Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 07-03-07

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ercakica says they have doubts on the sincerity of the Greek Cypriots; Statements on the Myra Xenides - Aresti case and Christakis Georgiou who is missing since the 1974 invasion of Cyprus

[02] Pertev says they have received a Greek Cypriot proposal through Mr Moller

[03] Avci meets Syrian academicians who are visiting the occupied areas of Cyprus

[04] Soyer criticizes the agreement between Cyprus and France; Reference to the halloumi cheese issue

[05] Soyer departs for London

[06] Ozturk departs for Berlin and says that their aim is to attract tourists from Europe

[07] Turkey's Baykal urges AKP to name 'Consensus Candidate' for presidency

[08] Former Turkish ambassador to Romania Yaman Bakut said that energy would provide Turkey with a trump card for EU membership and Cyprus

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Ercakica says they have doubts on the sincerity of the Greek Cypriots; Statements on the Myra Xenides - Aresti case and Christakis Georgiou who is missing since the 1974 invasion of Cyprus

Mr Ercakica said that the Turkish Cypriot leader has not received any letter from President Papadopoulos asking him to clarify the positions of the Turkish Cypriot side regarding the Gambari procedure, as the Greek Cypriot Phileleftheros newspaper had reported. He alleged that the Greek Cypriots often accuse the Turkish Cypriot side in order to create an image regarding the 8 July procedure. We have doubts on the issue of their sincerity, he said and reminded that the Gambari procedure provides for the beginning of comprehensive negotiations until the end of March.

Mr Ercakica noted that the UN should make its evaluations and added that the Turkish side is ready for comprehensive negotiations. Our views on every issue are clear. The fact that we said yes to the UN solution plan clearly shows our stance, he noted.

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily YENI DUZEN newspaper (07.03.07) reports that Mr Ercakica said that the visit of Mr Talat to Brussels was useful from the point of view of the development of the relations with the center of the EU, that contribution has been made to the serious efforts of the European Commission regarding the regulations (for the Turkish Cypriots) and that these works are routine works.

Mr Ercakica said that Mr Talat will visit Azerbaijan together with the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan tomorrow, Thursday in order to participate in a meeting. He added that the evaluation of the relations between Turkey and the TRNC, breakaway regime in the occupied areas of the island, is continuously made and noted that the current process is also a process of evaluation.

Responding to a question regarding the appeal made by the Greek Cypriot refugee, Myra Xenides Aresti against the decision taken by the European Court of Human Rights last December and which includes provisions regarding the so-called Property Compensation Commission established by the breakaway regime, Mr Ercakica said:

We have taken the necessary measures on the property issue. With the Property Compensation Commission we have turned this regime into a humanitarian one. I do not think that the Arestis case will have any influence.

Responding to a question about the case of the five-year old Christakis Georgiou, who is missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and the information that the child had been taken to Turkey, Mr Talats spokesman said that this is an information that should seriously be taken into consideration and that they are interested in the issue. Illegal Bayrak television (06.03.07) broadcast that Mr Ercakica said that they are investigating the issue.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Pertev says they have received a Greek Cypriot proposal through Mr Moller

Mr Pertev who held a meeting yesterday with Mr Moller noted that the Greek Cypriot sides submitting a proposal is not a new situation and that there are hundreds of proposals which the sides submit to each other within the framework of the Gambari procedure.

He said that the proposals are not made in front of the press, but added that he finds strange the fact that the Greek Cypriot side announced its proposals before submitting it to the Turkish side. Mr Pertev did not reveal the content of the proposal but noted that they will make their own proposals after evaluating it.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Avci meets Syrian academicians who are visiting the occupied areas of Cyprus

During the meeting Mr Avci said that the Turkish Cypriots should be opened to the world and talk about themselves. He noted that this is the first visit to the occupied areas from Syria and added that this was the result of the intensive contacts they had launched recently with the Islamic countries.

Mr Avci said that they will work for the development of the relations between the universities and the research centers of the two countries. He noted that more groups will follow the visit of this Syrian group.

Furthermore, Mr Altaki said that as Syrian academicians they want to establish good relations with the neighboring countries. Pointing out to the importance of increasing the relations so that the peoples of the two countries understand each other, he said that their visit was not official. Altaki noted that this was the beginning and that more visits of various delegations will follow.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Soyer criticizes the agreement between Cyprus and France; Reference to the halloumi cheese issue

He said that they will continue their struggle against this understanding of being dominant shown by the Greek Cypriots, and added that at the same time they should strengthen their economy and be strong and influential in all fields.

Referring to the issue of halloumi cheese, Mr Soyer agued that they should remind to those who want to register this cheese under the name of halloumi that the Republic of Cyprus, which they have usurped, is a bi-communal republic and that the Turkish language is one of the official languages in its constitution.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Soyer departs for London

(I/Ts.)

[06] Ozturk departs for Berlin and says that their aim is to attract tourists from Europe

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (07.03.07) reports that in statements before his departure, Mr Ozturk said that they have established contacts with 25.000 - 30.000 tourists from Europe for the period March-June 2007. He argued that the occupied areas will be a star in the field of tourism in 2008. He said that their aim is to attract tourists from countries except Britain and that Germany is very important from this point of view. Mr Ozturk reminded that they give the incentive of 60 Euros to the tour operators for every tourist they bring to the occupied areas of Cyprus from countries except Britain.

(I/Ts.)

[07] Turkey's Baykal urges AKP to name 'Consensus Candidate' for presidency

If Parliament ignores the rule that calls for at least 367 deputies to be present in the first round of the presidential elections, the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) would take the matter to the Constitutional Court to get the elections annulled, said CHP leader Deniz Baykal yesterday.

Speaking to NTV, Baykal said it was the government's duty to find a consensus candidate for the president.

While the Constitution says the support of 367 deputies is needed for a president to be elected in the first two rounds, the CHP argues that if less than 367 deputies are present in the assembly during the first round vote, elections cannot proceed to the second round. The government argues that if less than 367 deputies show up for the first round, a real possibility if the CHP decides to boycott the elections, none of the candidates will be able to receive the necessary support and so the elections will proceed to the second round.

The AKP has 354 deputies and cannot by itself elect a president in the first two rounds. However, in the third and fourth round, a simple majority, 276 deputies, is enough to elect the president.

The presidential elections will begin on May 1.

The CHP leader said the government should take their warnings seriously and try to select a consensus candidate. Baykal had voiced his party's determination to take the matter to the Constitutional Court if his warnings were ignored.

[08] Former Turkish ambassador to Romania Yaman Bakut said that energy would provide Turkey with a trump card for EU membership and Cyprus

Asked by the TDN whether he thought energy could give Turkey leverage with the EU in negotiations over Cyprus and Turkey's EU accession process, former Ambassador Yaman Bakut said:

Energy is one of Turkey's main trumps in discussions with EU countries.

EU countries need energy not only from the North Sea but also from Iran, Azerbaijan and Egypt, and Turkey would be one of the main instruments used to obtain this energy. In my view this is very important for our membership as well. If there were to be a problem with supply and demand in EU countries Turkey might be very helpful.

EG/

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