Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 11-07-13

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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] Statements by Eroglu on his way to Brussels

[02] Turkish Cypriot daily wonders if the deadly explosion at Mari will affect the Cyprus talks

[03] Unal said: "We expect a solution in Cyprus"

[04] Cakici asks the resignation of the so-called government

[05] Trade Unions' Platform asks the closure of Turkey's "Aid Committee"

[06] A new "GAU campus" to be constructed in occupied Rizokarpasso

[07] Bozer met with Chinese businessmen

[08] Kumarcilar Hani in occupied Lefkosia to be restored

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[09] Ertug: "Although not official, we have an actual calendar now and that is October 2011"

[10] EU Commissioner Fule holds contacts in Turkey; Cyprus among the issues discussed

[11] Former European Parliamentarian comments on Fule's visit to Turkey

[12] Columnist in Milliyet supports that Erdogan should sent the message that Turkey will give electricity to the Greek Cypriots

[13] "Cyprus -- the UN puts its foot down"

[14] "A new chapter: Cyprus"

[15] Libya Contact Group to meet in Istanbul

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS

[01] Statements by Eroglu on his way to Brussels

Eroglu, speaking before his departure from the occupied airport of Tymvou, said that he will discuss the outcome of the Geneva meeting with EU officials as well as the views and expectations of the Turkish Cypriot side regarding the lifting of the "isolation" imposed on the Turkish Cypriots.

Eroglu will meet with the President of the EU Parliament Jerzy Buzek tomorrow morning and with the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso in the same day. Eroglu said that he will also meet with the European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule on Thursday, adding that he is in a continuous dialog with Fule and they talk over the phone very often.

Commenting on Talat's statements that he may sabotage the Cyprus talks, Eroglu said that he is surprised because Talat's statements were made after the Geneva meeting, during a positive period.

Moreover, Eroglu, before his departure from Istanbul's Ataturk airport to Brussels, reiterated that October is an important month for the Cyprus talks, adding that the two leaders are set to launch an intensified round in their UN-brokered settlement talks to work out some hard-to-solve issues till next October that might facilitate an agreement. He also said: "We can say that October is some kind of a deadline that would help the UN chief decide whether he could continue as a mediator. October will be a critical month which would show if there would be any settlement."

[02] Turkish Cypriot daily wonders if the deadly explosion at Mari will affect the Cyprus talks

Citing diplomatic sources, Haberdar reports that the Greek Cypriot side, which has been against of determining a timetable, in order not to implement the timetable of the intense negotiation will use as a pretext the heavy economic losses and the negative atmosphere, which was created in the Greek Cypriot side as a result of the deadly explosion at the Naval Base in Mari.

[03] Unal said: "We expect a solution in Cyprus"

[04] Cakici asks the resignation of the so-called government

Cakici explained that the movement of social existence is against the rule of UBP and that they are determined to overthrow UBP until 30 September.

[05] Trade Unions' Platform asks the closure of Turkey's "Aid Committee"

[06] A new "GAU campus" to be constructed in occupied Rizokarpasso

According to the paper, the protocol was signed by "prime minister" Irsen Kucuk, the so-called minister of interior and local administration Nazim Cavusoglu, the so-called minister of finance Ersin Tatar, the so-called minister of national education, youth and sports Kemal Durust and the chairman of the administration board of illegal GAU Serhat Akpinar. During the signing ceremony, the "mayor" of occupied Rizokarpasso Mehmet Demirci also participated.

As the paper writes, the construction of the illegal GAU campus is expected to be erected in three years.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Kucuk, inter alia, said that with the construction of "GAU campus" in Rizokarpasso, not only the economy of the "country", but also the education of the "country" will further develop.

Also speaking, Cavusoglu characterized as a vital project the building of a "GAU campus" in occupied Rizokarpasso and thanked all involved for their work to implement the project.

In his speech, Tatar said that he is pleased from the fact that the "government" is supporting this kind of projects and expressed the belief that with the implementation of the project, a greater number of students will be attracted in the areas of occupied Karpassia and Trikomo.

(AK)

[07] Bozer met with Chinese businessmen

In his statements during the meeting, Bozer expressed pleasure for meeting the Chinese delegation under the umbrella of the "assembly" and said that it is the biggest desire of the Turkish Cypriots to become integrated with the world in all fields: political, social, trade and economic. Bozer said that although there are political problems in the "TRNC", it is a good "country" for investments.

Also speaking, Hasan Ozbafli, businessman and organizer of the Chinese delegation illegal visit to the island said that the Chinese delegation is in the island in order to carry out contacts in the fields of investments and on the issue of bringing tourists and students to the "TRNC", with emphasis on tourism sector, constructions and green power issues.

In his statements also, Henry Qin, chairman of Melongda Group said that they have realized that they are not ready to make investments in the "TRNC" on the green power field adding that, however, they are in the latest stage for bringing tourists from China.

Qin further referred to the problems experienced with Turkey with visa requirements and asked for these problems to be solved so that they will be able to cross over to the "TRNC" through Turkey.

(AK)

[08] Kumarcilar Hani in occupied Lefkosia to be restored

As the paper writes, the Kumarcilar Hani was rented to the so-called ministry for 12 years and it will be restored with sources by Turkey's "Aid Delegation".

Irsen Kucuk, so-called prime minister was among the participants at the signing ceremony writes the paper. Speaking during the ceremony, Kucuk underlined the historical importance of the Kumarcilar Hani and thanked Turkey for the help it will provide for the restoration of the Hani.

Also speaking, Ustel thanked also Turkey's "Aid Delegation" for the economic sources it will provide for the restoration and said that the restoration works will be concluded in 2013.

(AK)

[B] TURKISH PRESS

[09] Ertug: "Although not official, we have an actual calendar now and that is October 2011"

In an exclusive interview with AA, Ertug has said that parties initiated a move at the latest tripartite summit in Geneva to conclude the "Cyprus conflict". Ertug said that the "parties have pushed the button to end the Cyprus issue" during the July 7 summit, adding that by late 2011 or early 2012, it constitute realistic targets for a settlement in the island, however, any date after 2012 would not be that realistic.

He said that there were six main chapters discussed during the Cyprus peace talks, but none of these chapters are yet closed and there were still several topics that had never been opened to discussion. Noting that the negotiation process would be intensified after the Geneva summit, Ertug said: "Although not official, we have an actual calendar now and that is October 2011."

Reiterating the UN head's call to the parties to intensify talks and try to agree on main issues until the October gathering in New York, Ertug said that the Turkish Cypriot party would do its best to actualize such suggestion. He said, at the upcoming meeting, the UN Secretary-General would have to make a decision on whether or not the ongoing process would lead to any results and report the situation to the UN Security Council.

Eroglu also said that, unless the "conflict" is resolved until the first months of 2012, the Greek Cypriot party would become more uncompromising and inflexible due to its upcoming presidency of the European Union. "Therefore, expectations for the period after the first quarter of 2012 are not realistic. If anything can be done to resolve this matter, it should be done within this period," he noted.

In addition, according to illegal Bayrak (12.07.11), Ertug has announced that the Turkish Cypriot side is ready to enter a process of give-and-take as talks intensify in the coming months. "We need to bring the process to a stage where we can see whether or not a solution is possible before we head off to New York," Ertug told AA.

Ertug also alleged that the EU, as well as the international community, have a responsibility towards pressuring the Greek Cypriot Side to adopt a more flexible stance at the talks.

[10] EU Commissioner Fule holds contacts in Turkey; Cyprus among the issues discussed

Speaking at a dinner hosted by European Union Affairs Minister Egemen Bagis on Tuesday, Fule said he and Commission members are determined to do their best for Turkey's membership negotiations, adding that the process has started again. "Your Government has done much work to bring Turkey closer to the European Union," Fule said.

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy chairman and Adana Deputy Omer Celik, AKP Istanbul Deputy Volkan Bozkir and Ankara representative for the EU Marc Pierini participated in the dinner.

In his speech during the dinner, Bagis said that it is now time, after the June 12 elections that brought the ruling party to office for the third time, to realize the expectations of the people regarding Turkey's EU aspirations. He said integration with the EU is a very important part of the Government's policy and that Turkey will work on it.

In addition, Fule also met with the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu earlier on Tuesday. The TOBB Chairman told reporters after the meeting that he was pleased with the content of the meeting and that he expressed to the EU Commissioner that there is a need to speed up Turkey's EU accession process. "We also stated that we will support Turkey's reform efforts in this process. At the same time, we also stressed that the necessity to speed up negotiations and that the EU remains loyal to its promises," Hisarciklioglu said.

Furthermore, Ankara Anatolia news agency (12.07.11) reports that EU Commissioner Fule paid also a visit to the Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON) in Istanbul. In a written statement released after the meeting, TUSKON said that they and Fule discussed what had to be done in Turkey following the general elections of June 12 and the developments pertaining to Turkey's agenda. Speaking while meeting with Fule, the Chairperson of TUSKON, Rizanur Meral, said that the Turkish business world would continue to contribute to Turkey's EU process actively.

In the framework of his meetings with the Turkish business world, Fule paid a visit to the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD). During their meeting, Fule and the President of the TUSIAD Board of Directors Umit Boyner, discussed steps to be taken to speed up Turkey's EU negotiation process. During the meeting, Boyner, inter alia, noted that a solution in Cyprus is important both for the progress of Turkey's EU process and for the ending of the "economic isolation imposed on the people of the TRNC". Adding that she is hopeful that the negotiation process will be concluded by the end of the year --something targeted by the UN--, she referred on the importance of EU working together with the UN in this process.

[11] Former European Parliamentarian comments on Fule's visit to Turkey

"Let me start with a warning. Some people should probably not read this article because it totally goes against their opinions. Firstly, there are those who believe that Turkey's EU accession is now history.

Some were never in favour of Turkey joining the world's biggest economic bloc in the first place, while others who thought that it would be a good idea seven years ago have now given up on it. According to them, the EU has shown that deep down they do not want Turkey in, and in the meantime, Turkey has proven that it can prosper without the EU. The second category of potential readers who might want to skip this column comprise those who think that all of the problems between Turkey and the EU arise from hypocrisy and double standards on the part of the Europeans. They believe Turkey should in no way be blamed for the stalemate in the negotiations.

Let me continue in the hope that there are still some interested persons left.

These days, Stefan Fule, the European Commissioner responsible for EU Enlargement, is in Turkey to discuss with Turkish civil society organizations and the Government the best ways to revitalize Turkey's accession negotiations. My prediction is that these talks will focus on two issues: Cyprus and visas. On both topics, the EU representative will call on Turkey to develop a common policy that would benefit both Turkey and the EU.

On Cyprus, we have seen a new wave of enthusiasm over the last couple of days, even among sceptics who thought that the Cyprus problem would never be solved. This optimism is based on the talks that took place in Geneva last week in which United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented a plan for the completion of the talks between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots in October of this year. Many had given up hope that these negotiations would produce anything close to a solution. The UN chief has now made clear that he is not willing to accept failure or an endless dragging on. The two sides seem to realize that they will have to deliver results this year or otherwise be faced with, for instance, a withdrawal of UN troops that would make the Greek Cypriots feel extremely uncomfortable. Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu shared in the optimism and expressed his hopes for a referendum in the spring of 2012 that, when the outcome is positive on both sides, would allow for the reunification of the island before July 2012, when Cyprus will take over the EU rotating presidency. It would be even better if, in his talks with Fule, Davutoglu would confirm the speculation that Turkey is willing to open one or two of its ports to Greek Cypriot ships for a limited period of time. It would be a clever move to unblock the relations with the EU on this point and put the ball in the court of the EU and the Greek Cypriots. I am sure the symbolic gesture would be welcomed by Fule, who knows very well that patience in Brussels with the obstructionist attitude of Nicosia is running out.

On the visa issue, the commissioner is squeezed between the uncompromising attitude of some EU member states and the refusal of Ankara to enter into a complicated multi-step process, the only option available at the moment. The Government wants visas abolished for all Turkish citizens as the predetermined outcome of any procedure, and they want to get this outcome as soon as possible. It was understandable that Turkish politicians were taking a principled stance in the run-up to the elections, but by now they should realize that making a deal with the European Commission on a gradual liberalization of the visa regime serves the interests of Turkish businessmen, students and academics better than sticking to an all-or-nothing approach that will not help any Turk and only plays into the hands of hard-liners in Europe.

The vote for change on June 12 has created a window of opportunity for both the new Government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the EU to show that they are still committed to Turkey obtaining full membership in the EU. They can show their willingness by coming up with creative proposals and entering into compromises that will bring concrete benefits. Let's hope both partners are willing to demonstrate that the EU sceptics in Turkey are wrong."

[12] Columnist in Milliyet supports that Erdogan should sent the message that Turkey will give electricity to the Greek Cypriots

Describing the incidents, Kohen underlines the fact that the Greek Cypriots have real energy needs and supports that Turkey which is very well known how well it can act in similar cases, should exert efforts to provide help to the Greek Cypriots. Saying that this is a humanitarian duty, Kohen underlines that if Turkey provides help to the Greek Cypriots it would be the best way to affect the hostility that exists between Turkey and the Greek Cypriots. It is also a great opportunity supports Kohen to turn the feelings of the Greek Cypriot public opinion to positive.

?Kohen continues and writes that it is high time for the project, which was postponed, to bring electricity to the island from Turkey through undersea cables in order to cover the needs of the Turkish Cypriots in electricity, to come again into the agenda.

Kohen concludes and says: "Prime Minister Erdogan is coming to the TRNC on July 19 for the celebrations of the anniversary of the 1974 Turkish operation. His consultants are investigating for a long period now what will be the better message that he will sent to the Greek Cypriots during his speech in Lefkosia. The better message is instead of a message to give electricity".

(AK)

[13] "Cyprus -- the UN puts its foot down"

"After three years of meandering talks, last week in Geneva United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon finally got tough with the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities --Demetris Christofias and Dervis Eroglu-- informing them that they have until October to reach a breakthrough in negotiations to reunite Cyprus.

While Turkish Cypriots have always favoured a structured timeframe for talks, Greek Cypriots have not and up until this point, they have always managed to persuade the UN against setting deadlines. However, the international community is becoming increasingly fed up with the Cyprus problem and the monkey business (almost negotiating just for the sake of negotiating) played out by the two leaders. Therefore, this time Mr. Ban stood by his ground and a timeframe was imposed.

The fact is, hardly any international negotiations are ever successful without deadlines because having no structure allows parties to get away with doing very little, which has definitely been the case with Cyprus if you consider that during the last three years practically nothing has been achieved on core issues. Most of the time has been spent discussing easier topics --with the possible exception of governance. Therefore, both leaders returned to the island having agreed to the timeframe, committing to speed up talks as well as allowing the UN to play a larger mediation role, which will include the submission of bridging proposals.

From this weekend, the two leaders will begin to tackle more thorny issues, such as settlers, property, etc., issues where both sides have spoken about red lines or presented maximalist goals. However, Mr. Ban seems convinced that they can be successful, stating that he has 'every expectation that by October the leaders will be able to report that they have reached convergence on all core issues'.

Rather unexpectedly, we have already witnessed some of this long missing 'readiness to compromise' attitude in Geneva, with Turkish Cypriots making a considerable shift from their earlier position and proposing opening discussions on territorial aspects --provided territorial adjustments are finalized on maps at the very last stage of the talks.

At the same time, the Greek Cypriot side agreed that in the new federation the principle of bi-zonality and bi-communality should be reflected in the demography and land ownership of the two constituent states. Indeed one may say that the Geneva summit itself has already produced a revolutionary breakthrough, which has produced an unprecedented optimism that there might finally be a Cyprus deal, something which most analysts, including myself, had almost given up on.

If the October meeting, which will take place in New York, delivers the desired breakthrough, Mr. Ban plans to give a positive report to the UN Security Council. This should pave the way for the convening of an international conference which would bring together the two sides and the three guarantor states ?Turkey, the UK and Greece-- as well as the EU and the Security Council's five Permanent Members as non-observers in order to discuss the security aspects of the settlement.

At the same time, Turkey has also strongly supported the actions of Mr. Ban. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced during a recent visit to the north of Cyprus that it was obvious that open-ended talks were leading nowhere and that Turkey expected and hoped that a comprehensive settlement would be found to the Cyprus problem by the year's end, with a referendum taking place at the beginning of 2012, meaning that a united Cyprus would take over the EU presidency in July 2012. The resolution of the Cyprus problem would give new life into Ankara's accession talks with the EU, which are currently stalled, as well as resolve a whole host of other issues, including EU-NATO relations.

If they are to be victorious, both sides will need to demonstrate strong political will and international political realism, which will not be easy with strong nationalist forces on both sides. In particular, Christofias will have to defy the powerful Church, which is dead-set against a bi-communal, bi-federal solution. Of course, agreement does not guarantee a 'yes' vote in a referendum but at least this time both leaders should strongly support what they have agreed to, with no tearful pleas to vote "no" on national TV, which was the case with the 2004 Annan Plan for Cyprus and former Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos. Both sides need to quickly start preparing their communities for the compromises that will need to be made. This will not be an easy task either because maximalist goals have been kept on the table for a long time. Moreover, the Cyprus problem has become a massive industry in Cyprus, with many people benefiting from it.

It seems that this round of talks has entered the end game. Success will bring dividends to the entire region. However, if a breakthrough fails to materialize it could mean the UN will give up and close its office down on the island, leaving the two sides to get on with it by themselves."

[14] "A new chapter: Cyprus"

"Following the third electoral victory of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Cabinet was reshaped with several basic goals. The first is to increase the innovative and productive capacity of Turkey to have it promoted to the list of developed countries; the other is to enhance relations with the European Union with the aim of gaining possible membership in due course.

Achieving both goals is connected with the solution of the so-called "Cyprus problem", which has become a burden on Turkey in diplomatic, political and economic terms. Two pieces of news on the Cyprus issue surfaced in the papers recently. One came from the UN (reported by the Greek newspaper Fileleftheros), which said that they expected a resolution by December; otherwise that they would consider redeploying the UN military forces elsewhere because both sides would have proved they have no intention of reconciling.

The other news is the positive attitude that came out of the tripartite talks which took place in Geneva on July 7. However, we are still far from reaching an agreement on issues of land and population, let alone engaging in talks on sharing sovereignty. The Greek Cypriot side insists on having a sovereign unitary state, whereas the Turkish Cypriot side would prefer a Swiss-like resolution where sovereignty of their own is recognized. So, there is still a long way to go. However, the Government program that was announced by the Turkish Prime Minister last week demonstrates a genuine desire to get the Cyprus issue out of the way.

Having stated these facts, one can say that resolving the Turkish-Greek disagreement will not end problems on Cyprus. There may be a deeper problem to deal with concerning the Turks themselves. The problem lies between the 'Cyprus Turks' and 'Turkish Cypriots'. The term Cyprus Turks emphasizes a deep-rooted affiliation with the territory that is lived in, namely the island. This affiliation has shaped a communal identity and a culture. Turkish Cypriots are generally people who have migrated from Turkey in recent decades and are looked upon by Turkey as an extension of the mainland population. The latter's perception is very much under the influence of Turkish nationalism, and they do not have the same culture and history as the Cyprus Turks.

Both this group and the mainland Turkish view of Cyprus Turks is that they are neither Turkish nor Muslim enough. The claim that 'we [mainland Turks] delivered them from Greek annihilation' has led to a kind of degradation that has soured the feelings of Cyprus Turks and alienated them from the "other Turks" on the island to a great extent. With a heavy dose of mainland Turkish bureaucratic and military presence that dominate almost all state activities, Cyprus Turks feel that they have no say over their lives and the affairs of their community. This feeling of relative disempowerment further alienates them and is driving a wedge between them and other Turks.

The problem stems not only from the presence (or better, dominance) of the Turkish mainland, but from the fact that they have taken over the decision-making process and have reduced the Cyprus Turks to the status of ethnic brethren under protection. The dilemma is whether this would be the same if the Greek presence and domination had survived. But this is beside the point; how domination is affecting the psyche of the Cyprus Turks is what is important here. They complain about being strangers in their own 'country' that they feel to be no longer theirs.

As long as the mainland Turks who have settled on the island and the mainland administration feel that they are the saviours of the Cyprus Turks and consequently that they have every right to run the events and lives of the original islanders, the rift and prejudices that have come about will not subside. What is ironic is that part of the Cyprus Turks have begun to identify with the Greek side, sending their children to Greek Cypriot schools and seeking employment in the southern side of the island.

Hence, there is an identity crisis among the Turks of Cyprus, and that is another --perhaps equally important-- question to be addressed besides the Turkish-Greek reconciliation that seems to have picked up momentum."

[15] Libya Contact Group to meet in Istanbul

Australia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Britain, Malta, Morocco, the Netherlands, Poland as well as the United Arab Emirates and the United States will participate in the meeting, sending their Foreign Ministers, Selcuk Unal, spokesman of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, has said. Heads of the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, NATO and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will also join the meeting, Unal told reporters in a weekly press briefing on Tuesday.

Unal said that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would stay in Turkey after the contact group meeting for a long-expected bilateral working visit, which he said had been postponed due to the political turmoil in the Middle East. The Turkish spokesman said that Russia and China were also invited to the Istanbul meeting as Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

/EI

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