Front Page Headlines
At the finance ministry with cords and strings
DISY-DIKO assigned the Symphony Orchestra to Constantinos Petrides. World first, with Averof Neophytou and Nicolas Papadopoulos as the maestros of the amendment. Strong reaction by AKEL, while the education and finance ministries knew nothing of the decision.
- European Council: In the shadow of the climate
- Akinci: Guarantees are not a taboo
- Armenian monastery: Conservation finally starts
- Pandemonium over LNG: Signatures are expected today
- US-Armenia: Recognition of the genocide
MPs under fire
Labour ministry and unions are shouting that they are rewarding bad employers. They cut the funds that would put a top to undeclared employment. They blocked the unitary employment inspection service during the last meeting.
- Ankara is seeking legitimacy through the UN – (US Ambassador to Greece) Pyatt: Islands have the same rights as continental areas.
- Reaffirmation of the Law of the Sea
- Akinci: Denounces guarantees
The dialogue between doctors and OKYPY (state health services organisation) failed
Representatives of (state doctors’ unions) PASYKI, PASYDY and PASESI met with OKYPY’s board that gave them the proposal on the incentives for (state) specialists. The proposal has been described as a step back with doctors going on a three-hour work stoppage today. AKEL points out that hospital weaknesses are a negative parameter for GESY and calls on the government to assume its responsibilities.
- We received sympathy and solidarity
- The art of psalm on the list of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage
GESY six months on: ‘here to stay’
1.2m visits to 451 GPs and 700,000 visits to 1,170 GESY specialists a sign of success says minister.
- US Senate recognises Armenian genocide
Cemented GESY
Messages by the health minister to scaremongers: Stop this “fairy-tale on state hospital privatization”. The health scheme is here to stay. To date, six months on, 662 pharmacies, 165 clinical laboratories, 451 general practitioners for adults, 170 paediatricians and 1,170 specialists have joined.
- Turkey in isolation – High-level meeting: Clear disapproval of the Turkey-Libya agreement and Erdogan’s provocations.
- Revelations by Akinci: In Berlin, we reached a strategic agreement
- Davutoglu announces today a new party
Main News
FM: UN ought to take a clear stand against violations of international law
Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said he did not believe the UN should steer clear of the dispute with Turkey on energy.
Citing statements to Active radio, the daily reports that the minister, commenting on UN Special Representative Elizabeth Spehar’s reported statements that the UN would not interfere in the conflict between Turkey and Cyprus on energy, he said he was not in agreement.
He said the Republic of Cyprus believes that the UN, as the guardian of the international system, ought to take clear positions as regards violations of international law and legitimacy.
Commenting on the televised press conference by TC leader Mustafa Akinci earlier this week, the minister said he noted Akinci’s reference to guarantees.
He reiterated that the GC side is ready for an informal meeting in the same composition as in Crans-Montana arguing that it is Turkey that does not wish for such a thing now citing the ‘elections’ in the occupied areas. He said the GC side is ready to go to such a meeting even next week.
As regards the Turkey-Libya memorandum, the Greek government leads the way as regards initiatives, he said.
Commenting on reports in Greek media concerning differences between Cyprus and Greece, the minister said those searching for such a thing would be disappointed because they will not find anything.
In the meantime, Politis, in a comment piece by journalist Costas Constantinou, reports that Athens was not happy with Nicosia’s decision to take Turkey to the International Court of Justice at The Hague without first informing the Greek capital. Citing an article in Greek daily Kathimerini, published five days ago, Politis reports that according to the Greek paper, Cyprus’ initiatives of which Athens is not informed of, such as the appeal at The Hague on the EEZ, is a PR campaign for internal consumption and is being orchestrated by two politicians, who, on the one hand are in accord due to common interests but on the other hand they leer at each other. The Greek report explained that President Nicos Anastasiades needs the shield of protection offered by the national issue to avert attention from the economic scandals his government is implicated while Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides is a candidate to succeed him.
For the first time, the annoyance caused by Nicosia’s shoddy and dangerous initiatives is being discussed in Athens, also in government circles, the Greek paper reported according to Politis.
KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides
>> Disagrees with Spehar’s position on the non-involvement of the UN in the dispute between RoC and Turkey on energy. Believes the UN, as the guardian of the international system, ought to take clear positions as regards violations of international law and legitimacy.
>> Takes note of Akinci’s statements on need to review guarantees.
>> The GC side is ready for an informal meeting in the same composition as in Crans-Montana even next week. It is Turkey that does not wish for such a thing now.
>> Greece leads the way as regards how to handle the Turkey-Libya memorandum issue.
>> There is no difference of opinion with Greece.
Presidnet satisfied by stance of EU leaders against Turkish actions
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Dialogos online, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters, Regional/International Relations, Energy
OVERVIEW
The news portals on Friday morning report that the EU leaders announced late on Thursday that the accord between Libya and Turkey mapping out maritime boundaries was a violation of international law.
The announcement by the EU leaders was reported on the papers’ online versions on Friday morning since discussion at the European Council of the issue took place late on Thursday after papers went to print.
Cyprus Mail, Phileleftheros, Politis and Dialogos (Haravgi’s online version) online, reported that according to a statement issued by the European Council meeting in Brussels, the Turkey-Libya memorandum of understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea infringes upon the sovereign rights of third States (and) does not comply with the (U.N.) Law of the Sea.
“The European Council unequivocally reaffirms its solidarity with Greece and Cyprus regarding these actions by Turkey,” the European Council said.
Most news portals also report that President Nicos Anastasiades, in a tweet, expressed his full appreciation for the EUCO conclusions on the collective response against Turkey’s illegal actions and the violation of the sovereign rights of Cyprus and Greece.
“The EU’s crystal-clear common position is that Turkey should fully respect international law and the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea,” he said.
Politis (newspaper) reported that discussion by the EU leaders on the Turkey-Libya issue started at around midnight as discussion on climate change that was on the agenda prior to that, took longer than expected.
Alithia reports that Turkey has been put in isolation by the EU after the bloc’s leaders declared its agreement with Libya has no legal backing. No one can however predict the reaction of the Turkish president who is unpredictable, the paper reported.
The daily also cites a report in Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta which reported earlier in the week that the war in Libya could lead to a head-on collision between Russia and Turkey since the two countries each back one of the opposing Libyan sides. The daily also said that the head of the Libyan National Army, Khalifa Haftar, except Russia, is also backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates while the conflict between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi and the Turkish leadership has led the two Arab countries side with Cyprus as regards its dispute with Ankara. The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean on the hydrocarbons off the shores of Cyprus has led to the creation of a political bloc of states represented by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Greece and Israel that defend Cyprus, the Russian daily reported according to Alithia.
KEY ACTORS
European Council
>> Finds that the Turkey-Libya MoU infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states & is not in line with UNCLOS.
>> Reaffirms its solidarity with Greece & Cyprus.
Anastasiades (Cyprus)
>> Expresses full appreciation for the EU leaders’ collective response against Turkey’s illegal actions & the violation of the sovereign rights of Cyprus and Greece.
US & Turkey don’t see eye to eye on islands’ maritime zones
Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt said that according to international law, inhabited islands have equal rights with the mainland.
Speaking to media in Greece, the diplomat, reflecting on the official US legal opinion over the Ankara-Tripoli memorandum, and following the State Department’s announcement that the deal was “provocative”, Pyatt stressed that the Turkish government’s position on maritime zones was different from the US analysis on islands.
In this context, he argued that Washington is saying ‘No’ to unilateral statements that ignore other affected states, in this case, Greece and Egypt, the daily reported.
The paper, citing Greek sources, reports that this statement by the US Ambassador is of particular importance as it comes at a time when Athens is trying to diplomatically isolate Turkey.
Phileleftheros and Haravgi also reported that Turkey was the only country to vote against the UN resolution on Oceans and the Law of the Sea earlier this week.
According to the dailies, the UN General Assembly adopted two resolutions on the oceans and seas linked to the implementation of the landmark 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The resolutions were adopted by a recorded vote of 135 in favour to one against (Turkey), with three abstentions (Colombia, El Salvador, Venezuela).
Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the UN Andreas Mavroyiannis said in a statement that no state can continue requesting special treatment or denying rights of other states, such as island states or states comprising islands. He also said that no state should enter into dubious bilateral arrangements that contravene the convention aimed at creating faits accomplis that reflect their own distorted perception of international law.
Such arrangements have no legal effects, nor do they affect the status of the UNCLOS as the sole pertinent universal legal framework on the delimitation of maritime zones, Mavroyiannis said, according to the papers.
KEY ACTORS
Pyatt (US)
>> US & Turkey assess the situation on islands differently, since for the US, according to international law, inhabited islands have equal rights with the mainland.
>> US does not welcome unilateral statements that ignore other affected states.
Mavroyiannis (Cyprus)
>> States cannot request special treatment or deny rights of other states, such as island states or states comprising islands.
>> UNCLOS which is the only universal legal framework on the delimitation of maritime zones so states should not enter into dubious bilateral arrangements that contravene this convention just to create faits accomplis that reflect their own distorted perception of international law.
Important Armenian religious monument to be restored
Politis
CBMs, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
According to the daily, after years of efforts, the contracts for the restoration of the Armenian monastery Sourp Magar (Saint Makarios) have been signed on Tuesday.
The restoration will be carried out by the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage.
The daily reports that the monastery, located in the Halevga forest in the Pentadaktylos mountains, is one of the most important religious monuments of the island and inextricably linked to the historical presence of the Armenian community of Cyprus.
GC member of the Technical Committee, Sotos Ktoris told the paper that works for the conservation and restoration of the monastery will start promptly and are expected to be completed within six to eight months.
Body found in Nicosia believed to be man wanted of attempted murder
Politis
Internal Security, Migration & Citizenship
The paper reports that the body found on Thursday on the third floor of the ‘360’ high-rise building currently under construction in the centre of Nicosia is believed to belong to 26-year-old Mustafa Aygun, who was wanted by authorities in connection with the attempted murder of his partner in Sina Oros earlier this week.
The age and characteristics of the body match those of Aygun but his identity is expected to be confirmed during the post mortem, the daily reported.
Aygun is a Kurdish Turkish asylum seeker, wanted by the authorities after being reported by his Bulgarian partner of trying to kill her with a knife during a fight in their home in Sina Oros. He reportedly also stabbed to the face the woman’s father who had tried to stop him. Police had suspected he might have crossed to the occupied areas but no information was received of such a thing happening.
It is not clear if the man’s fall was an accident or if he had jumped off the building, the paper reported.