Front Page Headlines
UK MPs back Brexit delay
Last-minute amendment scuppers vote on Johnson’s latest deal.
- Cyprus should heed what’s happening in Syria
- Calm reigns in Syria after fragile ceasefire
Red alert: New ‘settlement wave’ hits the free areas
A new negative first in the EU on the influx of irregular migrants and refugees. The government made openings to Brussels for resettlement (of migrants) since the influx of migrants, mainly through Turkey, is expected to reach 16,000. How does the EU react to Nicosia’s demands? How much does this issue cost the government and how much is the EU paying? How many are the illegal foreign nationals and what is the final percentage compared to the Cypriot population.
- The Cyprus problem caught in the whirlwind of the ‘shift in paradigm’ – The Turkish foreign ministry and Ozersay are coordinating and Akinci follows.
- Geopolitics: Energy aftershocks from the invasion in Syria
Brexit – They set up a trap for a new extension
New parliamentary slap for Boris Johnson. The parliament will not vote on Brexit unless the procedure on the withdrawal bill is completed. Boris Johnson said he will apply the law but claimed he will not ask for an extension for Brexit. The EU is standing by for the completion of the agreement.
- Critical test for AKEL’s future – The arguments by AKEL general secretary Andros Kyprianou in favour of the renewal of his term is a matter of days. Stefanos Stefanou and Giorgos Loukaides seem to not have any intention of openly questioning Kyprianou in the case he expresses the wish to remain as general secretary up to the 2023 presidential elections.
- Spherically: Is Akinci a hero or a populist?
- Syrian issue: Turkey’s intervention brings a new state of play
The entire region as a sultanate
Erdogan’s plan for expanding Turkey’s territories and influence, from Cyprus to the Balkans. Tayyip wants to become the leader of the Muslims.
- Johnson-Erdogan synergy falls through – They were aimed at annulling the sanctions (over the Cypriot EEZ).
- Cyprob and developments – 6+2 consequences from Turkey’s operations.
- With the Cypriot flag in Antalya (after GC teen athlete won first place at Muay Thai)
- Intense diplomatic background on Syria – The Kurds are the ones to lose the most out of the equation.
Pressure for relaxations on ‘golden passports’
Intense background for the reduction of security safeguards in the (investment) programme.
- Towards a five-party meeting with ‘enhanced’ understanding – Downgrading of the trilateral.
- Ioannis Kasoulides: The time has come for the solution tango
- Occupied areas: The clash of two worlds in the ‘presidential elections’
- Defence: From ‘Nikoforos’ to ‘Steel arrow’ (exercises)
- The tragicomedy of a collapsed truce
- Syria: A Pax Russica now emerges
New thriller with Brexit again up in the air
Boris Johnson saw a humiliating defeat yesterday in parliament after the majority of MPs adopted the amendment for an extension in the application of Article 50 of the EU Treaty for Brexit proposed by (Oliver) Letwin (expelled by the Tories). Therefore, Johnson’s agreement with Brussels was left hanging in midair. “I will not negotiate another extension,” was Johnson’s angry response.
- (Aristos Damianou, AKEL) The approach of a new ‘long term’ struggle is inexpensive patriotism
- (Athos Antoniades, DIKO) There shouldn’t be a new procedure while Turkey violates international law
Economic development hits rock bottom
The administrative court annuls for typical reasons the local plans of many areas. Since the beginning of 2019 the local plans of Larnaca, Paphos, Tseri and partly of Limassol have been cancelled. An annulment is expected also for the local plans of southern Nicosia. Most plans were cancelled because it seems in 2011 they didn’t know how to even properly keep Cabinet minutes.
- Mehmet Ali Talat: We are back in Denktash’s dark era
- Article–Intervention (by Christos Panayiotides): The need for keeping distances from the ‘motherlands’
- Analysis: Does Turkey need guarantees to invade?
Main News
The Terms of Reference adventure continue
Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Simerini
Negotiations Process, External Security, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the resumption of talks may not be agreed at the trilateral level after all, while there is proof that TCs blindly follow Ankara’s orders; these are among the main items addressed in Sunday’s papers.
Kathimerini reports that it seems that the scenario of the two leaders reaching an agreement on the ToR for the resumption of talks during their joint meeting with the UN Secretary-General seems even more distant. Instead, there will be an informal five-party meeting in December, the daily reported.
Citing high-level diplomatic sources the daily reported that the GC side will not set the ToR as precondition but will seek at least an “enhanced” understanding, arguing that this understanding is very important to secure a successful five-party meeting.
Political circles told the paper that a joint announcement is expected to be issued after the trilateral which is set to take place at the end of November, outlining the intentions of the two leaders. It is expected that at the trilateral, what was agreed on August 9 by the two leaders will be re-confirmed to put a stop to any discussions for other forms of solution.
The diplomatic sources said that any joint statement after the trilateral will be made during the five-party meeting so that Turkey will not feel excluded from the whole process, Kathimerini reported.
Phileleftheros reports there is ‘lukewarm’ mobility as regards the Cyprus problem with low-key efforts by the UN for arranging for a trilateral around the end of November in a European city. The Turkish side, which could be using the Cyprus problem procedure as a way to avoid wider pressure, has set its terms for a trilateral meeting: that an informal five-party meeting would follow and acceptance of the TC positive vote.
The key actors assess that the situation now does not favour the resumption of talks while it is clear that in the occupied areas they have entered the ‘election’ period, Phileleftheros reported.
Meanwhile, Simerini reports that it possesses documents proving that the recent announcement by Kudret Ozersay that there was need for a shift in the paradigm in the Cyprus issue came directly from the Turkish foreign ministry.
Simerini, citing the documents in question, said it is also being revealed that the content of the document with TC leader Mustafa Akinci’s demands that did not allow for an agreement on the ToR came directly from Ankara.
The documents refer to the end of a procedure for a federal solution and the end of UN involvement in the solution procedure, the daily reported.
According to the documents there is need in a paradigm shift as regards the settlement of the Cyprus problem beyond the federation and as the UN in its reports recognises the need for new ideas Turkey is ready to discuss any idea safeguarding political equality but also the security of the TCs to avoid the incidents of the 1960-’74 period, the daily reported.
It added that Τurkey suggests, rather demands, finding solid common ground before a new procedure but this solid ground cannot be agreed on unless the two sides agree on political equality before the launch of a new round of talks.
The documents also mention that political equality (rotating presidency and a positive vote) is a sine qua non in any cooperation as part of a federal or confederal framework, the daily reports.
If this is not possible then the two sides will have to promote cooperation based on equality which is this is what some call a two-state solution Simerini reported.
Cyprus part of Turkish plans for regional domination
Phileleftheros
Regional/International Relations, External Security
OVERVIEW
According to the daily’s main item on Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to apply a high-risk plan to dominate the region with Cyprus being part of it.
The daily said in an analysis by Costas Venizelos that neo-sultan Erdogan’s aim is to become the leader of Muslims and either conquer third country territories or put them under his influence. These include Cyprus, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Greece’s Aegean sea and the Balkans.
Diplomatic sources told the daily that Erdogan had announced in 2012 that by 2023, at the 100th anniversary since the establishment of the Turkish state, he would be able to present results that would strengthen and make his country bigger.
The daily reports that, Syria’s invasion is part of this plan as well as the invasion in the Cypriot exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and imposing faits accomplis on land as well as the effort to islamise the occupied areas.
At the same time Ankara is putting pressure on Libya to delimit their EEZs and on Lebanon not to proceed with cooperation with the Republic of Cyprus. At the moment, however, Turkish pressure does not seem to yield results, the paper reported.
The daily said that the question is whether Turkey will annex the occupied areas, extending its territories up to the green line meaning that instead of a pseudo-state, it will be Turkey, the paper said. It added that since this will not be easy as Ankara expects reactions it will be easier to achieve that goal through an agreement on the Cyprus problem on a confederation model.