Front Page Headlines
(Justice Minister) Ionas (Nicolaou) has resigned, the (police) chief is also going
Reasons of accountability and direct blame to the police. (Police chief) Zacharias Chrysostomou at the Presidential Palace today. President intends for his dismissal. Appointment of independent criminal investigators on the handling of the disappearances.
- Recommendations by the UN Security Council to the sides
- Savvas Liasis: The last free man
- Euro-elections: The candidacies officially (announced) today
The chief is following Ionas
The President of the Republic expects today the resignation of Zacharias Chrysostomou. The Ambassadors of third countries with workers in Cyprus go to the Presidential Palace.
- Security Council: Pressure for agreement on the terms of reference
- Barbaros returned yesterday in blocks 1, 8, 11
- Jordanian man along with an accomplice abducted his children to go back to his country
- Erhurman refutes (claims of) problems with Ankara
They were cornered and Ionas resigned
After three weeks of intense criticism and social outrage but also with a political cost to the ruling party, Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou was forced to resign but without assuming responsibility, and is being provocative by adding insult to injury…
- Common struggle for days of peace and prosperity
- The kidnapper father is behind bars and the siblings (his children) are back with their mother
‘I resign but none of this is my fault’
Justice minister hands in resignation but says he had no responsibility in serial killer fiasco.
The eighth victim of the serial killer
The seven murders of ‘Orestis’ caused a political earthquake. As a result, Ionas Nicolaou resigned yesterday for reasons of political responsibility. He too is a victim of the serial killer. The President of the Republic praises the ethos of the justice minister and makes clear he will not carry out a (cabinet) reshuffle. Nicos Anastasiades: the president apologised yesterday to the families of the victims of the serial killer. Today he will announce measures for further protection of migrants. A special unit will be set up at the ombudswoman’s office which will examine all the complaints concerning foreign workers in Cyprus.
- Abduction: The mother trusted him with the children and he delivered them to the father…
Main News
Nicosia satisfied with UN Security Council recommendations
Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, Energy, External Security
OVERVIEW
Nicosia appears to be satisfied with the announcement of the UN Security Council on Thursday that underlined the urgent need for a settlement in Cyprus, the papers reported.
After being briefed by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca on the latest report of UNSG Antonio Guterres on his Good Offices Mission, Dian Triansyah Djani, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN and President of the Security Council for the month of May, said the Security Council welcomed the report and emphasised the urgent need for a settlement which would be overwhelmingly in the security and economic interest of all Cypriots and of the region.
Djani said that the Council urges both sides to the conflict “to agree terms of reference (ToR) as a basis for meaningful result-oriented negotiation, mindful of the natural window of opportunity presented by the current electoral cycle.”
Council members, he said, encourage the leaders of the two communities “to prepare for a settlement through positive public messages on convergences and the way ahead”. The UNSC also emphasised “the need to avoid actions that damage the chances of success and urge the implementation and further development of confidence-building measures (CBMs).”
Politis reported that the GC side appears satisfied with the results of the discussion which was concluded without any unpleasant surprises or negative references.
The call on the two sides to engage in dialogue to assist in further CBMs, the daily said, is a clear message to the two sides that they must tone down the tension between them and focus on positive elements that would allow for the preparation of the ToR.
Phileleftheros reports that the Security Council is pressing for acceptance of the ToR. Diplomatic sources told the daily that reference to the need to avoid actions that damage the chances of success is the Security Council’s response to Turkey’s decision to send an exploratory vessel in the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey, the paper said, is planning an ‘invasion’ in Cypriot offshore blocks south of Limassol in an attempt to create new faits accomplis and create tension.
Citing the Greek online paper Liberal, Phileleftheros reports that Turkey is sending the seismic vessel Barbaros south of Limassol within blocks of the Cypriot exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in which activities are currently underway on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus.
Turkey issued a Navtex announcing seismic exploration activities in the area in question by Barbaros and auxiliary vessels M/V TANUX-1 and R/V APOLLO MOON between May 1 and July 31, 2019.
The previous months, Barbaros had carried out seismic research south of Larnaca, the daily said, adding that both areas concern the illegal blocks ‘F’ and ‘G’ which the pseudo-state ‘gave’ to the Turkish state’s petroleum company (TPAO) where according to the document the Turkish side submitted to the UN, an illegal drilling will take place shortly.
The paper also reports that Greek Nea Dimokratia MP Giorgos Koumoutsakos discussed with UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Cyprus issue during a meeting at UN headquarters in New York.
Citing a well-informed source, Phileleftheros and Haravgi reported that discussion focused on developments in the East Mediterranean and the tension that has been created lately by Turkey, but also the prospects in the area with the purpose of relieving the present tension.
Koumoutsakos stressed that there is no intention to block Turkey from regional cooperation but rather Turkey has excluded itself from developments, by not accepting the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and by not recognising the Republic of Cyprus and its legitimate rights.
In relation to the Cyprus issue, Koumoutsakos pointed out to the UN official the need for thorough preparation of the negotiations, while in order to have positive results there must be no rush or artificial timeframes.
Koumoutsakos was in New York to participate in the conference by the Economist on energy developments and future investments in the Eastern Mediterranean. Attending the conference, which took place yesterday, were also finance and energy ministers, Harris Georgiades and Giorgos Lakkotrypis, the papers reported.
KEY ACTORS
UN Security Council
>> Stresses the urgent need for a solution to the Cyprob to benefit Cypriots and the region.
>> Calls on the two sides to agree on ToR that would lead to results-oriented talks having in mind the current window of opportunity regarding election cycles.
>> The two leaders ought to send out positive public messages on convergences and the way ahead and implement more CBMs.
>> Actions that harm the process must be avoided.
Barbaros continues research activity within Cypriot EEZ
Phileleftheros
Energy, External Security
OVERVIEW
The Turkish seismic vessel Barbaros returned to the Cypriot EEZ on Thursday around the Eratosthenes seamount while research by the Nautical Geo vessel on behalf of the Republic on the next drilling targets in blocks 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 are close to completion.
According to the daily, undersea research concerning the targets of the next four drillings within the Cypriot EEZ have been completed, while research on the possibility of a fifth target within block 7 near the Calypso gas deposit is to be completed within the next couple of days.
All the new data is already being examined by the energy companies that have the exploration rights for each block as well as the Ministry of Energy and the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company, the daily said, adding that this data shows that, geologically, the energy future of Cyprus in relation to the discovery and exploitation of hydrocarbons was determined millions of years ago by the Eratosthenes seamount. Nearly all the next drillings concern targets around and very close to the sea mount.
There is, however, another target in a block not directly related to Eratosthenes on which drilling will take place in due time.
Meanwhile, Barbaros has provocatively returned on Thursday for seismographic activity in blocks 1, 8 and 11 of the Cypriot EEZ , the daily said, on the basis of a new illegal Navtex by Turkey, which ‘binds’ around 4,000 square kilometres covering the area around 30km from Akrotiri on a parallel axis with the Pissouri-Akrotiri-Limassol axis.
Barbaros was previously in another area again in a distance of up to 30km from the coast of Cyprus, carrying out research for nearly four months in areas of blocks 1, 8, 9 and 12.
The Turkish vessel has been particularly focused on an area outside the illegal Navtex, which is about 25km from Akrotiri, while on one occasion, in the Eratosthenes seamount where surveys were conducted on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus, the daily reported.
At the same time, it said, Turkey, with another illegal Navtex, has ‘bound’ an area that overlaps parts of blocks 9 and 12 and is very close to the boundaries of the sea area between Cyprus and Israel used for naval exercises in various periods, starting from Friday, May 16.
Meanwhile, the Republic of Cyprus has announced in its own Navtex, large-scale multinational exercises between May 27 and 31 in sea areas south and southwest of Cyprus – overlapping also areas Turkey has illegally reserved for Barbaros, Phileleftheros reported.
TC authorities hand over to GC side man who abducted his children
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
CBMs, Internal Security
OVERVIEW
A 42-year-old Jordanian man was remanded for eight days on Thursday in connection with abducting his three children from Limassol and fleeing to the north on Tuesday.
The 42-year-old was located by authorities in the north and returned to the Republic through the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Crime.
Police also arrested a 30-year-old man from Saudi Arabia on suspicion of helping the estranged father take the children, 12, six, and four, from the Palestinian mother who is the legal guardian.
The children were in good health but underwent medical checks as a precaution.
Police said the 30-year-old had been looking after the children on behalf of the mother, 36. He allegedly drove them to the parking lot at the Jumbo toy store in Polemidia, where the 42-year-old waited.
The 42-year-old reportedly told the 30-year-old he was to return the children in about an hour but went to Nicosia instead and crossed to the north through a security blind spot in the buffer zone. The man told police he wanted to return to Jordan with his children and thought that this way his wife would be forced to follow him.
Police are also seeking a Syrian man who assisted the father in crossing to the north.
Revered Ayia Triada elderly man dies
Politis
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Savvas Liasis, who had been enclaved in Ayia Triada in Karpasia since 1974, died on Tuesday at the age of 89 after being ill for a short period of time.
Liasis, who died at the EOKA fighters’ hospital in Limassol, has been a symbol for the enclaved of Karpasia due to his high spirit and contribution to society, the paper said.
He was the father of Yiannakis Liasi who had been among the missing persons until 2014 when his remains were found and buried in Karpasia. This was the first funeral of a GC missing person in the north. His wife died a few months after the funeral of their son.
Liasis, who was known by the TCs and Turks of Karpasia as ‘Rumbaba’ (the father of the Rum), had a grocery shop in Yialousa until 1980. In 1974, after Turkish troops entered Ayia Triada he took on a number of duties for the protection of his compatriots. Since he could speak English and Turkish he acted as mediator between the GCs living there and the TC administration and during the first years after the invasion, he was offering as a volunteer language lessons to the enclaved pupils.
Liasis, according to the daily, used to also transfer GCs and TCs with his car to the hospital and was loved also by the Turkish nationals living in the area.
During the funeral of his son, his Turkish neighbours helped clean the house and offered chairs for those who would attend.
In an interview with Phileleftheros in August 2018, Liasis said he felt free by being able to live in his village while had he been in the free areas, this would make him feel deprived of this freedom.
His death comes a few days before his daughter, artist Toula Liasis, presents her latest exhibition on the missing persons of Cyprus which is to be opened on May 10 at the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre.
Liasis’ funeral will take place on Sunday afternoon at the Ayia Triada church in Karpasia.
Bicommunal rally to mark Labour Day
Haravgi
Economy
OVERVIEW
Thousands of GCs and TCs marked together Labour Day on Wednesday at the Ledra Palace in an event organised by PEO and TC trade union DEV-IS.
Participants sent out the message that the common victories achieved during very difficult times in the past unite workers from both communities who are ready to engage in new class struggles for a better future for Cypriots, the daily said.
During the event, AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou reiterated that Nicos Anastasiades risks going down in history as the president of partition unless he realises there is need to work with consistency based on the agreed solution framework, and takes initiatives for the prompt resumption of talks from where they left off in Crans Montana.
We can fight together with our TC compatriots to be rid of the barbed wire and the occupation troops and reunite our country, he said.
The general secretaries of PEO and DEV-IS, Pambis Kyritsis and Hasan Felek, warned that lack of mobility creates enormous risk for the final partition of the island. They called on the two leaders to rise up to the occasion and relaunch the talks based on the convergences achieved so far and on the Guterres framework, the daily reported.
The main event that took place at the football pitch within the buffer zone was not however covered by the GC television channels, Haravgi said, adding that this caused discontent among attendants and was negatively discussed on social media.
KEY ACTORS
Kyprianou (AKEL)
>> Unless Anastasiades takes initiative to resume talks where they left off in Crans Montana & based on the agreed solution framework he risks being known as the president of partition.
>> GCs and TCs can fight together to reunite the country and be rid of occupation troops.
Kyritsis (PEO) & Felek (DEV-IS)
>> Inaction is a step closer to the consolidation of partition.
>> Call on two leaders to relaunch talks based on past convergences & on Guterres framework.
Ozersay: Cyprus’ EU accession unfair to TCs
Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Economy, EU Matters, CBMs, Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on various issues discussed in the north such as the financial protocol with Turkey and statements by Kudret Ozersay on the negative impact of Cyprus’ EU accession on TCs.
Following media reports in the north, TC ‘Prime Minister’ Tufan Erhurman refuted claims that there is bad blood between Turkey and the pseudo-state, adding that he would sign the ‘economic protocol’ next week, noting that the reasons he had not done so, so far, were purely technical, the papers reported.
Meanwhile, ‘Foreign Minister’ Kudret Ozersay said that the Cyprus Republic’s accession to the European Union in 2004 was unfair on TCs.
Citing an announcement by Ozersay on the occasion of the anniversary of Cyprus’ accession to the EU, the papers report that the TC politician said the decision on Cyprus’ EU membership “was wrong, it was unilateral and it was done before the Cyprus problem was resolved.”
He also said that the TCs were those affected by the negative effects of accession which contributed to the two communities drifting further apart and was one of the reasons why the solution of the Cyprus problem is moving further away.
Ozersay, Phileleftheros reported, accused the GCs of moving away from the goal of a solution from the moment they had the security of the EU. Stating that TCs are European citizens, he called on the EU to take steps to fulfill its promises and end their so-called isolation, Phileleftheros reports.
Phileleftheros also reports that according to TC newspaper Havadis, Mehmet Harmanci, the ‘mayor’ of occupied Nicosia, had in the last days a meeting with representatives of trade union groups to inform them about the agreement with Constantinos Yiorkadjis on the creation of new crossing points at the Paphos and Famagusta Gates. Harmanci reportedly said that creating a crossing point at the Famagusta Gate for cars would alleviate the traffic problem at the Ayios Dhometios crossing.
KEY ACTORS
Erhurman
>> No problems in relations with Turkey.
Ozersay
>> Cyprus’ EU membership negatively affected the TCs. It was unfair, wrong, unilateral and done before the Cyprob was solved.
>> Accession contributed to the two communities drifting further apart and is one of the reasons why the solution of the Cyprob seems more distant since GCs moved away from this goal.
>> The EU must fulfil its promises to the TCs who are also European citizens & end their isolation.