Front Page Headlines
They did everything “right”, Ghada was murdered
Admission of state inefficiency… but all forego responsibility. Police points to the court and Social Services point to legal gaps. Wanted husband of 31-year-old mother of many children nowhere to be found.
- USA: Trump’s line of defence
- Turkey: Blocked Cyprus
- Visa to Russia: More expensive than the ticket
- Halloumi: No news on the… new!
Invades and blackmails
Turkey entered plot 8 and wants diplomatic gains over hydrocarbons. UN Security Council five expressed support to sovereignty of Republic of Cyprus.
- Base of support for “Yavuz” at Tymbou – They transfer personel and equipment by helicopter
- No mention of turkish provocations by Spehar
- Tatar ahead in occupied areas
- Conditions become tougher for enclaved
Council of Ministers accomodates Phaidonas
Caferestaurant within the protected beach zone. Construction work without environmental impact assesment. AKEL: Environment destroyed without thought.
- They have no idea about the aircraft carrier
- They connect halloumi with the Cyprus Problem
- Tough reply by Kizilyurek to Hurriyet newspaper with multiple messages
- Turkey blocked participation of Cyprus as an observer at Conference on Disarmament
Under fire over prices at pump
Energy minister takes the flak as prices to rise after renewables target missed.
- Cyprus: Turkish Cypriot football club asks Fifa for intl games
Too much noise over nothing
(Energy minister) G. Lakkotrypis responds to opposition and gives explanations over fuel prices. Cyprus is the fifth cheapest in petrol prices despite the increase by 2.5 euro. We covered targets for use of renewable energy except when it comes to transport but there’s no danger of a fine by the EU. Opposition issues criticisms over irresponsibility.
- American intervetion to developments by letter sent by Pompeo to Mitsotakis – USA: Guarantors of security in the Eastern Meditteranean
- Turkey blocks participation of Cyprus in Conference on Disarmament
Main News
Turkey signals readiness to negotiatiate only over hydrocarbons in “Lefkosa-1”
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Energy, External Security, Regional/ International Relations, Negotiations Process, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that in recent statements Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made a distinction between those drillings in the Eastern Mediterranean that are not up for discussion and those that are.
Cavusoglu is reported to have made his statement from Davos, Switzerland, where he is participating in the World Economic Forum. The Turkish FM stated that the country is drilling in two areas: within the areas that Turkey claims as its continental shelf and in areas that overlap with plots for which the Greek Cypriots have granted authorisation to companies. According to the report, Cavusoglu clarified that Turkey will not be negotiating over these.
Cavusoglu made a specific reference to plot 8 and the drilling by Yavuz, saying that “Here we are ready to cooperate. We cannot allow the usurpation of Turkey’s rights in the Eastern Mediterranean” and added that “we are both on the field and at the table”, while in another part of his statement he referred to T/C rights and unilateral actions by the G/Cs.
Politis adds that T/C leader Mustafa Akinci also made statements that there should be dialogue over the issues in the Eastern Mediterranean. Akinci said that diplomacy should take over to reduce tension in the Eastern Mediterranean and there are two possible options: that of continued tensions and that of cooperation. He added that the agreement with Greece and Israel regarding the EastMed pipeline is not based on fact. Phileleftheros quotes “foreign minister” Kudret Ozersay, who has stated that sharing of the natural gas should take place before a solution. He added that the area west of the “TRNC” is part of the turkish continental shelf and that it was turkish policy that brought the T/Cs on an equal footing with the G/Cs “not only on paper but on the ground”.
The newspaper notes that Nicosia’s position is that this cannot be accepted while Turkey continues its illegal moves in the Cypriot EEZ.
In related news, Phileleftheros reports that Turkey has used Tymbou airport as support for “Yavuz”. A helicopter that was to fly out of an airport in Turkey that was a base for the rest of the country’s drillings in the area, had to return to base on Tuesday because of the large distance. The helicopter instead landed at Tymbou airport, from where it continued towards “Yavuz”. It is the first time that Tymbou is being used in this way by Turkey. According to the newspaper, this seems to have been an emergency solution. However in the title the newspaper mentions a new support base.
Phileleftheros also reports that UNSG representative in Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar made no reference to Turkey’s recent actions while informing the UN Security Council. According to diplomatic sources, Spehar informed the SC that the UN will not be taking any further steps towards a resumption of negotiation until after the elections for T/C leader in April.
Alithia as well as Phileleftheros report on a letter sent by US State Secretary Mike Pompeo to Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. In the letter, Pompeo points out that there is no need to increase tensions but to enter into a dialogue that will lead to results that respect international law. Phileleftheros further reports that due a Turkish fighter jet that flew low over Leros nautical base in Greece on Tuesday. The newspaper adds that Greece changed the head of its military forces on Tuesday. Phileleftheros also quotes a statement made by Mitsotakis that Greece is open for dialogue with Turkey and pointed out that the only difference considers the contintental shelf of the two countries and that Greece is not afraid of the possibility of the issue being decided by the International Court at the Hague.
Phileleftheros also notes that the Italian foreign ministry denied rumours that Rome has been negotiating with Turkey over the issue of gas reserves off the coast of Libya. In an official statement, the Italian FM reiterated that energy reserves in the Mediterranean is an opportunity for cooperation. Also the council of ministers of Saudi Arabia expressed its suport to Cyprus’ sovereign rights, the newspaper reports citing a report by Al Arabiya.
Most dailies report that Turkey has blocked Cyprus from participating as an observer in the Conference for Disarmament in Geneva. Politis reports that Turkey blocked Cyprus’s request to take part in the conference, citing reports from international media. All the countries that had asked to be observers were approved except for Cyprus. The representative of Turkey in Geneva stated that the country had not blocked the participation of Cyprus in previous year. The US and the EU criticised the decision.
Also, Phileleftheros reports on a statement by Erhan Arikli, head of far right YDP party in the north, who said that Russia is ready to recognise the TRNC in return for Turkey’s cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey, he said, has the key to recognition through her influence on Central Asian turkic republics.
Meanwhile Haravgi points out in a report that neither the Ministry for Defence nor the Foreign Mnistry have any information on the rumoured arrival of french aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle”. The information on the arrival of the aircraft carrier to the area had been transmitted by media in Greece.
KEY ACTORS
Cavusoglu (Turkey)
>> Ready to cooperate regarding drilling by Yavuz, not on any other action in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Akinci
>> Diplomacy should take over to reduce tension in the Eastern Mediterranean
Ozersay
>> Areas west of the TRNC are part of Turkey’s continental shelf
Pompeo (USA)
>> There is no need to increase tensions but to enter into a dialogue that will lead to results that respect international law.
Mitsotakis
>> We are open for dialogue with Turkey on continental shelf and maritime borders and we are not afraid of possibility of appealing to the Hague
Italian Foreign Ministry
>> There is no negotiation with Turkey over gas reserves off the coast of Libya
>> Energy resources in the Mediterranean should be seen as opportunity to negotiate
Saudi cabinet
>> The country supports the sovereign rights of Cyprus
No updates on halloumi temporary EU status, government aims to unblock
Haravgi, Politis
Economy, EU Matters, CBMs
OVERVIEW
European commissioner for agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski has stated that the EU is still prossessing the protected designation of origin application on “halloumi/ hellim” on the basis of the temporary solution agreed on by former Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, President Anastasiades and T/C leader Akinci, Politis reports.
The statement was made as a reply to a parliamentary question by EDEK MEP Demetris Papadakis. Wojciechowski points out that the application was submitted in 2014, and was approved and opened to objections in 2015. Nine objections were submitted.
Cypriot Agriculture Minister Kostas Kadis told Politis that this application concerns a temporary arrangement that will last until the solution of the Cyprus Porblem. He added however that there are issues that have come up during discussions with the EU that were not overcome. He expressed hopes of unblocking the process with the new Commission, mentioned he already had a first discussion with Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides and added that he will ask for a meeting with Wojciechowski.
T/C football club Cetinkaya asks Fifa to allow international games
Cyprus Mail
CBMs, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
Turkish Cypriot football club Cetinkaya has requested that Fifa allow teams from the north to play against international teams, Cyprus Mail reports citing Havadis. Cetinkaya chairman Bulent Dizdarli has sent a letter to Fifa president Gianni Infantinto that it woule be preferable, instead of implenting the 2013 interimg agreement between the Cyprus Football Association and the Cyprus Turkish Football Association, to give T/C clubs “preferential treatment”.
The interim agreement from 2013, under which CTFA would become a member of the CFA as an association, was never implemented because CTFA was not able to produce the original 1965 document that proves it is a legal entity under RoC law. However, the newspaper points out that there’s rumours that the deal never materialised due to reaction from conservatives on both sides.
Dizdarli had sent a letter to Fifa once again in October, in which he pointed out that T/C clubs could not play international games since 1974. The reply had referred to the 2013 agreement that had still not been implented. In his latest letter Dizdarli pointed out that if there was an attempt to implement the 2013 agreement that would lead to endless discussions without results.
Kizilyurek accuses Hurriyet newspaper of warmongering over demographics statement
Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Human Rights, EU Matters, Migration & Citizenship, CBMs
OVERVIEW
Haravgi reports that MEP Niyazi Kizilyurek replied to a critical report by turkish newspaper Hurryiet by pointing out the publication’s role in warmongering and provocation,
On Tuesday, the turkish newspaper reported on Kizilyurek’s parliamentary question to the Committee in which he asks what the EU is ready to do to protect Turkish Cypriots from Ankara’s interference in the north, its program of changing the demography of the area and of undermining the secularism of the community. Hurriyet called the statements a “cowardly attack” against Turkey.
Kizilyurek replied through a post in social media, in which he points out that his “pages on Cyprus” are filled with efforts to bring people together and to achieve peace. Hurriyet’s “pages on Cyprus”, he added, are full of fake news, provocation and the newspaper’s role in inciting the September 1955 riots against the Greek inhabitants of Istanbul.
RoC authorities catch T/C driver attempting to drive migrants over Green Line
Politis
Migration & Citizenship, Human Rights, Internal Security
OVERVIEW
A Turkish Cypriot driving was caught attempting to cross into the government controlled areas with two migrants in his trunk, Politis reports. The taxi driver had asked for 500 euros from the two men, originally from Sierra Leone and Congo. The two man hid in the car with their baggage.
According to the report, they were caught ten minutes after midnight on Sunday night, and were led to court on Monday.
The police will reach out through the bicommunal contact group on criminal matters in order to investigate how the two men arrived to Cyprus, where they lived in the occupied areas and whether they cooperated with persons in the government controlled areas.
Enclaved in north face problems with residency permits
Phileleftheros
Human Rights, Migration & Citizenship, CBMs
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that a number of Greek Cypriots enclaved, that have returned to be residents of Karpasia in the occupied areas, are facing administrative troubles by Turkish Cypriot authorities. The newspaper notes that the issue concerns people that have recently decided to return to the north.
According to the report, the temporary “residence permit” issued will now only be valid for one month. Also, the Turkish Cypriot authorities delaying the approval of residency cards. The result is that these people remain without a status for an indefinite amount of time.
Phileleftheros cites information from the T/C side that the measure that limits the validity of the residency permit to one month applies also to all citizens from other countries moving to the north, including Turkish citizens.
The issue was discussed in the House of Representatives committee for refugee issues, in the presence of presidential commissioner Fotis Fotiou. The discussion was focused on the assistance provided to persons who chose to resettle in Karpasia or in the Maronite villages.
The newspaper also notes that there have been more returns of Maronites to villages in the Morphou area, mainly due to the fact that these villages are closer to the government controlled areas and also that Maronite houses are currently empty after having been vacated by the turkish army. About 140 to 150 people have returned to Kormakitis and about 20 to 25 have returned to Karpasha.
First phase of renovation of Agios Andronikos chuch in Kythraia completed
Politis, Kathimerini
CBMs
OVERVIEW
The first phase of the renovation of the Agios Andronikos church in Kythraia has been completed, Kathimerini reports. The renovation was completed by the Technical Commitee for Cultural Heritage through the support of UNDP.
The renovation begun in May 2019 and cost more than 250.000 euros, involving the restoration of walls and protection of the icons of the temple. The presidents of the Technical Commitee Takis Hadidemetriou and Ali Tuncay, as well as Kythraia mayor Petros Kareklas visited the church on Monday.