Front Page Headlines
Government out of parliament
The government which had failed to shut down parliament for the summer recess now failed to achieve the necessary quorum to start the new legislative year. The minority government once again hit the quorum hurdle giving way to a new political crisis. As Parliamentary Speaker Önder Sennaroğlu was acting president due to President Ersin Tatar’s trip abroad he could not preside over the parliamentary session. Despite Prime Minister Ersan Saner’s announcement that they had enough MPs to open the session parliament could not convene due to the attendance problem. Now early elections for January is being discussed.
- The average salary in the south is €1,573 – According to figures released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus, the average salary in the south of the island is €1,573
Plenty of talk but no outcome
The parliament could not convene yesterday. The government accused the opposition and the opposition the government. The plan is for the parliament to try to convene on Thursday.
- Waters heating up in the Eastern Mediterranean – The tension started to escalate in the Eastern Mediterranean due to the Greek Cypriot side’s unilateral actions.
Politicians behind the case
Question marks remain in the case of forged PCR documents given to the band members accompanying Turkish diva Bülent Ersoy during her concert at Noah’s Arc Hotel even though the verdicts for the band members were announced.
Time for a decision
All parties in parliament are saying they could hold an early election before April. Parliament which failed to convene yesterday following the long summer recess is waiting for a decision for early elections. General Secretary of the ruling National Unity Party (UBP) Oğuzhan Nasipoğlu told tv2020, “We had proposed to hold early elections in April but elections could be held earlier in January, February or March. The leader of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman, the leader of the Peoples’ Party (Kudret Özersay), the leader of the Social Democratic Party (TDP) Cemal Özyiğit, the leader of the Democratic Party (DP) Fikri Ataoğlu and the leader of the Rebirth Party (YDP) Erhan Arıklı also support the idea of holding early elections.
- Original Cypriot sheep – 23 of 53 sheep sent to be slaughtered had chips with CY written on them.
The band bears the brunt of forged PCRs
The verdicts on the 21 musicians who came to the north together with Bülent Ersoy to give a concert, and who attempted to enter the north with forged PCR documents, were announced. The leader of the band was sentenced to 45 days of imprisonment, and the rest for 30 days. The court also ordered an investigation to be launched at the politicians and civil servants that allowed the musicians to enter the country.
Main News
Tatar says sovereign equality vital for TCs
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Negotiations Process, Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Monday reiterated the importance of sovereign equality for the Turkish Cypriot people.
Speaking at the Anadolu University’s opening ceremony for the 2021-2022 academic year, Tatar pointed to the Treaties of Establishment for the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) in the years leading to 1960.
“These treaties are important because our sovereignty emanates from these agreements,” Tatar stressed, adding that the two sovereign peoples of the island had handed over their sovereignty to establish the RoC.
He also summarized the island’s history, starting from the Ottoman conquest of 1571, arguing that the attempts to usurp the rights of the island’s Turkish Cypriot population had begun when the island was leased out to Great Britain in 1878.
“However, never in the history of Cyprus had the island fallen under Greek or Greek Cypriot administration,” Tatar stressed, claiming that the late Greek Cypriot Archbishop Makarios had agreed to the 1960 Republic only to use it as a stepping stone to achieving ENOSIS, meaning union with Greece.
Tatar also said that Turkish Cypriots had no intention or desire to return to pre-1974 conditions. He pointed out that the Greek-Greek Cypriot duo was constantly attempting to portray Turkey as an occupying force in Cyprus while pretending to be seeking grounds for a federal settlement even though a two-state structure has existed on the island since 1974.
Tatar reminded that Turkish Cypriots who had voted in favour of the 2004 UN-sponsored Annan Plan continued to be punished whilst the Greek Cypriots who had rejected it, had been allowed to join the EU. He added that the goal of a federal settlement under the umbrella of the EU was to slowly push Turkey out of Cyprus.
Tatar argued that the Greek Cypriot side’s demand for zero troops and zero guarantees as envisaged in a federal settlement will push Turkish Cypriots to where they were even before the 1960 partnership republic. “These attempts are aimed at transforming the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean into a Greek sea. We must stand strong against such attempts and maintain our position,” he said.
Meanwhile, during a meeting with reporters in Eskişehir, Tatar said the reopening process in the fenced-off city of Maraş (Varosha) is continuing. Tatar argued that the fenced-off town completely belonged to Turkish pious foundations, now under the Evkaf Administration of Cyprus and said it had been kept behind barbwire since 1974.
He pointed out that the pre-1974 residents of the town will be able to return to their properties as a result of the Turkish Cypriot side’s decision to reopen the town. “The former residents will be able to apply to the Immovable Property Commission (IPC) so that their properties can be returned,” Tatar said, adding that the preparations in this regard are underway.
He also noted that despite the pandemic, more than 230,000 people have visited the town so far including Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and foreigners. “The number of visitors to Maraş (Varosha) will increase and the town will gain more value when the area is revived as a tourism hotspot,” Tatar claimed.
KEY ACTORS
Tatar
>> Sovereign equality is vital for TCs.
>> 1960 agreements important as RoC was established through sovereignty emanating from two communities.
>> TCs must stand strong against attempts to remove guarantees. Federal settlement under the EU umbrella aimed at cutting off TCs’ ties with Turkey.
>> Process to reopen the fenced-off city of Maraş (Varosha) to continue.
Çavuşoğlu: “We will protect the TCs’ rights to the end”
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Avrupa
Energy
OVERVIEW
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on Monday said that Turkey was in favour of the equitable sharing of the natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean through diplomacy.
He however warned: “We will do whatever is necessary when any steps are taken to the detriment of these rights.”
Speaking during a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart in Warsaw, Çavuşoğlu said Turkey always opted for diplomacy in solving disputes. “But when diplomacy fails we step into the field to return everyone to the table,” he said.
The Turkish foreign minister also blamed the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean on what he said was Greece’s and the Greek Cypriot side’s maximalist claims, adding that they are trying to enclave Turkey into a small area with claims based on the Sevilla map.
“We have shown them and the world that this is not going to happen,” Çavuşoğlu said, reiterating that both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots are in favour of equitable sharing of the resources. He recalled President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s proposal of convening a regional conference to overcome the differences, and added that “surprisingly even the EU has not responded yet.”
“The goal of the conference is to bring all relevant countries together to discuss equitable sharing of the resources on a win-win model,” Çavuşoğlu added. The Turkish foreign minister said he understood the need for every country to protect its territorial waters, exclusive economic zones or its continental shelf but complained that both Greece and the Greek Cypriot side had recently stepped up their provocative actions.
“Naturally, our navy gives the necessary warning to the vessels that try to enter our territorial waters,” Çavuşoğlu said. “Turkey is in favour of establishing a mechanism on equitable sharing of the resources around Cyprus and I hope when the Polish President will relay the necessary message during his visit to Cyprus,” Çavuşoğlu said and expressed his hope that the Polish President will listen to the two sides without any prejudices.
Earlier on Sunday, the Turkish navy pushed back a Greek Cypriot research vessel away from what it says was its continental shelf in the Mediterranean after it entered the area without permission, Turkey’s Defence Ministry said, in a sign of renewed tensions.
Speaking to a group of reporters on Sunday, Defence Ministry spokeswoman Major Pinar Kara accused Greece of “unlawful, provocative and aggressive” action in the Aegean, warning Greece that “provocation in the Aegean Sea will not go unanswered.”
Additionally, the Turkish Defence Ministry on Monday confirming Kara’s statement said that the Nautical Geo, a Greek-Cypriot research vessel under the Maltese flag, was pushed out of the Turkish continental shelf at the weekend after being warned that it was trespassing.
Ankara also launched diplomatic initiatives with Malta and Italy, the countries that own the said vessel. “Despite these initiatives from Turkey, the Nautical Geo research vessel tried to enter Turkish Continental Shelf without permission. Upon this, it was questioned and warned by a ship belonging to the Turkish Navy,” the ministry statement said.
“Following the vessel’s entry into the continental shelf without permission the second time, the research vessel was removed from the Turkish Continental Shelf,” it said, adding Turkey blocked the Nautical Geo’s work east of the island of Crete last week for the same reason.
Turkey will resolutely defend its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, the statement read.
On the other hand, in reciprocity to Greek “provocations,” it is reported that Turkey has announced live-fire drills in the Aegean Sea on October 5 and naval drills in the Eastern Mediterranean on the same day.
KEY ACTORS
Çavuşoğlu (Turkey)
>> Turkey favours equitable distribution of East Med resources & settling disputes through diplomacy.
>> It only abandons diplomacy when Turkey’s & TCs rights are infringed to bring sides back to the table.
>> Turkey has shown Greece & the world it will not be trapped in a small area.
Akar (Turkey)
>> Provocations in the Aegean Sea will not go unanswered.
>> Turkey will resolutely defend its rights & interests in the East Med & the Aegean.