Front Page Headlines
The dismissal of the (police) chief eases the tension
(Anastasiades:) “Dear Zacharias” thank you but I have no other choice. Rumours on who will be the heir to the chief’s chair that will be empty on Monday. Many scenarios, no specific intention from Nicos Anastasiades.
- The ‘Conqueror’ disturbs the waters – Turkey is drilling west of Paphos. Navtex by Ankara for drilling until September 3.
- Lute gets back to work
- Euro-elections: Anyone else for Brussels?
The (Police) Chief’s chair is electric
Zacharias Chrysostomou is the fourth police chief that is being dismissed. He refused to resign because he did not want to assume the responsibilities of others. Who will be the new Chief? Scenarios also for the new justice minister.
- The president is ready for an informal Crans Montana – (Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut) Cavusoglu is back again
- Turkish drillship: En route to Cyprus but outside the Cypriot exclusive economic zone
- Seventy-two candidates in battle positions for six posts: Nine TCs
- Our free enclaved man has passed away
They were forced to also dismiss the (police) chief
The Chief of Police refused to voluntarily hand in his resignation, but President Anastasiades, after being forced to accept the resignation of the justice minister had no choice but to go ahead with the dismissal of Mr Zacharias Chrysostomou. In the meantime, investigations with the sonar system continue today. The second body (found) was also identified.
- Discussion on the federation
- The members of the Security Council stressed the urgent need for the settlement of the Cyprus problem
- Change of course for the tomorrow we deserve (AKEL Euro-election candidates)
Police chief is given the sack
Chrysostomou faced huge pressure to quit after police accused of failing to properly probe cases of missing women.
- Parties field candidates for Euro-elections
The (police) chief was dismissed
Lightning strike from the Attorney-general against the police.
- Kibris: The applications of (Greek) Cypriots to the ‘compensation commission’ have decreased
- Provocation: The UN Security Council is saying one thing, Turkey is doing another
- Euro-elections: In the final stretch – Seventy-two candidates for six seats in the European Parliament. Averof Neophytou: We vote for Europe and we move forward.
- Turkey is accusing NATO of a blunder because it invited Cyprus to an event
- British report: Persecution of Christians in occupied Cyprus
Main News
Turkish drillship readies for work while Anastasiades talks Cyprob with Guterres
Alithia, Phileleftheros, Politis
Energy, Negotiation Process, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The Cyprus problem and the latest developments concerning Turkey’s drilling activities in Cyprus’ EEZ are two of the main stories the papers covered on Saturday.
Politis reports that, as Turkish drillship Fatih is about to drill some 45 nautical miles west of Akamas’ coast, the Republic of Cyprus is faced with the worst scenario as regards the region’s energy landscape.
Turkey is once more materialising her threats by bringing in the Fatih drillship and issuing a Navtex for drilling in the area in question until September 3, the daily said.
The government, aware of this, has already informed the permanent members of the UN Security Council, US State Department, EU top brass and Russian foreign minister. It is also promoting an international campaign against the Turkish intervention, seeking a condemnation of Turkish actions and sanctions by the EU, the daily reported.
It must be considered a certainty that the Republic of Cyprus will seek a freeze in Turkey’s EU accession course and European sanctions against companies and staff that take part in these activities, the paper said. It added that expectations, however, for averting Turkish intervention in the Cypriot EEZ are limited as the Turkish government seems to have decided to add another part of the EEZ in a grey zone area.
Politis reports that the Turkish drilling is not planned in the southern part of the EEZ and the 13 blocks delineated by agreements of the Republic of Cyprus with Egypt, Israel and Lebanon but near block 6 within the northern part of the Cypriot EEZ, which according to government sources has been delineated by a law of the Republic of Cyprus, though the coordinates of this area have not been submitted to the UN so as not to be accused of escalating the tension.
The government, however, maintains that the delimitation of the northern part of the EEZ through agreements with affected neighbouring states (including Turkey) does not limit its sovereign rights over this zone and does not justify, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (not signed by Turkey), any Turkish claims. The fact that Turkey has avoided at this stage the drilling of parts of blocks 4, 5 and 6, which it claims to be part of its own continental shelf, is attributed to the fact that she wants to avoid a reaction by the energy companies that operate in those blocks, the daily reported.
It said that Fatih was expected to be at the drilling target on Saturday morning.
Phileleftheros reported that while the drilling rig stayed until late on Friday outside the borders of the Cypriot EEZ, suspicious changes were made in relation to the names of its support vessels. In the last 24 hours, it said, the support ships that belong to the Norwegian company Siem, that also participated in the first drill of Fatih, changed names, from ‘Siem Sasha’ to the Turkish ‘Altan’, the ‘Siem Sophie’ was renamed as ‘Sancar’, and the ‘Siem Louisa’ was baptised as ‘Korkut’, the daily reported. The vessels were renamed but there was no change in their flag or ownership, it said.
In another article, Phileleftheros reported that Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou, commenting on the recent statement by the UN Security Council that actions which create and increase tension in the region should be avoided, was a message sent to the side that thinks it can act in an arbitrary manner or impose its own choices regardless of the law of the sea and regardless of the relations among states in the region, as well as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus.
On whether Anastasiades had a telephone communication with the UN Secretary-General’s envoy Jane Holl Lute, after reports that she had a telephone contact with TC leader Mustafa Akinci, Prodromou said he did not but that it could not be ruled out.
It is very important that the Security Council continues to support the effort and the UNSG’s initiative to resume negotiations, Prodromou said, adding that this is also the aim of Anastasiades.
Citing sources, Phileleftheros also reported that Anastasiades told the UN Secretary-General during their brief meeting in China last week that he is ready to participate in an informal meeting with the same composition as in Crans Montana.
Nicosia’s position, however, is that if the aim of the UNSG is an informal meeting along the same lines as that in Crans Montana, then Lute must consult with the Turkish side since Anastasiades already stated he is positive to such a prospect, the paper reported.
Alithia said that at a time when the UNSC sent a clear message to avoid any actions that would damage efforts on the Cyprus issue, Turkey ups tension within the Cypriot EEZ by sending its research ship Barbaros, but also its drillship, which according to information, is sailing at a very low speed in an area of the Cypriot EEZ, en route to “unlicensed blocks”.
KEY ACTORS
Prodromou
>> When UNSC sent message to avoid actions which create and increase tension in the region, it had in mind the side that thinks it can act arbitrarily & impose its own choices regardless of Law of the Sea & relations among states in the region, as well as laws of the Republic of Cyprus.
>> It is very important that the Security Council continues to support the effort and the UNSG’s initiative to resume negotiations. This is also the aim of Anastasiades.
Euro-election candidacies formally filed
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters
OVERVIEW
In total 72 candidates officially submitted their candidacy on Friday for the Euro-elections, among them nine TCs, the papers reported.
Phileleftheros reports that after the procedure ended, two appeals had been filed against the candidacy of TCs by independent candidate Haris Aristidou and candidate of the Nationalist Freedom Movement (EAK) Panayiotis Kleovoulou. Both appeals have been rejected since they were not within the legal framework, the paper said.
Far-right ELAM’s candidates refused to have their photo taken with a banner that was set up for all candidates to use as background because it included phrases written in the Turkish language.
It is reminded that the Turkish language according to the Constitution, is an official language of the Republic of Cyprus along with Greek, Phileleftheros said.
Sixty-nine candidates represent 13 parties and political movements, while the three independent candidacies are those of Haris Aristidou, Chrysanthos Mardapittas and Michalis Paraskeva.