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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-09-22

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 PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA No.179/03 20-21-22.09.03

[A] NEWS ITEMS

  • [01] Turkish Cypriot newspaper argues that Denktas says one thing to the Turkish Cypriots and different things to the foreigners.
  • [02] Statement by Mr Talat, Mr Akinci and Mr Erel to VATAN newspaper.
  • [03] Serter says the pseudostate has officially been invited to ICO^Òs parliamentary Union.
  • [04] TUSIAD´s chairman stated that Cyprus is the biggest obstacle before Turkey´s membership to the EU.
  • [05] The number of persons who have voting-rights in the pseudostate increased by 3.600.
  • [B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

  • [06] Commentary in Turkish paper sparks reaction by the Turkish Cypriot opposition.

  • [A] NEWS ITEMS

    [01] Turkish Cypriot newspaper argues that Denktas says one thing to the Turkish Cypriots and different things to the foreigners

    Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRISLI newspaper (22.09.03) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktas has made two contradictory statements to Reuters news agency and the illegal TAK news agency on the issue of international observers covering the so-called elections planned to take place on 14 December 2003 in the occupied areas of Cyprus.

    According to KIBRISLI, Mr Denktas told Reuters that he would gladly accept international observers during the December ^Óelections^Ô in order ^Óto prevent the opposition from alleging that Denktas has tailored the elections to himself^Ô.

    Meanwhile, illegal TAK had broadcast that Mr Denktas said he was in favour of having observers during the ^Óelections^Ô, if the result of this is the recognition of his illegal state and the fact that ^Óthe reality that these elections are conducted within the framework of the democratic rules of law is accepted^Ô.

    KIBRISLI reminds that Mr Denktas attacked the opposition parties because they had demanded international observers, accusing them of giving trump cards to the Greek Cypriot side.

    [02] Statement by Mr Talat, Mr Akinci and Mr Erel to VATAN newspaper

    Istanbul VATAN newspaper (19.09.03) publishes statements by Mustafa Akinci, the leader of the Peace and Democracy Movement (PDM) Party, Mehmet Ali Talat, the Chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (RTP) - United Forces and Ali Erel, the Chairman of the Solution and EU Party (SEUP).

    Following are the three leaders´ replies to questions by Teoman Turan, VATAN correspondent in occupied Cyprus:

    Question: What is the framework of the joint policy you would follow?

    Mustafa Akinci: Our targets are the same. To provide a solution within the framework of the Annan Plan and EU membership by May 2004.

    Mehmet Ali Talat: Both communities would gain very important things from a solution. The Turkish Cypriot community would be saved from isolation thanks to EU membership and it would acquire a better cultural and social life. The Turkish Cypriot community would become Europeanized.

    Question: In your opinion, what is the approach and support of the Turkish Cypriots towards you?

    Ali Erel: The elections would have the attribute of a referendum. These elections would open the course to a solution on the island and EU membership. Those who want the status quo to continue, the parties close to ^ÓPresident^Ô Denktas, will not exceed 30 percent in the elections.

    Subtitle: He performed as a non-negotiator, not as a negotiator

    Question: You announced that you would remove ^ÓPresident^Ô Denktas from the duty of being a negotiator.

    Akinci: ^ÓPresident^Ô Denktas performed as a non-negotiator, not as a negotiator. When he negotiated he requested what was impossible and for this reason, what was possible did not happen. This is the summary of the past 40 years. The solution of these problems will be realized outside of ^ÓPresident^Ô Denktas and those like him. From now on, ^ÓPresident^Ô Denktas has completed his mission in the historical sense.

    Talat: There are some people who come with a shirt and leave with a shirt. For example, Mr. Bulent Ecevit is like that. ^ÓPresident^Ô Denktas came with a shirt and will leave with fur coats and palaces. He will go. ^ÓPresident^Ô Denktas would return to his constitutional duty. He would not do anything else.

    Subtitle:The proponents of the deep state are fighting against us

    Question: What are the dimensions of your relations with Turkey and the JDP [Justice and Development Party] government?

    Talat: There is no point on which we are in conflict with the Turkish government. But there are signals about those who claim to speak on behalf of the deep forces in Turkey that they are preparing to fight against us. People such as Gunduz Aktan and Hasan Unal are preparing to fight against us. Our intention is not to fight with anyone. But we would fight if necessary.

    Akinci: We wrote a letter to the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. We said that the elections should be free and devoid of all kinds of intervention. But we did not receive an answer. Turkey is in a dominant position with everything in Northern Cyprus. If Turkey really wants just and honest elections in Northern Cyprus, then its representatives in the ^ÓTRNC^Ô should not be on the side of the ^Ógovernment^Ô and the Denktas policy. While, the Commander of the Turkish Security Forces on Cyprus sits on one side of ^ÓPresident^Ô Denktas and the Turkish ^ÓAmbassador^Ô sits on his other side, talks are being made in the barracks against the Annan Plan. The Commander of the Peacekeeping Forces spoke in his farewell speech by saying, 'We had a lot of difficulties until we eliminated the Annan Plan. Watch out, it could be put in front of us once again'. Also, a number of Turkish officers in civilian clothes are talking against the solution in the villages.

    Erel: There is a conflict between the forces who want the EU and those who do not in Turkey and in the ^ÓTRNC^Ô. If there were not a solution on Cyprus, then Turkey would lose.

    [03] Serter says the pseudostate has officially been invited to ICO^Òs parliamentary Union

    Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRISLI newspaper (22.09.03) reports that so-called speaker of the ^Óassembly^Ô, Vehbi Zeki Serter has said that the pseudostate will be participating in the Islamic Conference Organization^Òs (ICO) Parliamentary Union^Òs Assembly, which will take place in Senegal in May 2004, as it has officially been invited. In statements at the illegal Lefkoniko airport upon his return from the meeting of the Islamic Conference^Òs Parliamentary Union^Òs Executive Council in Jakarta, Mr Serter said that they had undertaken some initiatives in order to participate in the works of the Parliamentary Union and as soon as they arrived in Jakarta they began meetings with the delegations of the Union^Òs member ^Ö states asking for support to their demand for having the application of the pseudostate accepted.

    Mr Serter noted that he met with the speaker of the Malaysian Parliament, the deputy Speaker of the parliament of Toga and the representatives of Senegal, Morocco, Libya, Kuwait, and Iran.

    Mr Serter said that the decision for inviting the pseudostate had unanimously been taken and afterwards the representatives of all member-states congratulated him.

    [04] TUSIAD´s chairman stated that Cyprus is the biggest obstacle before Turkey´s membership to the EU

    Turkish Cypriot daily ORTAM newspaper (22.09.03) reports that Mr Tuncay Ozilhan, chairman of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen´s Association (TUSIAD), stated that the Cyprus problem is the biggest obstacle that Turkey faces in her efforts to become member of the European Union.

    Addressing the TUSIAD High Consultative meeting, Mr Ozilhan stated that the solution of the Cyprus problem will open the road for Turkey to become member of the EU. ^ÓThe two sides in Cyprus are ready for a solution based on the plan suggested by the Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan^Ô, said Mr Ozilhan and added that the time limits became narrow for this issue.

    [05] The number of persons who have voting-rights in the pseudostate increased by 3.600

    Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (22.09.03) reports that the so-called Supreme Election Council of the pseudostate gave information regarding the number of persons who have voting-rights in the occupied areas, and stresses that this number increased by 3.600, compared to the previous ^Óelections^Ô of the pseudostate.

    As the paper reports, in the ^Óelections^Ô of the 30th of June 2002, voted 133.943 persons, while in the forthcoming December ^Óelections^Ô, 137,500 persons will have the right to vote. Therefore there was an increase of 3.600 voters. Among these persons, 1700 are young persons who will vote for the first time, while the rest 1.900 became recently ^Ócitizens^Ô of the pseudostate. According to the so-called Supreme Election Council, the permanent register of voters will be sent to the ^ÓMinistry of Interior^Ô by the 30th of September.


    [B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

    [06] Commentary in Turkish paper sparks reaction by the Turkish Cypriot opposition

    In an article in mainland ZAMAN newspaper (19.09.03) under the title ^ÓCyprus Elections and Wrong Expectations^Ô columnist Hasan Unal explained why there is no reason to ^Óexpect^Ô that the Turkish Cypriots´ standard of living will improve if the Annan plan is accepted and Cyprus joins the European Union as a whole. He also argued that if the Turkish Cypriot opposition wins the so-called elections in December and tries to ^Óenforce^Ô the Annan plan, civil strife will break out in the occupied areas, followed by hostilities between Turkish and Greek Cypriots and finally a Turkish-Greek war.

    Ferdi Sabit Soyer writing in local Turkish Cypriot daily YENIDUZEN newspaper (22.09.03) replies to columnist Hasan Unal.

    Soyer strongly criticizes the way Hasan Unal presents the things in Cyprus and stresses that the opposition in the Turkish Cypriot Community does not resort to force and wages its struggle through democratic means.

    He says that despite the provocations, the Turkish Cypriot peace and democracy forces never resorted to violence and always employed peaceful means.

    ^ÓNow what has happened and all of a sudden this ^Ñcivil strife^Ò story popped up? Does this mean that there will be a civil war? Does he want, by saying this, to make us to be afraid and keep Denktas and Eroglu for ever on our heads to rule us? Why did Denktas and Eroglu not say anything against Unal? The reason is that Hasan Unal is their man.^Ô

    Soyer goes on and says: ^ÓWe are determined and we will bring change. We will replace Denktas and Eroglu, and your (Unal) threats of civil strife will not be an obstacle for us to realize this change.^Ô

    ^ÓNothing will prevent us from realizing this change^Ô, Soyer concluded.

    /SK


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