TCC Press Review 14 Dec 2019

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

Is Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) becoming a military base?

Following a decision taken in Ankara, it has been reported that work has begun to transform Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) Airport into an airbase for Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAV) and Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV). According to the Turkish media, a team of experts from the Turkish General Chief of Staff held inspections at Geçitkale (Lefkoniko). Prime Minister Ersin Tatar, in a statement made after the reports, announced that Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) Airport has been given to the Turkish Army Corps in Cyprus to use until all threats in the Eastern Mediterranean have been eliminated.

Kıbrıs Postası

UAVs to take off on Monday

Following the Greek Cypriot side’s agreement signed with Israel regarding UAVs, Turkey has asked permission from the TRNC government to base UAVs and UCAVs at Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport, which is currently under the lease of Asil Nadir.

  • Tears of the IGCSE winner to go to Guterres – Father of Berilsu Meral, winner of the IGCSE exam, said he will write a letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He added a child does not have the right to choose his/her parents but what was more important is that Berilsu could have enjoyed her success. 

Kıbrıs

₺750 million worth of compensations could not be paid for six years

President of the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) Ayfer Said Erkmen said the commission since 2014 has been unable to make compensation payments for 203 cases due to lack of funds. He said there are 5232 applications which are pending examination. There are 280 applications concerning Maraş (Varosha).

Havadis

Critical move at Geçitkale (Lefkoniko)

What Havadis reported on earlier is becoming the reality. Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) is turning into a UAV and UCAV base. Prime Minister Ersin Tatar announced the developments to Havadis.

Diyalog

We ran it to the ground

Grey fruit production has gone down from 40,000 tons to 4,000 tons. A large number of the citrus groves were cut down. Lack of planning ran citrus production in the country to the ground. Citrus, grown primarily in the Morphou region, was once the golden egg-laying goose of the north’s economy. However bad planning and lack of vision, delays in the payment of state subsidies have brought the sector to the brink of collapse. 

  • Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) Airport to be used for UAVs

Afrika

War at our gates

Akar: We are where we were in 1974. Turkey has requested from the TRNC government to use Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) Airport to station its UAVs and UCAVs. Ersin Tatar confirmed the reports and announced that the airport has been given to the use of the Turkish Peace Forces in Cyprus (KTBK).

Main News

A balance cannot be achieved in the East Med without Turkey

Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Energy, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

“A balance cannot be achieved in the Eastern Mediterranean without Turkey,” Turkish Cypriot Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy said on Friday.

Speaking to the Anatolian News Agency, Taçoy said the Greek Cypriot administration and Greece with the backing of the European Union (EU) had been engaging in reckless and pointless actions since 2004 without receiving any reaction. He claimed that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo had carried out numerous unlawful acts by usurping the rights of Turkey and other countries, leading to a clash of interests in the region. “No country desires entering a conflict with Turkey,” Taçoy warned.

Taçoy noted that Turkey’s drilling ships and research vessels have been operating in the Mediterranean for the past two years giving the world the message that it will not allow anyone to usurp its rights or those of the Turkish Cypriot people.

“Turkey has gained new rights with the deal it has signed with Libya,” Taçoy added and argued Turkey has shown its determination that it will win both at the table and in the field.

Taçoy said the agreement signed with Libya had expanded Turkey’s maritime jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean otherwise known as Turkey’s ‘Blue Homeland’. Taçoy stressed that Turkey will continue to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people to the very end. “The Libya-Turkey deal established a balance in the region, which was how the EU, Israel and Egypt read the situation,” Taçoy concluded.

KEY ACTORS
Taçoy (UBP)
>> A balance cannot be achieved in the East Med. without Turkey.
>> The GC administration & Greece, backed by the EU has been engaging in reckless & pointless actions since 2004.
>> The Greek-GC duo had carried out numerous unlawful acts by usurping the rights of Turkey & other countries, leading to a clash of interests in the region.
>> No country desires conflict with Turkey.
>> Turkey’s drilling ships & research vessels in the region give the world the message that it will not allow anyone to usurp its rights or those of the TC people.
>> Turkey has gained new rights with the deal signed with Libya.
>> Turkey has shown its determination that it will win both at the table & in the field.
>> The agreement with Libya had expanded Turkey’s maritime jurisdiction in the East Med. otherwise known as Turkey’s ‘Blue Homeland’.
>> Turkey will continue to protect the rights of the TC people to the very end.
>> The Libya-Turkey deal establishes a balance in the region, which was how the EU, Israel and Egypt read the situation.


IPC: Compensation payments not made for six years

Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Property, Territory

OVERVIEW

“₺750 million worth of compensations have not been paid for six years due to lack of funds,” Ayfer Said Erkmen, President of the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) said.

In his comments made to Kıbrıs, he said the Commission has been unable to make payments in 203 cases since 2014.

Erkmen said there have been 6629 applications to date.1202 cases have been concluded and there are 5232 applications, which the Commission has not even started evaluating yet.

“195 applicants had withdrawn their applications following various measures introduced by the Greek Cypriot side,” Erkmen said but refrained from elaborating.

“If the Greek Cypriot administration did not prevent its civil servants from submitting applications to the IPC, the number of applications would have reached 20 thousand by now,” Erkmen said.

He noted that many of the property cases have been taken to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) due to the IPC’s failure to pay the agreed compensations.

Responding to a question on applications regarding properties in Maraş (Varosha), Erkmen said there are currently 280 applications received for the fenced-off area but no evaluations have been made so far. Erkmen also recalled that the latest Supreme Court ruled the 1974 title-deeds were to be taken as a basis of evaluations.

“The 1974 residents of Maraş (Varosha) will be the ones allowed to return to the town,” Erkmen said. He said, “We as the IPC will accept the 1974 owners as our interlocutors.”

Meanwhile, several dailies reported that the law to extend the IPC’s term of conduct by two more years was approved by the parliamentary subcommittee on Friday.

According to information obtained from the Turkish Cypriot parliament, the Political and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee convened on Friday to discuss the IPC law, which was enforced with powers emanating from the Article 159 of the TRNC Constitution on compensation, exchange and return of immovable properties.

KEY ACTORS
Erkmen (IPC)
>> IPC has failed to pay ₺750 million worth of compensations for the past six years due to lack of funds.
>> Number of applications would have exceeded 20,000 had GC authorities not prevented its civil servants from submitting applications to IPC.
>> There are currently 280 applications received for Maraş (Varosha) pending evaluation.
>> IPC will recognize 1974 residents of Maraş (Varosha) as its interlocutors.


UAVs to take off on Monday

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
External Security, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

Turkish Cypriot authorities on Friday granted permission to the Turkish military to base Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) at the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) Airport.

Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar confirmed the reports which emerged late Friday.

“The government has decided to allocate the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport to the Turkish Cypriot Security Forces given the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Tatar said, adding that the issue of a “national matter” and should not be opposed by anyone.

Citing sources close to Tatar’s office, Kıbrıs Postası reported on Saturday Turkey insists on the “immediate use of the said airport.” According to the paper, Turkish officials want the UAVs to take off on Monday.

Havadis had reported in October 2019 that plans were underway to use the airport at Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko), which has been inoperational for years, for military purposes in light of the latest regional developments.

According to the information given to Havadis by a high-ranking official back in October, a study was carried out at the airport to determine whether it could be used to station UAVs.

The source noted that experts from the Turkish General Staff carried out tests at the airport’s runway and assessed the hangars built for fighter jets.

“When considering the distance UAVs have to travel from Konya and Ankara where they are currently stationed, the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) Airport is very suitable due to its strategic location,” the source had told the paper.

The source also said that these UAVs provide support to Turkey’s drillships in the Mediterranean and the Turkish navy.

Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) Airport was initially built in 1982 for fighter jets in accordance with NATO standards however since then no further investments were made.

The airport is currently leased to Asil Nadir but it is believed Nadir’s lease contract will be revoked to allocate the airport to the Turkish Security Forces. 


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