Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 17-01-18

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

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Ak?nc? to illegal BRT and TRT: "There is no way for the Turkish Cypriots to say yes in a referendum without Turkey's guarantees"

[02] Member of Eroglu's negotiation team criticized Akinci's team for submitting a map

[03] Turkish FM to attend Trump's inauguration; Turkey to 'intensify diplomacy' with US after Trump enters White House

[04] The general secretary of UBP alleged that the "energy cooperation agreement" between Turkey and the breakaway regime is strategically important

[05] Turkey's Education Foundation will take over all FETO-linked schools abroad, including the ones in the occupied area of Cyprus

[06] "The Turkish Cypriots protect Turkey and not Turkey the Turkish Cypriots"

[07] Prosecutor seeks up to 142 years in prison for jailed HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas

[08] CHP leader slams curriculum change extracting Ataturk and Inonu

[09] TRT World to be broadcast in 190 countries worldwide

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Ak?nc? to illegal BRT and TRT: "There is no way for the Turkish Cypriots to say yes in a referendum without Turkey's guarantees"

Akinci also argued that a settlement on the Cyprus problem will not be possible if the Greek Cypriot side and Greece insists on zero troops and zero guarantees.

Speaking on a joint live broadcast with TRT Haber and BRT last night, Ak?nc? argued that there were major differences between the talks in Geneva and the negotiations which took place in 1960."First of all we are no longer talking about the position of a vice president but rotating presidency. This new settlement will allow a Turkish Cypriot to become the head of the state. This is the first time this is being discussed. This is one of the most important gains for the Turkish Cypriots in terms of political equality", Akinci said, adding that there will be a presidential system.

Pointing out that the Cabinet ratio back in 1960 was 7 to 3 while in the Annan Plan it was 4 to 2, Ak?nc? said that important progress was also achieved on this issue as the new Cabinet ratio as and when a settlement is reached will be 7 to 4. "No decision will be valid without the vote of a Turkish Cypriot", he added.

Explaining that the new federal state will be composed of two constituent states, Ak?nc? argued: "We shall have our own constituent state with our own parliament, our own government, our own police force and our own courts. We shall also have the right to make our own international agreements."

He further added that it will be possible to sign international agreements with Turkey and other states in the fields of finance, commerce, tourism and culture.

Responding to a question regarding security and guarantees, Ak?nc? stressed that that abandoning Turkey's guarantees out of the question.

He further argued that it would not be possible to reach a settlement if the Greek Cypriot side and Greece continued to insist on zero troops and zero guarantees. "It is possible to find a rational and logical solution. One side has security concerns and demands security from Turkey. There is no way the Turkish Cypriot side would say yes in a referendum without the guarantee of Turkey. A limited number of troops must remain in Cyprus. We need to adapt the situation in 1960 to 2017" he said.

Answering another question on maps and the issue of territorial adjustments, Ak?nc? said that the map put on the table by the Turkish Cypriot side was above 29% in line with the percentage first set by the "founding president" Rauf Raif Denktas. "The maps being waved around have nothing to do with the real thing" he added.

Ak?nc? also stated that the map presented was better than the map envisaged in the 2004 Annan Plan. "The Greek Cypriot side's map too is not what some people are claiming it to be. However, the Greek Cypriot map is not acceptable. I as the president cannot accept this map. There is no Turkish Cypriot that can accept this map. You could ask me whether 29+ was my opening position and that I would go down to 25% but I can assure you that this will not happen. Why not? Because the bottom limit of the map presented by the Greek Cypriot side is 28.2%. There is no way of going down below that percentage", he said.

Ak?nc? added that the maps were locked for safe keeping so as preventing any cause for speculation. "If we reach agreement on the other issues we shall take them out and finalize this issue with a few touches" he said.

Akinci also supported that a settlement will also bring a final solution to the property dispute. "We are expecting the cost of compensation to be around 10 billion euro. The EU has promised to contribute to this. How much of this promise the EU will keep, we shall all see but I'm cautious. However, if there is to be a settlement in Cyprus everyone will need to shoulder responsibility" he added.

[02] Member of Eroglu's negotiation team criticized Akinci's team for submitting a map

He claimed that while even in the 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus the Turkish Cypriot Vice President had the right of veto, this right was not given to the Turkish Cypriot side on the basics of the new agreement.

He went on and added that "rotating presidency is hollow" and claimed that President Nicos Anastasiades said that he accepted the rotating presidency because it was not a big compromise since the rotating presidents will not have the right to vote.

Referring to the attendance of representatives of the parties of the "coalition government" at the negotiation talks held in Geneva, Hasipoglu said that they did not participate in the negotiation table therefore they cannot be held responsible either for the map or the proposals submitted by the Turkish Cypriot side.

Claiming that the submission of the map was wrong, Hasipoglu said the following: "We told them that if we are not at the final stage and if the negotiations are prolonged the maps can be leaked to the press and the names of the villages mentioned in the map could cause economic and social agitation and our people in these areas could experience a trauma", he alleged.

(CS)

[03] Turkish FM to attend Trump's inauguration; Turkey to 'intensify diplomacy' with US after Trump enters White House

At a meeting with the High Education Board yesterday, Cavusoglu announced he will depart for the U.S. late yesterday to attend the inauguration.

"The organization committee has invited us. The President's cadre will be at the meetings and we will be able to meet them as well," Cavusoglu told reporters.

Cavusoglu added also that the extradition of Fethullah Gulen, widely believed to have been the mastermind behind the July 15 coup attempt, will also be discussed with the new administration.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said earlier this month that relations between Ankara and Washington were likely to improve once Donald Trump commenced office.

"I believe we will reach a consensus with Mr. Trump, particularly on regional issues," he said.

Meanwhile, Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (18.01.17) reports that Ankara is planning to engage in more intense diplomacy with the U.S. under Donald Trump's incoming administration, amid news that a Turkish presidential delegation is set to visit Washington D.C. in February to contact the new administration.

(…)

Senior Turkish presidential sources say Ankara wants to move fast to catch Trump's ear, with a delegation composed of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policy advisers paying a visit to Washington in February.

Among issues set to be raised by the delegation are the Turkey-U.S. bilateral relationship, regional issues, the joint fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and disagreements over the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria, affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The delegation also plans to discuss Turkey's ongoing cross-border operation into Syria, the Euphrates Shied Operation, as well as wider developments in Iraq and Syria.

The Turkish government's struggle against the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETO) and its demand for the extradition of Pennsylvania-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen is also set to be on the agenda.

Ankara has already conveyed its message to the U.S. that it has two main demands from the new administration: One is ending its support to the PYD and the other is the extradition of Gulen.

The delegation plans to take the pulse of White House on these issues ahead of President Erdogan's planned visit to Washington in the spring.

[04] The general secretary of UBP alleged that the "energy cooperation agreement" between Turkey and the breakaway regime is strategically important

He made these statements speaking during a television program to illegal Bayrak.

Ogus claimedthat the agreement will cut down the expenses in electricity in the short run and will create advantages in issues of energy politics in the long run.

Reporting on the same issue, Vatan (18.01.17) writes that the "Turkish Cypriot chamber of industry" stated that it supports the "agreement", arguing that it will create a lot of potentials for reforms in the breakaway regime.

(CS)

[05] Turkey's Education Foundation will take over all FETO-linked schools abroad, including the ones in the occupied area of Cyprus

Cem Zorlu, Chairman of Turkey's Maarif Foundation, in statements to Ankara Anatolia news agency, announced that there will be some significant changes to the curriculum of FETO-linked schools abroad. "We will be offering a substantial teaching of the Turkish language. There will be Turkish prep classes", Zorlu said. Noting that the language of instruction is French in Africa-based schools and English elsewhere, Zorlu said the goal is to ensure that school graduates are able to speak and write in two foreign languages.

All changes to the curriculum would be "in line with the requests of the authorities of respective countries, and parents", he said, adding the changes would be implemented as soon as the process is completed to transfer the schools in some 50 countries.

"We took over the schools in Guinea, and signed memorandums of understanding with the governments of Chad, Somalia, Sudan, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania, and Niger. Negotiations are still ongoing [for the schools] in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Thailand, Cambodia, TRNC (translator's note: the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus), Iraq, northern Iraq, Moldova, Uganda, Australia, Indonesia and Azerbaijan", he said.

According to the paper, self-styled minister of education and culture Ozdemir Berova confirmed that the council of Turkey's Maarif Foundation (Vakif) visited the "ministry of education", however, he added it was a courtesy visit. Berova claimed that there was not any meeting between Turkey's Maarif Foundation and "TRNC government" regarding existing FETO schools in "TRNC" and whether these schools will be handed over. He explained that the council of Turkey's Maarif Foundation just visited them to meet them and there was no discussion on handing over FETO schools. Berova alleged that Hala Sultan theological school is a "state school".

Commenting on the announcement of Cem Zorlu, the general secretary of the Turkish Cypriot Teacher's trade union (KTOS) Sener Elcil said that there are FETO schools in the "north side of Cyprus" and maybe one of these is the Hala Sultan Theological School. He further argued that it is unacceptable to use the "religious education" as a political argument and called the "ministry of education" to make an announcement and clarify this issue.

On the same issue, Tahir Gokcebel, chairman of the "Turkish Cypriot Secondary School Teachers Union" (KTOEOS), said that some professors were not allowed to teach in the Hala Sultan Theological School with the accusation of being members of FETO, adding that when they said that in the past, they were criticized.

(DPs)

[06] "The Turkish Cypriots protect Turkey and not Turkey the Turkish Cypriots"

"Halacoglu said: 'Daughter land Cyprus, which has the quality of being Turkey's safety and is in the position of being Turkey's door to the Mediterranean, is being lost'. So what is happening? Turkey protecting the Turkish Cypriots from the Greek Cypriots consists of nonsense, it is said. What is happening? Actually the Turkish Cypriots protect Turkey and not Turkey the Turkish Cypriots. If they at least knew our value, […]"

(I/Ts.)

[07] Prosecutor seeks up to 142 years in prison for jailed HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas

Among the charges directed to Demirtas are "managing a terrorist organization," "making terrorist propaganda," "inciting people to violence and hatred," and "praising crime and the criminal," for which the prosecutor demands a prison sentence of between 43 years and 142 years.

Yuksekdag is charged with "opposing the meeting and rally law," "inciting people to violence and hatred" and "provoking people to commit crimes," for which the prosecutor demands a prison sentence of between 30 years and 83 years.

Meanwhile, the lawyer of Ahmet Turk, the ousted and jailed mayor of the southeastern province of Mardin, has said his health is in a poor condition and "the public is waiting for him to be released."

"Turk's health condition is poor. It's not right for him to be transferred to a prison in [the eastern province of] Elaz?g at a time when the public is waiting for him to be released," lawyer Erdal Kuzu told the Dogan News Agency, referring to Turk's transfer to Elaz?g from Istanbul's Silivri prison.

(…)

Elsewhere, a prosecutor in the southeastern province of S?rnak has demanded a jail sentence of 103 years for Nursel Aydogan, a jailed MP from the Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Among the charges in Aydogan's indictment are "making the propaganda of an illegal organization," "praising crime and the criminal" and "inciting people to hatred and enmity."

Aydogan was previously sentenced to four years, eight months and seven days in prison over "committing a crime on behalf of an illegal organization" while not being a member.

[08] CHP leader slams curriculum change extracting Ataturk and Inonu

"This country has its own saviors. Why do you avoid your own history? Why are you ashamed of it?" Kilicdaroglu asked.

His comments came after the Education Ministry published its plans for an update to the curriculum that would alter many areas of the educational syllabus from science to history.

The Ministry's decision to reduce the parts reserved for Ataturk and extract the parts reserved for Inonu met with fierce criticism from the opposition.

"It was observed that in the Education Ministry's new curriculum proposal, the parts including information about the founders of the Republic and Ataturk were reduced and made insignificant and there were attempts to almost erase some parts of history," Gulsun Bilgehan, a CHP Ankara lawmaker and the granddaughter of Inonu, said January16.

"Such efforts have been tried in our political history earlier, and have not yielded results," she added.

Along with educational policy, the CHP leader criticized the government for not managing economic stagnancy and the social and political crises that Turkey has been experiencing.

"If this constitutional amendment will be realized, we will create a dictator," Kilicdaroglu said. "If it happens, the regime will completely change. We will transition to an authoritarian presidency from a parliamentary democracy," he added.

Answering a question on the scheduled meeting with opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli despite the MHP leader's fierce criticism of the CHP, K?licdaroglu implied that the meeting would take place.

"If the subject is motherland, the other topics are mere details," K?l?cdaroglu said.

The two were scheduled to meet on Jan. 18 following the CHP leader's call, but the MHP leader harshly criticized the CHP's protests of the constitutional charter on his Twitter account.

K?l?cdaroglu hinted at a possible meeting as he defended CHP lawmakers' protests at the Parliament, adding that the CHP would continue to oppose the constitutional amendment.

"They [the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers] did not follow the law. But our lawmakers have fulfilled their duties to warn them each time. Despite the pressure which has come to a point where a lawmaker has lost himself that much to attack a woman lawmaker, we continued our struggle," Kilicdaroglu also said.

[09] TRT World to be broadcast in 190 countries worldwide

TRT announced on January 13 that it had signed agreements with Globecast, the global solutions provider for media, and Turksat, Turkey's first and unique satellite operator, to broadcast its international channel across Europe, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Australia and the Americas.

The announcement added that the "expanded reach has already begun and will be completed in the coming months."

As a strategic partner to TRT World, Turksat has been working extensively with Globecast to provide the technical broadcast solutions needed to achieve the expanded global delivery. Globecast is providing worldwide connectivity and uplink distribution services using its unique reach to access the 10 satellites.

TRT Director General Senol Goka said he was proud about the agreement. "As TRT World, we keep growing and making new international broadcast agreements. With this deal, TRT World's reporting-from-the-field approach to creating news that focuses on the humanitarian aspect of the stories will be available in 190 countries. TRT World will continue to bring a new perspective to international news broadcasting to an expanded global audience," said Goka. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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(AK/AM)

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