Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 07-10-23

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The United Cyprus Party called on Talat to honour his signature on the 8th of July agreement

[02] UBP deputy attended the 28th Congress of the European Liberal Democrats

[03] A new hotel started to operate in occupied Morfou

[04] The new air traffic control centre of the illegal Tympou Airport is planned to start operating in December

[05] Electric wires have been installed in occupied Cape Apostolos Andreas

[06] Taekwondo or human trafficking?

[07] Milliyet reports that Syria supports Turkey in its Cyprus policy

[08] The so-called police arrest a Greek Cypriot man in connection with antiquities smuggling

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[09] From the Turkish Press of 22 October 2007

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The United Cyprus Party called on Talat to honour his signature on the 8th of July agreement

According to a statement made by the member of BKPs central executive committee Abdullah Korkmazhan, Mr Talat must take steps so that the 8th of July agreement be materialized.

Reminding that the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the two sides in Cyprus to start dialogue so that important steps to be taken for the confidence building measures, the opening of the Ledra Street Crossing point and the application of the 8th of July agreement, Mr Korkmazhan noted the following: Mr Talat by turning a blind eye to this call, he is trying to escape from the 8th of July agreement and destroy the bridges of dialogue.

(CS)

[02] UBP deputy attended the 28th Congress of the European Liberal Democrats

The National Unity Party (UBP) deputy Hasan Tacoy has returned to the Republic after attending the 28th Congress of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party in Berlin.

A statement issued from the Party said that a draft resolution, calling on the European Union to lift the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People, was adopted at the Congress.

The resolution, which refers to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, calls for the immediate lifting of all kinds of restrictions imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people.

During his stay in Berlin, the UBP deputy also held discussions on his partys membership applications to the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR).

[03] A new hotel started to operate in occupied Morfou

Starting from the thought that investments must be made in the area of Guzelyurt (occupied Morfou), a tourist installation with the name The West Queen Resort Hotel of Cyprus, which was built with a capacity of 150 beds, was opened for services.

According to a statement issued by the The West Queen Resort Hotel of Cyprus Directorship of Public Relations, in an area of 90.000 square meters, which is near the university campus of the ODTU North Cyprus University at the Kalkanli (occupied Kapouti) village, a tourist installation was built, with a 150 bed capacity, bar, restaurant and pool, in order to tackle the lack of investments in tourist installations in the Guzelyurt area.

With the statement, the hope is expressed that the new installation will contribute to the regions development and employment and that this installation was opening for services from October.

The official opening ceremony of the The West Queen Resort Hotel of Cyprus, will take place soon.

(CS)

[04] The new air traffic control centre of the illegal Tympou Airport is planned to start operating in December

(CS)

[05] Electric wires have been installed in occupied Cape Apostolos Andreas

The paper writes that according to information that the illegal TAK news agency received from officials of the Electricity Department the electric wires have already started to be installed in the area and 22 Km out of the 27 km planned have already been covered.

(CS)

[06] Taekwondo or human trafficking?

The enlarged group, which consisted of 128 Georgians and 3 Syrians, was not able to give a clear answer regarding their aims, therefore 102 of them were stopped from entering occupied Cyprus on suspicion of human trafficking and they were sent back with the same ship. The chairman of the TRNC Taekwondo Federation, Eyup Zafer Gokbilen, stated that the federation invited only 26 persons, they had no information about the rest of the persons and that they have no responsibility regarding the additional persons.

(CS)

[07] Milliyet reports that Syria supports Turkey in its Cyprus policy

The paper reports: Among other issues, President Gul and Esad discussed about the Cyprus issue. Gul thanked Esad on behalf of Turkey, for giving the permission to start scheduled ferry boat trips between the TRNC and Syria. On his part, Esad stated that they see the ferry boat trips both as a necessity for Syrias commitment towards the lifting of the pressure on the TRNC and a part of the support they offer to the TRNC within the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and noted that they will continue to make steps in this direction.

Moreover, the paper reports that these statements were commented by diplomatic sources as preparation for giving permission by the Syrian administration to open a TRNC touristic and trade representation office in Damascus.

(EA)

[08] The so-called police arrest a Greek Cypriot man in connection with antiquities smuggling

After evaluating information received, the police has proceeded and arrested Turgut Goztasi, at the place of whom numerous historic antiquities were found.

According to the paper, the antiquities found in the house of Goztasi are: one head of a statue, one smaller head of a statue, an armless and neckless statue, a figure of a small horse, two figures of birds and a needle, the head of which presents the figure of a lion.

The names of the people arrested, as these are given by the paper are: Turgut Goztasi, Galip Arnavut, Stephanos Stephanou and Mehmet Asvaroglu.

(ML)

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[09] From the Turkish Press of 22 October 2007

Possible Cross-border operation: Daily Milliyet carries a report explaining how the PKK staged its attack against the army unit in Daglica, by first bombing the Sehri Bridge connecting the villages of Daglica and Yesiltas in Hakkari.

According to the story, a group of about 250 entered Turkey from northern Iraq and first blew up the Sehri Bridge in order to stop any assistance from reaching the army unit. Groups of eight to 10 people fired at the 120 soldiers stationed on two hills in Daglica. When the soldiers responded with fire, the PKK members then attacked their specific locations with bombs and rocket launchers. The 12 soldiers were killed in the initial fire. Helicopters were sent to the region, and the clashes continued until the early hours of the morning, whereupon the PKK members fled back into northern Iraq. The Turkish army bombed 63 targets from the ground and from the air.

An analysis by Namik Durukan in Milliyet argues that "after a break of 10 years, the Hakkari attack constitutes the first large-scale action perpetrated by the terrorist organization PKK along the border," and the nature of the attack shows that it has been preparing for this planned attack for days. Durukan writes that "at a time when the central Iraqi Government and the regional Kurdish administration are opposed to a possible cross-border operation, by conducting such a large-scale action the PKK is aiming to provoke Turkey into conducting such a cross-border operation 'under conditions set by the PKK.'" According to "political observers in northern Iraq," Durukan says, the PKK is trying to pressure the Turkish Government and win the support of the Kurds in the region by claiming that the Turkish army will invade northern Iraq.

Milliyet Columnist Taha Akyol expresses the view that this PKK attack perpetrated after the approval of the parliamentary motion on a cross-border operation shows that "the PKK is trying to draw Turkey into northern Iraq under its own conditions." In his article, Akyol suggests that the PKK may have prepared for such an operation both militarily and politically. Therefore, Akyol argues, "Turkey should conduct air-focused operations at an unspecified time that it will determine, rather than under conditions prepared by the PKK." Akyol also laments the difficulty in defending the border with Iraq, and proposes that Turkey conduct international diplomacy to secure a defensible border by means of "technical adjustments."

Can Dundar argues in his column in Milliyet that the PKK is of the opinion that it would create difficulties for Turkey as an occupier in northern Iraq and among the Kurds in Turkey as well as in the international arena, especially vis-a-vis the United States. Criticizing the "stunned" attitude of the government and the provocative statements of some people, Dundar says that Turkey's first goal should be to avoid the trap of sinking into a quagmire in Iraq. He calls for the formulation of a "comprehensive and determined" northern Iraq policy that maintains the initiative, instead of being driven in the wake of developments. "The government should preserve its restraint, hold on to the military card as a means to apply pressure, chart a comprehensive policy as soon as possible, and take the relevant diplomatic steps," Dundar advises.

Semih Idiz, another Milliyet columnist who argues that the struggle against the PKK cannot be conducted through military means alone, cites the example of the IRA and Britain. In his column, Idiz says it would be very courageous of Erdogan "to call on them to lay down their arms and come to parliament to explain their problems."

In an article in Istanbul Hurriyet, Fatih Cekirge relates his conversation with "a commander" on the scope and timing of a possible cross-border operation. According to the commander, short of weapons being fired, the operation has actually started. The commander also underlines the special training received by the PKK members.

Ertugrul Ozkok in his commentary in Hurriyet says that from now on our addressee on this matter is Barzani, who should be told in no uncertain terms: "You will either be our neighbor, or our target." If he chooses to rely on the United States and become our enemy, Ozkok says, this is up to him. "From now on our target is Barzani's military and economic targets," Ozkok asserts, adding that 30-40 sorties with a few F-16's can take northern Iraq back 20 years. Ozkok also advises the United States to consider the balance of northern Iraq on one the hand of the scale and Turkey on the other, warning that if the United States should decide to favor northern Iraq, Turkey, as a "former friend," could "upset all the balances in the region." He concludes: "Turkey has come to the point of making its historic decision and global choice. The only cause of the north Iraqi overindulgence that brought us to this point is the super foolishness of the super state."

Writing also in Hurriyet in his article, Mehmet Yilmaz interprets the recent PKK attack right after the parliamentary motion on a cross-border operation as follows: "The PKK wants Turkey to conduct a cross-border operation into north Iraq, and consequently to engage in a confrontation with the Kurdish administration in the region and with the United States." Yilmaz asserts, however, that the PKK is mistaken, and it is not difficult to guess whom the United States and the Iraqi Kurds will choose between Turkey and the PKK when the time comes. Turkey will try diplomacy until the end, but it is clear that the Turkish people favor the use of force against the PKK, Yilmaz says. He declares that those who believe that they can make Turkey renounce the military option and who fail to take into account that the Turkish people have reached the end of their tether are really hugely mistaken.

Commenting on the same subject in Istanbul Referans in an article, Cengiz Candar argues that "we have now reached a point where it is practically impossible not to implement the parliamentary motion." Evoking the example of Israel and south Lebanon to draw an analogy with Turkey's situation regarding northern Iraq, Candar warns that a "political-military decision" that a country could feel forced to make in order "to root out terrorism" across its borders could affect many processes and lead to completely different results than those envisaged at first. Pointing out that "a cross-border operation appears almost inevitable," Candar expresses the hope that despite everything the fight against terrorism will be conducted wisely, without forgetting that it is a "long-term and multi-faceted struggle."

An editorial by Serdar Turgut in Istanbul Aksam expresses the view that without forgetting our deep pain, we must act with wisdom and a cool head, in the face of the clear PKK aim to disrupt our level-headed attitude and make us rush into north Iraq. Through this, the PKK is aiming to create a new war front for Turkey which would confront the Kurds in the region; and to bring about a kind of civil war in Turkey by inciting an ethnic-based division, Turgut argues. He also commends Erdogan for his statement about a cool-headed assessment of the situation, while urging the opposition's Bahceli to display the same stance. "If Turkey acts wisely, it will overcome this problem without falling into the traps set for it, and only then will we have avenged the lives of our martyrs," Turgut concludes.

Umur Talu in his article in Istanbul Sabah refers to the death of the soldiers, but questions the failure of the government in preventing such attacks. He demands to know "why they can so easily set ambushes and kill" the soldiers. Moreover, Talu states: "If the Democratic Society Party wants democracy in this country, it should decide on the kind of democracy it can engage in under the shadow of these murderers."

Under the banner headline, "Siege," Yeni Safak publishes a front-page report which asserts that the terrorists who killed some 12 Turkish soldiers in yesterday's attack in Hakkari have been cornered close to the border with Iraq in an operation involving attack helicopters and F-16 aircraft as well as ground forces.

In an article entitled "Hakkari Drenched in Blood", Yeni Safak columnist Ali Bayramoglu argues that the PKK's latest attack is obviously aimed at provoking Turkey into entering Iraq. He claims that while the Turkish public expect troops to be deployed into northern Iraq and the PKK's assaults appear to have made this move inevitable, a military incursion would have implications beyond the scope of Turkey's anti-terrorism policies because the possibility of a military campaign has already turned into an international problem.

In an article entitled "They are Trying Our Patience", Yeni Safak columnist Fehmi Koru asserts that the planners of the latest PKK strikes - "whether they be the PKK itself or the forces behind the PKK" - expect and want the Turkish Armed Forces, (TSK), to send troops into Iraq. He advises Ankara to maintain a "coolheaded" stance on the latest developments rather than showing impulsive reactions and to make diplomatic efforts to get the United States, Baghdad, and the Barzani forces to "come to their senses."

In an article entitled "An open war has been started against Turkey", Yeni Safak columnist Ibrahim Karagul interprets the latest PKK attacks as meaning that "Turkey faces a new situation, namely a state of war. The boundary between terrorism and war has been crossed. There are military and political consequences. Turkey needs to determine a new position vis-a-vis this new situation." He argues that the aim of this "war" is to redraw the map of the region and identifies the forces that want to "pull Turkey into the [Iraq] morass" as a "wide coalition" that includes the United States and Israel. He also asserts that unless Turkey responds with its own game plan to these developments, it might become helpless to protect its people, soil, and borders.

In an article entitled "A Cross-Border Operation", Yeni Safak columnist Hakan Albayrak argues that the PKK's attacks are part of a "despicable chaos project" aimed at provoking a Turkish-Kurdish war. He claims that this project has made it impossible to argue plausibly that the terrorism issue could be addressed through democratic reforms apart from demonstrating that the PKK is "a cat's-paw of imperialism."

Under the headline, "It cannot go on like this," Vakit runs a front-page report which highlights statements by a number of "terrorism experts" and retired generals calling for "those responsible for the intelligence flaws" that have made possible the latest PKK assaults to be called to account.

In an article entitled "The Situation", Vakit columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak asserts that the United States has launched patrol flights in northern Iraq close to the Turkish border and that under the circumstances Turkey could not get within two kilometers of its own border "let alone carrying out an air campaign" because the United States has the means to lock the firing systems of Turkey's air forces. He claims that Ankara needs to get the United States and Israel's approval for a cross-border operation into Iraq for this reason and that the Erdogan government faces a situation where it has either to align itself with Washington and lose political power or risk "settling scores" with the United States.

Under the headline, "TSK rains bombs on terrorist targets along border, US ask for time," Zaman carries a front-page report which details some of the developments consequent on the PKK's "treacherous" attacks in Hakkari.

In a front-page commentary entitled "The Real Aim of Terrorism," Zaman Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanli asserts that the PKK's latest attacks are intended to touch off a Turkish-Kurdish conflict and to pit the security forces against the people of the southeast in a way that will force "the blow that the PKK received in the last general election" into oblivion. He also claims that the PKK expects to widen the "front" against Turkey by provoking it into carrying out a military incursion into Iraq.

In an article entitled "Public opinion and the deep well of Foreign Policy", Zaman's Washington correspondent Ali H. Aslan asks whether Turkey really has to carry out a cross-border operation of "dubious" efficacy against the PKK "particularly at a time when the international opinion and conjuncture are so much against us." He expresses the hope that there will not be much deviation from the "soft power" approach in the Erdogan government's foreign policy in the wake of the latest developments.

In an article entitled "A war of initiatives", Zaman columnist Ali Bulac argues that the PKK's latest strikes have three "visible" purposes: 1. Impeding the democratization process and weakening the ruling AKP. 2. "Getting Turkey to step into the Iraq morass" in such a way as to create consequences beyond hostilities with the Barzani forces. 3. Starting ethnic conflicts in line with a "creative chaos doctrine" and causing them to spread to Turkey.

In an article entitled "Is the PKK trying to provoke a cross-border operation?", Today's Zaman columnist Ihsan Dagi asserts that the latest terrorist attacks are intended to "hijack the diplomatic success that has appeared on the horizon against the PKK."

In an article entitled "A Pyrrhic victory", Today's Zaman columnist Omer Taspinar asserts that while "even some of the hard-core sponsors of the Armenian resolution are backing off ... this has nothing to do with their sudden discovery of new historical facts proving Turkey is right" and that although Turkey has "won an important battle ... we are losing the war."

Under the banner headline, "They Assail Turkey," Milli Gazete, blasts "US and Israeli supported terrorism" for "massacring another twelve sons of Turkey." Published next to this report and covering the entire left hand of the front page is the full text of the Turkish National Anthem.

A report entitled "US Troops Kill Turkish Driver" asserts that a Turkish truck driver carrying foodstuffs to the US bases in Iraq was killed on 11 October by US troops when he got out of his vehicle to repair a breakdown. The report highlights remarks by the driver's father linking the attack against his son to the Iraq authorization bill passed by the Turkish parliament.

In an article entitled "Letter From Milli Gazete", Milli Gazete Editor-in-Chief Necdet Kutsal argues that Turkey needs to redefine its friends and foes in response to the latest PKK assaults, adding that "as long as our strategic partnership and deep alliance with the United States and Israel go on, terrorism will continue regardless how many operations we might conduct in northern Iraq."

In an article entitled "Kurdish Issue or Terrorism Problem?", Bugun columnist Mehmet Metiner asserts that the PKK has turned into an obstacle to the solution of the "Kurdish issue" and criticizes the Democratic Society Party, DTP, for continuing to describe the PKK as an offshoot of the "Kurdish issue."

Referendum on Constitutional Amendments: Reporting on the results of the referendum held on 21 October, an article in Milliyet announces that the amendments to the constitution were approved by 69 percent in a referendum "with the lowest rate of participation in the history of the republic", namely 67 percent.

Another report on the referendum also in Milliyet in the same newspaper points out that former President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and the force commanders failed to vote in the referendum.

In an article entitled "Referendum Result: PKK is Finished," Vakit columnist A. Ihsan Karahasanoglu hails the 90 percent support in the southeast for the constitutional amendment package that was put to referendum yesterday as an indication that the social "infrastructure" of PKK terrorism has disappeared and that the people of the southeast have clearly dissociated themselves from the terrorist PKK. He also claims that Turkey should refrain from sending troops to northern Iraq in response to the latest PKK attacks and look into anticipating these strikes within its borders and rooting out the terrorist elements at home.

EG/

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