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Thursday, 15 August 2024
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Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 13-07-12Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW No. 130/13 12/07/2013[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS
[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS[01] Trade unions react to Turkey's interference in the "early elections" of June 28According to Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika (12.07.13), the trade unions of Turk-Sen, KTOEOS, Dau-Sen and Kamu-Sen, evaluating at the news portal Kibris Postasi the interference of Turkey in the "early elections" in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, all agreed on the interference of Turkey.Tuluy Kalyoncu, deputy chairman of Turk-Sen, said that the difficulties that they experience on the issue of free political willpower are a result of the structure of a non-solution environment, which has been continuing since 1974. He added this is the time for radical political and financial changes. Kalyoncu claimed that all the indications show that the ruling government of Justice and Development Party (AKP) interferes in the "early elections" in favour of the National Unity Party (UBP). He also said that UBP is the only candidate party, which implements unconditionally the AKP policies. The general secretary of the Turkish Cypriot Primary Teachers' Union (KTOEOS), Tahir Gokcebel, said that Turkey makes any kind of interference in "north Cyprus", as he refers to the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus, political, financial as well as culture. Noting that the Turkish Cypriot community doesn't deserve to be called "lazy", "atheist" or "dependable", Gokcebel said that they should stand on their own feet. Mehmet Ozkardas, chairman of Kamu-Sen trade union, said that the political parties open the way to the interferences of Turkey's governments, adding that Turkey plays with some "deputies" as she wants. [02] Trade cooperation between Iraq and "TRNC" will startTurkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi (12.07.13) reports that the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) in cooperation with the Turkey-Iraq International Investors Association (TURIYAD) has decided to cooperate in order to improve the trade relations between the breakaway regime and Iraq.The chairman of KTTO Gunay Cerkez, who carried out contacts in Mersin between 3-4 July as guest of TURIYAD, said that during the meeting with the Chairman of TURIYAD Ferdudun Gunduz, it was stressed that the exports from Turkey to Iraq are currently at the level of 15 million dollars, and that there is possibility to develop a joint investment cooperation. Cerkez explained that an agreement has been obtained so as joint investments and bilateral trade to be developed through a Joint Committee with the participation of some members of KTTO to the TURIYAD in north Iraq. He added that their aim is to increase their trade volume towards Turkey and through Turkey to Iraq and other third world countries. [03] YDU signed protocols for cooperation with sixteen universities of KazakhstanTurkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (12.07.13) reports that the illegal Near East University (YDU) signed protocols for cooperation with sixteen universities of Kazakhstan.The paper writes that a delegation of YDU, headed by Chairman Irfan Suat Gunsel is currently holding contacts in Kazakhstan. The protocols signing ceremony started with the "national anthem" of Kazakhstan and of the breakaway regime's, writes the paper. [04] Summit held at Turkish Prime Ministry on settlement processTurkish daily Zaman (11.07.13) reported that the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay convened a meeting in Ankara to discuss the roadmap for the ongoing settlement process aimed at resolving the country's long-standing Kurdish problem.The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Ministers Bulent Arinc and Bekir
Bozdag, Interior Minister Muammer Guler, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin,
Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy chairman Numan Kurtulmu,
AKP spokesperson Huseyin Celik and AKP deputy group chairman Mahir ?nal.
Participants at the meeting did not make a statement to the press about
the content of the meeting; however, they were expected to discuss issues
such as laws that will be prepared during the settlement process for
democratization and whether those laws have any relation with 48 articles
for the new Constitution on which the four political parties have reached
a consensus. Parliament is expected to approve these articles following
a recent call from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
A similar meeting on the settlement process was held under the leadership
of Erdogan last Tuesday and no statements were made to the press following
that meeting either.
In addition, the paper also reports that one of the chiefs of the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has said that if the Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) continues to behave as it has been in the
past few months, the ongoing settlement process might be irrevocably
damaged.
The PKK's larger network, the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), changed
its top brass recently. It appointed Murat Karayilan, a long-term senior
commander, to a body it calls the "executive council" of the KCK. In
his initial statements following his new position, Karayilan said the
settlement process began last year in October through talks between the
government and the PKK's imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
Speaking to the PKK-affiliated Firat News Agency, Karayilan said the
common opinion that came out of a recent meeting of Kongra-Gel, another
organ of the PKK that is short for the Kurdish People's Congress, was
that the settlement process has been blocked.
Karayilan said the PKK made important decisions during that
meeting. "Kongra-Gel gave the authority to follow the settlement process
to the Executive Council. It gave it the authority to decide on its
own based on spontaneous developments. For example, if the government
doesn't take any steps, it might decide to freeze the process or continue
it." Karayilan also reiterated the group's demands that an independent
group of doctors go to Imrali, where Ocalan is imprisoned, and examine
the PKK leader.
Turkey has ordered at least 10 of the next-generation in military
transport aircraft from Airbus Military. The long-awaited tactical
airlifter has seen a series of delays and budget hikes, and as of June
Military Airbus hadn't delivered on any of its 174 orders.
The first test flight was held in Etimesgut Air Base in Ankara province,
the second in the 12th Military Airbase Command in Kayseri province. The
A400M is designed for military use but can also serve civilian purposes.
The high-tech A400M can cover large distances in a short period of time
and is highly maneuverable. Turkey has been working with France during
the A400M's production phase. The first deliveries of the aircraft to
Turkey will start in September.
"Since the coup d'?tat in Egypt that toppled the elected president Mohamed
Morsi on July 3, the Turkish government has been following an extremely
rare, if not unique line in the history of diplomacy. With the motivation
of bitter Turkish experience, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is persistent
on not accepting the fait accompli by the Egyptian army and has been
asking world leaders and institutions for the reinstallation of Morsi;
in other words, undoing the coup.
This is perhaps a climax of the 'politics of principles', which Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has been repeating to describe the
foreign policy of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)
government through its 11 years in power. This is also how Turkey's
policy of involvement in the Syrian civil war has been explained. Not
only the Turkish government, but also the opposition and civil society,
have condemned the coup in Egypt, in such a way as to say that they would
not allow a military coup in Turkey anymore. Aside from domestic political
concerns, the Turkish point of view of not accepting the toppling of an
elected president by the army, no matter what authoritarian tendencies
he might have developed during his one year in power, is approved by
the Turkish people.
But is Erdogan's persistence in trying to undo the coup a mission
impossible? Recent reports show that the U.S. administration had
been in contact with both Morsi and the army for some time, to find a
compromise to avoid a coup. It should also be noted that the White House
has reiterated its position of being equidistant from all political
parties in Egypt, even after receiving Ankara's messages that it
should back Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood administration. So, we can
assume that a radical shift in the U.S. position regarding Egypt is not
likely. Similarly, the European Union, which needs the unanimity of its
now-28 members, is not likely to take the same position as Ankara either.
Actually, Erdogan seems more hurt by the stances of fellow Muslim
countries - especially Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Turkey's partners
in the Syrian situation, who have also helped Turkey, cope with the
eurozone crisis for the last few years by backing it up with financial
resources. Perhaps Ankara failed to read the full details of the power
shift in Qatar on June 25, (possibly because of the major crisis it had
with Germany and the EU over the Gezi Park incidents), which played a
role in the diplomatic support that the coup regime in Egypt received
from the Arab world. In the power shift, the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin
Khalifa al-Thani, left his chair for the 'fresh blood' of his 33-year-old
son Tamim, while also removing prime minister (and foreign minister)
Hammad bin Jassim, who is pointed to as the main diligent of heavy
Western involvement in the Syrian war.
On top of all this, the developments in Egypt have taken an even more
critical path following the military's opening of fire on Morsi supporters
in Cairo's Adawiya Square on July 8, killing dozens of protestors. This
led to a call for an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, making the
reinstallation of Morsi to power even more difficult. It is more likely
that the U.N., the U.S., the EU, and Arab countries will concentrate their
efforts for a balanced interim government to take Egypt to elections
as soon as and as free as possible, and to let Morsi and the Muslim
Brotherhood compete.
There are groups among supporters of the AKP who ask for a braking off
of relations with the coup regime in Egypt. That sounds like a move of
principles in the extreme, and it may further damage Turkey's current
situation in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey already
has no diplomatic relations with Syria. Israel has reportedly suspended
the reconciliation talks with Turkey, upon remarks from Erdogan (and
some of his ministers) that they found 'anti-Semitic'. Turkish Airlines
can now only fly to Jordan via Egyptian air space, thus doubling its
flight time, because of those conflicts. Turkey has few links left with
the Shiite half of Lebanon because of the Syria conflict, and has only
distant links with the secular half of the Palestinian state because
of its full commitment to the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Hamas in
Gaza. In addition, Ankara does not recognize the Greek part of Cyprus
[editor's note: the government controlled area of the Republic of Cyprus].
In summary, cutting or reducing the level of ties with the coup regime
in Egypt does not look like being the most rational thing to do for
the Erdogan government. This means a major shift in Turkish foreign
policy toward a 'realpolitik' one will be necessary, which will have
consequences in domestic politics, too."
TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION
http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio
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