Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 10-09-23

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

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS

[01] Eroglu: If the Greek Cypriots have political will, the Cyprus problem can be solved by the end of the year

[02] Bozer: Turks of Cyprus have no confidence in world justice

[03] Durust: Morfou will remain within the TRNC territory

[04] Population in the occupied areas of Cyprus estimated around 700,000

[05] BKP and YKP observers at a European Left meeting

[06] Signature collection campaign for recognition of the TRNC

[07] Land in occupied Kazivera to be given to a foreign tourism company

[08] TDP and the Trade Unions Platform file lawsuit against the retirement laws

[09] A delegation from Iraqi Ministry will be trained at GAU

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[10] Turkish columnist calls for a five-party conference

[11] Highlights

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS

[01] Eroglu: If the Greek Cypriots have political will, the Cyprus problem can be solved by the end of the year

According to Osman Ertug, so-called presidential spokesman, who was present at the meetings, Eroglu met with Emir of Qatar at the Qatar Embassy for half an hour. They discussed bilateral relations, as well as Qatars support to TRNC at the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Eroglu briefed the Emir on the ongoing negotiation process and the proposals of both sides regarding the property issue.

Earlier, Eroglu met with the Finish MFA at UN headquarters, Ertug said. Noting that Eroglu informed Stubb on the ongoing negotiation process, Ertug said that the Turkish Cypriot side is determined that a Cyprus settlement is reached by the end of the year, adding that if the Administration of south Cyprus, as he called the Republic of Cyprus, also shows political will in the negotiations, then this is possible.

The paper also reports that Eroglu is expected to have a meeting with the Turkish President Abdullah Gul tonight at Turk Evi (Turkish House). Eroglu will also meet with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday at 16.00 (Cyprus time). Eroglu is accompanied by so-called minister of foreign affairs Huseyin Ozgurgun, his spokesman Osman Ertug and his special adviser Kudret Ozersay.

Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen (23.09.10) reports that Eroglu is expected to meet with Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the OIC today at 17.00

Kudret Ozersay, Eroglus special adviser, met with Elizabeth Spehar Director of the Americas and Europe Division and Officer-in-Charge of the UN Department of Political Affairs.

Moreover, daily Havadis reports that the TRNC flag is flying at the Plaza hotel in New York, where Eroglu and his delegation are staying.

(DPs)

[02] Bozer: Turks of Cyprus have no confidence in world justice

Bozer explained that the Greek Cypriots desire to dominate and control the whole island was the reason for the collapse of the partnership Republic established in 1960.

Moreover, he said that the Cyprus Turks who had been suffering under embargoes - had lost their confidence in world justice because of the international communitys failure to keep its promise to lift the isolation imposed on them, despite their overwhelming support to the Annan Plan. We need the support of just people like yourselves to explain to the world our situation, he added.

For his part, Fahey expressed his desire for a settlement to be reached in the Cyprus problem. Fahey drew similarities between the Cyprus problem and Ireland and said that they could contribute to solving the issue.

[03] Durust: Morfou will remain within the TRNC territory

Addressing the ceremony, the Head of the EU Programme Support Office Alessandra Viezzer, said that the project will serve 11,000 people in Morfou and Zodia.

For his part, the so-called Morfou mayor, Mahmut Ozcinar, pointed to the importance of the project in terms of the protection of the citys water aquifer and the use of refined water in agriculture.

The so-called minister of tourism, environment and culture, Kemal Durust, said that the project gives the message that Morfou will remain within the TRNC territory.

Moreover, the so-called minister of interior and local administration, Ilkay Kamil, shared Durusts view saying that the project is a clear response to the claims to hand over Morfou to the Greek Cypriots.

In his address the so-called prime minister, Irsen Kucuk, said that private sector investments and the projects implemented with contributions from Turkey and EU help the TRNC economy to gain further momentum. He also called on the EU to keep its promises to the Turkish Cypriots and expressed the hope that the Direct Trade Regulation will be approved before the new year.

[04] Population in the occupied areas of Cyprus estimated around 700,000

In statements yesterday to ADA TV, Andic said that when the de facto and the de jure population are taken into consideration, the figure 30,000 rises to 105,000. He noted that the results of the recent surveys are a good development as they reveal the dimensions of the economic problems in society. He recalled that Work Force Survey published in 2009 showed 33% unemployment in young people.

The biggest problem in this country is the fact that we do not know our real population because population censuses are carried out every ten years, Andic said, adding that all data regarding the population should take into consideration both the de facto and the de jure population and be multiplied by three.

Everybody knows the approximate population today. We are talking about 700,000 he noted, pointing out that 15% of the population, that is, 105,000 live beyond the poverty line.

In addition, under the title The population in the north is 270,000; Bread consumption is 800,000 loafs, Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam (23.09.10) reports that the committee determining the minimum wage launched its work yesterday.

Representing the government, Erman Yaylali, director of the self-styled ministry of labour and social insurance, said the real growth rate in the occupied areas was minus 3.4% in 2008 and that the growth estimated for 2009 is minus 6.3%. He noted that approximately 14,000 young persons are unemployed today. These numbers, he said, show clearly the economic problem in the country.

Representing the employers, Hasan Sungur, chairman of the Employers Trade Union, said it is obvious that no one can live on the minimum wage today. He noted that if employees cannot live with the minimum wage in a country and employers cannot pay the salaries, this means that something is wrong.

If 800,000 loafs of bread are produced in a country, but it is said that the population is 270,000, it means that there is large illegal community, noted Sungur pointing out that issues such as the problem of illegal workers, the lack of qualified personnel and the difficulty of employers to acquire credit facilities remain to be solved.

(I/Ts.)

[05] BKP and YKP observers at a European Left meeting

According to press releases by the parties, BKP will be represented by Abdullah Kormazhan member of the Central Executive Committee of the BKP while YKP will be represented by Murat Kanatli, secretary of the Executive Board.

According to the paper, Kormazhan will deliver a speech on his partys visions and political views.

(AK)

[06] Signature collection campaign for recognition of the TRNC

According to a written statement by Efgan Bilgi, chairman of the council, 80,000 signatures have already been collected. He explained that the original file with the signatures will be sent to the UN while photocopies will be sent to the foreign ministries worldwide. It is added that about 200 people are to travel to New York. The statement also says that the council was criticized for requesting funds to cover their expenses.

(AK)

[07] Land in occupied Kazivera to be given to a foreign tourism company

[08] TDP and the Trade Unions Platform file lawsuit against the retirement laws

The paper writes that the civil servants trade union (KAMU-SEN), representing the Trade Unions Platform, will also file a lawsuit against the same laws on Friday.

(I/Ts.)

[09] A delegation from Iraqi Ministry will be trained at GAU

The paper also reports that GAU, as this year is celebrating its 25 years of its establishment, provides assistance to various countries in the development of the higher education system.

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[10] Turkish columnist calls for a five-party conference

Moreover he says: According to some public statements the proposals of the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides on the thorny property aspect of the Cyprus problem apparently boosted the 'hope' of the United Nations team 'facilitating' the direct-talks process that there might be a Cyprus settlement. Now, instead of the end of 2010 deadline, 'deep throats' are whispering that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has started commenting that perhaps the process might be allowed to continue until the end of February 2011.

() If the talks are to succeed there is a need to accelerate the process and get on board Turkey, Greece and Britain the three guarantor powers under the 1960 accords and convert talks into a five-party conference on the sidelines of which the EU as well as the five permanent members of the Security Council should sit as observers. Greek Cypriots are staunchly opposing such a conference on grounds that they are the government of the entire island and cannot agree to be relegated to the community status by attending on equal footing with the Turkish Cypriots. That is indeed the crux of the problem; Greek Cypriots are not yet mentally prepared to a bi-zonal and bi-communal federal settlement where the two peoples of the island are politically equal.

The author continues saying that this mental fatigue of the Greek Cypriot side was reflected in their proposal regarding the property aspect of the problem and that the Greek Cypriot demands are in total contradiction with the bi-zonality principle. He also argues: Coupled with the demand that up to 100,000 Greek Cypriots should be allowed to return north, Christofias is indeed telling Turkish Cypriots they have no place on Cyprus.

Kanli concludes saying that such demands contradict not only with the 1977 and 1979 accords and the established U.N. parameters regarding the bi-zonal and bi-communal character of the future federation, but also renders Turkish Cypriots landless in their own homeland, and therefore these proposals cannot be taken seriously or considered as reasonable by anyone in northern Cyprus.

[11] Highlights

a) Kurdish issue / PKK terror

In an article in Hurriyet Cuneyt Ulsever argues that the 12 September referendum destroyed the taboo that negotiations cannot be held with a terrorist organization, explaining that the sectors that have nationalist sensitivities did not cast a vote of no-confidence in the government because of its Kurdish overture and the PKK with its cease-fire decision extended its support to the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Describing this situation as a "historic opportunity," Ulsever predicts that the government will act more courageously this time, adding, however, that some people are disturbed by the talks conducted with the PKK. Those disturbed by these talks might be members of a PKK splinter group or certain "friendly countries," speculates the writer, underlining that blaming the military for the Hakkari provocation is nothing other than utter nonsense. Warning the government against provocations, Ulsever declares that the best response to such provocative acts would be to ignore them, adding that the government should not have cancelled its scheduled meeting with the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). Asking the government to include the opposition in these negotiations, Ulsever calls on the opposition leaders to relate to the information they will possess with the seriousness of statesmen.

Cengiz Candar in an article in Referans writes that the days ahead are of "vital importance" from the viewpoint of the continuation of the PKK cease-fire, adding that if one listens to the voice of the Kurdish political movement the formula for extending the cease-fire indefinitely is simple: "If the operations stop, the non-action period will continue." Candar notes that it is not necessary to announce halt in operations, as people will know. One of the most meaningful and concrete steps that will prevent violence is for the PKK forces to withdraw from Turkish territory, suggests Candar, urging the government to re-establish the cancelled dialogue with the BDP. The writer goes on to suggest that the prime minister and the president respond positively to the request of the Diyarbakir NGO's for a meeting and that the dialogue between Ocalan and the state units be maintained. Warning that the exclusion of Ahmet Turk and Aysel Tugluk under the pretext that contact with them would grant legitimacy to the Democratic Society Council (DTK) is tantamount to conveying a message of no-confidence to the region, Candar says that Ankara should not lose precious time by dwelling on the issue of who is an interlocutor and who is not.

In an article in Taraf, Yasemin Congar writes that the PKK and Kurdish circles linked to the PKK are at a significant crossroads, adding: "They will either continue in their armed struggle or they will remove their fingers from the trigger and engage in politics in line with the demands of the Kurdish people. In places where they will hit the limits of politics, they will stage acts of civil disobedience." According to Congar, the first alternative will only delay the implementation of the Kurdish demand for "equal citizenship" and will constitute an obstacle to freedom and prosperity in the region. Stressing the need for a "stronger" cease-fire, Congar declares that, whether the PKK likes it or not, the parties involved in the solution of the Kurdish issue in the name of the Kurdish people are no longer circles that have links with the PKK. "There exists a Kurdish civilian community that sounds different than the PKK despite the shadow of the weapons," notes Congar, arguing that the stand adopted by Kurdish associations, which was different from that of the BDP, prior to the 12 September referendum is an expression of the plurality of Kurdish politics. If the PKK acts intelligently, if Imrali takes an initiative, if the mountain cadres are prevented from blocking the path of politics through the use of arms, then more speedy steps can be taken in the solution of the Kurdish issue, writes Congar, adding that this path can also enable the organization members to integrate into politics in the aftermath of their "descent from the mountains."

b) Referendum on constitutional amendments

Vakit columnist Ali Ihsan Karahasanoglu, in an article entitled "How about analyzing 42% no and 58% yes this way?", responds to the argument voiced by critics of the constitutional amendment package that the voters who supported the package represent poorly-educated, low income groups while those who voted against the package are a generally well-educated section that enjoys a high standard of living. Pointing out that such "generalizations" are wrong, Karahasanoglu ironically questions the "patriotism" and honesty of citizens who voted 'no' in the referendum and wonders whether an objective study would not indicate a higher incidence of financial scams and irregularities in the coastal towns where 'no' votes are in the majority than in other regions.

In an article entitled "How will those who cannot take the 58% deal with 400 deputies following next elections?", Vakit columnist Nusret Cicek asserts that the referendum results constitute an "important public message" to the AKP urging it to form a coalition with the Felicity Party (SP) the Grand Unity Party (BBP) and "former Idealists [core Nationalist Action Party (MHP) supporters]." He asserts that the SP and BBP would take part in such a coalition if the AKP agreed to give them a quota of 35-45 seats in Parliament and that public support for such an alliance would hit 63%, corresponding to some 400 seats in Parliament.

Zaman columnist Ali Bulac, in an article entitled "The socio-economic meaning of 42%", asserts that the 58% no vote and the 42% yes vote in the referendum represent two "coalitions" consisting respectively of those who want democratization and those who define themselves in terms of their opposition to the AKP and Prime Minister Erdogan. He analyzes the composition and outlook of the voters in the "no bloc," asserting that while it is useful to categorize them as people with secularist sensibilities, Alevis, etc, such characterizations are inadequate inasmuch as they fail to get across a clear notion about their "negative common denominator: "opposition to the AKP and Recep Tayyip Erdogan that is increasingly taking the form of hatred of conservative and religious sections, religious communities, and certain newly emerging classes." He also argues that fears of a perceived threat to the secularist life style posed by the AKP's policies played a less important role than assumed in determining the voting behaviour of citizens opposed to the reform package.

c) Presidential system / CHP as alternative to AKP

A report in Milliyet details interviews with various politicians on the future of Turkey. Burhan Kuzu, chairman of the Assembly Constitutional Committee, comments on the possibility of a presidential or a semi-presidential system in the country, but dismisses claims that the rule of sultanate will be reinstated. Prof Sencer Ayata, head of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Cultural Platform, argues that the CHP represents the middle class in Turkey and that it is a serious alternative to the AKP. CHP spokesman Hakki Suha Okay agrees with Ayata that under Kilicdaroglu's leadership the CHP has become a serious alternative to the AKP, adding that the party goal is to attain 40% of the votes, a goal which he believes the CHP is very close to.

In an article in Hurriyet Daily News, Yusuf Kanli views the possibility of a presidential system in the country, adding that almost all constitutional experts "are sceptical of Turkey, a country with a long imperial history and a tradition of worshiping power, moving on to a presidential governance, fearing that sooner or later the country might land into an elected dictatorship."

d) President Gul's interview

In an article in Cumhuriyet, commenting on the interview President Gul granted to Turkish journalists during his New York visit, Cuneyt Arcayurek cynically points out that at long last there is someone at the Cankaya Mansion who has learned to talk like an impartial President. Analyzing his remarks on a presidential system in the country, Arcayurek wonders whether the President is actually tying to convey his concerns that Erdogan might aspire for a sultanate. Referring to Gul's praise for CHP leader Kilicdaroglu's contacts with EU officials in Brussels, Arcayurek again wonders whether what he appreciates about Kilicdaroglu's contacts is the CHP leader's inability to inform the EU officials that currently there are 47 journalists who are being detained without any legal ground. Referring to Gul's moderate messages regarding the Kurdish demands, Arcayurek sarcastically notes that the journalists were unable to hear the views of Gul on the talks being conducted with Ocalan and the timetable being prepared.

e) Bahceli's claims on two-party system

In an article in Vatan, Rusen Cakir assesses the claims made by Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli to the effect that there are attempts to liquidate parties in a bid to establish a two-party system and that certain media establishments, journalists, certain communities and especially the Fethullah Gulen Community, and even the CHP are, knowingly or unknowingly, involved in this project. Conceding that there are certain focal points that want to diminish the influence of the idealist movement, Cakir disagrees with the view that the CHP is, knowingly or unknowingly, involved in this project. Cakir further notes that to think that the MHP and indirectly the idealist movement can be liquidated through outside interference is delusional. Noting that Bahceli and the other MHP administrators are exaggerating the number of persons who wish to cause the MHP to fail, Cakir writes that such as stand can only contribute to the propaganda that "everyone is against us," but is not beneficial.

f) Religious service at Aght'amar Church / Turkish-Armenian relations

Semih Idiz in an article in Milliyet writes, "We do not know whether the government attained its goal by opening the Surp Hac Church on the island of Aght'amar in Van for a one-time religious service because many Diaspora Armenians did not attend the service following the controversy over the cross that could not be erected on top of the church's dome." Idiz describes as "half a gesture" the opening the church for a religious service after an interval of 95 years while failing to take the necessary steps regarding the cross, adding that, despite the poor attendance this service was able to build certain bridges between the Turks and the Armenians. Noting that some Armenians who arrived from Armenia to attend the service expressed a wish to conduct business in the region, Idiz describes this as a small miracle. In conclusion, the writer urges the government to erect the cross, which he believes is an inseparable part of the church, in its rightful place and to thus contribute not only to Turkish-Armenian relations but also to Turkey's prestige in the outside world.

In an article entitled "Sumela and then Akdamar: What's next?", Today's Zaman Editor-in-Chief Bulent Kenes hails the Government's reopening of the Sumela Monastery in Trabzon and the Akdamar Church in Van as "heart-warming steps toward normalization."

In an article entitled "Fear of the Cross: The nationalist within", Today's Zaman columnist Orhan Kemal Cengiz asserts that while the ruling AKP deserves praise for having the Armenian Akdamar Church in Van renovated, it has "also self-sabotaged what it has done" by re-opening the church as a museum and not giving it to the Armenian Patriarchate, "to which it historically and traditionally belongs." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

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