Front Page Headlines
Fifty-nine per cent of TCs voted also for a GC candidate
Contrary to the assessment of some regarding a ‘racist’ vote. Of the 4,076 votes AKEL received from TCs, 96.27 per cent went to Niyazi Kizilyurek. Of the 6,330 preference votes given by TCs to AKEL candidates, 2,406 went to GCs.
- Investigation programme from (Presidential Commissioner Photis) Photiou – Around 430 fallen persons in the occupied areas not on the CMP’s lists. Excavations begin also in Pachyammos.
- AKEL: Initiative on the Cyprus problem
(European) Commission response on EEZ
We reveal the accession progress report on Turkey. In full solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus. Turkish descent on Brussels with maps of distraction. President meets Donald Tusk.
- (Former CMP member) Nestoras (Nestoros) drops bomb on 1974 missing persons – There might be (remains of) missing persons in boxes at the anthropology lab. He had asked Photiou for access to the records but received no reply.
- The future of UNFICYP is being decided – Meeting in Geneva.
- Games by the pseudo-state on a British wanted man
- War over the purchase of natural gas in Cyprus – Objections to the monopoly.
HIO (Health Insurance Organisation) on alert for (National Health Scheme) GESY’s introduction
The services of personal and specialist doctors, medicines and laboratories start from Saturday June 1. The HIO has created teams to solve potential problems when it comes to running the software system, as there are still doctors who do not know how to use it.
- AKEL initiatives with two goals…
- (Niyazi Kizilyurek:) The face of nationalism has been revealed
- The remains of one missing person were found in Engomi – New action plan by CMP.
Health authorities say ready for GESY
Preliminary list of over 1,000 available drugs drawn up, minister to answer questions.
- TC politician says AKEL more dangerous than ELAM
A few hours before the giant step
On Saturday GESY enters our lives. HIO declares its ready to tackle the problems that will arise. To date, 480,000 citizens have registered with the system and 358 general physicians, 104 paediatricians, 343 pharmacies, 560 pharmacists, 36 laboratories and 123 lab managers. The list of GESY medicines was published yesterday.
- Andros (Kyprianou) on Cyprob: He is waiting the elections in Greece before taking initiatives
- Anastasiades: We are preparing for the (European Council’s) June Summit
- (DIPA leader Marios) Garoyian at the National Council – He got the ‘Yes’ from the president.
Main News
Nicosia satisfied with Turkey’s EU accession report
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Energy, EU Matters, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of the European Council Donald Tusk reiterated their opposition to Turkey’s illegal activities within Cyprus’ EEZ after President Nicos Anastasiades briefed them on the latest developments while in Brussels to attend an informal EU28 dinner, the papers report.
Meanwhile, the president is preparing the ground for the June Summit of the European Council where Turkish actions in the Cypriot EEZ will be discussed. The papers also report that the EU’s progress report on Turkey’s accession reflects the latest developments.
Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said on Tuesday that Anastasiades briefed Merkel and Tusk during separate private meetings he had with them on Turkey’s ongoing illegal activities. He also discussed further steps with them and coordination of the discussion on this issue during the next European Council’s meeting in June. Both Merkel and Tusk expressed their solidarity with the Republic of Cyprus, Prodromou said.
Phileleftheros reports that Nicosia expresses satisfaction with the EU’s progress report on Turkey’s accession process which will be released today, and which makes clear that no new negotiation chapters will be launched.
Citing sources, the daily said the report states that under existing conditions, Turkey’s accession negotiations have come to a standstill and the opening of new negotiation chapters or completion of existing ones cannot be promoted while at the same time, further work to upgrade the Customs Union cannot be predicted at present. It also includes recommendations calling for the harmonisation of Turkish legislation with European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) case law, as well as negative findings on the course of the Turkish economy.
Meanwhile, the same sources told Phileleftheros that the Turkish foreign ministry sent a delegation to Brussels to brief EU officials and representatives of member states, except from Cyprus, on Turkey’s so-called legal rights and interests in the Cypriot EEZ.
AKEL: Two-state solution out of the question
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The papers report on the announcement by AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou that his party will take initiatives on the Cyprus problem after the general elections in Greece.
Haravgi reports that the announcement was made after Kyprianou met with former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis at the party’s offices in Nicosia.
AKEL will launch the
initiative after the election in Greece so that the party can have
consultations both with Anastasiades and the Greek government.
The initiative will be focused on two pillars; ending Turkish provocations and
relaunching the talks, Kyprianou said.
“If we fail to relaunch the talks out of fear of what the Turkish side will table, then we will head with mathematical precision to a permanent partition,” he said. Concerns on what the Turkish side may put on the negotiation table will have to be tackled with thorough preparation, backed by the positions tabled by the UN Secretary-General in Crans Montana, he said.
Kyprianou added that the Guterres Framework shields the GC side on issues concerning security, guarantees and the Turkish demand for a vote on all issues.
He made clear however that for the talks to resume, Turkish provocations in the Cypriot EEZ must come to an end.
He also condemned the statements by the new TC ‘prime minister’ Ersin Tatar on a two-state solution arguing that such a prospect is out of the question for AKEL.
“Turkey and the so-called prime minister must realise they will find us against them if and when they attempt to derail the Cyprus problem from the agreed solution basis,” he said according to Haravgi.
Alithia said that AKEL, on the one hand, is criticising Anastasiades for inaction, and on the other hand, announces that it will wait till after the elections in Greece to launch its initiative.
KEY ACTORS
Kyprianou (AKEL)
>> AKEL will take initiative on Cyprob aiming to end Turkish provocations & relaunch talks after Greek elections.
>> For talks to resume, Turkish provocations in Cypriot EEZ must stop.
>> If talks fail to resume out of fear of what Turkish demands will be, will lead with certainty to permanent partition.
>> Turkish demands can be tackled with thorough preparation & Guterres Framework that shields the GC side on security, guarantees & Turkish demand for a vote on all issues.
>> Condemns Tatar’s two-state solution comments & warns him and Turkey they will find themselves against AKEL if they try to stray from the agreed solution basis.
>> A two-state solution is out of the question.
UNFICYP mandate under the microscope
Phileleftheros
External Security
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that the future of UNFICYP as well as of other UN peacekeeping forces will be discussed on Wednesday in Geneva during a meeting convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The meeting will be attended by the heads of 14 UN peacekeeping missions from around the world, among them UNFICYP head Elizabeth Spehar, the daily reported.
The UN is under pressure by the US that calls for a review and even termination of peacekeeping missions, especially in areas where there is no risk of hostilities, the paper said.
This development affects Cyprus where there is pressure concerning UNFICYP. The UNFICYP issue will be in the spotlight again soon with the report on the renewal of its mandate which is to be submitted to the UN Security Council in July.
Spehar discussed UNFICYP with Anastasiades
during their latest meeting at the Presidential Palace, the daily reported.
Government plan to find more remains of missing persons
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
CBMs, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The Committee on Mission Persons (CMP) announced on Tuesday it unearthed the remains of one person in the village of Engomi in occupied Famagusta, the papers report.
The government announced at the same time that it would step up efforts to locate more remains.
The CMP announced that the latest discovery raises the number of missing persons found this year to 19 and renewed its plea to all communities on the island to assist its efforts by providing information on possible burial sites.
Politis reports the remains belong to an elderly GC man who did not leave his house during the invasion and was killed by Turkish soldiers. He was found buried under an olive tree outside his house. There are three more cases of missing persons in the same village, the daily reported.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides presented on Tuesday to the House committee on refugees an action plan following the disappointing results of the CMP in 2018 as regards locating remains.
The measures to be implemented are aimed at addressing Turkey’s complete refusal to cooperate with the CMP but also tackle difficulties met due to the passage of time, he said.
This will be done by raising awareness among the international community and curbing Turkey’s intransigence, and by also improving coordination between services to maximise their efficiency.
The minister ruled out terminating the operations of CMP before its mandate is completed. He told MPs he received reassurances from the European Commission that funding to CMP would continue. The EU funds cover around 75 per cent of the CMP’s expenses.
Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou told the House committee that the government is setting up a mechanism to locate in the occupied areas around 430 GCs killed during the invasion who are not on the CMP lists.
A proposal is to be tabled before cabinet in two weeks, along with another proposal on excavations in Pachyammos to locate another 13 GCs who were killed during the bombing of the area by Turkey in 1964, he told MPs.
Photiou told Politis that since the burial sites of these people are scattered in the occupied areas, initiatives are also expected by the TC side to give consent for excavations.
Phileleftheros reports that former GC CMP member Nestoras Nestoros put the spotlight on Photiou, arguing that while some missing persons are being sought in the occupied areas, their remains may be in boxes stored at the Committee’s anthropology lab.
Nestoros told Phileleftheros there are around 50 boxes with remains at the lab which were not identified and could include GCs but also Greeks. He said he had asked Photiou last year to grant him access to the boxes and corresponding documents but never got a reply.
KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides
>> The CMP will continue operations until its mandate is completed.
Tore: AKEL worse than ELAM
Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters, Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The papers report on statements by TC ‘Deputy House speaker’ Zorlu Tore who said on Tuesday AKEL was more dangerous than far-right ELAM.
Haravgi also reported on the response by newly-elected AKEL MEP Niyazi Kizilyurek.
Tore said in a written statement on Tuesday that AKEL is targeting TCs through osmosis and that a Cypriot with a Turkish name was elected in the European Parliament, “claiming he would defend the rights of the TCs.”
He said the GC side continues the embargo and political isolation of the TCs. Tore also argued that the Republic of Cyprus did not become an EU member in its entirety and that two of the six seats at the European Parliament that belong to the TCs were given to the GCs.
As regards AKEL, he said the party applies the call by former Presidents Makarios and Tassos Papadopoulos since it promotes “the Hellenisation of Cyprus through osmosis.”
“ELAM-EOKA targets TCs with armed attacks, and AKEL through osmosis,” Tore said, adding that both are trying to destroy the Turkish people but in a different way.
Haravgi reports that Kizilyurek told Astra radio that he was no stranger to such statements since he has been experiencing this for the past four months during his election campaign.
He said his election, that of a TC on a joint ticket, beat nationalism.
TC and GC nationalists have the same mindset and the proof is in comparing the statements of Tore and DISY MEP candidate Eleni Stavrou, he said.
Kizilyurek also said that around 7,000 TCs crossed to cast their vote but that around 1,500 were not able to due to Cypriot red tape. He said this matter would be looked into.
In another relevant article, Politis reports that 59 per cent of TCs who voted for AKEL also voted for another GC candidate of the party, thus proving wrong those who had said TCs would vote in a ‘racist’ manner and choose only TC candidates.
From the 4,076 votes for AKEL by TCs, Kizilyurek received 96.27% of the vote, counting for 3,924 preference votes, while outgoing MEP Neoclis Sylikiotis received 1,220 preference votes, Marina Nicolaou 528, Giorgos Koukoumas 318, new MEP Giorgos Giorgiou 195, and Athos Georgiou 145.
The paper also highlighted that of the 6,330 preference votes given by TCs to AKEL candidates, 2,406 went to GC candidates.
KEY ACTORS
Tore
>> AKEL is worse than ELAM since it is aiming at the Hellenisation of Cyprus through osmosis as per Makarios’ & Papadopoulos’ policies.
>> AKEL had a Cypriot with a Turkish name elected in the EP claiming he would defend the rights of the TCs.
>> The RoC did not become an EU member in its entirety & two EP seats that belong to the TCs were given to the GCs, while the GC side continues the embargo & political isolation of the TCs.
>> ELAM-EOKA targets TCs with armed attacks, and AKEL through osmosis. Both want to destroy the Turkish people but in a different way.
Kizilyurek (AKEL)
>> His election (a TC on a joint ticket) beat nationalism.
>> Nationalists on both sides have the same mindset, just compare Tore’s and Stavrou’s statements.
Wanted Briton almost escaped arrest crossing divide
Phileleftheros
Internal Security, CBMs
OVERVIEW
The paper reports that authorities in the north messed up by failing to inform anyone on the arrest of a British man wanted in his country for a number of offences. As a result he tried to leave the island through Larnaca airport but was caught.
Initially the man was arrested in the occupied areas but authorities in the north did not notify anyone, the paper said. On Tuesday they informed the UK High Commission that they would release him at the Ledra Palace crossing so actions were made for a European arrest warrant on him.
Instead of being handed over to the authorities of the Republic so that all legal procedures would be carried out for his extradition, the occupation authorities released him at the crossing without notifying anyone, the paper said.
Sources told Phileleftheros the north did not even inform the Joint Contact Room on crime and so the man crossed to the free areas as an EU citizen without any checks. In the afternoon he went to the Larnaca airport and attempted to leave the country but was arrested because his name had been put on the stop list.
He was remanded for eight days and the process for his extradition to the UK will begin.
Police express bewilderment as to why the occupation authorities did not inform the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Crime and hand him over to the UN and from there to the Republic, the daily reported.