Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-11-16

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Militaristic and partitionist messages from the Turkish side on the anniversary of UDI.

[02] Turkish Foreign Minister Gul delivered a speech at the anniversary ceremony of UDI.

[03] Joint press conference by Talat and Gul after the anniversary ceremony of the UDI.

[04] Talat declares to be more European than Europeans, but accuses the EU being bias and ignorant.

[05] Self-styled minister is visiting Italy.

[06] Statements by Babacan in Luxembourg and Stockholm.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Militaristic and partitionist messages from the Turkish side on the anniversary of UDI

On the ceremony at Dr. Fazil Kucuk Boulevard, YENIDUZEN newspaper (16.11.06) and HALKIN SESI newspaper (16.11.06) report on an incident where a staff colonel of the occupation army made a speech out of programme in which he, inter alia, spoke of internal and external traitors.

Commenting on this incident Cenk Mutluyakali writes in YENIDUZEN that the above incident was a military coup to the celebrations programme.

HALKIN SESI newspaper reports the incident under the title Why Talat did not clap?

KIBRIS also covers the celebrations with colour photographs of tanks, rocket launchers , military aircraft, commandos and flags of Turkey and the illegal TRNC. The paper reports that addressing the ceremony at the Dr. Fazil Kucuk Boulevard, the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mehmet Ali Talat said that the Turkish Cypriots support a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem which will be functioning within the framework of the UN. He noted that there is no bargain to be conducted with the Greek Cypriots in the EU for this. He alleged that there is nothing to be given to the Greek Cypriots, who deceive the world for years, so that the isolations on the Turkish Cypriots are lifted. Varosha or the other elements of the comprehensive solution could only be discussed under the roof of the UN and with the aim of a comprehensive solution, he reiterated. Mr Talat alleged that the TRNC will be one of the basic pillars of the united and federal Cyprus under the roof of the EU.

The paper reports that the self-styled Prime Minister Soyer, speaking during a lunch he gave yesterday for the foreign guests who visited the occupied areas for the celebrations of the UDI, alleged that the TRNC is a state which came up in the world and was developed on the basis of a 23-year-old process and a 400-year-old historical origin and grounds.

KIBRIS reports also that Mr Talat, Mr Gul, Mr Soyer and the self-styled minister of foreign affairs Turgay Avci met yesterday at the presidential palace and discussed the Cyprus problem. Mr Gul stated that they met because we are in a period where important developments are taking place regarding Cyprus. He alleged that the reality is that two separate communities, races, religions, languages and democracies exist on the island and claimed that a solution could be found only by taking these into consideration. Mr Talat alleged that the Turkish Cypriots did everything they could for a solution, but no one should think that there is a weakness because they did this.

KIBRIS reports that within the framework of the celebrations for the UDI the airplanes of the Turkish Army known as Turkish Stars conducted acrobatic show in Kyrenia. The show lasted for half an hour and it was breathtaking, notes the paper.

It also reports that Turkish political parties issued statements on the occasion of the UDI. The chairman of the Democratic Left Party, Zeki Sezer claimed that no one has the right to give even a small stone from the TRNC. The chairman of the True Path Party, Mehmet Agar, in his message to Talat, said that the Turkish Cypriot community founded its independent and sovereign equality on its own land together with Turkey. The chairman of the Motherland Party, Erkan Mumcu noted in his message that as long as this nation exists, no government no policy could give a concession in Cyprus to which the Turkish Cypriots do not consent.

AFRIKA, under the title The status quo stands erect, refers to the celebrations for the UDI and reports that they were so gleaming like the Denktas period. The paper notes that the EU was attacked the most in the speeches delivered during the ceremonies. Mr Talat said that the EU should stay away from the efforts for reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem. Mr Gul noted that a new partnership could only be built on basic principles such as the bi-zonality, the political equality and Turkeys guarantee rights.

Commenting on the celebration, columnist Ali Osman writing in the local AFRIKA newspaper (16.11.06) under the title: To whom the TRNC belongs?, says on yesterdays celebrations: If you look at those who came and attended the celebration then you will understand Generals, war veterans, Turkish Officials from Turkey.

He then criticizes Mehmet Ali Talat and adds that those who in the past used to say Denktas has established the TRNC in order to sit on the seat forever. He then argues that Talat´s views have now come in line with Denktas´ and says: The views expressed yesterday were the picture of the mentality that has changed 180 degrees.

HALKIN SESI reports that in his message to Mr Talat the Turkish President, Mr Sezer, has stated that the existence of the two peoples in Cyprus in peace and security depends on the condition of the TRNC being accepted as equal partner of the solution.

GUNES reports that President Sezer has said that the TRNC is the security of the Turkish Cypriots and stressed that the solution depends on the acceptance of the TRNC.

VOLKAN under the title The Crusaders, Nazis and racists, refers to the statements by Talat and Gul during the celebrations for the UDI. The paper reports that Talat said: The discriminative and excluding behaviour with which the Turkish Cypriot people is treated today by the EU, is something unbelievable. With this behaviour, the EU gives the message that it continues to approach the Turkish Cypriots with a discrimination which is similar to the mentality of the Crusaders and the Nazis, with cultural racism and war between the religions. The paper publishes Mr Gul´s statements under the title: Turkish Foreign Minister Gul: While Europe is being divided, they are trying to unify Cyprus. Gul said: Sometimes we watch with astonishment. While even countries in Europe which come from the same race and the same religion are divided by force, I cannot comment with good will the efforts here to reunify communities which did not show the wish to live together with each other.

Illegal BAYRAK television (15.11.06) broadcast that the leader of the main opposition National Unity Party Huseyin Ozgurgun said that the Turkish Cypriots were proud to celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of the TRNC. Mr. Ozgurgun said that attempts to dissolve the TRNC both from the outside and within continued on an increasing scale.

The UBP leader who pointed out that the state was the expression of the peoples sovereignty, security, welfare and happiness said that the Turkish Cypriots will never abandon the TRNC and the affective guarantee of Motherland Turkey.

The Democrat Party of Serdar Denktas in its message stated that the Turkish Cypriots have done all they can towards achieving a settlement, adding that the outcome of the 2004 referendum on the Annan Plan did not mean that the Turkish Cypriots had abandoned the Republic or the idea of statehood.

The message added that the Turkish Cypriots will never accept becoming a minority within a Greek Cypriot state and will not yield or surrender in the face of the great injustices being done to it.

Speaking on the occasion, the leader of the Peace and Democracy Movement Mustafa Akinci said that finding a speedy solution to the Cyprus Problem was on no ones agenda and that the Turkish Cypriots had been left out alone in the cold on this issue.

[02] Turkish Foreign Minister Gul delivered a speech at the anniversary ceremony of UDI

Addressing the main Republic Day ceremony held at the Dr Fazil Kucuk Boulevard, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister-Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul expressed his happiness from attending the 23rd Anniversary day celebrations of the `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´.

He said that the Turkish Cypriot `people´ have come a long way since the establishment of the `Republic´ 23 years ago which was based on the founding principles of freedom, independence and respect for human rights.

Explaining that efforts to elevate the Turkish Cypriot people to the level it deserved within the international community continued, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that it was wrong for the European Union to link Turkeys accession negotiations with the Cyprus Issue.

He stated that Turkey will not abandon its support to the Turkish Cypriot people or North Cyprus through pressure or threats.

Reminding that the `international isolation´ of the Turkish Cypriot `people´ continued despite measures taken by the European Commission following the 2004 referendum, Mr Gul said that failure of the EU to keep its promises had a serious impact on its credibility.

Stating that the Cyprus issue is a national cause for Turkey, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that a lasting solution to the Cyprus Problem could only be based on bi-zonality, bi-communality and the political equality of the two sides.

Reminding that a solution could only be found within the United Nations framework, Foreign Minister Gul said that the international community could not ignore the realities that there are two separate peoples, two separate democracies and two separate religions on the island.

Pointing out that Turkey was always one step ahead in constructive efforts towards finding a solution, Mr Gul warned that trying to drag the problem away from the United Nations framework onto the EU platform and to expect Turkey to make more concessions was like entering a dead end street.

[03] Joint press conference by Talat and Gul after the anniversary ceremony of the UDI

"It is unjust to expect Turkey to open its doors to those who are imposing an embargo on one side of the island (Cyprus) while the embargoes continue," said Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

Holding a joint press conference with President Mehmet Ali Talat of the `Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus´ (`TRNC´), Gul indicated that Turkey will fulfill its duties only after the promises made to the `TRNC´ to end its isolation are kept.

Gul noted that a solution can be reached only if the fact that two separate nations, two separate races, two separate religions, two separate languages and two separate democracies exist on the island is accepted.

The `TRNC´ and Turkey will continue to support any initiative to be launched under the auspices of the UN, he stated.

"I hope that everybody will fulfill his or her responsibilities, and this problem is resolved in the end. We sincerely want this problem to be solved so that Turkey and Greece and the entire island can have a cooperation," Gul emphasized.

On the other hand, `TRNC President´ Mehmet Ali Talat said: "Turkish Cypriots do not think of, discuss or accept a solution in which they will give up their rights."

"Turkish Cypriots are backing a solution based on bi-zonal structure and political equality which will be sought under the auspices of the UN," he added.

After the press conference, Gul returned from the TRNC to Turkey.

[04] Talat declares to be more European than Europeans, but accuses the EU being bias and ignorant

He also alleges that the EU is not neutral and that the Greek Cypriots are a fanatical and nationalistic community. This is why the Greek Cypriots are not Europeans. The Communist AKEL is on a nationalistic line, he stated.

Asked if President Papadopoulos will manage to pull the Cyprus problem towards the EU, Mr Talat stated that according to him this is not going to happen, because, as he stated the Cyprus problem cannot be discussed in this environment. As he stated, on one hand the EU does not know the issue, and, on the other, the EU is not neutral. He also said that they will not accept to be an hors d oeuvre at Turkeys road to the EU and added that the EU sees the Turkish Cypriots in this way and asks from Turkey to abandon the Turkish Cypriots, if it wants to continue its EU negotiations.

Mr Talat also stated that President Papadopoulos still continues to be an EOKAish and that his nation continues to follow behind him. He also stated that the Greek Cypriots cannot be Europeans. A society which is this much fanatic and nationalistic cannot be European, he stated and added that the Greek Cypriot side, became member of the EU for political reasons.

Asked why AKEL, which appeared to support the Annan Plan, has joined the rejectionist front, at the last minute and whether this was even worse than what Papadopoulos has done, Talat stated that indeed this was even worse. He went on and said that AKEL bears a huge responsibility for the non-solution of the Cyprus problem. It was known what Papadopoulos is. Communist AKEL is completely in a chauvinistic and nationalistic line now, he said.

ML/CS

[05] Self-styled minister is visiting Italy

(I/Ts)

[06] Statements by Babacan in Luxembourg and Stockholm

Mr Babacan was speaking after his meeting with the Luxembourgian Minister in Charge of EU Affairs Nicholas Schmit.

Referring to the Finnish proposals, which aimed to avert a crisis in Turkeys EU accession negotiations over Cyprus, Mr Babacan reminded that the proposals have not been drafted and presented in written form and only consisted of a few ideas floating around as food for thought.

Turkeys chief EU negotiator expressed the hope that perhaps some of these ideas and suggestions being circulated will be presented in written form in the near future.

Also speaking after the meeting, the Luxembourgian minister said that his country and the EU were very pleased with Turkeys openness and willingness towards starting a dialogue over the Cyprus problem.

He said he expected progress to be achieved in breaking the current deadlock over the Cyprus Issue and Turkeys refusal to open its ports to Greek Cypriot traffic before the upcoming EU summit in December.

Answering a question as to what might happen if Turkey continues to refuse opening its ports, Mr Schmit said that the European Union was faced with a difficult situation but that there was no need to exaggerate the crisis being faced.

I am convinced that there will be a breakthrough he said, adding that everyone within the block was looking for ways out of the current situation.

Mr Schmit also said that the free trade restrictions imposed on north Cyprus dealt a heavy blow to the Turkish Cypriot economy.

In addition, Ankara Anatolia News Agency (15.11.06) reports the following from Stockholm: "Our proposal to solve the Cyprus problem was on the table since 2004," said Turkish State Minister and chief negotiator for EU talks Ali Babacan on Wednesday.

Babacan met Finnish Minister of International Development and Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson.

"We support (EU President) Finland's initiatives to solve the Cyprus issue" noted Babacan during a joint press conference with Carlsson. He said he hopes a way out will be found to the problem before the end of this year thanks to Finland's initiatives.

Responding to a question, "Turkey will implement the Ankara Protocol if isolations on TRNC will be lifted," he said.

/SK

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