Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot Press and Other Media, 01-04-27

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

[B] TOY����A �A� T����������A�A �.�.�. TURKISH CYPRIOT PRESS AND OTHER

No. 79/01 -- 27.4.01

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Cyprus problem among the issues discussed during the monthly meeting of the National Security Council

[02] The Turkish State Minister for Economy stated that financial aid to Turkey is not related to Cyprus

[03] National Unity Party attacks the Turkish Cypriot opposition for ignoring the interests of the Turkish nation.

[04] US Investors are negotiating the purchase of the Turkish Cypriot ``Cyprus Credit Bank''

[05] The Turkish Cypriot Press on Tsiakourmas case

[06] The Turkish Minister of Justice is having contacts in the occupied areas

[07] Turkish Foreign Ministry official stated the negotiation process for Cyprus will continue

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

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[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Cypriot columnist believes that Tsiakourmas was innocent

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The Cyprus problem among the issues discussed during the monthly meeting of the National Security Council

- Would you be able to solve the problems of the agricultural sector? - The first shock caused by the economic crisis is now over. Would the measures to be taken from now on create a reaction in the people?

- Are you confronted with political conditions, particularly on Cyprus and the European Security and Defense Identity, in your talks on foreign aid?

- What is the procedure required for foreign aid?

Dervis asserted that the main expectation of the IMF and other international financing institutions is the appropriate implementation of the economic programme. He said: "We can solve our economic problems in a short period if we do not encounter a serious natural disaster, such as an earthquake. We will overcome the crisis if we can comply with the programme." Dervis drew attention to the messages the Western countries conveyed to Turkey to support the programme.

Meanwhile, the military officials asked the Government when the bills that were included in Dervis' programme would be legislated. Deputy Prime Minister Husamettin Ozkan said: "Our Government is determined to enact the laws that the programme calls for."

Dervis stayed in the NSC meeting for nearly 2.5 hours. In addition to him, Treasury Under Secretary Faik Oztrak and Central Bank Chairman Sureyya Serdengecti participated in the convocation. Contrary to expectations, Oztrak and Serdengecti briefed the members of the Council on the programme. Dervis replied to questions.

The Turkish Armed Forces' plan to effect cuts in spending for some projects was also discussed during the meeting. Expressing concern over the projects that are already underway, the military officials said: "The projects that are underway have been financed by the Defense Industry Fund. The Fund's accounts are in Turkish Lira. Payments are effected in dollars. The Fund lost almost 50 percent of the value of its money because of the crisis. We might encounter problems in the effort we make to finance the projects that are underway."

[02] The Turkish State Minister for Economy stated that financial aid to Turkey is not related to Cyprus

In reply to a question on the issue of making concessions in return for external financial aid, Dervis said: ``Of course, it is the right of those institutions providing loans to ask what we will do with this money and we have to answer these questions in detail. However, I have definitely not allowed and will not allow any questions to be posed on our defense and foreign policies, which have nothing to do with the aid, and the Cyprus and Europe issues''. Dervis then noted that ``measures were taken beforehand against the possibility of having these issues raised during the talks. In my opinion, these issues should be kept separate''.

[03] National Unity Party attacks the Turkish Cypriot opposition for ignoring the interests of the Turkish nation.

Through the statement NUP attacks the Turkish Cypriot opposition as well as Greece and Cyprus for their reaction to the open threats against Cyprus by the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr Ismail Cem, during his latest illegal visit to occupied Cyprus.

The NUP statement said:

``The reactions of the Greek Cypriot-Greek pair and of domestic circles, which constitute a small minority advocate similar views against Cem's statements are totally wrong. These reactions are merely tantamount to avoiding to see the realities, to being deficient of the ability to consider the existence and interests of the Turkish Cypriots and to ignoring the interests of the Turkish nation''.

The NUP expresses support for the statements made by Ismail Cem and adds:

``The Turkish Cypriots, who are proud of being an inseparable part of the Turkish nation, are capable of teaching the internal and external forces who engage in erroneous calculation the necessary lesson''.

Alleging that the Greek Cypriot-Greek pair, which is playing with fire, is continuing its adventurist attitude in Cyprus, the NUP statement remarked that the Toxotis-Vergina exercises were conducted in Crete, Phodes, and south Cyprus within the framework of the Greek Cypriot-Greek joint defense doctrine. The NUP is closely following these developments and the relations between the Greek Cypriot-Greek pair, the statement said, adding that the ulterior motives of the Greek Cypriot-Greek pair's desire to accede to the EU are clearly noted.

[04] US Investors are negotiating the purchase of the Turkish Cypriot ``Cyprus Credit Bank''

The representative of the U.S. investing group, Mr Ralph Estep, yesterday organized a joint press conference in occupied Nicosia, with the biggest shareholder of Kibris Kredi Bankasi Mr. Salih Boyaci.

The general secretary of Bank Depositors' Association, who were victims of the Bank crisis last summer, lawyer Ali Riza Gorgun, said that the offer of the US investors is a reality and that it has also been exmined from the ``legal'' point view and there are no obstacles.

However, final dicision will be made by the pseudo-government which is considering the pulic interest, he added.

On his part, Ralph Estep said that he was invited by Sertar Denktash of DP through Mr Michael Francis, who is also a businessman of the same group. Explaining that after visiting the occupied areas three times and carrying out research Ralph Estep said that they have reached the conclusion that here is a suitable environment for their groub to invest. They have submitted their offer to the pseudo-government but they have not taken any reply yet.

He went on: ``The basic aim of our current visit, which is the fourth, is to obtain an agreement with your government on ``Kibris Kredi Bankasi issue. We are ready to offer 50 million dollars''.

The Turkish Cypriot bussinesman Salih Boyaci said that the so-called Economy and Finance Ministry has pretented to be unaware of the offer, but in his oppinion it was a very important opportunity.

[05] The Turkish Cypriot Press on Tsiakourmas case

KIBRIS: Tsiakourmas:First he cried then he laughed.

ORTAM: Tsiakourmas In his House.

BIRLIK: Tsiakourmas Set Free.

YENIDUZEN: Tsiakourmas is Free.

YENI DEMOKRAT: They Treated me Well in The TRNC.

VATAN: Guilty But Free.

HALKIN SESI: ...And Tsiakourmas Is Free.

KIBRISLI: Tsiakourmas was sentenced to Six Months' Imprisontment.

AVRUPA: NIGHTMARE IS OVER

In their reports the majority of the papers, use news compiled by the illegal ``TAK'' agency, in which emphasis is given to the so-called court's announcement that Tsiakourmas was found quilty and sentenced to six months but considering his good conduct and the time he was in custody (4.5 months) he was set free.

The report stresses Tsiakourmas's statement that while he was in custody, ``Prison warders'', Prisoners and Turkish Cypriot visitors in general treated him well and he thanked them all.

The report also mentions Tsiakourmas's statement when upon learning the news that his ailing mother died hours before he was freed said: ``My mohter died in order to give life to his son''

Those papers which believe and continue to believe (YENIDUZEN-AURUPA-YENI CAG) that Tsiakourmas was innocent are careful in their reporting, to criticize the so-called court decision, because they claim that criticising a court verdict is a ``punishable act'' under so-called ``TRNC Constitution''.

However, articles in ``AURUPA'' seriously question whether Panicos Tsiakourmas was guilty. The main editorial in AURUPA, in ``Letter From Avrupa'' column, praises Tsiakourmas's personal qualities who crossing into the free areas declaned that ``one should not consider all the Turkish Cypriots bad and thanked his Turkish Cypriot friends''.

[06] The Turkish Minister of Justice is having contacts in the occupied areas

During the meetings, Hikmet Sami Turk re-iterated Turkey's policy on the Cyprus problem and that Turkey extends its full support to the pseudostate.

[07] Turkish Foreign Ministry official stated the negotiation process for Cyprus will continue

Talking in Brussels after a meeting with the Political Directors of the 15 EU member states, Mr. Logoglu said that everybody should put an effort towards finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, noting that ``it is not right to expect everything form Turkey or from the Secretary - General''. He also expressed the view that at the meeting he expressed the view that it is very important that the guarantor countries begin to act being aware of their responsibilities.

The Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister claimed that the EU has taken a number of wrong decisions on Cyprus, without making any proposals until now. Mr. Logoglu added the following:

``For the EU and the other circles which are interested the important thing is the solution. The type of the solution is not something on which the third parties will decide. There must be no preconditions such as that the solution should be based on the UN decisions or the Secretary - General's ideas. The solution will be the result of free negotiations conducted by the sides with their own free will. The important thing from the EU point of view is supporting the process of finding a solution''.

[B] COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS

[01] Turkish Cypriot columnist believes that Tsiakourmas was innocent

In his regular column Mr. Karaman writes, among other things, the following:

``In the end another decision which we did not wish at all, but we have expected, was announced. Tsiakourmas was convicted. It is a rule in the TRNC: It is forbidden to criticise decisions which the court has taken based on the law. The same is valid for the trials which are continuing. Courts take their decisions according to the evidences brought before them during the trial. It is true that the judges have the right of judicial discretion, but this does not mean that they can ignore the evidence. .''

Noting that in some cases the courts and their decisions cannot slip out of the framework of the state policy, Mr. Karaman adds that he would write his view about the Tsiakourmas case hoping not to ``be held responsible'' for doing this. After that he says:

``We claim that the state policy was one of the sides in the Tsiakourmas case. ...A Turk had been arrested in Pyla village for carrying drugs. He had been tried and convicted by a court in the south. The same thing was done in the north. Tsiakourmas, who was `arrested` (translator's note: the word `arrested` is used in inverted commas by the journalist) in Pyla, was also tried for drags and convicted. ...The Tsiakourmas case began and ended with the application of a `state policy!` . ...We are expressing our opinion: In the court of our conscience we found Tsiakourmas innocent from the beginning. We still believe he was innocent. The state policy in the TRNC is guilty. We believed that not even justice can be above this policy. At the end, when Tsiakourmas was found guilty we were proved right. ...''

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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