Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 06-08-11

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Soyer criticizes Mr Moller.

[02] More on the Turkish Cypriot properties in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

[03] Antiquities were found in two cars.

[04] Meetings under Moller adjourned for a month.

[05] Two Pakistanis were arrested by the so-called police for entering a restricted military region in the occupied areas.

[06] The OIC Parliamentary Union Meeting slated for 13-14 August in Damascus has been postponed.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Columnist in RADIKAL argues that the new military appointments by the Supreme Military Council were based on the assessment that serious problems and uncertainties lie ahead for Turkey.

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Soyer criticizes Mr Moller

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) has accused Michael Moller, the UN Secretary-General's special envoy in Cyprus, of having a pro-Greek Cypriot attitude and of failing to meet with Turkish Cypriot `officials�.

KKTC Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer pointed out that Moller did not come to the Turkish Cypriot side even once ever since he arrived on duty in Cyprus, and that he did not meet with any `officials� or civilians on this side of the island.

Prime Minister Soyer stressed that most of Moller's time is spent in the Greek Cypriot side, noting that this causes concern among the Turkish Cypriots. Because of that, Soyer added, we have started to see Moller as a Greek Cypriot and not as a UN representative.

Earlier, Ankara had refused to make an appointment with Moller because of his pro-Greek Cypriot stand.

On Mr Soyers statement, illegal BAYRAK television (10.08.06) broadcast the following:

Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer has criticized the United Nations Secretary Generals Special Representative to Cyprus Michael Mollers distant stance towards the Turkish Cypriot side. In a statement he made to the BRT newsroom, Mr Soyer said he had warned Mr Moller about his suspicious behavior towards the Turkish Cypriot `people�.

Mr. Moller has not met with any non-governmental organizations from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, political party representatives or media representatives since his duty began on the island, he added.

Noting that the UN special representative spends all his time in South Cyprus, the Prime Minister criticized Mr. Moller for displaying an attitude that does not accept the existence of the Turkish Cypriot `people�.

Reminding that the UN Special Representative plays a very important role towards a solution of the Cyprus issue, Prime Minister Soyer said that Mr. Mollers role is to mediate between the two sides.

Stressing that Mr Mollers duty on the island was to contribute in a positive way to the atmosphere in Cyprus, push forward the process on the island, help establish common values between the two sides to end the non-solution of the Cyprus problem among other things, Mr. Soyer said that the UN special Representative had displayed a behaviour that did not fit with his duties on the island.

Drawing attention to the mediating positions of former UN representatives for Cyprus- Gustave Feissel and Alvaro de Soto, Prime Minister Soyer stated that Michael Moller had a differing position when compared to them.

Mr. Soyer said the Greek Cypriot Side could express views on the UNs position on the island regarding a solution to the Cyprus problem, but added that it was interesting that a representative did not to stand by the UNs position being present on the island since 1975.

Prime Minister Soyer accused the current UN representative of acting unilaterally in favour of the Greek Cypriot Side and asked the question How can a representative help promote a solution to the Cyprus problem without having any contacts with the Turkish Cypriot `People�?

Finally, he emphasized the need for Mr. Moller to recognize the existence of the Turkish Cypriot People on the island and change his attitude.

Mr Moller must have contacts with the Turkish Cypriot People like the former UN representatives did, otherwise suspicion over his position will persist he said.

In addition the daily Turkish Cypriot newspapers report today (11.08.06) about Soyers statements as follows:

Under the title Soyer: The UN representative does not accept our existence HALKIN SESI writes in its front page that Mr Soyer stated that Mr Moller has exhibited a behaviour which shows that he does not accept the existences of the Turkish Cypriots.

CUMHURIYET under the title Moller supports the Greek Cypriots writes that the prime minister Soyer has warned for ultimatum the United Nations.

YENI DUZEN reports about the issue in its first page under the title The Turkish Cypriots see Moller with suspicion.

[02] More on the Turkish Cypriot properties in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus

(Tr. Note: See Turkish Mass Media Bulletin, No. 150/06, date 05-07/08/2006, item 5 for a related report)

[03] Antiquities were found in two cars

(MHY)

[04] Meetings under Moller adjourned for a month

(MHY)

[05] Two Pakistanis were arrested by the so-called police for entering a restricted military region in the occupied areas

[06] The OIC Parliamentary Union Meeting slated for 13-14 August in Damascus has been postponed

The extraordinary meeting of Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Parliamentary Union, which was planned to be held in Damascus between August 13th and 14th, was postponed, stated Parliament Speaker's Office on Thursday.

The meeting was postponed to a further date upon demand by Nabih Berri, speaker of Lebanese Parliament.

The recent Israeli attacks on Palestine and Lebanon would be high on the agenda of the extraordinary meeting.

OIC Parliamentary Union has 47 members.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[07] Columnist in RADIKAL argues that the new military appointments by the Supreme Military Council were based on the assessment that serious problems and uncertainties lie ahead for Turkey

The results of the Supreme Military Council (YAS) meetings were announced. The appointment of Deputy Chief of the General Staff Gen Isik Kosaner as General Commander of the Gendarmerie was sufficient to attract the attention of interested parties immediately. Some believe that this appointment, which is considered a surprise, is a consequence of Kosaner's background as a special warfare officer and signals a change in the nature of the war against the PKK.

There is some element of truth in this argument, but it is also possible to attribute Kosaner's appointment as the top officer of the Gendarmerie to a broader picture and strategic choice that goes beyond reinforcing a security approach that is solely focused on the PKK.

One may assume that this choice was made primarily and jointly by Chief of the General Staff Gen Hilmi Ozkok and Land Forces Commander Gen Yasar Buyukanit who will succeed Ozkok on 30 August. Kosaner is an officer whom Ozkok trusts sufficiently to let him oversee his headquarters as deputy chief. Also, Buyukanit, Kosaner, and Gen Ilker Basbug, who was appointed Commander of Land Forces after having served as Commander of the 1st Army, are all officers with whom Ozkok worked as deputy chiefs to whom he could entrust his headquarters. Now the headquarters of the General Staff will be entrusted to Gen Ergin Saygun, who was Buyukanit's chief of staff at the Land Forces Command. Saygun, in turn, has been replaced by Gen Atila Isik, who served as Secretary General of the General Staff when Buyukanit was chief of operations and who was recently Undersecretary of the Ministry of National Defense, meaning that he was entrusted with the headquarters of the ministry.

Indeed one can count Saygun as the fourth member of the Buyukanit-Basbug-Kosaner team that was formed following this YAS meeting, and Isik as a member whose career path has opened up.

The officers in the newly formed command chain share other characteristics also. For example, Buyukanit, Basbug, and Kosaner all served as NATO intelligence officers in their careers. Buyukanit and Basbug graduated from the War College in 1961 and 1962, respectively. Consequently they may be considered members of the 27 May generation. Kosaner, Saygun, and Isik graduated from the War College in 1965 and 1966, the first years in which the college resumed producing graduates after it stopped doing so in 1963 and 1964 in the aftermath of the Talat Aydemir incidents. In other words these officers were at the War College during those turbulent years in Turkey's history. Buyukanit and Kosaner later served as commanders of the War College.

When Gen Sukur Sariisik, who has been appointed Commander of the Aegean Army, served as Secretary General of the National Security Council [MGK], Basbug and Gen Fethi Tuncel, who has been promoted from Commander of the Aegean Army to Commander of the 1st Army, served as deputy secretary generals of the MGK. Like Tuncel, Gen Hasan Igsiz, who has been appointed Commander of the 2nd Army after playing important roles in the control of the Syrian, Iraqi, and Iranian borders and the war against the PKK; and Gen Orhan Yoney, who has been appointed to head the Training and Doctrine Command [of the General Staff], are officers who have served in senior positions in NATO. Saygun has also served in important positions in NATO. Isik represented Turkey in the United States and Britain. Kosaner and Sariisik are specialized in Cyprus missions. All of them have served in the war against the PKK at some points in their careers.

In sum it can be said that the August 2006 YAS meeting has formed within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) a more homogeneous command chain whose members have had close personal relations in the past and who know each other and their headquarters well.

The emergence of this most homogeneous command structure in the TSK's recent past is fundamentally based on the assessment that Turkey faces serious problems and uncertainties ahead. The TSK is preparing its structure for these probable developments. In other words it is fortifying the walls. These developments can be enumerated as follows: the growing threat from the PKK and the use of Iraqi territory for PKK attacks; the escalating fighting in Iraq that is giving signs of turning into a civil war; periodically strained relations with the United States; a rise in tensions in the Middle East following Israeli military campaigns into Palestine and Lebanon; the start of a debate on whether Turkey should send troops to the region; the potential emergence of new problems with the EU over Cyprus; and a possible change in EU balances following presidential elections in France in May 2007. Difficult days lie ahead.

One might also point out that President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will turn over Cankaya to Turkey's 11th president in May 2007. The General Staff earlier disclosed that it was Deputy Chief of Staff Kosaner who expressed during a conversation with us the view that the new president must not violate the basic principles of the constitution, especially secularism, and that otherwise the military would be seriously perturbed.

By doing this Ozkok was in one sense saying that these remarks were made by a commander who is authorized to speak on his behalf. The decisions announced yesterday bring forward Kosaner's membership in the MGK by two years. This is because only force commanders--and not army commanders--can be members of the MGK. Thus Buyukanit will go to the next meeting of the MGK--where he served for two years--accompanied by the two new members of his team, Basbug and Kosaner.

The new government that will be formed following the elections of November 2007 will work with this team and its continuation which is already taking shape today.

The military has shown that it has settled its internal affairs and that it is prepared for future developments.

/SK

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