TCC Press Review 22 Apr 2019

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

169 children waiting for support

According to official figures, 169 children in the North are in need of care. The rising number of children who are not with their families for a number of reasons is both heartbreaking and frightening at the same time.

  • I would have died of embarrassment – Former TC leader Mehmet Ali Talat gives interview to Yenidüzen. Among other issues, Talat spoke on the Cyprus Problem.

Kıbrıs Postası

Major irresponsibility from YÖK

Turkish Higher Education Board (YÖK) announced there are some who obtain a university degree from North Cyprus universities without going. YÖK did not provide further details, thereby casting a shadow over all universities in North Cyprus.

  • Value of foreign currencies increase, Greek Cypriots rush to the north – The moment the value of Turkish Lira decreases, Greek Cypriot registered vehicles line up before petrol stations in the north.
  • Violence has no place in democracies – Akıncı, Erhürman, Özersay and Tatar condemned the violent attack on Turkish main opposition leader Kılıçdaroğlu.

Kıbrıs

Increase in the number of those who will vote in the next elections

The Centre for Migration, Identity and Rights Studies March 2019 poll shows 30.24% of respondents will not go to the ballot boxes in the next election. 19.87% of the respondents have not decided yet.

  • The horrific murder solved – Murder suspects of Nigerian Austine Wallie (Exxhalliee), whose body was found on the roadside over the weekend, detained by the police. In two operations, police detained 12 suspects. One confessed and pointed to the apartment where the murder took place.
  • TRNC’s poverty index higher than Turkey’sBloomberg announced the results of its Poverty Index and when its methodology is applied to North Cyprus with State Planning Organization (SPO) figures, the North would have been listed in third place and Turkey in fourth.

Havadis

Turkey is very tense

Republican People’s Party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was attacked during a funeral in Ankara, Turkey. Protection officers and riot police quickly took the opposition party leader away from the tense mob.

  • We have not been informed officially – Hakkı Celan Önen, co-chair of the bicommunal technical committee on crime and criminal matters, said the committee was not officially informed on the Greek Cypriot Administration’s decision to extradite suspects only to other states.

Diyalog

Serial killer

Greek Cypriot officer Nicos, who killed two women and a child, is being cursed by the public.

  • He went to Europe and came back – Mehmet Karaburç, who disappeared before he could be deported, fled to South Cyprus only to return four days later.

Afrika

First punched, then stoned…

A new lynching attempt following the Sivas Madımak incident (Turkey, 1992) and the attack on Afrika newspaper. CHP (Turkey’s Republican Peoples’ Party) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was the target of a violent attack during a funeral he attended on Sunday in Ankara’s Çubuk district. Kılıçdaroğlu, who escaped after receiving blows, sought refuge in a house. The house was then stoned. Supporters of the regime have started to seek revenge for losing the major cities in the recent elections.

  • Freedom for Şener Levent and Ali Osman – EU and Balkans Bureau Chief of Reporters without Borders urges court in North to acquit Şener Levent and Ali Osman in Erdoğan cartoon case.

Main News

Talat says UNSG’s report maintains classic stance

Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

Former President Mehmet Ali Talat told Yenidüzen in an interview published on Monday that the UN maintained its classic stance on the Cyprus Problem out of fear of offending any of the two sides.

He said that report made reference to a bizonal, bicommunal federal solution but did not mention that the Greek Cypriot side has backtracked on the issue of political equality.  

Talat said he believed the UN Secretary-General should have included that in his report so as to encourage the Greek Cypriot side to work towards a solution.

You can’t achieve a settlement by stating that this problem is the problem of the Cypriots and that the two sides should solve it on their own, said Talat.

He added that the island came closer to solving the Cyprus Problem whenever the UN took on a more active role.

Talat said that the Ghali Set of Ideas, the 1993-1994 Confidence-Building Package and the Annan Plan were all examples of how UN involvement had pushed the process forward.

“The process collapsed when the UN stopped being active. The UN needs to be seriously active if the process is to be revived,” he said.

Talat said that the Turkish Cypriot side alone could not persuade the international community or the UN to be more active which is why a serious effort needs to be put forward.

We could step up lobbying efforts, said Talat, adding that Turkey’s diplomatic capabilities could be used to reach out to international actors.

“Otherwise the Greek Cypriot side, which enjoys international recognition, is comfortable. They are members of the UN and the EU. They do not need a solution as badly as we do,” he said.

The former president also said that current President Mustafa Akıncı could be doing more to get the process up and running again.

“The president needs to focus on the Cyprus Problem. There is no other way,” Talat concluded.

KEY ACTORS
Talat
>> UN maintains classic stance on Cyprus Problem. Does not want to offend anyone.
>> Report fails to mention GC side’s backtracking on political equality which could encourage GCs to work for a solution.
>> History shows progress more likely when UN takes on active role. UN needs to be more active in order for talks to be revived.
>> Serious efforts needed to persuade international community to be more active in the Cyprus Problem.
>> As EU & UN members, GCs don’t need solution as badly as TCs do.
>> Akinci can do more to revive peace process.


Technical committee on crime not officially informed

Havadis
Internal Security

OVERVIEW

Hakkı Celan Önen, co-chair of the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Crime and Criminal matters said the committee was not officially informed on the Greek Cypriot Administration’s decision to extradite suspects only to other states, in response to questions from Havadis.

Önen added that a Greek Cypriot newspapercame up with the news of extradition to other states in response to a statement given by a Turkish Cypriot politician. There were no sources mentioned in said article either. Önen stressed the bicommunal technical committee has not been informed on any such state policy.

There had been an unofficial exchange of suspects in 2010, he noted. There are six suspects in detention in the north and wanted by the Greek Cypriot side now. Önen noted the committee has not discussed official extradition yet.


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