Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 15-06-16

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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] Nami: I will submit tomorrow the report that we have prepared to the leaders

[02] Burcu commented on the forthcoming visit of British FM to Cyprus

[03] Koenig visited Harmanci

[04] Azeri Deputy claims that she is the voice of the Turkish Cypriots

[05] CHP announces 14 conditions for coalition; The opposition parties should form the government

[06] MHP leader Bacheli said that his party could form a coalition government with AKP under conditions

[07] Yildiz stated that the Turkish Stream pipeline project will be accelerated8. Memoirs claim Erdogan tried to obstruct Gul's career

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Nami: I will submit tomorrow the report that we have prepared to the leaders

Noting that the technical committees, which were established with the aim to be supportive of the negotiators' work, have started their work, Nami added that within this framework, the Technical Economic Committee held its first meeting yesterday. Nami explained: "In order to review the economic issue in detail, the sides set up their own working groups. What they are doing is reviewing those issues. The working groups are also looking to see if there are any new developments, on which areas convergences still exist and which areas need more work".

Nami further said that a similar working group will start work next week on the property issue and added that they are still in the process of identifying experts who will make up the working groups.

Nami said: "There is generally a positive climate in the process. What has been done until now is a review of everything. What is important is the process which will follow. That is the process of give and take will begin. There will be bargaining and negotiating?the process of creating bridges will begin. I hope that the same positive atmosphere that exists today will continue at that stage. We are doing everything that we can to ensure that the process moves forward in a smooth and healthy manner".

(DPs)

[02] Burcu commented on the forthcoming visit of British FM to Cyprus

Hammond will be visiting the island next month. He is expected to meet with the "leader" of the "Greek Cypriot administration", Nikos Anastasiades, as the President of the Republic of Cyprus is called and the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Ak?nc? separately.

"In the past much importance was not given to such visits and we have seen much harm. During the sensitive process ahead we hope that more care will be given to such visits", said Burcu.

Pointing to the importance of carrying out top high level and equalitarian visits on the Cyprus problem, Burcu said that when such meeting requests come from the international community, they would be sharing this with the public.

[03] Koenig visited Harmanci

The projects for the walled city and the opening of alternative crossing points were discussed during the meeting.

Also, Harmanci briefed the Ambassador on the joint project being carried out with the Mayor of Lefkosia, Constantinos Yiorkadjis

The Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci's election and his contribution to a settlement were also on the agenda.

Harmanci underlined that the new process had motivated the two sides but also added that the issue is multi-dimensional with many more issues to overcome.

(?)

[04] Azeri Deputy claims that she is the voice of the Turkish Cypriots

She argued that she tried hard to make Azeri people learn about the Cyprus problem and accused the European Union of having a two-face policy as regards the Turkish Cypriots, for not keeping its promises and for treating the Turkish Cypriots in an injustice way.

Pashayeva also expressed her worries on what she called a "military alliance" between the Republic of Cyprus and Armenia. She also said that Azerbaijan and Turkey have common interests and said that cooperation between the two countries must be increased.

(CS)

[05] CHP announces 14 conditions for coalition; The opposition parties should form the government

"The duty to form a coalition rests on the 60% ? the opposition bloc," Kilicdaroglu said. Urging other parties to announce their own points for forming a coalition, Kilicdaroglu said that they are not ignoring any political party. "We should think about Turkey, not the next election," he added.

For the CHP, the first point necessary to form a coalition is a solid legal system that ensures that the rule of law is upheld. Removing remnants of the September 12, 1980 military intervention, including the 10% election threshold and the Higher Education Board (YOK), is the CHP's second point. The legislation on political ethics to ensure corruption-free politics in Turkey makes up the third point and a strong social state is the party's fourth condition.

While criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's statement that he may meet with all political party leaders, K?l?cdaroglu announced the CHP's fifth point, in which the role of the President should be minimized in accordance with the Constitution and practices. Allowing discretionary funds for the exclusive use of the Prime Minister is the CHP's sixth condition.

The party's seventh condition is a new trend in foreign policy. Larger freedoms in terms of assembly and expression are the eighth and ninth conditions. The party's 10th condition is ensuring the freedom of the media.

K?l?cdaroglu criticized the current status of state broadcaster TRT and broadcasting watchdog Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTUK), saying that the CHP does not accept the current model.

Neutral and fair tax inspections of private companies are the CHP's 11th point. Final account commission, founded within the Parliament and led by the opposition to examine the spending items of annual budgets by the government is the CHP's 12th point. The 13th point is a new Constitution and a freer judiciary and the struggle against corruption is the 14th point.

(?)

[06] MHP leader Bacheli said that his party could form a coalition government with AKP under conditions

"We are not negative to talks. There are a number of alternatives ? There are people who want us to be [in] government to avoid the slaughtering of nationalists, but we will not give up our principles for this. They want us to form a coalition with the AKP, but what will we do with the Dec. 17 and Dec. 25 [2013] graft probes," Bahceli was quoted as saying by sources at his party's provincial and district heads meeting on June 14.

"Give us Bilal and take the government," he added.

Stating that he had told MHP supporters in election campaign rallies that they would pursue the corruption probes that the government wanted to cover up, Bahceli said the MHP is "sensitive" about the issue and "could not overlook it."

"Will we not call them to account for the money that they 'zeroed?' There is also Bilal on one side of this issue," he said, referring to the wiretap recordings in which President Erdogan apparently asks his son whether he has "zeroed" or unloaded all the cash held in storage by the Erdogan family.

On September 1, 2014, the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office controversially ruled that there were no legal grounds for the prosecution of 96 suspects, including Bilal Erdogan, who were accused by prosecutors of bribery and corruption in the December 25, 2013 investigation.

The larger of two dossiers in the corruption probes, on the other hand, was dropped by the newly assigned prosecutor in October 2014. Some 53 graft suspects including former Ministers' sons, the former manager of Halkbank, and a controversial Iranian-Azeri businessman were implicated in the December 17 investigation.

[07] Yildiz stated that the Turkish Stream pipeline project will be acceleratedTurkish daily Sabah (15.06.15-online in English) reported that Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Y?ld?z announced that the coordinates that were anticipated for the Turkish Stream pipeline project, which will transfer Russian natural gas to Europe through Turkey, have arrived from Russia and the process will be accelerated by gaining the necessary permission and approvals.

During a reception held by the Turkish Wind Energy Association Council, Y?ld?z answered questions from Russia's state-owned Sputnik news agency and evaluated the meeting between Erdogan and Putin.

Emphasizing that he accompanied Erdogan, Y?ld?z said that the latest developments regarding Turkey's nuclear power plant projects, which are being built in partnership with Russia and the Turkish Stream were discussed during the meeting with Putin.

The Foreign Ministry received the coordinates last week that were sought from the Russian state-owned Gazprom energy giant, Y?ld?z said, adding that the prior authorization for the feasibility report should be received as the next step.

"Gaining this authorization is an issue concerning the continuation of the process. There are some developments that may occur within the week. The discussion of the Turkish Stream focuses on one pipeline, not four pipelines. In other words, the Turkish Stream negotiations with a 63 billion-cubic-meter capacity in total only include the one pipeline with a 16 billion-cubic-meter capacity. All negotiations will be conducted on the single pipeline. This is the subject of what Putin and Erdogan continue to discuss," Y?ld?z said.

(?)

[08] Memoirs claim Erdogan tried to obstruct Gul's career

The memoirs -- published recently by Gul's adviser of 12 years, Ahmet Sever -- claim that Erdogan first tried to obstruct Gul's political career in 2007 when Gul was trying to become President and Erdogan was still Prime Minister. The second occasion was when Erdogan ordered the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to pass legislation that had the effect of restricting Gul's presidency to one term.

The third occasion Erdogan tried to obstruct Gul's career, according to the book -- which is titled "The 12 years I spent with Abdullah Gul" -- was when Erdogan prevented Gul's return to the AK Party after he won the presidential election in 2014. Erdogan moved forward the date of the AK Party's general assembly -- where the AK Party was to vote for its new leader -- to one day before Gul's term had finished, preventing Gul from entering the election for the top spot in the AK Party.

However, critics have been quick to criticize the claims in Sever's book. Speaking at a press conference in Ankara on Monday, former Energy Minister Taner Y?ld?z said: "Some of the sentences [in the book] give the impression that there was some sort of rift between the 11th President, Abdullah Gul, and the 12th president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I don't agree." Y?ld?z also pointed to the fact that the information in the book was "worthless." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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(AC/ AM)

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