Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-11-05

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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 operation of the regime to terrorize the Turkish Cypriot journalists continues in occupied Cyprus

[02] Observers are visiting the occupied areas of Cyprus for the "elections"

[03] Turkish mainland dailies: "Last Minute Goal"

[04] Milliyet: "Verhofstadt has proposed Belgian model for Cyprus"

[05] Two hundred persons that were given recently the TRNC "citizenship" will not have the right to "vote" in the forthcoming "elections" of the pseudostate

[06] A Turkish academician interferes in the domestic affairs of the Turkish Cypriots

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] <JD Party hit by realities of the world>

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The operation of the regime to terrorize the Turkish Cypriot journalists continues in occupied Cyprus

"The button of oppression and terror for preventing the Turkish Cypriots from moving ahead towards the solution and the EU, has been pressed", notes the paper writing that the imprisonment of Mr Erguclu for 21 years is demanded, simply because he gave permission to the journalists Basaran Duzgun and Hasan Hasturer to publish their articles in KIBRIS on 26 and 27 March 2003. (See Turkish Mass Media Bulletin no: 208/03, date: 04.11.03)

The charges were filed yesterday against Mr Erguclu after being called to the "police station" in occupied Nicosia. The punishment asked for him is the total punishment asked for the other two journalists of KIBRIS.

The paper writes that the Turkish Cypriot Journalists' Union and the opposition parties strongly criticized the behaviour of the occupation regime, whereas some nationalist organizations such as the "Human Rights Association" and its chairman, Erkan Egmez, congratulate those who filed the charges and argued that the accusations and the punishment demanded were not enough.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily ORTAM newspaper (05.11.03) under the banner headlines title "Intimidation to the Press", reports that yesterday the occupation regime filed charges against its editor-in-chief, Mehmet Davulcu and its journalist, Hasan Kahvecioglu, because of articles they published after the symbolic referendum at occupied Elia village, in Morfou.

Mr Kahvecioglu is accused of "insulting the spiritual personality of the security forces", because of his article under the title "Why the state, the army and the police are against the citizens?". The paper writes that the imprisonment of Mr Kahvecioglu for eleven years is demanded.

Mr Davulcu is accused of permitting the publication of the article of Kahvecioglu. He is also accused of permitting the publication of an article 2.5 years ago under the title "Do you know why the European University of Lefka is not developed?"

All the charges were filed upon a complain from the so-called of the Security Forces Command.

According to the Turkish Cypriot Press, more journalists are expected to be accused.

Commenting on the issue, Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (05.11.03) writes that the recent events and the fact that the regime began filing charges against journalists which do not work in AVRUPA - AFRIKA newspaper, show that the regime does not tolerate any more even the "innocent criticism".

[02] Observers are visiting the occupied areas of Cyprus for the "elections"

The leader of the observers, David Carroll told KIBRIS that they came to the island in order to acquire more information regarding the situation in the occupied areas and to observe the political situation and atmosphere there. They will also have meetings with political party leaders and other civilian organizations.

Noting that they will be staying in the occupied areas until Friday, M Carroll said that the five observers are coming from two international institutes: the American Carter Center based in Atlanta and the Crisis Management Initiative based In Finland.

[03] Turkish mainland dailies: "Last Minute Goal"

According to the papers the following sentence has been added: "Non solution in Cyprus could be a serious obstacle regarding Turkey's EU process".

Milliyet claims that this sentence has been added because of the pressure exerted by the Greek and Greek Cypriot officials on the people who compiled the report.

Hurriyet quotes Turkish Foreign Ministry officials who said: "Priority is the application of the Copenhagen criteria, Cyprus can not be a condition"

The papers further report that first time the Commission establishes a direct relation between the solution of the Cyprus problem and Turkey's accession process.

[04] Milliyet: "Verhofstadt has proposed Belgian model for Cyprus"

Moreover, Turkish Daily News (05.110.03) reports that the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish government is determined to fully implement passed reforms and expects the European Union to note, in its annual progress report, that Turkey has essentially completed legislative reforms needed to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria.

"We have told the EU that Turkey has achieved harmonization with the Copenhagen criteria in terms of regulations and that it was ready to fully and effectively implement the passed reforms," Erdogan said at a press conference after talks with Belgium's Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt in Ankara late on Monday.

Furthermore, in his statements at the Press Conference, Verhofstadt said that Turkey should take the Commission's report as a "road map" on what it should do in the next year to meet the EU criteria.

Cyprus is not a condition for the beginning of talks with Turkey but it is obvious that a solution would ease the process, Belgian Prime Minister said.

Verhofstadt also said that a six-month period full of opportunities for a solution was ahead of Turkey and added that all parties involved should do their best to reach a solution before this period expires.

[05] Two hundred persons that were given recently the TRNC "citizenship" will not have the right to "vote" in the forthcoming "elections" of the pseudostate

The case was brought before the "Supreme Court" by the Republican Turkish Party (RTP) and its chairman, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat that filed charges against the "Council of Ministers", the "Ministry of Internal Affairs" and the "Supreme Election Board" of the pseudostate for granting illegally the "TRNC citizenship" to various persons. As the paper writes the decision refers to persons that were given the "citizenship" between 30th of June 2002 and April 2003. Among those 200 persons are Sinav Aygun, the Chairman of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, and the artist Murat Gogebakan.

Commenting on the issue Mr Talat stated that it is a proof that the so-called citizenship of the pseudostate was not granted properly but "arbitrarily, unreasonably and at random". Moreover he added the "citizenship" was granted in order to provide some persons with political benefits.

[06] A Turkish academician interferes in the domestic affairs of the Turkish Cypriots

Speaking at the conference Professor Alemdaroglu stated, inter alia, that "Cyprus is not just a piece of land, but a fatherland".

The paper also writes that Professor Alemdaroglu visited during his visit in occupied Cyprus the "Prime Minister", Dervis Eroglu to whom he expressed his support for the Cyprus problem.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] <JD Party hit by realities of the world>

"The ruling Justice and Democracy Party (JD Party) did well in domestic affairs and resurrected the economy but failed in foreign affairs.

On November 3, 2002 JD Party came to power with an overwhelming majority to face mounting international problems ranging from obstacles preventing Turkish accession to the European Union to Cyprus. Soon the Iraqi crisis was added to its nightmares.

It was clearly too much for an inexperience government.

Recep Tayip Erdogan had to rally for Turkey in the EU capitals and in Washington even before he came to power. The government had a rough ride trying to get a date from the EU summit for accession talks and failed. All we could get was a promise that if we fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria and also solved the Cyprus problem we would be given a date.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul cooperated with Justice Minister Cemil Cicek to push through a string of sweeping reforms that would appease the EU. But on Cyprus the government was a dismal failure.

At first the government came out boldly to work for a solution and thus open the gates of the EU. It abandoned the traditional hard-line attitude of the past Turkish governments and was prepared to enter the process of a meaningful give and take process on Cyprus. But soon the conservative establishment ganged up with Turkish Cypriot President Rauf Denktas and Erdogan had to make a U-turn. Ever since then the government is making all kinds of zig zags. It has lost its leverage on Denktas thus only a miracle in the upcoming Turkish Cypriot elections can help it out of the tight corner.

On Iraq the government failed to grasp the seriousness of the situation and could not control its parliamentary group and thus the motion allowing U.S. troops on Turkish soil to open a northern front against Saddam Hussein failed. Turkey's ties with the U.S. soured and it took a new motion allowing the government to decide whether or not to send Turkish troops to Iraq to mend fences. But now the Americans are not so enthusiastic to receive our troops in Iraq because they feel Turkish military presence and Ankara's insistence to have a say in Iraqi internal affairs will create massive complications in an already chaotic country.

Turkey is attending a meaningless Damascus meeting of states neighboring Iraq and thus is sharing the responsibility of empty statements. Instead of all this Turkey should sit down and start reshaping its policy on Iraq in a viable manner that fits regional realities.

Turkey also has to attach more importance to the Central Asian Republics. A couple of trips by Erdogan to the region are too late too little.

The government is clearly ill advised in foreign issues and has to do some soul searching."

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