Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-11-04

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 evaluated his visit to the USA.

[02] Bryza: We have created a joint vision for the Turkish Cypriots and our friends in the EU.

[03] Mr Ali Erel reveals that the matter of issuing false certificates of origin for tomatoes from Turkey were raised during the Soyers self-styled government period several times.

[04] The real estate sector is full of problems.

[05] The Commander of the occupation army Memisoglu will exchange greetings for the Bayram with the Turkish Cypriots-Denktas will not attend Talats celebrations for the festivity.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] Columnist: Turkey has to prove to the world that the north Cyprus is not under its occupation.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat evaluated his visit to the USA

In a statement on his return at the occupied airport of Tymbou, Mr Talat reiterated that the aim of the Turkish Cypriots is to solve the Cyprus problem. Noting that his visit to the United States was very intense, Mr Talat said: We did some very intensive and multifaceted work.

Recalling that he paid the visit at the invitation of the US State Secretary Rice, Mr Talat noted that he met with her, with UN Secretary-General Annan, had the opportunity to meet with others and to attend conferences. He said that he returned with extremely beneficial results and that the US Secretary of State's invitation was a symbolic gesture showing that the world understands the Turkish Cypriots.

Mr Talat recounted that he was treated very well and was received very well and respectfully. As a representative of the Turkish Cypriot `people´, I was treated very well, he said.

During the contacts, he said, it was as if the Turkish Cypriots were integrating with the world, adding that he told Secretary of State Rice the Turkish Cypriot people's position and policy. He said that he conveyed the Turkish Cypriots' views to Rice and Annan in written and verbal form. He pointed out that he was invited by universities, by nongovernmental organizations, and UN bodies, and that he observed how certain official establishments which used to remain distant in the past were now interested in the Turkish Cypriots and the TRNC (occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus) and wanted to visit it. The work we have been doing in this regard is part of our desire to integrate with the world. As we always emphasize, our aim is the solution of the Cyprus problem, he said and added that this process must be reinforced with constant steps.

Mr Talat noted that the most important tool for moving toward a solution was the lifting of the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. He concluded: The visit to the United States was a step in that direction. This will be our aim in our future work and we will continue to intensively try to lift the isolation so that a negotiation process can begin.

[02] Bryza: We have created a joint vision for the Turkish Cypriots and our friends in the EU

Mr Bryza reminded the public that, while discussing the Cyprus problem, everyone needed to overcome the traditional political rhetoric, adding that everything recently said by Talat reflected his strategic vision. Mr Bryza continued: Abolishing the isolations is the best way to move towards unification. Undersecretary Bryza stated that as the economic differences between the North and South of Cyprus decrease it would be easier to reunite the island. Symbolic gestures would be helpful for the abolishment of the isolations. The symbolic gestures should have economic and political stages. Talats visit was a big step.

Mr Bryza also mentioned the economic aid that could be provided by the US government, the support could help small industrial companies to develop their businesses and the second thing he said were the US intentions regarding agricultural exports from the TRNC to the USA.

Mr Bryza said that the US government had never lost interest in the UN peace process and added: Secretary-General Kofi Annan is in charge of the peace process. He will restart the peace process when both sides are ready to start negotiations. We cannot tell him to start negotiations. That is for Annan himself to decide. However, we are ready to support the process in any way we can.

[03] Mr Ali Erel reveals that the matter of issuing false certificates of origin for tomatoes from Turkey were raised during the Soyers self-styled government period several times

In statements to KIBRIS, Mr Erel said yesterday that if necessary he would reveal in the future which government officials exerted pressures on him regarding this issue, but for the time being he did not want to make a more detailed statement.

Mr Erel noted that the demand for issuing a false certificate of origin for tomatoes from Turkey was not a new issue and did not take place only once. He said that this matter came several times onto the agenda.

This issue is much more than a conversation between two persons. It is an issue on which meetings have been made, he added. Mr Erel pointed out that officials of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and self-styled government officials discussed this issue many times.

Mr Erel continued: At this stage it is not necessary for me to give names, but more than one ministers knew about this issue. This is not an incident which occurred recently. It happened during the period of Ferdi Sabit Soyers government. There are names, but I do not want to make speculations. If needed, I will make a statement. Revealing names is not important at this stage. The important thing is not to make moves that will harm the Turkish Cypriot community. .

I/Ts.

[04] The real estate sector is full of problems

The chairman of the Association Cafer Gurcafer called on everybody to make business with companies which are registered and have clean record. Mr Gurcafer said that in case the sector is not taken under control and there is no discipline, the swindling problems will continue to exist. And this will kill the hen that lays golden eggs, he argued.

Mr Gurcafer noted that the swindling incidents and the low quality buildings are due to the lack of control on the sector and the fact that many companies are unregistered. He pointed out that there are a lot of illegal workers who work for illegal building contractors.

The paper refers also to incidents of swindling that took place in the field of the constructions in the occupied areas of Cyprus. It reports that a Turkish Cypriot named Metin Huseyin had sold his property in Australia and bought a house at Ayios Epiktitos, Kyrenia area, from Aga Development Company, one of the partners of which was Garry Robb who is accused of transferring millions of sterling pounds belonging to the company to his own bank account and ran away to Thailand. Mr Huseyin said that there is no electricity in the house he bought and that one day some unknown persons visited him and told him that the house was built on land belonging to them. Mr Huseyin also noted that seven more houses bought by British citizens have no electricity.

Furthermore, KIBRIS refers to the case of thirteen families in Famagusta area, who paid money to some mediator-companies in order to get the title deeds of their houses. They applied to the above-mentioned mediators upon a suggestion by the Housing Department. The families have not yet gotten hold of the title deeds of the houses and complain that they were deceived.

I/Ts.

[05] The Commander of the occupation army Memisoglu will exchange greetings for the Bayram with the Turkish Cypriots-Denktas will not attend Talats celebrations for the festivity

-

According to an announcement made by the occupation armys office in the OTCR, the celebrations for the people will start today at 10:00 at the occupied Mintzeli village at the armys casino.

In addition, as Turkish daily MILLIYET newspaper (04.11.05) writes, Rauf Denktas protested against the self-styled president in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat, because the latter decided to change the tradition that goes on for thirty years now according to which at the religious festivities the Turkish Cypriots so-called officials accept congratulations together with the military and political representatives of Turkey in the island.

The paper writes that Talat sent an invitation to Denktas to attend the celebrations that he organised and to exchange greetings with him. However, Rauf Denktas answered by sending him a letter writing that it is not possible for him to come to celebrations because the state protocol is not followed.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] Columnist: Turkey has to prove to the world that the north Cyprus is not under its occupation

Turkey, is in need of proving to the world that the north Cyprus is not under its occupation and that there is an independent and sovereign state here. Because, in the course of the EU process a lot of accusations and warnings will be directed to Turkey.

For the time being the Turkish Cypriots act reasonably and keep quiet. They are not giving headaches to Ankara. They are not acting in a manner that might extend support for the pressure that might be exerted from outside. Those who caused problems in the past in the community were squared away.

No one is shouting anymore: `Ankara we neither want your money nor your officers´. In fact, in order for Ankara to send more money they are organizing activities.

If there is money no one is demanding political will. No one is suffering from the `getting rid of the saviour syndrom´. No one is complaining about being condemned to non-solution for years in the island.

As the money in his pocket gets more, he starts, instead of accusing Turkey, accusing the Greek Cypriots. He is not demanding things such as withdrawal of troops, returning to civilian administration, opening of Varosha and many more similar things. The only thing that he demands is; the removal of the isolations, and Turkey should refuse to open its ports and airports to Cyprus´ ships and planes and not to recongize the Republic of Cyprus.

In short, as the Turkish Foreign Minister, Abdullah Gul said: Things are being run smoothly in the north Cyprus and there is no major problem.

No one here, except a small marginal group complain about Turkey.

No one will inform the UN or the EU that they are under occupation in the north, nor they will demand to put an end to this occupation.

Despite this fact, Turkey still feels that it has to prove to the world that north Cyprus is not under its occupation and that there is an independent and sovereign state here.

The Turkish Cypriots lack of complaint about the occupation is not enough to save Turkey to be branded and accused of being an occupier. For this reason with symbolic arrangements the make-up of the north Cyprus is renewed.

Troops are not withdrawn, the police force is not under civilian rule, Varosha is not opened, but there are new protocol arrangements at Talat´s Presidential palace.

For the first time, Turkey´s civilian and military officials here are placed in a different position at the Bayram greetings.

In the past during the Bayrams, the Ambassador and the army commanders used to stand next to Denktas and receive the greetings. Now they are not standing next to Talat.

Despite the fact that this is the right arrangement, however, this does not change the reality that here it is Turkey that has the first saying.

Turkey could, for the time being, with these kind of symbolic actions, renew the make-up in the north Cyprus, and if its aim is to gain time, it has the chance to be successful in this.

If Turkey gives up what it secured in 1974 one by one, then it can extend this period to another 20 or 30 more years.

One or two years later, if Turkey withdraws two or five thousand troops, the status quo here will not be affected, but Turkey might gain a lot of things

If Ankara decides to return Varosha to its former owners, then it could manage to survive for another long time from the points it will gain of this action.

Turkey could transfer police under the civilian authority, thus gaining another three or five years. Turkey could also accept a Turkish Cypriot become the governor of the Central Bank. In fact, Turkey could withdraw some of the settlers. These as well will not affect the status quo nor they are a blow to Turkey´s civilian and military authority here. But, it could be a nice message to those who try to corner Turkey as occupier.

As long as the Turkish Cypriots do not complain about Turkey´s rule and demand political will, Turkey´s job in the island is very easy. It seems that Turkey has found the way to make the people here satisfied.

As they get money, their protests are put down. Those who heaped money are willing to shield themselves for Turkey, against the Greek Cypriots.

They turn their faces to Turkey and their backs to the Greek Cypriots. They prefer to be a happy slave rather than a free man.

(MY)

/SK

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