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Talat was booed in Istanbul; How the Turkish Cypriot and Turkish press cover the issue

Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (30.09.09) reports that when the airplane of the illegal Turkish Cypriot airlines (“KTHY”) delayed for 2.5 hours in Istanbul in order to wait for the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and his spouse, the passengers protested against Mr Talat, who was forced to come down the airplane. The airplane should have departed from Istanbul for the illegal Tymvou airport at 09.30 hours last night. After the pilot announced that they were waiting for “a VIP passenger”, the rest of the passengers started to protest. In the end the Talat couple did not travel with that airplane. A passenger, who did not want to reveal his name, told Kibris that the majority of the passengers were Turkish citizens.

Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (30.09.09) refers to the issue under the title “Talat was booed on an airplane of the KTHY”. The paper reports that officials of the illegal airlines stated that the delay had nothing to do with Mr Talat and that the reason for it was a technical problem. Some passengers reacted to the fact that Mr Talat was booed and stated that this was disrespect both to the “president” and the “Turkish Cypriot people”, writes Afrika, which also refers to news published in Turkish daily Hurriyet newspaper under the title “Big protest against Talat!” Hurriyet noted that one of the biggest problems in Turkey is the fact that roads are closed up and airplanes are forced to wait for “officials and influential persons”.

Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper (30.09.09) refers to the issue under the title “Interesting protest” and notes that the protest of the passengers was an important issue yesterday in the Turkish media.
Turkish Cypriot daily Ortam newspaper (30.09.09) refers to the issue under the title “Inexpressible mistake on a scheduled flight!”

Under the title “Tension for the delay”, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (30.09.09) reports that Hasan Ercakica, spokesperson of the Turkish Cypriot leader, stated that according to information they acquired from the “KTHY”, the reason for the delay was not Mr Talat.

Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (30.09.09) refers to the issue under the title “They got angry for the airplane which broke down and protested against Talat”.

Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper (30.09.09) refers to the issue under the title “They exploded for the ‘lie’”.

Furthermore, Turkish daily Hurriyet newspaper (30.09.09), in its front page under the title “Don’t dare to come and you will be booed”, reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and his wife Oya Talat, who arrived to Istanbul with one-hour delay with the Turkish Airlines, were transferred by the VIP officers to the plane of the illegal Cyprus Turkish Airlines, which had been waiting for them for one and a half hour. The passengers in the plane booed the Talat couple and forced them to get off the plane. Mr Talat said to the paper: “They told me that ‘the plane was waiting due to tyre problem’. It did not wait for me.”

The paper reports that it is believed that the reason of the protest is the pilot’s statement that they were waiting for Talat.

Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (30.09.09), in its front page under the title “A protest forced Talat to get off the plane”, reports that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, who delayed the plane in order to fly to the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus from Istanbul during his return from the United States, had to get off the plane when the passengers booed him. It is expected that Mr Talat will fly to the occupied areas this morning.
Turkish daily Milliyet newspaper (30.09.09) refers to the issue under the title “The protest that forced Talat to get off the plane”.
(I/Ts – DPs)