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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 03-10-13

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

TURKISH PRESS AND OTHER MEDIA No. 193/03 11-12- 13.10.03

[A] NEWS ITEMS

  • [01] Efforts by Akinci to stop applications for so-called citizenship
  • [02] Erdogan was re-elected chairman of the JDP; he supports that the Zurich ^Ö London Agreements should be taken into consideration during the Cyprus negotiations
  • [03] Denktas supports that the Cyprus problem will be settled on the basis of the Republic established by the 1960 agreements
  • [04] Devlet Bahceli was re-elected as the chairman of the Nationalist Action Party
  • [05] Arslan Bicakli is the new Chairman of TURK-SEN Trade Union
  • [06] KTAMS Trade Union and the platform ^ÓThis Country is Ours^Ô will organize a demonstration on the 14th of October
  • [B] COMME NTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

  • [07] Columnist in mainland Vatan says the illegal settlers from Turkey will vote according to whether they will be able to keep the usurped Greek Cypriot properties
  • [08] Columnist in Hurriyet calls on Turkey not to link its sending troops to Iraq to the Cyprus problem as in the past

  • [A] NEWS ITEMS

    [01] Efforts by Akinci to stop applications for so-called citizenship

    Turkish Cypriot Afrika newspaper (12/10/03) reports that Peace and Democracy Movement Party (PDM) leader Mustafa Akinci has appealed to the occupation regime^Òs Supreme Court to obstruct the applications for citizenship and prevent the inclusion of those whom they believe to have illegally become citizens from being included on electoral lists or obstruct them from voting if they have already been listed as voters.

    Mr Akinci submitted the files on their case to the so-called Supreme Court Registrar yesterday. Briefing the press after his appeal, Akinci said that 14 December will concern the future of the Turkish Cypriots and noted that the elections must be transparent, democratic, and fair on that day. Stressing that they have filed a lawsuit to obstruct new applicants from acquiring citizenship, he said he hoped the outcome of their case will be auspicious for the future of the Turkish Cypriots.

    Akinci asserted that no one has the right to create suspicion on the elections and noted that they will do everything they can to be able to account to the new generations. He stressed that the problem does not exist between the PDM and the people who view themselves as "Cypriots," believe that they are a part of this homeland, and agree that the Annan plan recognizes rights to them and asserted that they will not agree to allow the process of citizenship to distort the people's will. Akinci said that the Turkish Government must not remain silent and warned: "Remaining silent means complicity in an illegal activity. It means support for what is done."

    [02] Erdogan was re-elected chairman of the JDP; he supports that the Zurich ^Ö London Agreements should be taken into consideration during the Cyprus negotiations

    Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (13.10.03) reports that Turkey^Òs Prime Minister and chairman of the Justice and Development Party (JDP), Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that the Zurich ^Ö London Agreements on Cyprus should be taken into consideration during the negotiations towards reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem.

    Addressing his party^Òs 1st Congress Mr Erdogan said: ^ÓWe could not talk about rejecting the Annan Plan. It includes things, which are right and other things, which are wrong. They must be negotiated and in these negotiations the 1960 Zurich and London Agreements must be taken into consideration^Å^Ô. Arguing that they are honestly looking for a solution, Mr Erdogan added that for the sake of not interrupting the negotiations, they would not make sacrifices on vital issues for the survival of the Turkish Cypriots.

    Mr Erdogan was re-elected at the post of the chairman of the JDP, having taken all the 1358 votes of the delegates.

    According to Turkish Cypriot daily AFRIKA newspaper (13.10.03), only three Turkish Cypriot parties had been invited to the congress: Dervis Eroglu^Òs National Unity Party, Serdar Denktas^Ò Democratic Party and Mehmet Ali Talat^Òs Republican Turkish Party ^Ö New Forces.

    The paper, notes that in statements after the congress and evaluating Mr Erdogan^Òs speech, Mr Talat supported that ^Ówe are very close to a solution^Ô.

    [03] Denktas supports that the Cyprus problem will be settled on the basis of the Republic established by the 1960 agreements

    Turkish Cypriot daily HALKIN SESI newspaper (13.10.03) reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktas has supported that the Cyprus problem will be settled on the basis of the Republic established by the 1960 Zurich ^Ö London agreements.

    In statements yesterday upon his return from Turkey, Mr Denktas said that the interest of the people of Turkey towards the Cyprus problem increased and added: ^ÓWe are telling them the following regarding Cyprus: The Cyprus issue will be settled based on the Republic established by the 1960 agreements, because these agreements gave both sides undeniable rights so that this Republic is established^Ô.

    Mr Denktas claimed that within these rights are Turkey^Òs guarantees, the balance between Turkey and Greece in Cyprus and the equal sovereign rights given to the Turkish Cypriots. Mr Denktas reiterated his views regarding the existence of two states, two peoples and two democracies in Cyprus.

    [04] Devlet Bahceli was re-elected as the chairman of the Nationalist Action Party

    Turkish Cypriot daily VATAN newspaper (13/10/03), reports that Mr Devlet Bahceli was re-elected as the chairman of the Nationalist Action Party (NAP).

    As the paper writes Mr Bahceli was re-elected at the Party^Òs 7th General Congress which took place in Ankara on Sunday. He received 688 votes out of 1142. Three more candidates run for the chairmanship. Speaking at the opening section of the congress, Mr Bahceli expressed his support to the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas. ^ÓThe Turkish Cypriots and Denktas are not alone^Ô, he stressed.

    [05] Arslan Bicakli is the new Chairman of TURK-SEN Trade Union

    Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRISLI newspaper (12/10/03) reports that Mr Arslan Bicakli is the new chairman of the Turkish Cypriot Federation of Labor Unions (TURK-SEN). As the paper writes Mr Bicakli was elected as the chairman of TURK-SEN at the 20th General Congress of the Trade Union. He was the only candidate for the position.

    [06] KTAMS Trade Union and the platform ^ÓThis Country is Ours^Ô will organize a demonstration on the 14th of October

    Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRISLI newspaper (12/10/03) writes that the Turkish Cypriot Public Servants´ Trade Union (KTAMS) is calling for a general strike in occupied Cyprus for the 14th of October.

    According to the paper the strike will take place between the hours 08:00-13:00 at the working places. In a statement made by KTAMS, the chairman of the Trade Union, Mr Ali Seylani, stated that the strike is organized in order to say ^Óstop^Ô to those who act against the laws in ^Óa despotic and fascistic way^Ô and who mortgage the future of the Turkish Cypriots. Mr Seylani also criticized Rauf Denktas and the so-called coalition government of the pseudostate stressing that ^Óin order to continue their sultanate^Ô they illegally give citizenship to the people.

    In addition, KIBRISLI newspaper (13/10/03) publishes a declaration of the platform ^ÓThis country is Ours^Ô which calls on all the Turkish Cypriots to participate in a rally and a strike organized by the platform. The rally will take place next Tuesday (14th of October) in occupied Nicosia, at Kugulu Park at 14:00.

    The declaration published in the paper is the following:

    ^ÓCall for resistance. Against the application of all the illegal practices. In order to say ^ÓStop^Ô to those who usurped the right of the Turkish Cypriots for a referendum and who now mortgage our future, for the future of our children, come workers, go on strike. Young, old, teenagers, mothers and fathers. Come on to the square.

    Date: 14 October 2003. Time: 14:00. Place of gathering: Kugulu Park^Ô.


    [B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

    [07] Columnist in mainland Vatan says the illegal settlers from Turkey will vote according to whether they will be able to keep the usurped Greek Cypriot properties

    Istanbul Vatan newspaper (09/10/03) publishes the following commentary by Metin Munir.

    ^ÓPeople who never miss my columns would remember my earlier prediction that the opposition parties would win the general election to be held in Northern Cyprus and thus bring Rauf Denktas' 40-year-old reign to an end.

    Now, I retract that assertion as it turned out to be premature.

    Latest opinion polls indicate that the opposition parties will poll around 54 percent. Twenty percent of this group, however, are made up voters who traditionally vote for the right-wing parties.

    An overwhelming majority of those voters inclined to vote for the right-wing parties are composed of voters, who are fed up with the National Unity Party, which has always been in power since the Republic of Northern Cyprus was founded, and Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu and therefore plan to vote for other parties. This group mainly consists of new Turkish Cypriot citizens of Turkish origin and those who migrated from the South and possessed Greek Cypriot property.

    They are facing a great dilemma. On the one hand, they want to get rid of Eroglu, but on the other, they fear that the opposition parties could unconditionally accept Annan's plan. They do not want to relinquish possession of Greek property they are now holding in return for joining the EU.

    A Cypriot friend of mine commented: "A majority of them did not have even a tree they could lean against when they were living in the South. Now, they live in villas. Therefore it is not surprising to see that they do not want to vacate those luxurious houses and support pro-Denktas parties."

    Another friend of mine, who migrated from Turkey, summarized the situation briefly: "There is mutual dislike between us and the RTP [Republican Turkish Party]"

    According to latest opinion polls, the RTP, which is led by Mehmet Ali Talat, is ahead of other parties in terms of popularity rating, but it is highly unlikely that it will win the election and come into power, alone,

    Muharrem Faiz, who is an expert in opinion polls, emphasizes that twenty percent of the voters, who now sympathize with left-wing parties, have serious concerns about the issue of property and therefore could reluctantly vote for the right-wing parties in the polls.

    According to Faiz, the same tendency is also displayed by the floating voters, who have a typical conservative profile. They make up 15 percent of the registered voters.

    There were a total of 122,500 registered voters in Northern Cyprus in 1998, which eventually rose to 137,500. This increase has not resulted only from the rise in the birth rate. In order to create a power base ahead of the elections, the Government has granted TRNC ["Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus"] citizenship to a large number of Turkish citizens and it is continuing to do so. There are many people applying for citizenship and the police had to intervene in a melee, which broke out at the Immigration Department's headquarters on Tuesday. Some experts predict that the total number of registered voters could reach 143,000.

    It is assumed that people of Turkish origin will mainly vote for right-wing parties as they hate the Greek Cypriots and are apt to be manipulated into voting under instruction.

    The biggest handicap faced by the opposition parties is that they are divided into three camps.

    Could the possibility of finding a solution to the Cyprus question disappear forever if the right-wing parties win the election? I do not think so, because Turkey is pulling the strings and the steps to be taken in the future will be shaped by its decision as it has always been the case in the past.

    The problem is that there is not a consensus of opinion about the Cyprus issue in Turkey.^Ô

    [08] Columnist in Hurriyet calls on Turkey not to link its sending troops to Iraq to the Cyprus problem as in the past

    Istanbul Hurriyet newspaper (11/10/03) publishes the following commentary by Cuneyt Ulsever under the title: ^ÓAfter the draft permission^Ô.

    ^ÓIt is not difficult to guess that I was very pleased that the draft permission passed in the TGNA [Turkish Grand National Assembly]. It is also not difficult to guess that the egocentric so-called democrats who said, "This is democracy!", when the first draft permission was rejected by the TGNA, will now go back on their words.

    Since I do not like to be caught up in the vicious circle of the past, I prefer to make some warnings directed to the future. My warnings are not on the subject of which region the Turkish soldiers should go to or what they should do there. I cannot make proposals on subjects I do not know.

    I simply believe that the Turkish soldiers know irregular war and the sociological aspect and the sociology of the region more than the US soldiers do.

    My sincere thought is in the direction that the TAF [Turkish Armed Forces] would be more successful in the region than the US soldiers.

    My warnings are in two areas:

    1. The presence of Turkey in Iraq should not be limited to the military presence alone, it should present integrality. Turkey should assume a duty with an extensive scope in the region where it will serve.

    In plain words, it should govern the region!

    It should assume all of the municipal services of the region where it is located.

    It should bring general services to the public.

    The people there are saying, "All right, Saddam was bad, but during his time we had water, electricity, health, education, traffic, security, etc. services. Now, we do not have any of these!" and they are right.

    What we should do is to close this gap. Total service!

    2. Turkey, when giving these services, should not enter into an effort to find an excuse for covering/or eliminating an international deficiency.

    In plain words, if we attempt to establish a connection between what we will do in Iraq and the Cyprus issue, as was done by some people during the first draft permission debates, only we, we alone, would lose.

    With a Turkish-style mentality, if we would say, "Look, I backed you in Iraq, you should overlook my carelessness on Cyprus!" this can only produce disappointment for us. Both our efforts in Iraq would be in vain and we would fall into an even worse vacuum on Cyprus.

    Turkey should absolutely not ignore the following rules of life experienced on the subject of Iraq.

    1. It is certain that we are going to the region within the framework of the request/need of the United States.

    2. Turkey should first of all be in Iraq for the peace of the Iraqi people.

    3. But, before all else and above all else, Turkey will go to Iraq for its own self-interests.

    The politicians from the government or the opposition, the columnists and the plain citizens as well, who think that these interests are only the US$8.5 billion loan, are only those who think small.

    With the draft permission that passed from the TGNA, Turkey has become a candidate to actively determine its place in the world in the 21st century.^Ô

    EG/


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