Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-08-10

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/>

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat comments on Cyprus Government's measures.

[02] Turkish Cypriot politician Akinci to go to Athens via Larnaca for the Olympic opening

[03] Nine persons arrested and accused of being involved in a syndicate providing illegal workers with false health reports.

[04] A new "minister of economy and tourism" is appointed.

[05] Bomb explosions in Istanbul; Two persons dead.

[06] Two Turkish soldiers die in land mine explosion in Hakkari.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] The Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Rauf Denktas criticized for expressing 'fear' over Turkey-EU relations.

[08] "What happens after December?"

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat comments on Cyprus Government´s measures

Mr Talat, receiving a delegation of officials from the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry led by Salih Tunar, discussed the Green Line Regulation, which governs trade between the occupied area and the free area of the Republic of Cyprus as well as the issue of the occupied area´s ability to engage in direct trade with other countries.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Talat asserted that he is not opposed to the Green Line Regulation, and that he considers it progress, despite the fact that the proposals for commercial vehicles crossing into the free areas of Cyprus are insufficient.

Mr Talat, noting that the Green Line Regulation is for trade within the island, and that for this reason proposals that the Greek Cypriots might make can be taken into consideration, said that cooperation between the Turkish Cypriots and the EU is required for direct commercial arrangements via Famagusta and Tymbou.

Talat spoke as follows:

"What we want from the EU is that the Green Line Regulation and the proposals for change in this regard can be evaluated. But in order for us to engage in direct trade, free trade, and preferential exports, the restrictive aspects and measures aimed at Northern Cyprus must be completely done away with. The Turkish Cypriots have asked to join with the rest of the world, and this desire of theirs must not be mortgaged to the desires of any other community [referring to the Greek Cypriots]. Developments are placing before us in a period when the values of Europe as well will be tested."

Talat said that the proposals made by the Cyprus government regarding trade have involved the Green Line Regulation and the transit of vehicles.

"It is plainly obvious that these proposals were not prepared with good will. If the Greek Cypriot administration were going to prepare a proposal, it would discuss this with the EU Commission. In fact, it would discuss this with us as well, and then make the proposal thereafter at an appropriate time. It would not try to use the one-month advantage in this way in a period in which Europe is on vacation. This shows that the Papadopoulos administration is lacking in good will."

Mr Talat, alleging that the Greek Cypriot side is making an effort to prevent direct trade and link everything to the Green Line Regulation, noted that the Greek Cypriots had said this at the COREPER [EU Permanent Representatives' Committee] meetings in Brussels.

Mr Talat further stated that, in spite of this, the Green Line Regulation concerns not the exports of the Turkish Cypriots but rather the passage of goods between the occupied and the free areas of the island. Talat spoke as follows:

"If sufficient technical and administrative infrastructure is not there for free trade through our ports, then we would have no objection to EU experts setting up here and working out, together with us, the necessary arrangements in terms of exports. But an obligation such as conducting exports via the ports of Larnaca or Limassol is a great insult to the 24 April [2004] decision of the Turkish Cypriots..."

Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry Chairman Tunar, for his part, stated that, despite the fact that openings in terms of commerce, in particular, had come onto the agenda following the results of the referendum, the Turkish Cypriots have been unable to make any concrete gains. He asserted that the Turkish Cypriots must be freed from "isolation and embargoes".

[02] Turkish Cypriot politician Akinci to go to Athens via Larnaca for the Olympic opening

In statements to the Anatolia News Agency correspondent yesterday, Akinci who supports a political solution in Cyprus, confirmed the reports of the Greek Cypriot press that he would attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games upon an invitation.

Noting that he did not have a Republic of Cyprus passport which the Cyprus Government gave to some Turkish Cypriots, Akinci said: "At first I was planning to go to Athens via Istanbul. However, I was later told that I can go to Athens via Larnaca with a Republic of Turkey passport. So I decided to go to Greece via the Greek Cypriot side."

"I accepted this official invitation because I want to contribute to peaceful spirit of the Olympics," he added.

Akinci will be the first ever Turkish Cypriot politician going to Athens via the free areas of Cyprus and the Larnaca Airport.

[03] Nine persons arrested and accused of being involved in a syndicate providing illegal workers with false health reports

In statements yesterday, the so-called minister of interior of the occupation regime, Mr Ozkan Murat, disclosed the names of the nine arrested persons. Pensioner "police officers", officers in the "ministry of health", "public" servants, pensioner officials in the "emigration department", real estate agents, doctors and a man from Jordan were among the above-mentioned nine persons.

According to Mr Ozkan, the syndicate has been selling its false documents for 500 dollars. 282 files regarding this case have been found.

[04] A new "minister of economy and tourism" is appointed

Mr Deniz was born in 1954. He is married and has two children, one daughter and one son. He studied in London Guildhall University in 1977. He worked as a Charter Accountant in the occupied areas of Cyprus since 1981. He is one of the five founding members of the illegal European University of Lefka ("EUL"). His father, late Kemal Deniz was a member of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus in the period 1960-1963.

[05] Bomb explosions in Istanbul; Two persons dead

According to NTV, among the injured were tourists from Holland, China, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.

[06] Two Turkish soldiers die in land mine explosion in Hakkari

According to NTV, military sources said on Monday that the vehicle run over a mine put by the PKK-KONGRA-GEL organization. Meanwhile, fire has been opened against the Turkish police in the province of Mardin. No deaths or injuries were reported. The police launched an operation in the region.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] The Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Rauf Denktas criticized for expressing 'fear' over Turkey-EU relations

"The `paradigmatic opposition´ that exists on the EU issue between Rauf Denktas and a significant section of the Turkish people is not at all likely to calm down. As a matter of fact, Mr Denktas is in a deeper conflict with his own people on the same issue, which he brought up again recently when he received the members of the Local Administrations Support Association delegation visiting from Turkey.

Mr Denktas is said to have expressed `fear´ over the EU giving a negotiating date to Turkey in December. His words are exactly as follows: `My fear is that they will give a [negotiating] date to Turkey with or without conditions. They will do so in order to hold the reins in their hands.´ In short, Denktas does not want to see the realization of something that at least 60 percent of the people in Turkey, and probably a greater percentage of the people in north Cyprus, desire.

As for the reason, it is said that after the date is given, calls will begin in unison: `Withdraw your troops from Cyprus, hand over Varosha, do this and do that.´ There is certainly some truth in this expectation. Despite the fact that 65 percent of the Turkish Cypriots have said yes to the Annan Plan, which provides for the demilitarization of the island, some circles in Europe still urge Turkey to `withdraw troops.´

There is nothing new in this, though. They have been saying the same thing for 30 years. Turkey, however, has been asking them for 30 years: `Do you take me for a fool? Don't you have your own business?´ In the meantime, it is a fact that Turkey has taken, within the `EU perspective,´ certain steps that it could not have taken easily under normal circumstances. These are the steps that Denktas and those who think like him in Turkey view as `big concessions.´

They do so to such an extent that some liken them [the concessions] to the capitulations experienced in the Ottoman period, which were indeed impositions, although there is no relation at all. Those advocating this view deliberately overlook, however, something of which they are very much aware.

The steps that Turkey has taken on the EU course -- in their view, the concessions it has made -- are relative to the Turkish people's desire to join the EU. In other words, if the Turkish people and the Turkish State today say, `We have given up the EU idea,´ this situation of `having secured concessions´ from Turkey will no longer exist. Neither the Turkish state nor the Turkish people appear to have such an approach, though. Even the circles that drag their feet on the issue are not able to say, `We do not want the EU.´ The reason is that the EU membership has become a `state policy.´ In other words, Denktas has to persuade the Turks, not the Europeans, to ensure that his `fear´ does not materialize. The irony is that if he persuades the Turks on this issue, the Europeans who look with antipathy to the membership of the Turks will thank him.

If the EU does not give a negotiating date to Turkey in December -- and it may not -- it is obvious that Mr Denktas will be very happy. In such a case, would he again get hold of Turkey's reins? This is a bit doubtful. In other words, irrespective of what might happen in December, everyone should realize that an era has closed and a new era has opened in Turkey."

[08] "What happens after December?"

"While in our side there are chauvinistic groups which shout 'blood for blood', do the Greek Cypriots not have their own? Now the 'Hrysi Avgi' organization appeared. That means 'Golden Dawn'. They appeared for the last time at the commemoration ceremonies two day ago. On the graves of Solomou who was shot dead while climbing on the flag mast and Isaac who was lynched to death in Dherynia in 1996. The activists of this association, holding Greek flags in their hands, were shouting slogans such as 'Blood to be shed, it wants revenge, Turks are our enemies'. The slogans heard during the ceremony of placing a wreath on the grave in Paralimni, angered Tassos Papadopoulos as well, who participated in the ceremony. Papadopoulos said: 'These gentlemen are showing disrespect to the commemoration ceremony we are making.'

If only Rauf Denktas could say as much for the groups in our side. If this time no incident happened during the Greek Cypriot ceremony in Dherynia, this is due to the fact that Ankara did not want the 1996 incidents to be repeated. Otherwise, if the issue depended on Denktas, things could again go too far. As a matter of fact Denktas has given the first sign. What did he say? 'If necessary I will also go to Dherynia', he said. If Ankara blinked an eye to these words, then he would really have gone. He would again take his camera and take photographs of the area which has been turned into a slaughterhouse of people.

Let us pray for Ankara to take the date it is expecting from Europe. And at least until December it will not permit such incidents to happen in Cyprus. Because Europe will consider Ankara responsible for what happens in Cyprus. Very well, what happens after December?"

/SK

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article