Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 09-01-13

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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 15th meeting between Christofias-Talat took place yesterday

[02] Statements by the self-styled Prime-Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer: CTP is aiming to bring the Turkish Cypriot ´People´ into a position of standing on its own feet

[03] The self-styled Assembly approved the Draft Law on The Principles for the Establishment, Operation and Responsibilities of the Immigration Department

[04] Statements by the self-styled minister of Labor and Social Security, Sonay Adem on the unemployment issue

[05] The global financial crisis affected the air transport sector of the occupation regime

[06] Greek tourists visiting Trabzon are criticized for being engaged in propaganda

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] From the Turkish Press of 12 January 2009

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The 15th meeting between Christofias-Talat took place yesterday

The two leaders continued their discussion on the chapter of governance and power sharing. In statements he made after the meeting, the UN Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on Cyprus Mr. Alexander Downer, he said that it is expected that the two leaders will complete their discussions on the chapter governance and power sharing during their next meeting on January 16 and added that following Fridays meeting the leaders will start to discuss the property issue.

(AK.)

[02] Statements by the self-styled Prime-Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer: CTP is aiming to bring the Turkish Cypriot ´People´ into a position of standing on its own feet

Speaking during a visit to some villages of occupied Karpassia, Mr. Soyer reminded that the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) had promised to launch the negotiations on the basis of the UN parameters and said it has honored its promises and opened the way for the launching of the negotiations aimed at finding a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Referring to the early elections, Mr. Soyer stated that his party will not be following a populist policy during the election campaign adding that CTP is aiming to bring the Turkish Cypriot People into a position of standing on its own feet.

(AK.)

[03] The self-styled Assembly approved the Draft Law on The Principles for the Establishment, Operation and Responsibilities of the Immigration Department

Speaking during the meeting of the self-styled Assembly, the so-called Minister of Interior, Mr. Ozkan Murat reminded that during the period that the National Unity Party (UBP) was in the power a huge number of people gained the TRNC citizenship. He reminded also that in 2003 the Council of Ministers has distributed citizenship to 3.150 persons. Mr. Ozkan Murat went further and denied the allegations that the change in the Law on the Immigration Department was made as an election investment.

(AK.)

[04] Statements by the self-styled minister of Labor and Social Security, Sonay Adem on the unemployment issue

Upon a question on the Turkish Cypriots who work in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Adem said that according to data collected by the so-called ministry of labor approximately 5,000 persons cross to the free areas of the Republic daily, 4,000 of whom are workers. Noting that the unemployment rate has increased in the last months due to the economic crisis, Sonay Adem stated that the majority of the unemployed are workers in the construction sector.

Referring to the economy of the occupied areas, Sonay Adem said that the economy of the illegal regime is competitive both to the economy of the free areas and the economy of Turkey and that is an economy which continues to exist despite of the economic distress.

(ML)

[05] The global financial crisis affected the air transport sector of the occupation regime

Meanwhile, Kibris newspaper reports that the illegal Turkish Cypriot Airlines announced that they started a promotion campaign for the year 2009 and that from now on they will offer promotion prices for the flights from the illegal Tymbou airport to London at only 49 ¬ one way+taxes. The Turkish Cypriot Airlines announced also that they will apply the same rates as of today.

(AK.)

[06] Greek tourists visiting Trabzon are criticized for being engaged in propaganda

The paper goes on and reports that the 60-man-tourists group left the village after spending three hours there for Istanbul.

The paper adds that certain people sent the photographs of the tourists to local newspapers expressing their dislike and concern regarding the visit. The Mayor of Macka commenting on the worries expressed by these people said: We are a community that has self confidence. I cannot understand why they are concerned.

Those who expressed concern, have accused the Greek tourists of engaging in Hellenism propaganda and acting as missionaries. They also accused the group of carrying at the back of their bus the Double Headed Eagle which is included in the Pontus flag and written placard Aton Hellas which, the paper claims, means Here is Greece.

The muhktar of the village said that certain people are exaggerating the issue.

(MHY)

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] From the Turkish Press of 12 January 2009

a) Ergenekon Investigation

Assessing the recent wave of detentions in the Ergenekon investigation in an article in Milliyet, Taha Akyol maintains: "I would never believe that Kanadoglu, the former chief prosecutor of the Supreme court of Appeals, has any organic ties with an organization that aims to force the army to stage a coup by creating a social chaos through the use of weapons, bombs." Assuming that the search conducted in his house aimed at collecting evidence concerning others, Akyol quotes Kanadoglu as having said that he would also have conducted an investigation into an organization such as Ergenekon, adding that this is the reply given by Kanadoglu, who is an Ataturkist, to those who try to portray the Ergenekon investigation as a plot against the secular republic. Stressing that there is a need to investigate this illegal Ergenekon formation that has spread roots, Akyol argues that no one should attempt to undermine the investigation or to intimidate the prosecutors.

Efforts to place those in favor of a secular republic among members of the Ergenekon gang has begun to corrupt the investigation and to damage the state of law, writes Tufan Turenc in an article in Hurriyet, expressing his concern over the government's callousness on the issue of a state of law. Questioning whether Prosecutor Zekeriya Oz and his team are responsible for this degeneration in the investigation or whether there are others hiding behind Oz, the writer concurs with former Istanbul Bar President Turgut Kazan that Oz is conducting an investigation in violation of the Law of Criminal Courts, that he is misusing his office, and that he is creating an empire of fear.

Viewing the wave of detentions in the Ergenekon investigation with incredulity in an article in Hurriyet, Rahmi Turan argues that the only common denominator of the transsexuals, the mafia bosses, the former policemen, the jewelers, the artists, the retired army officers, the professors, the journalists, and the writers who have been detained within the framework of this investigation is that they are all opposed to the mentality of the Justice and Development Party, AKP. The writer agrees with former Istanbul Mayor Bedrettin Dalan who is reported to have said: "They found a sack; they are throwing in anyone they happen to dislike."

In an assessment of the recent wave of detentions in the Ergenekon investigation, Vatan columnist Can Atakli says that this latest situation indicates that we have reached the end of the court case which he describes as an operation aimed at pressuring, intimidating and scaring those who favor the principles of the Republic and Ataturk, democracy, and the supremacy of the law. Viewing the meeting between the prime minister and the chief of the General Staff, Atakli says that the General Staff took a much more important step than the expected memorandum by seeking such a meeting and "asking," according to press reports, that retired generals be released. The move of the General Staff confirmed that "Ergenekon, which may have started with the aim of revealing the deep gangs, was later used by the government to intimidate the circles opposed to it," writes Atakli, adding: "When the government's 'desire for revenge' and 'dream of establishing a democratic dictatorship by suppressing its opposition' are weeded out, the Ergenekon case will attain the desired result." Predicting that a significant number of suspects might be acquitted in the near future, Atakli argues that the thesis that "every act committed was the product of a single organization has been negated."

In an article entitled "Was Susurluk any different?", Yeni Safak columnist Fehmi Koru disagrees with some commentators over their argument that the Susurluk-linked evidence seized in the latest police operations against Ergenekon should be distinguished from the Ergenekon investigation. Koru asserts that Ergenekon is a continuation of the same illegal group named the "deep state" which was uncovered by a road accident in Susurluk back in 1996.

Also front-paged is a report entitled "Maps prepared on the same date as State Council attack," which claims that it has turned out that the map showing the location of Ergenekon's secret weapons, which was found in the possession of Ibrahim Sahin, who was detained in the latest police operation against Ergenekon, was drawn in 2006, a date which, according to the report, coincides with the armed attack on a group of State Council justices on 17 May the same year.

In an article entitled "In what relation does the US stand to Ergenekon?", Zaman's Washington correspondent Ali H. Aslan describes the assertion that the Ergenekon investigation is a US project as "a conspiracy theory." He claims that aside from not possessing the intelligence capabilities that it would need to be able to conduct a probe like the Ergenekon investigation, the United States would actually want to obstruct the investigation if it could rather than supporting it, adding that the probe causes concern in Washington not only to groups that do not want the Turkish Armed Forces, TSK, to fall into discredit because they regard the Turkish army as a guarantor of secularism but also to members of the "Cold War school of thought" who would want the TSK's "internal flaws" to be covered up as much as possible owing to the TSK's key role in NATO.

In an article entitled "Possibility of military intervention in 2009", Today's Zaman writers Emre Uslu and Onder Aytac comment on "concerns" within the Turkish military caused by "the most recent chapter in the Ergenekon investigation." They assert that it is quite likely that the year 2009 will see a military intervention in the form of "an e-memorandum," or "a memorandum," or "a general's resignation," or "a soft coup," or an "actual coup."

b) Israeli Operations in Gaza

Referring to the recent wave of anti-Semitism triggered by the Israeli operation into Gaza in an article in Milliyet, Semih Idiz argues that "fundamentalists view the brutality of Israel in Gaza as a golden opportunity to encourage anti-Semitism," drawing attention to the insensitivity of the AKP toward the issue. Noting that the Jewish lobby in the United States has "erased" Prime Minister Erdogan, Idiz maintains that the government will not be able to seek the support of this lobby when the Armenian genocide issue is included on the agenda. There are some who believes that such a development will be most auspicious, writes Idiz, arguing that these same circles aim at distancing Turkey from the West and bringing it closer to the "Muslim East." Accusing these circles of not being well acquainted with either the West or the East, Idiz reminds them that anti-Semitism is the "close cousin" of Islamophobia which is on the rise in the non-Muslim world. The writer concludes: "Let us condemn Israel for its brutality in Gaza, which in fact disturbs the conscience of many Israelis. However, while doing this, let us know that the moment we border on anti-Semitism we are surrendering to an inhuman territory as ugly as Islamophobia."

Analyzing the unconditional support the United States has been extending to Israel in an article in Sabah, Omer Taspinar dismisses the simplistic view that US foreign policy is guided by the Israeli lobby. Diagnosing the problem as the sympathy and closeness the American community feels toward Israel, the writer adds that, however, there are lobbies as important and as powerful as the Israeli and Jewish lobbies in the United States. One should look at other lobbies as well in order to understand the Middle East policy of the United States, maintains Taspinar, showing the strong oil and arms lobbies as some of those lobbies. "The oil and defense companies in the United States are at least as financially strong as the Israeli lobby and the Arabs are their primary clients," writes Taspinar, adding that only the Middle East Gulf countries constitute a $200 billion market for the US defense industry companies. Explaining the reasons why the United States is such a staunch supporter of Israel, the writer views the Holocaust as the primary reason, clarifying that the American people "do not see the Israeli-Palestinian issue as the oppression of the Palestinian people but as the struggle for survival waged by tiny Israel with its 5 million population against the 350-million-strong Arab world." These factors will might help us look at the US policy on Israel without any complicity theories, argues Taspinar, adding: "it is extremely beneficial to remember the social dimension of this issue while assessing the policy Obama will be pursuing regarding Israel."

According to Vatan columnist Mehmet Tezkan the "first ladies" initiative taken in good will by Emine Erdogan, the wife of the prime minister, has been detrimental to Turkey. In his column, the writer argues that this initiative has shown Turkey to be in the second league by appearing with Qatar, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, and Pakistan. Pointing out that the West ignored the invitations extended by Mrs. Erdogan, Tezkan stresses that even the close friends of the prime minister, namely Berlusconi and Karamanlis, refrained from sending their wives to this summit.

Criticizing the prime minister for preventing the Turkish Grand National Assembly, TBMM, from issuing a joint statement condemning the Israeli attacks on Gaza in an article in Ortadogu, Orhan Karatas questions what was discussed during the five-hour long meeting between Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert in Ankara. As the co-chairman of the Greater Middle East Project, Erdogan has refrained from contacting US and EU officials on the issue, writes Karatas, maintain that even the Arab world does not take Turkey seriously. Welcoming the initiative taken by Mrs. Erdogan with regards to the Israeli attacks, the writer nevertheless asks why the government of the Turkish Republic has taken no steps to condemn and protest Israel. Lamenting the lack of even a single government decision on the issue, Karatas accuses the government of exploiting the blood of Palestinians for political purposes.

On one hand the prime minister issues the harshest statements criticizing the Israeli attacks on Gaza and on the other the AKP prevents the TBMM from issuing a joint statement condemning the attacks, writes Mustafa Balbay in an article in Cumhuriyet, arguing that this double standard exposes the real face of ruling party. Raising the possibility that the AKP government and Israel might have reached a de facto agreement, Balbay maintains that the harsh statements and the promise of not issuing an official statement can be part of this agreement. Referring to the UN Security Council resolution welcoming the efforts of everyone ranging from Sarkozy to Mubarak, Balbay draws attention to the fact that only Erdogan's shuttle diplomacy was not mentioned in the resolution, maintaining that issuing harsh statements is not sufficient to carry weight and be effective in foreign policy.

Under the banner headline, "Vakit in Zionist Crosshairs," Vakit carries a front-page report which asserts that the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center has placed a number of Vakit columnists and correspondents on its "black list" over their articles and reports denouncing the Israeli "massacres" in Gaza.

In an article, in which a swastika is used as the title, Vakit columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak describes the situation in Gaza as "living proof" that Israel is "the world's greatest terrorist," adding that the United States, Britain, and the UN's "silence" in the face of the "Gaza tragedy" testifies to their collusion with Israel. He also asserts that the Gaza resistance has increased public pressures on "pro-Israeli regimes in the Islamic world" to an "incredible" degree.

EG/

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