Front Page Headlines
End of excuses with lift of (private communications) confidentiality
Police claimed this was the reason serious crimes were not solved. Approval of the law is a good opportunity to overturn certain myths, says AKEL. DISY says it’s an important legal weapon in fight against organised crime, but curbs its expectations.
- Merkel to Turkey for Customs Union: Figure it out with Athens – Nicosia – She left the possibility open for further financial support to Turkey
- Local society in Pervolia knows: Three T/C were murdered
- Turkey: Deadly earthquake at 6.8 of Richter schale
New provocation from Ankara
(Turkey) Issues permits for TPAO research in locations agreed with Libya. A German slap but Erdogan remains immovable.
- Deadly earthquake at 6.8 on Richter scale in Turkey
New tumble in corruption indicators
Negative assessment by Transparency International. Those who govern slander us with their actions. Government and DISY try to excuse the inexcusable.
- Turkey sees five basic problems between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean
- Presentation of Niyazi Kizilyurek’s book titled “A history of violence and resentment”
Phone tapping given go ahead
‘A radical change to the means of fighting organised crime’.
Two big changes
New legislation approved regaring phone tapping and rent control. Privacy of private communications lifted for certain serious crime and a stop put on non-paying tennants.
- Wants to cooperate to exploit reserves on our coasts: Turkey “flirts” with Moscow – Cavusoglu states that Erdogan – Putin discussed the issue and there’s a basis for future cooperation
- Erdogan: “Charmed” Angela Merkel with a mirror as a gift
- East Turkey: Strong earthquake at 6.8 points in Richter scale. Buildings collapsed
Main News
Merkel visits Turkey as Ankara makes plans with Libya and Moscow
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Energy, External Security, Regional/ International Relations, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on the meeting between German chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Tayip Erdogan in Istanbul. Politis reports that during Merkel and Erdogan’s one on one meeting, the chancellor gave the Turkish President the message that if Turkey wants its Customs Union upgraded there should be a solution to the issues with Greece and Cyprus. At the same time, she expressed Germany’s interest in helping build housing for refugees in Idlib in Syria, and left open the possibility of further European funding regarding immigration.
Politis points out that Merkel told Erdogan that German companies are interested in investing in Turkey, but that any decision that needs to be taken on a European level needs the approval of Greece and Cyprus.
Phileleftheros reports that Erdogan stated after the meeting that military personel will train the Libyan government’s forces, adding that it is an obligation to cooperate with the country’s legal government. Merkel said that the fragile ceasefire needs to become a viable agreement and proposed further negotiations among Russia, Turkey, Germany and France.
Phileleftheros reports that a few hours after Merkel’s visit to Istanbul, the German parliament issued a resolution announcing that it regards the MoU with Libya to be invalid. The German Foreign Ministry agreed with the Parliament’s decision.
Meanwhile Phileleftheros also reports that Ankara has issued permits for drillings on behalf of Turkish oil company TPAO, regarding the areas included in its MoU with Libya’s government. Turkish Energy ministry official Cagatay Erciyes told Turkish daily Hurriyet that permits have been issued for the areas “west of the Turkish EEZ in the Eastern Mediterranean”. Erciyes also said that Turkey had been in discussion with Egypt for a similar agreement until the overthrow of then President Morsi.
Alithia reports that Turkey is flirting with Moscow regarding the exploitation of natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. The newspaper cites an interview by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Russian agancy RIA Novosti. Cavusoglu stated that Turkey is ready and willing to work with Russia in exploiting natural gas around Cyprus in the future, adding that this was discussed between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Phileleftheros also reports on a statement by Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zaharova, who denied information published in Turkish media regarding the possibility of the recognition of the TRNC by Moscow and accused those spreading the information for wanting to harm relations with Cyprus.
Cyprus Mail also reports that Cyprus is blocking new European Union sanctions against several officials from Crimea, wanting to secure tougher sanctions against Turkey over its drilling for hydrocarbons in the Cypriot EEZ. The newspaper cites information from three diplomatic sources, while Nicosia denies that there is a link between the two issues.
Phileleftheros also reported on statements made by Cypriot Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis that Nicosia is moving behind the scenes with the aim of arriving at EEZ delineation with Syria. Lakkotrypis told Alpha TV that the moves are made behind the scenes by the Foreign Ministry.
The newspaper also reports on the visit of the new rapporteur of the European Parliament for Turkish accession to the EU to the country. Spanish socialist MEP Nacho Sanchez Amor said that Turkey’s European prospects must be maintained, but that the country needs to work on reforms. According to the report, the discussions of the MEP and Turkish officials touched on the Customs Union and the visa issue, as well as freedom of the press and the imprisonment of political opponents of the government.
KEY ACTORS
Erciyes (Turkish energy ministry)
>> Permits have been given for area agreed in MoU with Libya
>> There had been discussions with Egypt before Morsi’s overthrow
Cavusoglu (Turkish FM)
>> We are open to cooperating with Russia in the future to exploit gas reserves around Cyprus
Lakkotrypis (Cypriot Energy minister)
>> The foreign ministry has been working behind the scenes towards EEZ delineation with Syria
German foreign ministry spokesperson
>> The Turkey – Libya MoU violates rights of other countries and is not legally binding
Remains believed to belong to three T/Cs missing found in Pervolia
Politis
Human Rights, CBMs
OVERVIEW
The discovery of human remains by the Committee for Missing Persons on the beach in Pervolia has brought to the surface information on the alleged murder of three Turkish Cypriots in the area during the 1963-64 clashes, Politis reports. However, there is so far no definitive confirmation that the remains belong to the three T/Cs in question.
According to the newspaper, locals are convinced that the remains belong to three T/Cs that were missing since the 60s and that had been murdered by far right Greek Cypriots. Locals have told Politis that the case concerns two seperate instances. The local community seems to have been aware of information regarding the dissapearances of the the three T/Cs for years, and the information has now been passed on to the CMP.
The first case is that of the murder of a T/C fruit and vegetable seller from Nicosia district that often bought from farmers in the Pervolia area. The other case concerns two T/C shepherds (one of which was deaf) from Kivisili.
Repairs in Apostolos Andreas progress after lightning strike
Haravgi, Phileleftheros
CBMs
OVERVIEW
Takis Hadjidimitriou, the G/C head of the Technical Committe for Cultural Heritage, said that the work to repair the Apostolos Andreas monastery in Karpasia are progressing, Phileleftheros reports. Hadjidimitriou told the Cyprus News Agency that a recent lightning strike on the monastery’s bell tower caused limited damages and will be dealt with.
Hadjidimitriou also said that soon the repairs at Agios Artemonas in Afaneia and Agios Andronikos in Kithrea will be finished soon.