Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-10-03

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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 Turkish Foreign Minister stated that Turkey had gains on the Cyprus problem in its EU course

[02] Britains veto game!

[03] The Deputy Minister of Education of Tajikistan visited the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus

[04] Azerbaijans State Minister Ibrahimov will visit the occupied areas of Cyprus

[05] The U.N. Secretary-General is lobbying for Turkey´s accession talks to start

[06] Independent Deputy From Adiyaman Joins AKP

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Columnist in Turkish Daily News assesses the Cyprus problem after 3 October

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Foreign Minister stated that Turkey had gains on the Cyprus problem in its EU course

Watching the developments in Luxembourg as they were unfolding, Ankara worked throughout the night. Prior to the Luxembourg meeting, Gul called Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary of Britain, which is currently the EU term president, and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn. Noting that Turkey maintains its position on the framework document, Gul added: ´Do not tell us that we have not told you so in the event of problems´.

At a meeting, which lasted until the early morning hours, Turkish Foreign Ministry officials said that Turkey's position has not changed and that Turkey will not go to Luxembourg before it sees the framework document.

Addressing a meeting of the Justice and Development Party at Kizilcahamam Mr Gul said: "During the fifth consultative meeting in Kizilcahamam, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul assessed the relations with the EU. Minister Gul said that in the event that Turkey's expectations from the EU are not met, there may be those who may seek to pull Turkey toward other countries."

Turkish Cypriot Kibris newspaper (03/10/05) quotes the Turkish Foreign Minister to have said in his Kizilcahamam address that Turkey had no losses but gains on the Cyprus problem and that Ankara´s main commitment is the fulfillment of the Copenhagen Criteria. Mr Gul is also quoted by Kibris to have said that the Armenian genocide issue is not a condition for Turkey´s accession to the EU.

[02] Britains veto game!

KIBRISLI reports: The British games over Cyprus do not end. All plans, from the partition to the Annan Plan, have come out of the British head. Making Cyprus a member of the EU, but leaving the European army and NATO outside the island was also their idea. With the Annan Plan they aimed at solving the Cyprus problem on the one hand and reestablishing the military balances of the 1960s on the other. Now, while the Greek Cypriots are trying to put into the framework document a condition regarding Turkey not vetoing their accession in NATO, Britain sent a secret letter to Ankara and suggested: do not veto the accession to NATO, let us veto it. Can Britain be trusted? Turkeys Ministry of Foreign Affairs will decide this!

I/Ts.

[03] The Deputy Minister of Education of Tajikistan visited the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus

Mrs Karimova will hold contacts during her visit with self-styled officials of the ministry of culture and education as regards developments in co-operation between her country and the OTRC. Mrs Karimova will also visit the illegal universities in the OTRC and will meet with students from Tajikistan who study in OTCR. Mrs Karimova will leave the occupied territories of Cyprus on the 4th of October.

C/S

[04] Azerbaijans State Minister Ibrahimov will visit the occupied areas of Cyprus

The activities will be taking place between 4 and 6 October. A delegation from Azerbaijan, headed by the MP Nizami Caferov, will arrive today to the occupied areas of Cyprus. On 5 October Azerbaijans State Minister, Nazim Ibrahimov will visit the areas which are not under the control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. Mr Ibrahimov will have meetings with state and government officials of the occupied territories.

The Cultural Days of Azerbaijan are organized with the cooperation of the self-styled ministry of foreign affairs, the illegal embassy of Turkey in occupied Lefkosia, the illegal Near East University and the illegal Eastern Mediterranean University.

I/Ts.

[05] The U.N. Secretary-General is lobbying for Turkey´s accession talks to start

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, expressing his support to Turkey's membership talks due to start on October 3rd.

Prime Ministry spokesman Mehmet Akif Beki told the A.A correspondent that Annan called Erdogan yesterday evening, and told him that he had talks with European leaders that Turkey should be supported.

Beki said that Annan told Erdogan that these problems would be solved under the leadership of Erdogan.

Annan told Erdogan that he expected that EU would open accession talks with Turkey on October 3rd in line of promises given to Turkey.

Beki said that Erdogan conveyed Turkey's sensitivities regarding the negotiating frame document to Annan, and thanked him for his support.

[06] Independent Deputy From Adiyaman Joins AKP

Recent distribution of seats in the Turkish parliament is as follows: Justice and Development Party (AKP): 356 Republican People's Party (CHP): 157; Motherland Party (ANAVATAN): 18; True Path Party (DYP): 4; Social Democrat People's Party (SHP): 4; People's Rise Party (HYP): 1; Independent: 6; Vacant: 4; TOTAL: 550

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Columnist in Turkish Daily News assesses the Cyprus problem after 3 October

As we were anticipating, we keep on trying to dance on slippery ground. A war of nerves continues unabated, and it appears almost certain that whether Turkish accession talks will start as planned on Oct. 3 or will be deferred to an uncertain future will become clear at the very last minute -- and according to one claim, may even take longer than that because the British term presidency is even considering "stopping the clock" and trying to work out a deal even if the midnight Oct. 3 deadline for the start of talks expires.

Although most of us are frustrated with the obsessions in European capitals regarding Turkey's membership and the moves to introduce further new conditions, we believe we have to maintain Turkey on the EU course for our national interests and are confident that common sense will eventually prevail even in Vienna.

In assessing the situation and coming up with a position on the Turkey issue, the EU leaders should also take into account that irrespective of how defeatist an image it has portrayed thus far, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has a limit as well. They should not expect Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to sit back and savor an unpalatable negotiating framework that he would not be able to sell to the Turkish public as a victory, or even as an honorable deal keeping Turkey's eventual membership hopes alive.

Time is running out, and should the Oct. 3 date be missed because of the Croatia or such obsession of the Austrians, that will be a gross injustice for this country.

Even if accession talks start on Monday as scheduled, however, in view of the prevailing climate in Europe towards Turkish membership it is clear that we will be in for another bruising and uphill battle to achieve the ultimate aim for a European vocation.

Subtitle: Image problem

This tiring countdown to the Oct. 3 start of Turkey's accession talks process demonstrated once again that despite all the smiles to the Turks' faces, the number of Turkey-sceptics among the political elite of Europe is no less than among the European peoples. Latest public opinion polls have demonstrated that only 35 percent of European people see a place for Turkey in the European family. In countries like Austria the support for Turkish membership is below 10 percent.

This is a major problem that the government of Turkey, as well as governments of EU states, will have to deal with in the accession talks process in order to convey a true picture of Turkey to European public opinion.

Support for Turkey's EU membership, on the other hand, has started to decrease in this country while nationalism is gaining ground. That is, we need to promote the EU in Turkey and Turkey in the EU. We tend to believe we have time to deal with this problem, but tomorrow could be too late.

Subtitle: Cyprus

Turkey's traditional headache, the Cyprus problem, will become all the more important should the talks start on Monday. No one is a fool in Ankara. Everyone knows that once the accession talks start, at a stage when the intergovernmental conference is convened and when Turkey sits at the conference table together with the 25 EU countries, one of those countries will be the Cyprus Republic. While attending such a meeting would provide de facto recognition of the Greek Cypriot state, de jure recognition would be a must for Turkish membership. Turkey's membership will be approved by all those member states. If there isn't a settlement on Cyprus by that date, then there won't be any other option for Ankara but to recognize -- in any fashion that fits the conditions of the day -- the Greek Cypriot government with its disputed title.

That is, the start of accession talks will serve as a prod for Ankara to make greater contributions to a Cyprus settlement. That's why many people, including this writer, have been stressing that from the day Turkish accession talks start, Cyprus will become an internal EU problem and that the Turks will have a far smaller area than ever in which to maneuver.

EG/

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