Turkish Cypriot daily Volkan newspaper (28.08.12) reports that according to Turkish daily Takvim newspaper, the problems of the conviction of theft businessman Asil Nadir with the British state started after he refused to succeed late Rauf Denktas to the so-called “presidency of the TRNC”. Citing information acquired by a close associate of Nadir, the paper writes that the USA ambassador to London visited Nadir at his office accompanied by “an important person from the British government” and asked him to become “president in Cyprus”. “You will substitute that fatso (late Rauf Denktas). Our interests and plans in the island require this”, the ambassador reportedly said. Asil Nadir refused the offer and raised his voiced saying for Rauf Denktas: “He is my best friend. He has helped me a lot. You ask from me something that I could never do”. According to the paper, the collapse of Nadir had started that day.
Meanwhile, writing in his daily column in Asil Nadir’s Kibris newspaper (28.08.12), Resat Akar, KIBRIS Media Group’s general director, refers to Nadir’s “courage” and argues that during one of the most critical periods of the Cyprus problem, Nelson Ledsky, the then Special Representative of the USA State Department for Cyprus, visited Nadir and told him that “either you become president in the place of Denktas or withdraw”. According to Akar, Nadir rejected this proposal without hesitation.
Akar argues, inter alia, the following: “He neither accepted to overturn Denktas nor to withdraw from Cyprus. According to some, this act was more than courageous, it was madness. To the extent that it would lead both himself and his companies to bankruptcy”.
Moreover, Kibris reports that messages of support and solidarity with Nadir continue to come from politicians, “institutions”, organizations and “citizens”. Ahmet Kasif, self-styled minister of health and candidate for the presidency of the “ruling” National Unity Party (UBP), visited KIBRIS Media Group yesterday and expressed the belief that Nadir will win the appeal. He argued that they could not remain silent to “the attacks especially made by the Greek Cypriots” in order to lead Nadir to collapse. Hamza Ersan Saner, self-styled minister of public works and transport, said that they could never forget the services of Asil Nadir. Cemal Bulutoglulari, “mayor” of the occupied part of Lefkosia, described Nadir as “great fighter who tried for the happiness and prosperity of the people”. Huseyin Barbet, chairman of the heads of the villages’ union, alleged that the only crime of Asil Nadir was being a Turk. Messages were also sent by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, the TMT “fighters’” association, and Kamu-Sen trade union.
Finally, Sener Levent writing in his daily column in Turkish Cypriot Afrika newspaper (28.08.12) points out that those who say that the Greek Cypriots led Asil Nadir to collapse do not dare to say that the Turkish capital had also undermined Nadir. “
