests postponement of elections to 15 December

Waging an uphill battle to postpone the November 3 polls, Motherland Party (MP) leader and deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz suggested Thursday to delay the poll date until after the scheduled December 12 summit of the European Union from which Turkey expects a date to emerge for the start of its accession talks.

Yilmaz argued that delaying the polls to December 15 would help Turkey's drive for European Union membership.

"Postponing (elections) shouldn't be for a long time, nor create a vacuum. Instead of November 3, having it one or one-and-a-half months later could come onto the agenda," Yilmaz told reporters at a news conference in Brussels where he has been meeting with EU executives.

The remarks of Yilmaz, however, received a very strong reaction in Turkey. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said he did not believe the polls will be postponed and warned that a delay will hurt the prestige of the Parliament.

"More than anyone else I expect the lawmakers to preserve the standing of the Parliament and I do not believe they will cast a shadow over that standing. The party leaders will behave sensibly. I believe that," Sezer said.

Yilmaz, in whose Motherland Party disintegration was accelerated with poor public opinion poll showings, threatened to pull out of the government on Tuesday, demanded from Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to resign and on Wednesday said he wanted the Nationalist Action Party (NAP) of Deputy Prime Minister Devlet Bahceli to abandon government so that a new pro-EU coalition could be established.

Sezer dashed that hope of Yilmaz also indicating that he will designate NAP leader Bahceli to form the new government if Ecevit's coalition falls apart.

"Should the government need to designate a new prime minister what should be done is clear. We have democratic traditions," said Sezer.

According to the tradition in Turkey, although the President has the constitutional right to nominate anyone from Parliament to form the new government, generally the leader of the largest party gets the mandate first.

Sezer has already made clear that he would not welcome efforts to change the government in the run-up to polls.

Furthermore, NAP leader Bahceli declared that his party's objections to the EU reforms could not hamper their implementation as there was no need for new Cabinet decisions and the reforms fall in areas administered either by the Democratic Left Party (DLP) ministers or MP ministers.

Yilmaz had charged that Turkey would not be able to implement EU reforms because of objections to them by the NAP, as was demonstrated with that party's application to the Constitutional Court for their annulment, and that Turkey would "miss the EU train."

That argument of Yilmaz, however, could not convince the prime minister, or any of the other political figures of the country and the MP leader was accused of trying to postpone the polls.

Ecevit, who was accused by Yilmaz of facing "problems in understanding " after he declared that the deputy prime minister not only asked him to resign and pave the way to a pro-EU government, but also suggested postponement of polls, told reporters Thursday that he had no "understanding problem" but it was clear from what Yilmaz told him that he wanted the polls postponed.

Indeed, for the first time, Yilmaz publicly admitted in Brussels Thursday that he wanted the polls postponed, though by "two or three weeks" until after the December 12 summit of the EU.

Yilmaz hopes that if the EU gives Turkey at its December 12 summit a date for the start of accession talks, that will be a booster for himself and his MP as he has placed EU membership of the country on his top priority over the past few years.

Yilmaz repeated in Brussels that Turkey needed to implement the EU reforms, that included abolition of the death penalty and education and broadcasting rights in Kurdish, and for that the country needed a NAP-less government.

"Turkey needs a government committed to the European Union, without the NAP, to implement reforms in time for the Copenhagen summit," he said.

"Without abandoning early elections, I am drawing attention to Turkey needing to prepare for the December 12 (Copenhagen) summit in the best possible way," Yilmaz said.

"The disunity in the government at this time will obstruct the steps the Turkish state needs to take. Turkey will not be harmed by holding elections one month later, but if it misses the train on December 12 it will be greatly harmed," he said.

Yilmaz had denied on Wednesday that he was seeking to postpone elections. Some politicians and media have accused him of seeking to put off the election because opinion polls show his party would not meet the 10 percent threshold to win seats in Parliament. The only support to the call of Yilmaz to postpone polls to December 15 came from the New Turkey (NTP) party of former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

Istemihan Talay, the secretary-general of the NTP, declared that his party fully supported the approach of Yilmaz.

All other parties, however, declared they would oppose any attempt to delay elections.

MP and the NTP need at least the support of the main opposition True Path Party (TPP) of Tansu Ciller to have any chance in pushing the poll date ahead in collaboration with disgruntled deputies, who were scorched by their parties in the candidate lists presented to the Supreme Election Board on Wednesday.

Still, even if MP and the NTP succeed in getting support of both the TPP and the Felicity Party (FP) of Recai Kutan and the disgruntled deputies, they hardly reach a 272-seat parliamentary strength, four votes less than the required 276 (absolute majority) to oust the government in a no-confidence vote in the 550-seat unicameral Parliament.

Still, a four-seat deficiency could be somehow breached by Yilmaz, if he succeeds in getting the support of the TPP. Thus, the fate of the November 3 polls, in a way, will be decided by which side the TPP will align in the days ahead.

So far, Ciller has been stressing that her party will not be supportive of any move that could lead to the postponement of the polls, but it will not be the first time in Turkish Parliament if Ciller changes her allegiances and starts supporting Yilmaz "for the sake of EU."

On the other hand, as MP and Yilmaz appear to be in dire straits and the November 3 polls could see the political demise of both MP and its leader, Ciller may remain loyal to the November 3 polls because whatever might be the result of the poll, she would emerge as the largest party of the center-right.

In the meantime, efforts of the disgruntled deputies to garner sufficient signatures and apply to convene Parliament, which is currently on summer recess, has gained fresh momentum.

According to one claim, a sufficient 110 signatures will be collected by tonight and a request will be filed with the office of Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi demanding him to convene Parliament to an urgent meeting.

Izgi will have to issue a call to convene Parliament within seven days after getting such a petition by at least 110 deputies.

The disgruntled deputies were reportedly planning to demand from Izgi to recall Parliament to an extraordinary meeting on Monday. Currently, on the agenda of Parliament there is a censure motion presented by the FP.

The NTP of Cem, meanwhile, is reportedly preparing to file a second censure motion claiming that the government is incapable of providing election security and can block Turkey's EU accession.

[11] Candidate lists for the November elections in Turkey are being examined by the Supreme Election Board

As the parties presented their candidate lists to the SEB on Wednesday evening, they will be able to object to the temporary candidate lists as of September 16.

After SEB inspects the lists, it will determine the lacking parts and notify the parties about them. Then, the parties will complete their lists by September 14.

The temporary lists will be disclosed through radio and television on September 16, while objections to the lists can be filed to the provincial election boards on September 16. People may object to the decisions of provincial election boards and may file these objections to the SEB by September 19, at the latest.

The SEB will decide on these objections until September 21, while the final lists will be announced on September 26 on television and radios and published in the Official Gazette.

[12] Turkish company wants to operate the "Seaside" hotel in the occupied area

The company submitted its application to lease the hotel and the 42 donums of land around it for 49 years. To this effect if accepted the company will pay 50,200 Euro rent per year to the so-called Social Insurance Department of the pseudostate. Aksa will renovate the hotel and build additional annexes. With these changes the hotel will have 458-bed capacity and will be a four-star hotel. The company claimed that it would bring 13 thousand German tourists per year to the occupied area. When the hotel becomes operational it will employ 15 German, 18 Turkish and 47 Turkish Cypriots. The so-called labour minister of the pseudostate Ahmet Kasif said that another person from abroad Sencer Sevket, expressed interest in leasing the hotel. He said that the so-called social insurance department would consider all these offers.

/SK

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