Front Page Headlines
Serious negligence
Unexploded mortar shell creates panic in Yuvacık (Chrysiliou). This time the necessary measures were taken and there was no loss of life. An 81mm unexploded mortar shell in the village caused fear. The military and police evacuated the village and the shell was detonated safely. Last year 13-year-old Mahkir İsmailov from Georgia had been the victim of an unexploded shell in the same area located near Morphou.
- Erhürman: There is no policy or project prepared on Maraş (Varosha)
People are fed up of mosquitoes
People, who are fed up of mosquitoes, find the efforts of the municipalities to eradicate them, inadequate.
- US Embassy took the demolition decision – US embassy took the decision to demolish the abandoned radar station in Alayköy (Gerolakkos).
Bomb scare
Yuvacık (Chrysiliou) village residents are constantly worried about unexploded ordinances from the military’s firing range in the area. The death of a 13-year-old in December 2018 who came into contact with an unexploded ordinance shows the severity of the situation but the problem continues as another unexploded ordnance was found near the village on Friday, causing panic in the village.
- Lost at least two months – Speaker of the parliament, Teberrüken Uluçay said the parliamentary sub-committees lost at least two months due to the change in government.
143 illegal residents detected in 28 days
Police, which came under heavy criticisms due to the recent rise in crime is carrying out operations throughout the country and achieving results in the process.
- Countermove on Maraş (Varosha) – In a counter move to the TRNC government’s initiative on Maraş (Varosha), the Greek Cypriot side proposed a joint committee on the issue, which they had rejected on hydrocarbons.
There is panic
Greek Cypriot refugees from Maraş (Varosha) took to the streets following a simple decision from the TRNC. They marched to the presidential palace demanding a solution. The so-called mayor of Maraş (Varosha) Alexis Galanos who addressed the demonstration claimed that the TRNC government will first conduct an inventory and then open the fenced-off city under Turkish Cypriot administration. Greek Cypriots attending the protest started chanting slogans in favour of a solution while Galanos was addressing the demonstration.
Maraş (Varosha) in exchange for natural gas
The Greek Cypriots stirred up by the Turkish Cypriot side’s move on Maraş (Varosha) have taken to the streets. Protestors with placards demanded that Maraş (Varosha) be returned to its legal former residents.
Anastasiades, called upon by the protestors to take action, made his move, proposing the creation of a joint technical committee for conducting an inventory. As it is known the Turkish Cypriot side is proposing the creation of a joint committee with Greek Cypriots for the management of the hydrocarbons. A similar proposal has now come from the Greek Cypriot side. Everyone’s curious what the Turkish Cypriot side’ response will be.
- US radar station at Alayköy (Gerolakkos) demolished – The US embassy which gave the go-ahead for the demolition did so by launched a tender in the North.
- Daytime flights beginning at Geçitkale (Lefkonoiko) – Flights to be approved by the Civil Aviation Department.
- Mobile telephones ok – Work is being held to determine call charges for mobile phones which will work across the island.
Main News
Progress on bicommunal mobile telephony discussed at a high-level meeting
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
CBMs
OVERVIEW
A meeting was held on Friday at the presidential palace between President Mustafa Akıncı and the competent authorities to discuss where things stand regarding mobile phone interoperability across the island as well as call charges which will apply.
The meeting was attended by representatives of GSM operators, the head of the Board of Information Technologies and Communication Assoc. Prof. Dr Kadri Bürüncük, the head of the Technical Committee for Economy and Commercial Affairs, Güay Çerkez, the General Coordinator for the Technical Committees Meltem Onurkan Samani and the President’s Special Advisor for Economy Prof Dr Ömer Gökçekuş.
The president was informed that most of the technical work was completed and that talks on determining call and data charges were continuing.
Akıncı for his part reiterated the importance of setting reasonable prices for calls and data plans in order for the confidence-building measure to have a positive effect.
Erhürman draws attention to the absence of government policy on Maraş (Varosha)
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog
Property, Territory
OVERVIEW
Leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman said the latest statements and meetings with the government has revealed that there is no ready policy or project on the issue of the fenced-off city of Maraş.
In social media post on Friday, Erhürman said the only thing that was currently planned was to conduct an inventory of immovable property in Maraş (Varosha).
He said that the details and method of how the inventory will be conducted have also yet to be determined.
Erhürman said the former PM Hakkı Atun’s latest interview published in Yenidüzen on the closed city made it easier to understand resolution 550 adopted by the UN Security Council (UNSC). He said that UNSC resolution 550 (1984) ‘considers attempts to settle any part of Maraş (Varosha) by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the United Nations’.
The CTP leader recalled that the next time the issue of reopening Maraş (Varosha) came up was in 1992 when it became evident that the Ghali Set of Ideas presented by the UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali at the time would not lead to a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus Problem.
“After seeing that his efforts to reach a comprehensive solution had failed, the UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali reached the conviction that there is a serious crisis of confidence between the two communities. Thus, he prepared a package of confidence-building measures. Within this package is a proposal to open the closed city of Maraş (Varosha) as well as the airport in Nicosia. According to the package, Maraş (Varosha) would be opened under the administration of the UN, Erhürman said.
The move was aimed at developing commerce and trade between the two communities, Erhürman added.
He recalled that the move would have only allowed formal residents to return to their homes in the fenced-off city but there would be freedom of movement for people from both sides.
“The Nicosia International airport would have been opened in a similar fashion under UN control. Turkish and Cypriot registered airline companies would be able to use the airport. Passengers landing at the airport would have been able to cross to whichever side they wanted,” added Erhürman.
He said that the opening of the airport would also have allowed Turkish Cypriots direct access to foreign markets thus allowing them to establish import-export relations.
In addition, Ghali believed that the opening the airport would allow a large number of tourists to visit the North, the CTP leader added.
“The Secretary-General had proposed the measures to remain in place until a comprehensive settlement was reached,” he said.
Erhürman noted that it was important to keep this information in the background when discussing the possibility of reopening Maraş (Varosha).
He argued that developing new ideas and pursuing a proactive policy until a comprehensive solution was reached rather than remaining trapped in the status quo, was extremely important.
“The CTP shall continue to share its proposals on this issue. However, it is extremely important to assess the facts carefully, to conduct consultations with sensitivity and to avoid confusion or misunderstand,” Erhürman said.
The leader of the Rebirth Party Erhan Arıklı on Friday said that it was important not to limit the Maraş (Varosha) initiative to an inventory and to take the move further without further delay.
In a written statement, Arıklı warned that prolonging the process of updating existing inventories on Maraş (Varosha) that existed at various government institutions would only reveal that the move was in fact aimed at the upcoming presidential elections.
Foreign Minister Kudret Özeray met with representatives of the Famagusta Initiative on Friday to exchange views on the government’s plans concerning the closed city of Maraş (Varosha).
The foreign minister met with the president, the leaders of the political parties in parliament as well former presidents throughout the week as part of a series of informative meetings aimed at exchanging views with stakeholders and political actors on the government’s Maraş (Varosha) initiative.
Announcing Friday’s meeting on social media, Özersay said that the exchange held with members of the Famagusta Initiative had been useful and that he believed both sides had a better understanding of each other.
“We found the opportunity this afternoon to meet with members of the Famagusta Initiative which is one of the stakeholders on the issue, to convey our views, to explain the steps we plan to take and to answer questions they might have. I believe that we understand each other better today than we did yesterday and that we have established a good communication,” Özersay’s post read.
KEY ACTORS
Erhürman (CTP)
>> The government has no ready policy or project on the issue of the fenced-off city of Maraş (Varosha).
>> The government has only planned to conduct an inventory of immovable property in Maraş (Varosha).
>> Important to keep Ghali’s vision in the background when discussing the possibility of reopening Maraş (Varosha).
>> Developing new ideas and pursuing a proactive policy until a comprehensive solution was reached rather than remaining trapped in the status quo, is very important.
>> CTP shall continue to share its proposals on this issue.
Arıklı (YDP)
>> Not to limit the Maraş (Varosha) initiative to an inventory and to take the move further without further delay.
A scuffle breaks out at Maraş (Varosha) protest as ELAM members try to attack TCs
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs, Diyalog, Afrika
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Kıbrıs reported that a group of ELAM (National People’s Front) members attempted to seize about ten Turkish Cypriots who attended the protest for the opening of Maraş (Varosha) outside the Greek Cypriot Presidential Palace. The daily reported that the Greek Cypriot protestors, mainly women and children protected the Turkish Cypriots.
Scuffles broke out between the two groups just as the so-called mayor of Famagusta Alexis Galanos thanked the Turkish Cypriots for showing their support to the protest. Members of the far-right ELAM who were carrying Greek flags rushed towards the crowd of protestors where the Turkish Cypriots were standing trying to seize them. They were then pushed back by the Greek Cypriot demonstrators who jeered at them and chanted the slogan “Eoka B murderers”.
Banners were hoisted with slogans such as ‘Save Famagusta’, ‘Freedom to Cyprus’, ‘Reunification the only solution’, and ‘Return to the negotiations table’, while flags were waved the word ‘Peace’ in both Greek and Turkish.
Speaking to DHA (Demirören news agency), KTÖS (TC Teachers’ union) General Secretary Şener Elcil criticized the police for not doing anything and said the actions were provoked by the Greek Cypriot deep state which had intentions to raise tensions.
Elcil stressed that the group of ELAM supporters were students. He added the [Greek Cypriot] teachers also brainwashed the students, who then took part in such protests.