Front Page Headlines
Bleak future for halloumi
Steps taken to protect Cyprus’ halloumi a ‘catastrophe’.
- President rapped for negative stance
Squeaky clean again on match-fixing
The code of silence prevailed yet again and police were not able to substantiate a case. The criminal investigation on the infamous four UEFA files which included serious indications for football match-fixing has been completed but the offences have not been substantiated.
- Position: Suicidal Realism (Editorial on criticism against Anastasiades’ stance on the Cyprus problem)
- Relations between the Presidential Place and AKEL are at the extremes
- The policy of appeasement: The term ‘invasion’ and EU’s blackmail by Turkey
- Sixty-five years ago: The arrival of EOKA leader, G. Grivas to Cyprus
- The Russian carrot to Turkey, the US veto and the shield of the EastMed (pipeline)
- Savvas Iacovides: The country is being Turkified and they are carrying out money laundering (opinion piece)
- Nikos Koutsou: The revision of the Treaty of Lausanne (opinion piece)
Also a small cheque to the Archbishopric
Jho Taek Low: We took from him also the change. On September 22, 2015, along with the first check of €300,000, a smaller check of €10,000 was issued to the holy Archbishopric. Questions arise on its issuance mainly because his holiness did not say anything when he was asked about Mr Low’s donations. The Malaysian had just got his Cypriot nationality and wanted to naturalize as Cypriot also his girlfriend, whose application, however, was rejected.
- Cyprus problem: Turkey is alone up against everyone
- Memories: The unexpected discovery of photographs dating prior to 1974
- Energy: Russian-Turkish flirt on natural gas
- Pedieos river: When it used to drown Nicosia
They set the bar on the CBMs
Revealing: What the documents Anastasiades and Akinci submitted to the UN say. The president wants, among other things, the withdrawal of 5,000- 10,000 Turkish soldiers. Akinci demands, among other things, the creation of a mechanism for direct contacts.
- Nicosia counts gains from the sanctions against Turkey – Tomorrow, their formal adoption in Brussels. Nikos Christodoulides made preparations for the names of persons and companies.
- Passports are flying, drillships are sailing
- Kypros Chrysostomides: The invasion in the EEZ is an illegal action
- Nikos Charalambous: The leader leads the people (opinion piece)
- Christos Iacovou: 100 years: Lythrodonta’s Elia (opinion piece)
- Yiannis Spanos: Decadent times and morals (opinion piece)
The ‘golden passports’ are no longer a given
False representations by middlemen will be subject to punishment, possibly also criminally.
- (US Ambassador) Judy Garber: The lift of the arms embargo on Cyprus is at the Congress
- EXXON MOBIL: Two appraisal drillings in 2020
Tensions should be eased on natural gas
The position of international natural gas expert Dr Charalambos Ellinas is that it will be difficult to export natural gas due to the international market, low prices and (gas) overproduction in Egypt. At the same time he recommends easing tensions on natural gas because “even if we could export, profits would be very low.” Cypriot natural gas, he stresses, is not among the companies’ priorities.
- Andros Kyprianou: More concerns over the president’s stance following Talat’s statement
- Turkey continues to be valuable to the EU
- The threshold of life and the story of Efi and Akile (artwork inspired by the friendship of a TC and a GC woman in the 1950s)
- Society: Young people are making creations based on tradition at Ibrahim’s Han
Shadows over the Berlin trilateral
Fifteen days before the Berlin date, the climate is worryingly becoming heavier. The UN will not give up and Jane Holl Lute is coming, according to information obtained by Alithia with ideas, including on the issue of separate vote.
- Turkish drillings: The EU sanctions on companies and persons are on their way
- Myrianthis Hadjikyriacos: He lived the dream of return for… five years
- Analysis: Is the Cypriot issue an unsolvable problem?
- Christos P. Panayiotides: Cleaning the Augeias Stable is not done through wishful thinking (opinion piece)
- Petros Demetriou: We respond to the toxic climate with prudence & creativity (opinion piece)
Main News
Leaders call for more CBMs in documents submitted to the UN
Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process, CBMs, External Security, Economy, EU Matters, Energy
OVERVIEW
The two leaders, in the documents each submitted to the UN call for a number of confidence-building measures (CBMs) among them, the withdrawal of a number of Turkish troops, and the opening of more crossings.
According to the daily, the documents highlight the differences but also the blame game between the two sides.
The two leaders focus on CBMs which, judging on their content, could be considered as a way of normalizing the invasion and not overturning it through an agreement, the daily said.
Citing sources, the daily reported that Anastasiades briefed the UN through UNSG Special Representative Elizabeth Spehar, that he has submitted a proposal on decentralised federation “always in full respect to the bizonal, bicommunal federation.”
Anastasiades argues, according to the daily that such a proposal implies that, on the one hand, a federal government that represents the country as an object of international law, will retain those powers which are strictly necessary to safeguard the unity and cohesion of the state. On the other hand, each state, within its administrative area and in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and non-intervention, will enjoy extensive administrative autonomy.
According to Anastasiades, this proposal was welcomed by TC leader Mustafa Akinci, which paved the way for the agreement reached between them on August 9. The GC leader also informed the UN he was ready to further elaborate on this proposal in the context of the negotiation process.
He also informs the Security Council that he has put forward a proposal to change the form of government, from presidential to a parliamentary one, in order to facilitate an agreement on federal power. This would entail the existence of a non-executive GC President and TC Vice-President, in conjunction with the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, who will be elected by the House of Representatives in a 4: 2 ratio. Such a system will contribute to the creation of a national political system, bringing parties from both communities into the same political arena and forcing them to form alliances, he said, according to Phileleftheros.
As regards CBMs, a lot of what Anastasiades suggests refer to a logic of cooperation, the paper reported.
The GC leader suggests setting up a technical committee for the restructuring and resettlement of areas with priority on Varosha and new crossings in Athienou-Pyroi-Aglandjia, and Pomos-Pachyammos-Katos Pyrgos-Kokkina.
He also calls for utilizing the park on the Pedieos River and in the northern part of Nicosia, and the creation of a free access zone in the Nicosia buffer zone between Victoria and Ermou streets linking the Arap Ahmet area with the Armenian church and the episcopal seat, Pallas theatre hall and the castle hall in the Paphos Gate area with Ermou street.
He also suggests encouragement of trade within the island by abolishing the obstacles enforced by the TC community on ‘taxation’ and ‘import licences’ on products from the government-controlled areas to the north and facilitating the movement of commercial vehicles carrying goods that are covered by the Green Line Regulation.
Other CBMs suggested by Anastasiades are strengthening the work and funding of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, the preservation of religious sites, restoration of churches in the buffer zone and facilitating all religious ceremonies. He also called for restoration of the original village and city street names.
The GC leader called for the reduction of military forces along the ceasefire line and restoration of the status quo in Strovilia, demining, and the withdrawal from Cyprus of between 5,000 and 10,000 Turkish troops.
He also called for CBMs on the issue of the missing persons.
Anastasiades also referred to the Terms of Reference as agreed on August 9 saying that the Turkish side went back on the agreement later on.
Phileleftheros reports that Akinci gave an extensive overview of what took place during his term and raises two questions on what happens next; CBMs and the creation of a mechanism for direct contact on UNFICYP and military issues.
Akinci also calls for a lift of obstacles to third-country nationals arriving through the Larnaca airport and want to cross to the north and facilitating the crossing of TC trade vehicles to the south but also for a single insurance system for vehicles crossing to the government-controlled area.
He also calls for setting up a technical committee on sport mainly for the youth aimed at interaction between the two communities through sports activities and the reactivation of the ad hoc committee on the EU for the preparation of a future Turkish constituent state in line with the EU acquis.
Akinci also refers to the energy issue reiterating the well-known Turkish position on the joint exploitation of natural gas, the daily reports.
Lute arrives with ideas to boost the talks
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The head of main opposition AKEL has expressed concerns over the revelation that Anastasiades expressed the conviction that there was no point going to the trilateral in Berlin, the dailies report.
Meanwhile, Alithia, citing sources, also reports that the UN is not determined to go to a trilateral which will not yield any results. UN special envoy Jane Holl Lute who is expected to arrive on the island next Saturday comes with clear instructions to ensure that some substantive result would arise at the trilateral.
Toward that end, she is bringing with her some ideas she developed aimed at entertaining GC concerns on the issue of the separate vote, sources told Alithia.
The dailies also report that AKEL leader Andros Kyprianou said that former TC leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s statements that Anastasiades recently told him the trilateral in Berlin would be in vain maximize the party’s concerns on the president’s stance.
Kyprianou said the government has developed the perception that the best way to deal with problems itself creates is to sweep them under the rug until they are forgotten.
This cannot be accepted since while Anastasiades was in the opposition he was calling for transparency, Kyprianou said, adding there must be transparency on this issue as the people need to know if what has been said was true.
He also expressed concerns over the rhetoric developed mainly by Turkey but also the GC side which emits “intense negativism.”
He added that everyone must realise the huge opportunity presented and reach an agreement during the trilateral and at the ensuing five-party meeting to pave the way for the restart of the talks, warning that partition would be inevitable if this did not happen.
He said Anastasiades ought to not be carried away by the disruptive Turkish policy but to work in a positive and constructive way ahead of the trilateral meeting. In the case there are no results, it must be clear that responsibility for any failure was due to the Turkish side, he said.
KEY ACTORS
Kyprianou (AKEL)
>> AKEL is even more concerned after revelations that Anastasiades does not believe the trilateral would be useful but also over the negative rhetoric developed by Turkey & the GC side.
>> Anastasiades’ government believes the best way to deal with problems itself creates is to sweep them under the rug until they are forgotten but this cannot be accepted as there must be transparency & the people need to know if what has been said was true.
>> Warns that permanent partition of the island is inevitable if everyone does not realise the huge opportunity presented & reach an agreement during the trilateral and the five-party meeting to pave the way for the restart of the talks.
>> Anastasiades ought to not be carried away by the disruptive Turkish policy but rather work in a positive and constructive way ahead of the trilateral meeting.
>> In the case there are no results at the forthcoming informal meetings, it must be clear that responsibility was due to the Turkish side.
First GC to resettle in his occupied village was in 2005
Alithia
Property, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
According to the daily, the first GC to move to the north was Myrianthis Hadjikyriakou from Davlos who resettled in his village at the age of 67 back in 2005 but was forced to leave almost five years later due to health problems.
Hadjikyriakou, who lives in Limassol told Alithia he did not regret moving back to his occupied village.
He said that in Davlos now live settlers from Turkey of Pontian origin, from Trapezounta, who could also speak Greek and that had made things easier for him since he was able to communicate with them. He made good friends there who helped him and supported him in his decision to resettle in his village, he told Alithia.
Since he was a very good fisherman, they used to call him ‘captain’ in Davlos, he said. Hadjikyriakos was forced to move back to the south in 2009 for health reasons, the daily reported.