Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-03-20

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Cypriot Leader Rauf Denktas: The EU should provide us with its passports.

[02] Mr Eroglu denies that the Turkish Cypriots will be allowed to move freely and acquire EU passports.

[03] Talat comments on the passports issue.

[04] The Turkish Cypriot opposition parties are reportedly ready for cooperation in the so-called "elections".

[05] CLP and RTP leaders meet with a German delegation; They blame Denktas for the impasse in the Hague; Angolemli announces initiative towards the UN and the EU.

[06] Restaurant owners demand that sales of fish to the Greek Cypriots is banned.

[07] A cooperation agreement was signed between the so-called European University of Lefka and the School of Oriental and African Studies- University of London.

[08] The Iraq crisis led to the reduction of tourism to the pseudostate by 70% for the last three months

[09] Members of two nationalist organizations protested against KIBRIS newspaper and the KTOEOS.

[10] Independent MP joins TPP, raising its seats to three in Parliament.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[11] Turkish Cypriot columnist assesses the reasons for the puppet regime's decision for being more flexible on the issue of the EU passports.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Cypriot Leader Rauf Denktas: The EU should provide us with its passports

Answering questions put to him by the journalists taking part in the AKIS (Echo) TV program of illegal BRT, Denktas said: "If the EU claims that it admits the whole of Cyprus as member then it has to give us its passports".

Referring to the Annan peace plan, the Turkish Cypriot leader said that the Plan does not fulfill the basic demands of the Turkish side, and that it is in such a way that it is creating the ground for the Greek Cypriots to annihilate the Turks. He said that on this issue he has conveyed his views to the UN Secretary-General in writing as well as orally. Explaining in detail the marathon negotiations held in the Hague Denktas said: "The Annan plan in its present form does not exist any more". When asked what would happen from now on, Denktas answered: "The contacts would continue. The diplomats try to understand what had happened in the Hague .They are trying to know whether it is possible to revive the Annan plan. Since the Greek Cypriot side does not accept our demands which are vital for us, the Annan plan could not be revived. we have proposed a face to face meeting. It was immediately rejected. If the opposition (in the occupied area-Tr: NOTE) stops instigating the people and acts with responsibility by doing its job properly and if we start working all of us together we could reach a point. Once the Iraqi issue clarifies I will go to Turkey and discuss these issues."

Denktas went on and said that the dates attributed to the plan, including 16 April, are artificial and added that until May 2004 there is still time. When asked to comment on annexing the Annan plan to Cyprus's accession agreement, Denktas said that he does not share this view.

Referring to the report to be submitted to the UN Security Council regarding the negotiation process Denktas said: "The Special representative Alvaro de Soto in his report to the Security Council should try to save the prestige of the UN Secretary- General. He should be balanced .He should not take a stance against me because he was subject to ill-treatment in the Hague. He can write as much as he wants against me but he should not do so.If he really thinks about the prestige of the Secretary-General he should be balanced, because the report will be written in the name of the Secretary-General. The statement made by the Secretary-General in the Hague was balanced; however, the statement made by de Soto later on turned everything upside down."

When asked to comment on the passport issue, Denktas said: "Since the EU while admitting the south Cyprus into membership claims that it admits the whole of the island and if this is so and if the EU maintains this claim then it should issue for us its own passport. In turn if we do not put obstacles before our people regarding the passports. Then they can go and get their passports from whereever they want to."

Denktas also accused the British government of siding with the Greek Cypriot side alleging that the British did not want to jeopardize their military bases. He said that in the aftermath of the Hague meeting the British High Commissioner to Cyprus crossed into the "TRNC" and told some politicians that 'as long as you have this leadership solving the Cyprus problem is not possible. 'This is unbecoming of a diplomat, Denktas said. Denktas went on and said that the British Bases on the island are in accordance with the Treaties of Guarantee and Alliance and within the same agreements Turkey has lasting and concrete rights in Cyprus.

When asked to comment on press reports that the Cyprus Government is considering to take certain measures towards the Turkish Cypriots, Denktas said: "Let them do. We too have things to do .We have a lot of things to do for them. We will tell the Greek Cypriots: `As state we have taken these and those decisions, please come' this way a practical cooperation could start between us, this could help us to pave the ground of a basis for establishing a partnership. By imposing embargoes this basis could not be created.

Referring to the domestic issues Denktas called on the opposition for cooperation: "Only through dialogue one could reach a place not with antagonism, animosity and fighting". He invited the opposition parties: the Republican Turkish Party and the Communal Liberation Party, which are since some time boycotting the `assembly/ sessions to return to their seats in the `assembly/".

[02] Mr Eroglu denies that the Turkish Cypriots will be allowed to move freely and acquire EU passports

0In statements before the meeting Mr Eroglu said that especially since 1999 the Turkish Cypriots are faced with serious economic problems and the economic programme is not intended to lay hand in the pockets of the people but to relieve them.

Upon being reminded of press reports that "a number of decisions will be taken to relax the crossing to the free areas and acquiring EU passports", Mr Eroglu said: "No. There is no such thing on our agenda. We have no such agenda. Besides, at this moment there is no EU passport, but after South Cyprus accedes to the EU this will definitely preoccupy the citizens.

Our "TRNC" citizens possess passports. Being `TRNC/ citizens they have `TRNC/ passports. With a `TRNC/ passport they can travel, even though with difficulty, they get visa from same countries, for some other countries they are obliged to use the Turkish Republic/s passport, but in the end they may travel to the country they wish.

For this reason in my view it is wrong to spread the propaganda that South Cyprus has entered the EU and the EU passports are being distributed freely".

[03] Talat comments on the passports issue

Talking yesterday after a meeting with a delegation of the Initiative "Peace is Art," Mr Talat argued that at this stage efforts are being made to lead the Turkish Cypriots back to the 1967 - 1974 period and added: "They are trying to present the way of life we had in the enclaves as a solution".

Mr Talat said that the Turkish Cypriots would continue their efforts towards finding a solution and reiterated that they would undertake an initiative towards the UN aiming firstly at turning the Annan plan into a UN document and secondly at annexing the plan as a supplementary document to the Republic of Cyprus accession agreement to the EU and giving the European Council the authority to implement the provisions of a solution to be found within the framework of the UN.

[04] The Turkish Cypriot opposition parties are reportedly ready for cooperation in the so-called "elections"

The two leaders had yesterday separate meetings with a delegation of the Initiative "Peace is Art." Mr Talat said that the so-called "elections" would be "elections" for reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem and added that the opposition parties should broaden and develop their cooperation. "We need the support of majority of the 50 % plus one", said Mr Talat adding that they had to make any kind of alliances and try to ensure this support.

Furthermore, Mr Angolemli said that his party made many sacrifices for peace and will continue in the same way. Mr Angolemli noted that efforts for joint action had been exerted many times in the past. Some of them were successful and some of them were not, he pointed out, concluding that they are not disappointed with the unsuccessful efforts.

[05] CLP and RTP leaders meet with a German delegation; They blame Denktas for the impasse in the Hague; Angolemli announces initiative towards the UN and the EU

Speaking at a meeting with a delegation consisting of Peter Witing, Germany' s Special Representative for Cyprus, Lieselore Cyrus, Director of Political Affairs of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Jochen Trebesch, the German Ambassador to Nicosia, Mr Talat said that the Turkish Cypriots wished to join the EU not because of economic reasons but because they want to be saved from the isolation and become united with the world.

Mr Talat noted the following: "Be sure that the Turkish Cypriots support the EU accession. The Turkish Cypriots support the EU not because of its money or because of the economic opportunities it will ensure to them, but because they want to be saved from the isolation they are now in and unify with the world. They want to preserve their communal identity and having this identity to become united with the rest of the world. .".

Furthermore, Mr Witting noted that they would encourage the Turkish Cypriots to remain on the island and continue their efforts for a solution, in spite of the fact that an important opportunity has been lost in the Hague. "We want the Turkish Cypriots to know that the island will continue to be on the agenda of the EU. We shall continue trying with the Turkish Cypriots and one day we shall reach a solution which is going to satisfy the Turkish Cypriots", concluded Mr Witting.

Meanwhile, speaking after his meeting with the German delegation, Mr Angolemli said that they would send a letter to the UN and the EU demanding the addition of the following expression to the accession agreement of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU: "In case a solution on the basis of the Annan plan is reached, Cyprus will be a member of the EU with its new status".

Mr Angolemli noted that "the Turkish side is responsible for the unsuccessful result in the Hague" and said that they do not wish the UN to stop trying to find a solution in Cyprus.

Finally, Mr Witting said that they had not lost their hope that one day Cyprus will be united and added: "We must keep the door open for a solution and for a united Cyprus".

[06] Restaurant owners demand that sales of fish to the Greek Cypriots is banned

[07] A cooperation agreement was signed between the so-called European University of Lefka and the School of Oriental and African Studies- University of London

The newspaper reports that the cooperation agreement concerns mainly the students who want to study in England as undergraduate students and they will have the opportunity to take in Cyprus the "Intermediate Certificate Course in Comparative International Studies-(ICC)".

The head of the Turkish Cypriot delegation "vice-president" Dervis Denis said that this programme will help students from Cyprus and the Middle East because in Cyprus they will pay only $6.000 compared to $20.000 they have to pay in England for the same certificate. The rector of the so-called European University of Lefka, Prof. Dr. Yildirim Oner, said that his university is having contacts with many countries such as England, Germany, France and China.

[08] The Iraq crisis led to the reduction of tourism to the pseudostate by 70% for the last three months

According to Ismail Cetin, the chairman of the "Turkish Cypriot Travel Agents Association", the reservations by tourists from Turkey and England, which are the biggest markets for the tourism of the pseudostate, started to be reduced down to 60-70% since last month. This reduction refers to the months of March, April and May.

As the paper reports, tourists from England started to ask the return of the money they had paid for reservations, from agencies and hotel owners of the pseudostate and stresses that this development became obvious 2-3 months ago when the Iraq crisis came to the agenda. According to the paper, mass cancellations of existing reservations took place in hotels of the pseudostate even by Turkish tourists who decided to "freeze" their voyages due to the war.

The paper writes that the effects on the tourism sector are the same as on the tourism sector of other countries of the region and notes that the overall effect will depend on the duration of the war.

[09] Members of two nationalist organizations protested against KIBRIS newspaper and the KTOEOS

As the paper reports, members of the NSC gathered yesterday in front of KIBRIS head offices and placed a black wreath in front of the building's door. The members of the NSC also threw eggs against the paper's building. KIBRIS writes that the members of the NSC protested against the paper's articles in favour of solution in Cyprus and EU accession. The paper writes that the demonstrators read a message in front of the paper/s head offices, accusing the paper and the KIBRIS Media Group of making a "turn from the neutral broadcasting" of news and of being biased instead of expressing the people's voice.

In addition, members of the NPM gathered yesterday in front of the Turkish Cypriot Secondary Education Teachers/ Union (KTOEOS) building where they placed a black wreath in front of the building's door and threw eggs against the building. As the paper reports, members of the NPM, holding Turkish flags in their hands, shouted slogans against the KTOEOS.

However, as KIBRIS reports, the actions in favor of solution and EU accession continue in occupied Cyprus. According to the paper, the Revolutionary Workers/ Union will make a "Peace March" today in occupied Kyrenia at 11:00 in the morning. At the same time a strike will take place at the Kyrenia "municipality".

[10] Independent MP joins TPP, raising its seats to three in Parliament

Akdemir's decision to join the TPP ranks increases the party's seats to three in Parliament.

TPP, which was one of two main centre-right wing parties of Turkish politics, witnessed a serious defeat in Parliamentary elections when it failed to pass the 10 percent national threshold on November 3, needed for a political party to enter Parliament.

TPP's leader Tansu Ciller stepped down as leader of the party after the defeat. Ciller was the first female prime minister of Turkey and TPP under her leadership served the country as government coalition partner and main opposition many times.

Corruption allegations claimed the party and interrupted the party's, and its leader's, political life.

After her resignation, former TPP member Mehmet Agar, who succeeded at entering Parliament as an independent deputy from Elazig, was elected as the new leader of the party. He is expected to carry the party back to glory.

Agar was the only member of TPP in Parliament but later Mehmet Tatar joined the party and increased TPP's members in Parliament to two. Following in the footsteps of Tatar, Akdemir joined the party on Wednesday.

Speaking during Wednesday's ceremony at TPP headquarters, Agar stated that Turkey is going through a historical period and conditions revealed that Turkey needs TPP.

After the November 3 elections, the political panorama of Turkey changed drastically.

Currently, there are three parties in Parliament but ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP) has an overwhelming majority in Parliament, allowing the party to amend or pass any law. On the other hand, the main opposition Republican People's Party (RPP) is often criticized for carrying out a weak opposition against the actions of the government.

It is rumoured that Agar will be the rising star of Turkish politics in a couple of years time as the centre right wing of Turkey will witness success, again. He is even mentioned as the future prime minister of Turkey.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[11] Turkish Cypriot columnist assesses the reasons for the puppet regime's decision for being more flexible on the issue of the EU passports

".A while ago Denktas was saying that the passports of the `TRNC/ were enough for us. When we faced problems we were using the passports of the Republic of Turkey. They had turned this issue into a nationalism issue. .Now Denktas is not getting angry with those who have foreign passports. He is not saying: 'Do not take these passports'. On the contrary, he is saying that the EU is obliged to give us passports.

Denktas changes his policy according to the situation. .His goal is to put the Greek Cypriots into a difficult situation and to ensure that the Greek Cypriots do not give us passports and thus behave in a negative way. In fact, he had said that he was thinking like this in some of his previous statements. However, there is another possibility. He wants those who will get hold of EU passports to abandon the country. He says, `go and take EU passports and live well/. However, people are reacting because they have lost their faith in him. They are expressing their position by saying: 'We are going to take passports and we shall remain in our country just out of obstinacy./.

Denktas wants us to abandon our rights as a people, to be satisfied with individual citizenship rights and leave his status quo as it is. However, this issue could in the end cause him much bigger trouble. Tomorrow the EU could say: ' I came here to protect the rights of my citizens in the north'.

Serdar Denktas claimed that they are working in the Democratic Party in order to ensure the free movement to the Greek Cypriot side. It is said that they are working on formulas in order to open doors in all regions for everybody to go to the Greek Cypriot side and come back whenever he wants. According to information we acquired this is done with (Rauf) Denktas' approval. The politicians who have lost the support of the people are thinking of measures to please the people. However, half measures cannot substitute the solution and peace. If they are putting them in front of us as an alternative for the solution (and this is what they are doing), they are trying in vain. .".

/SK

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