Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 04-09-09

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Central Bank Reduces interest rate by 2-4 points.

[02] Erdogan says reduction in interest rates to effect economy positively.

[03] Families of Turkish settlers occupy "state" buildings without asking anyone.

[04] The presence of the Turkish occupation army on the island continues to cause problems to all Cypriots.

[05] The number of the tourists who visited the occupied area increased 25%-Positive expectations as regards many factors of economy by the occupation regime.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] "The threat of marginalization in the JDP (Justice and Development Party".

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Turkish Central Bank Reduces interest rate by 2-4 points

A statement of Central Bank said a decision was taken to reduce short-term rate of interests, implemented in Interbank Monetary Market and Istanbul Stock Exchange Repo-Reverse Repo Market.

The decision takes the overnight borrowing rate to 20 pct from 22 pct and the overnight lending rate to 24 percent from 27 percent, the bank said in the statement.

The Central Bank said overnight lending rate in Interbank Monetary Market was reduced from 32 pct to 28 pct. Rate of interest in borrowing, which was 5 pct, did not change.

[02] Erdogan says reduction in interest rates to effect economy positively

Erdogan replied questions of reporters after the meeting of Supreme Board of Science and Technology yesterday.

When asked his assessment about the reduction in interest rates, Erdogan said, ''we were expecting this.'' He added, ''Central Bank, as an autonomous and free body, considered appropriate to take such a measure. This will affect the economy positively.''

[03] Families of Turkish settlers occupy "state" buildings without asking anyone

The paper notes that the two families, with nine children, refused to abandon the building in spite of the efforts exerted towards this direction by the so-called police and the "mayor" of the occupied part of Nicosia.

The families threatened the authorities of the occupation regime that they would burn down the building in case they were thrown out by force.

In statements to KIBRIS regarding the reasons of the occupation of the building, Fatma Koc said on behalf of the families: "Let them find us a house and we shall abandon (this building). Turkey with its 72 provinces feeds this place. Will this place not feed us?"

The families from Adana entered into the building after breaking its back door, writes KIBRIS noting that the picture created there caused the reaction of the Turkish Cypriot tradesmen of the region.

[04] The presence of the Turkish occupation army on the island continues to cause problems to all Cypriots

"In the side of the line drawn with green paint and we call 'our side' and not 'the other side', there are people who go to their homes after passing form barricades, who are subjected to body search in order to be able to go to their pens and receive guests to their houses after (the quests) are subjected to control", notes YENI DUZEN's journalist Sevdiye Gokaydin who describes her visit to Louroudjina and what people living there told her.

A villager named Mustafa Barbaros told Mrs Gokaydin that the day before, while going to his sheepfold, Turkish soldiers ordered him to stop and open his car trunk. "After the roads opened they put a barricade at the place my pen is. Now I am even going to my animals by showing identity card", he said and added: "Everybody is enclaved for 30 years, but we here are enclaved since 1960".

Another inhabitant of Louroudjina named Yusuf Toz said that the soldiers of the occupation army even put a mirror under the car of the inhabitants of Louroudjina when they control them upon their entrance into the village.

[05] The number of the tourists who visited the occupied area increased 25%-Positive expectations as regards many factors of economy by the occupation regime

Mr Deniz stated that there is a need for better marketing in the occupied areas as regards the area of tourism, noting that the Cyprus Republic is doing better than the occupation regime and that they can be improved. He said that according to the data given by the so-called State Planning Organization, the development of the Gross National Product which was expected to be 7% at the beginning of the year will appear to reach 9% and noted that these figures show that the economy is progressive well.

Speaking about expectations as regards other factors of the economy he said that until the end of the year they expect the development of these factors. He said that they expect that there will be an increase of 8% in free occupations and services, 20% in wholesale and retail trade, 28% in tourism, 8% in transportation and communication, 8% in constructions, 7% in industry and 5% in economy institutions.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[06] "The threat of marginalizaiton in the JDP (Justice and Development Party"

I am not surprised, because when you look at the general performance of the JDP [Justice and Development Party], I had guessed from the beginning that its "performance" would shift to these types of subjects.

When the government came to power, it found a good conjuncture. It started to obtain the results of the economic program prepared during the period of the previous government. Inflation and interest rates entered into a falling trend. The government continued to implement the program, even if it was reluctant in the beginning and the economic indicators started to give positive signals for the future of Turkey.

But the following is also a fact: The unemployment problem has grown and continues to preserve its existence. The improvement in the economic indicators has not yet been reflected to the people.

The tradesmen are unhappy and they are continuing their complaints in the same manner, especially the industrialists and merchants, who are trying to engage in activities in Anatolia with limited capital resources.

It has still not been possible to take to account those who siphoned money from the banks. Those who robbed and emptied out the banks are continuing to live their former pleasant lives. The money stolen by the bank robbers could not be collected.

The privatization activities, on which great importance was placed, have come to a halt.

On top of all of these, it is also necessary to add to the account the incompetence of the `rapid train�, which took the lives of many of our citizens.

Subtitle: Only a reason for divorce

The government, despite the fact that it is in power on its own, could not provide a noteworthy advance on any of these important subjects. It was unavoidable that it would end up bringing these types of subjects, which also have ideological foundations, onto the agenda.

The JDP thinks that these types of initiatives would be able to eliminate the disappointment of the masses, which tied their hopes to the JDP and that the extensive masses could be satisfied with these types of legislation.

The Constitutional Court, with two separate judgments, first in 1996 and later in 1998, removed from our penal codes the decrees `related to adultery being a crime�.

That is, for approximately eight years, `adultery� has not been a crime in Turkey. It is only a `reason for divorce�.

Do we have any data showing that the incidents of adultery have increased only for this reason in the past eight years? Or which public opinion poll showed that "considering adultery to be a crime" is the most important problem of the Turkish people?

Subtitle: To turn into a `Secondary Road�

I had written after the elections that the JDP was at an important turning point. I was thinking the following: If the JDP would solve the problems of extensive masses of people, if it would provide for economic relief, and if it could fight corruptions, which corrode the society and create feelings of rebellion in the people, then it would be transformed into a political party at the center and it would preserve the attribute of being the largest party of Turkey for many years.

If the JDP government could not succeed in doing this, then it would orient itself to finding success in "marginal" policies, which could make a small group, which it considers as its own grassroots, happy. As a result of this, it would become a marginal political party.

It appears that the JDP, also with the influence of some radical elements within its administration, is orienting towards the secondary road.

And this is the reason why it brought up the `imam-hatip high school� disputes for no reason at all and this is also the reason why it is trying at the last moment to put articles of the type, `adultery should be considered a crime� into the TCK.

Perhaps the JDP administration can satisfy some radical elements in its grassroots with this policy, but it could not succeed in becoming a political party, which addresses the `conservative� majority of Turkey".

/SK

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