Cyprus-Forum.com

[eracles]

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.ph ... 8&cat_id=1

Turkish army bars ‘biased’ Turkish Cypriot media from exercise
By Simon Bahceli

THE TURKISH military took a swipe at the Turkish Cypriot administration yesterday by barring media outlets sympathetic to the leadership from covering a search and rescue exercise off the northern coast.

The annual event is popular with the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot media, and is traditionally covered by all outlets regardless of political leanings.

“The army is trying to punish the AKP [Justice and Development Party] government in Turkey, and is trying to find their allies. And what better ally is there than the CTP [Republican Turkish Party] and Mehmet Ali Talat?” Dr Ahmet Sozen, head of the Cyprus Policy Centre think-tank at the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

Tensions between the Turkish military and the ruling AKP are at an all-time high as the country heads to an early election on July 22. The election was sparked by the constitutional court’s refusal to accept the AKP’s presidential candidate Abdullah Gul, who, under strong pressure from the military, was deemed too Islamic.

Yesterday’s snub, which included barring state-run Bayrak TV and top-selling daily newspaper Kibris, is the third run-in the military has had with the north’s administration this year.

In January, Turkish Cypriot leader Talat clashed with Turkish military Chief of Staff Yasar Buyukanit over his plans to open a crossing between Greek and Turkish Cypriot controlled Nicosia. And in March, the head of Turkish forces in Cyprus, Hayri Kivrikoglu berated Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Ferdi Sabit Soyer for failing to adequately display his party’s “Turkishness” at a party conference.

The latest military-civilian clash came to light on Tuesday when reporters turned up at a briefing about the air-sea rescue exercises only to find they had been barred from entering both the briefing and the exercises themselves.

A Bayrak TV reporter assigned to cover the event told other journalists an army official informed him he would not be allowed to enter because Bayrak TV had shown a bicommunally-produced documentary titled “Our Wall” earlier in the year.

He was also told that the army objected to Bayrak TV’s failure to display the Turkish and ‘TRNC’ flags in the corner of the screen during broadcasts.

As to why six newspapers and two other TV channels were also banned was less clear. According to the Bayrak TV reporter, the military official said only that they had not received “accreditation” from the military. The only clue, it seems, is that all the media outlets included in the barring are sympathetic to the current leadership.

Bayrak TV’s board of director’s head Vasfi Candan yesterday confirmed that the events had been brought to his attention, expressing shock at the military’s move. He told the Mail such action was “against the principles of press freedom”. He added that he was not sure of where the order had come from.

An angrier reaction came from the Turkish Cypriot Newspaper Journalist’s Union (KTGB) which issued a statement saying that for the military to decide which media outlets were tolerable was “completely unacceptable”.

“The army is sending a message to the world that the TRNC is completely under its control,” the statement added.

Head of the press union (BASIN-SEN) Kemal Darbaz described the barring of certain outlets as “the clearest sign yet of how far removed the security forces have become from the people”.

He added: “Whatever position these people hold, if they were not elected by the people, they have no say [on such issues]”.

Darbaz questioned where the order had come from, and warned that if it had come from high up in the military command, it could be a sign or more serious clashes to come.

[Kikapu]

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=32978&cat_id=1

Turkish army bars ‘biased’ Turkish Cypriot media from exercise
By Simon Bahceli

THE TURKISH military took a swipe at the Turkish Cypriot administration yesterday by barring media outlets sympathetic to the leadership from covering a search and rescue exercise off the northern coast.

The annual event is popular with the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot media, and is traditionally covered by all outlets regardless of political leanings.

“The army is trying to punish the AKP [Justice and Development Party] government in Turkey, and is trying to find their allies. And what better ally is there than the CTP [Republican Turkish Party] and Mehmet Ali Talat?” Dr Ahmet Sozen, head of the Cyprus Policy Centre think-tank at the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.

Tensions between the Turkish military and the ruling AKP are at an all-time high as the country heads to an early election on July 22. The election was sparked by the constitutional court’s refusal to accept the AKP’s presidential candidate Abdullah Gul, who, under strong pressure from the military, was deemed too Islamic.

Yesterday’s snub, which included barring state-run Bayrak TV and top-selling daily newspaper Kibris, is the third run-in the military has had with the north’s administration this year.

In January, Turkish Cypriot leader Talat clashed with Turkish military Chief of Staff Yasar Buyukanit over his plans to open a crossing between Greek and Turkish Cypriot controlled Nicosia. And in March, the head of Turkish forces in Cyprus, Hayri Kivrikoglu berated Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Ferdi Sabit Soyer for failing to adequately display his party’s “Turkishness” at a party conference.

The latest military-civilian clash came to light on Tuesday when reporters turned up at a briefing about the air-sea rescue exercises only to find they had been barred from entering both the briefing and the exercises themselves.

A Bayrak TV reporter assigned to cover the event told other journalists an army official informed him he would not be allowed to enter because Bayrak TV had shown a bicommunally-produced documentary titled “Our Wall” earlier in the year.

He was also told that the army objected to Bayrak TV’s failure to display the Turkish and ‘TRNC’ flags in the corner of the screen during broadcasts.

As to why six newspapers and two other TV channels were also banned was less clear. According to the Bayrak TV reporter, the military official said only that they had not received “accreditation” from the military. The only clue, it seems, is that all the media outlets included in the barring are sympathetic to the current leadership.

Bayrak TV’s board of director’s head Vasfi Candan yesterday confirmed that the events had been brought to his attention, expressing shock at the military’s move. He told the Mail such action was “against the principles of press freedom”. He added that he was not sure of where the order had come from.

An angrier reaction came from the Turkish Cypriot Newspaper Journalist’s Union (KTGB) which issued a statement saying that for the military to decide which media outlets were tolerable was “completely unacceptable”.

“The army is sending a message to the world that the TRNC is completely under its control,” the statement added.

Head of the press union (BASIN-SEN) Kemal Darbaz described the barring of certain outlets as “the clearest sign yet of how far removed the security forces have become from the people”.

He added: “Whatever position these people hold, if they were not elected by the people, they have no say [on such issues]”.

Darbaz questioned where the order had come from, and warned that if it had come from high up in the military command, it could be a sign or more serious clashes to come.

But if you listen to the "Circus Ring Leader" and all his "Circus Clowns" here on the Forum, Turkish Military does not actively interfere in the politics of the de facto "TRNC" or even in Turkey.

When will these people stop "Clowning Around" and face the facts and start speaking the truth.

[BirKibrisli]

The latest on this issue as reported in Afrika on the online edition dated 15.6.07:

The BMBP (This Country is ours Platform) with the support of 3 other TC political parties (TDP,YKP and BKP) was presenting a protest note to the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia addressed to the Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer...In the note Turkey will be reminded of her legal rights and obligations under the 1960 agreement,and will be requested not to overstep her legal rights under the Guarantee agreement...Turkey will further be asked to stop dictating/commanding to the TCs and their organisations,and move their relationship to one of mutual respect...Though TAlat's party CTP is not taking part in this protest,perhaps this is a new beginning in Turkey/Trnc relations....Perhaps finally the people have had enough of being treated as second class citizens in their own country....But i will not hold my breath....

[Pyrpolizer]

I consider this poll equally wrong as the other one. All cypriots own all Cyprus, jointly and individually. Turkey and Greece own nothing.

Regardless, everybody knows Turkey proved a bigger headache than what Greece was in the past and I really don't know how it would ever be possible for the Tcs to get liberated from them, when the Turkish military is actually dictating the solution.

[Kifeas]

The latest on this issue as reported in Afrika on the online edition dated 15.6.07:

The BMBP (This Country is ours Platform) with the support of 3 other TC political parties (TDP,YKP and BKP) was presenting a protest note to the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia addressed to the Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer...In the note Turkey will be reminded of her legal rights and obligations under the 1960 agreement,and will be requested not to overstep her legal rights under the Guarantee agreement...Turkey will further be asked to stop dictating/commanding to the TCs and their organisations,and move their relationship to one of mutual respect...Though TAlat's party CTP is not taking part in this protest,perhaps this is a new beginning in Turkey/Trnc relations....Perhaps finally the people have had enough of being treated as second class citizens in their own country....But i will not hold my breath....

Out of curiosity Bir, what are Turkey's legal rights under the Guarantee "agreement?"

[Kikapu]

The latest on this issue as reported in Afrika on the online edition dated 15.6.07:

The BMBP (This Country is ours Platform) with the support of 3 other TC political parties (TDP,YKP and BKP) was presenting a protest note to the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia addressed to the Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer...In the note Turkey will be reminded of her legal rights and obligations under the 1960 agreement,and will be requested not to overstep her legal rights under the Guarantee agreement...Turkey will further be asked to stop dictating/commanding to the TCs and their organisations,and move their relationship to one of mutual respect...Though TAlat's party CTP is not taking part in this protest,perhaps this is a new beginning in Turkey/Trnc relations....Perhaps finally the people have had enough of being treated as second class citizens in their own country....But i will not hold my breath....

I'm really confused by the above statement of all these people going down to the Turkish Embassy, in a illegal State formed by the Turkey and many TC's being an active participants in this venture, which was not in any of the articles of the 1960 Constitution, and now the TC's want to invoke the 1960 Constitution to tell Turkey to mind it's own business. I thought the TC's no longer care about the 1960 Constitution, or else they would not be wanting a Partition, or ignoring property rights of all Cypriots.

I think this is some kind of a joke, just to show the world, that the TC's can speak their minds and that they really run their own affairs. It kind of brought back memories as to what my cousins husband said to me, and that was, "we tell the rest of the world what they want to hear". Is this more of the same, or what.? The other day I made some comparison to an Occupying Power and those who are being Occupied and a Pimp and a Prostitute. The day that the Pimp does what the Prostitute tells him to do, is the day I will believe what the "TRNC" is telling Turkey what to do.

[BirKibrisli]

The latest on this issue as reported in Afrika on the online edition dated 15.6.07:

The BMBP (This Country is ours Platform) with the support of 3 other TC political parties (TDP,YKP and BKP) was presenting a protest note to the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia addressed to the Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer...In the note Turkey will be reminded of her legal rights and obligations under the 1960 agreement,and will be requested not to overstep her legal rights under the Guarantee agreement...Turkey will further be asked to stop dictating/commanding to the TCs and their organisations,and move their relationship to one of mutual respect...Though TAlat's party CTP is not taking part in this protest,perhaps this is a new beginning in Turkey/Trnc relations....Perhaps finally the people have had enough of being treated as second class citizens in their own country....But i will not hold my breath....

Out of curiosity Bir, what are Turkey's legal rights under the Guarantee "agreement?"

Well,that guarantee agreement (or whatever it was signed by GCs,TCs,Greece,Turkey,and Britain back in 1959 or 60) gave Turkey the right to intervene and protect the sovereignty of the ROC if and when it was threatened ...We all know that it was this clause that Ecevit evoked in 1974 to land troops on Cyprus...That he did nothing to restore the legitimacy of the RoC,and went on to divide the island is there for all to see...What you are questioning i suppose is "what is it exactly these people are reminding Turkey?" .I am not sure about that,not till we see the protest letter in full...But what raised my hopes a bit is that this is the first time since CTP and Talat came to power that a NGO is standing up openly to an action imposed by Turkey...We need to acknowledge and encourage this kind of action,which indicates that not all of the TC will and determination has been crushed over the long years under Turkish protectorate/rule...

[BirKibrisli]

The latest on this issue as reported in Afrika on the online edition dated 15.6.07:

The BMBP (This Country is ours Platform) with the support of 3 other TC political parties (TDP,YKP and BKP) was presenting a protest note to the Turkish Embassy in Nicosia addressed to the Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer...In the note Turkey will be reminded of her legal rights and obligations under the 1960 agreement,and will be requested not to overstep her legal rights under the Guarantee agreement...Turkey will further be asked to stop dictating/commanding to the TCs and their organisations,and move their relationship to one of mutual respect...Though TAlat's party CTP is not taking part in this protest,perhaps this is a new beginning in Turkey/Trnc relations....Perhaps finally the people have had enough of being treated as second class citizens in their own country....But i will not hold my breath....

I'm really confused by the above statement of all these people going down to the Turkish Embassy, in a illegal State formed by the Turkey and many TC's being an active participants in this venture, which was not in any of the articles of the 1960 Constitution, and now the TC's want to invoke the 1960 Constitution to tell Turkey to mind it's own business. I thought the TC's no longer care about the 1960 Constitution, or else they would not be wanting a Partition, or ignoring property rights of all Cypriots.

I think this is some kind of a joke, just to show the world, that the TC's can speak their minds and that they really run their own affairs. It kind of brought back memories as to what my cousins husband said to me, and that was, "we tell the rest of the world what they want to hear". Is this more of the same, or what.? The other day I made some comparison to an Occupying Power and those who are being Occupied and a Pimp and a Prostitute. The day that the Pimp does what the Prostitute tells him to do, is the day I will believe what the "TRNC" is telling Turkey what to do.

I can't be sure about this,Kikapu,but I feel this is a significant move,a sign that not all TC resistance and integrity has been crushed by the events since the referendum and rise of CTP and Talat to power....I checked the Afrika website (www.afrikagazetesi.com) just now and they are reporting a further development...The BMBP organisation (which were largely responsible for civil unrest which brought Talat to power) has had a meeting with Talat about this issue....At that meeting Talat disappointed everyone by assuming the role of President very much like Denktash used to...Talat reportedly told the BMBP people they need to address their protest to the Turkish head of Military Staff (Genelkurmay)...He was challenged that this meant Trnc is under occupation by Turkey and he (Talat ) is admitting it openly...Talat refused to accept that implication and challenged them to get out and declare it to the world if they liked...

What I found remarkable about this is that people are finally challenging Talat and his role in prolonging the status quo...I agree it is a long way off from the Prostitute telling his/her Pimp to go jump,but perhaps some of those who are living off the earnings of the prostitute are starting to question the relationship finally....A small step for a prostitute perhaps...but a large step for prostitutes dependents,shall we say????

[humanist]

Good afternoon Birkibrisli, sadly to say I don't think the people are realising anything though, just the other day direct telecast from a Cypriot Television station showed a March in the middle of Morphou from Turkish speaking protesters under the banner of Grey Wolves making statements such as, "Cyprus is Turkish" and "We are Turks and this is our country" as well as other coments indicating that people want partition and a closer relationship to Turkey. I watched it myself. I ahappened to be at my parents who have Cypriot TV access.

I also would like to coment that Talat has never in his speeches and interviews with the press indicates that he wants or at least advocating for unification.

Perhaps as a greek speaking Cypriot I have no right to make the following statement but I really do believe that Turkish speaking Cypriots would be better off in the RoC as it currently stands than the deal they have now, or even with closer allegiance to Turkey. It would be best to revert to 1960 constitution and lookat ways to improve that to ensure for the long standing concerns of personal safety.

Under a European Cyprus I doubt it very much that economically or socially the Turkish speaking community would be worse off than any other Cypriot.

What I would find helpful for my own education is to get a number of Turkish speaking Cypriots currently residing in the south.

regards
H

[BirKibrisli]

As you know,dear humanist,i also favour a return to the 1960 constitution now,with the understanding that we will work to make it more democratic and less ethnic based....From the looks of things we will never agree on anything,and hence are condemned to live with the status quo,till another round of hot conflict vomits more pain and suffering for Cypriots...

But that is not how most people see it,and some TCs are resigned to be assimilated into the Turkish culture and identity,while others are happy to profit from the relatively priviledged position they find thmselves vis a vis the settlers,turning a blind eye to the longterm problem of cultural annihilation....Nationalism and chauvinism is on the rise in Turkey and the Trnc,as a result of the increased PKK attacks on Turkish soldiers plus the coming general elections in Turkey....We are entering a dangerous period in Cyprus,and now that Talat has proven himself to be another Denktash with a smile,i hold no hopes for any settlement in the forseeable future....