TCC Press Review 18 Apr 2019

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

This society should unite

Latest debates have brought to the agenda attempts to discriminate between Cypriots (TC) and Turks (mainland Turkey). Citizens speaking to Yenidüzen voiced their opposition to marginalisation within society.

  • Solution model clear: Political equality-federal settlement – Clear message from UN Secretary-General Guterres on a solution. The UNSG gave a clear message to those distancing themselves from a federal solution: That is the UN Security Council has been supporting for decades a bicommunal, bizonal federal settlement on the basis of political equality.
  • “Door left open” – Expert’s evaluation of UN’s Cyprus report to Yenidüzen.

Kıbrıs Postası

No need to wait for EU procedures for electricity supply through cables

Prof. Dr Gürkan Kumbaroğlu, president of the International Association for Energy Economy said there is no international prerequisite for Turkey to supply electricity to the north through a cable because it is already supplying electricity to Iran and Syria through an isolated region feed system.

  • No basis for talks but contacts to continue – Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay criticized the UN for not being able to announce there is no common basis for the resumption of talks in his evaluation of the latest SG report.

Kıbrıs

Severe economic concerns

78.19% of participants in the March 2019 poll conducted by the Centre for Migration, Identity and Rights Studies (CMIRS) highlighted that the economic situation will worsen in the coming two years.

  • Sides to accept less than their expectations – UNSG Guterres submitted his report on the Good Offices Mission in Cyprus to the UNSC.
  • Turkish Cypriots have equal rights in energy resources – Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar relayed Turkey’s position on the Eastern Mediterranean to his American counterpart.

Havadis

Heavy fines for polluters

Tourism and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoğlu highlighted that the primary problem mentioned by tourists in the country is pollution. The cleaning campaigns carried out by CSOs are not adequate therefore severe fines will be given by the Environment Protection Department personnel from now on.

  • Guterres still hopeful of the Cypriots – UNSG Guterres urged the two leaders, respective communities, and guarantor states to contribute constructively and creatively to the efforts to find a solution on the island with a sense of urgency.

Diyalog

Strong reaction to ministry

While a heart transplant surgery took place in Cyprus for the first time, the method followed on the issue of organ donations has led to serious debate.  

  • Greek Cypriots unwilling – Mobile phone interoperability between North and South moving at a snail’s pace.

Afrika

Istanbul has gone too

Tayyip Erdoğan who had to admit defeat 17 days after the election finally handed over the keys to Istanbul to Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Main News

Initial reactions to UNSG’s report sceptical

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Negotiations Process

OVERVIEW

All dailies with the exception of Afrika gave extensive coverage to initial reactions and evaluations of the UN Secretary-General’s report on his Good Offices mission. An unofficial copy of the report, which had been given to the UN Security Council on Tuesday evening, said the UNSG’s envoy, Jane Holl Lute, would continue her efforts to secure an agreement between the two sides on the drafting of terms of reference that would lead to a resumption of the talks.

Akıncı’s spokesperson Barış Burcu issued a brief statement on Wednesday afternoon acknowledging that the president had received the draft version of the UNSG report and that he will share his comprehensive evaluation of the report with the public once it is approved by the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay expressed dissatisfaction with the unofficial version of the report. Expressing his views via social media on Wednesday, Özersay said, if only the UN had presented a more realistic evaluation of the situation on the island. The report timidly admits there is no basis for the resumption of the talks, but at the same time, a call is made to the sides to continue their meetings, he added.

Özersay underlined that the UN once more seems to have forgotten to be fair so as not to upset either one of the sides by stating the truth. The report asks the two sides to resume efforts despite the fact that eight months of efforts to reach common ground have proven unsuccessful, he argued.

“Everything is fine as long as the status quo remains unquestioned,” Özersay said, adding that he will will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the report once it is approved by the UNSC.

Finance Minister and Democratic Party (DP) leader Serdar Denktaş said on Wednesday that the UNSG’s report was just one of many of a long list of disappointing UN reports.

He said Guterres had been misinformed on many issues, and highlighted the need for a courageous discussion on new and creative ideas and models for a solution.

The DP leader noted that the UN has its long-standing tradition of adopting a balanced approach between the two sides but that maintaining such a balance resulted in unfair reports when checked against facts.

Denktaş also highlighted that the report, in an attempt to maintain a balance between the two leaders, did great injustice to Akıncı, who had made numerous concessions to achieve a solution.

Guterres should have informed the Security Council members about Anastasiades’ rejection of Turkish Cypriot political equality, effective participation in decision-making processes and the rotating presidency, he said.

The generalisation made by the UNSG in paragraph 5 of the report regarding a public perception survey stating that both communities expressed a strong desire for a settlement was a ‘serious’ mistake, said Denktaş. He added that, on the contrary, public polls revealed that there was a decrease both in desire and belief in a UN-proposed solution.

Denktaş also underlined that Guterres was clearly misinformed about the financing and running of the bicommunal technical committees. As stated in paragraph 18 of the report, the financing of the support mechanism for the bicommunal technical committees’ work is unfortunately covered by the budget allocated by the European Union for the Turkish Cypriot community. He said that when the financing idea was first raised, the Turkish Cypriot authorities had objected to the idea through the European Union Coordination Centre, and had argued that it was not fair to finance the bicommunal technical committees from the money allocated for the Turkish Cypriots.

Instead, the idea of equal financing from the TRNC Presidency and Greek Cypriot authorities was proposed. However, the Greek Cypriot authorities rejected the proposal and as a result, one million Euros were channelled to finance the bicommunal technical committees, said Denktaş. Also, as a result of the Greek Cypriot side’s refusal, the ad hoc committee tasked to work on EU issues was dissolved, he noted.

Denktaş further stressed that while the report mentions that the two communities must be informed on the solution model, it also refers to the consequences of a non-solution of the Cyprus Problem. The Turkish Cypriot community has managed to survive with the support of Turkey while being subjected to isolations and embargoes as a result of lack of solution. Therefore, the relevant paragraph in the report is a message clearly meant for the Greek Cypriot side.

Even though the report asks the sides to wait a while longer for Lute to develop the Terms of Reference, the Turkish Cypriot side is tired of waiting and being disappointed. It is time to discuss and negotiate new and creative ideas and models, Denktaş concluded.

Speaking to Bayrak (BRT) on Wednesday, former speaker of the TC parliament Sibel Siber said the latest SG report is no different from past reports, adding that it only serves the status quo on the island. The report says the Turkish Cypriots will remain under isolations while the other side will maintain its place in the international arena and continue as before, said Siber.

However, the report should have lifted the isolations, she said, adding that these developments harm the sense of belonging and resurrect the idea of emigration.

Yenidüzen, in the meantime, spoke to academics and experts regarding the UN secretary-general’s report.

CTP MP Armağan Candan said that progress could be achieved in the negotiations process if there was political will and if the notion of political equality was embraced. He said that his party will continue to do all it can for the restart of negotiations in a healthy and results-oriented manner.

The head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in Famagusta Prof. Dr Ahmet Sözen argued that the report drew an ‘objective and realistic’ picture, leaving the door open for a bicommunal, bizonal solution in Cyprus.

He also said he did not believe a new process would start before the 2020 presidential elections in the North.

Prof Dr Erol Kaymak, who also teaches at EMU, described the report as optimistic but weak. He argued that it was not possible for the leaders to show any flexibility in light of the upcoming presidential elections in the North.

“If we don’t see any movement on the Cyprus Problem until the summer, parliament will not support new talks. The crisis between Akıncı and the government will deepen,” he warned.

Kaymak criticized the report for not including the issues of political equality and effective participation in decision-making, which was a main focus point for the Turkish Cypriot side.

KEY ACTORS
Özersay (HP)
>>
SG report admits there is no basis for resumption of talks but says efforts to reach one will continue.
>> SG report is not a realistic take on the situation on the island.
>> Status quo remains unquestioned.

Denktaş (DP)
>> Guterres is misinformed on many issues, such as public perceptions on a solution & financing of technical committees.
>> Public desire for UN-proposed solution model is decreasing contrary to what the report claims about public surveys.
>> Technical committees being financed from aid originally earmarked for the TC community, after GCs rejected proposal for both sides to jointly finance committees.
>> Report asks TCs to wait further as the UN envoy tries to find common basis between the sides, but TCs are tired of waiting. Time has come for new and creative models to be discussed with courage.
>> In attempt to maintain balance, the report ends up being unfair on Akıncı who made many concessions in talks to reach a solution.

Siber (CTP)
>> SG report same as before, condemning TCs to live under isolations, instead of lifting isolations imposed on TCs.
>> Sense of belonging is harmed due to indifferent reports, encourages emigration.

Armağan (CTP)
>> Can achieve progress in talks with political will and political equality.
>> CTP will continue to do all it can for talks to resume in a healthy and results-oriented manner.


Turkish Cypriots’ rights in energy resources cannot be disregarded

Kıbrıs Postası, Afrika
Energy, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said the Turkish Cypriots’ rights in energy resources cannot be disregarded and anything contradicting those rights will not be accepted.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency in Washington, following a meeting with his American counterpart Patrick Shanahan on Wednesday, Akar noted that some US senators have prepared a bill on the Eastern Mediterranean, adding that he has relayed Turkey’s position on the issue clearly.

Akar said Turkish Cypriots have equal rights in the energy resources. Any activity to be carried out in the region must take this fact into consideration, he said. Akar also warned that Turkey will not accept any contradictory action regarding the energy resources.

KEY ACTOR
Akar
>> TCs have equal rights in energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean.
>> Any energy activity must take TCs’ rights into consideration.
>> Turkey will not allow TC rights in the region to be disregarded.


No EU procedural obstacles for electricity supply from Turkey

Kıbrıs Postası
Energy, Regional/ International Relations

OVERVIEW

Prof. Dr Gürkan Kumbaroğlu, President of the International Association for Energy Economy said there is no international prerequisite for Turkey to supply electricity to the north through a cable because it is already supplying electricity to Iran and Syria through a supply system for isolated regions. Kumbaroğlu added there is no need to wait for the procedures from the European Union and there is no need to delay supplying electricity to the North. He noted that the natural gas pipelines should also be added to the project. The European interconnectivity system is not an obstruction to the project as it can be overcome through diplomacy carried out between Turkey and the EU.

Regarding the Greek Cypriot side’s recent natural gas discoveries, Kumbaroğlu said it is not possible for the Greek Cypriot side to transfer natural gas to Europe if they do not collaborate with the Turkish Cypriot side or with Turkey. This is a great advantage, said Kumbaroğlu. 

He underlined that the hydrocarbon reserves are an opportunity for a peace initiative in the Eastern Mediterranean, arguing that the Greek Cypriot side cannot continue on its own.

“They have to change their irreconcilable attitude. It is not possible to say whether the hydrocarbon reserves will lead to a war on the island because it will depend on the Greek Cypriots and how soon they see the opportunities for peace through hydrocarbons,” he said. Kumbaroğlu added that the hydrocarbons might also help lead the way for the solution of the Cyprus problem.


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