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Category: Cyprus/TRNC

  • Turkey and Greece hope better ties lower defense costs

    Turkey and Greece hope better ties lower defense costs

    By SELCAN HACAOGLU

    ANKARA, Turkey

    Turkey and Greece on Thursday announced a series of measures to build confidence between the rival neighbors, including joint military training designed in part to ease years of tension over airspace and sea boundaries and a local arms race.

    Turkey’s Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the new moves ultimately could help limit arms spending.

    As well, 10 key ministers, including those in charge of foreign and European Union affairs as well as energy and economy would meet at least twice a year, Davutoglu and Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas announced.

    The ministers said their armies would increase cooperation through joint training and conferences. The move is designed to encourage Turkish and Greek officers, who have for decades regarded each other as potential enemies, to work with each other.

    The countries have been at odds for years over flight procedures over the Aegean Sea border. For decades, their warplanes have often engaged in mock dogfights.

    “The measures will boost confidence between the two peoples and armies,” Droutsas told a joint news conference with Davutoglu.

    Greece is suffering from a severe economic crisis and plans to cut defense spending in 2011 and 2012. Responding to a question over whether Turkey would follow Greece’s lead, Davutoglu said that there would be no need for arms spending if the neighbors could build a “common future.”

    “We have a vision and it is not based on mutual threat but on mutual interests,” Davutoglu said. “If we manage to build a common future, there will be no need for defense spending.”

    Davutoglu pointed out that his government has already reduced military spending, saying the government has spent more on education than arms in recent years.

    EU-member Greece supports Turkey’s membership bid in the European Union, hoping that it will help solve territorial issues. The largest snag is the divided island of Cyprus where Turkey keeps about 40,000 troops.

    Turkey began EU membership talks in 2005, but negotiations on some policy have been frozen over Turkey’s refusal to allow ships and planes from Cyprus to enter its ports and airspace, and the EU says Ankara must open its airspace to the EU member if it wants to get closer to membership itself.

    In return, Turkey insists on the lifting of what it says is the unofficial trade embargo on the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in the north of the island, which was divided into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north following Turkey’s 1974 invasion.

    Businessweek

  • The Zionist lobby at the heart of British politics

    The Zionist lobby at the heart of British politics

    memo commentary stickyCash for influence is not just “grubby”, Lord Mandelson, it’s odious

    Business secretary Peter Mandelson’s belief that the cash for influence scandal is ‘rather grubby’ was a striking understatement. The affair is, in every respect, odious. To safeguard our politics from its poisonous impact it is important to follow the trail right across Whitehall to all the countries visited by our Members of Parliament. It is not enough to single out visits to Gibraltar, the Maldives and Cyprus after previous investigations and reports have clearly drawn attention to the operations of the Zionist lobby at the heart of British politics. At least two of the names in the current scandal have an Israeli connection.

    Stephen Byers is chair of the policy council of the Labour Friends of Israel and Andrew Dismore, now alleged to have broken parliamentary rules 90 times, is one of three vice-chairs of Labour Friends of Israel. According to his website, the Labour MP for Hendon “defended Israel’s position on the Goldstone report, in the debate in Parliament on 12th January”. Israel, you may recall, accused the UN appointed Judge Richard Goldstone and his team of bias after their report accused the Jewish state of committing war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. That didn’t deter Israeli apologist Mr. Dismore, who said that he is “confident that Israel will get to the bottom of the [war crimes allegations] story.” He thinks that the alleged war criminal Tzipi Livni is a“legitimate politician” who wishes to discuss “the peace process”. Perhaps that’s why Livni said she was proud that the Israel Defence Forces had “gone wild” in Gaza last year.

    Byers is a former Labour cabinet minister and is not the only one to make pretentious boasts about the influence he can wield. While attending the 10th Herzilya conference in Israel earlier this year, Tory peer Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones told the Jerusalem Post, “We will actively block the dissemination of extremist written material and speech. We will take down the Web sites that promote it. We will deny organizations that promote extremism political funding. We will monitor the charities. We will ensure that the Charity Commission which regulates the charities does not allow money to be transmitted through channels which ends up funding extremism violence and terrorism abroad.” Was she angling for more support from the Israel lobby in Britain, or merely letting her Israeli friends know that their investment in the British arm of the“hasbara” machine will have been well-spent if the Conservatives win the general election?

    Getting to the bottom of yet another “cash for questions” affair is certainly important but in the given context it is also necessary to investigate the cavalier manner in which the parliamentary system, government machinery and judiciary have all been exploited to intimidate and silence pro-Palestine individuals, charities and organizations.

    Try as they may, the Zionist lobby will find it extremely difficult to dismiss any link to those who stand accused in the latest scandal, especially as it comes so soon after Peter Oborne’s Channel 4 programme on “the pro-Israeli lobby in Britain”. The many questions raised in that documentary must inevitably resurface in light of these new revelations and the people involved.

    It is pointless to pretend that this current episode is inconsequential. Many will recall that in April 1995 the former Conservative minister, Jonathan Aitken, promised to use the “sword of truth” to dispel reports made in the Guardian over his dealings with Saudi arms traders. Four years later, in 1999, he was jailed for perjury after it was revealed that he had lied repeatedly about the matter.

    The Brown government has a penchant for private inquiries into matters of grave national concern. They only conceded to a public inquiry into the war on Iraq after Sir John Chilcot insisted that it should be conducted in public.

    Whether a full, impartial and public inquiry into this latest scandal will be held before the general election is doubtful, but one thing can be said with certainty in the meantime: the culture of sleaze is as endemic today in the parliamentary system as it was before New Labour came to power in 1997. The full effect of this culture is unknown and the jury is still out. But if the truth is to be uncovered, the trail to Israel may be as good a place to begin as Gibraltar, the Maldives and Cyprus.

    , 23 March 2010

  • Is time running out for a reunification deal in Cyprus?

    Is time running out for a reunification deal in Cyprus?

    cyprusmapIs time running out for a deal in Cyprus?

    Later this month elections in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus could see President Mehmet Ali Talat being ousted in favour of a hardliner, Dervis Eroglu.

    Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by Greek Cypriot extremists, bent on union with Greece.

    Mr Talat was elected in 2005, having promised to deliver a reunification deal with the Greek Cypriots but, despite being locked in talks with his opposite number, Demetris Christofias, for the past 18 months he has been unable to announce a deal.

    Both Greece and Turkey say they want the issue resolved and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon visited Cyprus in February and urged both sides to show “courage”.

    In 2004 a previous deal, the so-called Annan Plan, was approved by Turkish Cypriots in a referendum but rejected by Greek Cypriots.

    Do you live in Cyprus or were you born there? Do you think the two communities will ever be able to live together? What do you blame for the failure to reach a deal? What do you think the main sticking points are? You can tell us your experiences using the form below. If you are happy to be contacted by the BBC, please include your phone number.

    , 2 April 2010

  • Andrew Dismore MP: Foreign trips and rule breaches

    Andrew Dismore MP: Foreign trips and rule breaches

    A BBC investigation has revealed that more than 20 MPs have breached rules in relation to registering and declaring overseas trips paid for by foreign governments.

    Andrew Dismore

    The trips taken by Andrew Dismore, his relevant parliamentary activities and his detailed replies to the BBC are below.

    Since 2001, Mr Dismore has been a member of the Standards and Privileges Committee, whose role includes the scrutiny of the MPs’code of conduct.

    He told the BBC that all his visits had been registered in time and in the appropriate manner, and that there was no breach of the rules on lobbying as overseas visits are excluded and his trips had been funded by the Republic of Cyprus Parliament and not the Republic of Cyprus Government.

    Cyprus

    Mr Dismore, the Labour MP for Hendon in north London, visited Cyprus in October 2005, October 2006, September 2007, November 2008 andOctober 2009, courtesy of the Municipality of Morphou and Cyprus House of Representatives.

    Within a year of registration of these trips, Mr Dismore tabled 90 questions relating to Cyprus without declaring an interest.

    They were: 31080, 48898, 72084, 95204, 95205, 96907 to 96915, 96917 to 96920, 96939 to 96941, 96958 to 96961, 96969, 96970, 96974, 96977 to 96979, 136661, 162758, 162759, 162769 to 162771, 162773, 162812, 162819 to 162822, 163110 to 163118, 163121 to 163134, 163213 to 163221, 163284, 163627, 163793 to 163798, 180049, 180051, 180052, 180056, 245049, 252915 and 293708.

    Mr Dismore also asked a further 112 questions relating to Cyprus where an interest was declared.

    They were: 245029, 245050 to 245061, 245158 to 245174, 245180 to 245182, 245190 to 245199, 245217 to 245224, 252877 to 252881, 252884, 293650, 293696 to 293707, 293709 to 293744, 295162, 312737 to 312739, and 312838 to 312840.

    The BBC put to Mr Dismore that asking ministers a total of 202 questions following visits to Cyprus – whether an interest was declared or not – might be perceived as lobbying on behalf of an overseas power from whom hospitality has recently been received. This would constitute a very serious breach of parliamentary rules.

    In addition to those questions, Mr Dismore tabled a debate on Cyprus on 8 November 2005. Records of the summary agenda, the order paper and weekly bulletin indicate that he did not declare an interest. Whenever an interest is declared, the symbol “[R]” appears on the relevant notice or order papers.

    However, Mr Dismore did declare an interest at the start of the debate.

    During the debate, Mr Dismoresaid: “What is to be done immediately? Some things are relatively easy. Earlier, I mentioned the need to find finance to deal with the issue of missing persons.

    “Two million Cyprus pounds is not too much for the UK to find, either on its own or with its partners.”

    Similarly, Mr Dismore tabled adebate on Cyprus on 10 January 2007. Records of the summary agenda, the order paper and weekly bulletin indicate that he did not declare an interest. However, Mr Dismore did declare an interest at the start of the debate.

    Mr Dismore secured a third debate about Cyprus on 15 January 2009. Again, no declaration of interest is recorded in the weekly bulletin,the summary agenda or the order paper. However, Mr Dismore did declare an interest at the start of the debate.

    During the debate, Mr Dismore said: “The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus is working well and is not politicised by either side. I visited the laboratory for the second time and was very impressed by the progress that is being made.

    “There have been 466 exhumations so far and 110 sets of remains have been returned – 78 to Greek Cypriots and 32 to Turkish Cypriots. The annual budget for the committee and its work is $3m a year.

    “In the three years from 2004 to 2007, we donated £160,000. We ought to consider further payments because the committee needs those extra bilateral donations.

    “Demining is also important for confidence building. The United Nations Development Programme has cleared 51 minefields. That has largely been funded by the EU but there is a 5m euro shortfall.

    “That money will be needed to clear the rest of the zone, and the UN says that it could do it if it had the money. We could help by making a donation towards that. The buffer zone occupies 3% of the land.

    “If that land could be liberated from the mines and from that part of the process, it would be available for civilian use, which could help towards a settlement.”

    Mr Dismore secured a further debate about Cyprus on 10 November 2009 but again did not declare an interest on the weekly bulletin, thesummary agenda or the order paper. However, Mr Dismore did declare an interest at the start of the debate.

    During the debate, Mr Dismore said: “The UN Committee on Missing Persons continues its work, although there is a significant backlog in its anthropological laboratory on the piecing together of the various remains.

    “Nonetheless, the committee told us that it was not really practical to expand the operation. Altogether the bicommunal teams have exhumed 570 sets of remains from both sides of the green line and returned the remains of 179 people to their families – 135 Greek Cypriots and 44 Turkish Cypriots.

    “They are perennially in the hunt for money, requiring between 2.2m euro and 2.4m euro a year to function. The EU has just given the teams 2m euro for the next two years, but they are still 1m euro short for next year.

    “Since the committee started its work many years ago, the UK has given it $159,000, but it is a long time since we last gave it a grant, and it is time that we gave it another one.”

    Later in the debate, he said: “I hope that the minister will be able to find a little cash in the Foreign Office budget to provide the initiatives that I mentioned with at least token support, if not more substantive support.”

    Further to these debates, on 18 December 2008, during a debate on Human Rights Mr Dismore spoke about Cyprus.

    After declaring an interest, he said: “On a positive note, the Committee on Missing Persons, which is part of the United Nations – my Hon Friend the Member for Ilford, South referred to the United Nations in his opening remarks – is functioning well, but it cannot look at the cause of death or attribute responsibility.

    “It is working on a bicommunal basis, which is one of the positive things in Cyprus. It has exhumed 450 bodies so far, out of a total of 1,996 missing people on both sides.

    “It has been able to identify and return 107 sets of remains – 31 Turkish Cypriots and 76 Greek Cypriots – and investigated 224 sites. It needs $3m to run, and is funded year by year only.

    “Does my Hon Friend the Minister think that the Government will consider putting their hand in their pocket to ensure that such vital work continues, because it has at least another two years’ worth of work to do?

    “In relation to demining, to which both reports referred, another 4m euro is needed to clear the rest of the buffer zone. Both communities and the UN have put money into demining, but it remains a significant problem to conclude. I hope that the minister can respond to those important human rights points.”

    The MPs’ code of conduct states that: “Members may not, for example, advocate in debate increased United Kingdom financial assistance to a government from which they have recently received hospitality.

    “Nor may any Member advocate any other measure for the exclusive benefit of the host government.”

    The BBC has put to Mr Dismore that some of his statements might be perceived as lobbying on behalf of an overseas power from whom hospitality has recently been received – a very serious breach of parliamentary rules.

    Following visits to Cyprus, Mr Dismore also have signed 24 early day motions relating to the island. In the following three cases he did not declare an interest:

    1. MR GEORGE IACOVOU / 12.12.2006 / EDM 474

    2. SOTERIS GEORGALLIS / 16.04.2007 / EDM 1273 (of which he was the Primary Sponsor)

    3. ILLEGAL SONGBIRD MARKET IN CYPRUS / 12.01.2010 / EDM 567

    Reply

    In response to the points put to him by the BBC Mr Dismore said he had declared an interest before debates and added: “There is no question of my having broken any rule in relation to lobbying, as overseas visits are excluded and I did not lobby for funding for the Cyprus government or Cyprus parliament.”

    Mr Dismore said the hosts of his visits to Cyprus were the Cyprus House of Representatives and the Municipality of Morphou, and not the government of Cyrpus.

    Mr Dismore denied that advocating increased financial assistance to the United Nations Committee for Missing Persons in Cyprus could be perceived as lobbying or amount to a breach of the rules.

    Reply on early day motions

    Mr Dismore said that the issue with EDMs (early day motions) was one of relevance. “As you rightly report, I declared an interest in relation to 24 early day motions. The other three were so remote, I did not believe that I had an interest warranting declaration.”

    Reply on the written questions

    Mr Dismore said that it was not possible for him to check if he had registered an interest in respect of the written questions, due to the way records are kept in Parliament.

    “Accordingly, although I cannot confirm or deny that I registered an interest in relation to those questions, I do not believe that there was an interest to register in relation to them. ”

    Responding to the large number of questions asked, 200 over a five-year period, Mr Dismore said an average of 40 to 50 questions a year was not excessive on an issue in which an MP has a speciality.

    He added: “I normally ask several hundred questions a year on many different issues in which I take an interest relevant to my parliamentary work and constituency, and to that extent the number of questions over five years relating to Cyprus should be seen in that context.”

    Mr Dismore also said that he had declared an interest at the start of each adjournment debate.

    BBC

  • MPs’ foreign visit rules breached

    MPs’ foreign visit rules breached

    Hundreds of breaches of parliamentary rules by MPs who accepted free overseas trips from foreign governments have been uncovered by a BBC investigation.

    Dismore

    More than 20 MPs broke rules on declaring hospitality in questions or debates after visiting locations such as the Maldives, Cyprus and Gibraltar.

    The MPs – from Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems – breached parliamentary regulations on more than 400 occasions.

    One former standards watchdog says it shows MPs cannot regulate themselves.

    Some MPs dismissed the breaches as technical errors or oversights.

    However, the former Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, Sir Alistair Graham, told the BBC repeated rule breaches threatened to “undermine the integrity” of the democratic system.

    He said it “demonstrated the failure of the self-regulating system”, adding: “This is a very worrying situation which will further demean the standing of Parliament.”

    Conservative leader David Cameron said: “The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner must get to the bottom of what’s happened in every case and we must look at the penalties that apply when rules like this are broken.”

    He said the self-regulating system was “at the heart of the problem” and that it might be necessary to change its structure.

    Mr Cameron added that a system of imposing automatic fixed penalties on MPs who break rules might be appropriate.

    The rules on overseas visits are there to ensure that no-one can accuse MPs of accepting foreign hospitality in return for political favours, for example pressing the UK government for financial assistance.

    They require MPs to register such visits and then declare relevant trips in questions, motions or debates.

    One of those who appears to have fallen foul of the code of conduct is Labour’s Andrew Dismore, a member of the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee – the very body which polices MPs’ behaviour.

    He broke rules more than 90 times, following annual visits to Cyprus, by failing to declare the hospitality when raising issues about the island in Parliament.

    In total, he has tabled more than 200 Commons questions about Cyprus since the last election in 2005, on topics such as missing persons from the island and its victims of past conflict between Turkey and Greece.

    The Commons information office estimates it costs on average £149 to answer a written question.

    Mr Dismore has also signed motions and led debates about Cyprus. However, he denies any wrongdoing and claims his questions about Cyprus were not sufficiently relevant to his trips to require a declaration.

    Conservative David Amess has admitted failing to register a free trip to the Maldives – regarded as a “very serious” breach of the rules by the Committee on Standards and Privileges, according to the MPs’ code of conduct.

    He also accepts he did not register a second trip for almost a year, blaming an administrative error by his office staff.

    ‘Paradise’

    During a debate he tabled about the Maldives in 2007, Mr Amess told the Commons how his “splendid visit” had given him “an early taste of paradise”.

    “No words can describe adequately just how beautiful the islands are,” he added, before suggesting the UK Government “could be encouraged to do a little more than is being done at the moment” for the islands in the Indian Ocean.

    Despite leading two debates about UK support for the Maldives and asking 15 questions about the islands, he failed to declare an interest. Referring to the MPs’ code of conduct, Mr Amess told the BBC: “It is for the member to judge whether a financial interest is sufficiently relevant.”

    Liberal Democrat Norman Baker, who has been actively calling for a clean-up of Parliament following the expenses scandal, has admitted breaching the rules on 37 occasions.

    In a statement to the BBC, Mr Baker accepts he failed to declare an interest when leading debates and tabling questions about topics such as human rights in Tibet. He has travelled to India twice, courtesy of the Tibet Society and the Tibet government-in-exile.

    “I should have then declared a relevant interest in respect of the parliamentary activities you list,” he said. “It is an unintended oversight that I did not.”

    The MP who heads the Commons Public Administration Select Committee, Tony Wright, told the BBC that such rule-breaking was “unacceptable” and that the system should be more transparent.

    “Declarations should be the norm. It is quite proper for MPs to go on visits. Some of those visits will be financed by foreign governments. But… if they’re lobbying on behalf of governments who have paid for their visits, then clearly we need to know about it.”

    The rules are enforced by MPs themselves. Breaches are only investigated if a formal complaint is made and there is no independent body to ensure that members stick to the regulations.

    Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox has admitted breaking the rules on two occasions, having visited Sri Lanka five times in the past three years courtesy of its government. He failed to declare the hospitality when asking ministers how much UK aid had been given to Sri Lanka.

    In a statement, Mr Fox said: “I should have noted an interest and will be writing to the registrar to make this clear.” He blamed a “changeover of staffing responsibilities” for registering one of his visits more than two months late.

    During the current Parliament, Gibraltar’s government has funded 31 trips for MPs to attend an annual street party on the territory.

    Street party

    Labour’s Lindsay Hoyle has been a guest at these National Day Celebrations three times. Following his visits he has asked 30 questions, tabled three early day motions and signed a further seven, all without declaring his interest.

    Mr Hoyle also broke the rules by failing to declare an interest following registered trips to the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

    “I have never received or sought any financial benefit,” he told the BBC.

    Conservative Andrew Rosindell has been a guest of Gibraltar’s government twice in recent years. He subsequently asked 48 questions and signed or sponsored nine motions related to the territory without declaring an interest.

    Thirteen of his questions about Gibraltar were before a visit had been registered. The BBC put the matters to Mr Rosindell but has yet to receive a response.

    The BBC has identified a further 10 MPs from all three major parties who have been guests of Gibraltar’s government and shortly afterwards breached rules when signing motions or tabling questions about the territory.

    The investigation has also identified three more Labour MPs and another Conservative who failed to declare an interest following visits to Cyprus.

    BBC

  • Andrew Dismore AND Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Bill 2009-10

    Andrew Dismore AND Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Bill 2009-10

    Andrew Dismore

    Labour MP for Hendon

    Andrew Dismore,

    Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Bill 2009-10

    in sponsoru… TF olayın ensesinde! ☾✫

    https://www.turkishnews.com/en/content/2010/03/22/scandal-mps-caught-trying-to-sell-their-influence-for-cash/
    Saygilar, hürmetler…

    Haluk Demirbag
    — On Mon, 3/22/10, H Savas ( wrote:)

    Toplantiya katilan Esin Hanim’onemli bir bilgisi (Andrew DIsmore  ile ilgili)
    Haluk

    Tel: 07770302822

    Haluk, cok onemli bir BBC haberi. Dismore’un Cyprus baglantilarini acikliyor!
    esin
    ————————————————————————-
    ———————-

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8580183.stm

    Dismore’la ilgili bolum:

    “… The rules on overseas visits are there to ensure that no-one canaccuse MPs of accepting foreign hospitality in return for politicalfavours, for example pressing the UK government for financialassistance.
    They require MPs to register such visits and then declare relevant trips in questions, motions or debates.
    Oneof those who appears to have fallen foul of the code of conduct isLabour’s Andrew Dismore, a member of the Commons Standards andPrivileges Committee – the very body which polices MPs’ behaviour.
    Hebroke rules more than 90 times, following annual visits to Cyprus, byfailing to declare the hospitality when raising issues about the islandin Parliament.
    In total, he has tabled more than 200 Commonsquestions about Cyprus since the last election in 2005, on topics suchas missing persons from the island and its victims of past conflictbetween Turkey and Greece.
    The Commons information office estimates it costs on average £149 to answer a written question.
    MrDismore has also signed motions and led debates about Cyprus. However,he denies any wrongdoing and claims his questions about Cyprus were notsufficiently relevant to his trips to require a declaration….”