Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-04-04

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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] Turkey's first nuclear plant kick-started by Erdogan, Putin

[02] S-400s will be deployed to Turkey in July 2019: Official

[03] Ozersay: "A custom duty on the humanitarian aid sent by the Republic of Cyprus to Greek Cypriots and Maronites should not be imposed"

[04] Akdag will probably carry out an illegal visit in the occupied area of Cyprus within the next days

[05] Nami argues that hydrocarbons could be turned into opportunity if will exists

[06] A proposal for 2,000 "exceptional citizenships" is being prepared

[07] More about the Greek Cypriot missing in the occupied area of Cyprus

[08] Ozgurgun says no to open-ended negotiation talks

[09] Columnist: A crisis exists between CTP and HP

[10] Sefik sees no problem for holding "municipal elections" on 1 July

[11] Journalist Hasan Cemal receives suspended jail sentence

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Turkey's first nuclear plant kick-started by Erdogan, Putin

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin jointly lay the ground for the plant on the Mediterranean coast via a video teleconference held at the presidential complex.

"The Akkuyu plant will become the 56th nuclear plant under construction in the world. When the first reactor of the Akkuyu plant is put into operation in 2023, Turkey will join the family of nuclear energy producers," Erdogan said.

"The distance we have covered in our relations with Russia in the last 15 years is very important," he added, also referring to an agreement for Ankara to purchase long-range S-400 missile defense systems from Russia and the Turkstream natural gas pipeline project to transport Russian gas.

"We are not just kick-starting the construction of Turkey's first nuclear plant, we are founding Turkey's nuclear sector," Putin said at the ceremony.

"We aim to produce the first energy unit in 2023. We will be doing so on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. When all units are in operation, the nuclear plant will supply 10 % of Turkey's electricity demand," he added.

Turkey's TAEK atomic energy authority on April 2 granted Russian builder Rosatom a construction license to start work on the first unit of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

"As a result of the construction license process, an important step in the project started nearly three years ago, being completed ... it has been decided by TAEK to grant a construction license for the construction of the first unit of the Akkuyu Nuclear Plant," read a TAEK statement.

Meanwhile, Turkey's approval for Gazprom's onshore portion of the TurkStream gas pipeline's second line is still pending, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on April 3.

Akkuyu nuclear plant will be built by Russia's Rosatom on the Mediterranean coast for a price tag of $20 billion.

Rosatom holds a majority share in the plant with 51 %. The remaining 49 % stake was originally planned to be divided between a Turkish consortium of three contracting conglomerates under the name Cengiz-Kolin-Kalyon (CKK). However, Kolin and Kalyon recently decided to pull out of the project, citing an inability to agree on commercial terms.

Erdogan will host Putin and Iranian counterpart Hasan Rouhani on April 4 to discuss the ongoing Astana and Sochi processes to bring an end to the conflict in Syria.

[02] S-400s will be deployed to Turkey in July 2019: Official

"The time of delivery cited on the agreement for the procurement of S-400s has been brought forward to July 2019," Ismail Demir, the head of the Undersecreteriat for Defense Industries (SSM) was quoted as saying by daily Hurriyet on April 4.

Demir's statement followed an agreement voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 3 after a lengthy meeting in the Turkish capital. Russia was planning to deliver these systems to Turkey in early 2020.

Turkey has long been under pressure from its main NATO allies, particularly the United States, to cancel the agreement for the procurement of the S-400s systems, as they cannot be interoperable with existing NATO anti-ballistic defense architecture. There were also concerns that Russian involvement in operating the S-400s will allow Moscow to have access to the allied codes and information about NATO facilities on Turkish soil.

Erdogan, however, was defiant against pressures and reactions from the allied countries."We have made our agreement on the S-400s. We have closed this chapter. This job is done," he said at the joint press conference with Putin.

There are concerns that Turkey's purchase of Russian-made sophisticated air defense systems could trigger punitive measures, as stipulated in the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a bill that was passed by the United States Congress in 2017.

"We have decided with President Erdogan in our meeting to speed up the delivery of the S-400 systems," Russian President Vladimir Putin said, referring to the purchase that has raised concerns among Turkey's NATO partners.

"Our Turkish colleagues made a request in the meetings. We will accelerate the process," the Russian President added.

"This is an issue of commerce. Companies are working on it," Putin said.

[03] Ozersay: "A custom duty on the humanitarian aid sent by the Republic of Cyprus to Greek Cypriots and Maronites should not be imposed"

He made these statements speaking yesterday during a meeting of the "council of ministers".

As he stated a new procedure regarding the issue will be followed.

(CS)

[04] Akdag will probably carry out an illegal visit in the occupied area of Cyprus within the next days

(AK)

[05] Nami argues that hydrocarbons could be turned into opportunity if will exists

Noting that the "government" attaches great importance to the field of energy, Nami said that in their "program" they gathered the issue under five chapters: the energy production to serve growth, the reduction of the input costs in the production, the production of high quality energy, the diversity in the production and the production of environment-friendly energy.

Recalling that an "agreement" to transfer electricity to the occupied area of Cyprus from Turkey with undersea cables was signed in 2016, Nami noted that the interests of the consumer should be taken into consideration in the energy production.

(I/Ts.)

[06] A proposal for 2,000 "exceptional citizenships" is being prepared

Referring to the rural plots of land allotted by the regime, Baybars said that intense demand continues for these plots of land and added that the applications regarding some "irregularities" are being examined.

(I/Ts.)

[07] More about the Greek Cypriot missing in the occupied area of Cyprus

According to the paper, Apostolides had crossed into the occupied area of Cyprus last Wednesday from the occupied Zodia crossing point with his car and since then he was reported by his family as missing.

The paper speaks about the possibility of him to be murdered. Invoking reliable sources, the paper writes that the "police" have launched investigations starting from the fact that during the night of the 28th of March when he had crossed into the "TRNC" with his car with license plate (MET 470), Apostolides met a 35-year man with the initials E.S. The police launched an "investigation" into the house of that person who has reportedly departed for abroad and found out a bloody shirt. The paper adds that Apostolides was frequently crossing into the "TRNC" and meeting with this man. The "police" continue its "investigation" and examines the possibility on the Apostolides' assassination.

(AK)

[08] Ozgurgun says no to open-ended negotiation talks

Referring to the internal situation in the party, Ozgurgun claimed that there are some who are trying to divide the party. "We will not give them this opportunity", Ozgurgun said, adding that he will be candidate for the party leadership during the party's congress in autumn.

Referring to the Cyprus problem and the Cyprus negotiation talks, Ozgurgun said that his party's positions are clear and known. Ozgurgun stressed the need not to proceed to negotiation talks if they are going to be open-ended, claiming that again will yield no result. "But if a deadline is given, we have no objections concerning the negotiation process. There is nothing left which has not been discussed. But if we say again 'let's meet to talks, let's drink coffee, let's eat meatballs and we will see later, this is nothing else but serving the games of the Greek Cypriot side", Ozgurgun alleged.

(AK)

[09] Columnist: A crisis exists between CTP and HP

"A CTP source of mine commented on this by saying 'everyone should know his position'. […] On the other hand, another crisis came up having as source Asim Akansoy, CTP's deputy in Famagusta. During some television programs he had participated last week, Akansoy criticized minister of foreign affairs Kudret Ozersay, because of his political stance on the Cyprus problem. This situation annoyed the People's Party wing and this was shared with the CTP. […] On the other hand, another crisis was experienced yesterday and, if I may say so, the HP 'fixed' its coalition partners on the issue of the consultants and moreover instead of doing this behind closed doors, it did it openly and publicly. This was truly Ozersay's stake to spoil the government. […]"

(I/Ts.)

[10] Sefik sees no problem for holding "municipal elections" on 1 July

Furthermore, yesterday the "parliamentary committee" on "legal, political and external affairs" approved with majority the "draft-law" regarding "the elections and referenda (provisional rules)".

(I/Ts.)

[11] Journalist Hasan Cemal receives suspended jail sentence

Taking into account that Cemal was previously sentenced to one year and three months in prison on the same charges, the Istanbul 24th Heavy Penal Court reduced the term to three months and 22 days, and ruled for the suspension of the sentence.

Cemal was tried for "conducting terror propaganda" through his serial column titled "Withdrawal Diary" published on the T24 news website on May 15, 2013.

He was previously acquitted of charges on "conducting terror propaganda" in March 2017, but a court of appeal reversed the decision and ruled for the continuation of Cemal's trial in October 2017.

Cemal's series "Withdrawal Diary" charted the withdrawal of outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants from Turkish soil during the peace process, which collapsed in 2015.

The decision comes after an Istanbul court on April 2 issued an arrest warrant and a red notice for exiled former daily Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Can Dundar.

He was arrested in November 2015 on charges of espionage while also facing other charges, and was released in March 2016 in a case involving the much-publicized National Intelligence Organization (MIT) trucks that carried weapons to Syria in 2014.

Dundar has been living in Germany since June 2016 and faces detention warrants as part of two separate probes in Turkey.

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TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

(CS/ AM)

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