Ataoglu is being accompanied by his "undersecretary Ismet Esenyel, private secretary Kazim Turkkan, press adviser Kemal Oneren and the "president of the health tourism council" Ahmet Savasan.

The forum which is being organized by the World Health Tourism Council has 319 members from 53 countries, including Brazil, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Britain and Greece.

[09] U.S. Ambassador Doherty visited KIBRIS media group

The US Ambassador was accompanied by US embassy officer on public affairs Glen Davis and Ipek Uzunoglu, program assistant at U.S. Embassy.

During the meeting, Nur Nadir, the deputy chairman of KIBRIS media group, Ali Baturay, KIBRIS editor in chief and Serhat Incirli, KIBRIS news director also participated.

(DPs)

[10] A cooperation protocol between Misurata University of Libya and the "International Final University"

The signing ceremony of the protocol was held at the Misurata University between the Dean of the "International Final University" Prof. Dr Abdullah Y. Oztoprak and the Chairman of the Misurata University Prof. Dr Altaher M. Alhubge.

The protocol aims to facilitate academic staff and student exchange between the two

"universities" and enhance academic excellence by realizing joint scientific research and joint conferences as well as other educational, scientific and cultural activities.

(DPs)

[11] President Erdogan to hold rally in Cologne next month

According to German tabloid Bild, President Erdogan will call Turkish-Germans to gather at a rally in the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW), as Turkey nears a referendum for constitutional changes.

"Apparently uneasy with Erdogan's visit, German politicians expressed their extreme discontent over the planned rally. NRW Interior Minister Ralf Jager told German newspaper Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger that the NRW has already suggested to the Federal Government that the rally be prevented", Sabah reports and writes the following: " Germany's highest court had earlier decided to prevent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from addressing the rally. Whether or not the German Federal government will do anything to prevent Erdogan from addressing a rally in Cologne remains to be seen".

[12] Turkish Defence Minister says Ankara-backed FSA takes control of 'almost all' of Al Bab in Syria

AL-BAB, Syria (AA) - The Free Syrian Army (FSA), backed by the Turkish military, has taken control of "almost all" of Syria's strategic town of Al-Bab, Turkish Defence Minister confirmed Thursday [23 February].

"Almost all of al-Bab is under control now, and a sweep operation is ongoing," Fikri Isik told reporters in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir.

"When the operation is over, we will be able to say that Al-Bab has been completely cleared of Daesh [DA'ISH, Arabic acronym for ISIS] elements."

An FSA commander said earlier Thursday that FSA fighters were clearing the town of landmines and booby traps planted in the area by Daesh terrorists.

"The center of Al-Bab is now under opposition control," FSA Commander Ahmed al-Shahabi told Anadolu Agency.

"We are advancing cautiously due to the many mines and explosives left behind," he said.

The Turkish-led Operation Euphrates Shield aims to provide security, support U.S.-led coalition forces, and eliminate the terrorist presence along Syria's northern border with Turkey.

The operation, which began last summer, relies heavily on FSA fighters backed by Turkish artillery and air support.

[13] Turkish Deputy PM urges 'terror sensitivity' in media

"The media uses such a venomous narrative sometimes that it is equal to what the terror groups say," Kurtulmus told a conference in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Kurtulmus said with terrorism there came an "imperial narrative" that is "venomous and as dangerous as terrorist groups".

"You need to take a closer look at time before the United States invaded Iraq, when the Mosul problem began," said Kurtulmus. "'Shia militants', 'Turkmen militants', 'Arab militants', 'Turkish - Kurdish terror groups', [the media] used these kinds of definitions to make it seem like there was a civil war going on."

He also said the Western media avoided using terrorist groups' names in Mosul.

"I request from friends in the media that we need to be careful and not pamper to this imperial narrative," Kurtulmus said. "We need to use our own language, our own narrative in this fight against terror."

[14] Piri: "The situation in Turkey is worsening on every visit"

Piri said it was upsetting to see journalists in jail due to their journalistic activities, stating that it was even worse to see this situation in a country that is in EU accession talks.

"We have been trying to visit daily Cumhuriyet on every visit to Turkey. But unfortunately, the situation in Turkey is getting worse. Press rights and the treatment against press members are crucial for the European Parliament. Because it expresses the situation of the democracy in a country," she said.

She also said they observed the actions of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), saying that they were breaching the criterion of the EU. Piri urged for the lift of the state of emergency, adding that regardless of the outcome of the constitutional referendum, Turkey would not be able to normalize easily.

"I do not believe that Turkey can enter a process of normalization until the state of emergency is lifted, the referendum results are regardless of this. Opposition lawmakers and journalists have been jailed and thousands of people have been dismissed from their duties during the state of emergency, which the government said it would not affect the lives of citizens. There is a terror threat against Turkey, it is clear. But we are worried that mentioning 'terrorists' has become easy and their right to defend themselves are not given," she said.

Meanwhile, Piri visited Mehmet Gunal, the deputy chairman of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), on Feb. 22 at the Turkish Parliament.

Gunal criticized the European Parliament during their meeting, saying that relations between Turkey and the EU turned into an unending relationship. "Either we get married, or you take your ring and go away," he said.

[15] Over 1,700 arrested over 'terror propaganda' via social media across Turkey

"Cyber-police" working on identifying suspects making terror propaganda online have so far detained at least 3,894 people out of 22,088 identified by police since the coup attempt.

Some 1,328 suspects have been released on probation and 1,734 have been arrested up to now.

A total of 69,937 social media accounts have been identified allegedly conducting "propaganda for terrorist organizations or terrorist acts."

Meanwhile, 18,194 suspects are reportedly waiting for detention orders from prosecutors, while police are still working on identifying the owners of 47,849 social media accounts, according to officials.

Police have also worked to identify people who were allegedly making propaganda from abroad and have informed border gates of people detected.

Previously, 948 people were detained for allegedly providing support to terror or spreading "terror propaganda" through social media after twin bombings in the Besiktas district of Istanbul in December 2016 that claimed 46 lives, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Feb. 8.

Security forces conducted operations across Turkey between Dec. 11, 2016 and Feb. 6, targeting suspects who allegedly supported terror organizations, spread "terror propaganda," and "insulted statesmen or the security forces" through Facebook and Twitter after the attack.

[16] Turkish Energy Minister: Turkey may become an energy exporter in next 10 years

"Turkey, which spends $50 billion in energy and mineral imports every year, may turn into an energy exporter in the next 10 years," Albayrak said Feb. 22 in a ceremony in Ankara to mark the 15th anniversary of the founding of sector regulator Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), an event held by the Association of Energy Experts.

"We aim at bringing energy to the public with better quality and price. Beyond that, a big Turkey should now be an actor in a wider picture that has a say in energy, which is an important raw material today, in regional and global means. We need to build this," he said.

Turkey produces 49.3 % of its power needs from local resources, he said, stressing on the importance of local and renewable resources.

"In the next 10 years, we need to increase the share of domestic resources in electricity generation to at least two-thirds. We have to carry this ratio to over 50 %. We will all work together shoulder to shoulder. From now on, we will look for more resources, and we will do the regulations and the open ground for the investors, being supportive in a triple win-win outlook. We will produce nuclear power and domestic coal. We need to develop resources with richer calorific values. Turkey is importing 50 billion dollars of energy every year, for energy, will start paying less," he added.

Albayrak spoke before he headed to Azerbaijan, a leading energy partner for Turkey, on Feb. 23.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev welcomed Albayrak ahead of a ministerial meeting on the Southern Gas Corridor project in the country's capital, Baku.

Azerbaijan aims to finalize the Southern Gas Corridor by 2020. The project includes the South Caucasus Pipeline, Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

[17] Turkey, Pakistan see exemplary relations evolving into strategic cooperation

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Turkey to co-chair the fifth session of the Pakistan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting alongside Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in the capital Ankara yesterday. As Yildirim and his Pakistani counterpart praised Turkey and Pakistan's long-lasting exemplary relations during the joint press conference, Sharif affirmed his determination to combat the Gulenist Terror Group (FETO) network in Pakistan, stressing that "Turkey's enemies are also Pakistan's enemies." Prime Minister Sharif also met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and paid a visit to the Turkish Parliament "to reaffirm Pakistan's unequivocal support and solidarity with the government and people of Turkey against the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15."

Speaking at Cankaya Palace Thursday during the joint press conference, Sharif reiterated Pakistan's solidarity with Turkey against the coup attempt.

Prime Minister Yildirim praised Pakistan for displaying "a spirit of brotherhood and historical solidarity" immediately after the coup attempt.

[18] Two more Turkish soldiers seek asylum in Greece

According to officials familiar with the matter, the two men -- both of whom served in the Turkish special forces -- crossed into Greece on Feb. 15.

Two days later, they turned themselves in to the Greek authorities and requested asylum after admitting to illegally entering the country.

Both soldiers are currently being held in custody in Alexandroupoli, northern Greece. They allegedly fled arrest in Turkey due to information tying them to Erdogan's attempted assassination on the night of the failed coup.

[19] Main opposition vice chair Boke receives death threat live on TV

A suspect reportedly called CNNTurk, while Boke was on a live TV program presented by journalist Sirin Payzin, threatening her that she would not be able to get home alive and would be killed after she leaves the studios.

The channel's administration informed the police immediately after the call, while they also informed Boke about it and added that police would be waiting for her at the end of the program.

Boke was reportedly escorted to the airport with tightened security measures to travel to her home in the capital Ankara.

Earlier, Boke had answered questions in a Central Executive Board meeting about death threats journalists were receiving, saying, "I was not brought up in the woods to be scared by owls." "If we did not fear for our children's future, we would not be in politics. If we want to build a Turkey where our children do not live in fear, we should jointly struggle without fear. These threats cannot defeat us," she said.

[20] Commentary views how undecided voters might affect Constitutional referendum result

"Field studies show that about 90 % of the CHP [Republican People's Party] and the HDP [Peoples' Democratic Party] electorate will say ''no'' to the constitutional change that will be put to a referendum. The argument that the MHP [Nationalist Movement Party] has a more volatile sociological base does not correspond with the field facts. In fact, the 71 % '''no'' vote, which the Metropoll opinion pool came up with in November, remains exactly the same in the month of January. However, as far as the ''yes'' vote is concerned, it is a different situation. While the ''yes'' vote among the CHP electorate was 15.3 % in November, two months later this figure dropped to 2.4 %. As for the MHP electorate, this dropped from 24.7 to 18.7 % during the same period. The undecided among the CHP electorate rose from 2.6 to 4.8 % while the %age of the undecided MHP electorate rose from 4.3 to 9.8 %. While the %age of the undecided CHP electorate did not increase much, some of the MHP electorate who previously said ''yes'' turned into undecided. Among the HDP electorate, these %ages remain roughly the same.

It appears that the ''yes'' vote among the electorate of the other political parties outside the AKP [Justice and Development Party] will continue its trend to fall. The fluctuations from the ''yes'' vote toward the undecided can grow the ''no'' front even more in the coming days. In contrast, the AKP electorate is consolidating itself at the opposite end. While the ''yes'' vote increased from 78 to 82 % in two months, the ''no'' vote dropped from 12 to nine % and the undecided fell from 10 to nine %. Unless we assume that those who oppose the constitutional change will suddenly begin to have a positive view of the draft, we can envisage that persons who are at some place in this transition remain undecided. In other words, between November and January, about three or four % of the AKP electorate might have switched from ''no'' vote to undecided and the same %age of the electorate might have shifted from undecided to ''yes.''

In any case, this means that the AKP has a high chance of influencing its own electorate to increase support for the referendum. Given that the undecided among the MHP corresponds to one % of the overall electorate while this figure for the undecided among the AKP electorate is five %, the government is expected to channel all its energy toward its own electorate.

The question is whether this effort will be enough for the referendum or not… The Metropoll survey has some promising findings for the government. If an election were to be held today, the vote would be shared as follows: The AKP 43.4%, the CHP 20.3%, the MHP 9.3%, the HDP 8.6%, other 1.7%, undecided 6.3%, protest 3.1%, no response 7.3 %. When those who did not declare their vote for various reasons are distributed across the parties, the AKP gets 52 % of the vote. This figure was 49.5% in the November survey conducted by the same company.

Now, let us put these figures next to the figures for the referendum: 82.2 % of the AKP electorate are saying ''yes,'' in other words, we start with 35.7 points. Additionally, 2.4 % of the CHP electorate, 18.7 % of the MHP electorate, and 6.6 % of the HDP electorate are saying ''yes,'' as well. Respectively, 0.5, 1.7. and 0.6 points. In this way, the ''yes'' vote reaches 38.5 %. In contrast, when we add all the ''no'' vote using the same method, the figures are the AKP 3.9%, the CHP 18.8%, the MHP 6.6%, and the HDP 7.6 %; that is, 36.9 % in total.

In other words, if the undecided votes are distributed across, the ''yes'' vote is 51-49 %. However, there is an odd situation here. If we directly go with the Metropoll's question on the referendum, the result is, including the 13.6 % undecided, is 42.4-44 % in favor of the ''no'' vote. When the undecided votes are distributed across, it is still 51-49 %, albeit in reverse order.

The reason behind this oddity has to do both with the difference between the 1 November elections and today's share of the vote and with the fact that the questions starting with ''if elections were held today'' and ''if the referendum was held today'' create different undecided voter groups. It is likely that those who remain undecided in response to the election question tend to go for ''no'' in response to the referendum question. If we were to distribute this equally, the 16.7 % undecided would have been distributed as 8.5-8.2% in favor of the ''yes'' vote. However, we understand that in the survey this was distributed as 6.5 % ''yes'' and 10.2% ''no.'' Those who say they will protest an election if one were held are perhaps planning to vote ''no'' in the referendum. Those who would remain undecided between the AKP and the MHP in an election do not perhaps support the ''presidential system.'' It is possible to come up with many probabilities and we do not know the answer. However, we can argue that the side who can correctly identify the undecided voters are closer to their preferred outcome in the referendum.

[21] MHP's MP: AKP might postpone the constitutional referendum because of not favorable opinion poll results

In statements to Turkish Sozcu newspaper, Halacoglu expressed the view that epithets such as "terrorists, devils, infidels" for those who will vote "no" derive from the ruling party's fear. He noted: "[…] One man from their party in Manisa comes out and says: If yes does not come out, there will be civil war. What does this mean? Does it mean that tomorrow you will come to kill those who voted no? […] There is a very big panic".

(I/Ts.) TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

http://www.pio.gov.cy

(CS / AM)

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