Front Page Headlines
Syria is a minefield for Erdogan
He won’t back down but risks full isolation. The US is pushing for a truce. The Turkish operation is outside timeframes. The invasion has covered 10 per cent of its target.
- Direct trade to be put on ice
Concerns over system abuse
Only in September, there have been 386,014 visits to GESY doctors and 252,705 lab tests. What did the system software record since the launch day.
- The EU sanctions are on their way – The (EU leaders’) high-level meeting is today.
- Akinci still in the crosshairs – Threats from fanatics.
- The Attorney-general ruled there’s a conflict of interest in the case of Niyazi (Kizilyurek) (on the decision by the University of Cyprus to allow him to keep his post & go on unpaid leave while serving as MEP)
- Erdogan on a rant is calling on the Kurds to surrender – Clashes continue.
The president’s advisors are being prosecuted
A new letter by the Auditor-general to the Attorney-general and the presidency’s administration supervisor brings to the fore a major issue as regards President Anastasiades and his choices as regards his advisors. The president’s two advisors were faced with “criminal cases” in court prior to their appointment by the president.
- (AKEL) Initiative to corner Turkey
Damning details of passport sales
Cyprus issued passports to relatives and allies of Cambodia’s ‘iron fist’ leader.
The EU leaders will now have their say
Turkey’s illegal actions in the Cypriot EEZ are put before the European Council today. Nikos Christodoulides: The list of persons and companies for sanctions will be ready within the coming days. This is the first time in its history the EU imposes sanctions on a candidate country and a NATO member.
- Ultimatum to the Kurds (from Erdogan) with references to Attila
Main News
List of names for sanctions ready
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters, Energy, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The government’s list of names of persons and companies to face EU sanctions for their involvement in Turkey’s illegal drilling off Cyprus is ready and will be submitted soon, the papers reported on Thursday.
Meanwhile, President Nicos Anastasiades and his EU counterparts are expected to discuss the issue at the European Council taking place in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.
All dailies, citing Christodoulides’ statements on Wednesday to CyBC radio, report that Nicosia has prepared the list of persons and companies subject to financial and legal measures by the EU.
Christodoulides said the list will be submitted to the competent working group of the EU and as soon as these names are added to the list, they will be made public and the targeted measures decided will be put in effect.
The decision by the EU foreign ministers on the measures will be formally approved by the European Council, he said, while legal procedures would follow since those affected could seek legal recourse with the European Court of Justice.
On criticism that the EU foreign ministers’ decision was affected by the situation in Syria, Christodoulides said this was not the case as the decisions on the Syria issue had been taken previously. Either due to Syria or the illegal actions within the Cypriot EEZ, this is the first time the EU has decided targeted measures against a candidate state and a NATO member, he said.
He added that unless Turkey ends her illegal activities, the issue will not end with the latest decision.
Christodoulides also welcomed TC leader Mustafa Akinci’s comments on the Turkish invasion of northern Syria but refrained from saying anything else, expressing concerns it could be used by some to further criticise Akinci.
All dailies report on the ongoing reactions against Akinci’s criticism of the ‘Peace Spring’ operation in Syria with focus on death threats against the TC leader and the insulting comments by Turkish football commentator Ahmet Colak against Akinci and the TCs over the former’s Syria comments.
Phileleftheros, citing sources, reported that the legal procedures concerning the preparation of the list of names are underway.
According to Alithia, Cyprus’ efforts to secure the most effective possible support by its EU partners will now move to the European Council where the issue will be discussed after the request by Anastasiades to the President of the Council Donald Tusk.
KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides
>> First time ever EU is taking measures against a candidate state & NATO member either due to the issue of Syria or the illegal actions within the Cypriot EEZ.
>> Unless Turkey ends her illegal activities more measures could follow.
>> Welcomes Akinci’s comments but will say nothing more to avoid adding fuel to the fire
UN trying to make informal five-party meeting happen
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
According to Phileleftheros, the UN is seeking a formula for an informal five-party meeting after a trilateral between the two leaders and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The UN wants, on the one hand, to take advantage of the will of the two leaders and at the same time, to bring the guarantor powers to the negotiations table, the paper reported.
According to the paper, these moves are not irrelevant to the objections raised by Ankara in the past that overturned UN plans. For that reason, the UN wants to secure a deal on the two meetings which could take place in a short period of time from each other.
The daily cites Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides’ statements on Wednesday that President Nicos Anastasiades replied positively to the possibility of a trilateral when asked and that there is an intention for such a meeting during the last week of November. The minister said that there was no change on that issue.
The dailies also report on whether TC leader Mustafa Akinci will be able in the case of a trilateral to make decisions that would lead to the restart of the talks given the current situation. AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou said this will depend on Akinci’s determination and not the voices against him.
Speaking after a meeting with the ‘Decision for Peace’ initiative, Kyprianou said Akinci’s detractors are those who were always against a bizonal, bicommunal federal solution.
He added that reactions to Akinci are not something new just as voices within the GC community against the possibility of the relaunch of substantive talks are not a new thing.
Kyprianou said it took a lot of courage for someone to say what Akinci said “and that confirms that not all TCs are the same.”
He also said that the Cyprus problem is in a very critical and defining moment and that initiatives were necessary to corner Turkey “and force her to express positions in such a way as to allow us to reach an agreement based on the agreed framework.”
The AKEL leader also congratulated the ‘Decision for Peace’ initiative and said it was of huge importance that, during this critical period, voices are reinforced that assume the duty to work for the relaunch of the talks based on the agreed framework “and without backtracking by our side on principled issues.”
He said the initiative was one “of patriotic duty.”
According to Haravgi and Alithia, while commenting on the operation in Syria on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey does not slaughter civilians, adidng that if one talks of civilian slaughters, they should look at what happened in Cyprus prior to the Turkish intervention in 1974 or in Palestine.
Phileleftheros, in another article, reports that Turkey’s Defence Minister Hulusi Akar posted on a social media profile bearing his name a series of maps with Turkey’s neo-Ottoman vision which is none other than the creation of the ‘Turkish United States’.
The paper cites Hellasjournal saying that the map, which shows the entire Greek Macedonia, Greek islands, Cyprus, part of Bulgaria and a large part of Syria and Iraq painted red in reference to the Ottoman empire, was a brash move by Akar.
The daily also cites the comment accompanying the post with the map saying: “We have no intention of taking anyone’s land, only what’s ours. @MSB.ΗuIusiAkar.”
According to the daily, Akar has made a series of expansionist statements at the expense of the Republic of Cyprus in relation with hydrocarbons exploration.
KEY ACTORS
Kyprianou (AKEL)
>> TC side’s stance in possible trilateral will depend on Akinci’s determination & not those criticising him.
>> There have always been voices in both communities against a BBF and the relaunch of the talks.
>> Akinci very courageous to voice criticism on Turkey’s Syria operation. Confirms that not all TCs are the same.
>> ‘Decision for Peace’ initiative members are exercising their patriotic duty by reinforcing voices that work for the relaunch of the talks based on the agreed framework & without backtracking by the GC side on principled issues.
>> Cyprob at a very critical moment & initiatives needed to corner Turkey & force her to express positions that would allow an agreement based on agreed framework.
Erdogan (Turkey)
>> Turkey does not slaughter civilians unlike what happened in Cyprus prior to the Turkish intervention in 1974 or in Palestine.
‘Cyprus is not alone on migrant issue’
Alithia, Cyprus Mail
EU Matters, Regional/International Relations, Migration & Citizenship, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The papers cite European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos saying that in the case of Cyprus, it will be difficult to expand the 2016 EU-Turkey deal on the readmission of migrants.
Speaking to members of the press in Brussels on Wednesday, Avramopoulos, responding to a question about the joint initiative of Cyprus, Bulgaria and Greece concerning migrants, said he was aware of the initiative and encourages it, noting that all three countries have received strong support from the EU.
He added however that the three countries, mostly Greece, are currently facing strong pressure.
Avramopoulos said Greece, Cyprus and
Bulgaria have received political, technical and financial assistance from the
EU, which has committed to sending specialised staff to aid with operations. With
regard to Cyprus, he stressed that it is difficult to extend the EU-Turkey deal
under the current circumstances, but that Cyprus is not alone.
The Commissioner also praised Turkey’s efforts in aiding migrants in recent
years arguing that Turkey has made a significant contribution to immigration
and has worked hard towards achieving the objectives of the EU-Turkey deal. He added
however that aiding refugees is a topic that cannot be used as a negotiating
tool by Turkey and is something the EU will not accept.
Citing figures released by the European Commission on Wednesday, the dailies also reported that since 2015, Cyprus has received €95.1m from the EU for aiding refugees, while Greece received €2.2bn.
CMP holds workshop on missing persons
Cyprus Mail, Haravgi
CBMs, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
According to the dailies, a two-day workshop on missing persons attended by 60 participants from more than 27 countries, is taking place at Ledra Palace Hotel in the Nicosia buffer zone.
The workshop titled “Mechanisms for Missing Persons: Clarifying the fate and supporting families,” organised by the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) and ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) brings together actors directly involved in the search for missing persons and experts and leading institutions on the matter.
Cyprus Mail reports that CMP member Paul-Henri Arni said at the opening of the workshop that the issue of missing persons can often be toxic and can stand in the way of reconciliation and political stability.
Arni also said that the worst wound of war from which there was no recovery and the only one that gets worse with time, was the issue of missing persons. He added that over the past 13 years lessons had been drawn at the CMP on what needed to be done and these included political will which, he pointed out, “is the most important ingredient to create the conditions necessary to finding, identifying and returning missing persons to their loved ones”.
Arni said a mechanism such as the CMP needed a mandate and a centralised structure for a coordinated strategy and successful operations. He also said that access to civilian, military and police decision-makers and archives must be granted.
He also spoke of the funding, which he said, must be available over many years.
According to Haravgi Kjartan Bjornsson, on behalf of the European Commission, said that the EU is the biggest donor of the CMP with €25m granted since 2006 while for this year, the EU has contributed to the work of the CMP with €3m.
He also said that the work of the CMP has drawn international focus and the best practices are shared elsewhere. Bjornsson said that the drama of the missing persons often undermines the relations between the two communities and makes reconciliation even harder.
ICRC’s Head of Central Tracing Agency Florence Anselmo referred to the significance of the CMP workshop and the importance of it being hosted in the buffer zone of a country with an unresolved issue. She said that the CMP project in Cyprus has yielded results and is an impressive achievement.
Direct trade issue to be frozen next week
Politis
EU Matters, Economy
OVERVIEW
According to the daily the heads of the EU political groups are expected next week to decide on freezing the issue of direct trade with the occupied areas.
The issue was discussed on Wednesday but after no agreement was reached on whether the matter ought to be deleted from the European Parliament’s pending issues agenda or frozen, another meeting is to take place next week. It is expected that the issue will be frozen as per the suggestion of the Left, the daily reported.
Prastio refugees collect money to have church restored
Haravgi
CBMs, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
According to the daily, refugees from Prastio, Famagusta are in a race to collect money for the restoration of the church of Ayios Georgios in their occupied village which is a special religious heritage monument.
The fundraiser to collect the €30,000 needed was launched by the Prastio community council after consultations with the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage as part of the programme on self-funded projects. The restoration works are expected to start within 2020.
The church bears Frankish-Byzantine features with its high bell tower being its most striking feature, the paper said.
The Prastio community council has set up a bank account for donations while groups in all districts will make contacts with organisations and individuals who can contribute financially to the cause.
The refugees have also filed a request through the UN to be allowed to carry out a service at the church in question on October 27, the daily reported.