TCC Press Review 30 Aug 2020

Front Page Headlines

Yenidüzen

‘Not a leader but someone who can exercise leadership’

Republican Turkish Party (CTP) leader and presidential candidate Tufan Erhürman spoke to Yenidüzen. Erhürman said, “The Mediterranean also belongs to us. No one can dare to exclude us from the Mediterranean. We are urgently in need of someone who can exercise leadership both at home and abroad. I’m not saying that I will be opening Maraş (Varosha). You can opt to open that door using a key or try and break down that door. Perhaps you won’t succeed but hurt your shoulder in the process.”

Kıbrıs

Teacher fired from his job accused of rape

A PE teacher who was fired from his job as a public-school teacher on grounds he had sexual relations with his student appeared before a court on charges of rape. The court will reject claims that the relationship was consensual. Two more were arrested for allegedly allowing him to use their home to do his business.

Havadis

N/A

Diyalog

Everyone is in shock

Two more have been arrested on claims they allowed H.G who is charged with having repeated sexual relations with his 17-year-old student, to use their homes. H.G who was fired from his job as a teacher is now being charged for rape of a minor.

  • Threats and blackmail – The list of seven sanctions the EU foreign ministers are planning to impose on Turkey include freezing commercial relations and bank loans.
  • “12 miles is a reason for war – Vice President Fuat Oktay who issued statements on the Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and other issues has warned Greece.

Avrupa

What kind of grudge or hatred is this?

Those who don’t want Akıncı to be elected are attacking him through the Turkish media. The harsh and unwarranted statements were made against Akıncı on the ‘Tarafız bölge’ (Neutral Zone) programme prepared and hosted by Ahmet Hakan on CNN Türk. AKP politician Mehmet Metiner, Yaşar Hacısalihoğlu who writes for pro-AKP newspaper Akşam and retired general Erdoğan Karakuş inappropriately attacked Akıncı. They accused him of rejecting Turkey’s guarantees and of being pro-Greek.

Main News

Ankara calls on the EU to adopt a fair stance in East Med

Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Energy, External Security, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay on Saturday urged the European Union (EU) to adopt a fair and just stance regarding the dispute between Turkey and Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu News Agency, Oktay said: “Turkey expects the EU to deliver a just stance, no one should expect Ankara to take a step back based on its rights.”

Oktay further asked: “If Greece’s attempts to expand its territorial waters isn’t a cause for war, then what is?” stressing that the country “will protect its rights regarding every cubic meter of the Eastern Mediterranean no matter what.”

Tensions have been running high for weeks in the Eastern Mediterranean as both Turkey and Greece have been conducting military manoeuvres in the area.

“It is insincere for the EU to call for dialogue on the one hand and make other plans on the other regarding the activities we carry out in our own continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Oktay also said on his Twitter account.

He added: “We (Turkey) are well aware of the language of peace and diplomacy, but we will not hesitate to do what is necessary when it comes to protecting the rights and interests of Turkey. France and Greece are among those who know this best.”

Turkey’s research vessel Oruç Reis will remain in the eastern Mediterranean for 90 days, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu has said.

In an interview Saturday evening with A Haber, Çavuşoğlu said the Navtex it issued reserving the area was extended.

“We are continuing our work and research and Oruç Reis will continue to work in the region for another 90 days,” said Çavuşoğlu.

Commenting on other issues such as Greece’s plans to extend the western limit of its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea to 12 miles, the Turkish minister said: “This does not concern us. However, in the Aegean, they cannot extend their borders to 12 miles. This is a cause of war. We are not going to allow Greece to extend its territorial waters from 6 to 12 miles. I say it very clearly.”

Çavuşoğlu also referred to the EU’s foreign ministers’ decision on Friday to prepare sanctions against Turkey for its illegal activities in the eastern Mediterranean.

The sanctions will go to the EU Council for approval late next month if Turkey does not stop its illegal drilling, the bloc has said.

Stating that some countries want to hold Turkey responsible for the tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, Çavuşoğlu said Ankara had talked with many European countries in the face of sanction threats of. “They agree that we are in the right,” he said.

Late on Friday, the Turkish navy issued a new advisory, known as a Navtex, saying it will hold shooting exercises in the eastern Mediterranean south of the town of Anamur in Mersin province.

According to the notice, the drill will be held between August 29 and September 11.

Anamur is located 73 kilometres north of the coast of Cyprus.

On Thursday, Turkey had issued Navtex notices for a gunnery exercise in Eastern Mediterranean for Sept. 1-2 and to extend the energy exploration activities of the Oruç Reis seismic research vessel and accompanying Cengiz Han and Ataman ships in the region until September 1.

Turkish Air Forces intercepted six F-16 Greek fighters over the Mediterranean Sea late Friday. According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, the Greek fighters took off from Crete Island as they approached the region where Navtex is declared.

KEY ACTORS
Oktay (Turkey)
>> EU needs to adopt a fair & just stance regarding the dispute between Turkey and Greece in the East Med.
>> No one should expect Ankara to take a step back based on its rights.
>> It is insincere for the EU to call for dialogue on the one hand & make other plans regarding the activities we carry out in our own continental shelf in the East Med.

Çavuşoğlu (Turkey)
>>
A decision by Greece to extend its waters to 12 miles in the Aegean will be a cause of war.


TC community needs a leader who can exercise real leadership, says Erhürman

Yenidüzen
Negotiations Process, Property, Territory, Energy, EU Matters, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and presidential candidate Tufan Erhürman said what the Turkish Cypriot community really needs is a leader who can exercise leadership both at home and abroad.

Erhürman, in an exclusive interview with Yenidüzen published on Sunday, shared his views on the Cyprus Problem, Maraş (Varosha), the Eastern Mediterranean and EU matters.

The CTP leader said he was not opposed to the idea of reopening the fenced-off town but that the method and approach to be used was important.

Speaking metaphorically, Erhürman said, “let’s say there is a door you want to open and that door in Maraş (Varosha). You can either choose to use the right key to open the door or trying to break it down by force. Chances are you might fail in breaking down the door and hurt yourself in the process.”

He said what was being done by some of the other candidates was to used the issue for election purposes.

“Such attempts are insincere and only hurt the Turkish Cypriot community,” Erhürman added.

The key to open Maraş (Varosha), said Erhürman was to reopen the town in line with United Nations (UN) resolutions.

“What needs to be done right after the elections is to discuss this issue with the UN,” he said, adding that the area’s military status had to be lifted in order to allow former residents to return as part of settlements handed out by the Immovable Property Commission (IPC).

The IPC only settles property cases in military areas through compensation or exchange.

Erhürman said that talks could be held with the UN on handing the control of the town as stated in the relevant UN resolutions.

He said the issue of Maraş (Varosha) could be settled in line with international law.

Erhürman said that Maraş (Varosha) could be used to develop commercial and economic relations between the two communities, help build trust and confidence in the absence of a solution.

The CTP candidate criticized the government’s stance on the issue, stating that both coalition partners were making contradictory statements on the fenced-off town.

“First they say that the UN resolutions are not binding or are only advisory resolutions. Then they turn around and say they will be opening the town in line with international law. These are conflicting and memorized sentences which have no true validity,” he said.

On the issue of hydrocarbons, Erhürman said that it was out of the question to exclude Turkish Cypriots from any energy equation in the Eastern Mediterranean.

He said It was important to voice the Turkish Cypriot side’s position on the matter and to safeguard their rights as partners on the island.

“Dialogue is also very important,” he said.

Erhürman added that attempts by the Greek Cypriot side to conjure the support of other countries and foreigners were dangerous.

“By inviting these countries into the picture, you are making them stakeholders. You end up losing what is rightfully yours,” Erhürman warned.

He also argued that Turkey was justified in its claims due to the fact it had the longest shoreline in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“Common sense dictates that the region should become a basin of peace and dialogue. This is the only way to achieve a solution. Unfortunately, we are steadily moving away from that,” he warned.

On EU relations, Erhürman criticized Akıncı for failing to engage with the EU sufficiently.

He said that the €31.6m provided in financial assistance to the Turkish Cypriot community to deal with the effects of the pandemic is insufficient.

“This amount is given annually to the Turkish Cypriot community as part of the Financial Air Regulation. That money is not for the pandemic but the development of the Turkish Cypriot community,” Erhürman noted, adding that more had to be done to make the Turkish Cypriots’ voice heard.

KEY ACTOR
Erhürman (CTP)
>>
TC community really needs is a leader who can exercise leadership both at home & abroad.
>> We are not opposed to the idea of reopening the fenced-off city of Maraş (Varosha) but the method & approach to be used was important.
>> Maraş (Varosha) should be opened in line with UN resolutions through dialogue with the UN.
>> Maraş’s (Varosha) status as a military zone has to be lifted in order for IPC to award GCs the right to return.
>> Reopening Maraş (Varosha) will provide a good opportunity for two communities to develop relations in the absence of a solution.
>> It is out of the question to exclude TCs from any energy equation in the East Med.
>> It is important to voice the TC side’s position on the matter & to safeguard their rights as partners on the island.
>> Dialogue is also very important.
>> Attempts by the Greek Cypriot side to conjure the support of other countries is dangerous. Inviting these countries into the picture are making them stakeholders.
>> Turkey is justified in its claims due to the fact it had the longest shoreline in the East Med.
>> Region should become a basin of peace & dialogue.
>> EU should be engaged more actively.


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