The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and so-called prime minister Tufan Erhurman, the leader of the People's Party (HP) and so-called foreign minister Kudret Ozersay, the leader of the Democratic Party (DP) and so-called finance minister Serdar Denktas and the leader of the Rebirth Party (YDP) Erhan Ar?kl? attended the meeting which took place at the so-called presidential palace. No statement was made at the end of the meeting.

[05] Columnist argues that the Turkish Cypriots cannot act alone without Turkey's consensus

"The debate, which has been sparked after president Mustafa Akinci's proposal on the Guterres Framework, is continuing.

The government announced yesterday that it was unaware of the proposal and that they found it out from the press.

The assembly is completely out of the picture…

Besides, there has been no briefing regarding the Cyprus issue to the new assembly, which was formed on January 7 with the elections.

It was not explained if there is a Guterres document and what it is.

It was understood that even Turkey was not informed regarding this proposal.

In other words, there was no consensus on this proposal among Ankara and president Akinci.

As a result, president Mustafa Akinci apparently took this step alone.

He did not share it with any partner, he did not inform the assembly and he did not think to obtain authorization and approval. He did not involve the government as part of this step that he will take.

He did not inform also the public on this issue about the reason he did it.

Unfortunately, until now, he has not shared with the public why he behaved in a transparent way and acted alone.

This is the one side of this job…

If you look at the other side, meaning if you look to the voices from the Greek Cypriot side, AKEL and DISI responded positively to Akinci's call.

Both parties gave the messages that they perceived in the negotiations that the road to solution was opened and Turkey would not be included, as well as they will get rid of the guarantees within this framework.

They stressed that the EU's guarantee for Cyprus will be sufficient and they also said that the Cypriots may find such a solution together.

The Greek Cypriot leader of the Greek Cypriot administration Nicos Anastasiades asked president Akinci whether he obtained approval or not from Ankara on the issue zero soldiers zero guarantees.

At the end, if both sides approve the Guterres document and sign it, it would not mean anything if Turkey, Greece and Britain do not agree on the Treaty of Guarantee and Alliance and for the creation of a new regime.

In short, what the guarantors will say and will do is not included in the Guterres document and without them this job cannot be done.

Here you see, Anastasiades has thrown the ball back to president (Akinci) by bringing this issue back.

The president by bringing to the fore other headings in the document asked the Greek Cypriot leader whether he accept them or not by not changing anything.

In short, the job has turned again to a mutual blame.

They are confused.

Meanwhile, the problems in the relations between Turkey and the TRNC have been emerged.

In this trip, which started with the allegation that the Turkish Cypriots' interests are above all, the reality that these interests have been protected by acting jointly with Turkey is ignored.

Years ago, Dr Fazil Kucuk by taking the lead on the name of the protection of the Turkish Cypriot existence, the fundamental approach "it won't be without Turkey' asked to be put aside.

Of course, these things cannot be happened and cannot cause any results beyond harming the Turks of Cyprus in order to protect their rights.

Let's say, let us discuss once more the issues with a common sense.

The interests of the Turkish Cypriots may be protected by acting with Turkey and by doing this in a rational way.

A solution can also be found by acting with a team spirit and a common mind."

(DPs)

[06] The settlers who attacked Afrika newspaper were let free

The paper writes that the suspects were not trialed at a criminal court as they should and did not serve all their time. The 6th suspect was set free previously because he was sentenced only to 2 months in prison in the breakaway regime. The paper also publishes a picture of the three celebrating their release in a restaurant.

(CS)

[07] Inflation in the breakaway regime

According to the paper, on this basis the annual inflation is 13,10%.

According to the paper, there was a rise in many products this month, among them shoes and clothing, alcohol and smoke and health services.

(CS)

[08] AKP formally nominates Erdogan for presidential election

All 316 members of the AKP's parliamentary group voted in favor of nominating Erdogan as its presidential candidate. Erdogan will be supported in the snap vote by the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

"Some people may look for their presidential candidates by microscope. But we have already decided on our candidate. Our candidate is the man of the people. We are therefore announcing Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the protector of the oppressed, as our candidate," Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m said after the AKP group agreed on the candidate.

"June 24 is a historic day of judgment for Turkey. We will bring down all the dirty plans against Turkey. We still have a lot to do. We have so many big projects for the future of our country," Y?ld?r?m said.

"Our geographic location and our history place a duty on Turkey. We have always sided with the oppressed and the sufferer," he added.

Y?ld?r?m also noted that this would be the last AKP group meeting he would chair as the last Prime Minister of Turkey, with the country due to transition to an executive presidential system after a controversial referendum marred by voting irregularities in April 2017.

"You stood against treacherous gangs. You defended Turkey. Turkey has been able to reach these days by escaping turbulence. I thank you all on behalf of our people and as the last Prime Minister of Turkey," he said.

The AKP will make the official application for Erdogan's nomination to the Supreme Election Board (YSK) on May 4.

[09] Main opposition CHP announces Muharrem Ince as presidential candidate in forthcoming snap elections

Ince was seen as the strongest possible candidate by political circles close the party, while CHP leader Kemal K?l?cdaroglu made it clear that he will not run for President, a decision criticized by some party members as well.

A strong rival against the current CHP chair K?l?cdaroglu from within the party, Ince comes from a moderate conservative background. The 53-year-old Deputy is also portrayed as a populist and a pragmatic figure. The CHP electoral base and party provincial branches reportedly support Ince, who has been a Deputy of Yalova province for the CHP since 2002. Ince also failed twice to win against K?l?cdaroglu for party chairmanship.

(…)

Meanwhile, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (04.05.18- http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/i-will-be-the-president-of-80-million-says-chp-candidate-131298) reports that Ince, the presidential candidate of the main opposition CHP has vowed to be the president of 80 million if elected in the polls on June 24.

"I will be the President of 80 million, of rightists and leftists, of Alevis and Sunnis, of Turks and Kurds. I will be an impartial President," Ince said in his address to CHP fellows in a crowded hall on May 4 after CHP leader Kemal K?l?cdaroglu announced him as the nominee of the main opposition party.

In a sign of his impartiality, he removed his CHP pin and wore another one with the Turkish flag on it.

"Everything will be much more beautiful. We will write history on June 24," he said.

A veteran CHP lawmaker from Yalova, Muharrem Ince, 53, is a former physics teacher.

[10] Kilicdaroglu: "Gul 'was pressured by top soldier for not running for presidency"

"It is an attempt at military tutelage," Kilicdaroglu said in a parliamentary group meeting on May 3.

Kilicdaroglu referred to a visit by Chief of General Staff General Hulusi Akar and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Chief Advisor Ibrahim Kal?n to Abdullah Gul on April 24. The visit has not been denied by any of the three figures and no explanation has been made either.

Gul, whose name has been frequently mentioned as the joint candidate of the oppositional parties, stated on April 28 that he will not run for presidency in the absence of a compromise among the opposition wing on his nomination.

Kilicdaroglu said that reports have indicated Akar and Kal?n were in civilian clothes during their visit and also that the two names had convinced Gul not to run for elections.

"If it was an official visit, why were you in your civilian clothes? If it was not official, why it was a secret meeting?" he asked.

Stating that none of the parties has made a clear statement on the allegations, K?l?cdaroglu called for "an explanation" from those who were involved.

Kilicdarogllu likened the two high-level officials' visit to Gul to the Feb. 28 process that forced the democratically elected government to resign as a result of military pressure. He also accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of imposing his own tutelage on politics by using his influence on the army.

"Why has the chief of general staff allowed himself to be used to end democracy or to shadow it? If you are looking for a way to end democracy at gunpoint, we are ready to shield ourselves," he said.

Kilicdaroglu recalled the failed coup by the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO) in July 2016 and how he had urged Erdogan not to politicize the military.

"Will you be able to strengthen democracy with the help of the military? I have already said: Do not politicize the barracks, do not politicize courthouses and do not politicize mosques," he said.

[11] Turkish Journalists Association calls for the release of jailed journalists before snap elections

"We have been considering the necessity of lifting the state of emergency, releasing journalists in jail, the return of fundamental rights and freedoms to the citizens for healthy elections", the statement said.

"We also deem a duty to demand the removal of barriers to freedom of expression, an end to the oppression of journalists, writers, academics, artists, and the independence of the judiciary for our country to reach a bright future," it added.

Reminding that the punitive and financial pressures on the journalists have increased since the state of emergency was declared following the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, "censorship has been on the rise, investigative journalism has been restrained and 148 journalists are still kept behind the bars," the statement read.

The TGC also emphasized that politicians, both those in power and on the side of the opposition, have important responsibilities to reduce the tensions and polarization among the society.

(…)

[12] Erdogan to hold pre-election campaign rally in Bosnia

"In an environment where some countries are debating whether to allow us to campaign, we prefer to come together with our citizens in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We will come together with our citizens from European countries in a hall in Bosnia," Erdogan told reporters abroad his flight returning from South Korea on May 3.

"On the other hand, our citizens will certainly also continue their campaigning in the other countries where they are living in Europe," he said.

The Sarajevo rally is expected to be held on May 20 but no official announcement has yet been made.

Turkey will go to early parliamentary and presidential elections on June 24, a year-and-a-half ahead of schedule.

Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have all announced that they will not allow Turkish politicians to conduct pre-election campaigning in their territories, citing public order concerns.

Ties between Ankara and a number of European countries were hit in 2017 ahead of the controversial April 2017 referendum on shifting to an executive presidential system, with many Turkish politicians not permitted to hold pre-scheduled meetings. The Netherlands deported one Turkish Minister on the ground that she had not sought permission from the authorities, prompting Erdogan to denounce "Nazi-like" tactics.

Also, Erdogan said bans on Turkish politicians from campaigning are "not democratic." "In fact we have never hesitated to congratulate the leaders who win elections in European countries. Because we want good relations and we want to open a new page with them," he added.

Erdogan also blasted Western media coverage, decrying what he called "not a new trend."

"We have seen these things before previous elections too in June and November 2015. We have never paid attention to these," he said.

"Our election manifesto for June 24 is ready. I will announce it on Sunday [May 6]. June 24 will mark a new era for Turkey. I don't know about the objectives of other leaders but ours is a very great one. We are determined to achieve a stronger, richer and freer Turkey," he said.

The AKP will hold a big rally in Istanbul on May 6 to announce its election manifesto and to officially launch its pre-election campaign. Erdogan will be running for the presidency as the joint candidate of the AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) under the "People's Alliance."

Four major opposition parties recently decided to come together in the elections in a bid to increase their representation at Parliament by bypassing the 10% national threshold.

Erdogan criticized the opposition alliance, accusing the parties of "not exerting efforts for the wellbeing of Turkey." "They are not working to positively contribute to the country. The fact that they failed to decide on a joint presidential candidate is clear evidence of their incompetence. Our people will not fall into their trap," Erdogan said.

"They will not be able to get the result they want in the parliamentary elections. Opinion polling shows this. Polls show that the People's Alliance is far ahead," he added.

Among the key debates in recent weeks was the potential nomination of Abdullah Gul, one of the founders of the AKP and a former President, from the ranks of the opposition parties against Erdogan. Questioned about debates on Gul, Erdogan was reluctant to comment on the issue.

"Let me not speak about it. I don't need to make any statement on this issue. Everyone knows perfectly well what's going on," he said.

[13] Turkish police arrest over 110 FETO-linked suspects

In central Konya-based province, the organized crime department of police arrested 40 FETO suspects, including on-duty soldiers, as part of an investigation carried out by the province's chief public prosecutor's office.

Additionally, 14 more suspects, including on-duty soldiers, were arrested in eight different provinces, as part of a separate probe carried out by the same prosecutor's office.

In southern Hatay province, police held 12 FETO suspects in simultaneous operations that targeted "absence houses", a label given to hideouts of secret FETO members, across the province.

Some of the suspects are learned to have used an encrypted smartphone messaging app ByLock.

Another 12 suspects -- including doctors, teachers, and students -- were arrested in eastern Elazig-based operation, which was carried out across five provinces.

In Mediterranean Antalya and northwestern Kocaeli provinces, police arrested nine FETO-linked suspects in each province.

In northern Tokat province, seven suspects were arrested as part of an investigation into terror organization's "judges and prosecutors' house".

In Trabzon, a Black Sea province, four FETO suspects were arrested in simultaneous raid across the province for using ByLock application.

In central Nigde province, police held two suspects for allegedly using ByLock, while two others were arrested in central Eskisehir province on suspicion of being terror group members.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

[14] Turkish lira weakens to another record low against dollar after poor inflation data

The Turkish lira, one of the worst performing emerging market currencies this year, weakened to a record low of 4.2487 against the dollar, from the May 2 close of 4.1785. It was later eased to 4.1885 in the May 3 afternoon.

Sentiment toward Turkish assets had already been hit this week, after Standard & Poor's cut Turkey's sovereign rating further into junk territory and a survey showed manufacturing contracted last month.

TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

(AK/ AM)

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