TURKISH CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
No. 158/12
17.8.12
TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS
1. Eroglu argues that if the second phase of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus
had
not
been
carried
out,
their
efforts
would
have
been
in
vain
2. Eroglu met with the Chargé d' Affaires of the US Embassy to Lefkosia
3. Tatar says the breakaway regime should be proud of Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
4. Turkish President comments on OIC Summit; Says Syria's membership
suspended
5. Ankara claims that all of Turkey's 35 EU chapters are ready to be opened and
closed
6. Syriac community’s request for education in mother tongue in Turkey rejected
7. A 77-year old Turkish Cypriot celebrates the establishment of the Republic of
Cyprus
8.
Soyer
undergoes
an
angiography
at
illegal
YDU
hospital
9. Ramadan Feast begins on Sunday
1. Eroglu argues that if the second phase of the 1974 Turkish invasion of
Cyprus had not been carried out, their efforts would have been in vain
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.08.12) reports that Turkish Cypriot
leader Dervis Eroglu has alleged that if the second phase of the 1974 Turkish
invasion of Cyprus had not been carried out, the Turkish army and the Turkish
Cypriot “fighters” would not have succeeded and the exerted efforts would have
been in vain.
“If today we have a state on a piece of land, bi-zonality and security, this is
thanks to the second phase of the peace operation”, argued Eroglu addressing a
ceremony yesterday in occupied Lefka village.
Eroglu alleged that it is not possible for the Turkish Cypriots to give concessions
from their freedom, sovereignty and bi-zonality because they have some
problems. “No one has the right to ask from us to follow a stance which will bury
the next generations into darkness”, he added.
Alleging that the Greek Cypriots could come to the “road of peace and
agreement” in case the United Nations and the European Union follow the “right
path”, Eroglu said: “We are slowly coming to the end of our patience. We will
either end the Cyprus problem with an agreement within the certain framework of
a timetable after the Greek Cypriot presidential elections, or we will go our way
and they will go their way. There is no other solution. All of us should support and
say this”.
Eroglu argued that all Turkish Cypriot parties should support the lifting of the socalled embargoes and stop seeing the Cyprus problem as a field of political
rivalry.
Eroglu alleged that if he signed an agreement as President Christofias wants, he
would betray his “people” and the struggle given by these “people”. He claimed:
“Christofias put forward views which will eliminate our sovereignty, our land, our
security, the economic system we have established. It is not possible for me to
say yes to these. Very well, what will happen? If the Greek Cypriot leader who
will be elected continues the same way, it will not be possible to reach anywhere.
If they come to reason and abandon their delaying tactics, we could reach an
agreement…In case the UN and the EU follow the right path, I hope that the
Greek Cypriot side could come to the path of the agreement. Otherwise, that is, if
the Greek Cypriot side is left alone, if the realities are not told to them, it would be
daydreaming to expect that an agreement will be reached soon in
Cyprus…There are two separate peoples and states in Cyprus. We will search
the way of an agreement having as starting point these realities. An agreement in
which Turkey’s guarantees will continue and bi-zonality will not be watered down.
We have extended our hand of peace and we are expecting the Greek Cypriot
side. Either they will come or let them stop preventing us anymore and doing
injustice to us…”
(I/Ts.)
2. Eroglu met with the Chargé d' Affaires of the US Embassy to Lefkosia
Illegal Bayrak television (16.08.12) broadcast that the Turkish Cypriot leader
Dervis Eroglu met with the Chargé d' Affaires of the US Embassy to Lefkosia
Andrew Schofer yesterday. The special representative and spokesman Osman
Ertug was also present at the meeting.
No statement was issued before or after the meeting.
3. Tatar says the breakaway regime should be proud of Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu
Turkish Cypriot daily Haberdar newspaper (17.08.12) reports that self-styled
minister of finance Ersin Tatar, who visited Mecca together with self-styled
minister of economy and energy Sunat Atun to participate in the 4th Extraordinary
Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), met with OIC’s General
Secretary Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the President of the Islamic Development Bank
Dr. Muhammed Ali and members of the royal family of Saudi Arabia.
Sharing the experience of his visit to Saudi Arabia with his followers on the
Tweeter, Tatar said that “the architect of this big organization is Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu and the TRNC should be proud of him”.
The paper writes that Tatar met also with the Malaysian Prime Minister and his
family.
According to Haberdar, the diplomatic passport of Tatar expired and after an
initiative by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry opened on a
holiday and Tatar was given a new passport.
(I/Ts.)
4. Turkish President commented on the OIC Summit; Says Syria's
membership suspended
Ankara Anatolia news agency (16.08.12) reports that Turkish President Abdullah
Gul has said that "the membership of Syria to the Organization of the Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) has been suspended."
President Gul met with journalists after the 4th extraordinary summit meeting of
the OIC and assessed the summit.
Gul said that the conference reached its aim and pointed: "All the leaders agreed
over stopping the bloodshed in Syria. They all stated individually as if they all
agreed that the transitional period of Syria should start."
He said that they also discussed the issues in Myanmar and they decided to set
up a contact group. Gul added that the Palestine issue was one of the permanent
topics of the OIC.
Gul said that he touched on the Syrian problem at the summit and said: "I
explained that Syria should not get into a chaos and it should keep its territorial
integrity. The membership of Syria to the OIC has been suspended. When
Afghanistan was occupied by the Soviets, the same decision had run. By
carrying this forward, we know that the Syrian government is now illegitimate."
The Turkish President said that until the foundation of a legitimate regime in
Syria, the country's membership to OIC will be suspended and they will not be
invited to any OIC activity or meeting. He added that it is important for Islam
world to show its attitude against Syria.
Gul stated that they are working on making the OIC Economic and Commercial
Cooperation Permanent Committee (ISEDAK) be more corporate and said that
they agreed on a new decision at the summit about ISEDAK. He said that they
adopted the strategy document which was prepared by Turkey to further increase
and consolidate their cooperation.
5. Ankara claims that all of Turkey's 35 EU chapters are ready to be opened
and closed
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily news (16.08.12) publishes the following report by
Emin Kart under the title “EU silent on chapter readiness”:
“The Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's claim that all of Turkey's 35 EU chapters
are ready to be opened and closed thanks to his government's recent reforms
fails to receive any response from the 27-state Union
While Ankara says that it is ready to open and close all 35 European Union
membership negotiation chapters, the Union has kept silent declining to give a
direct response on the issue.
‘Currently, we have only three chapters where opening depends exclusively on
Turkey's efforts to meet the relevant benchmarks and which can be potentially
opened for negotiation. The chapters on 'public procurement,' 'competition policy'
and 'social policy and employment' can be opened once all conditions are met,’
officials from the European External Action Service at the Delegation of the
European Union to Turkey recently told the Hurriyet Daily News.
Last month Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed all 35 chapters, under
which the EU acquis communitaire is categorized, have been readied in the
country's efforts to become a full member of the European Union. The completion
of these chapters is mandatory for all EU membership candidates.
‘The EU is implementing an opening and closing procedure for the chapters,
although this is not an implementation imposed by the acquis communitaire,’
Erdogan said on July 25. He said the EU has dropped the ball in handling
Turkey's EU membership application.
‘They annulled closing and only allowed the opening [of the chapters]. Here in
this situation too, they have been leaving us in the trenches. Everything is plain
to see, you talk and they have no answers. They are not able to respond to us
and they are also not able to defend themselves. But they do say that 'they
[Turkey] let it slide.' My brother, why would we not let it slide?’ Erdogan said.
Earlier this month EU officials failed to respond to questions from the Daily News
regarding such opening and closing procedures and their status.
‘At the moment, we have all chapters ready. From the beginning we have made
our institutionalization according to [these chapters],’ Erdogan said in the same
interview. The prime minister joked that Turkey might withdraw its EU bid if it is
accepted by the Shanghai Five. ‘I said to Russian President Vladimir Putin, 'You
tease us saying ‘What [is Turkey] doing in the EU?’
‘Now I tease you: include us in the Shanghai Five, and we will forget about the
EU,’ Erdogan said, while speaking about a recent visit to Moscow. The Shanghai
Five group was created April 26, 1996, in Shanghai by the heads of state of
Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
Turkey's EU accession talks have recently been stalled as the rotating EU
presidency was transferred to Greek Cyprus [tr.note: The Republic of Cyprus] in
July 2012.”
6. Syriac community’s request for education in mother tongue in Turkey
rejected
Turkish daily Today's Zaman newspaper (17.08.12) reports that the Education
Ministry has recently rejected a request by Turkey's Aramean (Syriac) community
to open its own kindergarten and deliver education in its mother tongue on the
grounds that the community is not designated a minority in the Turkish
Constitution.
The request marked a first in the history of the Turkish Republic. A representative
from the Aramean community in Turkey, said the Istanbul-based Syriac Kadim
Community foundation was planning to open its kindergarten, which would also
offer Syriac language lessons. The community submitted a petition to the
Istanbul branch of the Education Ministry on June 6 and they received a
response rejecting their request on July 26.
Sait Susin, a representative from the Aramean community in Turkey, talked
about the community's experience to deputy chairman of the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AK Party) Huseyin Celik during an iftar (fast-breaking dinner)
event last week. Celik disagreed with the education authorities and said that the
Istanbul head of the Education Ministry must have misunderstood the request.
“Our government will meet this demand. We are open to requests by minorities'
foundations,” Susin quoted Celik as saying.
There are roughly 25,000 Arameans in Turkey and 85 percent of their population
lives in Istanbul. Susin said the Syriac language dates back to 5,000 years ago
and the language was named as such after Arameans were converted to
Christianity. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the main agreement regulating
minorities in Turkey, recognized only Jewish, Armenian and Greek Orthodox
communities as minorities. These groups were given legal rights to establish
foundations and deliver education in their languages.
7. A 77-year old Turkish Cypriot celebrates the establishment of the
Republic of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.08.12) reports that a 77-year old
Turkish Cypriot named Kamil Hur celebrated yesterday the 16th of August, the
day on which, he says, the Republic of Cyprus had been officially declared in
1960. This is the eight celebration of the same anniversary by Hur, who was born
in Mamunda village in Pafos.
The flags of the Republic of Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Britain, the Commonwealth,
the UN and the EU are waving in front of Hur’s house in the occupied part of
Lefkosia.
Pointing out that the Greek Cypriots celebrate the establishment of the Republic
of Cyprus on 1 October and the Turkish Cypriots do not celebrate it at all, Hur
said he recognizes nothing else but the Republic of Cyprus and that he could see
no other solution to the Cyprus problem than the return [of the Turkish Cypriots]
to the Republic of Cyprus”.
(I/Ts.)
8. Soyer undergoes an angiography at illegal YDU hospital
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.08.12) reports that the former
chairman of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Ferdi Sabit Soyer underwent an
angiography yesterday at illegal Near East University’s (YDU) hospital. Earlier,
Soyer had been taken to the so-called state hospital in occupied Famagusta
because of heart spasms. Upon his own request, he was then transferred to
illegal YDU’s hospital where he underwent an angiography. No stent was put
because, as cardiologist Prof. Dr. Erhan Babalik said, this was not necessary.
Babalik noted that Soyer would be watched for 24-48 hours and that there was
no problem. The paper covers the issue under the title “Soyer’s situation is
good”.
(I/Ts.)
9. Ramadan Feast begins on Sunday
Turkish Cypriot weekly Cyprus Star newspaper (17.08.12) reports that the threeday Ramadan Feast (or Eid-ul-Fitr) will begin on Sunday, 19 August this year.
The Turks call this feast “Şeker Bayram” as well. The feast follows a holy month
of fasting for the Muslims, or Ramadan, where nothing is consumed from sunrise
to sunset.
“During Şeker Bayram, the younger members of the family visit the elders, and
holiday is celebrated with special prayers, traditional food, especially sweets and
desserts”, notes the paper adding that new clothes are also bought for the
occasion, and gifts are given to poor or needy persons.
(I/Ts.)