Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 10-06-22

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

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Pegasus Airlines is the new partner of the illegal KTHY; Turkeys Civil Aviation Directorate stopped the flights of KTHY as of last night

[02] Downer and Davutoglu met over a dinner in Ankara

[03] Self-styled parliament speaker will attend a meeting of the OICs Inter-Parliamentary Union in Damascus

[04] Illegal DAU will dismiss at least 100 academicians as of June 1st, 2010

[05] Security Council for measures against PKK attacks took place in Ankara

[06] Turkey and Kazakhstan to work on a joint action plan in political, diplomatic and economic measures

[07] Break record in 2009 for Turkish arms exports

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[08] From the Turkish Press of 21 June 2010

[A] NEWS ITEMS

[01] Pegasus Airlines is the new partner of the illegal KTHY; Turkeys Civil Aviation Directorate stopped the flights of KTHY as of last night

The self-styled minister of public works and transport, Hamza Ersan Saner confirmed that the flights of KTHY were postponed and added that they are working on a Plan B so that the passengers are not victimized.

Meanwhile, in front of these developments, the employees of KHTY and their trade union, Hava-Sen, went on strike at illegal Tymvou airport and in other places as of this morning at 04.30 hours. The reason of the strike is because Hava-Sen asked for a meeting with self-styled prime minister Irsen Kucuk in order to find out the content of the agreement with Pegasus and the situation of the employees, but until 23.00 hours last night received no reply. Mr Saner wondered who will benefit from the strike of a company, the flights of which have been postponed.

Mr Saner said that during the contacts they held last week in Turkey, the Turkish officials told them that absolutely nothing can be done any more for the continuation of the flights of the KTHY. Mr Saner said that the postponement of the flights will end, when they submit a program to the General Directorate of Turkeys Civil Aviation.

The paper writes that the agreement with Pegasus Airlines is expected to be signed today at 10.00 hours in the morning. The name of the new company will be New Turkish Cypriot Airlines.

Citing information acquired from reliable sources, the paper reports that Ali Sabanci, president of Pegasus Airlines Administrative Council, came to the occupied areas of Cyprus last Friday on his private jet and made a bargain on the issue of KTHY at the self-styled ministry of finance. Mr Sabanci changed the proposal he had made in the past for a partnership in which Pegasus Airlines would have 70% of the shares and KTHY 30%. The new proposal provided for a 50%-50% partnership and included some other improvements in comparison with the former proposal of Pegasus. After the return of Mr Sabanci to Turkey, the general director of Pegasus in the occupied areas of Cyprus, Zeki Ziya met with government officials at the self-styled ministry of finance and reached an agreement with them.

According to the agreement, 450 employees will continue to work in the KTHY and other 137 persons who work now in the company will be transferred to Cyprus Airport Service (CAS). The headquarters of KTHY in occupied Lefkosia will not be closed down, but the offices of the company in Turkey and Britain will not be operating any more. In spite of the fact that the KTHY acquired the rights to fly to Heathrow Airport twice in winter and three times in summer, these rights will be sold and the flights to Britain will be carried out to Stansted Airport.

Moreover, Kibris reports that Ejder Aslanbaba, self-styled independent MP, said yesterday that the most important reason for the problems in the illegal KTHY are the statements made by the self-styled minister of public works and transport, Hamza Ersan Saner and called on him to resign. Mr Aslanbaba noted that during his visit to London, he assessed the situation in the KTHY with Turkish Cypriots living there and added that these people want Mr Saner to resign. He said that because of statements made by Mr Saner many Turkish Cypriots living in London cancelled their reservations to fly with the KTHY. He alleged that the statements of Mr Saner dealt a blow to the sector of tourism in the occupied areas of Cyprus.

Meanwhile, referring to the same issue, Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (22.06.10) reports that the General Directorate of Turkeys Civil Aviation postponed the flights of the illegal KTHY for three months. The chairman of Hava-Sen trade union, Buran Atakan called on self-styled minister of transport Mr Saner to resign.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Downer and Davutoglu met over a dinner in Ankara

(EA)

[03] Self-styled parliament speaker will attend a meeting of the OICs Inter-Parliamentary Union in Damascus

(EA)

[04] Illegal DAU will dismiss at least 100 academicians as of June 1st, 2010

According to the paper, no agreement was reached during Mondays meeting held between the Union of DAUs Academic Personnel (DAU-SEN) and the so-called rector of the university, Prof. Abdullah Oztoprak, who issued a statement noting that at least 100 academicians will be dismissed from their office as of July 1st and after the holding of the academic elections.

Yesterday, members of DAU-SEN went on a strike, while the union issued a statement noting that it will continue to struggle until a just agreement is reached.

DAU-SEN is to meet today with the self-styled prime minister Irsen Kucuk, while later this day it will hold a meeting with its members for briefing them on the latest developments.

(ML)

[05] Security Council for measures against PKK attacks took place in Ankara

A security summit that convened on Monday in order to discuss the recently escalating acts of terror in Turkey envisaged additional short and medium-term measures to fight terrorism.

Terrorist organization PKK's recently increasing attacks targeting the military units in Turkey's southeast were on the agenda of a high-level security summit chaired by Turkish President Abdullah Gul and attended by numerous senior Turkish officials at the Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara. Releasing a statement after the summit, participants of the gathering said that additional short and medium-term measures should be taken in the light of the latest developments in Turkey.

In this context, it has been expressed during the summit that the structure of intelligence and personnel in the region should be reviewed, moreover, counter-terrorism activities carried out jointly with the neighboring and relevant countries should be intensified, the statement said.

The summit also called on the media to act with sensitivity and try not to unintentionally encourage the terrorist organization while informing the public about terror-related developments, the statement added.

Apart from President Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, State Minister and Deputy Premier Cemil Cicek, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, Interior Minister Besir Atalay, Land Forces Commander Gen. Isik Kosaner, Gendarmerie Forces Commander Gen. Atila Isik and several other senior officials attended today's summit that focused on Turkey's ongoing fight against terrorism. The summit came after the recent terrorist attacks of PKK, particularly after Saturday's attack in southeastern Hakkari province.

Nine soldiers were killed and 14 of them were injured in a terrorist attack on a military outpost in Semdinli early on Saturday, whereas two soldiers died and two others were wounded as they stepped on a land mine in pursuit of the terrorists who attacked the military outpost. Twelve terrorists were killed in the clash.

[06] Turkey and Kazakhstan to work on a joint action plan in political, diplomatic and economic measures

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday returned to Turkey after concluding his talks in Kazakhstan, which holds the rotating presidency of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Davutoglu met with his Kazakh counterpart Kanat Saudabayev and President Nursultan Nazarbayev over clashes in Kyrgyzstan last week that killed at least 88 people. Davutoglu and Saudabayev agreed to work on a joint action plan that includes political, diplomatic, economic and security measures for Kyrgyzstan, the top Turkish diplomat has said earlier.

Davutoglu also discussed issues related to Karabakh conflict as well as Azeri-Armenian relations.

[07] Break record in 2009 for Turkish arms exports

Turkey's defense industry exported arms and other defense equipment worth $669 million in 2009, marking the highest figure in its history, an umbrella organization of Turkish defense companies said over the weekend.

Last year's arms exports were a 16 percent increase over the figure for 2008, which was $576 million, said the Defense Industry Manufacturers Association, or SaSad, in a report. This increase came despite the global financial crisis, SaSaD said.

According to SaSad figures, the Turkish defense industry exported arms worth $331 million in 2003, $196 million in 2004, $337 million in 2005, $352 million in 2006 and $420 million in 2007.

Out of the 2008 figure of $576 million, a 33 percent went to space and aviation; another 29 percent to land vehicles and other platforms; 13 percent to electronics and electro-optics; 9 percent to weapons, ammunition, rockets and missiles; 9 percent to software and information technologies; and another 7 percent other sectors.

Subtitle: Aviation, land platform exports

Turkey's aviation exports mostly rely on offset arrangements stemming from defense contracts mainly with large Western companies, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing and the Airbus Consortium.

Offsets are financial compensations provided by arms-exporting countries to purchasing nations. For example, if Country A exports weapons worth $100 million to Country B with an offset rate of 50 percent, then Country B's defense industry exports back defense or civilian aerospace equipment worth $50 million to Country A. Turkey has offset agreements with several leading Western defense companies as part of ongoing procurement deals.

Land platforms probably are the Turkish defense industry's strongest sector. Several companies working in this field have sold various types of armored vehicles, both tracked and wheeled, to more than 15 countries ranging from those in the Balkans to those in the Middle East and Asia over the past 10 years. Such private land platforms manufacturers include include Otokar, FNSS, BMC, MAN Turkey, Mercedes Benz Turkey and Nurol.

In a recent development in the land platforms sector, a preliminary agreement worth $500 million, signed between Turkey's FNSS and the Malaysian government for the sale to the Malaysian Army of 250 armored personnel carriers, will be the largest single export deal in the history of Turkey's defense industry.

The letter of intent was signed in Malaysia in mid-April, and the two sides are expected to finalize a formal contract soon.

The Ankara-based FNSS is a joint venture between Turkey's Nurol Holding and the U.S.-based BAE Systems Land & Armaments, with the majority share owned by the Turkish company. The vehicle, the Pars 8x8, will be co-produced with Malaysian partners in Malaysia.

Despite the rise in exports last year, the Turkish defense industry's total revenue in 2009 was virtually same with the 2008 figure in terms of dollars. The Turkish defense industry's turnover in 2009 was $2.319 billion, almost the same as in 2008, SaSad said.

[B] COMMENTARIES, EDITORIALS AND ANALYSIS

[08] From the Turkish Press of 21 June 2010

a) PKK Attack-Alleged Ties to Israel:

Milliyet's Taha Akyol calls for changing the border between Turkey, Iran, and Iraq in order to better control PKK infiltrations. He makes two other suggestions in his article: To stop denying the ethnic and political identity of the Kurds in Turkey, and to launch a period of dialogue and not of conflict and confrontation in domestic politics.

In an article in Milliyet, Asli Aydintasbas analyzes the government statements implying a link between Israel and the escalating PKK terror. She recalls Israel's close cooperation with the Kurds in north Iraq since the times of Mustafa Barzani, and the MOSAD's current link with PJAK, PKK's arm in Iran. Nevertheless, she adds, "there is no evidence indicating a direct link between Israel and the PKK attacks in Iskenderun and Resadiye."

The editorial in Hurriyet Daily News.com calls on the political parties to come to an agreement on a national anti-terror policy. The editorial goes on: "It is time to forget our political differences and focus on creating synthesis in responding to the challenges. It is not time to point the finger at some 'unidentified' foreign circles that might be behind the PKK attacks. Instead it is time to seek more foreign cooperation in the fight against terrorism, through our foreign policy."

Yusuf Kanli pens an article in Hurriyet Daily News.com, saying: "Though Turkey has never officially accused Israel or the United States of supporting the PKK, Turkish official sources often complain privately that "elements" in the U.S. presence in Iraq have been supportive of the PKK or the Israelis, particularly through "retired" officers and Mossad agents who have been training the terrorists. Now, since hiring of PKK as a terrorism contractor to be used against Turkey would be a cause for war, and if Turkey is not willing to engage in a real military confrontation with Israel or with the United States, it is of course absurd to imply that the PKK might be 'contracted' by either of them. The prime minister must provide clarity on what he indeed wanted to say."

In his column in Hurriyet, Fatih Cekirge argues that the government's Kurdish initiative failed, and that the opposition is partly to blame for this. As for Israel's alleged role, Cekirge charges: "Israel sees Turkey in an alliance with Iran against it and it makes the United States believe that, too. Given this situation, Turkey is being dragged into this quagmire of ambush and treason in the Middle East. It would be very naive to think that the PKK will not be put to use in this quagmire. In that sense, one can say that when we go to help Gaza, we put our soldiers at risk at home."

Today, Taraf's Nese Duzel conducts her weekly interview with Cevat Ones who worked for the National Intelligence Organization, MIT, for 41 years and who recently retired from the post of MIT deputy undersecretary. In this first part of the interview, Ones views the reasons for the escalation of PKK terror, speculates what Ocalan may do next, and criticizes the government for failing to fully develop its Kurdish initiative. Ones maintains that politicians cannot afford not to further advance the Kurdish initiative and says that this is only an interruption, not the end, even though Kurds in Turkey believe that this may be the end of the initiative.

Murat Yetkin calls on President Gul to place the solution of the Kurdish problem as the number one item on the country's agenda once again. In his column in Radikal, Yetkin says: President Gul must not allow the new solution to be turned into an AKP [Justice and Development Party] issue because the issue is not the AKP's only, it is the entire nation's. Therefore the solution must be one that will be acceptable to the majority."

Under the banner headline, "Turkey stands firm," Yeni Safak publishes a front-page report which asserts that the killing of some 11 soldiers in the latest PKK attacks in Semdinli has hardened Turkey's resolve to root out terrorism. The report outlines the messages issued at a military ceremony at an airport in Van held for the soldiers who fell in the attack.

In an article entitled "Gunman of a treacherous order: PKK", Yeni Safak columnist Hakan Albayrak argues that the latest PKK strikes are intended to obstruct the democratization of Turkey's "junta constitution," "protect the oligarchy against the threat posed by the Government's democratic overture," thwart the steps taken toward solving the "Kurdish issue," force Turkey to focus its attention on Mount Qandil, the terrorist base in northern Iraq, at a time when it is "opening up to the world," and mobilize public opinion in favor of the Ergenekon network in the run-up to the referendum in September and a possible early general election.

In an article entitled "Whose message is the PKK communicating?", Yeni Safak columnist Yasin Aktay argues that the PKK's latest assaults are entirely unreasonable if this organization purports to represent the Kurdish people because the attacks are functioning only to render the ruling AKP incapable of producing any solutions to the southeast issue or to support any proposed solutions to this problem, adding that under the circumstances, the attacks suggest either that the PKK does not know what it is doing or that there is wide gap between what it is doing and what it is trying to achieve. He also argues that in revealing the PKK and Abdullah Ocalan's unreliability, the strikes indicate why the AKP should continue to refrain from treating the PKK or its leader overtly or covertly as a negotiating partner.

Under the headline, "Brotherhood in spite of terrorism," Vakit carries a front-page report which highlights Prime Minister Erdogan's remarks at the ceremony for the soldiers who fell in the PKK attacks over the weekend. The report quotes Erdogan as saying, "We will strengthen our brotherhood, unity, and solidarity to spite the enemy, the terrorists, and those trying to foment discord in the country."

Also front-paged is a report entitled "PKK falls under Alevi control, too" which quotes Osman Ocalan, a former PKK chieftain, as saying that the PKK's latest attacks are part of an effort to obstruct the constitutional amendment package passed by the Turkish parliament from being put to referendum in September and that the strikes are being conducted by an Alevi group within the PKK led by Mustafa Karasu in response to increasing pressures on Alevis within the Ergenekon network and the higher judiciary. This story is expanded into a report on an interview with Ocalan on page 8.

In an article entitled "PKK stages attacks, MHP calls for emergency rule", Vakit columnist Ali Ihsan Karahasanoglu comments on what he presents as a correspondence between the aims of the latest PKK strikes and the policies of the Nationalist Action Party, MHP, underlined by statements by MHP officials calling for the reinstatement of emergency rule in the southeast or expressing the hope that the terrorist attacks will pave the way for the AKP's removal from power.

Under the headline, "Democratic overture should continue, emergency rule would be a disaster," Zaman carries a front-page report which asserts that "Kurdish politicians and intellectuals" are "up in arms" against MHP leader Devlet Bahceli over his suggestion that the Government declare emergency rule in the southeast following the latest terrorist attacks.

In an article entitled "Mission impossible", Zaman's Washington correspondent Ali H. Aslan comments on a recent visit to Washington by an AKP delegation led by AKP Deputy Chairman Omer Celik, carried out in a bid to obtain the United States' approval for Turkey's position on Iran and Israel. Aslan asserts that while the delegation appears to have failed to "convince" the United States, the visit served the purpose of enabling the Erdogan government to "feel out" the US capital. He also warns the AKP about the way its rhetoric against Israel, intended for domestic political consumption, is fuelling concerns of an actual shift in Turkey's foreign policy among certain "lobbies" abroad and calls on the Government to "lend an ear" to US journalist Stephen Kinzer's following words of "advice:" "Do not adopt the bad habits of US foreign policy. Do not act in an over-emotional and confrontational manner."

In an article entitled "Foreign policy questions", Zaman columnist Ali Bulac poses such questions as whether it is right for Turkey to undertake to be the leader of the Middle East when its national defense systems are "95 percent dependent" on US and Israeli technologies, whether it is rational for Turkey to attempt to assume a regional leadership role at a time when the Kurdish issue continues to threaten domestic peace and stability, whether Turkey is really fluent in the language of Islam and the Middle East, how beneficial it would actually be for the region and Turkey to transform the Middle East through importing Western socio-cultural values to the region, etc.

In an article entitled "A 'Sickening' letter from Congressman Ackerman", Today's Zaman columnist Ihsan Dagi slams US Congressman Gary Ackerman for sending a "hate letter" to the director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, "asking him not to honor Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu with [the center's] Public Service Award" because of his policy toward Israel. Dagi describes the letter as the manifestation of "a mindset that tries to turn Turkey, a long-term ally of the US, into an enemy."

An unattributed, front-page editorial in Milli Gazete entitled "Disclose it to the Nation and do what is required" asserts that the increased frequency of terrorist attacks and the military fatalities sustained in these strikes signify a relapse into the state of the fight against PKK terrorism in the early 1990s. The editorial also cites a number of previous US and Israeli statements and actions as evidence that the United States and Israel are using the PKK as part of their efforts to restructure the region on the basis of the Broader Middle East Project.

b) Can Europe trust Turkey when it comes to energy security?

Borut Grgic, founder of the Trans-Caspian initiative and a senior advisor for the Trans-Caspian project at the European Policy Center, pens an article in Hurriyet Daily News.com, wondering if Europe can trust Turkey as a transit state in the energy routes from Asia. He says: "The buyer and supplier should have a safe and secure transit route, which means transit states cannot interfere with supplies to feed their political appetites. Transit agreement and transit fees need to be negotiated in a transparent manner, and should be respected and enforced. Nobody will win if Turkey becomes another Ukraine. In this case, Europe will look for ways to bypass Turkey in order to get to the Caspian gas, or it may bypass Caspian gas altogether in favor of renewable energy."

EG/

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