Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 15-09-16

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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] Akinci met with Nuland

[02] Tacoy accused the Greek Cypriot side of unwillingness; He called Talat to clarify on which points there was progress at the talks

[03] Ozersay has reportedly decided to establish a political party

[04] Kalyoncu confirmed disagreement between Turkey and the breakaway regime over the administration of water project

[05] Nineteen Greek Cypriot missing persons are found behind the prisons in occupied Nicosia; Columnist wonders why the regime said nothing on the issue until now

[06] The Chief of Turkey's General Staff held contacts in the occupied area of Cyprus

[07] Three out of the eleven persons listed as the most wanted persons in Cyprus were arrested in the breakaway regime

[08] Fenerbahce Women's Basketball team to play games in the occupied area of Cyprus

[09] Turkish MFA to pay official visit to Russia

[10] Contradictory results by surveys on upcoming general elections in Turkey

[11] "Alarming" decline in media freedom as Turkey fights militants

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Akinci met with Nuland

"We will continue to support these leaders as they take difficult steps but we want this to be a Cypriot owned Cypriot led process" she said following her meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci at his office in the occupied part of Nicosia.

The US diplomat said that she had a productive meeting with Akinci and added: "We are hopeful of both leaders making courageous decisions for peace, thinking about their people, thinking about the future of this island. We also had a very good strategic conversation about the importance of peace and reconciliation not just for all the people of Cyprus but also for this turbulent neighbourhood which needs stability, which needs peace, which needs a positive example of two communities living well together. So the US will continue to support this process".

[02] Tacoy accused the Greek Cypriot side of unwillingness; He called Talat to clarify on which points there was progress at the talks

Accusing the Greek Cypriot side for having excessive demands at the negotiating table, Tacoy claimed that the Greek Cypriot sides' positions on the Cyprus problem are not different than those in 2004. He also accused the Greek Cypriot side for using delaying tactics at the talks.

Referring to recent statements made by the leader of the Republican Turkish Party-United Forces (CTP-BG) Mehmet Ali Talat that an "important progress" has been achieved at the talks, Tacoy described Talat's statements as very strange and invited him to give details on the progress he mentioned.

Tacoy went on and said that the Turkish Cypriot "people" will never give up from the "sovereignty of the state they established, their rights and their independence".

(AK)

[03] Ozersay has reportedly decided to establish a political party

Ozersay said that according to a decision taken together with his political partners, he will organize a press conference as soon as their preparations are completed and come before the "people" with the new political formation's vision and cadre.

Ozersay told the paper that they had made the necessary assessments and they will not leave the "people" without an alternative in the next "elections". He said that many persons participating in the existing political parties have expressed interest to join his party, but he is not positive to this idea, because "there is a very serious lack of confidence and reaction to the existing politicians and political parties in the society".

(I/Ts.)

[04] Kalyoncu confirmed disagreement between Turkey and the breakaway regime over the administration of water project

Kalyoncu stated that discussions continue between the two sides and added that he does not know the outcome of the argument. "What I know is that we insist on our position. We demand that the water be administrated by us", he stated.

(CS)

[05] Nineteen Greek Cypriot missing persons are found behind the prisons in occupied Nicosia; Columnist wonders why the regime said nothing on the issue until now

Referring to the same issue, columnist Sener Levent reports, inter alia, the following in his column in Turkish Cypriot Afrika newspaper (16.09.15):

"[?] According to what it is said, 40-50 missing persons exist there. The excavations are continuing. Every time this news is given to the media, a sentence is especially emphasized. It has certainly drawn your attention as well. It is said: 'An attempt had been made for the corpses of around 40-50 Greek Cypriots who died in the clashes in 1974 to be given to the south Cyprus authorities with trucks through the United Nations from Ledra Palace, but when they were rejected they were buried in the area behind the prisons after waiting for one night'.

Look what happened. They killed them. They delivered the corpses, but the Greek Cypriots did not take them, they say! Have such things also happened in the war? Have they been given to the other side without anything in return? And if this is true and the Greek Cypriots rejected to take their dead, many questions are created in my head. Let us say that you really gave them and the Greek Cypriots refused to take them gentlemen. What did you do afterwards? You took them and you buried them in the area behind the prisons, did you not? It means that you knew that a mass grave exists there. Denktas also knew, all of you knew. Then, why have you not said it for so long? Why have you remained silent until today? Should this mass grave not be one of the first mass graves opened as regards the missing persons who are subject to official act? What kind of an excuse is that 'we gave them, but the Greek Cypriots did not take them?' Do you want to say that 'we were forced to bury them in a mass grave? Where else have you done such a thing? [?]"

(I/Ts.)

[06] The Chief of Turkey's General Staff held contacts in the occupied area of Cyprus

Akar met separately with the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, the "speaker" of the so-called assembly Sibel Siber, the so-called prime minister Omer Kalyoncu and the new commander of the Turkish Armed Forces in Cyprus, Ilyas Bozkurt.

No statements were issued before or after the meetings.

(AK)

[07] Three out of the eleven persons listed as the most wanted persons in Cyprus were arrested in the breakaway regime

The campaign, which was launched on September 2012, continues aiming for the arrest of nine more persons listed as dangerous criminals.

(CS)

[08] Fenerbahce Women's Basketball team to play games in the occupied area of Cyprus

The tournament will start on September 18 and will last for three days. Besides the YDU team, Fenerbahce team, and the basketball teams of the Mersin Buyuksehir University and the Abdullah Gul University will also attend the tournament.

(AK)

[09] Turkish MFA to pay official visit to Russia

Speaking at a press conference on Sept. 15, Bilgic said the visit was part of political consultations between the two countries, but Ministers will also discuss regional issues, such as Syria and Ukraine.

The spokesperson said it was important to be in dialogue with Russia and exchange views.

Asked about Russia's recent military engagement in Syria, Bilgic said that any support to the government of President Bashar al-Assad would lead to an increase in the number of civilians killed in the neighbouring country.

Elaborating on media reports that Turkey was unhappy with Russian military activities in Syria and had recently expressed concern, he said that Sinirlioglu had not recently had any contact with his Russian counterpart, but that they could exchange views during the visit.

[10] Contradictory results by surveys on upcoming general elections in Turkey

Pointing out that "time is needed for all this to be corrected", Gezici said: "Because elections are being held very early, the citizens will have fresh information on this subject. Of the respondents, 52% hold Erdogan responsible for the failure to establish a coalition government. Around 77% believe that there would not have been chaos in Turkey today if a coalition had been established. The failure to form a coalition will damage the AKP."

Underlining that it is impossible for the AKP to come to power again because this perception has not been eliminated and is still valid, Gezici stated: "The possibility that the AKP votes will continue to decline looks high at the moment. The AKP is like a sinking ship. Its votes are decreasing. At this stage, I think that the AKP will receive between 35 and 39% of the votes on 1 November."

Also referring to the AKP-SP alliance that is frequently mentioned these days, Gezici said: "About 70% of the SP grass roots say that they will definitely not vote for the party if it makes an alliance with the AKP. Therefore, it looks like it will not be possible for the AKP to receive another 1 or 1.5% of the votes it is counting on. If the AKP and the SP form an alliance, they will only receive the votes of 30-35% of the SP voters. This, in turn, is not sufficient for the party to come to power by itself."

Pointing out that he believes that the MHP votes will be over 18%, Murat Gezici said: "I believe that in these elections, the CHP will preserve its votes."

"It seems that the voters agree that while there was a quest for those responsible for the atmosphere of chaos, the HDP was shown as the target and suddenly became a scapegoat," Gezici said, and added: "The voters are one of the most important actors in this regard. It seems this is true in terms of the voters. It is seen that this is effectively being used as a propaganda tool. The upcoming elections will be determined by the undecided and the nationalists, but 94% of the HDP voters say that they will vote for the HDP if elections are held again. This is an important detail. The HDP will not have a threshold problem."

Meanwhile, Turkish daily Today's Zaman (online, 15.09.15), under the title "Turkish poll shows AK Party falling short of majority", reported that support for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has risen to 41.4% from 40.9% in June's election but it is not set to win enough votes to form a single-party government in another election on Nov. 1, a MetroPOLL survey showed.

Results of the survey, revealed by Metropoll chairman Ozer Sencar on the CNN Turk TV channel on Monday evening, showed the secular main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was on 27.3%, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) at 15.3% and the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) at 13%.

In the June election, the CHP won 25%, the MHP 16.3% and the HDP 13.1%.

The survey was carried out on Sept. 2-5 with 2,540 participants.

[11] "Alarming" decline in media freedom as Turkey fights militants

"It's embarrassing that foreign leaders call the person who is the number one cause of ISIL terror in Turkey to present their condolences for Suruc," he tweeted.

Gursel was referring to allegations ? vehemently denied by Ankara ? that Erdogan had supported jihadists in Syria in the hope they would oust the Syrian regime.

The response by his newspaper Milliyet ? long seen as a respected and mainstream title ? was swift and merciless. Gursel, who started working for the paper in the 1990s and began his column in 2007, was fired the same day. The paper said Gursel's comments were journalistically unethical and violated its editorial principles.

His case highlights the problems faced by the Turkish opposition press as Erdogan pushes a relentless offensive against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and prepares for snap legislative elections on Nov. 1.

The situation appears to have again deteriorated in recent weeks with the arrests and deportations of international journalists, attacks on daily Hurriyet and a police raid on a holding company that owns opposition media.

Milliyet is owned by the Demiroren Group, one of Turkey's largest conglomerates with interests in energy, construction and media. Its chief, Yildirim Demiroren, is widely seen as close to the president.

Mehves Evin, another pro-opposition Milliyet columnist, was fired last month. "I will not surrender. I will keep on writing!" she tweeted.

At least 140 journalists have been fired over the last couple of months, according to a report from the EU-funded Press for Freedom Project.

"There is no sign of hope. Press freedom is declining in Turkey," said Yusuf Kanli, a columnist for the Hurriyet Daily News. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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(DPs/ LF)

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