Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-09-08

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] More newspaper reports on a mass grave of Greek Cypriots in occupied Lapithos

[02] Ersin Tatar called on Turkish Cypriots not to make shopping from the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus

[03] Yusuf Suicmez called on the Republic of Cyprus to give the necessary permission to the Imams from Turkey to visit the Hala Sultan mosque

[04] TDP MP accuses the government of giving amnesty to the illegal workers

[05] Talat is possible to travel to New York for attending this years session of the general assembly of the UN

[06] Talat: Turkish Cypriots goal is the participation in the Bologna process and Erasmus program

[07] The Foreign Press Union completed its contacts in Berlin, Germany

[08] The Democracy and Compromise Association has been established in the occupied areas of Cyprus

[09] Davutolu met with his Georgion counterpart and viewed bilateral relations and regional issues

[10] Turkish Businessmen established the Paris Bosphorus Institute think tank in France

[11] A cooperation in tourism was signed between Turkey and the Lebanon

[12] OIC: China needs new understanding for ethnic minorities

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[13] From the Turkish Press of 7 September 2009 a) Opening Turkey s borders with Armenia b) On Davutolu's megalomania

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] More newspaper reports on a mass grave of Greek Cypriots in occupied Lapithos

The paper writes, inter alia, the following in its front page under the title Is it a sign for mines for the mass grave?: There is a sign writing Mines on the wire fence of the plot of land in Lapithos where it is alleged that 800 remains exist. However, everyone can walk around in that area as he wishes. No mines have been found until now! .

The paper wonders why a sign warning for mines was put in the area, in spite of the fact that it is not a border and points out that the plot of land was empty a short time ago, but now it is filled up with rocks.

After the meeting between Talat and Christofias it will be known whether excavations will be carried out in the area which is a military zone, notes Afrika.

The paper publishes two pictures of the same area on its front page. In the one picture the area is empty and in the second it is full of rocks.

In the Letter from Afrika column, the paper reports, inter alia, the following on the same issue: One friend of ours, who called us after our publication yesterday, gave to us interesting information regarding this plot of land. Around the decade of 1980s a place in this plot was allocated to a person very close to him in order to build a construction. However, right at the time when he was preparing to do this, the plot was taken away from him. As pretext he was told that There is a grave there. .

Meanwhile, writing in his daily column in Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper, Ali Osman refers to the interview he published recently with an eyewitness who told him that Turkish soldiers murdered Greek Cypriot prisoners of war at the shore of occupied Agios Georgios, where the Turkish army landed during the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island. Mr Osman, writes, inter alia, the following:

After our newspaper published these, people called us or came here and told us what they knew. A former high ranking official, who was going to gather wild herbs in the area around the Mare Monte [Hotel] told us with the following expressions what he saw:

Many years ago I went to that area with the children. The wild herbs I liked were in that area. I started gathering. After moving around for a while, I saw something because of which I abandoned what I had gathered and since then I never went to that area. There were dead persons who had not been buried completely or they had come to the surface because of the rain or excavations by animals.

Another person said that he had bought a plot of land in the northwest, or let us say in the west, of Celebrity Hotel. The person, who said he could not acquire a building permit, when he asked for the reason for this, he received the answer from the Town Planning Department that the army does not permit for excavations to be carried out because there was a graveyard underneath.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Ersin Tatar called on Turkish Cypriots not to make shopping from the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

In his statements to the press afterwards, the self-styled Minister of Finance called on the Turkish Cypriots to do their shopping from the occupied areas of Cyprus. Mr. Tatar pointed out the need to protect the economy of the country, for it to be developed and strengthened, to create employment opportunities and for the businessmen to make openings. Mr. Tatar said also the following: It is not right for everybody to go to the Greek side for his own pleasure, do shopping and pay the VAT to the Greek state.

Mr. Tatar reminded also in his statements that everybody should comply with the regulations and alleged that the customs officers are always obliged to do their work and make the necessary control.

On the issue of shopping from the government-controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus, he said: We do not have a prohibitive mentality. Our citizens can act as they want but everybody has to obey our rules . Mr. Tatar reminded also that the amount of ¬ 135 is the maximum of the total purchases a citizen can make, excluding trade goods, and he then called on the customs officers to show the necessary sensitivity on the issue by stating the following: We make a request to our citizens to obey this rule. Because, we have to protect the economy of our state.

(AK)

[03] Yusuf Suicmez called on the Republic of Cyprus to give the necessary permission to the Imams from Turkey to visit the Hala Sultan mosque Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (08.09.09) in its front page and under the title Imam crisis reports that after the crisis which was caused with the liturgy at Agios Mamas church, now the Kadir Gecesi [Tr. Note: It is a Muslim religious ceremony called The night of Power and it is the 27th day of Ramadan when the Koran was revealed] at the Hala Sultan mosque, came to the agenda. The paper reports that similar incidents which occurred after the crisis on September 3 when the Greek Cypriots could not cross through the Limnitis crossing point for attending the liturgy at Agios Mamas church will be lived again at the Kadir Gecesi which is planned to take place at the Hala Sultan mosque in Larnaka on September 15. The paper reports that the Religious Affairs Directorate which took the decision for the celebrations, demanded the participation of the Imams from Turkey and applied to the UN.

(AK)

[04] TDP MP accuses the government of giving amnesty to the illegal workers

According to a statement issued by the TDPs press office, Mr Emirogullari noted that both the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the National Unity Party (UBP) have issued amnesty decrees being under the influence of some capitalist circles and noted that this is unacceptable.

Pointing out that the occupied areas of Cyprus are facing a population problem, he accused the governments of the breakaway regime of facilitating the transfer of more population with the amnesty laws they prepared. They leave no place for the Turkish Cypriots to stay in our country where there is no place to move a step, he added.

Mr Emirogullari pointed out that the aim of the decrees is not to meet certain needs, but to legalize the illegal workers upon pressure from Turkey. Pointing out that the deadline for submitting applications for taking amnesty ends on 17 September 2009, he noted that very few out of the tens of thousands of illegal workers applied until now.

(I/Ts.)

[05] Talat is possible to travel to New York for attending this years session of the general assembly of the UN

The paper reports that the general assembly session of the UN will start at the end of September and it will discuss also the Cyprus problem. The leader of the Greek Cypriot Administration, as the paper calls President Christofias, will participate in the assembly.

(AK)

[06] Talat: Turkish Cypriots goal is the participation in the Bologna process and Erasmus program

Stressing the importance for the youngsters to receive education by European universities, Mr. Talat thanked the EU for providing this opportunity to the youth and added that there is a major need for opportunities of this kind to be given to a people which is isolated from the world. Noting that the EU is an institution of extreme importance for the Turkish Cypriots and an institution in which the Turkish Cypriots wish to become members, therefore, they exert great efforts to this aim, Mr. Talat added: Even if this struggle does not lead to a solution it secures recognition on the part of Europe and this scholarship program has entered its third year.

Referring to the Bologna process and the Erasmus program, the Turkish Cypriot leader said that in fact, our fundamental goal and struggle was to be included in the Bologna process which is an important part of the EU and reminded that for reasons which are well known, the Turkish Cypriot education system is being prevented and kept outside of this process. On the Erasmus program, Mr. Talat said that the goal of the Turkish Cypriots continues to be the participation in the Erasmus and attached importance to the fact that in case they participate in the Erasmus, not only the Turkish Cypriots will study in universities in the EU member countries, but at the same time students from the EU member countries will have the opportunity to receive education in the illegal universities established in occupied Cyprus.

(ML)

[07] The Foreign Press Union completed its contacts in Berlin, Germany

According to the written statement issued from the Foreign Press Union, a group of journalists has visited Berlin, Germany in the previous days and held high official contacts there. During their contacts, the journalists wanted to learn about the German and the European Media systems.

Evaluating their contacts, Mr. Fevzi Taspinar referred to the contacts they held with several academicians, journalists and European MPs. He also stated that they had the opportunity to visit and inspect several radio stations and Media Organizations such as the German News Agency, the German State Television-ZDF, and different newspapers. Mr. Taspinar stated also that they met with the officials of the Turkish-German Businessmen Union in Berlin and the Turkish Community in Brandenburg. He also said that they organized a private visit to the German Federal Parliament and the Berlin State Assembly.

(AK)

[08] The Democracy and Compromise Association has been established in the occupied areas of Cyprus

(AK)

[09] Davutolu met with his Georgion counterpart and viewed bilateral relations and regional issues

The two foreign ministers appeared at a joint press conference after their meeting which Davutolu said addressed bilateral relations as well as regional issues.

"Maintaining peace in Georgia and peaceful resolution of the problems the country faces is of great importance," Davutolu told reporters.

"As a friendly and a neighboring country, Georgia' economic and political future, and its territorial integrity are of special importance for us," Davutolu said.

The Turkish foreign minister said it was hard to achieve stability and peace in the Caucasus unless they were achieved in Georgia.

"Which is why Turkey will continue exert any effort for the settlement of the dispute over Abkhazia," Davutolu said, adding that a senior Turkish diplomat would be assigned to visit Georgia and Abkhazia in the coming days.

Responding to a question over the detention of a Turkish-flagged vessel in Georgia, Davutolu said he would discuss the issue with Georgian president during a meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

Vashadze said on his part that Georgia's final decision over the detention of the Turkish ship would be made during the meeting with President Mikheil Saakashvili.

"We have discussed today with my counterpart mostly the ways to prevent such incidents from happening in the future and I believe that appropriate mechanisms are devised," Vashadze said.

Moreover, under the title, The first Turkish diplomat to Abkhazia, Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (08.09.09) reports on the visit of the Turkish Deputy Permanent Undersecretary Ambassador Unal Cevikoz to Abkhazia. According to the paper, this is the first time for a Turkish diplomat to travel from Tiflis to Abkhazia since the war tension experienced in Abkhazia and South Ossetia right after the declaration of their independence from Georgia.

Mr Cevikoz, who is in the delegation of the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutolu to Georgia, will proceed today to Abkhazia through the highway. As the paper writes, Mr Cevikoz will be the first Westerner diplomat that will step on Abkhazia through the highway that was closed since the war until now. During his visit, Mr Cevikoz aims to reduce the tension experienced between Georgia and Abkhazia.

Meanwhile, the paper reports that during the press conference with his Georgian counterpart Grigol Vashadze, the Turkish FM Davutolu stated that Turkey considers very important the cooperation of Georgia with the Black Sea and Caucasus and added that they are aware that without providing peace and stability in Georgia it will be very difficult to bring peace and stability in the Caucasus.

(EA)

[10] Turkish Businessmen established the Paris Bosphorus Institute think tank in France

Turkish businesspeople have established "Paris Bosphorus Institute", a think thank organization in France, in an effort to strengthen relations between Turkey and France and to form an independent and neutral platform, Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) said on Monday.

TUSIAD said in a statement that the institute would carry out studies on geopolitics, economy, as well as social and cultural issues to emphasize the importance of relations between Turkey and France and also between Turkey and EU.

Prominent Turkish and French politicians, businessmen, economists and opinion leaders will get together in a "science council" formed within the body of the institute, TUSIAD said.

Official inauguration of the institute will be held in Paris on Tuesday at a press conference where chairman Haluk Tukel and members of science council Professor Gilles Veinstein, Pekin Baran, Umit Boyner ve Henri de Castries will appear.

The institute will also organize a conference in Istanbul on October 22 and 23 to discuss Turkey's relations with France and EU.

[11] A cooperation protocol in tourism was signed between Turkey and the Lebanon

The decision of Turkish Council of Ministers to approve a tourism cooperation protocol signed between Turkey and Lebanon on April 21, 2009 has been published in the Official Gazette. The protocol stresses the development of touristic relations between Turkey and Lebanon between 2009 and 2011.

According to the protocol, the two sides will encourage touristic activities such as exhibitions, festivals, seminars, congresses and workshops.

[12] OIC: China needs new understanding for ethnic minorities

Ekmeleddin 0hsanolu, the Turkish secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), has said the OIC expects China to develop a new understanding of the cultural rights of Muslims and said the incidents in Urumqi shocked the Muslim world because of the good relations that had historically existed between China and the Islamic world.

Violent clashes between local ethnic-Turkic Muslim Uighurs and the dominant Han Chinese community which started on July 5 in Urumqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, left 197 dead and several hundred wounded according to official Chinese numbers. Turkey and the OIC have condemned the incidents. Underlining the historically good relations between China and Muslim countries, 0hsanolu noted in an interview with the Cihan news agency in Jeddah, where the OIC headquarters are based, that the incidents in Urumqi resulted in shock among Muslims, adding that the OIC has reflected this shock in its statements released in response to the incidents.

We expect China to create an understanding for more respect to human rights in Urumqi and more protection of cultural and ethnic rights along with the heritage of cultural identity, 0hsanolu was quoted as saying on Monday.

0hsanolu said the bilateral relations between the Muslim world and China are beneficial for both sides. According to the OIC chief, China and many Muslim countries have vital political and economic ties and mutual investments and the fact that China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council makes China an important partner for the Muslim world.

Since relations with China have been very good over the centuries, the events in Urumqi shocked us. Although similar incidents occurred in the past, there was nothing at this level, thus, Islamic countries have started to ask questions, he said and noted that according to decisions made in OIC meetings, the OIC cannot remain aloof to the developments in Muslim communities in non-member countries.

He also stated that he wants to visit the region and emphasized that the Chinese government responded to the OIC with goodwill.

0hsanolu also touched upon the newly selected NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen's offer of cooperation with the OIC. There are some theoretical possibilities. But in order to take serious steps in terms of institutional cooperation there should be proposals regarding the decision making mechanisms of NATO and the OIC he said, adding that the spheres of interest of NATO and the OIC do not seem to be close to each other. Taking the current political realities into account, we appreciated the approaches of goodwill of the two institutions, 0hsanolu stated.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[13] From the Turkish Press of 7 September 2009

a) Opening Turkey s borders with Armenia

In an article in Hurriyet Daily News.com, Joost Lagendijk views the government announcement that Turkey is planning to normalize its relations with Armenia. Explaining that this "is a courageous decision that should be applauded by all democrats in Turkey and abroad," Lagendijk continues: "This sudden acceleration reminded me of a famous quote from one of the former Dutch foreign ministers. He once said that when you have a big problem at hand the best way to solve it is to make it bigger. That may sound strange. What he meant was that in order to solve one sensitive problem it might be clever to add a couple of other ones. In the final package of solutions, all problems will be tackled and most people that object to one particular solution will be happy with another one. In the end, it will be difficult for anyone to reject the whole package." Noting that FM Davutolu's "proposal on improving Turkish-Armenian relations seems" to him "a textbook example of the strategy mentioned above," Lagendijk adds: "The government has its hands full in dealing with the complexities of the Kurdish or democratic initiative. Turkish public opinion seems to be split on this issue and it requires a delicate balancing act to come up with concrete proposals that satisfy a majority of Turks and Kurds. Most other governments would spend all their energy and political capital in trying to find a satisfactory solution to this problem that has haunted so many Turkish politicians in the past. Not this government. They decided to add another problem to their to-do list for this autumn. I repeat, a brave and timely decision. But was it wise to do so?"

In his commentary entitled "Road to peace" in Sabah, Erdal Safak writes that the "protocols" signed between Turkey and Armenia should be "studied carefully" as there is "considerable amount of surprises hidden in the details." Explaining that "the two countries signed an agreement not only on opening the borders, establishing diplomatic relations," and for "subcommittees" to investigate into the 1915 events, but also they aim to join their transportation, communication and energy networks and infrastructures, Safak concludes: "In case they reach their goal, the geopolitical and geo-economic picture of the region will change fundamentally. 'Unprecedented' joint projects will be realized by all the countries in the Caucasus, and even additionally Russia and Iran."

Writing in Sabah, Omer Taspinar notes in his commentary entitled "Time to take courageous steps", that unless something goes wrong, the protocols are expected to be approved by the parliaments of Turkey and Armenia as both ruling parties hold the parliamentary majority in their countries. Explaining that the group in Turkey that is totally against the reconciliation with Armenia will not be pleased any way, Taspinar concludes: They should know, however, that they will have a historic responsibility in case this opportunity is missed because of them."

In an article entitled "A builder of new orders", Yeni Safak columnist Tamer Korkmaz accuses Democratic Party, DP, leader Husamettin Cindoruk of engaging in "dirty propaganda" in describing the latest protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia as an "Obama overture" and representing the normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan as a development detrimental to Turkey's interests. After highlighting Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutolu's remarks saying that Ankara acted at its own discretion in initialing the said protocols and that "we have a mission to build new orders in the Middle East, Caucasus, and the Balkans," Korkmaz claims that Cindoruk's assertion that the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement effort is being conducted at Washington's urging reflects displeasure at the way the status quo is changing in Turkey.

In an article entitled "The 24 April syndrome: Is it over or will it continue?", Zaman's Washington correspondent Ali H. Aslan argues that success in the implementation of the Turkish-Armenian normalization project would have an easing effect on Turkish-US relations and increase Washington's ability to reject the exaggerated demands of the "genocide lobby," adding that otherwise "the 24 April syndrome" in Turkish-US relations will continue.

In an article entitled "Turkey and Armenia: The match is not over yet", today's Zaman columnist Ihsan Dagi warns that "if Turkey and Armenia wish to normalize relations they should move fast. An overextended debate spread over months and years on such a sensitive issue may be victim to nationalistic reactions that are strong both in Turkey and Armenia."

b) On Davutolu's megalomania

In his commentary under the title: "Davutolu should show more care in his choice of words" in Milliyet, Semih Idiz refers to Davutolu's comments to NTV the other week to the effect that "Turkey is the most powerful country in the region from all aspects. We will advance in all our relations by resolving crises. It is our mission to establish order." Explaining that these words were spoken within the framework of the "Armenian Opening," Idiz adds: Davutolu's approach is defined as 'Neo-Ottomanism' precisely because of such statements... He tries to explain that Turkey is a major factor for regional stability. However, he needs to choose his words more carefully when saying this." Semih Idiz further writes that such statements bring to mind "imperialist" associations, concluding that such remarks are not appropriate and if at all Turkey is "first among equals," then others should say it first.

EI

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