Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-09-12

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

[A] Turkish Cypriot Press

[01] Nami says that the "ball" for bringing electricity from Turkey is in Ankara's court

[02] They gain millions from occupied Greek Cypriot properties

[03] Baybars evaluates her contacts in Ankara

[04] Three persons arrested in the occupied area of Cyprus with the accusation of links to FETO

[05] Schools begin with shortages in the breakaway regime

[06] More protests to come in the occupied area of Cyprus

[B] Turkish Press

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Turkey, Russia and Iran reach 'agreement in principle' on Syria Constitutional Committee lists

[02] Cavusoglu held a phone conversation with his French counterpart over a Syria summit to be held in Istanbul on Friday

[03] Turkey signs agriculture, oil exploration deals with Sudan

[04] Turkey deploys observers to giant Russian-Chinese military exercise Vostok

[05] Turkey's MIT nabs terror suspect in Syria's Latakia with 'pinpoint operation'

[A] Turkish Cypriot Press

[01] Nami says that the "ball" for bringing electricity from Turkey is in Ankara's court

Speaking to members of the Turkish Cypriot chamber of industry, Nami recalled that they are discussing the issue of interconnecting their electricity networks with Turkey and of making use of solar energy. "The ball is not in our court anymore, it is in Turkey's court", he said. Noting that they are holding contacts with the Turkish Cypriot electricity "authority" (KIB-TEK), Nami argued the following: "Investments will be made in the field of electricity, but things will not be like before. We should have access to cheap electricity".

Referring to the devaluation of the Turkish lira, Nami admitted that it caused a decrease in their purchase power, even though the developments do not depend on them. He alleged that during the establishment of the current self-styled government, the occupation regime's economy was at the 114th place among 144 countries, adding that their competitive power decreased and that they should sit with Turkey to discuss the issue of incentives and credits for increasing production.

(I/Ts.)

[02] They gain millions from occupied Greek Cypriot properties

"Agios Amvrosios is the favorite area of the plunderers recently. A few years ago, a person from the Black Sea had sold 27 donums of land in Agios Amvrosios for 800 thousand sterling pounds. Now its value has further increased. 20 donums are sold for two million sterling pounds".

Referring to the issue, columnist Hasan Hasturer in Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (12.09.18) reports that he was the one who shared two photos yesterday on social media showing two plots of land which are for sale in occupied Agios Amvrosios adding that he did this because the issue attracted his attention. Under the title "The wound of lack of justice is not healed", Hasturer notes that these plots of land were put up for sale for 600 thousand and two million sterling pounds respectively.

Publishing some to the comments made under these pictures, the columnist says: "This article's aim is not to scratch the wound. It is to contribute in the perception of a reality. There is no justice in the sharing of plunder. The immovable properties, which remained from Greek Cypriots, would be utilized. Otherwise economy could not be constructed. However, there have been so unfair practices that the wound continues bleeding, in spite of the fact that 44 years have passed […]".

(I/Ts.)

[03] Baybars evaluates her contacts in Ankara

According to illegal Bayrak (12.09.18, http://www.brtk.net/?englishposts=baybars-completes-ankara-contacts), Baybars, evaluating her contacts to "BRT", said that "cooperation in the field of justice, the technical aspects of the new prison being constructed and the creation of a forensics institute and a cybercrime unit were amongst the issues discussed during the meetings". She also added that "the creation of an online system to run checks at entries and exits to the country was amongst the issues we discussed on preventing crime".

Baybars also said that she had found the opportunity to discuss "the urban security management law, adding that work had already been carried out on the law in line with a protocol signed by her predecessor and Minister Soylu".

She explained that she had discussed the technical aspects of the new state prison including the training of the prison staff and equipment for prison officers. "We are planning to complete the new prison by the beginning of 2019" she added.

Baybars also pointed out that there is currently a unit dealing with cybercrimes but that a forensics lab which could carry out detailed analysis did not exist and added: "We discussed how we could establish such a lab or a forensics institute".

(DPs)

[04] Three persons arrested in the occupied area of Cyprus with the accusation of links to FETO

According to the paper, "three persons, who were arrested yesterday in Keryneia as part of the operations, were brought before the district court of Keryneia after a police interrogation, where it was decided to remain under police custody for three days, while the police investigations are continuing".

Meanwhile, the paper reports that while the structure and the activities of FETO in the occupied area of Cyprus came into the agenda, the "minister of interior" Aysegul Baybars was discussing issues of cooperation on security and judicial assistance with the Turkish Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu in Ankara.

(DPs)

[05] Schools begin with shortages in the breakaway regime

Commenting on the issue, the self-styled minister of education Cemal Ozgiyit stated that the remaining 50 positions will be covered with the system of personal contracts. He also stated that unfortunately the economic crisis, which was the result of the falling of the Turkish Lira, is reflected in education as well.

(CS)

[06] More protests to come in the occupied area of Cyprus

Moreover, the drivers who are members of Kar-Is trade union stated that they would not carry the students to school on Monday as they could not receive a response by the "government" to their demand of readjusting the fees.

Finally, the trade union of the "civil servants" (Kamu-Sen) asked for a salary increase of 30-40% in the end of September for its members. Commenting on the agreement reached between the "government" and the livestock breeders, Kamu-Sen's chairman Metin Atan said: "[…] As a result of negotiations held on 10 September the livestock breeders' union and the government reached an agreement. This means that the civil servants should also hold a demonstration to get the upper hand in safeguarding our rights. Of course, we do not want to drag the country into chaos but if everyone who holds a demonstration will get their rights, the civil servants and the private sector employees who are in the most difficult situation should also organize demonstrations […]".

(I/Ts.)

[B] Turkish Press

[01] Turkey, Russia and Iran reach 'agreement in principle' on Syria Constitutional Committee lists

The representatives of the three guarantor countries met with the UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura on Sept. 10-11 in Geneva.

"During the meeting, they discussed the formation of a Constitutional Committee and its codes of practice which constitute an important step in the struggle of finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sept. 11.

The Ministry said an agreement in principle, regarding the lists that were proposed by the Syrian regime and opposition, was discussed. Also consultation was held on the formation of a third civil society group.

It added that meetings between the Astana guarantor states will continue.

Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal represented Turkey during the meetings.

De Mistura will meet officials from Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the U.K., and the U.S.

(…)

[02] Cavusoglu held a phone conversation with his French counterpart over a Syria summit to be held in Istanbul on Friday

The paper reports that high-level officials from Turkey, France, Germany and Russia are expected to arrive in Istanbul on Friday to hold a meeting ahead of a possible quartet summit and discuss a range of regional issues, particularly the Syrian crisis.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously announced on Sept. 9 that the representatives would meet and that a leaders' summit might be held soon. According to Foreign Ministry sources, political advisers from the four countries will be attending the meeting Friday, with presidential spokesman Kal?n expected to represent Turkey in the meeting.

The current situation in Syria's Idlib will likely top the agenda of the summit

[03] Turkey signs agriculture, oil exploration deals with Sudan

The two countries have strengthened ties and agreed in December, when President Erdogan made the first visit to Khartoum by a Turkish President, to gradually increase trade to $10 billion a year.

The Turkish Ministry said that Sudan had designated 780,500 hectares (3,000 square miles) of land for investment by private Turkish companies, saying it would "provide security of food supply for Turkey, Sudan and third countries".

The Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and Sudan's Ministry of Petroleum and Gas also signed an oil field development agreement, which would initially lead to an investment of up to $100 million, Turkey's Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said in a statement.

The Ministry gave no details about the nature or location of the investment, but Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Pakdemirli as saying it was an exploration agreement.

Turkey's Ziraat Participation Bank will also open a branch in Khartoum to strengthen financial ties, and customs procedures for machines and equipment imported from Turkey to Sudan will be facilitated, the Ministry said.

A year ago, the United States lifted a trade embargo and other penalties that had cut Sudan off from much of the global financial system, but Khartoum's economy is in crisis, battered by shortages of hard currency and basic food.

A decision to reduce bread subsidies, leading to a doubling in prices, led to rare nationwide protests earlier this year.

On Sept. 9, President Omar al-Bashir dissolved the government and promised a leaner administration to address the crisis.

Turkey, which has strained ties with regional powers Egypt and Saudi Arabia, has boosted investments in Sudan recently.

It plans to rebuild a ruined Ottoman port city on Sudan's Red Sea coast and construct a naval dock to maintain civilian and military vessels under an agreement reached between the two sides during Erdogan's visit to Khartoum.

The other agreements signed during Erdogan's visit included Turkish investment to build Khartoum's planned new airport and private sector investments in cotton production, electricity generation and building grain silos and meat slaughterhouses.

[04] Turkey deploys observers to giant Russian-Chinese military exercise Vostok

Russia on Sept. 11 launched the "Vostok-2018" (East-2018), its largest military drill, with hundreds of thousands of Russian troops taking part along with Chinese soldiers in a massive show of force that has rattled the West. The exercise that will observe the participation of around 300,000 troops with dozens of aerial and naval vessels will continue until Sept. 18.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had informed the media last week about an official invitation by the Russian military authorities to the Turkish military's participation to the drill. The invitation was extended to Turkey during the Tehran Summit on Syria with the participation of the leaders of Turkey, Russia and Iran last week.

Echoing Erdogan, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar had also stressed the importance of the drill and said they were evaluating Russia's proposal.

According to information obtained from reliable sources, as a result of evaluations, Turkey decided to deploy military observers to the exercise instead of active participation. A reason is NATO found the drill a threatening move and against the allied security considerations, prompting Turkey to send senior military personnel from Turkey's military attache of its Embassy in Moscow.

[05] Turkey's MIT nabs terror suspect in Syria's Latakia with 'pinpoint operation'

Yusuf Nazik, 34, was sought by Turkish authorities as one of the main suspects of the 2013 bombing in the southern Turkish border town of Reyhanl?, which killed 53 people.

He was nabbed in a "pinpoint operation" by MIT, the agency said, adding that he was brought to Turkey "from secure roads."

Nazik, born in the southern province of Hatay's Antakya district, confessed that he played a key part in the 2013 bombing as a coordinator between the bombers and the Syrian regime, which he said masterminded the attack. He pointed to a Syrian intelligence officer named Mohammed and codenamed "Hadji."

Turkish courts had ruled to jail nine arrested suspects for life in February, while eight more suspects, including Nazik, remained as fugitives.

In his interrogation, Nazik told Turkish security forces that on a tip off from Syrian intelligence units, he scouted the crime scene prior to the attack and moved explosives from Syria to Turkey. He added that he procured two vehicles for the operation.

Marked in the blue category of the Interior Ministry's wanted terrorists list, Nazik called on his friends in Syria to surrender. "I am also addressing the Syrian state: The state of Turkey is big and it will surely bring you to account," he added in the video released by Turkish authorities on Sept. 12.

A senior Turkish official said that they took the information provided by Nazik about the involvement of Syrian intelligence operatives in the 2013 Reyhanl? attack "very seriously." "His testimony corroborates long-standing rumors about the Assad regime's active role in the bombing, which killed 53 innocent people. Nazik's capture and repatriation should serve as a reminder to all other criminals that we will never stop hunting them. We will spare no effort to find you, catch you, and bring you to justice," the official said.

TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

(AK/ AM)

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