Front Page Headlines
“You had promised us”
Maronites have been waiting to return to their homes for the past two years. Mukhtar of Gürpınar (Agia Marina) Bartelis Hadjifessa said that they have not forgotten the promise made to them. Head of the Gürpınar (Agia Marina) Solidarity Society Mehmet Hoca said that the process had been launched with great enthusiasm but had now come to a standstill.
- First time after 45 years – Former residents of Akdoğan (Lysi) who were forced to leave their villages held a service at the 131-year-old Panayia church after 45 years.
- Strong messages from Çavuşoğlu to both sides in Cyprus – Joint commission: “We worked on it with Mr Kudret, Akıncı announced it and they rejected it.” Negotiations: “It’s not possible to continue from where we left off.” Guarantees: “Whoever claims that they are outdated is in denial.” Consulate: “We shall open a consulate in Famagusta. Instructions were given by Erdoğan.” Electricity: “We brought water and now we shall start work on bringing electricity.”
Monitoring
Kıbrıs Postası will follow closely the goals announced by the National Unity Party (UBP) – People’s Party (HP) coalition government during the press conference held for the first 100 days in office. The paper will publish a table of promises kept including the positive and negative reasoning behind it.
- Kantara forest fire scare
- Turkish Consulate to be opened in Famagusta – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced.
48.5 per cent of TRNC unplanned
Berkay Ramiz, board member of the Chamber of Town Planners said 51.5 per cent of the north has development plans. He urges authorities to plan the new areas.
- A window left open to cheating on fuel oil – Democratic Party (DP) leader Serdar Denktaş said the People’s Party (HP) rejected the proposals on use of technology to monitor the fuel oil sector during the four-party coalition.
The ordeal to see a doctor
The ordeal of waiting in line at the polyclinics has become intolerable. People queue up a night before to get a waiting number for the next day and others wait for hours to see a doctor.
- “We will not enter such negotiations again” – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu talked about natural gas and leaders’ meeting.
A real shame
A large number of trees were destroyed in a fire which broke out near the youth camp at Kantara, one of the most beautiful spots in the country. The firefighters had a difficult time putting out the fire due to the steep terrain.
- Is there no solution? – There was heavy congestion at the Beyarmudu (Pergamos) crossing point at the weekend. A three-kilometre queue of cars formed at the crossing point.
Ignorance and denial
According to Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, those who oppose the guarantees are traitors. Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu, who ranted at a meeting in Karpaz (Karpasia) as if he were the real owner of the island, said that wishing for a settlement without guarantees was a fantasy. He strongly criticized those within the Turkish Cypriot community who opposed Turkey’s guarantees.
Main News
Çavuşoğlu: Talks cannot resume from where they left off
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Negotiations Process, Energy
OVERVIEW
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Sunday that it was not possible to resume talks on the Cyprus Problem from where they left off in Crans Montana in 2017.
Addressing a public gathering in Yenierenköy (Yialousa), Çavuşoğlu said it was important to determine what was to be negotiated at the negotiating table before talks could begin.
“Political equality? Rotational Presidency. Will these talks include elements that will safeguard the interests of the Turkish Cypriot people? It is not possible to continue from where we left off in Crans Montana. We will only enter a results-oriented process once we determine these,” said Çavuşoğlu.
He had said before that Turkey would not enter such negotiations again should the process prove unsuccessful.
Çavuşoğlu also called on the Greek Cypriot side to be honest and clear about what it wanted and what it didn’t want in terms of a settlement of the Cyprus Problem.
He said that any solution which did not safeguard the political equality and other rights of Turkish Cypriots and which did not include the system of guarantees was a fantasy and out of the question.
“A solution with zero security and zero guarantees cannot be imagined, either,” he added, arguing that there was a need for Turkey’s guarantees and security “now more than ever” and if anyone [on the Turkish side] says that guarantees and security are outdated those people are ignorant and are traitors.
Çavuşoğlu also argued that the Greek Cypriots did not want to share anything with Turkish Cypriots.
“For 60 years we have not been able to come up with a solution because the Greek Cypriot side does not want to share,” said Cavusoglu. He said President Nicos Anastasiades had told him as much, even down to sharing the same hospitals.
Anastasiades, he added, told him in Crans-Montana that the sides should look at a two-state solution “but not announce it before the [2018 presidential] elections”.
On the issue of hydrocarbons, Çavuşoğlu reiterated Turkey’s position in the eastern Mediterranean that it will do everything to protect the rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people.
“Among Ankara’s plans is to bring electricity to North Cyprus via cable, we are working on this at the moment,” Çavuşoğlu added.
Çavuşoğlu also shared plans to open a Turkish consulate in Famagusta.
Çavuşoğlu who arrived in the north on Saturday will be meeting with President Mustafa Akıncı on Monday morning, followed by a round table meeting to be attended by leaders of the political parties.
He will then have lunch and a meeting with Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay.
Later in the afternoon, he will be meeting with Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar before leaving the island later in the evening.
In a written statement on Sunday, the National Unity Party’s (UBP) general secretary and Famagusta MP Ersan Saner expressed his party’s opposition to a new open-ended negotiations process which would not include alternative solution models.
He pointed out that no agreement had been reached in finalizing the terms of reference despite the UN special envoy’s week-long meetings with both leaders.
“Even though the UN special envoy has not been successful the information we have received has raised serious concerns within the party. We would like to remind everyone that the process had collapsed in Crans Montana. Therefore, it is out of the question for the talks to resume from where they left off,” he said.
Saner added that it was out of the question for the Guterres Framework which envisaged the removal of all Turkish troops from Cyprus, giving away large swaths of territory to Greek Cypriots, including Morphou, and removing Turkey’s right to intervene unilaterally, to be used as the basis of the resumption of talks.
“The UBP supports bringing to the negotiating table other solution models, including a two-state solution. Only if these conditions are met will the UBP give it support at the negotiating table. Keeping Turkish Cypriots under embargoes and isolations despite Greek Cypriot intransigence is not befitting of the UN or the EU,” he said.
Saner argued that the Greek Cypriot side has been using the negotiations process for many years to obstruct Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side as well as to punish the two.
Developments and statements since Crans Montana demonstrate that there is no change in the stance of the Greek Cypriot leadership, Saner claimed.
KEY ACTORS
Çavuşoğlu
>> Not possible to resume Cyprob talks from where they left off in Crans Montana.
>> Important to predetermine what is to be negotiated before starting talks.
>> Turkey will only agree to a results-oriented process once interests of the TCs are safeguarded.
>> GC side must be honest & clear about what it wanted & what it didn’t want in terms of a settlement of the Cyprob.
>> Any solution which excludes political equality & other rights of TCs and system of guarantees is a fantasy & out of the question.
>> Those claiming the system of security and guarantees is outdated are in denial. Those who defend this view are traitors.
>> Turkey will do everything to protect the rights and interests of the TCs in the East Med.
>> Ankara will bring electricity to North Cyprus via cable.
>> A consulate will be opened in Famagusta.
Saner (UBP)
>> UBP opposes new open-ended talks which exclude alternative solution models.
>> Talks cannot resume based on the Guterres Framework which envisages removal of all Turkish troops from Cyprus, large territorial concessions and ending Turkey’s right to intervene unilaterally.
>> UBP supports bringing to the negotiating table other solution models, including a two-state solution.
>> Keeping TCs under embargoes and isolations despite GC intransigence is not befitting of the UN or the EU.
>> Developments & statements demonstrate that there is no change in the stance of the Greek Cypriot leadership.
Church service held for first time in 45 years
Yenidüzen
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
For the first time in 45 years, a service was held at the church in Akdoğan (Lysi) on Sunday.
Led by Bishop Porfyrios of Neapolis, the service was held at the 131-year-old Panayia church.
Mayor of Lysi Andreas Kaouoris said that after 45 years it was a triumphant return and that the dream for all people from Lysi was to return to live in their family homes.
Hundreds of Greek Cypriots made the journey there in the early hours of the morning in 16 buses and private cars, some for the first time since the crossing points opened 16 years ago.
Yenidüzen reported that the former residents of the village also visited their homes and the village cemetery.
The church had been used as a mosque for many years after 1974 but following the construction of a new one nearby fell out of use, at which point the technical committee for cultural heritage carried out renovation works on it.
Maronites say TC authorities failed to keep their promise
Yenidüzen
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Maronites from the village of Gürpınar (Agia Marina) complained that the Turkish Cypriot authorities have failed to keep the promises they made to allow the former residents currently living in the South to return to their homes.
A ₺7.5 million budget had been allocated for the Maronite initiative two years ago and the Turkish Cypriot Foreign Ministry had been assigned the responsibility of implementing the initiative.
No steps have been taken since, Yenidüzen reported on Monday.
While sources from Akıncı’s Office told Yenidüzen that the issue was under the responsibility of the foreign ministry, no comment came from the ministry.
Foreign Minister Kudret Özersay had only mentioned that a tender had been launched for the village of Karpaşa (Karpasia) during the recent press conference on the government’s first 100 days in office, the paper added.
The Mukhtar of Gürpınar (Agia Marina) Bartelis Hadjifessa told Yenidüzen they have been waiting for 45 years to return to their village.
He said that their hopes had risen two years ago when the initiative was first announced but complained that nothing has happened since.
The President of the Gürpınar (Agia Marina) Solidarity Society Mehmet Hoca said that only 300 of the 800 former Maronite residents would be returning to their village if the initiative was implemented.
“The state is incapable of resettling 300 people,” he complained, adding that the former residents had lost all faith in the TC authorities.