Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 98-03-27

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

TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA

No. 55/98 -- 27.3.98

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkey to support Israeli companies' participation in projects in the occupied area.

[02] Turkey's NSC to discuss army's five-point on reactionism.

[03] Denktash replies to Talat criticism, denies defying UNSC.

[04] Deal signed t outfit Turkish helicopters with antimissile systems.

[05] CTP's Akinci criticizes Denktash.

[06] Eroglu says flight moratorium in Cyprus is not possible.

[07] Eroglu: "Coalition" future to become clearer after 29 March.

[08] Turkish Foreign Minister on EU, Cyprus.

[09] Gurel interviewed on Cyprus.

[10] Rustem Tatar: All missing people are dead.

[11] Turkish village opposes transportation of water to the occupied area.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkey to support Israeli companies' participation in projects in the occupied area

Celebi said that the free trade agreement signed last year will contribute to the improvement of relations between the two countries.

Sharansky pointed out that the economic and commercial relations are developing rapidly between Turkey and Israel. He also stressed that the Eximbank's loans should be used to improve the trade.

It has been agree in the meeting that the joint initiatives should concentrate on the GAP (Southeast Anatolia Project), agriculture, health, electronics, telecommunications, and energy projects. The two sides stated that the Joint Economic Commission meeting will be held in June 1998.

Celebi said that Turkey will support the Israeli companies' participation in the projects in the occupied area of Cyprus.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Sharansky said that his visit to Turkey was extremely positive.

Sharansky told the reporters that Israel and Turkey signed free trade agreements with the blocks such as the European Union and the two countries will make joint investments in the third world countries.

Pointing out that the Israeli companies are interested in the GAP project and making joint investments, Sharansky said that a delegation from the GAP Administration will come to Israel to hold talks in two weeks.

[02] Turkey's NSC to discuss army's five-point on reactionism

The Army's sensitivity, part of which had been revealed to Demirel during the briefing on 17 March and the whole of which will be brought to the table at the NSC meeting, has been gathered under five headings:

[01] By not rescinding the measures adopted during the

[02] The Fethullah Gulen congregation has endorsed the

It is known that they have turned their gaze on to military cadets. Sensing that it is very difficult to enter the military academies and escape the net of scrutiny, the group is trying to marry off modern-looking female followers to officers and noncommissioned officers. Why expand and gain strength to this extent?

[03] The marches over the Islamic headdress are not innocuous

[04] The Virtue Party is the continuation of the Welfare Party. It

[05] No initiative has been taken by the Ministries to weed out the

It is also being reported that at the NSC meeting a report will be submitted claiming that reactionism is being directed from one single center.

[03] Denktash replies to Talat criticism, denies defying UNSC

Denktash replied to illegal TAK's questions about the criticism leveled against him by Mehmet Ali Talat, leader of the Republican Turkish Party. Denktash claimed: "We are resisting the Greek Cypriot Administration which destroyed the parameters for an agreement through its unilateral and illegal recourse to the EU, and which insists on considering itself the legitimate Cyprus republic and its supporters. If there is going to be peace, full equality must be accepted between the two peoples, and it must be acknowledged that the Greek Cypriots do not have the right to speak for the Turkish Cypriot people who established the TRNC".

Denktash alleged that the EU's closer ties with Cyprus pushed this truth to the forefront and revealed what a "sham" the intercommunal talks were. He claimed: "We are not defying the UNSC, we want it to look at the realities of Cyprus once again."

Denktash then said: "Mr. Talat is worried that we will be isolated in the world. As if the world recognized and accepted us for the past 34 years, or as if the world supported the defense of our rights. I am trying to make my community's voice heard by a world that insists on recognizing the Greek Cypriots as a legitimate government and on seeing the Turkish Cypriots as a minority. Mr. Talat is not naive that he cannot see these facts. (words indistinct). Those who have always criticized us when our people came to a critical stage in their just cause must stop. We want our equal sovereignty to be recognized. We are saying that the Greek Cypriot Administration is not our government. We believe that new foundations are inevitable for the negotiations."

[04] Deal signed to outfit Turkish helicopters with antimissile systems

The agreement was concluded between the Defense Industry Under Secretariat and the Hungarian (DAC) company. It was signed by Ismet Sezgin, deputy prime minister and national defense minister; ministry undersecretary Yalcin Burcak; the Hungarian ambassador to Ankara; and an Hungarian company official.

Speaking at the signing ceremony Sezgin said that Turkish-Hungarian relations have speedily developed in recent years, and that their cooperation will further grow once Hungary becomes a NATO member. He noted that the agreement is the first of the defense projects foreseen for the helicopters.

"We will speedily procure and install similar defense systems for the other helicopters of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF). Our nation knows that we are determined to take all the steps necessary to make the domestic and foreign operations of the TAF as effective and as secure as possible", Sezgin said.

The Hungarian ambassador said that the agreement will help promote bilateral relations.

With this project, in which a Turkish firm is also participating, 19 Mi-17 helicopters will be outfitted with antimissile defense systems. The 2$- million project will be completed in six months.

[05] CTP's Akinci criticizes Denktash

In a written statement he issued CTP leader Mehmet Ali Talat said that the statements issued by Denktash after his meeting with Diego Cordovez, UN Secretary General's special envoy in Cyprus, will pave the path to a new adventure. Stating that Denktash's statements will pin the Turkish Cypriots against the world and the UN Security Council (UNSC), Talat added: "Denktash, who is calling the Turkish Cypriots to stage a resistance once again, should explain how he will open the isolated Turkish Cypriots to the world".

Talat further said that the (word indistinct) should be used to have the Turkish Cypriots secure peace with the world instead of isolating them from the world and calling on them to wage a jihad against the UN and the UNSC.

[06] Eroglu says flight moratorium in Cyprus is not possible

Replying to questions by an NTV correspondent, Eroglu explained that he does not think the meeting will yield any results and added: "I believe, however, that the meeting will be beneficial in terms of explaining to the UN Secretary General the real issue in Cyprus and having our determination noted in the UN Security Council resolutions."

Commenting on Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos' comments in Washington with regard to the moratorium on military flights in Cyprus, Eroglu said that he does not think this is possible. Eroglu added that Pangalos is trying to make a political maneuver by putting on the agenda the issue of the S-300 missiles.

Assessing the issue of integration with Turkey, Eroglu claimed: "This integration will consist mainly of cooperation in economic, political, and foreign affairs, and should not be interpreted as an annexation. The decisions adopted by Turkey and the TRNC stress a determination to have the TRNC state exist."

[07] Eroglu: "Coalition" future to become clearer after 29 March

Eroglu stated that the "government" partners are not fighting each other, that there is a "government" in power, and that he wants it to remain in power. Despite that, he said, if the problems are not resolved, the "government" will fall.

The UBP party assembly convened under Eroglu last Wednesday. Before the meeting, he said that the decision to be reached at the meeting will not be disclosed. He said: "We will assess the situation. We will see where we stand and what is before us. We must see what is before us".

Noting that the UBP and the Democratic Party (DP) were not fighting, Eroglu added: "At times there may be problems in coalition governments. these problems are either resolved or not. Efforts are made to resolve the problems. If they are not, the government falls. In other words, there is no fighting between the two coalition partners but there is a government crisis."

[08] Turkish Foreign Minister on EU, Cyprus

In reply to a relevant question Batu said that Ankara did not encourage the EU's decision to allow Turkey to join the customs union system in return for the commencement of talks on Cyprus' EU accession. "Ankara's views are in the EU files.

Turkey refused to agree to such a process. In fact, we warned the EU that its talks with the Greek Cypriot side will remove the parameters for the solution of the Cyprus problem", he said.

Batu further claimed that "the EU summit in Luxembourg inauspiciously placed the Turkish Cypriots among the other minorities on the island, that is, the Maronites and the Armenians. We still want to hope that common sense will prevail. The effort to destroy the balances must be abandoned. That is what common sense requires. That is the essence of the problem.

The balances between the two communities in Cyprus, which were equal entities in the 1960 Cyprus Republic, must not be further undermined. They (EU) have disrupted the balances between Turkey and Greece. They must not worsen the situation. Otherwise, the island will be divided forever." He went on and alleged that "urging the Turkish Cypriots to agree to participate in the negotiations process that will be initiated in accordance with the unlawful Greek Cypriot application is absurd."

No, a solution cannot be found to the Cyprus problem if Turkey is excluded from the process, he added.

To a question on Britain's stand, Batu claimed:

"Considering the Edinburgh summit and the decision to impose visa regulations on the Turkish Cypriots, Britain cannot be said to have maintained a fair and balanced approach. That is a problem." .../..

[09] Gurel interviewed on Cyprus

Gurel further claimed that the United Nations should "rectify" its perception of the issue, because the UN line since 1964 has been to view the government of the Greek Cypriot side as the government of the entire island. "The time has come for this line to change, because it does not correspond to the realities," he claimed.

On the EU issue, Gurel claimed: "As you know, the Republican Assembly of the TRNC adopted a decision on the issue only last week. Decisions were adopted on two issues. One of them was that the Turkish Cypriot representatives will, in no way, participate in the negotiations to be held between the EU and the Greek Cypriot Government. This majority decision was adopted because, according to the TRNC Assembly, it is impossible to participate in these negotiations without a status. The second decision w as that it is impossible for Cyprus to become an EU member as long as Turkey does not join the EU. There was another factor in this decision. They agreed to negotiations within the framework of the United Nations based on the principle of two states. Otherwise, they said, they cannot participate in the intercommunal talks. We are now faced with a TRNC Assembly that is capable of making such a decision."

Asked whether an interim formula can help Turkey approach the goal of the two sides recognizing that there are two equal and separate political entities on the island Gurel said: "I do not want to elaborate on that issue, because we do not have a serious interim formula for the time being. There is a search for a formula, however. One should also consider the fact that until now, attempts were made to solve certain issues through initiatives undertaken by the UN Security Council (UNSC). It was always the UNSC that undertook certain initiatives. It was again the UNSC that appointed the UN secretary general to solve the problem. The UN Secretary General is a person-organ. He is an important organ of the United Nations. I personally am hopeful that Mr. Annan will act in that capacity. For example, during the Iraqi crisis, Mr. Annan fulfilled a very important function. He fulfilled the role of a very serious international statesman. In approaching the Cyprus issue, I believe that it is much better for someone like Mr. Annan, who, with his personality, has contributed to that organ and office, to come to the foreground rather than the UNSC, which represents certain clear inclinations and interests."

Gurel further said that Turkey and the pseudostate reached an agreement to facilitate and encourage investments in the "TRNC", an agreement that grants the "TRNC" the same conditions applied to development regions in Turkey. According to a recent arrangement concluded with Halk Bank, shopkeepers and small and medium-scale producers in the "TRNC" will be extended loans under the same terms granted to those in Turkey, he said.

Asked to comment on the project for the transportation of water to the occupied area, Gurel said:

"Transporting water through a pipeline is a serious project. The project envisions having the water, which will come from a specific resource, transported at first into a dam. The dam will make it possible for the water to be lowered to the sea-level naturally. The water will then flow to a pipeline on an inverted suspension bridge 125 meter underwater. This inverted suspension bridge system is going to be used because the sea between Turkey and Cyprus is very deep. There is no other technology available to construct a pipeline on such a deep sea-bed. There is also no system available to repair underwater pipelines built on such a deep sea- bed. A new technology is being devised to transport this special pipeline to Cyprus by buoys from above and weights from underneath."

Asked whether this will create difficulties in terms of international agreements, Gurel claimed: "The sea between Turkey and Cyprus is an open sea. What kind of an objection can be raised? On the one hand, we have the territorial waters of the TRNC and on the other, the territorial waters of the Turkish Republic. We have an open sea in the middle. Moreover, the sea will be used for peaceful purposes. We have also been saying in international platforms that the water is not destined for the Turkish Cypriots only. We plan to transport 70 million cubic meters of water. In other words, this amount will meet not only the potable water but also the potable water needs of the TRNC.

We hope that we will be able to transport sufficient water for others as well. In other words, in the event that those governing the community on the other side of the island call on the TRNC officials to give them water, it is possible to share the water coming from Turkey with them as well."

[10] Rustem Tatar: All missing people are dead

(MY)

[11] Turkish village opposes transportation of water to the occupied area

Around 150 villagers headed by village headman Veli Tehnel gathered at the source of the water and said that the "Soguk Su brook" is meeting the potable water and irrigation needs of the Aydincik township that has a population of 10 thousand and if they give water from their source they will face difficulties.

The villagers declared that their only source of income is green house agriculture which needs water. They said: "If they take our water we are finished. We do not give this water to anybody. We give our life but not our water".

They have asked for the cancellation of the project, otherwise, they said, they will resort to more dynamic measures.

(MY)

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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