Front Page Headlines
TRNC flying independently as a separate sovereign state
(Cartoon showing Tatar in wooden plane placed on a stake and Erdoğan at the bottom telling him the TRNC is sovereign) The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be arriving in Cyprus today to deliver a speech at the TRNC parliament. Everyone, from the TRNC president to the government, the parliament and civil society, is eagerly waiting to hear what the good news Erdoğan will be delivering.
Tragedy at the port after rope snaps
One dead, three injured. The ship named ‘Viamare’ was trying to dock at the shipyard for maintenance but as the crew was trying to secure the ship, the dock line snapped hitting the workers. One worker died, three were injured. Transport Minister Resmiye Canaltay said that “necessary measures will be implemented to ensure that such accidents do not happen again.” Meanwhile, the owner of the shipyard, Ramazan Gündoğdu accused the ship’s captain of ignoring the instructions given by the harbour pilot.
- Erdoğan will address the parliament today – The July 20 Peace and Freedom Festival programme will commence with a 21-gun salute at 9 am followed by President Ersin Tatar’s address of the nation on BRT.
Having a wild time with the virus
The five-star hotels with casinos are ready for the bairam (Eid al-Adha) or Feast of Sacrifice holiday even though the daily number of positive cases in our country exceeds 100. There are many concerts and gala events at many hotels during the bairam period.
- 47th anniversary of the military operation – The July 20 Peace and Freedom Festival programme will commence with a 21-gun salute at 9 am followed by President Ersin Tatar’s address of the nation on Bayrak.
- Encouraging religious courses with bicycles – Turkish Religious Affairs office has sent 5,000 bicycles to children who attended the online religious courses and went to the mosque to pray in the TRNC ahead of the bairam.
Historic day
Not only for Greek Cypriots, but UN, EU, and US officials are waiting for the ‘good news’ Erdoğan will be delivering today at the TRNC parliament. The speech Erdoğan will give in parliament at 3:45 this afternoon at an extraordinary session of parliament has raised curiosity. According to information obtained by Diyalog, President Erdoğan will not only make announcements on the Maraş (Varosha) initiative but will also be given an important message in terms of establishing diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan. Diplomatic observers who point out that a delegation from the Azerbaijan parliament held contacts in the country last week claim that this is an indicator of what is to come.
- Ready to be opened –The landing craft placed at the location where Turkish troops first landed will be opened to visitors on the 47th anniversary of the Peace Operation.
The parliamentary plenary is at Erdoğan’s service
Tayyip Erdoğan, who will come to our island with a large delegation will address the parliament at 4 pm today and will announce his good news. The seats vacated by the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Social Democratic Party (TDP) have been taken outside of the parliamentary hall to make the plenary hall fuller. Justice and Development Party (AKP) Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Devlet Bahçeli and others will also attend the session.
- They have been declared traitors – Pro-Tayyip Erdoğan media Türkiye carried Ersin Tatar’s words declaring Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the Social Democratic Party (TDP) traitors to its headlines…(The headline reads: “The place for the traitors is the Greek Cypriot parliament).
- The only protest against the occupation – Revolutionary Communist Union protested Turkey’s occupation of the island outside the Turkish Embassy building.
- They have removed the name of the school in Maraş (Varosha) – As part of the preparations at Maraş (Varosha) for Tayyip Erdoğan’s arrival, they have erased the Greek name of the historical school.
Main News
Tatar hits back at the TDP & the CTP
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Avrupa
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Sunday slammed those criticising and protesting the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the north to mark the 47th anniversary of Turkey’s military operation to Cyprus.
In a statement issued from his office, Tatar accused the Greek Cypriot side which attempted to present Erdoğan’s visit to the entire world as unlawful as insolent and disrespectful. He also said accused MPs boycotting the special session which Erdoğan will address of acting together with the Greek Cypriot side to provoke tensions in the north.
“We are fully aware that these people are being managed by the same circles whose main goal is to cut off the Turkish Cypriots’ ties with Turkey and to force the Turkish Cypriots to accept their preferred solution model,” Tatar stressed.
He described such attempts as futile as the north will continue to embrace Turkey as it proceeded with its plans for the future. Tatar also stressed the Turkish Cypriot side will not give up on its demands for a two-state solution model despite those trying to obstruct.
“We will neither give up on the two-state solution model based on sovereign equality nor are we going to stop our Maraş (Varosha) Initiative,” Tatar said. The Turkish Cypriot leader also slammed Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades’ for recent remarks, claiming that he was transforming the north into Turkey’s protectorate.
“Mr Anastasiades should first look back at history before speaking. It was the Greek Cypriots who attacked Turkish Cypriots in 1963 to carry out the Akritas plan and the Greek junta who carried out the July 15, 1974 coup were aimed at annexing Cyprus with Greece,” he said.
Tatar concluded his message by stating that the Turkish Cypriots will welcome Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the north on Monday with love. “Those handfuls of people who resort to all sorts of ugly provocations and attacks will only be embarrassed,” he said
In the meantime, Tatar, who spoke to Turkish daily Türkiye on the decision given by the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and Social Democratic Party (TDP) to boycott the special parliamentary session on Monday, accused the two political parties of historical betrayal.
He said, “those parties who have taken such a decision are in collaboration with the Greek Cypriot side, who are trying to hand over the Turkish Cypriots to fascist EOKA members.” Tatar said as he claimed that AKEL MEP Niyazi Kızılyürek was the spearhead of the anti-Erdoğan movement in Cyprus.
“These political parties, who recently held a meeting with Anastasiades, are now disrespecting the Turkish Cypriots’ political will by not attending the session Erdoğan will address. They are disrespecting the Turkish nation,” Tatar said.
He went on further to claim that the CTP and TDP wanted the Turkish Cypriots to surrender their rights to the Greek Cypriot administration and accept becoming a minority on the island. “They are ready to make every concession for a federal solution,” Tatar claimed, adding that their main problem was Ankara’s insistence on a two-state solution.
The CTP leader Tufan Erhürman was quick to respond to Tatar’s claims. In a social media post on Sunday, Erhürman reiterated that the CTP will continue to advocate for dialogue and peace both domestically and internationally.
He accused Tatar of trying to gain political advantages through creating conflicts, tension and animosity between the communities. “The CTP will not refrain from stating their differences with the Turkish officials while we remain open to dialogue, advocating for peace on the island,” Erhürman concluded.
Talat slams Tatar, reiterating equality can only be achieved w/ solution
Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process, Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
Former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat slammed his successor Ersin Tatar, his policies vis-à-vis the Cyprus problem and for his approach to relations with Turkey. In an interview with Yenidüzen published on Monday, Talat also said he will not take part in the July 20 ceremonies as he disapproves of the current rhetoric of challenging the world with primitive policies.
“Turkey did not see the need to seek our consent when changing its policies on the Cyprus problem,” Talat said, warning that Ankara did not have the right to drag Turkish Cypriots into a new adventure.
Also responding to a question on the claim Tatar regularly makes that Turkish Cypriots will end up being ruled by a majority of Greek Cypriots in a federal state, Talat stressed “If there is a fear that Turkish Cypriots will be subjugated it should be Turkey that should be feared.” He also highlighted that even though the Greek Cypriot side did not openly accept it, there was political equality at the negotiating table
Summarizing the north’s relations with Turkey throughout the decades, Talat said both Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot side wanted to solve the Cyprus problem and the two sides have always worked in close cooperation.
“Nonetheless, at the current stage and especially after Turkey interfered in the presidential elections, it seems that Turkey has taken over the reins,” Talat said, adding that relations between the two sides have never been so bad.
Asked to comment on Turkey’s plans for Cyprus, Talat said it was not possible to provide a clear assessment at the moment. He however said that rational people in Turkey believed that a two-state solution was not a realistic option.
He also disapproved of the aggressive stance adopted both by Ankara and the current Turkish Cypriot leadership against the EU or other international actors on the Cyprus issue. Talat pointed out that Kosovo for example could only declare its independence following diplomatic approval from the EU.
He said Tatar was acting like a puppet of Turkey but what was worse was that he had openly accepted the role and was frank about it. “Tatar will continue to voice what Ankara says, Talat argued but added that eventually both Ankara and the Turkish Cypriot side will have to face the facts. We have gone back to the Rauf Denktaş era positions in the Cyprus problem,” Talat argued, warning that the Turkish Cypriots will suffer if it continues like this in the long term.
The north will become stronger once Maraş (Varosha) is fully opened
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar visited the fenced-off town of Maraş (Varosha) on Sunday to inspect preparations ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the north.
Describing the reopening of the town as a historic move by the Turkish Cypriot side, Tatar said Maraş (Varosha) was being brought back to life to benefit everyone after five decades. He added that the north’s economy will become stronger once the fenced-off town, was fully capitalised and its tourism potential returned to normal.
Tatar reminded that nearly 200,000 people have so far visited the recently opened parts of the fenced-off town of Maraş (Varosha). Meanwhile, the Greek letters outside the historical school Greek Cypriot Gymnasium was erased as part of the preparations for Erdoğan’s visit. The school’s garden that has received a facelift will be inaugurated as a ‘tea garden’ by the Turkish President.
Turkish Cypriots cried foul on the desecration of the historical building on social media and harshly criticised Turkish officials for their lack of tolerance to even anything Greek.