Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 12-10-12

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

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] A Minister of the occupying power in Cyprus accuses his country's victims of being supporters of the status quo

[02] A so-called minister of Turkey's puppet regime in Cyprus describes the Republic of Cyprus as "half state"

[03] Russian President Putin due in Turkey on December 3; Turkey summoned the Russian ambassador to Turkey

[04] Syrian plane incident caused tension on Turkish-Russian ties; Analysts comments on the incident and on the effects on Turkey's ties with Russia

[05] Ankara sends diplomatic note to Damascus over the plane cargo

[06] Turkey denies reports of US troops on Turkey's borders with Syria

[07] Turkey's Parliament approved motion for the extension of the mandate to target PKK in northern Iraq

[08] Turkey's Energy Minister on Turkey's plans to build nuclear power plants; he said that UAE eyes Turkish nuke tender

[09] Allegations by Turkish daily Milliyet that France is to show a more constructive stance towards Turkey's EU membership after the Republic of Cyprus' EU presidency

[10] Direct flights have reportedly started between Tehran and illegal Tymvou airport

[11] Groundbreaking ceremony for the water transfer from Turkey to be held tomorrow in Anamur

[12] UBP celebrated the 37th anniversary of its establishment

[13] Kasif says UBP's natural leader is Dervis Eroglu

[14] Eroglu: "Sport embargoes is a racist discrimination"

[15] Turkish Cypriot union of rental vehicles managers" is organizing a demonstration in the Agios Dometios barricade

[16] Survey shows AKP to continue being the most popular party in Turkey

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] A Minister of the occupying power in Cyprus accuses his country's victims of being supporters of the status quo

During a press conference at his office yesterday, Bagis commented on "Turkey's 2012 Progress Report" announced by the European Union (EU) and alleged that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side have clearly exhibited a pro-solution stance. He claimed: "Greek Cypriot side's spoiled and pro-status quo behaviors are the main obstacle in front of the solution. Those who disregard these spoiled behaviors of the Greek Cypriots are clearly positioning themselves by the side of the non-solution on the island".

Bagis said that during his illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus next Monday, he would make important statements and added: "However, I want once more to stress that we could accept in absolutely no way especially a half-state in Cyprus to follow a policy over Turkey by using its so-called term presidency".

Meanwhile, Havadis reports also that the self-styled ministry of foreign affairs of the regime, announced yesterday the program of Bagis' illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus. Bagis is expected to arrive on Sunday at 19.45 hours and on Monday he will meet with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Dervis Eroglu, the self-styled speaker of the illegal assembly, Hasan Bozer, the self-styled prime minister, Irsen Kucuk and the so-called foreign minister, Huseyin Ozgrugun. He will also give a lecture at illegal European University of Lefka under the title "Fatin Rustu Zorlu, EU and Cyprus". He will depart from the occupied area of Cyprus on Monday at 20.30 hours.

(I/Ts.)

[02] A so-called minister of Turkey's puppet regime in Cyprus describes the Republic of Cyprus as "half state"

Commenting yesterday on the report, Ozgurgun alleged that distorting the realities so much, with the aim of pleasing the "half state" of the "Greek Administration of South Cyprus", as he called the Republic of Cyprus, which is holding the EU term presidency at the moment, "constitutes a great contradiction" to the universal values that the Union supports and promotes.

Ozgurgun claimed that if the EU wanted to sincerely contribute to the solution in the light of the "realities" in Cyprus, it should fulfil the promises given to the Turkish Cypriots and end their so-called isolation in the direction of the Council's Decision of 26 April 2004.

Ozgurgun alleged that comparing to the previous years, this year's report included harder criticism against the Turkish side and argued that this report could have been prepared by representatives of the Cypriot term presidency of the Union.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Russian President Putin due in Turkey on December 3; Turkey summoned the Russian ambassador to Turkey

The statement said Putin and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone on Monday and that the visit was delayed upon Putin's request until December 3.

Putin is set to visit Turkey for a meeting of the Turkey-Russia High Level Cooperation Council, which was established in 2010.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that "the postponement of the Russian president's visit to Turkey has no connection with 'any crisis," referring to the disagreement between the two countries on the Syrian conflict. "The postponement of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Turkey has nothing to do with any crisis. The visit will take place in the weeks to come," Davutoglu said late on Wednesday.

The Prime Ministry's announcement comes one day after the interception of a Syrian passenger plane which was forced to land in the Turkish capital on suspicions of carrying weapons and military equipment.

(?).

Moscow on Thursday accused Ankara of endangering Russian lives by intercepting the plane, which Russia's arms exports agency said was not carrying any of its cargo.

Also, Hurriyet Daily News (12.10.12) reports that Russia slammed Ankara, demanding that Turkey explain its interception of the Syrian plane flying from Moscow and saying that Ankara had put the lives of passengers at risk. Russia's Foreign Ministry also listed a number of what it saw as serious shortcomings by the Turkish authorities in their handling of the incident. "The Turkish side did not inform the Russian embassy in Ankara that there were Russian citizens among the detained plane's passengers," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "We found out about this from news websites. The embassy demanded the Turkish authorities allow access to Russian citizens. Consulate employees and a doctor were sent to the airport. However, Turkish authorities denied the diplomats a meeting with our compatriots, without an explanation," the statement said.

Amid Russia's accusations, Turkey summoned Russian ambassador to Turkey, Vladimir Ivanovsky to the Foreign Ministry yesterday to brief him about the incident. In the meantime, Turkey's ambassador in Moscow also visited the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Turkish and Russian diplomats exchanged views on the plane incident and agreed that they disagree on the Syria issue, but are firm on keeping this issue separate from Turkey-Russia relations.

(?)

[04] Syrian plane incident caused tension on Turkish-Russian ties; Analysts comments on the incident and on the effects on Turkey's ties with Russia

"Turkish-Russian relations, which have been developing over the last 10 years, have entered a tense period because of the Arab Spring, especially due to the escalating Syrian crisis.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has delayed a trip to Turkey. Although the reason given was Putin's busy schedule, it is clear that it is because of the Syrian crisis. Diplomatic sources close to the Kremlin said Moscow is waiting for November 6, the date of the presidential election in the US. In June, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a visit to Moscow where he made an offer concerning a solution to the Syrian crisis, and Putin is reported to have subsequently considered the initiative. However, due to the uncertainty over who will be elected as President in Washington, taking concrete steps on the Syrian crisis during discussions with Turkey is impossible, which led the postponement of the official visit.

During all these developments, a Syrian aircraft that had departed Moscow was forced to land at the airport in Ankara on Wednesday, increasing tension in the region. During the first jet crisis in which a Turkish jet was downed in late June in international waters by Syrian forces with the alleged cooperation of a Russian naval base, Moscow kept its silence; but the second jet crisis on Wednesday caused Moscow to react with a harsh statement. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in the statement that Turkey was jeopardizing the security of 17 Russian citizens on board, that communication between the Russian Embassy in Ankara and the Russian passengers was disrupted for eight hours and that the passengers were not given any food. Russia has demanded that Turkey give an immediate explanation and stated that it should prevent similar incidents in the future.

According to Moscow, there are no circumstances that require the transportation of military equipment in a civilian jet. Moscow would never use civilian passenger planes to export arms and weapons to Syria; if necessary, legal access by sea is already open, says a senior official of a Russian arms export company.

Talking to Today's Zaman, Gumer Isayev, head of the St. Petersburg Middle East Research Center, said there were no weapons on board, as Russian authorities pointed out, adding that determining if the communication equipment onboard was military or not is controversial. Isayev said that assessing these kinds of materials as military communications equipment is incorrect. 'Forcing the Syrian plane to land in Ankara implicitly shows that Turkey and Syria are at war. Turkey can escape unharmed only if Ankara proves that the cargo on board is non-civilian and that the Syrian passenger plane carried military communications equipment from Russia. Otherwise, Russian authorities will harshly criticize Turkey's operation carried out on the Syrian plane late Wednesday,' Isayev said, underlining that the interception of the Syrian aircraft by Turkish jets is within the interest of certain groups who are concerned by the fast-growing Russian-Turkish relations.

Andrey Yashlavski, foreign news editor at the Moskovskiy Komsomolets daily, said the recent jet crisis might seriously affect bilateral relations between Russia and Turkey, as there were also Russian passengers onboard the Syrian passenger aircraft, and it departed from Moscow. A number of experts have evaluated the recent jet crisis as an anti-Russia act, and Yashlavski stressed that Turkey has the right to provide its own security.

Leonid Ivashov, head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues, however, sharply blamed Ankara, saying that Turkey is behaving extremely aggressively against Syria in the region and that Russia has the right to retaliate against Turkish aircraft. According to Ivashov, Putin's delayed visit to Ankara is also due to Turkey's aggressive policies towards Syria".

[05] Ankara sends diplomatic note to Damascus over the plane cargo

The note was delivered to the Syrian consulate in Istanbul, on the grounds that the Syrian airliner was carrying illegal cargo in breach of the rules of civil aviation, the agency said, citing foreign ministry sources.

(?).

Investigation of the confiscated cargo was ongoing, as some parts were undergoing lab research, the NTV news channel reported, citing customs ministry officials.

The lengthy lab process points to the possibility that the cargo may contain materials that can be used in the making of bombs, NTV added.

Final results were expected to be received later Thursday, according to NTV.

[06] Turkey denies reports of US troops on Turkey's borders with Syria

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, sources denied the claim of British daily "The Times" that U.S. and French Special Forces had been at Incirlik airbase in southern Turkey for weeks.

But U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed on October 10 that Washington had reached out to Turkey on humanitarian, as well as chemical and biological weapons issues: "They're obviously concerned about the chemical and biological sites as well, so we've worked with them to do what we can to monitor that situation."

Panetta also said U.S. military planners were in Jordan to help Amman grapple with Syrian refugees, bolster its military capabilities and prepare for any trouble with Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles. "We have been working with Jordan for a period of time now ... on a number of the issues that have developed as a result of what's happened in Syria," Reuters quoted Panetta as saying in Brussels.

The defense chief said those issues included monitoring chemical weapons sites "to determine how best to respond to any concerns in that area." About 150 U.S. troops, largely army special operations forces, are working out of a military center near Amman, two senior defense officials said on condition of anonymity.

The troops have moved back and forth to the Syrian border as part of their work, which includes joint planning and intelligence gathering, one official said. A second U.S. official said the small team of planners was not engaged in covert operations and had been housed at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center, north of the capital, Amman, since the early summer. Earlier in the day, Jordan's military had denied the U.S. military was helping the kingdom. While the U.S. has not intervened militarily in Syria, President Barack Obama has warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that any attempt to deploy or use chemical or biological weapons would cross a "red line" that could provoke U.S. action.

Late last month, Panetta said Syria had moved some of its chemical weapons stocks to better secure them but added that the country's main chemical weapons sites remained intact and secure under government control.

[07] Turkey's Parliament approved motion for the extension of the mandate to target PKK in northern Iraq

The pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) was the only party that voted against the motion.

The government obtained a mandate for cross-border military operations last week from Parliament against Syria after mortar shells from Syria killed five civilians in the town of Akcakale. While defending the motion, the government said the motion was intended to serve as a deterrent.

The motion for Iraq was submitted to Parliament in October at the start of the new legislative year. Voting on it was delayed after the government put forward another motion for Syria after the Akcakale incident.

"Terrorist attacks and open threats from terrorist PKK groups sheltering in northern Iraq still continue against the Turkish nation's peace and security, and against Turkey's national unity and territorial integrity," the motion said.

The Iraqi motion was first brought to Parliament in 2007, and the mandate has since been extended four times -- in 2008, 2009, 2010 and last year. The current resolution providing the legal basis for operations expires on October 17.

The PKK has used northern Iraq as a springboard for attacks on Turkish targets in its decades-long fight for autonomy in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish south-east. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since the PKK took up arms in 1984.

Turkey has stepped up air operations on suspected PKK members in northern Iraq over the past year after an increase in PKK attacks, and the raids have fueled tensions between Ankara and Baghdad.

Almost 50,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict between the Turkish state and the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

[08] Turkey's Energy Minister on Turkey's plans to build nuclear power plants; he said that UAE eyes Turkish nuke tender

"The United Arab Emirates (UAE) could join a project to build Turkey's second nuclear power plant if South Korea is involved", Turkish Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z said yesterday at the third Turkey Energy Summit in the central Anatolian province of Kayseri.

"Officials from the United Arab Emirates said they could be a partner in the project if South Korea undertakes the building of the nuclear power plant in northern Turkey", Taner Y?ld?z was quoted as saying by Anatolia news agency.

The government plans to build three nuclear power plants within five years in hopes of preventing a possible energy shortage and reducing dependence on foreign energy supplies. Turkey struck a deal with Russia in 2010 to build the country's first power plant at Akkuyu in the southern Mersin province.

The government plans to build a second reactor in northern Turkey, near the Black Sea city of Sinop, but it has not yet announced a location for a third reactor. Ankara is negotiating with a number of countries, including South Korea, China and Japan, for the building of the second power plant.

"Of the four countries interested in the tender for the second nuclear power plant, two of them have edged forward", Y?ld?z said.

"The nuclear power plant to be built in Akkuyu will not increase Turkey's dependence on Russian energy, but on the contrary will decrease it", Y?ld?z said, according to Anatolia news agency, adding that Turkey recently signed an agreement with the UAE with regard to the generation of electric power from coal at the Afsin Elbistan coal field in southern Turkey. "Once a permanent agreement is reached, the UAE will invest $5 billion in the region, which will become the largest Arab investment in the energy field in Turkey", he said.

"Studies on the route and partnerships of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) presently continue", he said, and energy giants BP and Total may join the project. "Our politics with Russia, Iran and Syria may be different; however, cooperation in the energy field continues and is isolated from politics. The other day, when the flow of both Azerbaijani and Iranian gas was cut, after we made a request from Russia, Moscow increased the amount of gas flow 1.5 times," Y?ld?z said, replying to a question regarding the Syrian plane that was forced to land in Ankara October 11.

[09] Allegations by Turkish daily Milliyet that France is to show a more constructive stance towards Turkey's EU membership after the Republic of Cyprus' EU presidency

According to the paper, France has conveyed to Brussels that it has no intention to proceed to any steps during the term Presidency of the "Greek Cypriot side", as the Republic of Cyprus' EU term Presidency is called by the paper, which is ending on December 31, so, it is predicted that France will assume a more flexible attitude "silently, deeply and gradually" as from the first months of 2013.

Turkey's expectations for the opening of some chapters are concentrated to the period between January 1 - June 30, when Ireland will take over the EU term Presidency, whereas Turkey considers that the visit of France President Francois Hollande to Turkey, despite of the fact that this was not officially determined yet, will be decisive on Paris' stance.

The paper continues and writes that Ankara, which was waiting from France to undertake more speedy steps especially after Hollande's election to power, cling its hopes for 2013. France's most important contribution in the short run, is thought to be the lifting of the blockage towards the chapters related to the "economic and monetary policy" and the chapter of "Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments".

The paper points out however, that the fact that the 84% of the French are against Turkey's EU membership, weakens Hollande's hands. Another important factor which decelerates Paris' attitude is also the attitude of the French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, who as it is known, opposes to Turkey's EU membership.

(...).

[10] Direct flights have reportedly started between Tehran and illegal Tymvou airport

According to the paper, these flights have been carried out as a result of initiatives by Turkey towards Iran. The self-styled ministry of tourism kept secret these flights, which will be repeated within the next few days, the paper argues.

(I/Ts.)

[11] Groundbreaking ceremony for the water transfer from Turkey to be held tomorrow in Anamur

According to the paper, 75 million cubic meter of water for drinking and for plant watering purposes will be transferred via the piped from Turkey to the breakaway regime every year. The project will cost 782.5 million Turkish lira.

The paper writes that the self-styled prime minister Irsen Kucuk, the Turkish deputy minister, responsible for Cyprus Affairs Besir Atalay and the Turkish Minister of Forests and Water Affairs Veysel Eroglu are among the attendants of the ceremony.

[12] UBP celebrated the 37th anniversary of its establishment

Various party officials, among them UBP's leader and self-styled prime minister Irsen Kucuk and the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu participated in the celebrations.

Speaking during the reception, Kucuk stated that the party's aim is the 2014 general "elections" and added that they work "for the people and the country".

The paper writes that Ahmet Kasif , who is Kucuk main revival for UBP's leadership in the forthcoming UBP congress, participated in the celebrations and shook hands with Kucuk. The paper also writes that the leader of the Republican Turkish Party Ozkan Yorgancioglu participated in the reception while the leader of the Democratic Party (DP) Serdar Denktas and the leader of the Social Democracy Party (TDP) Mehmet Cakici, did not attend the event.

[13] Kasif says UBP's natural leader is Dervis Eroglu

In statements during a press conference yesterday, Kasif explained what he will do if he is elected to the post of the chairman of the UBP in the party's congress on 21 October.

Kasif argued that big problems exist within the UBP and that chaos prevails in the occupied area of Cyprus. He said that the decisions taken by the self-styled prime minister, Irsen Kucuk and 3-4 persons close to him are contradictory and added that absolutely no economic organization is satisfied with the course of things in the occupied northern part of the island.

Kasif argued that even some "ministers" of the regime are not informed about the economic program, which is of vital importance for the "country" and accused Kucuk of exerting pressures before the congress, of using the press, including illegal Bayrak television, against his opponent and of behaving with hostility even against members of his own party.

Kasif argued that they will face great difficulties in the next "elections", if they do not give the right decision in the congress.

(I/Ts.)

[14] Eroglu: "Sport embargoes is a racist discrimination"

Speaking during the meeting, Eroglu stated that those who apply sport "embargoes" to the Turkish Cypriots are committing a racial discrimination. He went on and added that the Turkish Cypriot are not guilty for anything and alleged that the embargoes are a result of the non solution of the Cyprus problem for which responsible are the Greek Cypriots. He went on and claimed that the world must revise its stance towards Turkish Cypriots on this issue and added that he is pleased that the "Turkish Cypriot sharpshooting federation" received a separate invitation to participate in the World Sharpshooting Championship.

In statements, the chairman of the "Turkish Cypriot sharpshooting federation" Arif Cankut said that the Turkish Cypriot "team" participated separately from Turkey and the "Greek Cypriot section" (as he called the Republic of Cyprus) in the Finland World Championship and added that they participated using the "TRNC flag".

[15] Turkish Cypriot union of rental vehicles managers" is organizing a demonstration in the Agios Dometios barricade

According to the paper, the damages were intensified after the arrest of the Greek Cypriot policemen last week. The Union alleges that the police of the Republic is giving fines to the Turkish Cypriot drivers even if they do not commit any traffic offence. It also alleges that the damages towards trade vehicles were also increased.

[16] Survey shows AKP to continue being the most popular party in Turkey

In addition, in case local elections were taking place in Turkey, AKP would receive 51.6%, CHP 27.2%, MHP 11.3% and BDP 7.3%.

Moreover, 59.5% of the persons participated in the poll stated that if there was a presidential system in Turkey, they would like to see Tayyip Erdogan as president.

The opinion poll was conducted between 19 September?4 October, in 17 provinces of Turkey with a sample of 2100 persons. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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