Front Page Headlines
Rolling their sleeves up for the final rallying of supporters
The government is again using the ‘success story’ against AKEL. DISY is fishing for votes from ELAM and the undecided. AKEL aims at supporters of the BBF (Bizonal Bicommunal Federation) and those abstaining.
- (Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Katrougalos:) “Hot” waters in the East Med
- Niyazi Kizilyurek: People did not react
- Information and Euro-elections
Final battle for the undecided
Election teams are betting on ‘party patriotism’. Top spot and sixth seat remain a question until the end.
- They reposition the Cyprus problem: In line with Ankara
- Cyprus supports but does not follow in Mauritius’ steps
No vote should go to waste
No potential vote to AKEL-Left-New Forces should go to waste in the European elections this Sunday, the AKEL General Secretary stressed, criticising DISY for transformations and for misleading citizens. They consciously sow fear, he said, and cause a rift through insults, aphorisms, name-calling and immoral attacks.
- (AKEL spokesman Stefanos Stefanou:) Unity is not an opportunity flag
May clings to power as gambit backfires
PM could name departure date as early as today as voters go to Euro polls.
- Government tiptoes around Chagos implications for the British bases
Two ‘secret’ votes: 81,611 TCs, 10,559 EU citizens
The unknown factor of the Euro-elections. One cannot rule out that two unpredictable factors could define the top spot in the European elections: 81,611 votes of the TCs which AKEL targets and the 10,559 votes of the EU citizens which DISY targets. Campaign by AKEL to have (Neoclis) Sylikiotis and (Niyazi) Kizilyurek elected, with Giorgos K. Georgiou not happy.
- Final accusations (AKEL-government)
- DIKO throws down the gauntlet to AKEL
- EDEK: Threw into the battle also those who’ve distanced themselves (from the party)
- (Greek FM) Giorgos Katrougalos: Does not rule out hot episode between Turkey and Greece
- The government clarifies: At this stage there is no issue on British bases
Main News
Prodromou: There is currently no issue on bases
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
External Security, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The government said it was not thinking at
the moment of raising the issue of the British bases following the precedent
set by the Mauritius case. Most parties however call on the government to seize
the opportunity to be rid of the bases, the papers report.
Following the adoption this week of a UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution
that supports a non-binding advisory opinion issued by the International Court
of Justice (ICJ) in February, which found Britain had acted unlawfully in the
decolonisation process and should relinquish control of the Chagos Islands in
the Indian Ocean, the government said it was not thinking of launching any
similar actions concerning the bases on Cyprus.
Government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said “the president and the foreign minister were clear after the international court’s decision – which of course has its gravity and value – it was not the Republic’s option at this stage to raise such an issue.”
He said the government at the moment is in consultation with the UK over its stance towards Turkish violations of the island’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). “It is a discussion that is open, the president has addressed a letter to Prime Minister (Theresa) May and consultations continue,” Prodromou said.
Asked whether Cyprus linked its reaction to the UN decision with the consultations, Prodromou said discussion with Britain was based on the fact noted by the president. “The UK has particular reasons to be careful in its position over the sovereign rights of the Republic due to the interests the UK has in relation with Cyprus,” Prodromou said.
Attorney-general Costas Clerides said Cyprus now had two strong cases that could be used if the political leadership decided to do so. “It has been clarified that if a colonial power does not carry out a full decolonisation of the colonies it occupied, this constitutes a continuous violation of international law and a blatant violation of peoples’ right to self-determination,” he said.
“There cannot be self-determination with independence with part of the territory of the new independent state to be used for any purpose,” he said.
During the UNGA, deputy permanent representative of Cyprus to the UN, Polly Ioannou welcomed the fact that the Court’s interpretation of self-determination rejects methods employed to prevent complete decolonisation.
“Self-determination, at the core of decolonisation, is an inalienable right, and colonial powers are obliged to give it full respect in territories wholly or partially deprived of that right. No arrangements can allow a power to escape its international law obligations,” she said.
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman told the Cyprus News Agency that the joint UK – US defence facility on the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) helps to keep people in Britain and around the world safe from terrorism, organised crime and piracy.
She added that the UK has made a long-standing commitment since 1965 to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes. “We stand by that commitment” she added.
She said the UK remains disappointed that
this matter was referred to the ICJ and the UN General Assembly. “The basic
principle that the ICJ should not consider bilateral sovereignty disputes
without the consent of both states concerned has been circumvented and this
could have wide-reaching implications for all UN member states” she said.
The majority of political parties however, called on the government to seize
the opportunity.
DISY said that the decisions of the UN and the ICJ must be thoroughly studied by the government. Political handling of the case ought to be made at the right time, the party said.
DIKO said the UN Resolution on Mauritius shows the way for the Republic of Cyprus. “If British bases remain as is after Brexit, this would constitute a defeat for the RoC.”
EDEK believes the RoC ought to utilise the decision in question, “to be able to claim riddance of the presence of the British bases.”
The Greens said the government ought to utilise this decision while the Citizens’ Alliance expressed hope that the government “would finally dare do what Mauritius has done.”
Phileleftheros reports that while Cyprus was among the countries that voted in favour of the UN General Assembly’s decision asking Britain to give up control over the Chagos Islands within six months, Nicosia does not have on its agenda raising a similar issue with London on the British presence on the island.
Cyprus Mail reported that the government tiptoed around giving a clear answer on whether it would utilise the UN decision, seen as a test of the legitimacy of deals struck between great powers and small states at the end of the colonial era, which could also include Cyprus, the paper said.
Alithia reported that the government has made it clear there is no bases issue at this stage. The paper said DIKO and other opposition parties seem to have selective memory and forget that the Annan Plan, which the then President Tassos Papadopoulos had called on Cypriots to reject, provided for the return of a large part of the bases territory to the RoC. Among the positive aspects of the plan was the return of around 100 square kilometres of the bases territory to the unified RoC. There was a paragraph in the Annan plans 4 and 5 which was the final one defining the procedure through which the adjustment of the bases’ boundaries would be made, the paper reported.
KEY ACTORS
Prodromou
>> While the ICJ decision has its gravity and value Anastasiades had made it clear the RoC would not raise such an issue at present.
>> Discussion with Britain is now based on the fact the UK has particular reasons to be careful in its position over the sovereign rights of the Republic due to the UK’s interests in relation with Cyprus.
Clerides (AG)
>> Cyprus now has two strong cases that could be used if the political leadership decides to do so.
>> It is now clear that if a colonial power does not carry out a full decolonisation of the colonies it occupied, this constitutes a continuous violation of international law and a blatant violation of peoples’ right to self-determination.
>> There cannot be self-determination with independence with part of the territory of the new independent state to be used for any purpose.
Ioannou (RoC’s deputy rep to the UN)
>> Welcomes the ICJ interpretation of self-determination that rejects methods employed to prevent complete decolonisation.
>> Self-determination is an inalienable right, and colonial powers are obliged to give it full respect in territories wholly or partially deprived of that right. Powers cannot use other arrangements as an excuse to escape their international law obligations.
UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
>> The joint UK-US defence facility on the BIOT helps to keep people in Britain and around the world safe from terrorism, organised crime and piracy.
>> The UK stands by its 1965 commitment to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes.
>> The UK is disappointed that this matter was referred to the ICJ and the UNGA since the basic principle that the ICJ should not consider bilateral sovereignty disputes without the consent of both states concerned has been circumvented. This could have wide-reaching implications for all UN member states.
DISY
>> The decisions of the UN and the ICJ must be thoroughly studied by the government which ought to make political handling of the case at the right time.
DIKO
>> The UN Resolution on Mauritius shows the way for the RoC.
>> Warns that if British bases remain as is after Brexit, this would constitute a defeat for the RoC.
EDEK
>> The RoC ought to utilise the UNGA decision to be rid of the presence of the British bases.
Greens
>> The government ought to utilise this decision.
Citizens’ Alliance
>> Hopes the government will finally dare do the same as Mauritius.
Anastasiades meets Spehar
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
President Nicos Anastasiades was to meet with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Elizabeth Spehar on Friday morning.
UN spokesperson in Cyprus, Aleem Siddique told the Cyprus News Agency that Spehar was to meet with Anastasiades to listen to his views about the current situation. She is to also discuss with him the UNSG’s latest report on his good offices mission in Cyprus and his forthcoming report on the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
Siddique recalled that Spehar had requested to hold meetings with the two leaders. She already met with TC leader Mustafa Akinci on May 7.
Politis reports that the UNFICYP report is expected to be ready by the end of June. Sources within the UN highlighted the developments on the issue of the peacekeeping force as there are some trends from countries like Britain and the US, which may put pressure on the interconnection of the renewal of UNFICYP mandates with developments on the Cyprus problem, the daily said.
On the contrary, according to the same sources, France and Russia believe the two issues should not be interconnected, a position supported by Cyprus, the daily reports.
Greek FM: Incident with Turkey possible if tension escalates
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Energy, External Security, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Katrougalos warned that if the escalation continues there could be a hot incident between Greece and Turkey, the papers report.
Phileleftheros reports that Katrougalos did not rule out the possibility of a hot incident between Cyprus and Turkey.
[Reviewer’s note: The Cyprus News Agency that reported Katrougalos’ statements, and from which the papers usually get their stories, said there has been a mistake in the initial reporting when the Greek FM was quoted referring to the possibility of an incident between Turkey and Cyprus. The FM talked about the possibility of an incident between Turkey and Greece, CNA said.]
Speaking to Greek media, Katrougalos said that Turkey’s provocative and revisionist stance regarding international law as well as its illegal actions in Cyprus’ EEZ lead to the country’s isolation by the international community.
In an interview with the Greek website Indicator.gr Katrougalos said the presence of the Turkish drillship Fatih in Cyprus’ EEZ constitutes a blatant violation of the international law and of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus.
Turkey is aiming to create grey zones, he said.
“Greece remains in constant coordination with the Republic of Cyprus, in order to specify further appropriate action”, Katrougalos said.
Recalling the European Council Conclusions
on March 2018, the recent statement of the EU High Representative Federica
Mogherini, as well as the US State Department’s statements, Katrougalos noted
that the whole international community denounces Turkish actions.
Greece does not wish for Turkey’s isolation, he said. “We wish for dialogue with Turkey but when these illegal actions stop, and
discussion based on the Law of the Sea and international law,” he said.
Speaking to radio station ERA1,
Katrougalos commented on the recent visit of a Turkish delegation to Athens for
discussions on confidence-building measures. “When tension is rising, there is
a greater possibility for a hot incident to happen,” he said, arguing that no
one wishes for such a scenario and that is why Greece and Turkey should focus
on the agreed confidence-building measures between them to eliminate the
possibility of “an accident in the Aegean.”
Politis reports that Katrougalos’
assessment of the possibility of a hot incident is reinforced by a position expressed
in the statements by the vice-president of the Turkish AKP, Numan Kurtulmus who
said: “We are on the brink of a new war in the Eastern Mediterranean.” He even
used the expression “the waters warmed up… they started to boil.”
Along the same lines was Turkish vice President Fuat Oktay who pointed out how the activities of the Republic of Cyprus in the hydrocarbon sector pose risks to security and stability in the area,” Politis reported.
Politis, citing sources that have the necessary technical training reported that if Turkey does not finally proceed to drilling, this will not be due to technical issues, but to political will, as from a technocratic point of view, even if it does not have the necessary means now, it can acquire it soon
KEY ACTORS
Katrougalos
>> Presence of Fatih in Cyprus’ EEZ is a blatant violation of international law & sovereign rights of the RoC. The whole international community denounces Turkish actions.
>> Turkey’s aim is to create grey zones in the area.
>> Greece is in constant coordination with the RoC in order to decide on further action.
>> Greece does not wish for Turkey’s isolation but a dialogue based on the Law of the Sea and international law which can only happen when the latter’s illegal actions stop.
>> If tension continues to rise there could be a hot incident in the Aegean. To avert that Greece and Turkey need to focus on the agreed CBMs.
Kurtulmus (AKP Turkey)
>> Turkey ison the brink of a new war in the East Med as the waters are warmed up and starting to boil.
Oktay (Turkey)
>> Activities of the RoC in the hydrocarbon sector pose risks to security and stability in the area.
Kizilyurek: Basis of peace in Cyprus is the common good of GCs & TCs
Politis
EU Matters
OVERVIEW
AKEL MEP candidate Niyazi Kizilyurek said he feels sad that the elite on both sides of the divide have yet to acquire a high-level political culture.
In an interview with Politis, Kizilyurek said what AKEL has done, to include a TC on the ticket of a GC party is pioneering.
“I was expecting reactions,” he said, adding that some in the occupied areas were concerned about the mass descent of TCs to the ballots which they did not want. “The right wing in the occupied areas fought this candidacy very much,” he said. On the other hand, in the GC community there were two trends: “One was reaction due to ignorance and the other was an expression of concern that my candidacy affects political goings-on between parties,” he said.
Kizilyurek said the pleasant part of the election campaign was that the simple people he met on both sides were mature, wise, and pro-peace. “Crossing from one side to the other, I was not distinguishing people,” he said, adding that they were so alike and their common concern was that this de facto situation could at some point become a permanent one.
He said he was met with reaction by the elite on both sides.
“Mostly for psychological reasons, I was saddened a bit because the elite in my country are still far from a perception of a high-level of political culture,” he said.
The MEP candidate said that announcements against him from both sides were similar.
“If one reads the announcement by the TMT fighters and of (DISY MEP candidate) Eleni Stavrou they will see the exact same words. Just in one case it refers to a Turk and in the other to a Greek,” he said.
Those who want a change in the status quo are not bothered by his candidacy but are glad, he said, while those who cannot accept it are those who cannot let go of the status quo.
On who he will be representing, he said: “My voters who have the same world view as mine.”
On criticism that he will be the voice of the TCs once elected, he said that instead of some in the GC side being happy that he was able to mobilise people to vote, despite strong efforts by the TC National Unity Party (UBP) that terrorized them into not voting, “they were concerned and tried to find expediencies where there are none.”
He said he has not heard a clear position from those against his candidacy on what exactly they did not like about his campaign.
He said he finds expediencies behind such reactions. “There was never an issue of reinforcing the TC entity. It is about reinforcing the TC citizens of the EU, and there is a huge difference.”
Commenting on reports on the unknown factor which is the TC vote, he said, that during the 2014 Euro-elections 1,700 TCs had voted.
“When I started my struggle, I said I would be satisfied if we gather 3,000 people. But now, towards the end of the campaign I see that this number is increased because our campaign was on the European dimension of the TC citizen which had been forgotten,” he said.
He assessed that TC vote participation might triple last time’s figure.
Kizilyurek said his slogan ‘Whole of Cyprus’ (Oliki Kypros) has been his compass for the last 30 years.
He said he spoke about the ‘Whole of Cyprus’ for the first time in 1988 and released the relevant book in which he describes that what’s good for him is neither Greek nor Turkish. “The good should be common. This is the basis of the future peace in Cyprus, because above all I am struggling for lasting peace in my country. Therefore, whole of Cyprus is the public common good of the citizens and of the two communities.
This perception, he said, had been guiding him on everything he has done in his life.
KEY ACTORS
Kizilyurek (AKEL)
>> Believes it is a pioneering move for a GC party to include a TC on its ticket.
>> Everyday people on both sides are mature, wise, and pro-peace and their common concern is solidification of the status quo. Saddened however by the elites that lack high-level political culture.
>> Believes those who want a change in the status quo are not bothered by his candidacy but are glad while those against it cannot let go of the status go.
>> He will be representing at the EP his voters who have the same world view as him.
>> His candidacy was never about reinforcing the TC entity but the TC citizens of the EU which is very different.
>> Believes the good of Cyprus is not Greek or Turkish but something common which is the basis of the future peace on the island.
Parties battle it out for vote of the undecided
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The spats between parties ahead of the elections and the possible impact of TC votes on the results continue to be among the main issues covered by the papers.
Phileleftheros reports that the last lap of the election campaigns are the most powerful ones with the political forces trying to earn more votes. Parties now focus on the undecided since according to the latest polls one in three either did not say how they would vote or have not decided yet.
The government continues to number its achievements over the past six years mainly on the economy while AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou continues to criticise the government, but also DISY, stating that Averof Neophytou and the Presidential Palace are behaving in a way that insults political life and politicians and that government ministers are part of the election campaign by presenting the work of their ministries so far.
He also accused the government and DISY that instead of using arguments, they consciously choose to sow fear and divide society. “They are consciously lying that they risk losing the top spot to fanaticise their followers,” Kyprianou said, Phileleftheros reports.
Haravgi reports that Kyprianou called on everyone to be the voice calling for Cyprus “to be reunited and lay the foundations for a safe, stable and peaceful future.”
The AKEL leader said every vote to his party counts because it is against those who want no change in Europe and in Cyprus.
Haravgi also reports that ruling DISY tried to give lessons in patriotism by calling on AKEL to “put Cyprus’ benefit above the temporary party benefits and stop blaming the government and President Anastasiades either for the lack of negotiations or Turkey’s aggression.”
AKEL spokesman Stefanos Stefanou responded by saying that indeed the country is going through difficult times and unity is in order. He asked however, how does the government serve this notion of unity while calling their political adversaries as zeros and implying that the biggest opposition party is betraying Cyprus alleging that it is promoting Turkey’s policies, Haravgi reported.
According to Alithia, the unknown factor not recorded by the polls is the TCs and citizens of other EU member states living in Cyprus which could define the election results. Of the 641,181 people eligible to vote on Sunday, 81,611 are TCs and 10,559 EU citizens, while around 10,500 TCs are expected to vote, which is around the same number as the EU citizens, the paper said .
It is known that TCs will most probably opt to vote for AKEL candidate Niyazi Kizilyurek but it is not known how the citizens of other EU countries will vote. It is estimated that, as liberals and being pro-Europe they would not easily give their vote to AKEL, which in essence is negative toward Europe. It would be easier to give it to DISY, a pre-eminently pro-European party, the paper said.
Alithia also reports that AKEL is putting all its weight on getting Neoclis Sylikiotis and Kizilyurek elected which disgruntled Giorgos Georgiou, another candidate. Sources told the paper however that Georgiou has more chances of getting elected than Sylikiotis while Kizilyurek’s election is at no risk.
According to Politis, DISY is now focusing on snatching votes from far right ELAM and on the undecided. DISY is trying to stage a derby match for the top spot, arguing that it is not clear and that there is a possibility this may be defined by the TC turnout, which AKEL’s Kyprianou categorically rejects by giving DISY a clear lead, at least for the time being, Politis reports.
The paper also said that EDEK, fighting for the sixth seat along with ELAM, has now recruited members Yiannakis Omirou and Giorgos Varnava who are not so active anymore in a bid to garner more support among its traditional voters.
Meanwhile, Phileleftheros reports that DISY said it was not the sender of an SMS message sent on Thursday calling on people to vote for the ruling party. The message that caused quite a stir on social media, said: “I vote for DISY because I love my country, I love God and my children! I want to live in dignity. DISY.”
DISY said in an official statement it did not send the message in question and that it had reported this to the police electronic crime unit, Phileleftheros reported.
The Cyprus Mail reports that TCs could tip the election balance since polls show opposition AKEL closing the gap with ruling DISY without even factoring in TC voters who amount to around 81,000. The possibility of TCs turning up in high enough numbers makes DISY concerned it may lose its top spot.
Demetris Demetriou, assistant to the Chief Returning Officer, told the Cyprus Mail that 81,600 TCs are registered on the special electoral roll for the Euro-elections accounting for around 12 per cent of those registered to vote in Sunday’s elections.
It is known that TCs gravitate to AKEL, while this time the party’s roster of candidates features Niyazi Kizilyurek, a respected TC professor. The fact that polls show AKEL closing the gap with DISY without even factoring in TC voters could explain why DISY leader Neophytou warned that, if GCs abstain from the upcoming ballot, TCs could determine the outcome, the paper said.
Anxiety over abstention is not unwarranted, given that the turnout in the 2014 European elections was very low, at 43.97 per cent, it said.
High tobacco taxation pushes consumers north
Phileleftheros
Economy
OVERVIEW
The state lost €20m last year in tobacco tax revenue since many choose to purchase cigarettes and tobacco from the occupied areas, the paper reported.
Citing experts, the paper reports that the loss is expected to rise to around €22m in 2019.
It is no secret that many GCs choose to make their purchases in the occupied areas, including of cigarettes for financial reasons, the daily argues, adding that 60 per cent of the items found on persons crossing from the north that are confiscated by Customs are cigarettes and tobacco.
The devaluation of the Turkish lira has led to even more GCs crossing to the occupied areas to purchase these items. The director of Cosmos Tobacco Vasilis Petrides told Phileleftheros’ Insider financial segment that between 80% and 85% of cigarette prices is taxes, citing estimated losses of about 10 per cent during the past 12 months.
Petrides said 30 grammes of tobacco cost €7 in the free areas whereas 50g of tobacco cost €4.5 in the occupied areas.
Other market executives also expressed their concerns over the tax and duties on tobacco products, arguing that a reduction would somewhat restrict flows to the occupied areas for the purchase of tobacco products, the paper reported.