Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-04-03

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat will meet with President Papadopoulos on the missing persons issue but they will not discuss anything else.

[02] Talat met Peter Millet. Back to his office on Monday 03.04.06.

[03] Serdar Denktas calls on the Greek Foreign Minister for a meeting.

[04] The UN Secretary-General has sent a letter to the Turkish Foreign Minister referring to Cyprus.

[05] Gul stated that he received letter from Kofi Annan on Turkey´s action plan.

[06] Gul confirms that the occupation army has intensified control of the ceasefire line at Louroudjina.

[07] Statements on Cyprus by the Turkish Minister of Education from Australia.

[08] Statements by the Turkish Minister of Transport before leaving the occupied areas.

[09] EU Society critical of the new property law.

[10] Sonay Adem to visit Ankara.

[11] Tourism statistics for Turkey.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Talat will meet with President Papadopoulos on the missing persons issue but they will not discuss anything else

Mr Mehmet Ali Talat, who made these statements only to KIBSISLI newspaper, is returning to his duties today, after the hearT surgery he underwent about two weeks ago.

Asked if his meeting with President Papadopoulos is related to the appointment of a third person in the Missing Persons Committee, as reported in the Greek Cypriot press, Mr Talat said: Of course Our meeting will take place on the occasion of the missing persons issue.

Asked about the issues of the meeting, Mr Talat stated the following: Because the subject is going to be the missing persons, it means that we will not discuss anything. Because there is no other subject.

Mr Talat went on and said that since they have agreed that this is a humanitarian matter and it should not be exploited politically, this is the situation.

Asked about the reports in the Greek Cypriot press about the meeting between President Papadopoulos and the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Paris, Mr Talat said that the Greek Cypriots played it clever, but, as he said, the truth came out early. He said he has made suggestions before on the issues the Greek Cypriots have said that they have come to an agreement.

Mr Talat has also stated that Mr Papadopoulos called him during the time he was ill and that the President was in good spirit.

(C/S)

[02] Talat met Peter Millet. Back to his office on Monday 03.04.06

No statement was issued before or after the meeting which lasted more than an hour.

The meeting between Mr Talat and the British High Commissioner took place at Mr Talat´s home in occupied Kyrenia.

Todays meeting follows Mr Talat´s recent exchanges of views with the United Nations Secretary-Generals Special Representative to Cyprus Michael Moller and the American Ambassador to Cyprus Ronald Schlicher that focused on the recent developments concerning the Cyprus problem.

All three meetings come days before Mr Talat resumes his official work on Monday.

He has been resting at home for about a month now, after having undergone a heart bypass operation in Istanbul, concluded illegal Bayrak.

[03] Serdar Denktas calls on the Greek Foreign Minister for a meeting

Mr Serdar Denktas, who made these statements in an interview he gave to KIBRISLI newspaper, called on Mrs Bakoyanni to meet him through the paper.

Mr Denktas stated that it seems from the statements that the Greek Foreign Minister made, that Mrs Bakoyanni does not know the essence of the Cyprus problem and why the problem has not been solved. He called on the Greek Foreign Minister to meet him as the representative of foreign affairs of one of the two equal partners in the island. As he said, he wants to explain to her the essence of the problem and why it has not been solved.

Mr Serdar Denktas also said that Mrs Bakoyanni, as the Foreign Minister of a country which is member of the European Union, must learn the other side of the coin.

(C/S)

[04] The UN Secretary-General has sent a letter to the Turkish Foreign Minister referring to Cyprus

The paper writes that the date of the letter is 28 March, but the Turkish Foreign Ministry received it only two days ago because of some technical problems at the postal services.

According to HURRIYET, Mr Annan informs Mr Gul that he is studying carefully the above-mentioned plan and that he continues his contacts on the issue. Mr Annan informed Mr Gul that he would give him an answer on the Action Plan the soonest.

In the beginning of the letter Mr Annan wishes Mr Gul speedy recovery from the operation he had undergone recently, notes HURRIYET.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Gul stated that he received letter from Kofi Annan on Turkey´s action plan

The Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has stressed that a settlement has to be found to the Cyprus problem in order to Turkey can establish a relationship with the Greek Cypriot Administration.

Mr Gul added that an improvement in relations between Turkey and Greece will be the interest of both the United Nations and the European Union.

Speaking yesterday on the Turkish Radio and Television, the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul expressed the belief that the Eastern Mediterranean could be a cooperation region and that Turkey, Greece, the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides could form as what he called a separate column within the European Union.

He added that those countries could cooperate in economy and tourism should a solution be achieved to the Cyprus problem.

Turkey announced the Action Plan on Cyprus and took another steps towards solving the issue Mr Gul reminded.

Referring to a letter he received from the United Nations on the Action plan, the Turkish Foreign Minister said the United Nations Secretary-Generals serious evaluation process is continuing.

Mr Gul stressed that an improvement in Turkey-Greece relations will be in the interest of both the United Nations and the European Union, adding that difficulties between these countries can be overcome with the improvement of the confidence-building measures in Cyprus.

[06] Gul confirms that the occupation army has intensified control of the ceasefire line at Louroudjina

"Controls and inspections became frequent in Akincilar (occupied Louroudjina) region, which is on the crossing point of the human and animal smuggling in `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´ (`TRNC´)," Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Saturday.

Gul replied to the written question of Republican People's Party (CHP) Parliamentarian Mehmet Sevigen about behavior of Greek Cypriot parliamentarian Marios Matsakis, who climbed on a vigil tower in `TRNC´ in Akincilar (occupied Louroudjina) region and stole the Turkish flag.

Gul said Turkey launched initiatives both at the UN Peace Forces and UN Secretariat and strongly condemned this disrespectful act of Matsakis. Gul recalled that Greek Cypriot administration also condemned this act of Matsakis.

Gul said efforts of Matsakis to turn the incident into a show in the European Parliament (EP) also failed to yield results, and stated that EP President strongly criticized the Greek Cypriot parliamentarian.

"Turkey preserves its determination for the solution of its national cause, 'Cyprus question', in line with the wishes and expectations of Turkish Cypriot people. Such kind of provocative acts can not influence determination of Turkey on this issue," Gul indicated.

(Tr. Note: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is Ankara´s subordinate regime set up by the Turkish Republic in occupied northern Cyprus).

[07] Statements on Cyprus by the Turkish Minister of Education from Australia

"We can not see insolubility after the Peace Operation as the solution in Cyprus," said Turkish Minister of National Education Huseyin Celik today.

Celik visited two Turkish schools and met Turkish citizens at the Northern Cyprus Turkish Association in Melbourne. Minister Celik is on a tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Referring to comments made by some circles that the present government of Turkey has made concessions on Cyprus, Celik stressed that the Turkish government has not done anything to hurt the Turkish Cypriots. "It has been 32 years since the Peace Operation. Since then, the issue has not been resolved. We do not accept insolubility as the solution in Cyprus," remarked Celik.

Celik presented 41 Turkish high school graduates, who will begin attending universities in the state of Victoria in 2006, with prizes.

Celik is scheduled to participate in a meeting of Asia-Pacific ministers of education in the state of Queensland. Celik will deliver a speech at the ministers' meeting and later proceed to New Zealand.

[08] Statements by the Turkish Minister of Transport before leaving the occupied areas

''Cooperation with the `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´ (`TRNC´) will continue to grow in all areas,'' said Turkish Minister of Transportation Binali Yildirim on Saturday.

Yildirim completed his two-day meetings in the `TRNC´ and left the island yesterday.

Binali Yildirim told reporters at Lefkosia's Ercan (occupied Tymbou) Airport that his two-day meetings showed that relations of Turkey with the `TRNC´ will continue to grow in all possible areas.

''Our goal is to end the international isolation of the `TRNC´. All areas, including transportation and communication, in the `TRNC´ should be at world standards. As the results of the referendum showed, the Turkish Cypriots are receiving unfair and unjust treatment by international circles,'' said Yildirim.

Yildirim stressed that his meetings in the `TRNC´ were very fruitful and constructive. ''In 2003, the weekly number of flights from Turkey to the `TRNC´ was 22. Currently, there are 87 flights from Turkey to the `TRNC´. I have discussed the issue of expanding the Ercan (occupied Tymbou) Airport with `TRNC Minister of Public Works and Transportation´ Salih Usar,'' underlined Yildirim.

Meanwhile, Salih Usar indicated that the Turkish Cypriots always feel the support of Turkey whenever they are in need of assistance. Aside from Turkey, the results of the referendum in the island made possible support from other corners of the world, noted Usar.

(Tr. Note: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is the illegal regime set up by the Turkish Republic in occupied northern Cyprus)

[09] EU Society critical of the new property law

Ali Erel, the President of the non-governmental organization The EU Society has said that the way the new Law on Property Compensation, Exchange and Reinstatement is being presented, amounts to confirming the European Court of Human Rights decisions that refer to the `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´ as a subordinate administration controlled by Turkey.

In his written statement today, Ali Erel was particularly critical of the presentation of the new legislation as a domestic legal remedy in Turkey.

He said the `TRNC Constitution´ does not allow for a chapter-to-chapter solution to the Cyprus problem, and said that the right way ahead should be to work for a comprehensive solution to the problem on the basis of the Annan Plan

[10] Sonay Adem to visit Ankara

The paper also reports that the issue of the social security system in the occupied areas will be taken up.

[11] Tourism statistics for Turkey

The reasons for the drop according to the people in the tourism industry are Avian Flu, Cartoon Crisis (Prophet Mohammeds cartoons), the Roman Catholic priests murder in Trabzon and increased terrorism.

(MHY)

/SK

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