Read the European Union Resolutions on The Cyprus Problem Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Thursday, 28 March 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-08-24

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/>

TURKISH PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA No.162/06 24.08.06

[A] NEWS ITEMS

  • [01] Turkeys EU General Secretary Ambassador Demiralp: Turkey should not open the ports but unilaterally close them.
  • [02] EU official confirms the opening up of an EU office in occupied Cyprus.
  • [03] US congressional staffer delegation departs from occupied Cyprus.
  • [04] Turkish Foreign Ministry sources and spokesman on Annan´s visit to Turkey.
  • [05] British Vodafone signed an agreement with the breakaway regime.
  • [06] Religious classes in mosques confirmed. Muezzin arrested.
  • [07] Problems with electricity continue; The increase of the constructions after the 24 April referendum is seen as one of the reasons.
  • [08] Soyer is visiting Turkey.
  • [09] Turkey is preparing for a bird flu pandemic.

  • [A] NEWS ITEMS

    [01] Turkeys EU General Secretary Ambassador Demiralp: Turkey should not open the ports but unilaterally close them

    Turkish daily HURRIYET newspaper (24.08.06) reports that the General Secretary for EU Affairs Ambassador Oguz Demiralp, in an exclusive statement to the papers Brussels correspondent Zeynel Lule, said that there will not be a train crash since there is no railway line between Turkey and Cyprus. The comparison and the logic behind it are wrong.

    The ambassador said the issue of opening the ports and airports is not an easy issue: The ports issue is not a simple Customs Union issue. Had it been an easy issue the EU would have not taken this case at such a political level, ambassador Demiralp stressed.

    Regarding Cyprus the Ambassador said: We propose a solution to the ports issue within the framework of removing the inhuman and illegal ´isolations´ imposed on the ´TRNC´. A guarantor country could not act otherwise. It cannot take a step that might harm the ´TRNC´, therefore, what Turkey should do is not the opening of the ports but unilateral closure of them.

    He said that the issue of opening of the Turkish ports to the Cyprus registered ships came on the agenda as part of the general Cyprus problem.

    (MHY)

    [02] EU official confirms the opening up of an EU office in occupied Cyprus

    Illegal Bayrak television (23.08.06) broadcast that the head of the EU Commission´s Task Force for the Turkish Cypriot Community Andrew Rasbash, has confirmed that as of next month, the programme team for the European Commissions Turkish Cypriot Community task force will arrive in Lefkosia on a long term mission.

    This written statement by Mr Rasbash puts an end to speculations that have emerged in the Greek Cypriot press that no EU office would be opening up in the north of the island.

    Using the EU programme support office in the `north´ of the island, the team will intensify the Commissions on-the-spot contacts with beneficiaries, other donors and contractors responsible for implementing aid projects. They will oversee ongoing EU financed projects and programs.

    The statement continued to emphasize that the team will also develop and implement the projects financed from the major EU programme to aid the reunification of Cyprus and end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community through the economic development of the northern part of the island.

    The programme will bring direct benefits to the Turkish Cypriot community, for example better solid waste management, better waste water treatment which will improve the environment of all Cypriots, and improved electricity supplies.

    In addition the programme will support preparations to implement the EU compatible rules and regulations which will be needed for the economic integration of the island.

    [03] US congressional staffer delegation departs from occupied Cyprus

    Illegal Bayrak television (23.08.06) broadcast that a delegation of bureaucrats from the United States congress which was in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus for a series of contacts with state and government officials has departed from the island.

    The congressional staffers one-day visit organized by the American Turkish Council was part of a wider regional tour that includes Turkey.

    The delegation which arrived in the TRNC through Ercan (occupied Tymbou) airport the day before yesterday afternoon was received by the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and by the Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer.

    As part of its other contacts in occupied Cyprus the delegation also met with the self-styled Deputy Prime Minister-Foreign Minister Serdar Denktas and the Minister of Economy and Tourism Dervis Kemal Deniz.

    All visits were held closed to the press.

    Meanwhile a dinner was given in honor of the congressional staffers by the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Commerce, the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry and other Turkish Cypriot businessmen.

    (Tr. Note: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is the puppet regime the Turkish Republic has set up and maintains with 40,000 Turkish troops in occupied northern Cyprus)

    [04] Turkish Foreign Ministry sources and spokesman on Annan´s visit to Turkey

    Ankara Anatolia news agency (23.08.06) reports that upon a question, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Namik Tan said that September 6 was proposed for the visit of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Turkey. He added that all issues which concern Turkey such as Cyprus and Lebanon will be discussed during Annan´s visit.

    On the same issue, Turkish Daily News newspaper (23.08.06) reports that the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to visit Turkey in early September as part of a tour to a number of countries in the region for talks expected to center on the deployment of additional troops to beef up a U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

    Annan, whose visit is planned for September 6, will meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Another issue expected to be discussed is the deep-seated Cyprus problem.

    Foreign Ministry sources said the visit was still in the planning stages.

    Annan, whose term in office will expire at the end of this year, will be bidding farewell to the Turkish government. The Turkish side, which does not expect further initiatives to resume Cyprus talks from the outgoing Secretary-General, will express gratitude for Annan's efforts to reunify the island during his term.

    On Saturday Erdogan held a telephone conversation with Annan on the expanded U.N. peacekeeping force.

    During their conversation Annan underlined the importance of a lasting peace between Israel and Lebanon and stressed that the peacekeeping force to be deployed in the region would be an important step to ensure it.

    Sources said Erdogan and Annan exchanged views about the structure of the peace force. Annan expressed the expectation that Turkey would contribute to the peace force, while Erdogan said that Turkey wanted to safeguard peace and stability in the region and welcomed the process.

    [05] Vodafone signed an agreement with the breakaway regime

    Under the title The signatures were put, Vodafone is in the TRNC now, Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (24.08.06) reports that after two-days of bargaining with state officials, British Vodafone, the biggest GSM company in the world, took over TRNC Telsim company officially from the government of the breakaway regime in the occupied part of Cyprus.

    Vodafone paid 30 million dollars for TRNC Telsim. The paper notes that Vodafone will do what the politicians of the guarantor powers, the United Nations and the European Union could not do for so many years and unify Cyprus in GSM services.

    According to the paper, the state signed the transfer agreement after having taken all the assurances it wanted from Vodafone.

    The Minister of Public Works and Transport, Mr Salih Usar, the permanent under secretary of the Ministry Sener Cagnan, the director of the Telecommunications Department, Mustafa Berktug, Vodafones representative in Turkey and its legal advisors as well as officials from the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) participated in the negotiations yesterday.

    According to the agreement, after Vodafone takes over the TRNC Telsim it will share its income with the state until August 2009. One of the conditions of the agreement is also the obligation of Vodafone to make investments in the occupied areas of Cyprus. Due to its financial problems, Telsim could not make the necessary investments and provide sufficient services to its subscribers, writes KIBRIS.

    In statements after the signing of the agreement with Vodafone, Mr Salih Usar said that the meeting with Vodafone and the TMSF had positive results and that they officially signed the agreement with the British company. He noted that the representatives of Vodafone accepted all the conditions put by the state, after consulting with their headquarters.

    Mr Usar said that there was no serious obstacle in the negotiations they conducted the day before yesterday and that they only wanted the speeding up of investments, which the TRNC Telsim did not make.

    Noting that they secured that the necessary steps will be made and that they transferred the TRNC Telsim to Vodafone until August 2009, the self-styled minister added: The agreement of Vodafone will last until August 2009 in case the `state´ does not conduct any license transfer procedures.

    (I/Ts.)

    [06] Religious classes in mosques confirmed. Muezzin arrested

    Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (24.08.06) reports that the police carried out a raid into Mustafa Pasha Mosque in occupied Famagusta and arrested muezzin Ibrahim Balci who was giving religious classes without permission. Six children were also taken to the police station.

    Charges were filed against Balci who after that was set free with the children. Nedim Ozgen, the imam of the mosque, said that they will continue the religious lessons in line with instructions given by the Religious Affairs Department. He noted that they have 30 students, the age of whose is between 8 and 12 years and added that they are giving lessons for three months now.

    Pointing out that they stopped the lessons for 15 days because of some reactions against them, Mr Ozgen said the Religious Affairs Department is aware of the classes and that a meeting took place in occupied Lefkosia last Saturday during which they decided to continue the classes..

    (I/Ts.)

    [07] Problems with electricity continue; The increase of the constructions after the 24 April referendum is seen as one of the reasons

    Turkish Cypriot daily AFR0KA newspaper (24.08.06) refers to the problems with the electricity in the occupied areas of Cyprus and writes that yesterday the three units at occupied Gastria power plant broke down at the same time. As a result of the breakdown the supply of electricity in the whole of the occupied areas was conducted alternately.

    The paper writes that the trade union of the workers in the electricity authority (El-Sen) issued a statement arguing that there was no breakdown at the power plant and that the private sector leaves the country in darkness every three days with the excuse of a breakdown.

    According to El-Sen, the real reason of the interruptions in the supply of electricity is the lack of fuel.

    The paper poses the question to the electricity authority (Kib-Tek) to state who else, besides the municipalities which owe 49 trillion Turkish liras, does not pay his electricity bills. It also asks to be informed how many buildings were constructed after the 24 April referendum and the amount of electricity consumed for them.

    Furthermore, according to AFRIKA, Huseyin Ozgurgun, chairman of the National Unity Party (UBP) said that the government does not take any measures in spite of the increase in the constructions and the growing need for electric energy. Mr Ozgurgun called on the government to resign.

    The majority of the Turkish Cypriot newspapers cover the issue on their front page.

    (I/Ts.)

    [08] Soyer is visiting Turkey

    Turkish Cypriot daily CUMHURIYET newspaper (24.08.06) reports that according to a written statement issued by the Prime Ministers office, Mr Ferdi Sabit Soyer will fly to Ankara today for a health check up. He is expected to return tonight to the occupied areas of the Island via Istanbul.

    The paper notes that the visit of Soyer to Turkey in a period when the problems in the government continue creates some question marks.

    (I/Ts.)

    [09] Turkey is preparing for a bird flu pandemic

    Turkish daily HURRIYET newspaper (23.08.06) reports that the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a notice urging government officials to make preparations against the possibility of a global influenza and/or bird flu pandemic, it was reported on Wednesday. Erdogan's notice was issued in the Official Gazette.

    In it, it was indicated that influenza was a rather contagious disease among people particularly in autumn and winter.

    The notice indicates bird flu, which was detected in many countries including Turkey, may mutate to a new form and cause a new type of influenza virus that may transmit from human to human and may lead to a pandemic throughout the world.

    The notice listed the measures that should be taken by the state and public institutions and organizations against such a pandemic.

    The National Pandemics Plan, prepared by the Turkish Health Ministry is published in the website www.grip.saglik.gov.tr.

    It reads:

    -In case of a pandemic, all hospitals and health institutions will work in coordination.

    -In case of a global influenza pandemic, Prime Ministry Crisis Management Center and City crisis centers will start to take action within the directives of the Health Ministry.

    /SK


    Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
    Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    tcpr2html v1.00 run on Thursday, 24 August 2006 - 10:29:45 UTC