New Turkish military commanders in Cyprus

NEW military commanders of the Turkish forces in Cyprus were appointed yesterday in Kyrenia, Turkish Cypriot radio Bayrak reported.

According to the reports, Major-General Hasan Memisoglu, Security Forces Commander, Brigadier-General Tevfik Ozkilic and 28th Division Commander and Major-General Aydemir Curcioglu, paid courtesy visits to veteran Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Turkish Cypriot ‘Prime Minister’ Mehmet Ali Talat on Monday, prior to yesterday’s handover ceremony.

Outgoing commander Lieutenant-General Isik Kosaner, who is to be promoted to General on August 30, handed over his mission to Memisoglu. Security Forces Commander, Brigadier-General Necmettin Baykul handed over to Ozkilic and 28th Division Commander, Major-General Fikri Gonultas to Curcioglu.

Speaking after Monday’s meeting with the new commanders, Talat said:
“The Cyprus question is a problem which has a political dimension, as well as a security dimension, and we have been through critical days because of this problem. So we are pushing both dimensions together. Neither a success only as regards the security dimension, nor the political dimension will bring us the desired result. Thus, both of them should be achieved together.”

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.