Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 15-06-08

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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] AKP finishes first in fourth consecutive elections but loses majority

[02] Statements by Erdogan and political party leaders on the elections' results

[03] Columnists evaluate the results of the general elections in Turkey and see the end of Erdogan's dominant in Turkish politics.

[04] How the Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Press covered the results of Turkey's general elections

[05] Turkish lira near record low after AKP fails to win majority

[06] Akinci: Our journey will continue until a lasting solution

[07] Akinci's interview to AP: Cyprus' financial crisis and the discovery of natural gas are the two "triggers" for the Cyprus settlement

[08] "Green Peace Movement" says that the water from Turkey will be polluted

[09] The 39th "TRNC international fair" opened in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus

[10] Sertoglu stated that Blatter's resignation from FIFA will not affect the process for the unification of football in Cyprus

[11] UBP voted in favor of charter changes

[12] The illegal YDU hospital signed an "international cooperation agreement" with 15 Russian speaking countries

[13] Borat re-elected as chairman of TMT

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] AKP finishes first in fourth consecutive elections but loses majority

With 100% of the ballots counted, according to Anadolu Agency's "secim.aa.com.tr" website's latest figures, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) passed the 10% threshold with 13.11% of the vote to take 80 seats - the first time it has entered parliament as a party.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) claimed 132 seats, and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) of the votes 80 in the Grand National Assembly.

The turnout was 86.63%.

Turkey's AKP won its fourth consecutive general election but could not reach to necessary majority (276 seats) need to form a government. The party, which came to power in 2002 before winning elections in 2007 and 2011, secured 40.81% of the vote.

Second place CHP had 25.01% while the MHP received 16.36% of the vote.

Some 47,466,298 voters went to the polls and 46,135,571 of the votes were valid.

Moreover, the AKP had 49.90%, the HDP 20.42%, the CHP 17.02% and the MHP 9.24% of votes of citizens living abroad, according to the unofficial results.

A total of 174,240 polling stations were open and nearly a million Turks living abroad cast their ballots at 122 embassies and consulates, ballot stations at 33 airports and border crossings.

Turkey's 25th parliamentary election on Sunday may have produced no majority government, but the parliament is already in the books with the highest number of women Deputies in Turkish history.

The unofficial results show a total of 95 women parliamentarians securing seats in the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

The figure marks a notable rise against the background of the 2011 parliamentary election, when the Grand Assembly saw 79 women lawmakers.

AK Party sent 40 women members into parliament while HDP has 30, the CHP 21 and the MHP 4.

[02] Statements by Erdogan and political party leaders on the elections' results

Erdogan noted that the high turnout rate signified the Turkish people's determination in democracy, and congratulated all election bodies and security forces for their conduct and handling of the elections.

"I believe that the current situation does not enable any party to form a majority government, and this will be evaluated in a sound and realistic manner by all parties which took part in the election race" Erdogan said.

The Turkish President pointed that responsible actions of the parties play an important role to protect Turkey's stability and democratic gains.

Turkish daily Sabah (online, 08.06.15), under the title "PM Davutoglu says election outcome again shows AK Party is 'backbone' of Turkey", reports that Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said during the ceremonial balcony speech in the nation's capital that the election outcome has again shown that the AK Party is 'backbone' of the nation, adding that every measure will be taken to prevent damage to Turkey's stability after the results.

Turkey's Justice and Development (AK) Party won its fourth consecutive general election Sunday but failed to gain the majority needed to form a government.

President Erdogan is expected to ask the AK Party, as the party that received the highest number of votes, to form a coalition government within 45 days. The government will then submit its program to the Assembly within a week, where it will be subject to a vote of confidence. If Parliament does not support the new government, the President can call for a fresh election.

The paper also reports that Turkey's main opposition CHP Chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu stated that he is content with the election results and there is no need for him to resign, as his party has received 25.23% of the votes in the elections, slightly lower than the 25.98% of 2011 elections.

Despite having a slight loss in percentage, the party's votes have increased around 230,000.

Answering whether CHP will participate in a coalition government with the AK Party, CHP Spokesperson Haluk Koc said there is no possibility that CHP will be a part of a coalition government. The statement came right after pro-Kurdish HDP also ruled out a coalition with the AK Party.

Analysts see the nationalist MHP as the most likely coalition partner for the AK Party in the new parliament.

Turkey's nationalist MHP wants early election if coalition efforts fail.

On the same issue, Turkey should hold an early election if the ruling AK Party is unable to agree a coalition with the parliament's two other opposition parties, the leader of Turkey's opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli said on Monday.

"The first possibility for a coalition should be between the AKP and (pro-Kurdish) HDP. The second model can consist of AKP, (main opposition) CHP and HDP", Bahceli said. "If all these scenarios fail, then early elections must be held".

Earlier today, MHP deputy leader Oktay Vural said: "It would be wrong for me to make an assessment about a coalition, our party will assess that in the coming period. "I think the AK Party will be making its own new evaluations after this outcome", Vural added.

Moreover, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 08.06.15) reports that Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtas has said that the debate on the presidency has come to an end with his party passing the 10% election threshold, vowing not to allow President Erdogan attain the new presidential system that he has been advocating.

"As of this moment, the debate on the presidency, the debate about dictatorship, has come to an end in Turkey. Turkey has returned from the edge of a cliff," Demirtas said late on June 7 at the HDP's provincial building in Istanbul, together with the party's co-chair Figen Yuksekdag.

He stated that they would not form a coalition government with the AKP, as they had promised throughout the campaign. "We will not form a coalition with the AKP, we stand behind our words. We will be in parliament as a strong opposition," Demirtas vowed.

The HDP co-chair also said that the results were a victory of "all the oppressed people," no matter what their ethnic, religious or economic origins are.

"Those who have sided with freedom, democracy and peace have won in this election. Those who have sided with oppression, authoritarianism, arrogance, and who see themselves as the only owners of Turkey, have lost," Demirtas said.

He emphasized that the HDP had become a "party of Turkey" during this campaign.

Meanwhile, speaking at the same press meeting in Istanbul, fellow HDP co-chair Figen Yuksekdag said that Turkey had moved beyond the politics of polarization. "The outdated policymaking of the past 12 years have not only damaged Turkish politics, but also the Turkish society", Yuksekdag said.

[03] Columnists evaluate the results of the general elections in Turkey and see the end of Erdogan's dominant in Turkish politics.

However, the election results lead to so many questions as to how the political picture will evolve afterwards. Given the fact that the election results have dealt a heavy blow to the AKP and to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it's no doubt that an in-house questioning process on the reasons for the defeat will be launched at the ruling party.

Another area of uncertainty is the composition of the next government. In line with Turkish laws and custom, President Erdogan has to invite AKP chair Ahmet Davutoglu to the presidential palace to give him the mandate to form the government. The next government has to be formed within 45 days after the mandate is given and in the event of a failure, the Supreme Election Board (YSK) will announce early elections in two months.

Therefore, a very critical period of 45 days will await us in which the ruling party has to conduct tough negotiations with a potential partner. Among the three oppositional parties, the AKP's likely partner seems to be the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Both the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have already declared that they won't enter any partnership with the AKP in the government.

In this regard, Davutoglu could launch a negotiation process with MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, but a coalition protocol will not be easy given the latter's strong opposition to Erdogan's interventions in governmental affairs. For example, it would be a huge concession on Bahceli's part if he agrees to go to the grandiose presidential palace to attend a cabinet meeting under Erdogan's leadership.

One option is that the MHP could support a minority government to be formed by the AKP on strict conditions and with the prospect of taking the country to early polls.

One very important risk the AKP and Erdogan could face is the possibility that a large coalition between the CHP, MHP and HDP could be formed on certain conditions and with the purpose of undermining Erdogan's position. This large coalition would later take the country to polls with, for example, a reduced election threshold and other legal amendments for the further normalization of the country.

That's why early polls under the AKP government would be seen as a better option for Davutoglu and Erdogan.

Having mentioned all of these aspects, one still needs to see the next steps for Erdogan, who has already proven that he won't be a usual head of the nation. In full disappointment at the results of the election, in whose campaign he was personally involved in election rallies at the expense of violating the constitution, Erdogan's road map is still unknown.

At the end of the day, it will be Erdogan who will decide whether to begin an era of political chaos and instability or to aid the normalization of Turkish politics by abandoning his political ambitions and leaving those democratically elected political leaders free in their will to form the next government.

On the same issue, columnist Murat Yetkin under the title "The end of Erdogan's rise in Turkey" in Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online, 08.06.15), writes that there are two other main outcomes of the AKP's vote share dropping from 50% in the 2011 election to 41% yesterday:

1- Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan can bid farewell to his target of a new constitution based on a strong presidential model with weaker checks and balances. Despite his ambitious campaign parallel to Davutoglu's during the election, putting his credibility on the line, Turkish voters have clearly rejected that plan. The drop in the AK Parti's votes is a defeat for Erdogan's desire to shift the regime from a parliamentary to a presidential one. It is possible to conclude that Turkish voters opted for the continuation of the parliamentary system.

2- The Kurdish problem-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) surpassed the unfair 10% threshold by 3% and got into parliament with a strong presence. The HDP managed to do this by transforming itself from an exclusively pro-Kurdish party into a party in favour of rights and freedoms for all in Turkey and gaining support from Turkish leftists and liberals by promising that if it gets into parliament it would not bargain with the AKP over Erdogan's presidency. The result will give the HDP a stronger hand in the Kurdish peace process talks, if those talks continue.

It is still not clear what will happen next, but a three-party coalition between the opposition parties - the social democratic Republican People's Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the HDP - is not very likely, as all three have previously denied the possibility.

A coalition of the AK Parti with any of the other parties could be possible; on the condition that Erdogan's presidential system is excluded. Also, a minority AKP government could be on the cards, with opposition deputies giving a vote of confidence to such a government in order to weaken it further.

It is also possible to speculate whether Erdogan and the AKP have been victims of their own ambition when keeping the 10% threshold, a remnant of the military regime after 1980, in the name of "political stability". If they had reduced it to 5 or even 7%, yes they would again lose the chance for Erdogan's presidential system, but they could have kept their parliamentary majority. Because of the complicated calculation system that the 10% threshold brings with it, the AKP has lost its parliamentary majority. Because it insisted on an unfair system in pursuit of grander ambitions, the AKP lost its majority despite winning 42% of the votes. In contrast, back in 2002 it was able to win a big majority with only 34% of the votes.

Some may come to see this result as the curse of the 10% threshold, but whatever is the case June 7 clearly marked the end of Erdogan's rise in Turkish politics.

[04] How the Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Press covered the results of Turkey's general elections

Daily Kibris newspaper refers to the issue under the banner front page title "Coalition period in Turkey" and reports that the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has been ruling Turkey alone for the past 13 years, came first in the elections, but it could not achieve the number of 276 Deputies needed for establishing a government alone. The paper notes that it is the first time after three general elections that the AKP cannot establish a government alone.

Under the banner front page title "Stop to the dictator", daily Afrika reports that Turkey "turned back from the verge of a disaster" and that the Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) passed the threshold and "put an end to the 13-year long monopoly of AKP's rule". According to the paper, a coalition or an early election are the choices seen on the horizon. It also notes that "the attention now is on the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) and that the results were "the beginning of the end" for President Erdogan.

Daily Havadis covers the issue under the banner front page title "Earthquake in Turkey" and publishes statements made by the leaders of the main political parties after the results were known.

Daily Yeni Duzen uses the title "'Peace' came out from the ballot" and notes that the "one man's rule lost". The paper reports that the people did not approve President Erdogan's demand for changing the regime to a presidential system. Describing as "very important" HDP's passing the threshold in the elections, the paper writes that after the elections all parties announced that they have achieved a victory. According to Yeni Duzen, the distribution of votes for the Turkish elections in the occupied area of Cyprus was the following: AKP 38.06%, Republican People's Party (CHP) 26.10%, HDP 19.13%, MHP 13.62% and others 3.09%.

Under the banner front-page title "Big shock for the AKP", daily Halkin Sesi reports that the AKP "suffered a huge hemorrhage" as its percentages decreased from 49.95% in 2011 to 40.70% in 2015.

Daily Bakis refers to the results under the title "AK Party became first for the fourth time", while Volkan uses the title "Towards a coalition government". Vatan, on the other hand, notes that Turkey's new agenda is "what kind of coalition" will be established.

Ortam refers to the issue under the title "Coalition period", while Kibris Postasi notes that coalition will be established after 13 years. Yeni Bakis, on the other hand, writes that "the 13 year-long hegemony ended".

Daily Gunes covers the issue under the title "Turkey was locked up in the elections", while Diyalog refers to "three different scenarios" after the elections. These are: 1) Coalition between AKP and MHP, 2) Coalition between CHP, MHP and HDP and 3) Early elections.

Daily Detay reports that "Turkey made its choice, the presidential system [is left] for another time".

Meanwhile, All Turkish dailies cover in their front-pages the results of the Turkish parliamentary elections held yesterday in Turkey. Following are the titles:

-Sabah: "Ballot boxes with no party coming into power". The paper publishes the results of the elections and writes that in spite of the fact that the AKP has lost votes, it is again the first party, while the HDP has achieved to pass the threshold.

-Hurriyet: "Three possibilities!". The paper reports that after the election results in Turkey, no party has won the majority of the votes in order to be able to establish a single-party government and thus three scenarios are on discussions. The first one is the establishment of a coalition government with CHP, MHP or HDP and the AKP to be in the leadership. The second scenario, is the establishment of a minority government with the precondition that early elections will follow within a period of a specific time and the third scenario is the President to ask for the elections to be repeated in case that it will not be possible to establish a "Council of Ministers" within the timetable of the 45 days as the Constitution envisages.

-Milliyet: "The first change after 13 years for the AKP"

Zaman: "The nation said enough to the authoritarianism and the prodigality of the presidential palace"

Cumhuriyet: "New political map in Turkey. Who was elected and who hasn't?"

(I/Ts.- AK)

[05] Turkish lira near record low after AKP fails to win majority

The lira, already one of the worst performing emerging market currencies this year, hit a record low in out-of-hours trade on June 7, after results showed the AKP had taken just short of 41% of the vote.

The result is likely to leave AKP struggling to form a stable government for the first time since it came to power more than a decade ago.

"This is definitely the most uncertain of outcomes. It does open up the prospect of an early election and potentially there will be more friction in the AKP," said Manik Narain, an emerging market strategist at UBS.

While investors were hoping for an outcome that ensured stability, most hoped there would be no landslide for the AKP, because it could have led to a constitutional change and handed more power to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, increasingly seen by critics as an authoritarian figure.

Some analysts said that the June 7 setback could inflame Erdogan's authoritarian tendencies.

By 0454 GMT, the lira stood at 2.7770 to the dollar, tumbling from 2.6615 on June 5, but off a low of 2.799 that was hit in thin overnight trading when it was almost 5% down.

[06] Akinci: Our journey will continue until a lasting solution

In statements at the illegal Tymbou airport after returning from New York, Akinci argued that their wish is to enter into a new period which will include the security of the sides and the respect of their political equality, a period in which everybody will live in peace and tranquility, the new generations will be saved from the uncertainty and the Turkish Cypriot "people" will become a part of the international community.

Akinci said that during the meeting with the UN Secretary-General they have expressed their commitment to the joint declaration of 11 February 2014 and their readiness to contribute in the process. He noted that they have reached the conclusion that Ban was very influenced from the positive climate after the "elections" in the occupied area of the island and observed that he supports the solution so that the existing window of opportunity not to be lost.

Akinci said that during their stay in New York, the Turkish Cypriot negotiator Ozdil Nami held "useful contacts" with deputies of the Representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. He noted that the negotiators will be meeting today and the leaders on 17 June.

Noting that the leaders will watch tonight a theatrical play at Rialto Theater in Limassol, he said that their aim is to give a positive message to the community and that this kind of cultural activities will be reiterated within the next few days in the occupied area of the island.

Meanwhile, in statements to Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi's (07.06.15) correspondent in New York, Akinci argued that if the Turkish Cypriots are strong, this will be the "assurance of the solution", adding that "no federation can survive if one of its parts is strong and the other is weak". "Therefore, steps should be taken on this issue as of today and the Turkish Cypriots should be assisted in coming to that level", he claimed.

Akinci noted that a solution in Cyprus will create "very serious developments in the economy of both sides on the island" and added that "this reality" has started to be better seen in the Greek Cypriot side now.

Responding to a question regarding Foreign Minister Kasoulides' statement that the issue of the territory will be discussed in the meeting of the leaders on 17 June, Akinci said: "We have not come yet to the point of discussing the details on the territory. There are points of convergence in the process from the past until today. These issues are in a process".

(I/Ts.)

[07] Akinci's interview to AP: Cyprus' financial crisis and the discovery of natural gas are the two "triggers" for the Cyprus settlement

Akinci said that a key lesson from the last attempt to reach a peace deal in 2004 is the critical need for political leadership on both sides to convince the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots that it's time to reunite the country ? and that failure to do so could have serious consequences.

"Time is not on the side of a settlement", Akinci warned in an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on Friday.

"With the passage of time collective memory is getting lost, and unfortunately younger generations are becoming more alienated from each other", he said.

If Cyprus isn't reunified now, Akinci said that he is very afraid that succeeding generations "will be seeking a different kind of solution which will be more along the lines of division".

Akinci, who has a strong track record of reaching out to rival Greek Cypriots, said that his motivation in pursuing a peace deal is to end decades of "isolation" for some 300,000 Turkish Cypriots and ensure that they become "equal partners" in the international community.

The recently elected Turkish Cypriot leader said that he and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades have met several times and had "a good beginning," which is important. "We need to continue in this manner and, more importantly, we need to finalize in this manner. We haven't discussed the main issues yet. We started with certain confidence-building measures", Akinci added.

Akinci cited two "triggers" for a solution that weren't there in 2004 when the two sides voted on a peace plan backed by Kofi Annan, then the U.N. Secretary-General.

Noting that the first trigger is Cyprus' financial crisis, Akinci said that what perhaps is changing on the Greek Cypriot side is the realization that joining the EU didn't solve Cyprus' financial problems. It also didn't enable them to dictate or impose a solution to the conflict with the Turkish Cypriots, he added.

The second trigger, Akinci said, is the discovery of natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean off Cyprus. This has led to the realization in some quarters, he said, that rather than having the natural gas be a source of tension between the two communities and with Turkey, it would be wiser to solve the Cyprus problem and make the gas "an asset for a solution".

Akinci said that he believes the majority of the Turkish Cypriots support an end to the conflict.

The parameters of a deal are well known, he said. "We're talking about a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. We are talking about a two-constituent states that will have powers for themselves and a central government."

[08] "Green Peace Movement" says that the water from Turkey will be polluted

According to Sahir, the dam that will collect the water to be carried to the breakaway regime is just near the Akkuyu Nuclear station; therefore, nuclear leakage will be carried to the island via the water. Sahir went on and added that Cyprus is negatively affected from every way someone sees it when it comes to Akkuyu Nuclear station. "Soon enough we will take a bath and we will water our vegetables and fruits with nuclear waste", he argued.

(CS)

[09] The 39th "TRNC international fair" opened in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus

The fair is giving room to 107 local companies and 30 companies from Turkey. In total 137 firms are displaying their products for locals to see.

In an opening speech, the self-styled deputy prime minister, economy, tourism, culture and sports minister Mentes Gunduz praised industrialists for their efforts despite the harsh conditions in the "country" they are still managing to keep afloat. He also said that "the ministry is continuing to work to improve the exporting conditions of the industrialists."

Meanwhile a delegation from Turkey's Economy Ministry headed by the acting Exporting Director Ozgur Volkanagar also attended the opening ceremony. Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Volkanagar referred to the unjust reportedly embargoes imposed against the "north of the island" and said that Turkey has used every means available in order for the "TRNC" (editor's note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus) be integrated into the world economy.

Self-styled prime minister Ozkan Yorgancioglu, for his part, reminded that the industrialists in the country are working under harsh conditions and claimed that due to the country being so small and the "embargoes" enforced against the north efforts are needed to be made to overcome these difficult conditions.

Yorgancioglu further said that the industrialists need to be prepared in case a solution is found to the Cyprus problem.

Finally, the self-styled acting president Sibel Siber, during her speech, expressed the belief that the fair will continue to develop with every passing year and drew attention to the advancements in technology and pointed to the importance of being able to compete in all sectors.

The fair will be open until 14 of June.

[10] Sertoglu stated that Blatter's resignation from FIFA will not affect the process for the unification of football in Cyprus

Replying to the paper's questions, Sertoglu said that the process and the meetings which are taking place in the framework of the efforts for the unification of Cyprus' football, have nothing to do with the persons and added that no matter who will be elected in the leadership of FIFA, the process will continue.

(AK)

[11] UBP voted in favour of charter changes

Speaking during the congress, UBP chairman Huseyin Ozgurgun stated that among the changes voted is the right of women and young people to be "strongly represented" in the party organs and to be given equal representation as "deputies" and "mayors". In addition, the term of duty of the "deputies" is limited to three terms or 15 years and the term of the party officials, including the president, to five terms or 10 years. The slogan of the congress was "New charter, new vision, new era".

Ozgurgun also said that if the party will not receive the most votes in the "parliamentary elections," he will resign.

(CS)

[12] The illegal YDU hospital signed an "international cooperation agreement" with 15 Russian speaking countries

Among the countries are Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Uzbekistan and others.

According to a statement issued by the "press and foreign relations department of the YDU", the "international cooperation agreement" was signed between the "YDU authorities" and the delegations of the 15 countries which visited the "TRNC" to attend the "7th International Health Tourism forum".

Speaking on the issue, the member of the "administration board" of the illegal YDU Ahmet Savasan said that the Russian market has a big potential for "TRNC's health tourism". He added that "north Cyprus" with its geographical position, its history, its special touristic places and the YDU University can constitute an alternative health tourism destination for Russian speaking countries.

According to Savasan, the signed agreement envisages amongst others that more patients from Russian speaking countries will be sent in the "TRNC" for treatment.

(AK)

[13] Borat re-elected as chairman of TMT

In addition Celal Bayar was also elected as deputy chairman of TMT.

(CS) TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio

(DPs/ AM)

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