Front Page Headlines
Ceasefire a gamble despite “yes” by Libyans
Solution plan agreed and will need to pass through Security Council. Haftar agreed on military committee that will oversee ceasefire. New negotiation in Geneva and a Monitoring Committee for implementation of agreement.
- Turkey making fun of us: They promise us gas from plot 8!
- Drilling in March or April instead of January: Cronos delayed due to malfunction – Egyptian government imformed Cypriot government on technical problem
- (Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority defers) To (Minister of Works) Karousos for (gas) pipe
Window of hope for Libya
Berlin Conference decided on full arms embargo and end of (foreign) interventions. A message to Erdogan.
- Provocative attack against Greece – Tayip Erdogan out of control
- “Yavuz” in the Cypriot EEZ – Ankara makes encircling moves
- Each (candidate) for himself in the occupied areas
- Military material from Libya to Turkey (in 1974)
“Hestia” failure brings distress sales
52 properties worth up to 15.9 million euros up online (for sale). 81 houses and appartments on the list. Small church in Kornos to be also auctioned off.
- Provocative Turkey has sent Yavuz
- Ceasefire and arms embargo in Libya
Ceasefire in Libya
Berlin International Conference ended with a deal. All parties committed to end military support to the warring sides in the civil war and to abstain from intervening in Libya. Will Erdogan keep his promise? Sarraj and Haftar present but not in the room. Merkel stated that they “participated iin the process”.
- They promise a possible sharing of profits from the new illegal drilling in plot 8: Turkish Foreign Ministry promises large gestures with money of others – Nicosia: Turkey is a pirate state. You are not contributing to a creation of an environment condusive to dialogue, the Commission tells Turkey
- Thomaides family: Lawsuit against Fikri Ataoglu done for leverage
Main News
Ceasefire and arms embargo agreed for Libya – EU willing to help monitor deal
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
External Security, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
All the dailies focus on the result of the Berlin Conference, which is to push for a total arms embargo, the end of foreign interference and a ceasefire in Libya. Phileleftheros reports that the conference opened a window of hope and that the parties involved decided that a committee will be tasked with monitoring the ceasefire. The members of the committee will be named by the warring parties.
Phileleftheros reports that in her statement after the conference, German chancellor Angela Merkel said that all agree that there can be no military solution to the conflict. She added that she had meetings with both warring sides and that there is a deal in order to equitably share the income from the country’s oil. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that all those countries that were not invited to the conference will be able to contribute from now on.
The issue of energy (and with it that of maritime borders which connects to the Turkey – Libya memorandum) were not a part of the conference, as German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stated in an interview. However, Phileleftheros points out that the result of the conference will influence Turkey’s role in Libya, regarding, among other things, the fate of the memorandum on maritime borders signed with Ankara.
In seperate news, Phileleftheros reports that Tayip Erdogan is taking advantage of his participation in the Berlin Conference in order to safeguard his interests in the Eastern Mediterranean. Erdogan stated that the attacks by Haftar’s militia threaten the region with instability, and added that until now the international community had not reacted sufficinently against him. According to Erdogan, Turkey has become the key for peace in Libya through its actions. The Greek foreignForeign Ministry replied that a country that regularly ignores international law can’t pretend to talk about its importance.
Foreign minister to ask for targeted measures against Turkey to proceed
Phileleftheros
Energy, External Security, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that the European External Action Service reacted on Sunday with a statement to Turkey’s announcement of new drilling in the Cypriot EEZ. In the statement on behalf of Vice President of the Commission Jozep Borrel, spokesperson Peter Stano writes that the EU recalls its position concerning Turkey’s illegal drilling activities.
The spokesperson adds that “concrete steps towards creating an environment conducive to dialogue in good faith are needed” but that Turkey’s announcement “goes, regrettably, in the opposite direction”.
Phileleftheros assesses the statement as lacking in substance, and adds that on Monday Foreign Minister Christodoulides is expected to ask more specific steps towards the application of the targeted measures against persons and companies involved in illegal drilling in the Cypriot EEZ. These measures approved by the Council several months ago.
The newspaper adds that Nicosia has submitted a specific list of names of persons and legal entities involved in the drilling and expects them to be approved.
Meanwhile, Phileleftheros reports, Turkish drillship “Yavuz” has arrived and is anchored in plot 8 of the RoC’s EEZ. Diplomatic sources that talked to the newspaper believe that the new move by Turkey is partly intended to send a message to the Turkish Cypriot community ahead of the April leadership election.
In a statement, the dailies report, the Presidency of the Republic called the planned drilling illegal, adding that Turkey is becoming a pirate state in the Eastern Mediterranean, while Cyprus is chosing the road of multilateral cooperation.
Alithia reports that in a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that if natural gas is found in the area then the income from that gas will benefit both sides.
KEY ACTORS
Peter Stano (Borrel spokesperson)
>> Turkey’s announcement of new drillings goes in the opposite direction of what is needed
Thomaides family sued Ataoglu to pressure north’s Immovable Property Commission
Alithia
Property, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The legal case brought in a court of the Republic of Cyprus by the Thomaides family against former T/C “minister” Fikri Ataoglu’s family, over the usage of their property in occupied Famagusta, was not a political move but was meant to put pressure on Turkey’s Immovable Property Commission in the north, the family’s lawer told Alithia.
That the case, brought by Thomaides Group (Holdings) Ltd. Against Ataoglu, his wife and their daughter, concerns the illegal usage of the property from 2005 to today. Ataoglu was until recently the head of the T/C Democratic Party, the newspaper notes.
The Thomaides family’s lawyer, Rikkos Mappourides, told Alithia that the Immovable Property Commision (which is bankrolled by Turkey) in the north has been delaying the examination of cases of Greek Cypriots applying for compensation as a consious strategy. According to Mappourides, the thinking was Ataoglu’s political position might have helped for pressure to be applied to the IPC.
Phileleftheros reports that the European External Action Service reacted on Sunday with a statement to Turkey’s announcement of new drilling in the Cypriot EEZ. In the statement on behalf of Vice President of the Commission Jozep Borrel, spokesperson Peter Stano writes that the EU recalls its position concerning Turkey’s illegal drilling activities.