Front Page Headlines
The ‘No’ to the strikes revealed the gap
Teachers are divided into two camps. Turmoil in schools. Wishes to the Archbishop with… a protest rally against him. Teacher organisations give up five religious holidays but they are asking for something else in exchange.
- Halloumi: The occupied areas is the problem
- They want to join GESY
First drilling in ‘Cronos’
The ENI-Total consortium starts from a promising target in block 6. ‘Tungsten Explorer’ drillship will drill in Lebanon and right after in the Cypriot EEZ.
- The parties are calling for a policy to cause Turkey cost – They point at Brussels.
- David Sassoli referred to the EU decisions – Response to Erdogan.
- TCs take to the courts over GESY
- Akinci will go to the (UDI) celebrations with a Cadillac
They arbitrarily cut the GMI (Guaranteed Minimum Income allowance) to beneficiaries
The labour ministry is arbitrarily cutting the GMI allowance to beneficiaries including persons with disabilities and of other vulnerable groups, but to be restored it takes up to eight months. As a result, beneficiaries remain without any state aid for long periods of time.
- Incapable of handling halloumi
- The National Council convenes today – Different approaches by Tatar-Erhurman.
- 280 persons in Paphos wait for heart operations – Court appeals by TCs on GESY.
Turkey: talks may end over Cyprus
Erdogan warns the EU not to use island to threaten Ankara.
Archbishop: In the eye of the storm
Over Jho Low’s donations and his criticism of teachers. The Church primate declares that if the Malaysian’s citizenship is revoked he will return the €310,000 he gave to the Church. He left the teachers hanging: He suggested to them last year for the religious holidays in schools to be abolished, among them his name day but found no response. And now, because he criticized them over their strike mobilisations, the teachers are asking for the holiday for his name day to be abolished and they are organizing a protest rally today outside the Archbishopric.
- Longer period for referrals so that they don’t expire before patients book an appointment – They will all be raised to six months while long-term referrals remain at 12 months. TCs are taking court measures demanding to join GESY.
- The Central Agency for the Equal Distribution of Burden is preparing a study for the state support of owners of properties in the occupied areas
- An angry Erdogan turns against the EU over the sanctions
Main News
Opposition wants a firmer stance by RoC as Turkey warns EU over sanctions
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters, Energy, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The opposition is putting pressure on President Nicos Anastasiades to demand harsher measures from the EU that would cause a true cost to Turkey, while the Turkish president warns that the decision for sanctions over drilling off the coast of Cyprus could disrupt talks with the bloc, the dailies report.
Meanwhile, Alithia and Cyprus Mail report Anastasiades on Tuesday discussed the Cyprus problem with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a brief encounter in Paris on the sidelines of a dinner held by French President Emmanuel Macron as part of the Paris Peace Forum. Anastasiades and Guterres discussed the Cyprus problem ahead of the trilateral between the two of them and TC leader Mustafa Akinci later in the month in Berlin, the dailies reported.
According to the papers, following the approval by the EU foreign ministers on Monday of economic sanctions on persons and companies linked with Turkey’s drilling off Cyprus, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country was acting in line with its rights based on international law.
He also warned that negotiations with the EU may suddenly end and Turkey might send Islamic State members to Europe.
“Do not try to threaten Turkey over developments in Cyprus,” Erdogan said according to the dailies.
Phileleftheros reports that the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, responding to a question on Turkey’s role in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean referred to the decisions of the EU.
The daily also reports that Russia’s representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov mentioned again the idea of his country on an international conference on Cyprus but not in the form it has taken place in Switzerland.
Speaking to Sputnik, the Russian diplomat suggested a conference with the participation of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Turkey, Greece and the two Cypriot sides to discuss the aspects of the solution but not the internal ones which are to be dealt with by the two communities, the daily reported.
According to Politis, Haravgi and Phileleftheros, political leaders said in statements on Tuesday that Cyprus needed to claim even stricter measures against Turkey.
According to Phileleftheros, parties were encouraged by the decision of the EU Foreign Affairs Council and demand from Nicosia to be more persistent as regards Turkey bearing the cost of her actions, but they did not acknowledge Brussels’ decisions so far as a success of the government.
DIKO leader Nicolas Papadopoulos called on Anastasiades to decide if he believes in assertive policy or if he is scared, noting that there is no luxury for going back and forth.
The party also said in an announcement that the latest EU decision was a message to Ankara that it cannot act without any consequences arguing that the sanctions are not the end of the road.
EDEK said that the government ought to utilise the EU decision and intensify its efforts to end the EU’s financial exploitation by Turkey and reinforce its actions to force Ankara to comply with the European law and fulfil its obligations to Cyprus.
Leader of the Citizens’ Alliance, Giorgos Lillikas called on the government to convince Europeans on the necessity to enforce sanctions on Turkey also on the constant violations of the Nicosia FIR (Flight Information Region) now that the climate is conducive.
The Solidarity Movement called on the foreign affairs minister to include in the list of persons subject to sanctions Turkish state officials since it is not of much importance if technicians working on Turkish platforms are arrested. On the other hand, if Turkey’s energy and defence ministers are banned from entering the EU this would be of paramount importance, the party said according to the papers.
KEY ACTORS
Erdogan (Turkey)
>> Turkey is acting in line with its rights based on international law.
>> Warns EU not to threaten Turkey over developments in Cyprus because Ankara’s negotiations with the bloc may suddenly end & Turkey might send Islamic State members to Europe.
Sassoli (EU)
>> The EU’s response to Ankara is the bloc’s decisions concerning Turkey’s actions.
Chizhov (Russia)
>> Russia suggests an international conference on Cyprus with the participation of the five permanent members of the SC, Turkey, Greece, TCs & GCs to discuss the international aspects of the solution since the internal ones are to be dealt with by the two communities.
Papadopoulos (DIKO)
>> Anastasiades must decide if he believes in assertive policy or if he is scared, but now is not the time for indecisiveness.
>> EU sent Ankara the message to that its actions have consequences but more needs to be done.
EDEK
>> The government needs to utilise the EU decision & work toward ending the EU’s financial exploitation by Turkey & force Ankara to comply with the European law and fulfill its obligations to Cyprus.
Lillikas (Citizens’ Alliance)
>> The government needs to seize the opportunity and call for sanctions on Turkey also on the constant violations of the Nicosia FIR.
Solidarity Movement
>> The government needs to go after the big fish such as Turkey’s energy and defence ministers whose ban from entering the EU would be huge instead of focusing on technical staff working at the Turkish drillships.
TC pensioners to seek legal measures over their exclusion from GESY
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that the TC federation of trade unions TURK-SEN has announced they would go to courts over the refusal of the Republic of Cyprus to allow TC pensioners who contribute to the social insurance fund and pay GESY contributions to benefit from the health system.
Deputy Director of the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) that runs GESY, Andreas Papaconstantinou said that according to the law only persons living permanently in the government-controlled areas are eligible GESY beneficiaries.
Papaconstantinou said that the same problem is not only faced by TC pensioners but also by GCs who contribute to GESY but are not considered as beneficiaries because their permanent residence is not in the government-controlled areas.
He said that the HIO board is able to make exemptions and it has done so with TCs working in the government-controlled areas but who live in the north and with the enclaved.
He added that the issue of the TC pensioners was discussed in the past but the board rejected their request although he did not rule out reopening the matter but not at present.
TURK-SEN according to the papers said that despite contacts with the health ministry to allow TC pensioners who contribute to GESY to benefit from it there have been no results so they are taking the matter to court.
Government working to find a solution to the halloumi PDO debacle
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters, CBMs
OVERVIEW
According to the papers, Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis gave reassurances on Tuesday that the government is doing all it can to safeguard halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product.
Kadis told the House agriculture and trade committees that the issue has a political and legal dimension as regards the occupied areas and, to address this situation, any solutions to be found should not undermine the Republic of Cyprus and should ensure health and food safety and the product’s reputation.
He added that the government is looking for a valid and lawful mechanism through the Green Line Regulation for halloumi produced in the occupied areas. In fact, he said, should the effort fail, the government is considering other plans and options, without specifying. Kadis did not rule out an appeal to the European courts.
According to Commerce Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis, currently, there are 99 court cases ongoing relating to the trademark on halloumi.
The committees also heard that as of this year a French company has been exporting cheese called ‘halloumi’ to Arab countries.
‘Cronos’ in block 6 will be ENI-Total’s first appraisal drilling next year
Phileleftheros
Energy, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
According to the daily, the ENI-Total energy consortium will carry out an appraisal drilling in ‘Cronos’ target in Cyprus’ offshore block 6 next year.
The target, that looks promising, was located more than a year ago after seismic research was carried out in the area, the daily reported.
It added that the drillship ‘Tungsten Explorer’ is already in the region for drillings off Lebanon and is expected to carry out up to six appraisal drillings within the Cypriot EEZ on behalf of the consortium in the coming year.
The daily reports that given Turkish aggression and efforts to block developments in Cyprus’ hydrocarbons exploratory programme, strict confidentiality has been agreed by all stakeholders on the technical aspects of the drilling operations, providing also for penalties.
MPs call for support to GC refugees to stop selling their properties in north
Alithia, Haravgi
Property, Hunan Rights
OVERVIEW
The government has prepared a registry of the properties refugees own in the north and what state aid they have received so far aimed at preparing a study on how to best support these property owners.
The study is expected to be ready by the end of the year.
The head of the House refugee committee that discussed the matter, AKEL MP Skevi Koukouma, called on the government to take political decisions towards that end which would curb applications by GC refugees to the Immovable Properties Commission (IPC) in the north.
Koukouma expressed concerns over that refugees now also directly sell their properties in the north to investors, often at very low prices.
The state ought to have taken measures by now to support GC owners of properties in the north since selling off their properties would also take its toll on the solution of the Cyprus problem, she said, according to the papers