Front Page Headlines
They beat me up both in prison and in my cell
Ergün Karadağ was arrested and thrown in jail on allegations that he assaulted and raped a 73-year-old woman in Lapta (Lapithos) but was proven innocent six months later through DNA reports. 28-year-old Ergün Karadağ spoke to Yenidüzen. His claims were shocking.
- “Process will not be results-oriented if the debate on political equality does not end – Erhürman spoke in Nicosia.
- CTP general congress to be held on Sunday, October 6.
The area is ours, don’t toil with the North
Yavuz turned its route to the south of Cyprus. According to Prof Dr Gürkan Kumbaroğlu, head of the International Energy Economy Association, Turkey’s new move is actually a message for the Greek Cypriot side.
“They assaulted me even though I asked them to let me go”
Erhan Başay, whom businessman Bulut Akacan is accused of beating up together with his bodyguards, testified at the Kyrenia Serious Crimes Court. The prosecution called for witness testimonies and submitted medical reports for Erhan Başay and Zeki Asımoğlu, who was also beaten up by the accused.
Three died in 13 workplace accidents in nine months
13 workplace accidents occurred in the north from January 1 to September 30 in the north. Three workers died in these accidents. Seven out of 13 accidents occurred at construction sites.
- School expenses triggered the inflation rate – Statistics Department announced a 1.88 per cent increase in the cost-of-living expenses in September.
Big scam
It has been claimed that a gang that swindled 11 businessmen in Izmir, Turkey with fake promises to acquire foreign loans transferred the money to the TRNC.
- ‘Athens frightened’ – Fanatic Greek Cypriots slammed Greek PM Mitsotakis after Greek fighter jets did not take part in October 1 celebrations in the south.
There are no schools but mosques
Suggestions to Finance Minister Olgun Amcaoğlu from KTOEÖS President Selma Eylem and KTÖS regarding claims there is no money to build schools. The teachers’ trade unions have prepared a ten-point recommendation package. The package draws attention to the fact that mosques are being built instead of schools. The package urges authorities to build schools instead of mosques and not to employ 152 imams to work in those mosques.
Main News
No prospects for a settlement soon, says Hasipoğlu
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
“There are no prospects for a settlement in the foreseeable future, just more negotiations,” the National Unity Party (UBP) MP Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu said on Thursday.
Speaking
on ADA TV, Hasipoğlu said that the
Turkish Cypriot side has always favoured a timetabled and results-oriented
negotiations process but that all efforts in that direction have failed to
date.
“It’s been five years since Akıncı has been in office. We have not seen a single joint statement. Mr Akıncı had promised to speak the language of peace and solve the Cyprus Problem. But we have neither seen a timetable nor a joint statement with the language he has spoken,” he said.
Hasipoğlu downplayed the importance of Akıncı’s contacts in New York, stating that the contacts held were annual meetings held within the framework of the UN General Assembly.
“The UN Secretary-General meets with both leaders separately. They couldn’t even agree on holding a tripartite meeting,” he added.
The UBP MP said that the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades had made his intentions clear with his latest proposals.
“He is saying that the Turkish Cypriot side should only have a say on matters that concern it directly. He is also saying that we should reduce the competences of the central administration and transfer them to the constituent states. What he is hinting at is a confederation. That is having two strong constituent states with a weak central government. Why are we not proposing the same thing to the other side?” he said.
The central government’s only competencies should be single international personality… single representation at the United Nations, the European Union and so forth, he said.
Asked about the forthcoming presidential elections, Hasipoğlu said that he had the intention to run if the UBP leader Ersin Tatar was not going to be a candidate.
“It will be the party’s authorized bodies which will ultimately have the final say,” he said.
Hasipoğlu also expressed the view that parties that share the same view should join forces for the first round of the elections.
“The right-wing parties should have a single candidate,” he added.
Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman said that the debate on political equality must come to an end for the new process to be results-oriented.
Addressing party members at an event in Nicosia on Wednesday night to promote candidates for the upcoming party congress, Erhürman reminded that the CTP has been advocating for a results-oriented new negotiations process subject to a time frame.
He repeated his argument that the Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades was trying to get the international community to forget what had been discussed at Crans Montana by uttering different solution models. “We must, on the contrary, insist on a results-oriented process that is not open-ended, which recognises the principle of political equality and past convergences,” Erhürman added.
Erhürman warned about the dangers of opening concepts such as political equality and effective participation to discussion.
He said, “In such a situation, it will reopen to discussion many of the past convergences such as bizonality and bicommunality.” What is needed now is for the two sides to sit down to finalize the remaining issues after confirming their adherence to past convergences, he added.
Referring to Anastasiades’ address to the UN General Assembly, Erhürman said the Greek Cypriot leader confirmed he does not have any objections to the 30 June dated Guterres framework, 11 February 2014 joint declaration or to the past convergences. “We want him to confirm these to the UN Secretary-General once more for Guterres to use it as a basis to call for the tripartite or five-party conference,” Erhürman concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Hasipoğlu (UBP)
>> No prospects for a settlement in the foreseeable future, just more negotiations.
>> TC side has always favoured timetabled and results-oriented talks but all efforts in that direction have failed.
>> Anastasiades hints at a confederation with latest proposals.
>> TC side should propose the same thing. A weak central administration with strong constituent states.
>> New state should only have joint single international personality or representation.
Erhürman (CTP)
>> CTP advocates for the resumption of a new results-oriented negotiations process which will not be open-ended.
>> GC leader trying to make international community forget Crans Montana discussions by uttering different solution models.
>> Any solution to be reached must recognize principles of political equality & past convergences.
>> Opening concepts such as political equality & effective participation to discussion is dangerous. Such debates would open to discussion past convergences such as bizonality and bicommunality.
>> What is needed now is for the two sides to sit down to finalize the remaining issues after confirming their adherence to past convergences.
>> GC leader needs to confirm 2014 Joint Declaration, past convergences & Guterres framework to UNSG so Guterres can use it as a basis to call for the tripartite or five-party conference.
Yavuz returns to Cyprus
Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Energy
OVERVIEW
Turkey’s second drillship, the Yavuz has anchored off the coast of Paphos, Turkish media reported on Thursday.
According to the reports, Yavuz dropped anchor next to the Fatih drillship and Oruç Reis research vessel which are currently operating in an area off the west coast of the island they named “Güzelyurt (Morphou)-1”.
Yavuz, which had been operating off the Karpaz (Karpas) peninsula, had returned for maintenance to the Turkish port of Mersin last month.
“The Yavuz drilling vessel is en route to the Güzelyurt-1 well in the Mediterranean Sea to continue oil and gas exploration activities, according to Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez on Thursday.
“Our Yavuz drilling vessel is in a new expedition,” Dönmez wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday.
“Yavuz is moving towards the Guzelyurt-1 well where it will drill. We will not stop to make our underground resources available to our nation,” he added.
According to an issued Navtex or navigational telex, the Yavuz drilling vessel will continue to work in the Mediterranean until January 2020.
While Ankara did not officially confirm the reports, the Greek Cypriot press claimed that Yavuz’s drilling operations off the Karpaz (Karpas) had failed to produce the desired result which was why it had departed.
President of the International Energy Economy Association Prof Dr Gürkan Kumbaroğlu pointed out the new location for the Yavuz drilling ship is not within the TRNC’s licensed areas because Turkey wants to protect the north by deploying the Yavuz to the south of the island. He added Turkey’s move contains a message for the Greek Cypriot side and that is “should you want to attack, then attack us and not the TRNC.”
Kumbaroğlu also claimed that the new move will also strengthen Turkey’s position in the international arena as the area in which the Yavuz will operate is actually registered at the United Nations (UN).
Kumbaroğlu highlighted the risks involving the Güzelyurt (Morphou)-1 area, which the Yavuz is headed to. He recalled there was a showdown between Turkey and Greece and the Greek Cypriot side when Barbaros carried out seismic research in the said area. “The Güzelyurt confrontation will escalate to a new dimension,” Kumbaroğlu concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Dönmez
>> Yavuz drilling vessel is on a new expedition towards the Guzelyurt-1 well where it will drill.
>> Turkey will not stop to make its underground resources available to the nation.
Akar: Ankara supports a just & lasting solution to Cyprob
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Negotiations Process, External Security, Energy
OVERVIEW
Turkey’s Defence Minister Hulusi Akar on Thursday said that Ankara supported a lasting and comprehensive solution in Cyprus.
He said that this was the only way peace, stability and prosperity could be achieved on the island.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2019-2020 academic year for the National Defence University, Akar said that Cyprus was Turkey’s national cause and that it will continue to defend its rights and Turkish Cypriots’ rights to the very end.
On the issue of hydrocarbons, Akar said that Ankara’s position was in favour of the just distribution of the island’s resources.
“We shall continue to defend the rights of our Turkish Cypriot brethren just as we did back in 1974 as a guarantor country,” he said.
Akar added that Turkey supported peace, stability and good neighbourly relations.
“We respect the territorial integrity of our neighbours as well,” he added.
KEY ACTORS
Akar (Turkey)
>> Ankara supports a just & lasting solution to the Cyprob.
>> Just & lasting solution only way to achieve peace, stability & prosperity in Cyprus.
>> Cyprus a national cause of Turkey.
>> Turkey will continue to protect its & TCs’ rights to the very end.
>> Ankara supports the just distribution of the island’s resources.
>> Turkey supports peace, stability & good neighbourly relations, respecting the territorial integrity of its neighbours.
Direct trade regulation must be adopted
Kıbrıs
Economy, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce (KTTO) sent a letter to the President of the European Parliament (EP) David Maria Sassoli and to other heads of political groups explaining the Chamber’s position and expectations on the adoption of the direct trade regulation.
In a statement issued on Thursday, KTTO recalled the direct trade regulation was an important proposal put forward by the European Commission (EC) in 2004 to put an end to the Turkish Cypriot community’s isolation and to contribute to the development of the Turkish Cypriot economy. “Even though 15 years have passed, it has not been possible to implement an effective instrument facilitating Turkish Cypriots’ direct trade with the EU since then,” KTTO said in the letter.
KKTO also argued that implementation of the direct trade regulation will increase the Turkish Cypriot community’s competitiveness, and will contribute to closing the economic gap between the two communities on the island. “In this respect, the EP must debate and adopt the said regulation,” the Chamber urged Sassoli.
The letter also urged the European Union to respond more to the Turkish Cypriot community’s will to reach a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus and to its efforts in reaching EU standards. “Therefore, it is vital to adopt measures that will prepare the Turkish Cypriot community for the EU and the adoption of the direct trade regulation must be seen in that regard,” the KTTO concluded the letter.