Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 14-12-02

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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] Bozk?r to visit the breakaway regime tomorrow

[02] Koenig: Time is not working in favor of those who want solution in Cyprus

[03] Lidington: The benefits of the solution in Cyprus are 20 billion euro

[04] Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers met in Ankara

[05] Putin declares gas discount for Turkey, scraps South Stream

[06] Turkey clears way for first nuclear Akkuyu power plant

[07] Turkish columnist writes that Erdogan and Putin's unpopularity in the West makes them natural allies

[08] Change in the military service in the occupied area of Cyprus

[09] "Turks Abroad and Related Communities Association" held contact in the breakaway regime

[10] PACE delegation continued its contacts in Israel

[11] The 2015 "budget" for the "TRNC representative offices"

[12] The German Ambassador in Cyprus visited the occupied municipality of Famagusta

[13] Officials from CFA and "KTFF" met yesterday

[14] Bozkir announced Turkey's second phase of EU Plan

[15] Turkey undertakes G20 presidency

[16] "Will Erdogan's gaffes harm him?"

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Bozk?r to visit the breakaway regime tomorrow

Bozk?r will be holding meetings with "officials" as well as representatives of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

According to information released by the Turkish Ministry for EU Affairs, Bozk?r will meet with the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, the "speaker of the assembly" Sibel Siber and "prime minister" Ozkan Yorganc?oglu.

Bozk?r will also meet with "foreign minister" Ozdil Nami. The Turkish EU Affairs minister's visit will focus on the Cyprus problem as well as Turkey's EU membership process.

[02] Koenig: Time is not working in favor of those who want solution in Cyprus

Koenig expressed the hope that the negotiations will resume in the beginning of 2015 the latest, noting that they desire very much the resumption of the talks, but the tension in the area must be reduced in order for this to happen. "Therefore, we are working very closely with the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide and we are supporting his efforts on the issue of creating the conditions for the resumption of the talks", he added.

Asked how the "elections" in the occupied area of Cyprus will influence the negotiations, in case the process resumes, Koenig noted that he could say only what the Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu had told him on Friday, a while after announcing his "candidature". He noted that Eroglu told him that until the beginning of the "official election campaign" and even after this campaign begins, he intends to dedicate himself to the continuation of the negotiations. "Therefore, he is aiming at doing whatever he can for the continuation of the negotiations during the first period of 2015", he argued.

Responding to a question regarding the stage at which the efforts for promoting confidence building measures and especially the issue of the occupied fenced off city of Varosha has come, Koenig described as "very valuable" the view that courageous steps should be taken in the direction of changing the climate in Cyprus and of building confidence in both communities that this negotiating process is different than other processes and that it is effective. He noted that such steps are very useful from the point of view of creating models of cooperation for the future of Cyprus and not at the stage of implementing an agreement. "From our point of view Varosha or other confidence building measures have never been elements substituting the efforts for the solution", he said adding that the main idea here was to create processes that support and reinforce each other.

Koenig pointed out that, in this sense, bi-communal contacts or contacts between civilian organizations, businessmen, technical committees or the religious dialogue, are very important, especially in a period during which the negotiations are suspended.

Replying to a question on the hydrocarbons issue, he expressed the belief that this issue could be a catalyzer for the solution and added that the sides should see hydrocarbons as an opportunity for the solution and discuss the issue "more focused on cooperation, in a more creative manner and with a stronger vision".

Koenig noted that in case of a solution, Cyprus will become a stronger partner for the USA, the relations between Turkey and Greece will be normalized and a stronger bond will be created between NATO and the EU. "Therefore, there is not only one reason but much more for us and the area for having a solution in Cyprus", he said.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Lidington: The benefits of the solution in Cyprus are 20 billion euro

The paper writes that Lidignton has invited to London the Chairman of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KEVE), Phidias Pilides and the Chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO), Fikri Toros. He noted that a united Cyprus will create opportunities of prosperity for the whole island and added that the work of both chambers would be helpful for the world understanding the economic benefits of the solution. Lidington said that he expects Toros and Pilides to London soon and added that the two chambers have been for years working together on cooperating in the economic field, something which supports the efforts for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers met in Ankara

The two Foreign Ministers discussed the shape of the economic agreement expected to be signed during the council meeting. They also spoke about the possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit at the G20 Summit in 2015 in Turkey, and administrative issues of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.

Lavrov and Cavusoglu also discussed regional issues, including Syria, Iraq, Ukraine and Cyprus. They exchanged views over how to stop the war in Syria and resolve the massive Syrian refugee crisis. Turkey also conveyed that it would not recognize the annexation of Crimea, the sources said. The Russian side also said they would keep a positive attitude for uninterrupted negotiations over the Cyprus problem.

[05] Putin declares gas discount for Turkey, scraps South Stream

Led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin and with senior officials from both sides, the lengthy Turkey-Russia High-Level Cooperation Council meeting produced key agreements in the fields of energy, banking, industry, nuclear energy training, justice and trade, in line with both side's intention to strengthen and diversify economic ties.

"This visit of Putin is a clear sign of the progress of the relations between Turkey and Russia," Erdogan said in a joint press conference on Dec. 1. "Our political will to increase our trade volume to $100 billion is still valid."

He added that they had studied in detail the pace of works for the $20 billion Akkuyu nuclear plant investment in a bid to speed up the accomplishment of the project. The two presidents also discussed the ongoing natural gas deal between the two countries, as Turkey is the second largest market for Russia.

For his part, Putin touched on Turkey's position as Russia's second top trading partner after Germany. "Regarding our energy cooperation with our Turkish partners, we will make a six percent discount from January 1," he said.

Meanwhile, Putin warned that the project to build the South Stream Offshore Pipeline, which was already approved by Turkey as a transit country, could be cancelled if Bulgaria keeps failing to give the final approval.

Moscow later could build a new link and possibly work with Turkey on creating a gas hub on the border with Greece, Putin said. He argued that the EU's opposition to the South Stream pipeline - which would have run under the Black Sea to Bulgaria and further on to southern Europe - meant Russia had no other choice but to scrap it.

Turkey and Russia performed their 5th High-Level Cooperation Council meeting with the participation of numerous ministers from each side, after Erdogan and Putin had a nearly one-and-half hour long tete-a-tete meeting. The Turkish team included the ministers of foreign affairs, economy, energy, labor, transportation and justice.

Turkey and Russia established the high-level cooperation council in 2010 to enhance economic, trade and energy ties. However, the two leaders did not refrain from voicing their disagreement over the situation in Syria this time.

After Putin said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had shown he was "his people's choice" by winning elections, Erdogan expressed his opposition.

[06] Turkey clears way for first nuclear Akkuyu power plant

The CED includes 3,000 pages of details regarding the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, whose reactor is to be built beginning in 2016 in the Mediterranean province of Mersin. The plant, which is expected to cost an estimated $20 billion, will be built and operated by the Russian state-run energy firm Rosatom, which signed an agreement for the construction of the plant with Turkey's Energy Ministry in 2011. Rosatom officials stated that the plant will be operational for 100 years.

The Akkuyu plant is the first of three nuclear power plants planned for construction in Turkey, which is attempting to reduce its energy imports by increasing domestic production. Turkey is heavily dependent on natural gas imports from Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan for a large portion of its electricity production.

In addition, the paper reports that Turkey's Renaissance Holding and Russia's state-backed private equity fund have agreed to jointly invest $400 million in Russia, in sectors such as healthcare and commercial real estate.

[07] Turkish columnist writes that Erdogan and Putin's unpopularity in the West makes them natural allies

"[?] Both Putin and Erdogan have been accused of authoritarianism in some Western circles and their style of leadership has always been debated. Putin and Erdogan have both served as Prime Ministers and now as President but they have always been regarded as the undisputed leaders of their respective countries.

[?]

While the West has targeted Putin, especially on the Ukraine crisis, Western circles have not been too kind on Erdogan, mainly because of his Islamic background, his outspoken style regarding Israel's attacks on the Palestinians and the undemocratic regime in Egypt. So Erdogan and Putin are not the most popular people in the Western capitals. This makes them natural allies in view of the great economic and strategic potential of Turkey and Russia. That is why the talks in Ankara are concentrating on economic cooperation and energy.

Turkey and Russia plan to boost their annual trade volume to $100 billion by 2020. The way things are shaping up, this target can be achieved provided both sides make an effort and erase some of the trade barriers, especially on the Russian side. Turkey can become an excellent trade and financial partner for Russia, and there have already been successes in this area to prove it. Both Erdogan and Putin are set to achieve greater ties, according to well-placed sources.

Russia is inclined to appease Ankara regarding energy, which means lowering natural gas fees and increasing supply. That, in return, means that Russia can build Turkey's third nuclear power station. The winds of strong cooperation are in the air as Erdogan and Putin face unfriendly breezes from the West."

[08] Change in the military service in the occupied area of Cyprus

Amnesty was also decided for those, who, because of various reasons, have not been able to benefit from the right of "paid-for military service" and became fugitives. These persons are given again the right of paid-for military service within a certain period of time.

With this "law", university students, who have not been able to complete their university education and file an application within six months, are given the opportunity to serve in the army for 12 months.

Referring to the issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (02.12.14) reports that the "draft-law" was adopted, but "the reduction which thousands of young persons expected with hope" was not included in it.

Zeki Celer, "deputy" with the Social Democracy Party (TDP), reacted to the fact that all the suggestions of his party, including the proposal on the "conscientious objection", were rejected and accused the Republican Turkish Party of cooperating with the National Unity Party and the Democratic Party.

Ozkan Yorgancioglu, self-styled prime minister of the regime, said that as long as the Cyprus problem is not solved, they will continue spending human and financial resources in this field.

(I/Ts.)

[09] "Turks Abroad and Related Communities Association" held contact in the breakaway regime

During the meeting, the President of the Association Kudret Bulbul provided information about works being carried out by the department.

Explaining that the presidency of the Association serves at the ministerial level in some countries, he said that the Association is also serving as a higher education agent and added that they are assisting 15 thousand students from 150 countries.

[10] PACE delegation continued its contacts in Israel

The delegation which completed its meetings with Palestinian officials had contacts with Israeli officials. Meanwhile, the delegation was not allowed to enter Gaza.

Providing information about their contacts in Palestine and Israeli, Caglar said they came together with Economy Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister of Palestine Dr. Muhammed Mustafa who has been carrying out negotiations for the rebuilding of Gaza as well as the Speaker of the Israeli Parliament Yoel Edelstein and the leaders of the Israeli political parties with seats at the parliament. They also came together with the Israeli Foreign Minister and the President of the Policy Development Centre Benjamin Dagan and attended a working dinner organized by the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Caglar after completing his contacts in Palestine and Israel moved on to Paris for the European Council meetings.

[11] The 2015 "budget" for the "TRNC representative offices"

The breakaway regime has "representative offices" in Ankara, London, New York, Brussels, Istanbul, Mersin, Washington, Islamabad, Izmir, Abu Dhabi, Baku, Geneva, Doha, Rome, Tel Aviv, Kuwait, Muscat, Bahrain, Bishkek, Stockholm, Berlin, Strasburg and Budapest.

According to the paper, the fact that the "representative offices" in Brussels and Washington got only 63,270 TL for "promotion" from a total budget of 2,267,070 TL shows the desperate situation.

The paper reports the budget of some "representative offices", as follows:

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" (translator's note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) in Ankara is 1,778,140 TL. The amount for the "promotion expenses" is 72 thousands TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in London is 3,051,880 TL. The amount for the "promotion expense" is 50 thousands TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in Brussels is 1,254,520 TL, while the amount for the "promotion expenses" is 37,460 TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in New York is 1,227,780 TL, while the amount for the "promotion expenses" is 43,270 TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in Istanbul is 1,367,270 TL, while the amount for the "promotion expenses" is 38 thousands TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in Mersin is 587,440 TL, while the amount for the "promotion expenses" is 22,500 TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in Washington is 1,021,300 TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in Islamabad is 451,240 TL, while the amount for the "promotion expenses" is 16,380 TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in Izmir is 528,480 TL, while the amount for the "promotion expenses" is 21 thousands TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in Abu Dhabi is 398,890 TL, while the amount for the "promotion expenses" is 11,780 TL.

The 2015 "budget" for the "representative office" of "TRNC" in Baku is 620,800 TL, while the amount for the "promotion expenses" is 23 thousands TL.

Meanwhile, former "foreign minister" Turgay Avci, commenting to the paper regarding the "budget" for the "representative offices" abroad, criticized the fact that only 4% of the total budget goes to "promotion expenses". He added that their "representative office" in Brussels, an important town where the decisions regarding the rights of the Turkish Cypriots are taken, cannot have an amount of a thousand euro per month for the promotion of "TRNC". He wonders how they can promote the political will of the Turkish Cypriots on the decisions and how their "rightness" can be presented.

[12] The German Ambassador in Cyprus visited the occupied municipality of Famagusta

According to a press release issued by the Famagusta "municipality", Akter expressed his satisfaction from the visit, adding that the continuation and the development of their relations is significant. He concluded that after this meeting, they will continue to exchange views more often.

[13] Officials from CFA and "KTFF" met yesterday

While there was no announcement regarding the meeting, it was reported that "KTFF" will make an announcement today regarding this issue.

[14] Bozkir announced Turkey's second phase of EU Plan

Speaking at a press conference Bozkir underlined that the National Action Plan is a road map of Turkey's priorities on political reforms and socio-economic transformation within the context of the EU accession process and that phase II of the plan including primary and secondary legislation, institution building and other relevant work for aligning with EU legislation for the period between June 2015 and June 2019.

"I would like to particularly underline that Turkey's perspective of full membership to the European Union is not a matter of circumstance, but is the objective of a lasting and strategic approach," Bozkir said. Emphasizing that the first pillar of the EU strategy is the political reform process, Bozkir defined phase II of the plan as an indicator of Turkey's commitment to continue with reforms and emphasized that the National Action Plan includes arrangements significant not only to the reform process, but also to accession negotiations.

[15] Turkey undertakes G20 presidency

The 10th G20 Annual Summit will be held in Antalya, a south-western province, on November 15-16, 2015. According to Babacan, the leaders of the world's 20 largest economies will discuss the following topics in 2015: "Strong, sustainable and balanced economic growth, infrastructure investments, financial regulation, international financial architecture, international tax issues, energy, trade, employment, financing climate change, development and the fight against corruption."

[16] "Will Erdogan's gaffes harm him?"

"President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is bent on raising his profile in the Islamic world, or at least the fundamentalist part of that world, at the expense of Turkey's reputation, and standing in the West. His remarks are so off-the-cuff, though, that one cannot help wondering if he has not put himself on an unsustainable track that will eventually end up harming his own political credibility. These include his claim, which is also questioned by respected Turkish historians like Ilber Ortayli, that Muslims discovered America before Columbus. He also angered civilized Turks by saying that it is unnatural to argue that men and women are equal.

[?]

It is true that the West has little sympathy for the Islamic world presently, and one can debate the reasons for this. The point, however, is that more Islamic people, including women and children, are being killed in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan or Nigeria, to cite the most striking examples, by Muslims than they are by the West. [?]

Erdogan is on a mission and will undoubtedly continue to blurt out the things he does, even though it is highly unlikely that this will bring him the leadership of the Islamic world he obviously craves, because his reputation in that world is also far from what he desires. The real question is how far can he continue to maintain this line without ultimately causing discomfort in Justice and Development Party (AKP) circles, too, let alone others? How long will it take before some in the AKP start questioning whether this is the kind of President Turkey needs, and start looking for someone else to favor from within their ranks?

The executive presidency Erdogan is striving for is not a done deal yet legally, and he must have at least one adviser wondering if it ever will be, given Erdogan's serial gaffes. If he continues in this vein, Erdogan could end up a prisoner in his grandiose palace for the next five years without having achieved his political dreams." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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