Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-12-28

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] A Turkish Cypriot so-called court in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus decided that the closed city of Varosha belongs to the Turkish Cypriots.

[02] Egyptian President promised to support the TRNC.

[03] Universities established and operated illegally by Turkey in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus became members of IAU.

[04] Bulgarian settlers celebrate the 16th anniversary of their coming into the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus in the presence of the Bulgarian consul in Nicosia.

[05] Huseyin Ozgurgun is the new general secretary of the National Unity Party.

[06] Cannabis, heroin and ecstasy seized in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus.

[07] The shop owners of ready made clothing in occupied Lefkosia are pleased with the shopping made by the Greek Cypriots.

[08] Investigation launched against Lagendijk.

[09] The views of an AKP member of Parliament on Turkey´s current problems.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[10] Columnist examines the scenario of Erdogan moving to the Presidency.

[11] Columnist in CUMHURIYET argues that Israel has asked to establish a military base in Southeastern Turkey.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] A Turkish Cypriot so-called court in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus decided that the closed city of Varosha belongs to the Turkish Cypriots

According to a written statement issued yesterday by lawyer Ergin Ulunay, the case filed by Mr Ulunay in 2000 against the self-styled TRNC on behalf of the EFKAF and the Abdullah Pasha Foundation ended yesterday.

Mr Ulunay said that there were two decisions of the above-mentioned court, according to which Varosha belongs to Abdullah Pasha and Lala Mustafa Pasha Foundations. He noted that about ten years ago he got hold of some documents from the title deed register of Famagusta for the period 1910 1930 and alleged that the British colonial administration distributed these properties, which belonged to EFKAF, to the Greek Cypriots.

Mr Ulunay claimed that with the decisions of the so-called court in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus the fact that the 100 % of Varosha belongs to the EFKAF was confirmed and established.

AFRIKA wonders whether or not these decisions will be taken into consideration by the European Court of Human Rights at the Myra Xenides Aresti case.

I/Ts.

[02] Egyptian President promised to support the TRNC

In a news conference, President Mubarak said: We agreed to cooperate in our region to prevent any escalation of new tensions and to ensure peace and stability. On his part, Mr Sezer said: Turkey and Egypt are two pioneering countries maintaining peace and stability in the region. We will continue our efforts to ensure security and stability in the Middle East and to turn it into a region of prosperity.

Mr Sezer, at his private meeting with Mr Mubarek, asked from Egypt, which backed Greek Cypriot views regarding the Cyprus issue on the international level, for support for the TRNC. Mr Mubarak, who reportedly saw favourably Mr Sezers request for a positive reply to the just demands of lifting the political and economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, promised to support the TRNC. Mr Mubarak also said his country would support the candidacy of Turkey to join the UN Security Council in 2009-10.

(DPs)

[03] Universities established and operated illegally by Turkey in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus became members of IAU

Three of the largest TRNC (occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus) universities, the Eastern Mediterranean University, the Near East University, and the Girne (occupied Kyrenia) American University have been accepted as full members to the International Association of Universities which works under UNESCO-the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture.

The Association endorsed the three universities´ full membership at its General Assembly held in Alexandria, Egypt earlier this month despite earlier rejections, after deciding that all three universities were institutions offering education at international standards.

[04] Bulgarian settlers celebrate the 16th anniversary of their coming into the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus in the presence of the Bulgarian consul in Nicosia

During a ceremony organized last night at the headquarters of the association in the occupied part of Nicosia, the magazine issued on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the BTKDD and a book by Dr. Ali Dayioglu regarding the struggle of the Turks in Bulgaria for freedom were presented.

According to KIBRIS, Mr Andrei Yanev, the Bulgarian consul in Nicosia, participated also in the celebrations.

Mr Yanev said that they are exerting efforts for the solution of the problems which the Bulgarian settlers face from time to time with southern Cyprus and Bulgaria. He noted that they are happy when these efforts are successful. Mr Yanev expressed the belief that the problems will soon be solved and that they will be gathering with better opportunities. He concluded by wishing the magazine of the association to be published on a regular basis.

Furthermore, the chairman of the association, Osman Tahir said that the Turkish consciousness of the Bulgarian Turks has been increased after they were mixed with the Turkish Cypriots. He noted that they decided to issue more often their magazine and thanked mainly consul Yanev and the other participants in the ceremony.

I/Ts.

[05] Huseyin Ozgurgun is the new general secretary of the National Unity Party

Mr Ozgurgun was elected in this position during a convention of the Partys assembly which took place yesterday. The Partys Executive Council had proposed Huseyin Ozgurgun as a new candidate to replace Salih Miroglu who passed away last month due to a heart attack. UBPs assembly has also decided the Partys extraordinary congress to be held the latest on the 11th of February.

The new general secretary of UBP was born in Lefkosia and studied Political Sciences at the Ankara University. He also studied English language and management at the Clare College of the Cambridge University. He has been elected as self-styled deputy of the assembly in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus since 1998.

(C/S)

[06] Cannabis, heroin and ecstasy seized in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus

[07] The shop owners of ready made clothing in occupied Lefkosia are pleased with the shopping made by the Greek Cypriots

Speaking to KIBRIS the tradesmen stated that the Greek Cypriots and the foreigners are pleased to do their shopping at the Arasta Street and noted that they prefer to buy ready made cloths rather than foodstuffs.

However, the sales in the Arasta area grocery market are very low since neither the Turkish nor the Greek Cypriots go there for shopping. Tradesmen said the reason why the Greek Cypriots do not go to the Arasta area grocery market to shop, is because the police of the Republic of Cyprus does not allow the carrying of grocery items from the occupied areas.

(C/S)

[08] Investigation launched against Lagendijk

The Prosecutor's Office in Beyoglu district of Istanbul launched an investigation against Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Co-President Joost Lagendijk upon denouncement of Kemal Kerincsiz, a member of Jurists' Union Executive Board, and two other people.

Lagendijk was accused of insulting the Republic of Turkey as well as its institutions and organs.

Kerincsiz and two other persons denounced Lagendijk for insulting Turkey in a speech he delivered at Istanbul's Taksim Hill Hotel on December 17th, 2005, accusing him of "insulting the Turkish army and judicial organs and attempting to influence judiciary".

[09] The views of an AKP member of Parliament on Turkey´s current problems

Turhan Comez, an MP of the Justice and Development Party from Balikesir, has said: "Turkey has become a safe heaven for informal economy and smuggling."

In his address to a conference entitled "Turkey's Current Problems" held at the Cultural Center of Cumhuriyet University, Comez said that a recent police operation conducted at Kapikule Customs office had shown that almost all the customs officials working there had been involved in corruption.

Pointing out that 50 percent of alcoholic beverages and cigarette consumed in Turkey is smuggled into the country, Comez went on saying: "The country's annual losses resulting from trafficking of liquid fuel is $3 billion. There are 35 million cellphones and 15 million of them have been smuggled into the country. Twenty percent of electricity consumed in Turkey is used illegally. If we can recover half of that electricity, that is to say if we can collect fees for 50 percent of electricity used illegally, we will save $1 billion. Turkish industrialists currently pay 9.4 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity as compared with 6 cents paid in the EU. Turkish industrialists are, therefore, unable to compete with their rivals in the EU."

Pointing out that unemployment was one of the most serious problems facing Turkey, Comez said that there were around 4.5 million unemployed people in Turkey according to estimates.

Asserting that there were serious disparities between different regions and sectors in Turkey in terms of distribution of national income, Comez commented: "Twenty percent of the Turkish population, which represents the lowest income category, receives six percent of the national income whereas 20 percent of the population at the top gets 50 percent. Thus, we must definitely redress the current disparity in distribution of income in order to achieve social peace in this country."

Noting that debates centering on the continuing trials of Prof. Yucel Askin, president of Yuzuncu Yil University, and writer Orhan Pamuk as well as debates over national identity and ethnic identities had dominated Turkey's agenda in the past six months, Comez remarked: "There are ongoing debates about the possibility of banning alcoholic beverages and production of foodstuff in accordance with Islamic rules, which in my point of view, are totally meaningless. Time has come for Turkey to develop a culture focusing on more important issues."

Comez said that the problems in the functioning of the political establishment were among the most serious problems observed in Turkey. He went on saying: "You may say: 'We cast our votes in elections held in every five years and send you to Ankara. You should go and work there efficiently. This is democracy.' Actually, it is not. I believe that far-reaching structural changes are needed in the workings of the political system in Ankara. Your true representatives must go to Ankara and make decisions on your behalf freely while performing their legislative and supervisory duties properly."

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[10] Columnist examines the scenario of Erdogan moving to the Presidency

I have been consistently noting the necessity of holding the national elections in 2006 and my reasons for it in this column; however, a friend of mine related a scenario to me the other day that concerned elections being delayed until 2007.

Just like my scenarios for 2006, his 2007 scenario includes many reasons. However, both of us start with the same overriding assumption: Recep Tayyip Erdogan will want to become president in 2007.

No one, maybe not even the prime minister himself, knows how realistic their assumption is right now. Most probably, Erdogan will be assessing the political atmosphere until the last moment before deciding on a course of action.

The scenario is based on two basic premises:

1. Erdogan will move to Cankaya Palace in May 2007; and

2. Soon afterwards, national elections will be held.

Why and how?

Erdogan himself also sees that he cannot carry the burden of the Prime Ministry, and just like Turgut Ozal and Suleyman Demirel before him, he wants to "escape to Cankaya Palace."

The numerical composition of Parliament currently allows him to avail himself of this escape hatch, but no one knows what will happen if there is an early election.

There is one obstacle barring his way to the presidency right now. His wife's headscarf. Erdogan will propose a solution to the possible reaction towards his wife, even though the reaction has no legal basis but has its own legitimacy. He will make a prior announcement that his wife won't be accompanying him to Cankaya.

In other words, his family will stay behind and as a result, the headscarf will not become part of his presidency. This way, the only obstacle to his presidency will be removed.

However, Erdogan's move will affect the "representative balance" in Parliament. There is already some talk about the current imbalance in the legislative body. The "Justice and Development Party (AKP) minus Erdogan" will formulate the new AKP. Abdullah Gul, Abdullatif Sener and Bulent Arinc will be forced to establish the new AKP.

However, if you ask my friend, just like what Demirel did to the True Path Party (DYP), Erdogan will not be bothered too much about what happens to AKP after him.

National elections will be held after the presidential elections some time later in 2007 but earlier than the scheduled November 2007. This way, Erdogan will:

1. Move to Cankaya Palace without a headscarf controversy;

2. Address the calls for early elections; and

3. Achieve his objective.

The balance will not be too spoiled and the AKP without Erdogan will make the opposition very happy. This scenario is significant because it provides answers to many questions. However, I still have a question: How will Erdogan persuade his own party to agree to this scenario? The possible answer to this question is: The same way Demirel and Ozal persuaded their own parties in the past.

[11] Columnist in CUMHURIYET argues that Israel has asked to establish a military base in Southeastern Turkey

The headline is just one of the repercussions of a series of consecutive visits to Ankara made by the United States, NATO and Israel.

Israel is asking for three square kilometers of land in Hakkari in order to set up a base as part of its policy on Iran. This is what it proposes in exchange:

"All manner of intelligence information on the PKK presence in northern Iraq."

Israel's Chief of Staff Gen Dan Halutz visited Turkey last week. A week before that visit another lower level Israeli delegation came to Ankara. The first delegation voiced the request for a base. The details were discussed during Halutz' visit.

Israel's request was seen in the press as, "We want our soldiers to experience snow conditions. Let us train them in Hakkari and Bolu." But what lies beneath this is not standard military training but something more permanent.

What kind of reply will Ankara give to Israel's request?

The request is political in nature and so the final decision rests with the government. In short, the first appraisal in the capital goes like this:

"We already have sufficient intelligence in Iraq. It is unlikely that the Israelis can tell us anything we do not already know. Besides, what we need is not information on the PKK but support in wiping them out."

This visit by Halutz occurring as it does after visits by the heads of the CIA and the FBI plus the NATO General Secretary, could signal the start of fresh developments in our relations with Israel. It is hard to tell at this time whether or not this start will be a good thing or a bad thing.

When you consider that some of Kirkuk's oil has begun pumping into the Israel port of Haifa it shows that the broad ties this country has made in northern Iraq ranging from the economy and politics to the military and the acquisition of property are deepening.

There is news that the Kirkuk-Haifa pipeline could be expanded after a 56-year gap.

In the mid 1990s some of the Peshmerga in northern Iraq were taken to the United States airbase in Guam, while some were taken to Israel. There they received the necessary training and were then returned. Naturally, Israel continues to maintain ties with these people.

Israel has adopted this policy in order to live comfortably in the region: There should be no Arab country around me that is more powerful than I am! The collapse of the Saddam administration is vitally important for Israel. This being the case, what kind of administration does Israel want in Iraq?

Israel's diplomats in Ankara, including the ambassador, continuously and doggedly maintain that they are in favor of Iraq's territorial integrity and that they have no policy in connection with this that might offend Turkey.

I will leave this topic to another column and concentrate now on Israel's request of Turkey. The man behind the trigger in Iran is President Ahmedinejad, and he has made his views on Israel perfectly clear. Israel's opinion of Iran is no different from Ahmedinejad's views of them!

Sharon will not even use a subcontractor, he wants to fix Iran himself. However, the United States is saying: "If you do this the entire Arab world will be up in arms. Do not put us in a tight spot. Be patient, and leave this business to us."

Let us see in which mess Erdogan's policy of self-protection is going to dump Turkey!

/SK

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