Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 08-08-27

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Cypriot leader is departing for a visit to Turkey on the eve of the forthcoming negotiating process in Cyprus

[02] The CTP continues to exchange views with NGOs regarding the Cyprus problem

[03] Ertugruloglu accused Talat of committing mistakes on the Cyprus problem

[04] Soyer comments on the oil exploration initiative of the Republic of Cyprus

[05] Turkish and Turkish Cypriot newspapers are relating the situation in Caucasus to Cyprus

[06] New ambassadors will be reportedly appointed by the breakaway regime

[07] The ministry of education and the religious affairs department were not informed about some students attending religious classes in Turkey

[08] Eleven applications for guesthouses in occupied Lefka area

[09] After Africa, Turkey aims to secure the Caribbean nations votes for its UNSC candidacy

[10] Figures on cases opened at the ECHR against Turkey

[11] Turkey plans to opened departments in Iran universities

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[12] From the Turkish Press of 26 August 2008

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Turkish Cypriot leader is departing for a visit to Turkey on the eve of the forthcoming negotiating process in Cyprus

According to information acquired from the so-called presidents office, Mr Talat is departing this morning at 07.00 hours and between 13.00 and 15.00 hours he will visit the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. At 18.30 he will meet with the administrators of Istanbul Cultural University and he is expected to attend a book presentation by Turkeys Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV). Tomorrow Mr Talat will meet with President Gul at 10.30 hours in Ankara. They will make a joint statement to the press at 12.30 and participate in a launch which Mr Gul will offer in honor of Mr Talat.

The Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the State Minister responsible for Cyprus, Mr Cemil Cicek and the Foreign Minister, Mr Ali Babacan will also be attending the meeting between Talat and Gul. Mr Talat will hold a separate meeting with Mr Babacan at 14.45 hours and round up his visit in Turkey after attending the handover ceremony at the Turkish General Staff at 17.00 hours.

(I/Ts.)

[02] The CTP continues to exchange views with NGOs regarding the Cyprus problem

Ozkan Yorgancioglu, MP of the CTP, said that a new window of opportunity has been opened for the solution of the Cyprus problem and added that the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Mehmet Ali Talat should be supported on this issue. He noted that the framework of the solution is more or less known and added that the agreement of 23 May between the two leaders will be taken as basis.

Aslan Bicakli, chairman of TURK-SEN on his part said that they are ready to offer any support to the struggle for a solution. He reminded that the trade unions are internationally represented and noted that they continue their contacts abroad in consultation with the Turkish Cypriot leader.

The chairman of BES, Birtan Aktolga said that the trade unions are always ready to contribute to the peace process and added that Cyprus is a small island but big enough to give the possibility to the two communities to live in a brotherly manner.

Finally, Erkan Birer, chairman of TEL-SEL said that as trade union, they are always ready to support the solution. He expressed the belief that good things will be achieved during the 3 September process with the support of the civilian organizations and the people to the activities of Mr Talat and the CTP.

(I/Ts.)

[03] Ertugruloglu accused Talat of committing mistakes on the Cyprus problem

He said that they will not allow the national cause of Cyprus to be lost because of personal mistakes committed by Mr Talat. Mr Ertugruloglu alleged that the process for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem continues with the timetable and the agenda imposed by the Greek Cypriots and claimed that the mistake on the issue started with the Gambari process. He said that they support Mr Talat, but in spite of the fact that the Greek Cypriot side has put forward its red lines, the Turkish Cypriot leader is continuously making concessions and cannot resist.

(I/Ts.)

[04] Soyer comments on the oil exploration initiative of the Republic of Cyprus

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer has said that the announcement by the Greek Cypriot side that it will start oil exploration between Cyprus and Egypt next year is aimed at sabotaging the negotiations process. The Prime Minister said that the Turkish Cypriot side will never abandon its legitimate rights nor will it bow down to Greek Cypriot pressure.

Speaking to the Anatolian News Agency, Prime Minister Soyer said that the island of Cyprus was a common homeland for both Turkish and Greek Cypriots and that all resources, whether on the surface or underground, were part of the joint sovereignty. He said that Turkish Cypriots had an equal right over any oil to be discovered off the coast of Cyprus.

Soyer also pointed out that the recent Greek Cypriot news reports that exploration for oil will start in 2009 were the result of deliberate attempts to create an atmosphere of tension and commotion ahead of the upcoming negotiations. Explaining that both Turkeys and the TRNCs position on this issue was clear, the Prime Minister claimed that their reaction was a just and legitimate one.

No one can claim sole right over these resources. Turkish Cypriots have an equal sovereign right to any oil to be discovered off the coast of Cyprus he said, adding that Turkey too had rights stemming from its close proximity to the island.

He said that such announcements ahead of the negotiations scheduled to begin on the 3rd of September were aimed at sabotaging the process.

[05] Turkish and Turkish Cypriot newspapers are relating the situation in Caucasus to Cyprus

Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (27.08.08) refers to the issue under the banner front-page title Russia defied the world and reports that after the US and the EU countries made a step in the process of recognizing Kosovo by ignoring the international law, Russia, with a historic decision, recognized yesterday South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The paper writes that observers said that according to the first scenario for the near future, the TRNC model will be implemented in the area, that is, the independence of the two areas will be recognized only by Russia.

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily Bakis newspaper (27.08.08) refers to the issue under the banner front-page title Is cold war coming back?

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper (27.08.08), under the title Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, reports that another allegation of the CTP and its hired pens proved to be empty.

Moreover, under the front page banner title, New map in Caucasus, Turkish daily Hurriyet newspaper (27.08.08) reports that the signing of the critical decision by the Russian Head of State Dimitriy Medvedev, Moscow declared the partition of Georgias territories into three parts and the recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Under the subtitle, As the Cyprus model, the paper further reports that the policy opted by Moscow, which one day later adopted the decision taken by the Russian parliament regarding the self-administered since 1990 South Ossetia and Abkhazia, is similar to the Cyprus model that was adopted 35 years ago.

The paper continues on the same issue in its world news pages under the title Moscow left Ankara to a difficult position. According to the report, the decision of Russia put Turkey into a difficult position as regards Cyprus. The recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Russia has many similarities to that of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Ankara is concerned that if it opposes to Russias decision Moscow will remind the TRNC to Turkey.

Also, when Turkey recognized Kosovos independence, it turned Russia against it. Therefore, it is now difficult to insist on the territorial integrity of Georgia, adds Hurriyet.

(I/Ts. E/A)

[06] New ambassadors will be reportedly appointed by the breakaway regime

(I/Ts.)

[07] The ministry of education and the religious affairs department were not informed about some students attending religious classes in Turkey

(I/Ts.)

[08] Eleven applications for guesthouses in occupied Lefka area

(I/Ts.)

[09] After Africa, Turkey aims to secure the Caribbean nations votes for its UNSC candidacy

Timothy Sylvester Harris, the minister of foreign affairs for the small Caribbean island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, had talks with both President Abdullah Gul and his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, yesterday, as Turkish diplomacy to drum up support for its UN Security Council bid expands to the Caribbean region.

Harris, who is the minister in charge of foreign affairs and international trade, industry, commerce and consumer affairs, attended a meeting of senior officials from Turkey and the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to explore possibilities for expanding ties between what Turkish officials call 'distant neighbors.'

Saint Kitts and Nevis, a country of 42,696 inhabitants -- according to 2000 figures -- is just one of the small nations that most Turks have probably never heard of before. But as the government steps up efforts to widen support for its 'Turkey in the Security Council' campaign ahead of the UN General Assembly election in autumn, every vote counts and every country is as valuable as the next.

Asserting that Turkish representation on the UN Security Council is long overdue after an absence at the influential world body for half a century, the government has launched a campaign to win support from the world countries that it generally had poor relations with before. Officials signed documents to initiate diplomatic relations with many world nations over the past years.

In 2007, Turkey hosted a meeting of the world's Least Developed Countries (LDCs), a large group of mostly African and Asian countries with the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development. This month, leaders of African countries, including controversial Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, gathered in Istanbul for a Turkey-Africa cooperation summit. Ties with Africa are of special importance for the government not only because of the trade and energy cooperation opportunities it offers to outsiders but also because of the more than 50 seats that African countries hold on the UN General Assembly. Turkey needs at least 128 votes out of 192 UN members to be elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2009-2010. As part of its policy of opening up to Africa, the government is planning to open new embassies in African countries in the coming years, boosting its presence on the continent.

The Caribbean region is more modest in its energy resources and trade opportunities when compared with vast Africa. The government, which is working on an action plan to develop ties with Latin America and the Caribbean region, is proud that the trade volume with Latin America and the Caribbean has more than quadrupled over the past years. But despite the impressive growth rate, the figures are still modest, going up from $885 million in 2000 to $4 billion in 2007. Trade with the Caribbean region alone rose from $75 million to $200 million in the same period.

Caribbean nations have received Turkey's request for UN support warmly, but promoting Caribbean interests as pledged by Foreign Minister Babacan at last week's opening of the Turkey-CARICOM meeting, will mean more Turkish attention to a number of issues that are traditionally not on Turkey's top to-do list in the international sphere. One is global warming and climate change, an imminent threat to many Caribbean island nations that fear any rise in sea levels could mean disaster for them. Rising food prices are another key concern for the Caribbean nations.

'If we are elected, you can be assured that we, together with representatives from your region at the UN Security Council, will give special importance to the interests of the Caribbean community,' Babacan said at the Turkey-CARICOM meeting last week.

[10] Figures on cases opened at the ECHR against Turkey

Two-thirds of the applications made to the European court regard violations of fair trial and property rights. There are currently 440 cases opened against Turkey regarding torture, ill treatment and violation of the right to live.

According to statistics from the Foreign Ministry, Turkey was sentenced to 33 million euros in 567 different cases between 1990 -- when Turkey allowed individual applications to the European court -- and 2006. A majority of these cases are related to events that took place in south-eastern Anatolia when it was declared that the region was in a state of emergency. This label was officially applied to the Southeast between July 1987 and November 2002 due to terrorist activities perpetrated by the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK).

Turkey, which ratified the European Convention of Human Rights in 1954, accepted the right to apply to the European court individually in 1987. Turkey agreed to accept the decisions of the European court and to pay the fines it was leveled in 1989, and this agreement became valid in 1990. The first individual application to the European court from Turkey was made in 1993, and the European court made its first decisions on Turkey in 1995. The number of decisions that the European court has made since then is as follows: three in 1995, five in 1996, eight in 1997, 18 in 1998, 19 in 1999, 39 in 2000, 218 in 2001, 99 in 2002, 123 in 2003, 171 in 2004, 290 in 2005 and 300 in 2006.

[11] Turkey plans to open departments in Iran universities

Turkey's education minister left for Iran on a formal visit on Tuesday. National Education Minister Huseyin Celik is travelling to this country upon an invitation of his Iranian counterpart Alireza Ali-Ahmadi.

'Cooperation in psychology, Turkish language and higher education in Iran will be the main topics I will debate with Iranian authorities,' Celik told reporters before he flew to Tehran.

Celik said that he would launch initiatives to open a Turkish language education department at Tehran and Tabriz universities.

The minister also said that Turkey could be a place where Iranian students and students from other Middle Eastern countries could get education.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[12] From the Turkish Press of 26 August 2008

Caucasian Crisis Recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Russia:

In an article entitled "An Energy Platform," Sabah columnist Erdal Safak says that the Caucasian crisis has deepened after the Russian Parliament's decision in spite of reports that Russian President Medvedev will indefinitely shelve the resolution. Safak says: "There is a more critical possibility. If Russia recognizes the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the West, including the United States, EU, and NATO would not have the strength, solidarity, and even legitimacy that could thwart it." He emphasizes that Turkey could assume a historical role and responsibility in the crisis.

Under the title "What if it Ferments?" Taraf columnist Temel Iskit analyzes in his article the initial reactions to Turkey's proposal to establish a platform for stability and peace in the Caucasus, adding that the United States' lukewarm response to the idea might have stemmed from Washington's concerns that it could help Russia enhance its influence over the region. He comments: "If it eventually proves to be successful, we could guarantee our interests in the Caucasus over the medium and long term in addition to gaining significant prestige. If it fails, we hope that we will be able to find a way out with our position within Western democracies and our future in the West remaining intact."

In an article entitled "Foreign Policy Involving Many Persons," Cumhuriyet columnist Mustafa Balbay argues that Turkey's proposal about the Caucasus and its policy vis-à-vis relations with Armenia indicate that Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister and Erdogan, and bureaucrats in the Foreign Ministry are advocating solutions and projects which are not consistent with each other. Balbay also cautions that Turkey could become a part of the Caucasian crises rather than a possible solution by letting US warships to pass through the Straits.

Radikal columnist Murat Yetkin in an article entitled "A Critical Meeting in Moscow," says that Ambassador Unal Cevikoz, Assistant Undersecretary of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, and Vladimir Titov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, will hold a meeting in Moscow today in order to discuss the details of a document about Turkey's proposal to further regional cooperation in the Caucasus.

Under the title "War in the Black Sea and the Warning Four Years Ago", Yeni Safak columnist Ibrahim Karagul argues that developments related to the Caucasus and the Black Sea will dominate the international agenda henceforth. He asserts that either Russia will withdraw further to the north of the North Caucasus or the West will lose the South Caucasus and that in any case the current conflict will continue for many years to come, with regional ethnic groups serving as proxies for major players. He claims that Turkey's political future will be affected by what will happen in the region because the crisis will take the form of a Black Sea rather than Caucasus problem for this country, adding that the ongoing regional developments are reminiscent of what happened before the Crimean War between 1853 and 1856. He also quotes passages from earlier articles in the past four years in which he says he predicted some of the current regional events.

In an article entitled "Who Has Won in the Caucasus?", Zaman columnist Sahin Alpay argues that although from a military perspective, Russia is the unquestionable winner of the latest conflict in the Caucasus, it could well be the greatest loser in a political and strategic sense. Alpay asserts that the war has certainly dealt a severe blow to Russia's international prestige by causing it to be perceived once again as an aggressive power, adding that the conflict has obviously failed to enable Russia to bring about a regime change in Tbilisi or establish control over the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

ES/

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