Front Page Headlines
Lack of planning and torture
The Education and Health Ministries failure to plan for compulsory PCR testing for students who will be sitting the college (secondary school) entrance exam put the children and their families through an ordeal. Students who will be sitting the two-phase exam on Saturday rushed to the schools where testing was carried out. The initial announcement by the education ministry that it will only accept PCR tests carried out at the schools caused chaos. The ministry revised its decision following a reaction from parents.
- “A military airbase could be set up in the country within the next 40 days and parliament doesn’t even know about it – Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader Tufan Erhürman: “A statement was made in Turkey on transforming the Geçitkale airport into a military base. Such a base could be set up in the country in 40 days but parliament does not know what is happening.”
We bring on the disaster in traffic
Many have lost their lives on our roads, leaving never healing scars for those left behind. However, no one is doing anything to prevent road accidents. There are incidents where people drive around with fake driving licenses or without any license, many times under the influence of alcohol putting the lives of others at great risk.
- There are talks but no deal on converting Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport into a military base – Prime Minister Ersan Saner says.
- We are ready to do whatever is our responsibility – Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu met with state officials as well as with the leaders of the political parties represented in the parliament.
- Çetin Ay honourary consul of the TRNC in Dusseldorf removed from duty.
CHP’s Cyprus no different from that of the AKP’s
Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu together with a large delegation was in the TRNC for a working visit. He gave messages on the Cyprus problem. Kılıçdaroğlu was received by the president, speaker of the parliament, prime minister and foreign minister. He then met with the leaders of the political parties. During the meetings, Kılıçdaroğlu shared CHP’s position on the Cyprus problem. He said following a 50-year-long struggle, the TRNC must be recognized as an independent state and must be included in the international community.
- It was a fait accompli – Higher Board of Antiquities and Monuments issued its decision rejecting the flag poles erected at the Akkule (Ravelin gate) in Famagusta.
A debt of honour
(Turkey’s) Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu who visited Kutlu Adalı’s grave and family home called on the politicians in Turkey and the TRNC to act. Kılıçdaroğlu who carried out the visit outside of his itinerary left a carnation on Adalı’s grave. He said those responsible for carrying out the murder had come to light after all these years. The CHP leader said that the politicians in Turkey and the TRNC had a duty of honour to bring those responsible to justice.
- A search for him is being carried out everywhere – Turkish origin and Australian national Hakan Ayık who was arrested in the south and released on bail is believed to have fled to Turkey via the TRNC.
Each punch is one aimed at Tayyip
The words uttered by European boxing champion Ünsal Arık, after winning the championship has rocked Turkey, overshadowing Sedat Peker’s revelations. Arık, who is a German citizen, said, “each punch I throw is for my country, for my flag, for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk; my punches are for those suffering in my country, those who scourge through garbage bins for food, for Gezi Park, for Soma, for the Sivas massacre and aimed at Recep Tayyip (Erdoğan).” Arık, who receives threats from various circles associated with the Justice and Development Party (AKP), in previous matches, wore a t-shirt with “Where is US$128bn?” as well.
- This is how they overthrew Akıncı – Delayed statements… Mustafa Akıncı and his private secretary Cenk Gürçağ talked about the MIT (Turkish Intelligence) threats for the first time.
- Is Sedat Peker coming to Cyprus? – It is claimed that Sedat Peker, who said he would be going far away in his latest video, will come to the southern part of Cyprus. The facts that Turkey does not (politically) recognize Cyprus and the absence of a criminal extradition agreement between the two countries strengthen the claims.
Main News
CHP leader Kılıçdaroğlu expresses support for a two-state model
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the Turkish main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) openly expressed support to the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s two-state solution policy on Cyprus. Speaking during a one-day visit to the north on Thursday, Kılıçdaroğlu said the Turkish Cypriots want to live freely and independently under the roof of their own internationally recognized state.
During his visit, the CHP chairman met with state and government officials in the north and paid a visit to the family of murdered Turkish Cypriot journalist Kutlu Adalı. Kılıçdaroğlu’s first meeting on Thursday was with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar whom he praised for his determined stance at the recent five-plus-one informal summit in Geneva.
“Turkey and the TRNC must support the two independent states position in Cyprus together,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, adding that despite the Turkish Cypriot side’s goodwill, decades of talks to achieve a federal settlement on the island had failed to achieve the desired outcome.
“The Cyprus problem is a national cause for Turkey and there are no differences in the positions of the Turkish political parties when it is about Cyprus,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, adding that the Turkish political parties must work for TRNC’s economic and political independence.
Also speaking during the meeting, Tatar highlighted the importance of Cyprus for Turkey’s foreign policy as well as its strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean. He argued that what is important in Cyprus is to share the natural resources equitably and to fairly govern the island.
Tatar also claimed that the Greek Cypriot side had indirectly achieved its goal to unite with Greece when it was unilaterally admitted into the EU as a member. The Turkish Cypriot leader said that it was therefore not possible for the north to join the EU when Turkey was not.
He added that the latest developments, including the elections in the south, proved how justified the Turkish Cypriot side’s position in favour of a two-state solution was. “We see the north together as one with Turkey,” Tatar stressed.
“In my opinion, a two-state solution in Cyprus is in the best interest for both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side,” Tatar concluded.
Kılıçdaroğlu after meeting with Tatar was received by the Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersan Saner, Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu and Önder Sennaroğlu, speaker of the Turkish Cypriot parliament. He also met with the Turkish Cypriot political parties.
Leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Tufan Erhürman, during a meeting with Kılıçdaroğlu on Thursday, said that his party continued to wage a struggle to find a bizonal, bicommunal federal (BBF) settlement based on the political equality of the two communities.
He added that the Turkish Cypriots are now fighting for their existence and to become self-sufficient. “Turkish Cypriots, who are one of the two equal partners that established the Republic of Cyprus (RoC), need to be incorporated into the international community,” Erhürman said, adding that the only way to do so is to achieve a BBF solution.
While recalling that the Crans Montana process had failed because of the Greek Cypriot leader’s attitude, Erhürman noted that the Turkish Cypriot side must explain the principle of political equality as stated in the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions to the entire world.
He also added that the CTP advocates for the correct foreign policy move in order so that the Turkish Cypriot community is no longer belittled against the ‘other partner on the island’ and is better understood in Turkey.
Later in the day, Kılıçdaroğlu also visited the grave of murder Turkish Cypriot journalist Kutlu Adalı and later the family home. Speaking to reporters during the visit carried outside his itinerary, Kılıçdaroğlu said that important details had emerged recently on the murder which had remained unsolved for years. “However, the perpetrators have now surfaced,” said Kılıçdaroğlu, adding that Turkish and Turkish Cypriot politicians owed a debt of honour to Adalı’s family and the Turkish Cypriot people to uncover the murder.
“The murderers are known. We expect the officials to do what’s necessary now to solve the murder,” Kılıçdaroğlu concluded.
KEY ACTORS
Kılıçdaroğlu (CHP)
>> TCs want to live freely & independently under the roof of their own internationally recognized state.
>> Turkey and the TRNC must support the two independent states position in Cyprus together.
>> Turkish political parties must work for TRNC’s economic and political independence.
Tatar
>> What is important in Cyprus is to share the natural resources equitably & to fairly govern the island.
>> It is not possible for the north to join the EU when Turkey is not a member.
>> Latest development justifies the TC side’s position in favour of a two-state solution.
>> North & Turkey are one.
Erhürman (CTP)
>> CTP continues its struggle for a BBF based on the political equality of the two communities.
>> TCs need to be incorporated into the international community; this can only be achieved through a BBF.
>> TC side must explain the principle of political equality as stated in the UNSC resolutions to the entire world.
Erhürman complains parliament left in the dark on plans for a military base in Geçitkale (Lefkoniko)
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance and Power Sharing, External Security
OVERVIEW
The leader of the main opposition CTP Tufan Erhürman took a swipe at the government on Thursday concerning speculations on turning the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport into a permanent base to station Turkey’s armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Addressing Thursday’s session of parliament, Erhürman and MP Doğuş Derya grilled the government about its plans on the airport as Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersan Saner tried to dodge the questions refraining from providing a clear answer.
The CTP leader said there was talk, as reported by the Turkish media, of plans to convert the airport within the next 40 days but that parliament was not informed at all. Responding to the questions, Saner said that talks were continuing with Ankara and that no deal has been currently signed.
He however tried to justify the plans by making the argument that the move would be designed to counter similar steps taken by the Greek Cypriot side which is regularly carrying out military exercises and signing defence pacts with other countries.
The leader of the People’s Party (HP) Kudret Özersay had raised the issue earlier in the week, directing a similar criticism to the government. He urged the Turkish Cypriot authorities to utilize the ‘international agreement’ instrument after finding out the details of the plans for the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport.
Turkish broadcaster CNNTürk on May 29 claimed that Ankara was preparing to convert the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport into a permanent base to station Turkey’s armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The same Turkish broadcaster also claimed that Ankara will also build a permanent navy base like the Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) airport, for navy ships to dock at.
Report reveals interference by Turkey in north election
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance and Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
An independent working group named “Reporting Meddling and Interference,” which had been established by a group of political scientists, activists and researchers to launch a probe into allegations of election meddling immediately after the leadership elections in October 2020, published their findings on Thursday.
The working group, which is made up of Tacan Reynar, Abdullah Korkmazhan, Mine Yücel, Mine Atlı, Derya Beyatlı, and Orhan Erönen has documented what they deem as evidence of meddling in a 48-page long report based on information provided by journalists such as Esra Aygın, Ali Kişmir and Pınar Barut; candidates including former Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı and Serdar Denktaş.
In a blog post uploaded on Thursday evening, Aygın, who herself has been the target of pressure by the new Turkish Cypriot regime, called the revelations of threats, pressures, and blackmail, “shocking” and “blatant interference by Ankara.”
Aygın said a report by a team of civil society representatives, lawyers and researchers had outlined “blatant interference by Ankara” in favour of hardliner Ersin Tatar who ousted Akıncı with 51.69 per cent of the vote.
According to the findings of the report, a team from the Turkish intelligence, the Turkish embassy in north Nicosia and Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay’s media adviser managed the election campaign in favour of Ersin Tatar, who following his victory had switched the Turkish Cypriot side’s position from a federal settlement to a two-state solution.
The group when first founded in October 2020 had said their findings will be shared with international organizations, human rights groups, the UN and the EU to prevent similar actions to be repeated in the future.