GCC Press Review 09 Jan 2020

Front Page Headlines

Politis

Trump is easing tensions with Iran

Economic sanctions and intention of de-escalation of military tensions. “We killed the number one terrorist and we saved thousands of lives,” Trump claimed. No losses from Iran’s missile attack on an American base in Iran.

  • Nicosia-Athens-Cairo-Rome-Paris: The Turkish-Libyan agreement on the EEZ is not valid – Message to Ankara-Tripoli.
  • Putin-Erdogan (relations) are getting stronger: They inaugurated the Turkish Stream (pipeline)

Phileleftheros

He wants to have full control of the region

Erdogan, before Putin, sent out the message that his aim is to dominate in the Eastern Mediterranean. Cairo: The four FMs accuse Ankara of undermining stability.

  • Brussels step in as regards Turkey-Libya
  • Living animals were recorded as dead and went to the occupied areas – Lions and tigers are imported as pets.

Haravgi

Facilitaties to the US from the government

US military units will stop at our island on Nicosia’s consent after a request from the US for a temporary base in Cyprus of a rapid response unit. In the meantime, the Iranian missile strikes on American bases in Iraq stirred reactions, while the American president calls on NATO to actively get involved in the Middle East.

  • The TurkStream pipeline was inaugurated by Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan

Cyprus Mail

All-time record: dams overflow

Reservoirs around the island already 96 per cent full, level normally seen in spring.

Alithia

The spark has been ignited, luckily it did not grow stronger!

The whole world is monitoring the dramatic developments in the Middle East with concern. CNN analysis: The situation in the Middle East is being deescalated after the American president’s message but Donald Trump is unpredictable…

  • Cairo five-party meeting: Strong message to Ankara

Main News

Cyprus, Greece, France & Egypt call on Turkey to ‘act responsibly’

Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Regional/International Relations, Energy, EU Matters

OVERVIEW

The foreign ministers of France, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus reiterated on Wednesday their opposition to the agreements Turkey signed with Libya and called on Ankara to act responsibly, the papers report.

According to the papers, following a meeting in Cairo, which was attended also by Italy as an observer, the four ministers rejected the maritime deals as void and as a destabilising factor in the region.

The ministers said the signing of the memorandums of understanding in November between Turkey and Fayez Sarraj, the President of the Presidency Council of Libya to be a violation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and international law.

“These memorandums have further undermined regional stability, and are both considered null and void,” they said.

The Turkey-Libya Memorandum of Understanding purporting to delimit maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the Law of the Sea and cannot produce any legal consequences, they said.

The ministers also deemed the security memorandum and any decision to send troops to Libya to be a serious violation of several United Nations Security Council resolutions and a threat to regional security and stability. They called for an immediate de-escalation.

In their joint announcement they said they expect Turkey to act responsibly and emphasise the necessity for the countries of the Mediterranean basin to cooperate in good will and constructively to guarantee the security and stability of the Mediterranean on the basis of international law.

The four ministers agreed to continue their consultations and decided that their next meeting will be held in Crete at a date that will be agreed later.

Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said the main objective of the meeting was to create conditions of security and cooperation in the region without excluding anyone. The clear position on Turkey’s violations inside the Republic’s exclusive economic zone is part of this context “since such actions, either inside the Republic’s EEZ or Syria, or what is happening with Libya, only cause destabilisation in the area,” Christodoulides said.

Alithia also reports that President of the European Council Charles Michel, said on Wednesday after a meeting in Brussels with Sarraj, that the Turkey-Libya Memorandum of Understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the Law of the Sea and cannot produce any legal consequences for third states.

The dailies also report that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin inaugurated on the same day the Turkish Stream pipeline in Istanbul.

Phileleftheros reports that Erdogan sent out the message during the ceremony that he wants to put the Eastern Mediterranean under his control. He also gave Putin a book with the agreements with Libya and Turkish claims in the region, the daily reported. It also reports that the Cairo communique was a response by the four ministers to Turkey’s plans and claims.

According to Politis Russian-Turkish relations continue to grow stronger with the inauguration of the pipeline to transfer Russian natural gas to Europe, being the next step.

KEY ACTORS
Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, France

>> The Turkey-Libya accord is void & in violation of relevant UNSC resolutions and international law. and a destabilising factor in the region.
>> The MoU on the so-called delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the Unclos & cannot produce any legal consequences.
>> Turkey’s decision to send troops to Libya is a serious violation of several UNSC resolutions & a threat to regional security and stability.
>> Call for an immediate de-escalation & want Turkey to act responsibly.
>> It is necessary for Mediterranean countries to cooperate in good will and constructively to guarantee the security and stability of the area based on international law.

Christodoulides (Cyprus)
>>
Countries in the region want  to create conditions of security and cooperation in the region without excluding anyone.
>> The way Turkey acts, be it in Cyprus’ EEZ, Syrian or Libya, only cause destabilisation in the area.

Michel (EU leaders)
>>
The Turkey-Libya MoU on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with Unclos & cannot produce any legal consequences for third states.


Government continues efforts on locating more Assia missing persons

Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
CBMs, Human Rights

OVERVIEW

The dailies report that Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou gave reassurances that the government and himself are doing and will continue to do their utmost to ascertain the fate of all missing persons from Assia.

Photiou had a meeting on Wednesday with a group of Assia refugees headed by the village’s community leader Giorgos Ioannou. Present was also GC member of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) Leonidas Pantelides.

An official statement issued after the meeting said that, as regard the major problem of the deliberate relocation of the remains of the majority of Assia missing persons from the initial burying site, the Ornithi area, actions will be taken both inside and outside Cyprus, to promote a solution to this serious problem.

The Assia refugees also raised the issue of delays observed in the excavation and further investigation for possible burial sites for which information was given in the past but CMP has yet to excavate, the dailies reported.


Cyprus agrees for US to set up temporary response unit on island for evacuation purposes

Haravgi
External Security, Regional/International Relations

OVERVIEW

According to the daily, the government granted the request by the US to temporarily station a rapid response unit in Cyprus, with a mission to evacuate personnel working in US diplomatic missions in the region, as well as US citizens, if necessary.

Government Spokesman Kyriacos Koushos, said in a written statement on Wednesday that the Republic of Cyprus granted the request, submitted through the US Embassy in Nicosia, in the framework of its longstanding policy to deal favourably with requests exclusively concerning humanitarian operations.

Koushos also said Cyprus has provided facilities for humanitarian operations based on requests from third countries within and outside the EU and will continue to do so as a factor of stability and security in the region, Haravgi reported.


Historic Zuhuri mosque in Larnaca to be restored

Alithia, Haravgi
Human Rights, EU Matters

OVERVIEW

Larnaca Municipality launched a tender competition for the restoration of Zuhuri mosque located in the city centre, the papers report.

The project concerns the restoration of the yard, including the area of the old TC market, restoration of the lodging area located next to the mosque and the conservation and restoration of the facades of all the complex buildings.

The municipality said it is important that the restoration of the complex’s courtyard highlights the historic and traditional character of the mosque and its surrounding buildings so that it will attract Larnaca residents and foreign visitors.

The €2.8m, 18-month project is expected to start within the year. It may be co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the operational programme Competitiveness and Sustainable Development.

According to the municipality, this is the sixth and last project for the 2014-2020 programming period while it marks the beginning of a new circle since the tender competition for the project has set the basis for the maturity and implementation of other projects that fall within the new programming period 2021-2027, the papers reported.


Sheep and goats registered in south as dead were found in north alive

Phileleftheros, Politis
Economy

OVERVIEW

The dailies report that the Audit Office, in its latest report on the state veterinary services, said it found that 31 animals that had been declared as dead in the registration system for goats and sheep, were found to be alive in the occupied areas.

During checks in the system, the Audit Office said that 43 animals with specific codes were located in the occupied areas. Thirty-one of these animals were logged in the system as dead.

According to the Audit Office report, these animals were located on five different occasions. The vet services asked explanations from the company that collects dead animals on behalf of the state. They also asked the company to provide all the documents concerning the death of these animals that were filed out by their owners.

The Audit Office expressed concerns that those involved in the case might continue this practice and register animals as dead, the dailies report.

The vet services reported the case to the police.

According to Phileleftheros, the report also refers to an owner of a private zoo and pet shop owner who, taking advantage of legal loopholes, has been importing on the island wild animals including tiger, lions and hyenas without being clear which of these animals are part of his private collection, for sale in his pet shop or for his zoo.


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