Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 14-01-03

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

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Turkish Cypriot daily: UNSG's report on extending UNFICYP's mandate shows the way for resumption of negotiations in Cyprus

[02] Turkey hopes Greece will continue supporting its EU bid

[03] DP Congress to be held on February 2 ;Sonya will be running for party's leadership

[04] "Adabilim Educational Foundation" claims that it will not offer theological classes in the occupied area of Cyprus

[05] KTOS: The existence of religious schools is not accepted

[06] Turkish Deputy PM Atalay denies list of 2,000 people within 'parallel state' given to PM Erdogan

[07] Turkish columnist highlights the main points of the Turkish crisis

[08] Egypt says has no plans at present to return envoy to Turkey

[09] USD hits new historic peak against Turkish Lira

[A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS

[01] Turkish Cypriot daily: UNSG's report on extending UNFICYP's mandate shows the way for resumption of negotiations in Cyprus

According to the paper's information, the report expresses the view that contacts between the communities in the fields such as the economy, sports and culture would positively influence the resumption of the negotiations for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. The UN Secretary-General, writes Kibris, thinks that such contacts would strengthen trust between the two communities and this would answer the concerns of the Turkish Cypriots regarding their so-called isolation. Referring to the hydrocarbon exploration in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone, the report calls on the sides to cooperate.

Noting that the report does not include a political part which in past reports had been given under the subtitle "Observations", the paper cites "diplomatic sources", who said that this means that the political report will be submitted later by Alexander Downer, UN Secretary ? General's special adviser on Cyprus. The fact that the negotiations could not resume is shown as the reason of this development.

(I/Ts.)

[02] Turkey hopes Greece will continue supporting its EU bid

"We aspire to open at least one chapter, but prefer more than one, during the Greek term presidency," Cavusoglu said at a meeting with Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Loukakis, whose country has taken over the six-month-long rotating presidency of the EU on Jan. 1. "Greece supported Turkey's EU process in the last 10 years, under all conditions," said the Turkish Minister. "Turkey welcomes Greece's priorities for its six-month-long presidency including financial issues and structural reforms," Cavusoglu said.

Cavusoglu also said they hoped this support would turn into concrete steps with the opening of new negotiation chapters. Loukakis congratulated Cavusoglu on his new post and assured that his country's support would continue. Meeting with EU ambassadors two weeks ago, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed that Ankara wanted to open chapters 17, 23 and 24 during the Greek Presidency.

[03] DP Congress to be held on February 2 ;Sonya will be running for party's leadership

The paper also writes that DP-UG Secretary General Bengu Sonya stated that he will be running for the party's leadership in the congress.

[04] "Adabilim Educational Foundation" claims that it will not offer theological classes in the occupied area of Cyprus

The foundations of a primary school building belonging to "Adabilim Educational Foundation", was laid some weeks ago in occupied Famagusta. According to the paper, the target of schools belonging to the Foundation is to "breed idealist generations" by offering lessons of "education on values", Koran, the life of Mohammed and basic knowledge on religion. The paper also notes that no application has been submitted to the "ministry of education" for granting any "license".

The chairman of the foundation's board of trustees is Sunalp Turkel, vice president of the Turkish Cypriot Businessmen's Council and director of Yeni Safak newspaper in Turkey, who stated that the school will not offer religious and theology classes.

[05] KTOS: The existence of religious schools is not accepted

KTOS' organization secretary Burak Mavis stated that the opening of theological schools is behind the primary school project of the "Adabilim Educational Foundation" and said that this is a product of the religious spreading project of the ruling in Turkey Justice and Development Party (AKP). He also said that AKP views the island (of Cyprus) as a strategic base and violates the political will of the Turkish Cypriots in its efforts to serve the party's political and other interests.

[06] Turkish Deputy PM Atalay denies list of 2,000 people within 'parallel state' given to PM Erdogan

"There is no such thing," Atalay told private news channel HaberTurk in response to a question over the list given to Erdogan.

Deputy Kuzu said that a list of 2,000 names allegedly involved in an organization within the state was submitted to Erdogan via his Twitter account on Jan. 1.

[07] Turkish columnist highlights the main points of the Turkish crisis

"If you look at it too closely, you can get lost in details.

What is actually happening is trying to stop, or limit a major corruption claim with political links by intervening in the judicial procedure by the government.[?]

It is true that there is an inner-fight dimension too. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan does not want to share its power supported by 50 percent of voters with once-close ally Fethullah Gulen and his "Hizmet" movement. Gulen, the U.S.-resident moderate Islamist scholar having a huge network of English-language schools in and outside Turkey used to be a close ally of Erdogan, mainly for two reasons: Well-educated and silently-working Gulen sympathizers had held key positions in certain government departments, but especially in Interior and Justice ministries; in other words within the police and judiciary. When Gulen felt that Erdogan's power giving comfort to pious and conservative voters of Turkey was threatened by military and secularist faction within the judiciary over the election of Abdullah Gul as President in 2007 he not only asked his supporters to vote for Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) but through his sympathizers within police and judiciary helped Erdogan a lot to carry out the Ergenekon and Balyoz probes and court cases to deter them. So Gulenists claim that they have a share in that 50 percent. But Erdogan thinks if he lets his power be shared that could lead to losing control over his supporters which he might need for the presidential elections in August 2014 for himself.[?]

In the meantime, the government is getting prepared to change Turkey's justice system in order to allow the executive power to have more control over the judiciary, which is something already under criticism by the European Union.

But the real story here when you take a few steps back to see the bigger picture, is to distract the public attention from a major corruption probe, with alleged links to government and the biggest ever in Turkey if it is true, by intervening in the judiciary and trying to change the rules of the game in the meantime. This is neither good for the future of Turkish democracy nor for the record of Erdogan's government."

[08] Egypt says has no plans at present to return envoy to Turkey

The statement is an indication that Egypt has resolved to maintain its firm line on relations with Turkey unless Ankara shifts its stance first, the paper wrote.

[09] USD hits new historic peak against Turkish Lira

The USD hit a new historic peak against the Turkish lira after the US's 10-year fixed note reached an all time high in a two and a half year period as global markets' demands on the USD increased. The Euro/Turkish Lira parity also came up to 2.9944 at midday.

Analysts predict that the USD's rise against the Turkish Lira will continue in the second half of the day as global interests will be decisive.

In addition, Hurriyet Daily News (03.01.14) reports that Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan has said that the on-going corruption probe aimed to disrupt Turkish markets, echoing the Prime Minister's suggestions that foreign interests were involved in the crisis.

However, the Minister in charge of the economy also argued that the impact of the political crisis on the economy would be temporary. The Turkish economy, however, was strong enough to compensate for these challenges, he said. TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION

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