Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 07-11-08

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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 chairman of the Islamic Chambers of Commerce and Industry went to the TRNC, in order to hold contacts

[02] Saudi Arabian King to visit Turkey

[03] Turkeys final point is the Annan Plan

[04] United Cyprus Party: The foundations for two states in Cyprus have been laid.

[05] Toros 2007 exercise is starting today

[06] Avci held contacts in Germany

[07] Support to the TRNC and Turkeys EU course the outcome of Erdogans contacts in Rome

[08] More on Rasit Pertevs resignation

[09] Rural plots of land to 55 young persons

[10] The illegal government launches official website for the property information office

[11] Concern in occupied Cyprus about the Turkish Cypriots who shop in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus

[12] Metin Yalcin is the new chairman of the Businessmen´s Association (ISAD)

[13] Gul to visit the Turkic Republics in December with the aim Turkey to become a bridge between the Turkic world

[14] Turkeys Democratic Society Party faces possible closure

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[15] Column in Today´s Zaman speaks about ultimatum to President Bush regarding Northern Iraq as before the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The chairman of the Islamic Chambers of Commerce and Industry went to the TRNC, in order to hold contacts

Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdullah Kamel, who is accompanied by his wife and consultants, was received at the illegal Tymvou airport by the self-styled minister of foreign affairs Turgay Avci. He will depart from occupied Cyprus on the 10th of November.

In a short statement he made at the illegal airport, Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdullah Kamel stated that he is very happy for visiting the TRNC. He also stated that they must do more things together with TRNC and added that the Islamic Chambers of Commerce and Industry, want to cooperate with the TRNC. He also thanked Avci for receiving him at the airport and, as the paper writes, made a heartfelt wish this visit to be the beginning of a strong cooperation with the TRNC.

On his part, Avci stated that the visit of Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdullah Kamel shows for one more time ICOs support towards the TRNC. He stated that the chairman of the Islamic Chambers of Commerce and Industry went to occupied Cyprus upon an invitation and added that he will have a series of official contacts. He also stated, inter alia, that the visit will contribute to the lifting of the unjust isolation and will be promoting the rightful position of the TRNC in the international community.

Mr Avci went on and stated that the relations of the occupation regime with the Islamic Chambers of Commerce and Industry will become more close in the coming period and added that with the help of Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdullah Kamel, trade delegations of ICO members will continue to visit occupied Cyprus.

On the same issue, Illegal Bayrak television (07.11.07) reports the following:

A delegation from the Organization of the Islamic Conference arrived in the TRNC today.

The delegation which is headed by the President of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry- which operates as an OIC institution Sheikh Saleh Bin Abdullah Kamel was greeted by Foreign Minister Turgay Avci at the Ercan Airport.

Speaking at the airport, Mr Avci said the visit has a great importance in terms of contributing to the efforts aimed at removing the international isolation of the Turkish Cypriot People and promoting the rightful position of the TRNC within the international community.

The OIC delegation will be holding contacts in the TRNC with representatives from the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry as well as with businessmen.

The contacts of the delegation will be based on the discussion of possible initiatives to be taken towards improving trade opportunities between the TRNC and OIC member countries.

Welcoming the delegation at the Ercan Airport, Foreign Minister Turgay Avci pointed to the increase in visits paid to the TRNC by OIC representatives as a result of the Foreign Ministrys intense efforts.

Mr Avci said the visit is an important development as the delegation arrived in North Cyprus directly from the Ercan airport with a private plane.

Foreign Minister went on saying that the TRNC continues its comprehensive works to improve its relations with OIC states further and to maintain cooperation.

Mr Avci also announced that an international forum will be held in the TRNC in spring 2008 entitled Development of Tourism in the Islamic World.

He said the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the OIC member states will provide support to the forum.

OIC member countries will be responsible for coordinating the invitations to be sent to tourism agencies operating in OIC states in consultation with the TRNC Foreign Ministry while the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be providing technical assistance.

[02] Saudi Arabian King to visit Turkey

King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia will pay a visit to Turkey on November 9th and 10th, said the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

King Abdallah is scheduled to meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul and receive Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.

Turkish and Saudi Arabian delegations will discuss bilateral political, economic and cultural relations as well as regional and international issues.

King Abdallah will depart from Turkey on November 10th.

[03] Turkeys final point is the Annan Plan

I am implying a final structure based on the Annan Plan. I am implying a federal structure which will have a certain autonomy and sovereignty. This is the last point Turkey will go, Mr. Mercan said.

Mr Mercan made the statements upon completion of his visit to occupied Cyprus heading a delegation of the TGNA.

(ML)

[04] United Cyprus Party: The foundations for two states in Cyprus have been laid.

Mr Korkmazhan, who issued a written statement, noted that the will of the Turkish Cypriot community for a bi-communal, bi-zonal and a federal solution based on the political equality, is not taken into account and the official policy of the Turkish state for two states, two democracies, two people and two religions is attempted to be applied.

(CS)

[05] Toros 2007 exercise is starting today

The exercise will start at 10.00 in the morning at the Saint Hillarion area and operations against hijacked planes, search and rescue operations, as well as exhibitions of commando training, war weapons and vehicles, will take place.

(CS)

[06] Avci held contacts in Germany

According to a statement of the so-called ministry of foreign affairs, Mr Avci went to Berlin and met at the house of the German Parliament Union, with Markus Loning, who is the chairman of the Berlin branch of the German Liberal Party (FDP), and deputy chairman of the European Liberal Democratic Party (EKDR). He also met with Rainer Brudesili, FDPs senior politician.

Mr Avci stated that the Turkish Cypriots have expectations regarding the lifting of the isolations and the embargo, he reminded the promises given to the Turkish Cypriots during the referendum process and said that these promises must be kept.

Speaking at the meeting, Markus Loning, stated that the fact that the EU did not keep the promises given to the Turkish Cypriots is a mistake.

(CS)

[07] Support to the TRNC and Turkeys EU course the outcome of Erdogans contacts in Rome

Turkish EU relations were among the topics of discussion with Emma Bonino expressing her support for Turkeys full membership in the EU.

The paper further notes that during the meeting Maurizio Turco reacted to the statements made by Archbishop Chrysostomos B against Turkey and the TRNC.

Yesterday, Premier Erdogan also met with Mr. Zappa, General Manager of the Italian Finmeccanica company which works in the fields of defence, aerospace, security, and automation, and is the Chairman of the Turkish-Italian Friendship Group. As Mr. Zappa stated, he wants to establish a Turkish Cultural Centre in Rome so that the Italians get to know the Turkish culture and history. On his side, Mr. Erdogan expressed his hope to Zappa for Turkey establishing an educational cooperation with the European universities and primarily with the Italian universities and to globalize the technical universities established in Turkey and the TRNC.

The same issue is reported in Turkish daily Milliyet newspaper (08.11.07) under the title Full support from Bonino who opened the yes banner in the EP.

The paper writes that in his statements the Italian Radical Party deputy Maurizio Turco said: The deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the TRNC Turgay Avci will attend the meeting of the Radical Party general assembly meeting which will take place in Brussels, between 6-8 December. Archbishop Chrysostomos B is acting like a political, not a religious leader. They lied to us regarding the TRNC. We were told that there is a military occupation there. Going there we saw a democratic state.

(ML)

[08] More on Rasit Pertevs resignation

Afrika reports that the self-styled Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer, commenting on the resignation of the self-styled Presidential Undersecretary, Rasit Pertev, stated that he felt sorry because of Pertevs statements that CTP and UBP will be closed down. As he stated he finds it very odd that Pertev, who wanted to become minister of agriculture, tries to take his new political road by tarnishing others. As he stated, someone who is trying to form a new party, must show respect the other parties and not sling mud.

Mr Soyer, who went on and thanked Mr Pertev for his services, added that he does not know who is going to take Pertevs post and become the new Presidential Undersecretary. As he stated, Mehmet Ali Talat will decide over this and will inform him.

Under the title He wanted ministry, Yeni Duzen reports on Soyers statements and writes that the self-styled prime minister said that Rasit Pertev asked 10-11 months ago to participate in the government as minister of agriculture but Soyer did not accept this request.

Afrika also reports that Rasit Pertev continues his efforts for forming a new political party. Speaking to illegal TAK news agency, Mr Pertev stated that he will meet with various persons and he will continue his initiatives for the new party.

The paper notes that the name of the person, who will take Pertevs place, will be made known today.

(CS)

[09] Rural plots of land to 55 young persons

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has given the ownership right documents for rural plots of land to 55 persons, inhabitants of Aygun (Ayios Georgios Spatharikou) village. The documents were given to the holders of right yesterday at 10.00 hours at the Ministry of Internal Affairs by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ozkan Murat, the Permanent Undersecretary, Hasan Findik, the Director of the Housing and Rehabilitation Department Oztan Ozenergun, the Director of the Town Planning Department, Salih Tacan, the Central District Officer, Taylan Ozgec, the Iskele (Trikomo) District Officer, Ahmet Cenk Musaogullari and the Director of the Title Deed Office, Hudaverdi Iyikal.

In a speech before handing over the documents, the Minister of Internal Affairs Ozkan Murat, saying that they have been working for three years with the slogan of making the peasants living like city-dwellers, stated that with this aim they go around the villages and determine the needs.

Stating that their overall aim is to make the citizens happy, Murat noted that they made progress on the issues of infrastructure and the cleaning of the environment in the villages and that the only deficiency is securing to the young people the possibility of building their nest near their families.

Subtitle: New System

Murat explained that they do not think as in the past on this issue and that now they introduced a system by which the holders of right will be taking the title deed of their property by paying 20 % of the value of the plots in advance and the rest of the amount with installments for ten years. Stressing that this system was implemented after the law came into force and that with Aygun (Ayios Georgios) village this project will be completed in 11 villages, Murat, besides this, gave detailed information on the projects carried out within the framework of the law for acquiring residence.

[10] The illegal government launches official website for the property information office

The TRNC Prime Ministry announced the launch of its new official website for the Property Information Office.

The website, HYPERLINK "http://www.trncproperty.eu" www.trncproperty.eu aims to provide information about purchasing property in the TRNC and also enables users to submit information about purchased properties.

A press statement issued by the TRNC Prime Ministry stated that it has recently been brought to its attention that there are other similar websites which operate on the same issue, but added that under no circumstances should information posted on those websites be constructed as been submitted to the attention of the government.

[11] Concern in occupied Cyprus about the Turkish Cypriots who shop in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus

As the paper writes, pasta, coffee and fruit juices are cheaper in occupied Cyprus. Beer, whisky and other kinds of alcohol are cheaper in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus. Wine is also much cheaper.

In addition, Turkish Cypriot daily BAKIS newspaper (08.11.07) reports that the Democratic Party has launched a campaign in order to have a decision made in the direction of the level of prices in the internal market, and of what could be done in view of the shopping which is directed towards south Cyprus. For this reason Mr Denktas, heading a delegation of his party, met with economic organisations in occupied Cyprus, among which was the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and the Turkish Cypriot chamber of Industry.

(CS)

[12] Metin Yalcin is the new chairman of the Businessmen´s Association (ISAD)

(CS)

[13] Gul to visit the Turkic Republics in December with the aim Turkey to become a bridge between the Turkic world

(ML)

[14] Turkeys Democratic Society Party faces possible closure

Following the resignations of the co-chairmen of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), the members of the party are preparing to elect new leadership and possibly establish a new party as well.

Ahmet Turk resigned from leadership of the party, citing reasons of health, and his co-chair Aysel Tugluk did not renew her nomination. The new leadership of the party is to be decided at the partys congress in Ankara today. After the DTP announced on Tuesday that Firat Anli, mayor of the Yenisehir Municipality in Diyarbakir, who had declared his candidacy for the post, withdrew from the race, Nurettin Demirtas came up as a prominent name for leadership.

Acting leader of the DTP parliamentary group Selahattin Demirtass brother and deputy leader of the group Nurettin Demirtas is expected to be the new co-chair of the party together with Mardin deputy Emine Ayna. Demirtas is known for his hard-line policies and is supported by almost all the DTP delegates. Turks leadership of the party has long been a matter of controversy, and the party organization has been looking for a new leader that will address the grass roots.

With the change of leaders, party policies will also undergo a transformation. Leyla Zana, from the now-defunct Democracy Party (DEP), is expected to deliver the opening speech at the special party congress where the main agenda items are administrative and political reform in Turkey and a new constitution.

As three DTP deputies, including Tugluk, face investigation for receiving eight missing Turkish soldiers from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq last Sunday after signing a document with the PKK terrorists during the release and calling their engagement merely humanitarian, the concept of forming a new party is on the agenda.

Almost all political groups and media organizations criticized the DTP for taking a role in the release and engaging in a negotiation process with the terrorists. A prosecutor launched a probe into the three DTP members on Monday. In addition, the DTP faces an inquiry because of statements made at a party congress held in the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir.

Kurdish politician Zana, who was not among the founders of the DTP, and her supporters, will work on the establishment of a new party in the event the DTP is closed. However, Zana herself faces investigation because of her opening speech at the Diyarbakir congress, where she called for the transfer of the jailed leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, from the island prison of Imrali to a more accessible place where he could communicate with the public.

In the Kurdish movement are factions close to the PKK leadership as well as those distant from it.

Demirtas, who did not like Turk and Tugluks policies, is expected to be more active in Parliament and support the more radical Zana. Therefore, the control of the DTP might eventually slide into Zana and her supporters hands.

According to sources who wanted to remain anonymous, Zana did not want to be among the founders of the DTP since she predicted that the US, under pressure from Turkey, would not be tolerant of the terrorism of the PKK.

If the DTP is closed, the Free Society Party (OTP), established in 2003 and dissolved by its members when it faced closure, may be revived. The DTPs closure wont be a surprise and would actually prevent the partys loss of voters in the Southeast, a Kurdish politician said. And the party leadership is ready to form a new party, as it always does, the same source said.

[B] Commentaries, Editorials and Analysis

[15] Column in Today´s Zaman speaks about ultimatum to President Bush regarding Northern Iraq as before the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974

Nov. 5, 2007 was a unique day in US-Turkish relations. Despite appearances and media accounts to the contrary, the White House meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President George W. Bush clearly demonstrated that Turkey holds the cards where the US is concerned in Iraq.

In a role reversal that would have seemed impossible on March 1, 2003, when Turkish Parliament refused to authorize a US-requested motion for the use of Turkish soil and forces for the invasion of Iraq, the Turkish prime minister arrived in Washington for the most anticipated and important meeting of his political career with his own plans for military action against northern Iraq.

As Erdogan arrived in Washington for his face-to-face meeting with President Bush in the Oval Office, pressure had been growing in Turkey for a decisive show of American support. This meeting came on the heels of Erdogans most recent visit to the US for the UN General Assembly meetings a little over a month ago, during which time the prime minister repeatedly warned about the situation on the Turkish-Iraqi border. Now during this most recent visit to the White House, the president of the United States is cast in the ironic position of arguing for a diplomatic solution and restraint in Iraq to prevent unilateral military action against a country that has already been invaded by the US.

Erdogan used his White House visit as an unofficial deadline at which time Turkish patience would run out. Amid the continuing drumbeat for a full-scale Turkish invasion of northern Iraq, Erdogan arrived in Washington with an ultimatum for President Bush -- either help us act against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Northern Iraq or Turkey will go it alone.

The recently concluded summit of Iraqs neighbors in Turkey operated in the shadow of Ankaras frustration with Washington and Baghdads lack of responsiveness to the attacks emanating against Turkey from northern Iraq. Predictably there were no tangible or concrete developments to help assuage the situation, rather just promises of further cooperation and rhetorical support for the unity of Iraq. While the release of eight Turkish soldiers being held hostage by the PKK was a positive development, it does not satisfy Turkey or change the need for active US leadership in eliminating or driving out the PKK from northern Iraq.

The last time that President Bush and Prime Minister Erdogan met, Bush still enjoyed a relatively strong hand to play against Erdogans tenuous position vis-à-vis the Turkish military. On Nov. 5, 2007, however, Erdogan arrived in Washington not only with his defense minister, but also with the number two leader in the Turkish military, who has largely refused to work with the prime ministers political party, demonstrating the seriousness of the situation. Since they last met, Bush has become a lame-duck president with an ever-decreasing approval rating, while Erdogan has won a new mandate for five years in office with his partys July 22 election victory. Clearly Erdogan is no longer the weaker partner. The prime minister has now established himself as the primary player with whom Bush must work and actively support if the US is to continue to call Turkey a strategic ally. As a result, Erdogan arrived in Washington with his ultimatum, which was taken very seriously both in America and internationally.

Judging by the media accounts since Monday, Erdogan largely succeeded in convincing America that Turkey is extremely serious about the PKK threat. The fact that Nechivran Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, would take the time to write an Op-Ed in the highly influential Washington Post on the morning of the White House meeting demonstrates just how closely the world was following this meeting.

Turkeys Kurdish problem is not just with the Kurds in Iraq but is part of a larger domestic problem that Erdogan has been working diligently to address. However until the security threat from northern Iraq and the PKK attacks stops, Erdogans room to maneuver concerning this issue will be considerably smaller.

Interestingly, Nov. 5 may well be the first time that a Turkish prime minister has given an ultimatum to a US president. If history is any indicator, President Bush should be particularly concerned about Erdogans threat and Turkeys aggressive posture. The last time that Turkey exhausted its diplomatic options and decided to act unilaterally was in 1974 following then-Prime Minister Ecevits fruitless visit to London concerning Cyprus. While the context and the circumstances of northern Iraq and northern Cyprus may be radically different, the nationalist sentiment and Turkish rhetoric are eerily similar.

By signaling Washingtons intentions to tangibly contribute and seriously deal with the PKKs terrorist activities against Turkey, President Bush seemed to alleviate the need for a full-scale Turkish intervention in Iraq, which in the short term would have only heighten domestic tensions and complicated the delicate rebuilding process in Iraq, and in the long run further damaged U.S.-Turkish relations. The urgency with which Erdogan and Bush need to find a mutually acceptable solution to the PKK presence in the northern Iraq will determine the future course of both Iraq and U.S.-Turkish relations.

The time has passed for rhetoric. Bush offered Erdogan the firm commitment that Ankara expected from Washington to sustain joint intelligence and military efforts on the ground in northern Iraq. The ultimatum has been delivered. Early indications are that it will be heeded, however if the promises made are later broken or ignored, there will be a clear culprit in Washington for losing Turkey as a strategic ally.

*Joshua W. Walker is a graduate fellow at Princeton University and formerly worked on the Turkey Desk at the State Department.

EG/

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