Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-12-19

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] The assembly is expected to approve the amended draft-law regarding the occupied Greek Cypriot properties; Turkish Cypriot press worries for a blow on the tourism in the occupied part of Cyprus.

[02] HURRIYET reveals that the defence of the ORAMS who built a house in occupied Greek Cypriot property was agreed in Istanbul last May.

[03] The self-styled Kyrenia municipality asks for international tenders for the building of a sewage refinery in the occupied town.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[04] The orams case.

[A] NEWSITEMS

[01] The assembly is expected to approve the amended draft-law regarding the occupied Greek Cypriot properties; Turkish Cypriot press worries for a blow on the tourism in the occupied part of Cyprus

According to the paper, the draft-law is expected to be approved by the assembly with the votes of the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) (23 MPs) and Democratic Party (DP) (7 MPs), the two coalition partners in the government. The main opposition National Unity Party (UBP) (17 MPs) and the Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) (1 MP) have stated that they will vote against the law.

KIBRIS notes that the most important amendment made in the draft-law by the parliamentary committee is the fact that the Greek Cypriot properties distributed as an equivalent for properties abandoned by the Turkish Cypriots in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus are not included in this law. In this situation, the above-mentioned Greek Cypriot properties will not be included in those to be returned even after a solution to the Cyprus problem is reached, adds KIBRIS.

Furthermore, a reference to the 1977-79 high level agreements was made with the amendments and the military installations, which are mentioned in the paragraph (c) of article 159 of the constitution, are excluded from the draft-law and the property which could be returned. With the amendments, the conditions which will be taken into consideration when the return of a property is evaluated have been expanded. They will be taking into consideration not only the development of a property, but also whether or not the occupation regime has built on it infrastructure, such as roads or installations for water and electricity.

According to the paper, 50 thousand donums (Tr. Note: A land measure of 1000 square meters) of the land which is currently under Turkish occupation could immediately be returned in case this is demanded. This is approximately 4 % of the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus, notes KIBRIS

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily VOLKAN newspaper (19.12.05) calls on the MPs of the DP not to vote in favour of the draft-law and to follow the example of their colleagues from the UBP.

The paper argues that in case the law is approved, the tourism of the Turkish Cypriot will receive a big blow. The paper notes that 186 out of 201 tourist installations in the occupied part of Cyprus are built on occupied Greek Cypriot land and 22 hotels were left by Greek Cypriots in 1974 during the Turkish invasion of the Island.

Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily GUNES newspaper (19.12.05) reports that the UBP is preparing to ask today for putting the draft-law in a referendum.

Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot daily KIBRIS newspaper (18.12.05) reports that the self-styled Prime Minister, Ferdi Sabit Soyer has said that the draft-law is necessary in order to stop procedures which will weaken the bi-zonality in Cyprus.

Addressing the 24th Regular General Assembly of the Turkish Cypriot Tourism and Travel Agents Association (KITSAB), Mr Soyer argued that while they are supporting the solution of the Cyprus problem, their basic foundation is making the proprietorship regime created after the 1974 Turkish invasion to have an international status.

Mr Soyer said that the interests of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots are common and added that if Turkey is in danger at an international court, the Turkish Cypriots are also in danger from the point of view of the bi-zonality becoming weaker. Mr Soyer noted that no one will be able to uproot the Turkish Cypriots from this land, and that the Turkish Cypriots will be unified with the world and become an equal partner of a United Republic of Cyprus, member of the European Union.

I/Ts.

[02] HURRIYET reveals that the defence of the ORAMS who built a house in occupied Greek Cypriot property was agreed in Istanbul last May

The mystery behind the visit that British Prime Minister Blair's wife Cherie Blair conducted to Istanbul in May 2005 has finally been resolved. It has been revealed that Cherie Blair is representing the British Orams couple who are being sued by the Greek Cypriots for owning property in the KKTC (occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus) and that she came to Istanbul in May in order to negotiate the proposal related to this case. Blair's secret has been successfully kept for a period of six months.

At first, "Cherie Booth" who was among the passengers of the British Airways' London-Istanbul flight on 23 May did not draw anyone's attention. Ms Booth was greeted by a Turkish officer working at the British General Consulate in Istanbul. This person was recorded as "the guest of the British General Consulate."

On the same day a summit was held at the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate regarding the Jerusalem patriarch and the Turkish media suddenly discovered that Cherie Blair was also attending the summit. It was never understood why British Prime Minister Blair's wife came to Istanbul and why she visited the Patriarchate.

Everyone knows that Ms Blair who is a leading human rights lawyer uses her maiden name "Booth" in her professional life. Given that she came to Turkey with this name, there was no doubt that this visit was related to a legal issue. Some people believed that the visit was related to the Jerusalem crisis, but the studies in this regard failed to achieve any results.

The mystery behind the visit conducted by "Cherie Booth" was finally resolved yesterday. Ms Blair had come to Turkey to negotiate the proposal about representing British citizens Linda and David Orams who are being sued by the Greek Cypriot Administration for living in a Greek Cypriot property in the KKTC. Blair held meetings with Hasan Vahip, the Orams' lawyer in Britain and with the team of Turkish lawyers. After holding long meetings with the lawyers for a period of three days and after studying the details of the case, Cherie Blair accepted to represent the British couple. Furthermore, she warned them against leaking her name to the press.

Subtitle: Our turn to surprise

Hasan Vahip, owner of the Vahip Law Office, who is the lawyer of the Orams couple in Britain and Gunes Mentes, who has been a lawyer for 36 years and who has been handling the case in Cyprus since the very beginning assert that the real struggle has just begun. Underlining that the Greek Cypriots aim to lead the political solution process to a deadlock and to further complicate it with their legal gains, Hasan Vahip and Gunes Mentes assert that this case is of vital importance in terms of both sides. Lawyer Gunes Mentes said the following:

"The Greek Cypriots always surprised us in this case. Even if the court rules in favor of Greek Cypriot Apostolidi in the suit that was filed in Lefkosa [Nicosia], the legal process continues in Cyprus. The Greek Cypriot side, on the other hand, has sent the implementation decision to London according to the EU regulation dated 2001 due to the fact that it is not able to implement the decision prior to the completion of this process. Now it is our turn to surprise the Greek Cypriots. The Greek Cypriots have hit a hard rock."

Subtitle: The defense fee is not high

The British press organs constantly criticize Cherie Blair, for "using her husband's influence as prime minister, for giving speeches when she accompanies her husband in his visits, and for charging high fees." Despite this, however, it was noted that Ms Blair's fee is not very high. Lawyer Hasan Vahip said: "We had met with Cherie Blair in the past and we had received her views regarding human rights. She is a very experienced lawyer and the truth is that she is a very modest person. When I told her about the Orams case she was very interested. She knows that this case will eventually constitute an example. The truth is that she did not think much. After all, the Orams are not wealthy. This case, however, is an interesting and complicated case that will be discussed on the international platforms. When Cherie Blair accepted to take the case and when we found out about her fee, we saw that it had nothing to do with the figures that were featured by the press."

Subtitle: The speculations about Liverpool

International news agencies had claimed that the surprise visit that Blair had paid to Istanbul and to the Patriarchate aimed at extending support to the Liverpool football team that played against Milan in Istanbul on 25 May within the framework of the Champions League.

[03] The self-styled Kyrenia municipality asks for international tenders for the building of a sewage refinery in the occupied town

The sewage refinery will be a modern one and it will be built according to the European standards writes KIBRIS.

Speaking to the newspaper the self-styled mayor of occupied Kyrenia Sumer Aygin stated that this project is a European project. It has been prepared by European experts, he stated. He also said that the first levels of the project will be financed by Turkey.

C/S

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[04] The orams case

The wife of Tony Blair, decided to be the defense lawyer of the British couple who built a house on a plot of land owned by a Greek Cypriot.

Together with her, six other lawyers will defend this case. Two of them are Hasan Vahip and his spouse

The other name is Hasan Vahip Law Office At a time Hasan Vahip was Labour Party�s responsible for local Council Education in his area. He was considered as the future Education Minister.

Following the forest fire on the Pendadaktylos range, London Revolutionaries Organization was forced to publish a declaration, because the TRNC officials had made a call to the Turkish Cypriots living in Britain and urged them to make money donations.

Hasan Vahip and his friends, moved against this call, and urged the people not to make a single cent donation to the TRNC administration.

I was the one who drafted this declaration.

The aim of this declaration was the concern that, instead of helping the needy people, the money was going to be used for other purposes.

Opposition to covering up of the wrong doings of the occupier with the money of people who work 16 hours in Britain, was expressed in the declaration as well.

They had reproduced the declaration and distributed it in London.

In the course of time many things has changed then The Republican Turkish Party, (CTP) became colorful It watered down its principles! Globalizm replaced the Internationalizm with a view to opening new exploitation fields to the capitalist, under the guise of privatization of state property were sold.

Hasan Vahip as well was affected from this change of wind. So much that he had decided to defend the Orams� with his Law Office in cooperation with Blair�s spouse.

To this effect the representatives of the women organizations of the RTP in the TRNC went to the British High Commission in Nicosia and handed over a letter to be given to Blair. After all Blair�s wife will make money from this case And Blair is the Prime Minister of Britain With their logic they will place the politics before the Justice.

After all isn�t Britain that defends illegality here in Cyprus?

As for Hasan Vahip, like some British, he and his immediate circle have erected buildings on the Greek Cypriot owned property

With the `Built-Sell� mentality like the others they made and continue to make profit.

While he was declaring that he does not have any financial expectations by defending the Orams� in fact his fear emanates from the fact that he wants to defend his circle�s investments here on the Greek Cypriot property.

Because Orams� case is their case.

(MHY)

/SK

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article