Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-12-02

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ali Erel calls on Talat and Akinci to participate in a common demonstration prior to the "elections"

[02] Banners in which it was written "TMT B", were found in front of the headquarters of the Republican Turkish Party and the building of the British "representation office" in occupied Nicosia

[03] Eroglu says they would continue granting the "citizenship" of the regime

[04] Turkish businessmen will be visiting occupied Cyprus

[05] The regime continues making "presents" before the "elections"

[06] YENI DUZEN reports that a nephew of Mr Dervis Eroglu works in the free areas of Cyprus

[07] Ecevit to step down as Democratic Left Party leader

[08] Turkey prepares for local polls

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] "Nothing will be the same in TRNC"

[10] "About the Loizidou Case of Cyprus"

[11] "The trouble island"

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ali Erel calls on Talat and Akinci to participate in a common rally prior to the "elections"

Mr Erel sent a letter to the chairman of the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces Mr Mehmet Ali Talat and the chairman of the Peace and Democracy Movement, Mr Mustafa Akinci, with whom he has signed cooperation protocol to be valid after the "elections", calling them to meet until the 3rd of December in order to organise together a rally. Mr Erel stated in the letter he send to the two leaders that his Party believes that the three parties of the opposition, which are in favour of solution, peace and EU accession, must organise together a common rally before the 14th of December.

However, as Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (02.12.03) reports, Mr Akinci considers positively Mr Erel's call, while there was no any positive reaction from Mr Talat regarding the issue.

[02] Banners in which it was written "TMT B", were found in front of the headquarters of the Republican Turkish Party and the building of the British "representation office" in occupied Nicosia

According to the paper, the attacks against the two buildings took place around midnight last nigh. Some persons went to CTP-UF headquarters and after setting fire to a banner of the Party, they placed another one in which it was written (Turkish Cypriot terrorist organization). The same persons left a similar banner in front of the building of the British "representation office" in the occupied Nicosia.

In statements he made to KIBRIS, Mr Ahmet Uzun, financial secretary of CTP-UF said that complaining to the pseudopolice he stated that he suspects that Mr Dervis Eroglu's party is involved in the incident.

[03] Eroglu says they would continue granting the "citizenship" of the regime

Speaking yesterday occupied Kythrea area, Mr Eroglu argued that some persons "have shopped on" to the world cases of arbitrarily distributed "citizenship" and alleged that the "citizenship" is "legally" given to persons coming from Turkey.

"We shall continue to walk on the road we believe", added Mr Eroglu.

[04] Turkish businessmen will be visiting occupied Cyprus

Commenting on the issue, the paper notes that Mr Aygun "had been granted TRNC citizen within one day and now is coming to support Denktas".

The paper writes that Mr Aygun and his delegation will be meeting with "government and state officials". On Wednesday Mr Aygun will give a joint press conference with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktas.

[05] The regime continues making "presents" before the "elections"

The paper reports that upon a decision taken by the so-called "council of ministers" on 23 October 2003, a house at occupied Akanthou village, used as the apartment of the village teacher, was allotted to a person.

According to Ali Cil, the so-called deputy mayor of Akanthou, said that the decision was never applied because of the reaction of the inhabitants of the occupied village.

[06] YENI DUZEN reports that a nephew of Mr Dervis Eroglu works in the free areas of Cyprus

The paper writes that a complaint had been filed the day before at the so-called Famagusta police station against the son of Mr Eroglu's sister on the behalf of his Greek Cypriot employer, who accused his employee of cheque forgery.

[07] Ecevit to step down as Democratic Left Party leader

Ecevit said that the reasons for his party's defeat at the last general elections are obvious and his party has the power to overcome such shortcomings. He said that he will continue to contribute to the actions of the party after his resignation.

[08] Turkey prepares for local polls

Local elections in Turkey will be held on March 28. The lists will remain hanged at the local administration offices for 35 days in an effort to renew the lists and get the most sound results possible at the polls.

It is expected that the ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP) will score an overwhelming victory at the elections. Left and right wing parties have been working in an effort to reach a consensus on a possible alliance to prevent this. Although, the JDP is a very young party, it won a majority of the 550-seat Parliament on the 3rd Nov. 2002 general elections.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[09] "Nothing will be the same in TRNC"

"The northern Cyprus electorate will decide at the December 14 polls between 'settlement and EU accession at any cost' and 'an honorable settlement and EU accession together with Turkey.

We are now on the final stretch as we head for the December 14 Turkish Cypriot parliamentary elections that has been transformed into a referendum on the British-American co-authored but United Nations-owned Annan plan for a settlement in Cyprus.

As of last Sunday, according to the Turkish Cypriot elections law, a ban was imposed on public opinion polls-which were not reflective of the tendencies of the electorate anyhow because all through the past few months there was a poll for every taste. The conservatives had their polls placing them well in advance of the pro-settlement leftist-dominated opposition groups, while the opposition sponsored polls placing them well ahead of the ruling parties.

Less than two weeks are left before the Turkish Cypriots go to the polling booths on December14 and declare their will. Traditionally, about 60 percent of Turkish Cypriots vote for the conservatives and 30 percent vote for the leftist parties while around ten percent prefer to make a selection from the lists of candidates of parties, a practice allowed under the election law.

Because of the extraordinary conditions under which the forthcoming elections are being held, it is very likely that there will be a change in the traditional voting patterns of the Turkish Cypriots. An overwhelming majority in northern Cyprus support a settlement and European Union accession so irrespective of their traditional political standing they may well defect to the opposition. The opposition has built its entire campaign on the assumption that Turkish Cypriot aspirations for a settlement and EU accession will carry them to government.

Though the polls were not reflective of the tendencies of the electorate, they were sufficient enough in demonstrating that the opposition has built its campaign on a clever strategy and there is a strong possibility that it will substantially increase its collective vote share. But, will that vote increase be enough to carry them to power? We have serious doubts.

At least half of the Turkish Cypriot electors will go to the booths, make a last-minute evaluation and then cast their vote because the Dec. 14 polls have become more than a parliamentary election. Electors will decide whether they supported a defeatist opposition who have been campaigning for a settlement along the lines of the Annan plan and EU accession "at all costs" and the conservative parties who have been campaigning for an "honorable two-state settlement" and "EU accession together with Turkey.""

That is, the electorate will decide between "settlement and EU accession at any cost" and "an honorable settlement and EU accession together with Turkey." Turkish Cypriots who remember well the bitter sufferings in their recent history may not opt for the "at any cost" option despite all the current difficulties they have been living through. The Dec. 14 polls will definitely bring change in TRNC irrespective which side wins."

[10] "About the Loizidou Case of Cyprus"

"Turkey has at last decided to pay the compensation that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) awarded to Mrs. Titiana Loizidou of Cyprus, approximately one million dollars including the interest payment.

That decision of ECHR is very significant for the definition of the so-called Cyprus problem and it is noteworthy that Turkey eventually accepted the payment. That means Turkey now accepts the verdict and thus the reasons behind the verdict.

Today let us study the process and the reasons for ECHR's verdict.

Mrs. Titiana Loizidou attempted, with many other Greek women, to enter the Turkish section of Cyprus on March 19, 1989. Her proclaimed intent was to visit her home in the city of Girne. Mrs. Loizidou and the other ladies were prevented from reaching their land and they were detained and handed over to the UN.

Mrs. Loizidou applied to the ECHR. Her application was accepted as of March 7, 1989 and as of Nov. 9 of the same year the application of Cyprus to participate in the trial was accepted. The Commission sent her application to ECHR promptly.

The Court started discussing the preliminary objections of Turkey to the case on Nov. 22, 1994 and rejected the objections on March 23, 1995.

ECHR decided that Turkey should pay Mrs. Loizidou approximately $650,000.

Now, let us also study the reasons behind the verdict. The compensation has already reached approximately of $1 million.

The ECHR decided that:

"1) Following the international norms and the decisions of UN with regard to Cyprus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has not been accepted as a sovereign state. The Island of Cyprus is only represented by the Republic of Cyprus.

2) The Turkish Government has accepted the plaintiff's claim that The Turkish Army has prevented her from supervising her own land after taking control of Northern Cyprus. The plaintiff also cannot go to her home after the establishment of TRNC and has actually been denied access by the Turkish Army in her many attempts.

3) Turkey keeps too many soldiers on the island and it is very obvious that some part of the island is under the Turkish Army's control.

4) Turkey is not only responsible for protecting individual rights and freedoms in her own land but she is also responsible for those rights in northern Cyprus. The negotiations between the two parties in the island do not allow Turkey to forego these individual rights.

5) Turkey has accepted that she will abide by the decisions of ECHR as she signed Article 46 on January 22nd 1990"

By accepting the verdict Turkey has also accepted the reasoning behind the verdict. The reasoning behind the verdict completely denies the Turkish perspective on Cyprus. I wonder how Turkish hawks will deal with the new contradictory position they have adopted with the Loizidou case.

[11] "The trouble island"

"Never mind if the Turks care more about the cause of death than death itself. They wholeheartedly mourned for the 55 victims of recent suicide bombings in Istanbul, and it went almost unnoticed when another 100 or so lives were lost in road accidents this holiday, bringing the holiday death toll in the past five years to 1,500 -- to make a comparison, the Turks lost 9,168 lives during the War of Independence!

Motorists arriving in this small Aegean town come across a white wall on which huge, red letters spell out the name of Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktas, a script which was not there a year ago. Why all the sudden affection for Mr. Denktas, and in a corner of Anatolia with no connection to Cyprus?

At the turn of last century, 95 percent of Ayvalik's population was Greek -- Ottoman bureaucracy made up the remaining five percent. After the exchange of population between Turkey and Greece in 1923, Muslim Turks in Crete and Lesvos arrived in Ayvalik along with, in later years, some Bosnians fleeing Tito's Yugoslavia.

Ahmet Tufekci, formerly a notorious far-right militant but presently the eccentric mayor of Ayvalik, is the descendant of a family who set foot in the town from Lesvos. He is quite a bizarre man.

Tufekci has the habit of playing through the municipality's loudspeakers all around the town the Turkish National Anthem every Friday. His men make sure everyone in the streets, shops and restaurants stands up in respect to the tune. Those who refuse to "show respect" may be in trouble -- once his men badly beat a policeman. At other times, the loudspeakers play religious tunes of Tufekci's choice, to celebrate, for example, a national football victory -- shocking poor foreign tourists who wonder if there is a religious service at odd hours of the evening.

His fierce speeches on important national days resemble declarations of war on Turkey's enemies and less to commemorating notes. Once he punched two Interior Ministry inspectors who had come to his office to check his account books. Hence the note in his Ministry dossier that "this man has psychological problems."

Tufekci has been prosecuted and convicted on several charges, and more are still pending -- Turkish courts have the habit of suspending his sentences. But he is preparing to run for his third term in office in local polls next March. It was Tufekci's idea to have the wall at the entrance of the town painted in honor of Denktas.

Ayvalik is a microcosm of Turkish perceptions of Denktas. The Turkish Cypriot leader has many supporters in Turkey -- not only men with psychological problems. Recently, a very important person in Ankara silently switched sides. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has privately decided that he cannot afford to work with anyone but Denktas as Cyprus is otherwise too politically dangerous, especially with the state establishment looking over his shoulders. These days, Erdogan's government is deliberately nonconfrontational. For Cyprus, this means no pressure from Ankara, and no solution by May, and possibly even afterwards.

Judging from the initial enthusiasm for the possibility of a settlement sparked by Erdogan's rise to power last year (an enthusiasm not shared by Equilibrium), this is a fine "getting to know Erdogan lesson." Now Erdogan, the champion peace-maker in Cyprus, has ordered his Energy Minister Hilmi Guler to push the button for a bizarrely-timed project which went mostly unnoticed during the holiday in Ankara. Only days before the Dec. 14 elections, Erdogan's government formally launched plans to connect the northern third of the island to Turkey with a pipeline 200 meters under the sea and provide water, power, telephone and data (internet) lines to Turkish Cypriots.

Once again, "Istanbul's Imam" is behaving like himself. Recently, Erdogan privately agreed with his Israeli counterpart, Ariel Sharon, to enhance security and intelligence cooperation between Turkey and Israel in the fight against international (Islamic) terror. On the same day he said he, for one, could not stand the term "Islamic terror." He intends to carry the controversy to a misleading platform when he argues terror cannot be blamed on Islam as a whole. Of course, it cannot, and no one does so. But that does not change the fact that the recent wave of terror in Istanbul was the product of radical Islamic militants.

Apparently, there are parallels in the thinking and practices of Erdogan the mayor of Istanbul and Tufekci the mayor of Ayvalik. Erdogan gave jobs to former Islamic militants; and Tufekci to former far-right militants. Erdogan preferred to read-out of the Koran to open city council meetings; and Tufekci prefers the National Anthem. Nowadays, both have an affection for Denktas.

But Erdogan too sometimes talks bluntly. He once said that "one could not be Muslim and secular at the same time," and that "democracy was only an instrument (to achieve his goals)." His western admirers should better rethink the wisdom of their strategic alliance with the former Imam."

EG/

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