Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-01-25

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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: "It is not possible for us to accept zero troops, zero guarantees"

[02] Kurtulmus reiterated that Turkey will not abandon its rights as a guarantor power in Cyprus

[03] Ozgurgun alleges that the Cyprus negotiations should end and that submitting a map was a strategic mistake

[04] The so-called Turkish ambassador replied to Tsipras: "He was a baby when the events happened"

[05] Erhurman evaluated the recent developments on the Cyprus negotiations

[06] Kanatli said that the truths were not said to the community regarding the "agreement" on energy

[07] TKP-YG becomes politically active

[08] The breakaway regime is participating in various tourism fairs

[09] Turkey's EU Minister: Freezing Turkey's EU accession negotiations strikes against European values

[10] Commentary: "A big problem in the Turkish referendum"

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Akinci: "It is not possible for us to accept zero troops, zero guarantees"

Noting that the issue of protecting the security and the constitutional status has come forward in the negotiations, Akinci said that these issues should have been discussed and this was achieved. He added: "We submitted one of the models to the Greek Cypriot side. We could not move forward because we did not see the necessary opening. […] Let's say that what we had experienced in 1963 happened again. The 1963 constitution was giving us some rights. These rights were usurped. Since 1963 the Greek Cypriots have been the sole owner of the entire state. Therefore, if the federation we establish crackles again because of the Greek Cypriots' stance, if they attempt to usurp our rights, we said that 'as last solution the Turkish Cypriots see that only one power could stop this course with a decision they will at least have to pass from their own parliament. And this [last solution] is to benefit from Turkey's force'. First they behaved with understanding. Afterwards the Greek Cypriot leader said that the two separate states rhetoric reminds of confederation. […]"

Recalling that there was no separate Turkish Cypriot police force in the past, Akinci noted that now the Turkish Cypriots will have separate police, separate government and separate courts. He further said that the Turkish Cypriots will provide their own internal security and added that the federal police force will be composed of an equal number of Turkish and Greek Cypriots. "This has been decided", he said and added: "However, if the constitutional status is put in danger, we should be able to give Turkey the right to interfere within the framework of our founding state. If we are in danger we should invite it. They are currently referring to zero army zero guarantees. It is not possible for us to accept this. During the technical works which lasted for two days at Mont Pelerin, it has very clearly come out that the guarantees in the sense of the guarantee and the protection of the constitutional status, which the Turkish Cypriots want, could not be provided within the framework of the EU. The EU has no such mechanism. […]"

Alleging that the Greek Cypriots have demands varying from being very excessive to less excessive, Akinci argued that the Greek Cypriots want the withdrawal of all troops before the solution and refer to zero troops within some years. He added: "In any case, 40 thousand troops are not needed. It is obvious that in case of a solution, this number will be decreased. In 1960, agreement was reached for 650 Turkish and 950 Greek soldiers. Mr Erdogan has also referred to a similar number. The number is not such a big issue. It is enough to agree on their existence. If there is a demand for zero troops zero guarantees you cannot discuss this. This is not something which the Turkish Cypriots could accept in a referendum. It will not be approved in a referendum. Around 80% of the Turkish Cypriots want Turkey's guarantees. We want the security of the one side, but we do not wish this to be perceived as threat for the other side. Turkey is also seeing this positively".

Referring to the issue of the map, Akici argued: "The map is one of the sensitive issues, like the issue of security and guarantees. This is why it is left for the end. The first four chapters were the governance and power sharing, the economy, the EU and the property. These are also important issues. The territory and the guarantees, however, are the most sensitive issues. Yes, we have come to the end. Now, as it is provided for in the 11 February 214 agreement, all chapters are being discussed together interdependently. 8-10 issues in these chapters could go together in parallel to a result. The Greek Cypriots have submitted a map, which not only I but no one could have accepted. Of course they have excessive demands. It is true that there is a difference of 1%, but the two maps are very different from each other. An agreement could be found at a point close to the basis which we are providing for. Their map is not realistic. […]"

Alleging that in order for a solution to be achieved the stance of the Greek Cypriot side on the power sharing should be positive, Akinci claimed: "The rotating presidency is one of our sine qua non. Mustafa Akinci will not submit to a referendum a plan which does not include the rotating presidency. [There will be] effective participation in the decisions, [in] how the decisions will be taken at the Council of Ministers, there will be various councils, the number will be equal in some of them, in some other it will be less. They perceive this as veto, but we perceive it as participation. In the past the Vice President had the right of veto on defense, foreign policy and security issues. The content of the rotating presidency is not empty. It will be valid in case the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot Ministers take decisions together on these three issues. For the first time we have imposed the 7 to 4 in the Council of Ministers, 7 Greek Cypriots and 4 Turkish Cypriots. […]"

Asked whether this will be the last chance for finding a solution in Cyprus, Akinci reiterated the view that this is the last chance of his generation. "I think that this is the last chance of uniting the island under a federal roof", he argued.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Kurtulmus reiterated that Turkey will not abandon its rights as a guarantor power in Cyprus

Speaking to Turkish state television TRT Haber, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister said that a successful conclusion of the talks in Cyprus will be for the benefit of both sides on the island. He, however, added that this did not mean that Turkey will be making concessions in order to achieve a settlement on the island. "The public should be careful as there are claims circulating around which do not reflect the truth. Turkey does not enter discussion or bargaining on issues where agreement is not reached, particularly on the issue of territory", he argued.

Kurtulmus also pointed out that it is out of the question for Turkey, under the current conditions, to abandon its rights as a guarantor power in Cyprus.

He added that the map presented by the Greek Cypriot side in Geneva was also unacceptable for the Turkish side.

[03] Ozgurgun alleges that the Cyprus negotiations should end and that submitting a map was a strategic mistake

He said that during the Geneva negotiations from 9 to 12 January 2017 their briefing on the developments was made with delay and there was a crisis on the map issue, which they consider to be of vital importance. He noted that before the map to be submitted they had asked for a meeting with Akinci, but this could not happen. According to Ozgurgun, Akinci invited them after the map had been submitted, but he did not go wondering what he would discuss since the map had been already submitted.

Ozgurgun alleged that the Turkish Cypriot side can demand nothing from now on because it has submitted the map and claimed: "Only the security and guarantees were left for the Greek Cypriot side to ask. Anyway it goes over the security and guarantees. Because it has taken the map. We had warned that strategic mistakes should not have been committed there. […] Because the territory, the security and the guarantees should have been evaluated together".

Noting that he was not briefed yet on the map submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side in Geneva, Ozgurgun alleged: "Imagine a prime minister, who has a country a part of the land of which will be given to another land. However, he does not know this. This is really a very sad situation for us".

Ozgurgun argued that the percentage of 29+% submitted by the late Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas did not include discussion of the security and the guarantees, that 44 thousand Greek Cypriots were not coming to live in places other than those to be returned and there was no cross voting and a structure going towards a unitary state.

According to Ozgurgun's claims, a "border adjustment" could be made but no one should be displaced. He alleged: "This could be made in the vacant territories. There is a buffer zone of 3,5%. The British have in any case said that they will abandon 1,5% from their bases. With the remaining border adjustment, a solution could easily be reached by which no one will be moved from its place. However, a will should exist. An adjustment will be made by which no one will be displaced, just like this was very well explained by Mr President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 'We will give Varosha and in return we will take a connection to Kokkina', he said. It is very reasonable and right".

Arguing that he heard nothing from Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci on this statement made by Erdogan, Ozgrugun claimed: "Has president Akinci said that this is the map we have submitted or he submitted another map? If a map other than what the President of Turkey has said was given, it means that a serious problem with Turkey comes up".

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (25.01.17) reports that Ozgurgun alleged: "We have a serious problem. Fortunately the negotiations stopped. If they continued we would be ruined".

He claimed that going to Geneva again is meaningless now and wondered why the sides will go to Geneva. He alleged that during their recent visit to Geneva he was invited as party leader by Akinci, but he went as "prime minister" and was received according to this protocol in Switzerland. He claimed: "If they recognize me, is another issue. I went there as the prime minister of the country and we were received as such in Switzerland. Both the protocol and the practice was a practice implemented for prime ministers. […]"

(I/Ts.)

[04] The so-called Turkish ambassador replied to Tsipras: "He was a baby when the events happened"

Kanbay made these statements during a meeting he held with the "society of martyrs families and disabled war veterans".

"The description of the Cyprus issue as 'the occupation of the island by Turkey', made by the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is very interesting; because for sure he was not born in those years. Perhaps he was a little baby. He does not remember that a murderer that came here from his country 50 years ago was committing crimes in the island since the 1950s", he alleged.

(CS)

[05] Erhurman evaluated the recent developments on the Cyprus negotiations

Erhurman stated that the map submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side was a map of 29.2% and because it was the first map submitted by this side is within the lines of interest of the Turkish Cypriot side. The same applies for the 28,2% map submitted by the Greek Cypriot side he said and reminded that according to the Annan Plan, the territory of the Turkish Cypriot founding state was 28,7%. According to Erhurman, there will be bargaining regarding the maps.

Referring to the issue of guarantees, he stated that his party takes into consideration a recent survey according to which the Turkish Cypriots do not feel safe without Turkish guarantees and added that his party suggests the adoption of a model that will respect the sensitivities of both the Turkish and the Greek Cypriots on the issue.

He added that CTP works towards finding a solution and that the party's delegation who went to Geneva held contacts with both AKEL and DISY.

(CS)

[06] Kanatli said that the truths were not said to the community regarding the "agreement" on energy

In a written statement, Kanatli said that "there should be a worry that an agreement, which includes the exploration of oil and natural gas sources, was ratified by the parliament with the votes of CTP-UBP-DP (Republican Turkish Party – National Unity Party – Democratic Party), in a period that important developments occur on the Cyprus problem and that new searches for natural gas will be carried out in spring". He added: "We do need new tension on the Cyprus problem. For this reason, we do not take lightly the issue like the exploration of oil and natural gas. In the near future, we emphasize that the leadership of CTP-UBP-DP will be considered responsible for the tension that will be caused due to this agreement".

Kanatli further said that the electrical power-plants in the occupied area of Cyprus will be closed down due to the supply of electricity with cable from Turkey and, in addition, the agreement will cause tension in the region.

(DPs)

[07] TKP-YG becomes politically active

Speaking to reporters, the chairman of the party's founding committee Mehmet Cakici said that the TKP name had a deep rooted history and tradition in "TRNC" politics. He said that the newly formed TKP-YG will continue this legacy.

Cakici also explained that they had not been able to register the name TKP as the Turkish Communist Party in Turkey and had to change its name to the Communal Liberation Party. "This is why the party has been named the Communal Liberation Party-New Forces", he added.

Cak?c? added that Sonay Adem, Ali Gulle and Ibrahim Korhan who had resigned from the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) had joined the ranks of the TKP-YG.

[08] The breakaway regime is participating in various tourism fairs

Ataoglu made this statement while participating in the "12th academic tourism research workshop", organized by the "international final university" and the "Anatolia tourism academy".

EMITT which is one of the top five tourism and travel exhibitions in the world will continue until the 29th of January. With participants from over 80 countries this year, EMITT aims to offer new business and partnership opportunities for firms who want to operate in the region.

"Sector representatives from the Cyprus Turkish Tourism and Travel Agencies Association (KITSAB), the North Cyprus Hoteliers Association (KITOB), the Cyprus Turkish Tour Guides Association (KITREB) and the North Cyprus Health Tourism Council will be taking part in the 4 day fair", writes the paper.

In addition, Demokrat Bakis newspaper (25.01.17) under the title "The TRNC was introduced to five different countries", writes that the breakaway regime has participated in five tourism fairs since the beginning of 2017.

According to information by the "ministry of tourism and environment", it participated in the Vakantiebeurs Tourism and Recreation Fair in Holland, and in Ferrien Messe Wien in Austria. In addition, it participated in MATKS 2017 which took place in Finland between 19-22 of January, in a tourism fair in Stuttgart, Germany, between 14-22 of January and in "The Holiday and Travel show", in Manchester, UK between 19-22 of January.

(CS)

[09] Turkey's EU Minister: Freezing Turkey's EU accession negotiations strikes against European values

Speaking during a joint press conference in Ankara Tuesday following a one-on-one meeting with the U.K.'s Minister of State at the Department of International Trade, Lord Price, Minister Celik praised the Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland as "a good statesman" and dismissed claims of Turkey being put under a monitoring process, describing them as "baseless".

Meanwhile, with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) recently rejecting a demand for an urgent session on the latest developments in Turkey, Celik stated that Turkey deserves applause from its European allies for its performance in defending its democracy against the July 15 failed coup attempt conducted by the Gulenist Terror Group (FETO).

Reminding members of the media that Europe will hold a number of elections in the coming months, Celik stated that these elections are to redefine Europe's political map.

He also affirmed that "even if Turkey does not become a European Union member, it will remain one of Europe's strongest historically, and has been a European democracy for 100 years."

[10] Commentary: "A big problem in the Turkish referendum"

"Main opposition social democratic Republican People's Party (CHP) head Kemal Kilicdaroglu on Jan. 24 paid a visit to the monument in memory of journalist Ugur Mumcu on the 24th anniversary of the latter's assassination. (…)

After paying silent homage together with Mumcu's family members, laying red carnations and placing candles, Kilicdaroglu was about to get into his car when a reporter asked him to comment on a remark delivered earlier by government spokesman and Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus.

'Suicide bombings and assassinations may continue', Kurtulmus had told state-run Anadolu Agency in an interview with its editorial board broadcast live by news stations. 'I believe the referendum process is a motivator for [terror organizations]. They [believe that they] can create an atmosphere of fear in Turkey by using terrorist organizations to block the 'yes' vote in the referendum … We are taking all kinds of measures against [terrorism], and after a big 'yes' vote in the referendum, the voice of terror will be cut off.'

He was talking about the referendum due to be held in Turkey in approximately two months on whether to shift to an executive presidential system. The referendum follows fierce debates in Parliament.

When asked about Kurtulmus' remarks, Kilicdaroglu turned around and said the following: "[His words] effectively mean 'we are feeding terror, we overlook terrorist organizations and people are getting slaughtered. But if you choose us and help bring about a presidential regime, a one-man regime, terrorism will stop. That is a very unfortunate confession. I am sad and embarrassed to hear such a comment."

In response, Kurtulmus stated via his Twitter account that it was 'a pity that the opposition leader has misunderstood what I said, removed it from its context, and made an unfortunate comment on it'.

The CHP head has long claimed that the proposed shift to an executive presidency could turn into a 'one-man rule' under President Tayyip Erdogan.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) managed to get its amendment package passed through Parliament to a referendum with the help of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Recently figures from the AKP, from Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m to lower ranking members, have started to adopt rhetoric implying that the CHP and the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (PYD) are united together in the 'No' front, despite CHP statements.

Both the AKP and the MHP denounce the HDP as the 'legal extension' of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which for three decades has carried out terrorist attacks killing thousands of people in Turkey.

The CHP fears that such rhetoric feeds into subliminal messages to voters that whoever votes against the presidential system is voting on the same side as terror. Indeed, this language may well become more explicit during the upcoming referendum campaign.

The government should refrain from this kind of strategy, which has the potential to side-line up to half of the population thinking of voting 'No' as 'terrorists' or 'terrorist helpers', further deepening the dangerous polarization in Turkey." TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

http://www.pio.gov.cy

(DPs / AM)

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