Property Talks Drag On

(Cyprus Weekly) - President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat are going nowhere fast on the complex property issue.

A large question still hangs over this chapter with an apparent inability by the leaders to bridge a fundamental divide on property.

Christofias himself has admitted there are “serious differences” and this week’s three-hour meeting between the two was still bogged down on the criteria to be agreed on to resolve property matters.

“They have been discussing for the last two weeks or so the criteria to define the parameters under which the discussions should continue,” said UN chief of mission Taye-Brook Zerihoun.

“After that they will make a decision whether those discussions will continue in other fora,” he added.

It is understood that Talat wants a property committee established to thrash out thorny problems.
While the Greek Cypriot side’s core argument is the restitution of property rights to refugees, Talat is said to be steering discussions into one of compensation and land swaps rather than uphold the original owner’s right to their home.

UN special envoy Alexander Downer has gathered his own team of experts to help him grasp the complexities of such negotiations.

Since fresh peace talks were launched last September the leaders have met 20 times – including three on property -- in a process turning out to be a test of endurance.

Negotiations will resume next Thursday and after that the leaders have decided to move on to discuss EU-related matters.

Viewing News dated :26/02/2009 18:41:38

Suicide Related to the Ergenekon Case

A senior Turkish police officer has been found dead in his car in what Turkish authorities claim is a suicide related to the Ergenekon case. Political analysts say that the people who constitute the "Deep State" are members of Ergenekon.

Turkish authorities said the dead man is Behcet Oktay--former head of the police special forces. Oktay was dismissed from his post two days ago after thirteen years as head of the Special Forces. Oktay was found dead in his car in an Ankara parking place with a bullet wound in his head. His predecessor, a prime suspect now in custody, had named Oktay as a member of the Ergenekon group.

The hard-line nationalist Ergenekon organization appears to be made up of (former and present) army officers, police officers, journalists, and other influential people who have allegedly been plotting to kill government officials and overthrow the Turkish government.

A Killer is a Candidate in the Upcoming "TRNC" Elections

Turkish settler, Kenan Akin, who killed Greek Cypriot Solomos Solomou during an anti occupation buffer zone protest back in 1996 said he would not hesitate to shoot him again. In an interview to a Greek daily, Akin said he would not travel abroad as he won't do anyone a favor and get arrested.

The Turkish settler currently has Interpol and Cyprus police warrants pending against him. He further claimed that the Republic of Cyprus does not have any credible evidence against him, suggesting that his bullet wasn't the one that killed Solomou.

Akin is a candidate in the upcoming illegal parliamentary elections which are to be held in the occupied areas. His running for "parliamentary elections" was mentioned in the Kibris Gazetesi, a Turkish Cypriot newspaper.

An English translation of the relevant excerpts from the Kibris Gazetsi:

KENAN AKIN now ORP candidate: Kenan Akin once a Democratic Party (DP) Minister of Agriculture, is once more in the political arena now. But this time running for parliamentary elections not from DP (Democratic Party) list, but competing at the 5th row from the Freedom and Reform Party (ORP) Magusa (Famagusta) list. According to sources of information, ORP President Turgay Avci is in the 1st row , followed by Deputy Erden Ozaskin in the 2nd row, and ORP Secretary-General Baghdad Sinan in the 3rd place. 4th row in the list is vacant yet while Kenan Akin is at the 5th row. Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism Hasan Kiliç's is also reported to be candidate for ORP's Magusa list, while there are talks about Nazmiye Çelebi, a teacher, also running for candidacy from Magusa list. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Coordinator Alper Zorlu's is also rumored to be ORP candidate from Iskele district.

Olgac is being investigated for the killing of 10 Greek Cypriots

An investigation into claims which were later retracted by the Turkish actor, Attila Olgac, that during the 1974 invasion--he personally executed 10 Greek Cypriots in cold blood has been launched by the Istanbul public prosecutor.

The prosecutor has asked the Kanal Turk TV station to hand over the original footage of the talk show interview in which the actor made his claims.

It’s also been disclosed that the public official is planning to subpoena as witnesses the show’s presenters as well, with the outcome of the investigation determining whether or not Attila Olgac will be referred to the Hague war crimes tribunal for trial.

A parallel investigation on Attila Olgac’s actions during the 1974 invasion of Cyprus is being carried out by Turkey’s military.